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| Re: Build or buy....which is cheaper? [message #42475 is a reply to message #42472] |
Sun, 14 September 2003 02:59   |
wunhuanglo
Messages: 912
Registered: May 2009
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Illuminati (2nd Degree) |
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I had read some years ago that with "typical consumer speakers" (like the stuff sold at Best Buy) the larget componet of the retail price was in cardboard boxes and shipping costs I wasn't overly suprised when I recently made an inquiry to Bill Martinelli about reproducing a pair of cabinets that even with the kind of one-off craftsmanship that goes into his stuff, shipping expenses would have been about 40% of the total cost. Might be that the biggest business opportunities in audio are in shipping speakers, not building them.
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| Re: Build or buy....which is cheaper? [message #42488 is a reply to message #42467] |
Sun, 14 September 2003 15:43 |
ToFo
Messages: 219
Registered: May 2009
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Master |
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So many variables can be at play here that I can't really answer the question about cheapest. What I can do is turn you on to something I have done with great success. I realized that custom hi-end car audio and pro/dj sound was the only type of custom cabinet that was available in almost every city in the US. This is huge for the non building DIY guy. You do have to find someone good though. When you see an insane car system, ignore the urge to hurl and focus on the trick custom work. If you see a great custom guitar cab or system in a club, compliment the sound guy and ask questions. In either case, when you see great work ask where it was created. Don't let the boomin' system sound put you off, the car install guys know how to make a strong box. They don't need to know beans about making it sound good(though they generally do, despite what it popular) That's your job to have a good design. You must have correct architectural drawings to scale. Have explicit notes on joinery, glueing, router work, recesses, ports etc. and make it clear that ANY amount of payment beyond the deposit (if they even want one)is contingent on following the plans accurately. Give them a couple of weeks, and tip them if it's nice. You will have a willing and cheap(especially compared to added shipping costs)source of boxes at your whim and just across town. Start with something cheap but difficult to asses the talent and if anybody gives you grief there are plenty more car guys around. In most shops people just drive around back and talk to the guys near quitting time or on lunch.(be quick at lunch) I have never met an installer that didn't take side work, especially in the off season after Christamas rush. To sum up: this isn't always cheap, but you to approve/revise before you pay for it. You can pay for nicer materials and construction instead of shipping and you can get pretty tricky with the designs, these guys have seen some weird shaped trunks, believe me. At a car shop there is an end to what the tools they have will do and the PA places are scarce but more well equipped. You don't want to pay for the shops that architectural designers use, but they can make anything you can draw, out of anything you can afford. P.S. If you want special material (ten ply marine birch ply) bring it with you Good luck,
Thomas
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| Re: Build or buy....which is cheaper? [message #42491 is a reply to message #42487] |
Sun, 14 September 2003 18:37 |
wunhuanglo
Messages: 912
Registered: May 2009
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Illuminati (2nd Degree) |
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You can't buy the materials for the per-box prices I see on the web site. But from what you say about shipping, you're talking 3X the price of the box. On that basis you can invest $100 to $120 in material per box. I think that with that kind of budget ($200 to $250 per pair) you can build substantially better cabinets OTOH, if you have to buy tools too, obviously the pre-made cabinet is the better buy. Have you looked at Parts Express? They now sell pre-made cabinets that many people have said are very nice for the money.
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| Re: Build or buy....which is cheaper? [message #42493 is a reply to message #42491] |
Sun, 14 September 2003 20:38 |
sjaguar13
Messages: 4
Registered: May 2009
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Esquire |
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The guitar cabinet from the SpeakerHole site is $95, but with $62 shipping. $157 total. Buying two speakers makes shipping $117. I'd save $7 buying two together rather than buying one, then buying another one later. I need at least 7 different speakers, so I'd be saving on shipping a little if I combine them. Would it be possible to put together a 4 12 guitar cabinet for around $130 or so about the same quality as the one from SpeakerHole? The cheaperst speaker I can find is from SpeakerHole for $17.90. paper cone, accordion (cloth) surround, 30 oz. magnet, 2" voice coil, 8ohms, 100 watts rms, 200 watts peak, 93db, 45-5000hz I'm looking at about $100.60 for just the 4 speakers shipped. I highly doubt I can build a box that's carpeted, with handles, and all electronic stuff inside for $30. I'm thinking I should just buy them. It seems like the only way it would be worth building is if I needed something good, or I was going to make them in bulk, about 100 or so (or I had a vendor's license, but I would still probably have to buy in bulk). Anyone else think I should just buy them?
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