KhornKerry Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 I recently bought a pair of Klipschorns Type K-B-RO serial # 7N### (1975). The 1975 Klipsch sales brochure shows this as rosewood with an oil finish. There was a pair of rosewood Klipschorns (signed by Paul Klipsch) on Ebay a few months back that were Brazilian rosewood. I contacted the seller and he said the Type # was K-B-BRO, I assume that the BRO is for Brazilian rosewood with oil finish. I have never seen the BRO in any Klipsch sale literature, and would like to know the difference between RO and BRO. Is the BR on the Eaby pair for Brazilian Rosewood and is it different than just Rosewood ? My speakers veneer looks different than the one on Ebay, no dark streaks and a little more brown in color. Does anyone have any idea when Brazilian Rosewood became available by Klipsch and how many of each type were sold over the years ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 That certainly is an interesting question. I never realized that there were regular "Rosewood" and a "Brazilian Rosewood" finishes, I would like to see what a pair in Teak or Zebrawood look like. This is certainly a question that HDBRbuilder (Andy) might be able to answer. I have OO (Oak Oil) Khorns but love the look of the exotic wood veneers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 I'll be posting pics of my zebrawood cornwalls tomorrow night. They aren't khorns but you'll get the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 Don't know for sure what the significance of the difference in designation between the two is. Brazilian rosewood is generally considered the most desireable rosewood. There are many rosewoods. The real ones are all from genus dalbergia. There are many others that are also referred to as rosewood in the trade. From the mid-sixties on, Brazilian rosewood became hard to get and expensive, partly because the Japanese bought up the world supply. Furniture manufacturers, guitar makers, speaker companies, etc. largely changed to Indian rosewood as a result. Now Brazilian rosewood is just about impossible to get unless you find old stock because it is considered endangered and cannot be exported from Brazil. As time goes on, more "rosewoods" find a market, like "Honduras rosewood" and "Santos rosewood." The rosewood Klipschorns I have seen were Brazilian rosewood. But that was a long time ago. It is certainly possible that Klipsch might have had to meet demand with a different rosewood at one time or another, hence a different designation. Brazilian rosewood is generally deep reddish, brown with with dark streaks and a nice figure. Indian rosewood has straighter grain, less figure, less deep color. Other rosewoods vary from light brown, to dark brown, etc. Don't know how many Brazilian rosewood Klipschorns were produced. It was always a premium finish. I am sure the number is fairly small. I have only seen a single pair, and pictures of a few others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horonzak Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 Malcolm hit right on the money Brazilian Rosewood is rare. I have some Brazilian Rosewood furniture. (eight pieces) I wouldnt give them up for anything the grain is so beautiful. My wife says I can go but the Rosewood & the Klipschorns stay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhornKerry Posted April 22, 2003 Author Share Posted April 22, 2003 Picture of my 1975 Rosewood Klipschoprn. one of 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhornKerry Posted April 22, 2003 Author Share Posted April 22, 2003 Picture of my 1975 Rosewood Klipschorn. 2 of 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhornKerry Posted April 22, 2003 Author Share Posted April 22, 2003 Picture of my 1975 Rosewood Klipschorn. 3 of 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edster00 Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 KhornKerry, I just posted a photo of my rosewood K-horns (KBRL if I remember correctly) in this thread under "General Questions" if you are interested. I am going to try to take some better photos this evening when I get home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 Here is a pair in tigerwood. I was told that these were a custom order from Klipsch. Whatever the history is, I relly like them. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 As for the labeling of Klipsch speakers..."R" stands for rosewood...all the rosewood speakers that I know of that Klipsch produced used Brazilian Rosewood. There is a possibility that the person who wrote up the labels for that one pair labeled as "BRO" was a newbie and just wrote down what seemed sensible at the time...it happened more than once when I worked there, but is no big deal...nothing to get anybody's panties in a wad over, anyway. Brazilian Rosewood IS STILL AVAILABLE...but is expensive...and it is NOT illegal to export it...as long as it is labelled as having been cut from "managed forests"....check it out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhornKerry Posted April 22, 2003 Author Share Posted April 22, 2003 Thanks HDBRbuilder I just wanted to know why the wood grain on mine looked so much different. I don't have a lot of experience with rosewood but I do know that there is more than one kind of rosewood. Kerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 Brazilian Rosewood can vary in color from yellow-orange-red-maroon-burgundy-dark brown-black...often with ALL OF THESE COLORS in just one board...the cathredral-look grain pattern in a book-match...with dark "blood red" spreading outwards to black-edged highlights is by far the most sought after coloration variation in this type of veneer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 Export of Brazilian rosewood for commercial purposes is indeed illegal under CITES, an international treaty. Only wood that was cut and slabbed before mid 1992 may legally be sold. "Managed forrests" doesn't have a thing to do with it. Of course, that doesn't stop unscrupulous merchants from certifying that more recently cut wood is pre-ban and exporting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triode Pete Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 Kerry, Nice 1975 KB-RO, (Klipschorn B-type, Rosewood Oil). I have 1974 KB-RO's. I'll try to attach a picture. My friend had a pair of late 80's KB-RL (Klipschorn, B, Rosewood Laquer). They looked totally different than mine with a glossy finish. Actually, a little overbearing. There's a picture circulating with PWK at his test bench with a KB-RL behind him. Enjoy the K-horns, Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkytype Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 HDBRbuilders's memory might be a little fuzzy when he asserted that all Klipsch Rosewood loudspeakers were made from Brazilian Roosewood. I believe the early K-Horns were offerd in Brazilian Rosewood but the Rosewood models sold in the '70s were made of Honduran Rosewood. Bob Moers who was Paul's business manager back then told me that unless Rosewood was in the form of a product, it couldn't be exported from Brazil. I think they had a few small pieces of genuine Brazilian in stock (a carry over from the early days?) but not enough to build anything. KHornkerry's horn pix look identical to the wood grain and coloring as my K-B-RL (Mine have bamboo cane grills). Note I wrote RL. The early oil finishes tended to look dry and dull unless you were willing to oil them once a week. The veneer on all the Klipsch products is very thin and apparently Rosewood has a very porous wood grain. My '79 horns were initially RO, but I sent them back along with my matching Belle to be lacquered. From about that time forward, Rosewood was offered only with a lacquered finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkrop Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 Where did you guys find these rare Khorns? I mean oak come along few and far between! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkytype Posted May 6, 2003 Share Posted May 6, 2003 bkrop--- I was working for a Klipsch dealer in Little Rock at the time and bought them through the "salesman accommodation program" most manaufacturers offer to dealer employees. Getting a pair of Rosewood Klipschorns and center Belle for half of retail was (and is) a pretty good deal! The product ID sticker has (if my memory serves me) "NOT FOR RESALE--SALESMAN ACCOMMODATION". Obviously, this is meant to prevent a sales person from buying and reselling a pair of loudspeakers every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Istari Posted May 6, 2003 Share Posted May 6, 2003 Hey Arkytype, Did you work at Custom Audio on Rodney Parham??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhornKerry Posted May 6, 2003 Author Share Posted May 6, 2003 Thanks for the help Arkytype. Could you post a picture of your Khorns, I would love to see them. Also found some info on the web. http://www.luthierwood.com/hondrw.htm http://www.cbguitars.com/woods.htm Kerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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