Rosewood/Cane

The "T" is from the serial number indicating that they were produced in 1979.  They were originally Walnut Oil, "B" model with the riser between the top horn and the bass bin.

They weren't in real bad shape when I got them, but still good candidates for a restoration.  This was the last project that came out of my old shop in 2005, just before I had to move out because of roof leaks.   I used Brazilian Rosewood raw wood veneer and it was a pain in the ass.

I like raw wood veneer because it's just real wood, plain and simple, and I like woodworking, so it just seems right to me.  But let's face it, using backed veneer is just so much easier and the results are much better.   Check out the "M" Khorn pages for more details on using paper backed veneer and Heatlock glue.

I used an oil finish on the "T" Khorns and it made the veneer bubble in a few dozen spots.  I was very disappointed to say the least and figured I might have a hard time selling them.  So I brought them to my house and used them in my living room for two years as my main speakers.   Recently I was contacted by someone looking for a pair of restored Khorns and after I told him about the Tkhorns, he decided that he wanted to buy them

My house is very dry, and during the two years that they sat in my living room, the oil dried up enough so I could put a polyurethane finish on them.   So I took them to my new shop and fixed as many of the bubbles as I could, and put a couple coats of Minwax wipe-on polyurethane on them for the new owner.

I installed new cane grill cloth which I think looks terrific.  I love the contrast between the dark wood and the cane grill cloth.  Classic look.  The grill cloth came from Wendell Fabrics

I'm going to miss these speakers.  They were very dark, formal, and elegant speakers to have in my living room, and I really enjoyed listening and looking at them for those two years.

Happy new owner taking them away.

An interesting note, during the time I had them in my living room, I completely forgot about the bubbles.  I really never noticed them.   My wife commented that she must have dusted them at least 50 times and never noticed the bubbles.  Things are different when you have them in a shop under a critical eye.  You tend not to notice defects as much when they're sitting in your home.