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Cicerogue - after applying a small amount of denatured alcohol to the back of the cabinets, I am almost 100% certain the finish is shellac. The finish came right off with almost no rubbing required. I have tried a variety of applications and don't really like how any came out. I used some stain pens but the issue is the area I need to cover is too wide. If it were just a scratch, no problem, but trying to match a 1/4" wide section is just too noticeable, almost draws your eye more towards the blemish. Quite frankly, I think the original blemish looks better than trying to hide it with some easy fix, so I have removed the stain pen repair at this point. I may try to just shellac the lighter area but also think that the outcome will be similar to my results above. Need to think if I want to remove the shellac from the entire top of the cabinet. However, if after re-shellacing, and if the color doesn't match the rest of the cabinet, I just signed my self up for refinishing not just the remaining cabinet but the other speaker cabinet as well. Ugh! Best course of action may be to just live with it for a while to see how distracting the blemish is.

Peter - yes, that would make the most sense. I'll definitely find an area of the cabinet that is not visible and test there first.

One last question, when you say crayon, do you mean the stain stick pens (with all the various wood stain colors) you can get at the hardware store? Edit: Just re-read prior post, got it, furniture wood repair pen. Thanks.

Whatever the finish is it must have had 5-6 layers at least applied. I say this b/c there is a significant ridge where there is no longer finish. Good news, with all those layers I think it acted as a natural barrier to protect the cabinets all these years. RandyH - I think I am going to try method 3 first. I agree that if I take all the finish off it may be hard to match the rest of the cabinet. Hoping I can get the repair done where only under closer inspection can you see the prior ring.

Brand new to the Klipsch forum. Thought I would post a few pictures of some Cornwall IIs that I just picked up to see if anyone has advice on refinishing the top on one of the cabinets. I've refinished several speakers in the past, but the damage on the Cornwall is new to me. It appears to be a water stain, but every other water stain I've seen on other speaker cabinets typically will create a darker ring, not a lighter ring. I think what may have happened on the Cornwalls is the water ring removed the several layers of finish (not sure if it was lacquer, shellac, etc.). Was hoping a Klipsch member might know what finish was used originally on these Birch speakers or if they can tell if the finish was done by the owner after the speakers were purchased? I've read where denatured alcohol can be used, then sanding and refinish but would rather get some feedback from others before attempting any type of wood repair. Other than the water ring, the cabinets and overall speakers are in excellent condition.