Home Tube DIY Asylum

Do It Yourself (DIY) paradise for tube and SET project builders.

Survey: Is there a demand for high quality DIY chassis?

Folks:

I am considering starting up a new business importing high quality audio chassis for sale in the U.S. and Canada. I am negotiating with a company that has been producing a variety of very attractive enclosures for DIY’ers in its local market for years. While they offer a broad range of products, I would likely start off by importing only 5 or 6 chassis styles. Additional chassis styles would be added as demand grows.

Par-Metal, Bud, Hammond and the other brands sell decent-looking enclosures, but no one would confuse them with commercial grade boxes. Thicker metal (including 0.25” thick faceplates), fewer seams and a beautiful anodized finish all cost more than the stuff that is currently available. Although nothing is firm at this point, I would expect that a rack mount-style enclosure (interior dimensions of 15.75w * 11.75d * 3.75h) would sell for about $110; a heavy duty tube amp chassis (12.5w * 16d * 2.75h) for about $100 and a 2-box preamp chassis (each box 10w * 11.75d * 3.7 h) for about $140. Other available chassis styles might be more appealling to the tube DIY crowd, but these are representative for price-evaluation purposes.

My question is this: is the market for great-looking high quality chassis designs large enough to justify my making the substantial investment required to get this business off of the ground?

Yea or nay, please post your thoughts.

Thank you,
Scott


This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Crux Audio  


Topic - Survey: Is there a demand for high quality DIY chassis? - SRMcGee 10:31:57 09/22/05 (30)


You can not post to an archived thread.