meagain Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Someone tell me why there are SO many Heritage pieces in Birch? And WHY they used PAINT GRADE birch with all the fungal/sap, etc. stains on it. Rarely do I see clear nice quality birch. SOME khorn pics I've seen look pretty clear, but still - I constantly see a pair of birch with one or both having "the stain" shooting nonsensically through it, off to the side, etc. I am not talking about the few birch Veneer pieces. Those are nice. THEN - why are these Birch pieces treated as if they are some type of furniture grade wood? Like they are precious/special somehow? Good furniture grade birch does not have these 'defects' in them. I see stain jobs that try to mimick Walnut, dark woods, etc. Hey - it doesn't work! Why did Klipsch use so much of this? Doesn't anyone agree with me that this is paint grade birch for the most part? I just think it's a shame and I find it incredulous that more people don't veneer or paint over these pieces. The only decent speaker in Birch I've really seen is Chris King's. But untill I see pics of all sides of the pair - I'm reserving judgement. (Birch hater) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Cheaper....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.4knee Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Rant response: Wah Wah! EDIT: lemme make it more PC [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 "(Birch hater)" Snob, it's all us po'folk could afford.[] Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Yeh, I think birch Heritage is just the bargain entry level finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jorjen Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Geez...what a Birch![] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 I think you're underestimating the problem and cost involved with furiture grade birch. It is close to more traditional hardwoods. My dad commented over specs in construction which would call for "clear white pine without defect". The first part of that spec seems to call for common cheap wood. The last part calls for stuff of extra-ordinary quality. So you see what is going on. The spec writer gets to say he is only asking for cheap stuff and saving money. But the following constraint is almost impossible to achieve. Then the spec writer gripes that there is something wrong with the world where there is not cheap and quality. That is what he specified. You can't have both. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Quitcher birchin', Meagain. If you came in our house, you would have a heart attack. My wife LOVES 50's blond birch Heywood Wakefield furniture, so we now have over twenty pieces of pristine, beat up, and gloriously refinished Adirondack yellow BIRCH furniture in the house. It looks gorgeous! End tables, coffee tables, beds, dressers, mirrors, desks, buffets, tables, china cabinets, all birch, birch, birch. For a fifteen year period in the 50s through the mid 60s, birch furniture lines were the best selling quality furniture in the US. If it weren't for the Klipsch, Altec, and JBL speakers, the house would be nothing but birch furniture. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Lisa, Birch is a fairly close grained hardwood, that done as plywood, makes for very stiff cabinets. It isn't just the outside or top plys that are Birch, but all the plys. They could have put a higher quality of Birch for the outer plys, but the cost woudl have gone up tremendously. The other reason you don't like them is because of the way the plys were cut, which is more open faced, so you get the solid core door veneer look to them. I actually like the way my cabinets look with the lacquer finish on them. These are the original finish too (as far as I know, anyway. 20 years is a long time, but it looks to be original). Mine actually look better in person than in pics. I don't mind the grain these have. I wouldn't mind Cherry, as I have some other cherry furniture, but I'm not going to veneer them anytime soon. You could paint them purple. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS Button Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Geez...what a Birch![] WOW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfandbark Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 She doesn't like w/o either.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Someone tell me why there are SO many Heritage pieces in Birch? And WHY they used PAINT GRADE birch with all the fungal/sap, etc. stains on it. Rarely do I see clear nice quality birch. SOME khorn pics I've seen look pretty clear, but still - I constantly see a pair of birch with one or both having "the stain" shooting nonsensically through it, off to the side, etc. I am not talking about the few birch Veneer pieces. Those are nice. THEN - why are these Birch pieces treated as if they are some type of furniture grade wood? Like they are precious/special somehow? Good furniture grade birch does not have these 'defects' in them. I see stain jobs that try to mimick Walnut, dark woods, etc. Hey - it doesn't work! Why did Klipsch use so much of this? Doesn't anyone agree with me that this is paint grade birch for the most part? I just think it's a shame and I find it incredulous that more people don't veneer or paint over these pieces. The only decent speaker in Birch I've really seen is Chris King's. But untill I see pics of all sides of the pair - I'm reserving judgement. (Birch hater) Gosh, you need to hurry up and buy those Mahogany Klipschorns you posted about, calm down. Would you REALLY paint a Klipsch speaker, PAINT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnyholiday Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Retro-Rama...>;N.O.S. (new old stock) as if discovered in a warehouse after many years,never played showing no signs of age or wear.CLOSET CLASSIC collector's dream! stashed in a closet ,worn a bit,yellowed with age,finish is slightly check,hairline finish cracks(humidity an temputure changes).RELIC super worn in,shows natural wear an tear,years of heavy use- nicks,scratches,worn finish(looks,fells,plays,like punishment taken).Klispch cabs are Retro-Rama before retro was retro ,a synergy per say. why birch $$$ an compromise of weight/density ratio of different materials(a slab of hard wood is heavy) an a classic is born of birch,then manufactures (smart ones) reissue for $$$ IS IT, N.O.S.,CLOSET CLASSIC,or RELIC?>>>Fender Custom Shop designers met Donal Gallagher, brother of the late, great Rory Gallagher, in 1997 at Los Angeles International Airport and received a gig bag holding one of the most coveted guitars of all timeRorys worn-to-the-wood 1961 Stratocaster guitar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Def Leper Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Listen to the birdies sing: Cheap, Cheap, Cheap. The unfinished birch heritage were the cheapest. Not everyone who wants the Klipsch sound could afford to pay for surface treatements that have no effect on the sound, and therefor no audio bang for the buck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted April 15, 2006 Author Share Posted April 15, 2006 Quitcher birchin', Meagain. If you came in our house, you would have a heart attack. My wife LOVES 50's blond birch Heywood Wakefield furniture, so we now have over twenty pieces of pristine, beat up, and gloriously refinished Adirondack yellow BIRCH furniture in the house. It looks gorgeous! End tables, coffee tables, beds, dressers, mirrors, desks, buffets, tables, china cabinets, all birch, birch, birch. For a fifteen year period in the 50s through the mid 60s, birch furniture lines were the best selling quality furniture in the US. If it weren't for the Klipsch, Altec, and JBL speakers, the house would be nothing but birch furniture. [] The Heywood-Wakefield I've seen is a far cry from 99% of the Birch used in Klipsch. It's not paint-grade. Different beasts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted April 15, 2006 Author Share Posted April 15, 2006 Would you REALLY paint a Klipsch speaker, PAINT? Absolutely! Look at this pic of my LaScala - this stain blotch next to the squawker. Lovely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaaaz Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Well I just sold a pair of decorator cornwalls that came in raw birch and I thought they looked pretty good and I recall you being very interested in them as well? I think the time spent finishing the birch speakers seems to be more the issue than the birch itself,I have seen some very nicely finished ones as well as some that havent been given more that a 10 minute stain job.It was a way for people to still own klipsch without going broke, after all a klipsch finished in the most exotic veneer on earth sounds no better than the regular guys with the birch. It is the music thats the ultimate goal isnt it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 That looks like somebody attempted to sand out some damage at one time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Two quick comments; Nice Fender, that in my opinion, is a museum piece, Beautiful; Meagain; seek some professional help, or buy some Khorns, or both!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZAKO Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 If you dont like birch than spend some money.......Have them veneered in rosewood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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