How did you guys get started? what sparked interest?

[Purplehaze]

About 16 years ago, I went into a "Pied Piper" music store to check out some guitars. But I noticed they had a car audio section, w/ a lot of people in it, and this deep sound coming from it. So I had to check it out. They had Kicker, MTX, and a new sub called "Soundstream". One of the guys noticed my interest, and asked if I would like a demo. "Sure" I said, so we walked to the back and got into their company van, which had 8 15" Soundstream SPL's, and that was it. When he turned that shit up, and I literally lost my breath, I knew I had to have it! Later that year I got my first system, a single 10" Soundstream USA in a 4th order bandpass, w/ a Coustic 460 amp. I was the loudest car in my small town for at least three years after that! But then my son was born, and I put my passion on the back burner for a few years. I always had a little system in my car and in my girls, but nothing beastly. Then last year, a guy at work sold me a sub and amp REAL cheap, and I got it hittin pretty hard in my PT. So I got online, and stumbled across Steve's vid's on you tube, along w/ exocontralto, and then this site. And now one year later, the "Kickin' Cruiser" is underway!

Sorry that was so long guys. And that is the condensed version! Lol!

[SQMonte]

Back in 1973 when I was in high school....j/k.....it was in the early 90's, 91 or 92, my neighbor was into Sound competitions and was always in his garage installing/customizing/fabricating stuff on his setup. I'd be in the house doing my homework and all of a sudden i'd hear his loud ass system bangin' hard yet with crystal clear vocals. I'm still amazed at how loud his regular cab Tacoma was....but when i'd hear the beat I wanted to go see how the hell he got that mofo so loud and clean so i'd hurry up with my homework so I could go out there and watch and learn. That was my introduction to Phoenix Gold (he had their high end amp, back when they were the shit), Alpine (he had the 3 disc in dash changer deck), and Pioneer (he had 2 12's back there bangin'!).

Then I started driving and my grandma had the best car in the family (to me, at least), a burgundy 89 Civic LX, slammed on 15" Sendel 5 star rims (chrome of course) wrapped in BFGoodrich 50 series tires with a Kenwood pullout tape deck, Kenwood separates front and back, and two Pyle 12's in the trunk. Once I got my license she would let me take the car on the weekends and me and my boys would go cruising every weekend (this was in San Jose). I tried hard to get her system to sound as good as his but of course it never happened, but those were the two main influences that got me into car audio. I'd always go to the stereo shops in my hood to see and hear the latest and greatest and dreamed about what setup I was gonna get once I got my own car.

When I did get a car and was ready to get a deck put in I went to a few shops to see how much they would charge to install it and it was like $50, half the cost of my entry level Kenwood detachable face! That was alot of money to me back then so I figured I could read the directions and install the damn thing myself and thats when the installer in me was born. The install went fine and i've been installing my own stuff ever since.

[Daniel Brill-Edwards]

I think it was benny bennassi - satisfaction that I would play on my dads home speakers! I then bought a £25 5.1 set for my computer and ended up searching bass videos on youtube. Of course it was Mr Meade who came up and he became my first youtube subscription way back in 2007. Then I looked at all the build logs and got addicted! I have spent countless hours looking at bass videos and build logs. Then last year I found talkaudio (a similar size site in England) around the time I passed my driving test and already had a system planned for it.

Now I live and breathe car audio and have learned an insane amount, met loads of people and most of all become medically addicted to the low notes

see http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/71453-you-know-your-a-basshead-when/

[Vitacy]

My dad used to have a caprice years ago and that car got loud. After he sold it I lost intrest until some of my older friends put subs in there cars and I fell in love but they all took it out and I lost intrest. That is until my sis got her car my parents had 2 12s put in it and I loved it but it wasn't really loud, then some of my other friends started putting them in their cars and i was hooked since, my friends kept getting louder and louder same for my sister, then it came time for me to get a car and start driving and there's was already 2 twelves in there and well I'm starting to go bigger and louder now.

[YoungBuck]

I've been an audiophile for a long time now but when I heard amazing bass output (like hairtrick capable) I was hooked on bass fo' ever. I dont have a great car nor subs for that matter but I know it'll happen one day (hopefully sooner than later)

[Delinquincy]

it all started when i first started rapping search up bass fell in love then my dad went a put a lil 10 in his car at the time and always wanted to ride in it then got my first system from him i realized it was enough then i got my 12" JL's.....stole them from this dude barn and just kept upgrading woot woot

[Superjay]

I was 11. My best friend's dad was the president of VSE (vehicle security electronics), maker of derringer alarms. I learned how to wire a relay at 11, then figured out how to use a transistor and relay to make a remote start on a latched channel at 12 (RS alarms weren't available, we had to figure this stuff out on our own)...by the time I was 14 and in HS I was getting paid for installations since I had the tools, and enough knowledge to know the difference between positive and negative. From there I became one of the premier noise troubleshooters in southern california.

I learned to fabricate like so many others my age did...reading Auto Sound and Security and Car Audio and Electronics. Mike Vu wrote articles that spelled everything out step by step. Then Chris yato stepped in to write his own articles. Then I met both of them and learned even more from there. I have 4 people to credit with bringing me into this industry...2 of them have apologized and offered to retrain me for something else.

[michigancapri92]

i was 16 and helping my brother move to a new house and saw a set of blaupunkt subwoofers and an OLD 300 watt Urban Audio amp asked if i could have it, he said sure so i went out baught a 30 dollar 8ga rockfrod amp kit popped her in the trunk and it all went uphill from there, loved that setup to death until some ass holes stole it all >.<

[LT.Smoke]

I got into it because of my friends about 10 years ago or so...Then i kind of faded away from it for about 2.5 years from the age of 14-16.5 then once i had my liscense i met my good friend Jhmeg2 and him and I got started working on Audio shit and we now are co-captains to a team that our buddy who owns an Audio Shop sponsors us..

I still love heart crushing bass but as far as my daily driver i have a newer car and did not want to destroy it so i have a solid SQ system in it but dont get me wrong it still has plenty of beat for being a single 8" woofer

[jshark5]

my dad had a 15 and i could hear him from the bottom of our street... i figured f that sob some day im going to drive up that street and be waaaay louder then his old ass. Guess what? i did mwahahahaha