In March of this year, the Cimino-Hurt brothers decided to launch A Case Of Bass, combining two greats: vintage electronics and vintage luggage, to make super sweet boomboxes. While not the first to do this (I blogged about a similar company named BoomCases years ago), these are significantly more affordable.
above: The Cimino-Hurt brothers combine ‘tude and talent
The Portland-based company, A Case of Bass, creates portable sound systems hand-built to ensure quality and craftsmanship. Each “Case of Bass” is created after scouring the world for the finest unique vintage suitcases (train cases, brief cases and make-up cases, too) and then pairing them with a selection of speakers that guarantee the best combination of sound and aesthetic.
The Burlap Banger:
The Champ:
The Starflight:
Bunny:
Nicky29:
The cases incorporate – to your specifications – the types of accessories that will make your case unique to you. These include input types, amplifier sizes, power supplies and batteries, and finally any personal detailing you might desire.
Cecille:
Sam:
Marcelle:
In partnership with local Portland businesses, artists, and craftsmen they create these one of a kind portable parties.
Up-cycled and Sustainable
Sustainability, for those at A Case of Bass, means taking materials and designs, into which great amounts of energy have already been committed, and re-purposing them to extend that investment. It’s not recycling, where objects are stripped into the basic materials and then smelted back into something else. It’s up-cycling, where things are given new life and expected to be passed on or designed to be completely usable for something else without the need of deteriorating initial energy investment.
Staxx:
Candy:
Scooter:
Because the brothers want to give universal access, they do things like sell their products at an affordable price and make an eighth inch input standard on all of the cases. They use some new electronics, but only when they can’t find a reliable substitute from their rescued electronics. When providing things that have great environmental and economic impact implicit in their construction, like batteries, they strive for low impact, long life, and of course, rechargeable systems. At present they offer lithium ion rechargeable packs that are lightweight, high capacity, and high efficiency.
Midas:
Ruby the Riveter:
Finally, to demonstrate the overall sustainability of each case, they give a percent by mass of up-cycled material for each case. This is a process and they don’t profess to have all the answers but are working to continuously improve the quality of each case as an environmentally and socially responsible piece of electronics.
A Case of Bass
Online store
Local Portland retailers:
Hellion Gallery
Tender Loving Empire
Hollywood Babylon
