About Audiowood and its Chief Lackey

Audiowood is the strange convergence of passions for design, music, and nature. It is the unpredicted culmination of years of study of aesthetics, design and art, listening to hundreds of live concerts, and a long-established interest in natural forms and environmentally sustainable living.

After studying art and design as a snotty-nosed art brat in New York and Europe, I graduated to the "real world" and a job as apprentice to the meanest contractor/carpenter in the world. I quickly decided that the "life of the mind" was preferable to carrying concrete and getting screamed at! So, on to graduate school and a PhD, with aims of academic gloryÉBut the fates wouldn't have it, and disinterest in the academy combined with the call of the wood led me back into a decade or so of renovation carpentry. Out of these strange roots, Audiowood is born.

Audiowood's primary product is custom turntables, but I'm also making other unique audio goods and home accessories, and I'm a retailer for some really exciting audio equipment from other manufacturers (see Retail section for more info).

I'm proud to say Audiowood stuff has found its way into dozens of online design sites and magazines this year, most notably BoingBoing, DailyCandy, Metropolitan Home, Zink, Velvet (Italy), and the front page of the New York Times Holiday Gift Guide. Also, select Audiowood gear is sold at Anthropologie and at SpiceSafar in Canada. And I'm working on some even more interesting projects in the coming year, including an innovative home theater/stereo console design, speakers, and some very cool new clocks.

As far as turntables are concerned, I'm very excited about finally having my own platter design available to match the renowned Teres bearing. Performance-wise, this combo competes with anything out there without entering the monetary stratosphere. But, it's also really cool! For custom tables, one can choose between solid lead-free brass, or wooden "pods" that attach to the upper platter. These wood pods are filled with a blend of non-toxic shot and an all-natural, locally sourced non-toxic resin, and are great as massy vibration dampeners. Naturally, the wood pods can be made to match your custom turntable base!

Audiowood products and other retail goods can be seen and heard by appointment at my new listening room in Grand Ridge, Florida, one hour West of Tallahassee and about an hour north of the sugar sand beaches of the Panhandle. Or, if for some reason you don't live near Grand Ridge, most of the things I sell can be shipped directly to you, and you can pay with major credit cards over the phone, or by Paypal on the interwebs.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Joel Scilley