# How long have you been in the industry?



## Vestax

Trying to get a poll going and the 1st post 

I'm coming up on 6 years working professionally in the industry.


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## ptannjr

well it about 13 years or so


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## Radioactive

Over 20 years.


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## chad

0 years in the car audio industry, and it will probably remain that way.

18 years in pro audio. Actually 20 but I count 18.

Chad


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## WRX/Z28

14+ in car audio. 2+ for a major vendor.


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## jowens500

2 days, four hours, 32 minutes, 15 seconds and counting. 









J/K, about 17 years.


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## 60ndown

woot!

another forum


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## Thumper26

0 in the industry.

been doing it as a hobby for about seven years now.


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## amadgerman

About 1 year in a shop. 4 years for a manufacturer, well one bought out the original I worked for. Competitor/hobbyist feels like forever


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## BoostedNihilist

Been in the industry 10 years, been doing installs for about 14 (4 non-professionally through highschool)

Security/remote start specialist - 5 years
General installation - 5 years
Various fabrication projects along the way.. definitely not my forte but I get by


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## dragons_ghost

i am just over 3 years, 1 year on the sales floor and so far 2 years in the install bay.


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## ANT

Close to 7 years..


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## FrankstonCarAudio

This is my 34th year in the car audio and related industries..

Most as an installer, many in R&D, this last year as the proprietor of my own shop..

I must be crazy, or somethin'!

Mark


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## BoostedNihilist

> I must be crazy, or somethin'!


Or at least deaf


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## FrankstonCarAudio

BoostedNihilist said:


> Or at least deaf


Huh? What you say? 

Mark


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## Aaron Clinton

*Long enough  *


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## benny

I've lent my skills to a couple of shops over the years(volunteer/shop flunkie), but the money isn't good enough as an installer to feed the family. Union Ironworker FTMFW!

If money wasn't an issue, I would open/work for a shop. I would love to do this stuff for a living. Just not enough dough.

Oh yeah, I've done installs for myself and friends for 10 years. Or was it 12?


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## emperorjj1

little over 1 year


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## ENATEA

10 years in the industry


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## JasonPaul

7 years and counting in car audio/video/alarm installation and support..
5 years in Pro audio and Dj installations.
3 years as a hobbyist doing installs in my parents driveway.. 

Total of 15 years..


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## Jhemi80

I think I should start a thread "How Long Had You Been In the Industry"


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## Vestax

Jhemi80 said:


> I think I should start a thread "How Long Had You Been In the Industry"


Yup that would be cool. Way too many talented folks who got out of the game recently.


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## lyttleviet

Hobby for over 6 years now and going strong.


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## W8 a minute

6-7 years but I've been retired for almost 10.


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## 6spdcoupe

Age 12-14 as a hobby to help my older brother and started doing his friends cars.
Age 14 started at a shop as an 'apprentice' ( I was still paid though !  )
Age 17 went to a different shop and stayed for awhile, then bounced around to a few others.
Age 25 (or so) settled in on another and escalated from there til I couldnt anymore.
Age 28 .. started my own place
Age 32 also started my own marketing firm

Going on 35 now so about 21 'in' the industry.


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## Low_e_Red

Just at 7 years... I cant believe Im getting this old...


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## ASCI_Blue

Not long enough.


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## Eric Stevens

Image Dynamics is in its 15th year and it was a hobby, passion and obsession for about 10 years prior to that.

Eric


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## basketthis

I'm right at about 7 years now....


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## bobditts

atleast an hour. Or was it threeve? ****, I cant remember. Too much resin fumes!


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## Attack eagle

I quit working in the industry.

3 years spread over the last decade was more than enough to tell me that passion was not enough to put bread on the table


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## deff808

About 8yrs, car audio forum boner threads got me!


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## RedGTiVR6

WORKING in the industry...only about 4 years.

Competing and what not....going on 11 years now.


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## Melodic Acoustic

Working in the industry 5 1/2 years. Owning my own shop almost 3 years. Into car audio a little over 13 years.


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## zierbox

since 1983


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## 12v Electronics

You need to add an over 20 years selection to that poll. I was doing it when home audio speakers were ALL we had to work with. 

Has it REALLY changed?


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## RedGTiVR6

Has it really changed? 

Yes...

There are now companies out there SPECIFICALLY developing speakers for the car .... Not all speaker manufacturers do this currently.


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## TheDavel

Somewhere around 23 minuites- or 9 years on and off... that is why my skillz are the sucktastic


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## Scott P

i think I am at 11 or 12 years now selling, installing, and managing shops. Honestly it's just not as much fun career wise as it was.


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## DeadlyHertz

i have lil over 3 years experience. but i love every minute of it.


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## sonicfrontiers.co.uk

9 years car audio
6 years as sonic frontiers 
http://www.sonicfrontiers.co.uk


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## TXwrxWagon

1981 first DIY
1987 First Best of show
1990 first full time position in retail
1995 first Certification
2000 MECP (sales & install)

So... what is that..27+ years? 

Rob


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## 00poop6x

Going on 12 years Business has been 25 years


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## Midget

0. It's always been a hobby. My mentor did actually get a job as an installer at the shop he used to frequent. East Coast Audio Concepts. 

Everyone always told me to go for it because of other installs I did. But I prefer doing it at my own leisure.


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## GlasSman

12 years + in the industry.


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## DT053

Started in 1982...


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## ACRucrazy

Over 10 years professionaly.


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## maloy

still relatively new but have learned a lot.


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## Toxis

10 years professionally... at least 6 before that as a hobbyist.


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## customtronic

I got my first car audio job in April 1991 and eventually opened a store. I sold my shop in early 1996 and changed professions but still kept my business licenses and doing installs in my shop at home. So, if you counts the "at-home-business" time I guess I'm at about 18 years now. I retire in 3 years and plan on opening another store.


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## Shaheenk

been in the industry since the wee age of 13 , installing , testing , playing about.

Right now a bit out of it


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## msmith

23 years... yikes!


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## m3gunner

3 months back in 1984... hobby before and since...

First install: 1982... RatShack "high power" cassette player in console hump trash can (surface mount) wired to a pair of Minimus 7s that were Velcroed onto the rear deck of a 1972 Cadillac 4 door with a broken PCV crossover pipe.


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## atsaubrey

In the industry, well 2 yrs. In the hobby since about 1986. I used to buy my products from a place in IA by the name of the Audio Room, the salesman used to cut me "deals", he has since moved on and is now the CEO of Rockford Fosgate.


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## TREETOP

Off and on since 1988. A little longer as a hobby.


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## VP Electricity

22 years in different capacities, with manufacturers and in retail.


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## lpreston

Since 1997, and 1984 as a hobby.


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## tmieczkowski

i cant believe that i have been doing this since 92.
manville, 24 years for you, wow! silly question for you though, do you 
still have any of the sombrero's from finals in 2000 when all of us went to the mexican place for the jl party?


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## msmith

tmieczkowski said:


> i cant believe that i have been doing this since 92.
> manville, 24 years for you, wow! silly question for you though, do you
> still have any of the sombrero's from finals in 2000 when all of us went to the mexican place for the jl party?


I don't think I remember anything from that night... wait, I do remember a very large Margarita, and then some shots of Tequila, and a couple of beers, and another round of shots... and then darkness. :laugh:


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## brianlin87

roughly 3 years aggregate. took a hiatus for a while, but now im starting to get back into it.


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## lsm

20+ years for me, but I "retired" from car audio about 6 years ago...


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## normalicy

I always wondered if I was the only one who got out of the industry because I was going broke. You'd think that someone who worked on $50,000 cars on a regular basis would get paid enough to care about that $50,000 car & it's system/alarm. Now, I'm in carpet & get paid triple what I got paid in car audio.


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## jowens500

normalicy said:


> I always wondered if I was the only one who got out of the industry because I was going broke. You'd think that someone who worked on $50,000 cars on a regular basis would get paid enough to care about that $50,000 car & it's system/alarm. Now, I'm in carpet & get paid triple what I got paid in car audio.


For some of us it's not about the money. If that was tha case I would have quit a LONG time ago. For me it's about waking up in the morning and actually wanting to go to work. Not, damn it, I GOTTA go to work.

EDIT: Even when it's like it is now with the temprature in the shop hovering around 100 degrees.


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## normalicy

jowens500 said:


> For some of us it's not about the money. If that was tha case I would have quit a LONG time ago. For me it's about waking up in the morning and actually wanting to go to work. Not, damn it, I GOTTA go to work.
> 
> EDIT: Even when it's like it is now with the temprature in the shop hovering around 100 degrees.


Oh, I completely understand how you feel. I tried to make it work for about 6 years. However, when I was about to lose my apartment & couldn't even afford to put a (real) system in my own vehicle that I finally gave up. I really wanted it to be a career, believe me.


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## Austin

ive been doing it as a hobby for about 3 years now. ive learned a ton since i started.


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## jowens500

normalicy said:


> Oh, I completely understand how you feel. I tried to make it work for about 6 years. However, when I was about to lose my apartment & couldn't even afford to put a (real) system in my own vehicle that I finally gave up. I really wanted it to be a career, believe me.


I feel ya! Believe me, there were sometimes in the beginning where I kept thinking, IS THIS IT??? But fortunately for me, I started at a good time when things were booming. Literally and figuratively. 6 15's in a wall in a mini truck was a weekly thing:laugh:. Those were the days...............


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## up2late

Had a shop back in the 90's then sold it to pursue other opportunities.
Now I just do basic installs on the side but want to get back into doing custom work.


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## up2late

jowens500 said:


> I feel ya! Believe me, there were sometimes in the beginning where I kept thinking, IS THIS IT??? But fortunately for me, I started at a good time when things were booming. Literally and figuratively. 6 15's in a wall in a mini truck was a weekly thing:laugh:. Those were the days...............


Awww yeah. Minis...now I feel old.


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## bigaudiofanatic

4 years and counting


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## aplia5

4 months, but hoping to stay in it for a while =)


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## eskateboarding7

In the industry for about a year, a hobby for about 3 years.


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## Total Image

My first install was a Craig tape deck with (name unknown) 6x9's in surface mounts on a 1976 Ford Pinto handed down from my sister in 1983. Seems like just yesterday...So it's 2009 now...26 years (WOW!)

[email protected]


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## Thumper26

nice, i was born in 83. Been in it for about 8 years now, reached my peak last year, hoped to expand that this year, but am being forced to take a hiatus for a while. Hopefully it won't last forever...


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## soundlevel

exposed to real car audio at the age of 10 (along with lowriders) its been on ever since 21 years


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## zzzed

installing for 22 years......


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## Total Image

I remember attending a CAN sound off in N.C. The vehicle that impressed me the most was a Pontiac Lemans with a Kicker box hanging from the ceiling behind the seats by chains and another sitting where the back seat used to be. I think they were using PPI amps... Anybody remember the Lanzar Opti-50? My favorite installs were adding Rockford 18's and Power 600 to the rear of a Chevy IROC-Z! That was fun!!!!


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## frmdrkside

16 years as a professional installer, install manager, store manager and now store owner. Almost half my life devoted to Car Audio....I must be crazy!


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## MyNameIsBen

6months!


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## benny

MyNameIsBen said:


> 6months!


Hey! You can't be Canadian Ben!! *I'M* Canadian Ben!! 



:laugh:


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## Iancredible

Hobby : Since i was 10 
Professionally : Since 19 

Im 27 : I love this stuff!


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