A (Very Belated) Follow-Up To NAMM, A New How-To, And A Quick State-Of The Cave

[smallbearelec]

As you know, I have gone to NAMM the last several years to shop for new products and shmooze customers. So I stopped by the Monster Cable booth to see what they were offering. Of course, I'm always all-business and thoroughly professional in demeanor.

http://www.smallbearelec.com/NAMM1.jpg

Ahem...I actually did get to do some significant work. Job number one was sitting down with an engineer from a Taiwanese contract manufacturer to plan my first factory-done kit/pedal, the Bear Boost Plus. I had brought with me a hand-made prototype and drawings, and I was able to make clear what I wanted without nearly as much e-mail back-and-forth. Since that meeting, the factory has sent me samples of a pcb and a drilled case, and I have built a first model. Between getting a few changes taken care of, going to production and shipping, I figure to have something to sell by late summer. Meanwhile, here is the three-knob shell that I came up with for this project:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/BShell3Knob/3Knob_B9mm.htm

In the next few weeks, I will continue from where that article leaves off and post a perfboard version of the pedal. You didn't really think I'd make you wait till August to see what I was up to, did ya?

Another highlight of the trip was getting to meet Francisco Peña:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/NAMM2.jpg

He seems to be happily engaged in getting settled in Illinois and re-establishing Tonepad on our shores. Wish him well!

SBE has been extremely busy since I returned from LA; if there is a recession on, you can't tell it by the goings on in the Cave. The staff is now four-and-a-half in addition to your chief Bear. No doubt you've noticed that routine service inquiries are mostly handled by others, so that I can concentrate on technical questions and business. To what do I attribute our continued growth? Two big factors are the increased number of small, local shops doing pedals and amps, and the soft dollar that makes our exports cheaper to European and Japanese customers. The former is healthy, and I support it as much as I can. The latter is not; the short-term benefit that accrues to exporters like SBE will eventually be negated by inflation. I can't control this; I just have to manage through it.

Otherwise, we are fine. Judy has been doing the student-teaching part of her TESOL (Teaching English To Speakers Of Other Languages) program, and clearly enjoys it, though it is a heavy load on top of the day job. We are planning our trip to Israel in late June/early July, and I will have more details about this soon.

Musically Yours,
SD

[Baktown]

Steve,

You are my HERO dude!  Not many men could stand so stoically in the presence of not 1, but 3 hot girls!

What a stud!

Rick J

Oh yeah, thanks for sharing!

[Pushtone]

Steve, Thats the second photo I've see from the Monster booth with those same girls! Popular place.

Although their product is as fake as the blonde's breasts (sorry could resist taking a shot at those marketing bastards (oops, did it again)).

If you ever do the Alaskan cruise thing be sure to drop us in Vancouver a line and spend a day or two.

[kurtlives]

Steves a pimp

Pick up new gadgets while there?

[tranceracer]

Guitar Picks! OOOOH.      Were they giving out samples??

Awsome Chicks, but I cant see the PICK display! 

Just kidding, sounds and LOOKS like you had a good time!  I'd like to go to NAMM one of these days.

[jakenold]

Cool stuff Steve, looks like a nice trip to NAMM and then to Silicon Valley 

Keep on keepin' on!

Kind regards, Jake

[nelson]

Very good! When are you going to get the full cool audio analog range in!!?

[zombiwoof]

Regarding the first pic, I was wondering if your wife was there with you at NAMM?

Al

[DougH]

http://www.smallbearelec.com/NAMM1.jpg

Ah yes... Very nice characteristic curves there, Steve. Those devices appear to exceed the datasheet specs by many orders of magnitude. Be careful though... Although they obviously appear to be very efficient, I suspect their power requirements may be deceiving - components like that usually require a very high currency draw to maintain peak performance...

(Sorry... Couldn't resist a few geek jokes... Now if you don't mind, I'll download that pic and photoshop you out of it...  )

[Ben N]

Very nice, Steve.

I wonder if during your Monster visit you learned the relationship between low-oxygen cable and hydroxide blonds? Were any of those ladies named "Kristen," by happenstance? (A little New York joke, there.) Also, do those guys know that your business name uses four letters that also appear in the word "Monster"?  Or that bears can be seen as very much like monsters? 
You probably want to steer clear of there, 'specially if there are any lawyers about.  Jes' funnin', 'course.

The booster project looks really nice.

Anyway, feel free to PM me about your upcoming trip--I recently spent a year there with the family, and have been back & forth fairly regularly, so I may be able to give you some helpful itinerary advice.

[moro]

I believe those girls are representing Monster Energy drink. Not Monster Cable.

[Ben N]

I believe those girls are representing Monster Energy drink. Not Monster Cable.

Infringers!

[StephenGiles]

The frontage on the blonde on the left would make a cow proud!!

Always a pleasure to read your updates Steve.

[MikeH]

I believe those girls are representing Monster Energy drink. Not Monster Cable.

Infringers!

Can't blame Steve for that mistake; he clearly wasn't checking out the merchandise, but rather the "Merchandise".

[amz-fx]

Thanks for the update, Steve!

Here is a new item I'd like to see you carry. It is a repair pot for the Proco Rat pedal.  It would also be good for new construction when board mounted.





regards, Jack