Tips for finishing the wood on Pipette

[dva123]

Hi all -

I've just received my Pipettes and Subwoofer kit. I want to stain them with a black oil-based stain to match the decor in the home. I noticed that the wood finish on the sides of the speakers is a different type of wood or a different color/tone from the front. I'm new to applying wood finishes, but it seems to me that, based on the two different tones of the wood, my finish will also have different tones. (Note: I have not done any prework yet, no sanding, etc.)

I must be missing something? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. My goal is to have both the two Pipettes and the single subwoofer stained black consistently on all sides. (if possible).

Thanks!
Dave

 

[Jameson]

Hi Dave. The Pipettes have alder fronts and sapele ply sides, so they are indeed different species of wood and will look different with the same stain applied. You could reach out to Matt Jabloner (Matt@mattyblue.com) and see what he recommends. Otherwise you could test the stain on an inconspicuous place - like the inside of the panels or on the bottom - to see how it looks.

I think most owners have been leaving them unfinished. I can’t recall, but I might have put a clear oil finish on if I did anything at all.

 

[Paul Birkeland]

Alder will take black dye pretty well, but not black stain.  I'd imagine the dye would work on the sapele as well.