Welcome Brian!

Marbles · « **on:** 27 Dec 2002, 03:47 am »

For those that don't know, Brian Bunge is a speaker cabinet manufacturer, as well as selling his own speakers.

AC is very excited to sponser Brian's first forum on the internet.

WELCOME Brian!

Brian Bunge · « **Reply #1 on:** 27 Dec 2002, 04:19 am »

Thanks Marbles! I'm glad to be here! Rutledge Audio Design is now my full time job along with my partner and father, Rick Bunge. I've been into audio for years and my dad's love of woodworking finally rubbed off on me a few years back when I found out that you could buy kits for speakers, build the enclosures, and finish them anyway you wanted. Also, from time to time I have a tendency to say 'I' when I should be really saying 'we'. He's more behind the scenes but he works as hard, if not harder than I do in the shop. So keep that in mind!

A friend of mine turned me on to GR Research last year and after talking with Danny Richie we decided to have a go at building enclosures for his A/V line of speakers. Now if you buy a pair of A/V series cabinets from Danny's site you're actually supporting my business as well! We may also be providing cabinets for another company as well, but it may be several months down the road before everything is ironed out.

We're also selling our own line of speakers. They were created by a designer with years of experience in the industry who does quite a bit of design work for some of the big names in audio. He sells these speakers as kits just as a side business. I took his designs and tweaked the enclosure volumes for great extensioner and am offering them under my own label. All with his 100% approval of course. While not competing with the GR speakers, I feel that they are an incredible value for the money.

We're also designing and building custom subs for our customers. I find out what their goals and limitations are and then choose what driver to use. I'm currently building 3 subs using Adire Audio's new Tumult driver. One is mine, and the other 2 are for a customer in Philadelphia.

We may even offer audio racks, media storage, etc. So if anyone has any ideas on something they'd like to see us offer just let me know. Just keep in mind the key phrase is "furniture quality". No industrial looking furniture around here!

bob82274 · « **Reply #2 on:** 27 Dec 2002, 05:32 am »

Its great to see a company willing to build speaker cabinets for speakers. Some of us here don't have the skills or the workshop to improve those skills to build them. Marbles have you experienced his work first hand?

Marbles · « **Reply #3 on:** 27 Dec 2002, 01:18 pm »

Quote from: bob82274

Its great to see a company willing to build speaker cabinets for speakers. Some of us here don't have the skills or the workshop to improve those skills to build them. Marbles have you experienced his work first hand?

I have not, but the people who I've spoken to that have, have been suitably impressed. Enough so that I wanted to personally ask Brian to join AC.

EMT · « **Reply #4 on:** 27 Dec 2002, 02:32 pm »

Back before Brian started Rutledge Audio and before ACI stopped selling drivers and kits, Brian built me a nice little SV-10 sub that I use in my bedroom system. I was going to have him build me a Tumult based sub but I, much to my regret, chickened out at last moment, figuring that it would be too much sub for my small apartment. I'm sure Brian would have done a great job with it. Of course now he rubs the decision in my face at every opportunity. But he only does that to me because he pretends to be my friend. I'm sure he doesn't harass his real customers

Brian Bunge · « **Reply #5 on:** 27 Dec 2002, 03:45 pm »

Thanks Ellen! BTW, you were a friend first and a customer later. So I still have the right to harrass you!

For those that haven't seen it before, here's Ellen's sub.

Also, it was pointed out to me that I forgot to mention my "Mean Old Step-Mother" who does various things around here like running credit cards for customers, keeping up with how much money we're not making, general clean up, etc. I told her this morning I'd double her salary. Let's see double of nothing is...

She also does folk art. For anyone interested, check out www.outsider-folk-art.com.

Hank · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 Dec 2002, 12:54 pm »

Ellen, Brian harasses everybody, including his semi-podner in Texas

Brian, nice to see your own commercial forum! Best wishes to a good guy who appreciates wood and builds quality, beautiful speaker cabinets!
Also, my best to you and your Dad in expanding into an actually profitable area of hi-fi and HT, the installation business.

C.E.S. is approaching and I"m excited - never been but am going this time and will probably need a bib to catch the drool.

This is an interesting site, but are these people real? TheBorg? Marbles? ZooDog? hairof the dog? This wasn't spawned in Georgia was it?

I'm outta here. BTW, I just finished 3 more BoseBusters - oak veneer with 3 coats of cherry dye - my new faux rosewood finish. I kid you not - they almost exactly match my rosewood towers in color

Don't forget the little people when you make the Big Time!

george king · « **Reply #7 on:** 31 Dec 2002, 03:04 am »

Bob,

I bought some unfinished cabinents from Brian. All I can say is that his craftmanship is utterly amazing, and only exceeded by his customer service. He put up with many of my pesky questions, and always answered quickly.

He is a class act, and deserves to suceed. I will be doing more business with him in the future, and can recommend him without any reservations.