Thiels are also veneered.
I was talking to a speaker company about 6 months ago. I was in the market for new speakers and they were on my short list. He informed me that he was raising the price of the speakers $500 at the end of the month because the cost of wood was going through the roof. The speaker we are talking about is a tiny 30" floorstander that at most used 8 square feet of cherry veneer and less than 1 square foot of solid cherry. At the time cherry veneer was selling for $0.75 a square foor and solid cherry was going for $6.00 a board foot. Now, if we add 33% percent for waste and milling the total cost of cherry would have been $15.96. Also, there might have been a half sheet of MDF used in each speaker. I can get cheap MDF for $8.00 a 4'x8' sheet and good quality stuff for $12.00 a sheet. So the total cost of wood in each speaker $21.96. Granted, assemble and finishing does add a lot to the cost of the speaker, but I was told the the reason the speakers going up was because the wood was going up. I watched the prices of cherry veneer and solids for the next 6 weeks. Veneer went up $0.05 and solids went up $0.50. Does this justify raising the price of the speakers by $500.00? In addition, speaker manufacturers buy their stock in bulk so they are paying about 25% less than I do.
Most people don't know what's involved in woodworking. They think that Home Depot is the best source for wood. Well, the red oak they sell is garbage; low grade inferior crap good for burning in the fireplace. In addition, they sell of for about $16 a board foot if you buy wide stock. I pay about $5.00 a board foot after planing for good quality red oak. And, try to buy something like birdseye maple at depot. If they did sell it expect to pay around $40.00 a foot!
Latest prices for cherry : veneer $0.85 and solids $8.00 a foot. Add 33% for waste and that's $1.14 for vaneer and $10.64 for solids; still not enough to justify that $500.00.
I was talking to a speaker company about 6 months ago. I was in the market for new speakers and they were on my short list. He informed me that he was raising the price of the speakers $500 at the end of the month because the cost of wood was going through the roof. The speaker we are talking about is a tiny 30" floorstander that at most used 8 square feet of cherry veneer and less than 1 square foot of solid cherry. At the time cherry veneer was selling for $0.75 a square foor and solid cherry was going for $6.00 a board foot. Now, if we add 33% percent for waste and milling the total cost of cherry would have been $15.96. Also, there might have been a half sheet of MDF used in each speaker. I can get cheap MDF for $8.00 a 4'x8' sheet and good quality stuff for $12.00 a sheet. So the total cost of wood in each speaker $21.96. Granted, assemble and finishing does add a lot to the cost of the speaker, but I was told the the reason the speakers going up was because the wood was going up. I watched the prices of cherry veneer and solids for the next 6 weeks. Veneer went up $0.05 and solids went up $0.50. Does this justify raising the price of the speakers by $500.00? In addition, speaker manufacturers buy their stock in bulk so they are paying about 25% less than I do.
Most people don't know what's involved in woodworking. They think that Home Depot is the best source for wood. Well, the red oak they sell is garbage; low grade inferior crap good for burning in the fireplace. In addition, they sell of for about $16 a board foot if you buy wide stock. I pay about $5.00 a board foot after planing for good quality red oak. And, try to buy something like birdseye maple at depot. If they did sell it expect to pay around $40.00 a foot!
Latest prices for cherry : veneer $0.85 and solids $8.00 a foot. Add 33% for waste and that's $1.14 for vaneer and $10.64 for solids; still not enough to justify that $500.00.