Painting speaker cabinet
Hi,
I currently own the MA RS6AV speaker package in black oak, the wife has now decided it does not match the colour scheme of our lounge!
Does anybody know if you can paint/stain the cabinet a different colour? She likes the walnut colour.
Thanks
Does anybody know if you can paint/stain the cabinet a different colour? She likes the walnut colour.
It might have been possible to stain a lighter colour darker, but starting with black oak means the best you're going to get with staining is – well, black!
The only option to get the colour lighter is going to be sufficient coats of a light primer to obscure the black, and then stain the new colour over that, but by that point you're likely to have obscured all the grain in the original veneer, and the speakers will just end up sort of brown. It's probably a job best left to the professionals, after stripping out the drivers, badging, terminal plate and so on, and that could get very pricey indeed.
The best bet looks to be taking a hit on the speakers you have now by selling them secondhand, then buying them in the finish you want – or you may find a retailer willing to take your speakers in part-exchange.
A wood veneer would be better than paint but it depends on any curves or chamfers on the cabinet. Maybe ask a local cabinet maker rather than painter.
Maybe, but given that the cabinets are already veneered, it may be tricky to get another veneer to 'take' over the top, and still give a 'factory' finish.
So short of stripping off all the existing veneer and reveneering – which is going to be pretty costly on so many speakers – most cost-effective route may be to offload the current speakers and buy a new set in the chosen finish.
Thank you for all the replays.
I think I am going to try and sell them and look for some ex demo or second hand RX6's in walnut.
Good decision but using gumtree or preloved has yet to find other than time wasters or bargain bargain hunters for my AE 5.1's. Please let us know if u are more successful and good luck.
Cheers
Does anybody know if you can paint/stain the cabinet a different colour? She likes the walnut colour.
It might have been possible to stain a lighter colour darker, but starting with black oak means the best you're going to get with staining is – well, black!
The only option to get the colour lighter is going to be sufficient coats of a light primer to obscure the black, and then stain the new colour over that, but by that point you're likely to have obscured all the grain in the original veneer, and the speakers will just end up sort of brown. It's probably a job best left to the professionals, after stripping out the drivers, badging, terminal plate and so on, and that could get very pricey indeed.
The best bet looks to be taking a hit on the speakers you have now by selling them secondhand, then buying them in the finish you want – or you may find a retailer willing to take your speakers in part-exchange.
Or just tell your Wife where to get off. 
FWIW, I'm with Andrew. Sell them and get replacements in the finish she desires. I reckon you're onto a winner here. You've actually got a fully Wife-sanctioned permit to upgrade!
Why don't you stain your wife instead?
Hi Mrjjinx,
I had the same dilema a few weeks back with my B&W 683s so posted the same question. The replies were, it could be done by a professional painter, however, that was from cherry to black gloss. I was also advised it could be costly.
I ended up selling my 683's and i'm now looking for a new speaker setup to match the living room (black gloss).
Maybe phone a few places and ask if a one for one swop could be done???
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