# Old schooler coming back in the biz



## audiogodz1 (Jan 5, 2010)

I've decided to un-retire from Car Audio and get back in the biz. I started like most as a shade tree guy about 14, progressed to installing at C.C. in the mid 90's, going to an independent shop from there, then opening 2 car audio stores.

In the wake of 9-11 I was the very last business in my complex to close. I held on all the way to 4-16-02 before finally going broke. I closed my stores and went back to school. I've been design engineering for aftermarket Lexus products since 2002, but I'm twitching to get back into car audio. This feeling has been coming on for about 2 years or so, but I have put it out of my mind as losing my stores was worse than anything I've had to ever deal with. I really put my time into them. They started on practically no budget and worked their way up to a pretty decent mom and pop shop. 

The last thing I was working on back then was PATS and VATS in the early 2000's for security installs. I will have to get schooled on whatever new has came since. I'm going to have to move because nothing in my town is very high end because this is not a big money town. I'll either go north to knoxville or south back to Atlanta. Almost 99% likely I'll go north because I wasn't a huge fan of Atlanta when I stayed down there for a year. Great place to visit, rather live up here.

I've worked with all the big brands, but in my last store I was trying to push Ample Audio, GS Redline, and Fultron. The Ample was the best choice by far. The others were fillers. We were pulling the same DB drag numbers with half the equipment using Ample amps and GS subs V/S Memphis amps and Eclipse Aluminum subs by a competitor. It was fun times. 

So I'm coming back in, I haven't seen anything that has happened in the industry in 8 years because I turned a blind eye to it and put it out of my mind until I was ready to get over it and come back......and here I am. 

Oh, and I'll throw in some old pics of the first and second store on opening days for each.

First is Southern Thunder. This store opened with no money, I mean none. Within a year it outgrew it's space and we opened the 2200 square foot Audiogodz.






























Here's some day one pics at the second store. We were trying to build the store and get some kind of sign in the window.


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## pickup1 (May 6, 2008)

nice!glad to hear your making a come back.


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## DJSPANKY (Dec 15, 2009)

Good to hear you're getting back into it. Great work on your old shops- hopefully you can reproduce the pre 9-11 success. How are you planning to compete against the chain stores (Best Buy, Custom Sounds, Audio Express, or whatever ones are in your area)? Just curious- was most of your work custom fabbed or factory replacement and pre-fab?


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## It_Hertz (Mar 4, 2008)

I have to ask why???? not that I am not always glad to see old schoolers come back, but have you look at our industry lately??? not the cash cow it once was.... but never the less good luck.


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## lucas569 (Apr 17, 2007)

It_Hertz said:


> I have to ask why???? not that I am not always glad to see old schoolers come back, but have you look at our industry lately??? not the cash cow it once was.... but never the less good luck.


for the love of it? 

If it was me, i would have a new business model, maybe something along the lines of a mobile installer or by appointment only type deal like bing does.


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## It_Hertz (Mar 4, 2008)

most of us have adapted new nusiness models... low or no inventory stores. appt only. my point simply is that even though we still love the music and it reproduction this is a very HARD time to get into the business. 

all I can say is do you research and pick you product lines wisely. and think about what else you can offer besides Car Audio and electronics as it will be a bigger hill to climb trying to survive on just this niche of the industry.

I recently had to close up shop in Colorado and relocate to NM, we are in the process of getting a new shop up and running here in Albuquerque, NM but again it is not an easy task... less disposable income these days. We will however be a shop offering a full compliment of services not just car audio.


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## audiogodz1 (Jan 5, 2010)

Thanks for the input!  I actually ran a no inventory store in Audiogodz back in 2001. I'd pre-order the night before and next day air my stuff up from Atlanta when the customer scheduled the install. When you start with nothing (Southern Thunder which started with $1,000 selling pre-owned amps and head units) you learn how to run a tight ship. By the end of AudioGodz I had 1 demo and 1 piece of inventory for the demo. Still ran tight, just kept low inventory in the later days. In it's glory days I kept a min/max of 5 per sku.

The audio market is so cookie cutter now days.....

Look, I'm not blind to the fact that the world likes cheap and dirty or that kids like neon and led's in their amps. I however am also not unaware that there is still a complete generation of 30 somethings that are standing in best buy shaking their heads at Kickers' alien space ship looking subwoofers and asking themselves *"where are the subwoofers that look like subwoofers???"*

I believe with the internet and people snatching up everything retro that they can get their hands on that companies that sell product which still look like subwoofers and amps rather than alien poo can thrive. 

If I had my way I'd build all retro systems.... fleckstone and all!  Splatter boxes lit with neon tubes and fleckstone amp racks. It's gotta be better than this:










What in the H&^L is that? Is that supposed to be a subwoofer? 

I'll tell you who I'd carry as a product.... upstarts that have products that look like they are supposed to. If they are lesser brands they'll have higher margins and I'd install them in tuned port boxes so they sound as good as the Alien subwoofer does. If the amps have a low signal to noise ratio, I'd stick a line driver on them. Whatever it takes I'll make it happen. 


I'm just disgusted with the way things have turned out everywhere, but especially in the audio industry. This industry is my passion and I'm not actually looking to be running a store, I'd like to be a rep for a company. 

I believe in products to a point that I could sell them to anyone, anytime, anywhere. If I support the product, I know every detail down to it's chemical makeup of the leads going to the voice coil and who supplied them. 

I have pictures of me at 15 years old holding liquid nails and a skill saw standing above a freshly built subwoofer enclosure. I have pictures of me at 20, 25, 30, 33....... doing the same thing. I've spent my life on the industry even with the break since 2002. I built my own cars over the last 8 years and I have had tons. 

I don't know where I'll end up in the industry, my first choice is to be a rep for a company. I can guarantee you nobody that's been in the industry for the last 20 years can pitch a product we both believe in and love it like me. I've been in this game 20 years and it feels like yesterday I was sitting there at 15 excited as hell to build a box for my JBL T-104 woofers. I could put company product anywhere there is a market. I'm getting too old to hang upside down in cars, I've earned the "let's talk over lunch" job in this industry and if I can find a spot with someone I'll take it.


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## R/T Pimp (Jan 7, 2010)

When the smoke clears form this economy ********, it should be a fun market. Like he stated people are tired of the garbage produced now. Forget China buy a product that helps suppport our own. But kids today want it now. We are a disposable now generation, we need to move past that to rebuild our economy. Save a little and buy quality, have it 10 years instead of 3. I think the sun will shine again, so follow your dreams and when the smoke clears you will be there. I have seen some huge audio shops fail lately that have been around for years, but you have the right idea and I run a similar format and had a very successfull year to tell you the truth. My purchases were up and my inventory was down. Stayed very busy, but I am old school, I have been in it for over 20 years, built my first 4th order when I was 12 years old for my room. At 14 I built a 12 cubic foot enclosure tuned to 40 hertz with 2 6" PVC ports for a pair of Rockford Punch 15 running off an old PPI 2075 am series. Hardly anyone knew what a ported box was 20 years ago. But I did alot of ready and studying of Theil's works. Anyway we focus on detail. I prebuild my enclosures and then allocate, for example, 3 hours to install a deck, run power wire and hook up the subs and amp. And that is for 2 of us. Seems crazy becuase most shops would allow 2 hours and one guy for a job like that, but we vacuum the car out and etc. It leaves in better condition then it arrived in and hence has kept us in business, you just can not get rich of one sale. So focus on the end result and your passion of the industry and the work seems to find you. People are looking for quality and generally trying to spend their money "smarter". So when you need a dishwasher go to your local speciality shop and drive past the Home Depots and Best Buy do not support that end of the business and it will get better for everyone on each end of the industry. Sorry for the rant, I am just fearing what is next if we do not use our heads.


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## audiogodz1 (Jan 5, 2010)

R/T Pimp said:


> Stayed very busy, but I am old school, I have been in it for over 20 years, built my first 4th order when I was 12 years old for my room. At 14 I built a 12 cubic foot enclosure tuned to 40 hertz with 2 6" PVC ports for a pair of Rockford Punch 15 running off an old PPI 2075 am series. Hardly anyone knew what a ported box was 20 years ago.


Funny you said that, I have this polaroid from 1992 of a box I was building. It was tuned with PVC.  There was nothing I built for the next 4 years louder than this box. It was legendary around the neighborhood.


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## lucas569 (Apr 17, 2007)

i love the smell of a fresh install, ever notice the smell? cmon im not alone!


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## R/T Pimp (Jan 7, 2010)

Oh I will have to get some old pics out now.



audiogodz1 said:


> Funny you said that, I have this polaroid from 1992 of a box I was building. It was tuned with PVC.  There was nothing I built for the next 4 years louder than this box. It was legendary around the neighborhood.


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## audiogodz1 (Jan 5, 2010)

lucas569 said:


> i love the smell of a fresh install, ever notice the smell? cmon im not alone!


Well that depends..... if it was done by a large chain then yes it usually has a distinct burning smell.


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## R/T Pimp (Jan 7, 2010)

I think I am going to really like this site. I am registered on 4 other sites under the same name as here if it matters, but this has really but a spark back into me being on here.


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## kp89gt (Dec 11, 2009)

I'm one of the 30 something's that's been out of the industry for years and am now yearning for the old school stuff. I can' believe this CRAP nowadays! 

I started as a shade tree installer. Hooked up with a friend and we started doing custom installs for people. I went into the telecommunications industry, while he went into audio. He eventually opened a shop and did some really nice work. I'm still in telecom and he's out of business.

Between this forum and ebay, I hope to amass what I really want. The only thing that looks good lately, is some of the time alignment gear. But, I want an old head unit, so TA will have to be an external box. 

I used to run an MB Quart three-way set with JL subs and Phoenix Gold amps. I wouldn't buy anything from any of those manufacturers now! Except maybe JL, but I don't like the looks of their subs now. I like the old look best.


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## audiogodz1 (Jan 5, 2010)

Yes so far I have been pleased with the topics and conversations here. I found the place through a search for some old school stuff and ran into the old school amps thread. Tons of stuff in there that looked great, but disappointed with the lack of mention of Rodek. 

Not much at al on the whole site here. Rodek used to be just as solid as anyone and they seemed to be the guys that got the shaft on the popularity wagon. It's PPI this and rockford that when we discuss old school. I don't know why that is. Rodek could hold up against all of them.

Loving the place though.


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## xxEMOxx (Sep 29, 2009)

i have access to a ton of old school stuff, they had so much rodek stuff i didnt even know what or whom it was, tried one.... love it..... amazingly even when ZED comes up people still dont think about rodek


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## jbcon (Feb 15, 2010)

This is a refershing thread, I commend you on wanting to get back into the industry and bring back some of what I feel has left us.

I too am an old schooler, back in the day I was a Florida State Champion runner-up at the IASCA state Championship in Zephryhills back in 1990 in the 101-250 Consumer class, later I competed in my white 1988 Merkur Xr4ti in the 251-500 Pro class. I have managed a couple shops over the years and worked as an installed until about 1992 when I left and entered another unrelated field after college.

I have been keeping up with the hobby for many years by doing at least one install a year in my own cars, some of my vehicles have seen 3-4 different systems in a 12 month period, I dare say I am probably a much more competent installer now than I was at 20; did I mention I am creeping up on 40 this year? ANyway, I too have dreamed of getting back into the business, but in my neck of the woods (N Florida), I do not see a market for the sort of high-end custom installs that I enjoy and like to work on.

I recently came across some photos of a show in my area that claimed to be a state finals competition and was embarrased at the install quality that I saw from many of the competitors. Most of the systems looked little different that the mini vans and Chevy S10 Blazers I competed against in the early 90's; some of you know what I mean (picture walls of 15 inch subs and fifteen four inch mids in a single door with one PA piezo tweeter).

I fear that the economy and as someone else mentioned the "need it now" mentality hurt our industry long before the economy tanked.

In some of the larger metro areas that have the clientel that can drop $15-20k on an install there is a market, but for me I have relegated myself to doing these high dollar installs on my own cars for fun. It sounds like you are getting back to it for the love of it, but I hope for your sake that you are in an area that can support you. I left the industry back in the 90's partially due to the lack of business in the custom install area. I found I enjoyed the custom aspect of it and tired of being asked to install little Jimmie's Christmas morning "Sparkomatic" 6x9's, or correcting the DIY's mistake.

I have probably lost my patience for the industry, but I wish you the best and maybe you can find your niche....


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## audiogodz1 (Jan 5, 2010)

Take some pictures or scans of those photo's!  (since R/T hasn't put up any for us to look at *AHEM*)


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## jbcon (Feb 15, 2010)

audiogodz1 said:


> Take some pictures or scans of those photo's!  (since R/T hasn't put up any for us to look at *AHEM*)


It claims to be last fall, but could as easily have been the fall of 1991 with the exception of the Scion's... After looking at it some more I think it was a Db drag-race, or just a straight SPL contest. Not anything I have every understood, but I am old I guess.

Pics from Florida State Finals.


Here is a video from evidently the same event.

YouTube - Step Harris VS. Pipo Sanchez Florida State Finals 9-13-09

I need to scan some of my old pictures from the day as a comparison. Not a whole lot of difference.


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## tonym (Jun 21, 2009)

welcome back.....


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