David Preiss and Javier Santana were inspired to create the Thumper when they were renovating and redecorating their new studio for their design agency Launch. They crafted desks from vintage sewing machine treadles and fashioned a huge conference table from plumbing pipes and recycled barn wood. Then, Javier found a pair of Cerwin-Vega speakers and an old Sony receiver on Craigslist. He later found a couple of old suitcases thrifting and thought they’d be cool décor. He then imagined it might be more interesting to pull the speakers from their banged up cabinets and combine them with the suitcases. Combining skills he learned while hanging out at his cousin’s car audio tech shop, Javier amped up the suitcase, creating a boombox with killer audio. Russell Fry later joined the team as a third founding partner and head of Sales and Marketing.
Visitors showed such enthusiasm for the creation, a spark for a new business idea flashed through David’s head. And as a result, the Thumper was created in February 2012. After five months of research and development, the duo began selling their creation throughout Atlanta - and beyond.
As functional art that combines previously forgotten items of our past, Thumpers particularly appeal to lovers of upcycling. Each Thumper is custom-designed and hand-crafted in Atlanta for a balanced aesthetic appeal. David and Javier match each authentic case to a speaker system, not just fitting things into a space, but combining elements that belong together. Most of the cases date from the 1920s to the late 1960s and are made of wood, which create perfect audio cabinets. The guys salvage the crossovers from inside the speaker cabinets and use them for high fidelity and add acoustic foam and bracing supports to eliminate unwanted vibration. Thumpers typically use a 12-volt rechargeable battery and a 40-watt amplifier.
Thumpers are portable and rechargeable. They work with any mobile device or laptop, which are connected via an included audio auxiliary cable. Most Thumpers come with volume, bass and treble controls mounted on the side. They can be recharged after around 8 hours of playtime using the included battery charger. Music can also be streamed wirelessly with a bluetooth adapter and any Thumper can become a guitar amp using the iRig™ adapter accessory (sold separately).
Thumpers are handcrafted in Atlanta by Javier Santana, David Preiss, Simon Gabber and Ben Pass in Atlanta’s King Plow Arts Center. And Russell Fry evangelizes the Thumper throughout the U.S. Thumper vintage suitcase boomboxes are available online, at select festivals and gatherings, and are available in national retail locations including Atlanta and New York.
For more information and photos, please visit: http://www.curiousprovisions.com or facebook.com/curiousprovisions.
Dave, Javi and the rest of the Curious Provisions team thank you for your enthusiasm and support!