All KW Standard and Special speaker cabinets are primarily made from the highest quality Hardwood lumber.  Why hardwood, one might ask?  It seems that almost all major manufacturers use particle board, MDF or plywood in their construction, and there are good reasons for that.  The first is to cut cost.  These materials cost less than high quality lumber, they also require much less labor to work into a quality speaker cabinet.  A second reason these materials are used is because they are very stable.  Particle board and most plywood will not change shape with temperature and humidity changes.  This stability however, is one of the main reasons why most speaker cabinets sound lifeless and without character or simply Flat.  Just as in your best guitar, classical violin, or concert piano the material of which they are made is vital.  The wood allows much more natural resonance and therefore life to be brought to your instrument.  The same is true for a speaker cabinet

MDF and Particle Board while inexpensive and versatile have a tendency to crack and break when stressed.

Hardwoods offer much more workability and strength when conditioned properly.

Wood cannot be haphazardly chosen however.  Wood that has not been allowed to dry to a sufficient moisture content can easily warp or crack.  The species of lumber used can play a tremendous roll on the overall sound of a cabinet or instrument as well.  Many of you have probably noticed that a guitar constructed of maple or having a maple top is brighter and more pronounced on both ends of the sound spectrum.  Tighter bass and clearer highs are a result of the woods density and natural timbre.  As where mahogany produces a slightly mellower sound with a warmer mid range.  There are many types of wood we prefer for cabinet construction and all have an intended purpose.  One of the  main materials of our cabinets is Figured Maple, chosen not only for its beauty and elegance, but more importantly for its terrific sound.  Also used in the construction of our cabinets is Birch Ply Wood, typically 11 ply.  Most companies use Birch ply in their higher end cabinet offerings because it is much more vibrant than standard plywood.  However we use it as bracing and for the speaker baffles.  There are no corners cut, all materials are of the highest quality.

Gorgeous and extremely strong, this flamed maple provides pure tone!

Strength is equally important when choosing a speaker cabinet, after all you are placing a 60lb amplifier or more on top of it, not to mention the constant abuse the touring musician places on their gear.  This is why KW Speaker Cabinets are constructed by hand using the highest strength Dovetail joinery.  The dovetail joint is the strongest joint their is in woodworking.  They are so strong that when made well they don't need any sort of reinforcement whatsoever.  Besides their strength though, the dovetail is perhaps the most decorative of joints as well.  Their look is unmistakable and conjures up thoughts of fine craftsmanship and quality, and this is with good reason.  A lot of work goes into making quality dovetails, from preparing the stock to the gluing up of the boards.  The main reason you don't see more cabinets constructed this way is because it is time consuming and very expensive, and this is where we are able to fill the gap.  By being a small company, we can afford to cut out the middle men and not have to pay skilled labor charges that cost twice as much as the average speaker cabinet alone.

The perfect cut dovetail joint for superior strength, here made of poplar.

Here the dovetails come together with precise gluing and clamp pressure.

One of the last stages in making a KW Cab is pain staking and time consuming.  Finishing, is a timeless art that woodworkers and artists have confronted since the dawns of civilization.  Modern machines have made finishing much easier, and modern quick drying materials can save tremendous amounts of time.  Some may offer amazing results but much of today's highest quality woodwork still employs a combination of these and hand finishing.  Most of our finish process is still applied by hand either by brush or by wiping on mostly water-based stains and carefully fine spraying top coats.  We choose water-based for a few reasons.  First is safety, it is much less toxic than its solvent counterparts.  Secondly, there is a wider variety of colors and finishes at my disposal.   And finally it is much friendlier to the environment.  All  cabinets are treated to a final buffing that adds that final luster.  With care the finish on your cabinet should last a lifetime.

The final aspect in making a KW cabinet is one of its most important parts, its speakers and wiring.  Have you ever heard the expression your product is only as good as its weakest link? We use Celestion^® brand speakers primarily, although there are custom offerings available as well.   They seem to offer some of the most musical speakers for guitar on the market.  Ever opened up your speaker cabinet and saw that cheap looking red and black wire that they include in the box with a $50 stereo?  Why would you want to use high quality guitar cables running to extremely expensive amplifier and effect equipment only to run into 2 cents a foot speaker cable?!  We use super high quality Monster^® brand cable in our cabinets.  This heavy gauge cable is made to emphasize clearer bass and high frequencies, shield out more RFI and EMI interference, as well as handle higher current output from your killer amp.  Combine this with 24k gold plated speaker connectors and hand wiring and you have top notch electronics section.  One last feature I would like to mention in this construction section is probably the most overlooked aspect in cabinet building.  Using superior fasteners.  Even the screws in a KW Cab are a cut above the rest. We primarily use Woodmaster^® and Deckmate^® brand screws which feature serrated threads to offer exceptional fastening strength as well as a combined Square and Phillips head for slip free turning.  Experience the difference of quality.

The Celestion^® name and logo are sole property of Celestion International.  Monster^® is property of Monster Cable Products, Inc.

Celestion^® and Monster^®, only the best in electronics are in these cabs.

The KW Cab finished in Red Mahogany stained Poplar without grill and ready to rock.