alexclaber
Commercial User
It's an interesting idea but how would you automate the building of a cab?
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Official Barefaced Bass Cab Club
- Thread starter Stumbo
- Start date
It's an interesting idea but how would you automate the building of a cab?
Gotta be easier that building a car, or an iphone, or many other highly complicated things.
Probably look something like this. Maybe not exactly, but I'm not a mechanical engineer (I'm a network engineer and IT solutions architect). Once you define the steps in the process, then find a way to do each step with as much automation as possible...you're on you way to selling many more cabinets and banking more cash after you reach your ROI for the automation implementation. But there in lies the problem. Robots, programming, networking, PLCs, and manufacturing space is not cheap. The ROI may be so far out that the juice isn't worth the squeeze.
Of course you could always outsource the build to someone who already owns the equipment to help them offset their equipment cost.
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I always love these "Hey successful small business, you aren't doing it right, you should do it this way" posts. The conversations they bring about always end well and are never problematic. 
I understand your position. And I agreed with the examples you shared. But there is no need for Barefaced to license the product. And there are easily 10x examples of it going all wrong. Leo Fender, Les Paul, Mike Tobias, even Jeff Genzler.
And it's not a prestige thing - Alex's pricing of his cabs are consistent with other high-quality makers, he's not charging a premium for a premium product. We aren't talking Sadowsky NYC vs Metroline (or the whole Warwick partnership influence that is apparently occurring now), MTD USA vs Tobias differences or customs from Sheldon vs DROCs (I am lucky enough to own a couple of Roger's NYCs, 'original' Warwick as well as Dingwall's custom ABII, NG3 and Combustion).
There is a noticeable chasm in quality when you go from in-house custom to outsourced. The features, even overall difference in value - no doubt. That's why the custom guys add "all basses are inspected by..." to help ease the concern of inferiority.
Even a stripped Chevy has some of the same bones as a GMC or Cadillac. But one is just a better vehicle from the frame to drivetrain to features to final fit and finish.
My concern is anything less than a pure Barefaced cab (lesser quality materials and workmanship in exchange for mass production) would turn BF into just another cab maker. And we do not need another cab maker selling out just to gravy-train us into a Cadillac Cimarron/Chevy Cavalier Z24 tradeoff.
I finally found a cab I truly love. And I go as far back as Cetek Gauss and Guild/Hartke. I just don't want to see profit mess with perfection.
And it's not a prestige thing - Alex's pricing of his cabs are consistent with other high-quality makers, he's not charging a premium for a premium product. We aren't talking Sadowsky NYC vs Metroline (or the whole Warwick partnership influence that is apparently occurring now), MTD USA vs Tobias differences or customs from Sheldon vs DROCs (I am lucky enough to own a couple of Roger's NYCs, 'original' Warwick as well as Dingwall's custom ABII, NG3 and Combustion).
There is a noticeable chasm in quality when you go from in-house custom to outsourced. The features, even overall difference in value - no doubt. That's why the custom guys add "all basses are inspected by..." to help ease the concern of inferiority.
Even a stripped Chevy has some of the same bones as a GMC or Cadillac. But one is just a better vehicle from the frame to drivetrain to features to final fit and finish.
My concern is anything less than a pure Barefaced cab (lesser quality materials and workmanship in exchange for mass production) would turn BF into just another cab maker. And we do not need another cab maker selling out just to gravy-train us into a Cadillac Cimarron/Chevy Cavalier Z24 tradeoff.
I finally found a cab I truly love. And I go as far back as Cetek Gauss and Guild/Hartke. I just don't want to see profit mess with perfection.
We can all get behind this statement.
As I remind customers almost every time they challenge pricing I put together.....we do quality work and profit isn't a dirty word.
One of the reasons I bought my Barefaced cabs (I have two and one in queue) is because it's a small company and I like their products. Who's to say any partnership or other business venture has to be called Barefaced or has to impact the current operation?
You guys will have to pardon me. I've been playing music for 12 years, and I'm not a professional player. But I've been a business man since I was 15yo working for the family business. I sometimes find it hard to leave the business mentality behind.
I have one custom made commissioned build bass. It's a work of art. It's one of a kind. Made by a guy who is a one man shop. Turned slabs of wood into a beautiful creation. I absolutely have an appreciation for the little businesses who are making great products.
You seem to know exactly what to do, and it seems to be very easy. Why don't you start you own business?
Plain and simple. Risk.
If I weren't married, had no kids, and if I lost everything only had to pick myself up and dust myself off....I'd do it in a heartbeat.
But things like medical insurance, guaranteed salary, vacation, work/life balance, etc. are all more important to me than getting rich. I have several friends who have sacrificed their lives to become rich. One of my friends owned a chain of cell phone stores and recently sold his business and spends half the year on his island in Costa Rica. But the sacrifices he made to get to where he is now are many...not to mention how many times he failed and tried again before he was successful.
My dad fell over dead from a heart attack shortly before he signed a deal to make him a "millionaire". I watched running a business kill him.
Running a business is not easy. It's something you really have to have a passion for.
alexclaber
Commercial User
From what I've seen of car factories in person and on TV, they use quite a lot of robots and a lot of human work - and they're an extremely high volume industry that constantly struggles to turn a profit. iPhones are similar in that it's a mix of robotics (for chips etc) and humans - but they have to have anti-suicide nets around the buildings to catch jumpers, which suggests those humans aren't really enjoying their jobs. The key difference between those products and speaker cabs is they're not working with wood products which tend to require a much more human touch and craft skill to build due to these more natural materials having greater variability.
That's very interesting! The only place where they seem to have more automation is their paint shop. Their enclosure designs are less complex and they're working with easier materials so there's less skill required to build. And I presume they're making many more identical items rather than our very extensive range of guitar and bass cabs?
That's it. Years ago I looked into custom building a robot to paint our cabs and worked out that even if it worked perfectly with minimal set-up cost (highly unlikely) it would take a very long time to recoup the investment. A tolexing robot would be breaking new ground, so even more cost.
In the very early days of Barefaced I contacted companies who manufacture enclosures for other brands - not only were they unable to deal with the processes I was suggesting, they were convinced that my enclosure designs wouldn't perform well.
For the amps we're working on we're intending to use more automation where it's the right thing to do.
Anyone know if Barefaced is accepting orders for their tweeter loaded 10s yet?
I need (ok don't really need but really, really want) a Two10ST.
I need (ok don't really need but really, really want) a Two10ST.
On the site add the two10s to your cart then do a search and add the tweeter to the cart. Searching for it is the only way I've found it on the site.
....FWIW I have a 110T/110 stack and it's the most beautiful sounding, elegantly compact cab setup with the footprint of a one-legged man. Along with my WD800 or Quilter BB802 (+ or - pedal board) it packs/loads like 3 lunch boxes and sounds like a side of beef
Alex, you're a good dude and what you're doing is working just fine. I love your cabs. Looking forward to getting my third one soon.
....FWIW I have a 110T/110 stack and it's the most beautiful sounding, elegantly compact cab setup with the footprint of a one-legged man. Along with my WD800 or Quilter BB802 (+ or - pedal board) it packs/loads like 3 lunch boxes and sounds like a side of beef
That's exactly what I'm putting together. I already have a One10T and I love it so much I ordered a One10. It will make a killer smaller gig rig when the Big Twin would be overkill.
I was really impressed with how well a single bb3 carries a room. Fed with enough power, a single bb3 can do amazing things.
That was the only way I found it too, until now - FYI I just saw that on the barefacedaudio.com pages for each cab, there is now a link right at the bottom that says:
"Complementary products - [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]"
That's great; should make it easier for "casual" customers to know that this is an option for these cabs.
(On the other hand, I received a Two10ST myself literally just 2 days ago, and I kind of felt like I was in the secret "tweeter club" because I managed to find it through the search function. But I guess the secret's out now
- ha)
That was the only way I found it too, until now - FYI I just saw that on the barefacedaudio.com pages for each cab, there is now a link right at the bottom that says:
"Complementary products - [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]"
That's great; should make it easier for "casual" customers to know that this is an option for these cabs.
(On the other hand, I received a Two10ST myself literally just 2 days ago, and I kind of felt like I was in the secret "tweeter club" because I managed to find it through the search function. But I guess the secret's out now
I managed to find it because Alex told me where it was, haha! My cabs are due to hit my doorstep tomorrow, woohoo!
