KLH Model Six - unfinished plywood version

[ranch 22b]

I ran across some interesting speakers today for sale in a record store. They are a pair of KLH Model Six in unfinished thick plywood cabinets. The story is that they were salvaged out of an old home that was to be demolished. The speakers had somehow been mounted in a wall of the house (recessed).

The tweeters didn't work and the speakers have just returned from repair where the crossovers have been recapped/repaired. To get to the interior, the backs of the speakers were cut off and have now been screwed back on. Whoever did the rear removal and reconstruction did a pretty nice job.

They have an interesting "industrial" look with the bare plywood cabinets. All drivers now work, The salesman did not know if the woofers had been redoped. The beige grill fabric on the fronts is in very good condition. Both KLH badges are in place.

Any idea on the value of these? The store is asking $150 for the pair. The folks there know what they have and are acting like they might raise the price. There is definitely some history in these old speakers but $150 for an unfinished pair seems kinda high to me. What do you think?

 

[alteclipsch]

IMO, a pair of unfinished Sixes is a bit of a timepiece and might be worth that--they can't be very common. I do think the surrounds might need doping but can't get at them without taking the grill cloth out (at least I don't think you can). More opinions will he coming. They're fantastic speakers.

 

[gogofast]

Were they veneered, but not finished? I have a pair like that which I had recapped and replaced dead tweeter with another pair of originals. They sound absolutely amazing for what they are. Almost like a speaker with mid range horn. Open sounding and very nice sound stage. I'd put much more value than $150, but the market probably doesn't reflect that. So, it's up to you I guess, but I guarantee that they'll amaze you if the recap job was done properly.

 

[Dswankey]

$150 is bit on the high side however they have to recoup the cost of the repairs.

The speakers had somehow been mounted in a wall of the house (recessed).

They have an interesting "industrial" look with the bare plywood cabinets.

I'm not sure but I've seen several examples of early KLH six's with bare plywood cabinets as a matter of fact I even owned a pair for awhile until I redid them and a friend HAD to have them. Do they look like this?

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/klh-model-6-six-help.695463/

 

[ranch 22b]

Were they veneered, but not finished? I have a pair like that which I had recapped and replaced dead tweeter with another pair of originals. They sound absolutely amazing for what they are. Almost like a speaker with mid range horn. Open sounding and very nice sound stage. I'd put much more value than $150, but the market probably doesn't reflect that. So, it's up to you I guess, but I guarantee that they'll amaze you if the recap job was done properly.

These are not veneered. The cabinets are simply unfinished plywood. I think one of the store owners has rubbed a little oil into the wood to make them a little smoother. They were not hooked to up a stereo system so I couldn't listen to them.

The record store that has them for sale in not far from a college campus. I would imagine that some student with a few extra bucks is gonna see these as a bit of a novelty piece. I absolutely don't need them as I already have and enjoy "stacked" double Advents (walnut). That said, I keep reading about how nice the Sixes can sound and am mighty intrigued.

 

[ranch 22b]

$150 is bit on the high side however they have to recoup the cost of the repairs.



I'm not sure but I've seen several examples of early KLH six's with bare plywood cabinets as a matter of fact I even owned a pair for awhile until I redid them and a friend HAD to have them. Do they look like this?

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/klh-model-6-six-help.695463/

They do look similar to those. The grill cloth on the ones here is different and a nicer material. I "think" the rear plate is also recessed rather than being flush.

 

[gogofast]

These are not veneered. The cabinets are simply unfinished plywood. I think one of the store owners has rubbed a little oil into the wood to make them a little smoother. They were not hooked to up a stereo system so I couldn't listen to them.

The record store that has them for sale in not far from a college campus. I would imagine that some student with a few extra bucks is gonna see these as a bit of a novelty piece. I absolutely don't need them as I already have and enjoy "stacked" double Advents (walnut). That said, I keep reading about how nice the Sixes can sound and am mighty intrigued.

What I meant to ask was if the front bevel of the cabs were veneered or just shows plywood layers. B/c, about 3-4 of the unfinished six's I've seen, including mine, had veneered plywood edges in the front.

Anyways, these will sound much different from your stacked Advents (not necessarily better though), which I had also experimented with once. If comparing to the Westcoast speakers, I'd compare the stacked Advents to L100 and Six's to Altecs with horns.

 

[ranch 22b]

Darn, I didn't look closely enough to be able to answer your question. I guess I owe it to myself to get back over there tomorrow and see if they will play some music through them. Truthfully though, I think I'd prefer a pair that had more of a finished look, even if I had to pay a little more.