Authorized Builder Intro Thread

[LelandCrooks]

For the old timers around here.

Leland Crooks
Been into audio a long time. Did custom installs and distributed sound installations for a couple of years. I've been building speaker boxes since high school.

I stumbled onto Bill's site on the old forum about 6 months after he started. Bought 250 plans and built 2 on faith. It took a lot of faith, I made more mistakes through the process than anyone. Rebuilt the horn throats 3 times. Bill was very patient, to say the least. The plans as a product have come lightyears since then.

Plans I've done. DR250's, T24's, Wedgehorns, Tlahs, custom and standard autotubas. Omni 10's.

[BillyG]

Another old timer

Bill Gage

Speaker cab builder, boat builder and electrician and bass player. I make most of my $ being a electrician, but most of my joy comes from my music and my cab building. I first found Bills sight about the same time as Leland and I also built a set of DR250's on faith.(Deffinetely worth the extra time) I've gone on to building 2-Omni 10s, 3-T24s,2-Omni10.5s and about half way through a pair of OT1-12s. Happy New Year...BillyG

[Lawrence Langford]

Hello All..


Lawrence Langford

I have been doing car and pro-audio installs for about the last 14 years. I am currently building speakers cabs as well as selling drivers, hardware, electronics, and custom racks and cabling. I am also a wholesale auto dealer and trying to get into real estate (like i dont have enough on my plate ).

I stumbled across Bill's designs while looking for a design to build for my own system. Built my T36 and Omni10, and was extremely impressed.

So far i have built the T36, DR250, DR280, Modified Omni10, and Table Tuba.

And haven't been dissapointed yet.

[Harley]

Hello.....my name is Harley and I'm a Bassoholic

Mo is the name I am known as to my music and bass buddies - ( Maurice being my second name given to me by my sister who was tragically murdered in 2006 )

The BFD cabs caught my attention 2 years ago when I had embarked upon The Search for the Elusive Pure Bass Sound.

The designs and in particular, the enthusiasm of Bill and the other forum members convinced me I had arrived! I became an authorised builder in Jan 2006

I have buiilt most the BFD cabs suitable for elect bass as demos and now have some sales under my belt.

Elect bass is my passion so most my efforts go into promoting to and making BFD cabs for bass players. Once I get up to speed on matters PA, I'll venture there.

I'm an old timer, own a company that manufactures, repairs and cleans window blinds but will sell that soon once my cab business becomes more established or some famous group rings up and offers me a bass spot!.

New Zealand is the country I am fortunate enough to live in. You've heard about it and if you haven't visited here yet, then do so!... and bring lots of dollars with you!

[Art Coates]

I'm the "newbie" of the gang - 30 years old - bass player since 1994. I'm a CS student, gardener and audio enthusiast. Been into DIY audio since I can remember.

I found Bill's designs in Speaker Builder (now AudioXpress) while looking for my own bass guitar project. Always liked thier uniqueness and REALLY liked them for thier economy and efficiency. When they first came out I clearly remember the shockwaves made by a horn speaker, for bass guitar with the clarity in sound to also be used for PA. I couldn't resist becomming a builder! Since then I've built several DR200, DR250, Tuba24, Autotuba and Omni10's.

[wldickin]

Sorry Art I have you by 2 years.

My name is Bill Dickinson, I'm 28 from Chicago. I've been building Fitzmaurice designs for less than a year now. I play quite a few instruments, at least at a passing level, and have always loved taking a raw piece of wood, and turning it into a finished product. I put the two of them together as an authorized builder with the help of Bill Fitzmaurice and the other builders after completing an Omni10 for my brother.

Currently I have cabs that are on display at Allegro music center in Park Ridge, Il, as well as various cabs at home and out on the road.

In the real world I am a networking consultant for a firm specializing in Cisco, Microsoft, and Timeplex (anyone out there remember Timeplex?)

Since that first omni 10 I've buillt several dr250's, tubas, titans, omni 12's and 15's as well as davids and sla's.

Thanks go out to all the "old timers" that help us young bucks on the way. Big thanks.

[Tim A]

Ok, I'll join in.

49 years old, been building cabinets of one sort or another for over 20 years. Speaker cabinets, amplifier cabinets, gun cabinets, kitchen cabinets, etc. etc. Came across Bill's site in Sept or Oct of last year on a recommendation. I signed up as an authroized builder in January or February of 2007.

I was a professional musician in the 80's, burned out and am now a weekend warrior. I've also done car audio installs and numerous other related work.

In my real life I'm a construction project manager for a world-wide consulting firm.

Another of my hobbies is building, repairing, and refinishing guitars and basses. I've been a professional tech since about 1981, and have a small word-of-mouth type business doing setups and other repair work for a select group of customers. I try to make sure it doesn't become too much of a business, I enjoy it like it is.

Here are a few of my creations/mods/frefins:

[bgavin]

Bruce Gavin

I got the horn bug in 1963 at age 13. The old Rialto movie theater in Boise was preparing for demolition, and I got first-hand experience with a huge 270-degree movie screen horn driven by a 5" speaker.

I never built a horn back then, due to limitations of youth, funds, and driver technology. However I did build a lot of slam-bam cabinets for various bands I played in. Thiele and Small came along in the '70s, but I was engrossed in an engineering career at IBM, and paid them no attention for 10 years. David Weem's book changed that. T/S appealed to the engineer in me, and I was back into scientific cab building again.

I'm consumed by the engineering, the wonderful driver technology, and personal computer horsepower available today. I've designed an extensive library of reflex cabs and a growing number of horns. I build as many of my own designs, as I do Bill's. To date, this includes Tubas and AutoTubas only. DR2xx are next.

I am the least prolific and most expensive custom builder in the group. Owning a computer consulting firm plus being an active arbitrageur consumes most of my time.

[WiSounds]

What must you do to become an authorized builder?

[Tim A]

email Bill.