Who’s Who?

I forgot a couple of things. I have a BS in BS (if you haven't noticed - I need some kind of title) and I got my real start installing my own stereos usually around 1:00am to 6:00am in -40 C frickin igloo weather. That is real damn cold for you southern boyz, maybe not for some of my Northern brothers in the prairies but still, damn cold even with a space heater.

Wow, great topic, though I have spent quite a few hours buzzing through threads, and through time. I have sort of figured out alot of the regulars through discussions and kidding around.

But I will give my testimony so here goes........Like alot of others I have learned through trial and error. I have been a music fanatic since the days of the spoon on the high chair beats! So initially as I was getting older, My listening pleasures didn't change, LOUD!!

As time went on, I used to install for friends and their friends and so on, I purchased my first vehicle, an 88 F150, and started toying with it, in which I cut the back wall and had 8 12's in the bed. That in turn inspired me to start competition, qutie a few local competitions and one state, and I had enough of that. Didn't have the time to dedicate to the sport, as I was more into what most guys chase after!!

After the competition fun ended, I went for a while with a few small, but researched audio systems. And now have quite fallen into the trap again. But this time for SQ, not for competing, but for personnal listening and demo-ing for my buddies shop

All through the duration I have a close friend that I have used for a knowledge crutch, and also spent time working for.

I now work offshore in production on oil platforms. my schedule fits my nic, 7 and 7, so on my 7 days off, I work as an installer for my buddies shop, and try to receive and give knowledge through this thread. 

Wow, that was alot of reading...Thought I'd never get my turn.

well, My name is Matthew and I've been installing for bout 17 years.  I started when I was 15 doing my own systems through trial and error and once I figured enough out I started on my friends.  Got my first "Official" installer position at 16, that job lasted bout 3 months before the owner ticked me off so I quit and moved on to another shop, stayed there till I turned 18 and then went in the military (U.S. Navy) for 4 years.  Got out of the military and went right back to Car Audio.  Moved from shop to shop for a couple years doing everything from mild to wild, lotsa fiberglass and custom stuff, then got hired at Clifford Electronics as a tech support instructor.  I might have even been to some of your shops for trainings.  I was at Clifford for about 2 1/2 years then Directed bought it out and I was out of a job.  At that point I started doing commercial and residential security, video surveillance, and access control.  Did that for 3 years and wound up back in Car audio again.  now i'm running an Audio/Video and customizing shop in a full performance center owned by the largest Ford dealership in the world....  And that's all I got to say bout that.