Need your help joining the Mazda family!

D

darren wilson

Member
:
Hopefully a new CX-5!
Hello, all!

I've been a Mazda fan for years, but haven't owned one yet. We came REALLY close to buying a Mazda 3 Sport about 5 years ago. Loved the car, but had only one minor problem with it... my wife and i are both 6' tall, and the hatch only opens to about 5'10" tall. :) We bought a MINI Clubman for my wife instead, but i've been watching and eagerly awaiting the CX-5.

I saw it at the Toronto Auto Show and fell in love. Now i'm trying to win one!

Mazda Canada is running a contest on Facebook, and they're looking for Canadians who Defy Convention to create works of creativity, achievement or impact on society. I design and build my own guitars, and i feel that my approach to the design, construction and business aspects of my fledgling venture are all good reflections of the Defy Convention spirit. Like Mazda engineers, i pursue unique directions by re-thinking the way things have been done and pushing myself to find a better solution.

Check out my work at Decibel Guitars and http://facebook.com/decibelguitars, and if you think i Defy Convention, please click the link below to vote, and share my story and this link with others!

http://mazda.thismoment.com/v4/api/...sharing=0&content_id=1158&tab_id=57&page_id=5

527482_10150839427766605_265892006604_12350029_2053662644_n.jpg


Thanks! I hope with your help i'll be joining the family soon!


darren.
 
And just for fun, i thought you guys would like to see what the CX-5 will be replacing if i win...

Two seats. Rear engine. Rear drive. Turbocharged engine. Six-speed transmission with paddle shifters. A raging 43 horsepower and 75 lb-ft. of torque from its three cylinder engine.

I bring you, my 2006 smart fortwo cdi coup:

april07_01_800.jpg


:D
 
(hi) I voted. Very nicely done. Still trying to figure out why / how you went with a Smart Car over a Mazda 3? LOL! :)
 
The smart we bought when we moved out to the suburbs. We only had the one car at the time (a 2000 VW Golf) and i needed to get to the train station, so we wanted something small and efficient. I ended up driving it WAY more than we anticipated, and i've put over 140,000 km on it in six years. :)

When we were shopping to replace the Golf, our shortlist was between the Mazda 3 Sport and the MINI Clubman. My wife is a carpenter, and carries a lot of tools and parts in her car, so the low hatch opening of the 3 was a chronic head injury waiting to happen, so we ended up with the Clubman. I was disappointed to learn that the hatch on the newer generation 3 has the same opening height. Hence, my interest in the CX-5. :)

Now that i'm building guitars more, i need more space for tools, lumber and guitar cases.

Thanks for the kind words on the guitars! I'm fortunate (or unfortunate, as my credit card will attest) to have an amazing exotic wood supplier about 15 minutes from home. That piece of mahogany was a once-in-a-lifetime find. I haven't seen anything like it before or since, and i've built two guitars from that billet. Here's the second one:

64609_10150712207151605_265892006604_11936283_1717466268_n.jpg


Please help spread the word among your friends. A vote is great, but a share is greater... and getting your friends to vote is greater-er. :D

Thanks! I REALLY want to win the CX-5!
 
if I still seriously played, I'd totally custom commission you to make a bass for me. some fishtail oak with a darker stain would look totally badass.

the trick would be hiding the battery for the active pickups :)
 
Here's a little more background on how i got into building guitars...


When i first started playing guitar, i got into it as many teenage boys do, reading guitar magazines, keeping up to date on my favourite bands and guitarists, learning whatever i could. It didn't take me long to realize that i was far more interested in learning about the gear guitarists were using than i was about becoming a better player.

When i was 17, i built my first guitar… and loved it. But i was already on a path to university and a career in architecture, industrial design or graphic design. (I eventually attended York University and got a Fine Arts degree with a specialization in Communication Design, graduating with top honours.) That, combined with no access to a shop, meant my dream of building more guitars would have to wait.

Over the next 20 years, i read everything i could get my hands on and talked to whomever was willing share their knowledge… all while working my "day job" as a graphic designer. Fortunately, the Internet is full of fantastic resources, amateur and semi-pro builders, and many experienced luthiers who so kindly share their processes, their knowledge and their experience. In many ways, it was a 21st century apprenticeship of sorts.

As i voraciously consumed all this research, i continued to apply my design knowledge and experience toward refining designs i started dreaming up back in high school. The guitars you see on my site (Decibel Guitars and http://facebook.com/decibelguitars) truly are the product of 20+ year process of design and research & development.

In that R&D phase, i made a commitment to re-thinking and re-evaluating every aspect of guitar building, rather than merely re-hashing designs from the 1940s and 1950s. Don't get me wrong… i have tremendous respect for guys like Leo Fender who designed tremendously innovative instruments that have become true cultural icons. But a lot has changed and evolved in 60+ years, so embracing new methods, materials and technologies has become a cornerstone of my design philosophy for Decibel Guitars.

Everything from the ergonomics of the body shape, to the way the neck is attached, to the way the frets are installed, has been re-evaluated and re-engineered. Many of the changes are subtle and not even visible to the player, but they all make a difference in making a state-of-the-art, high-performance guitar.

I will freely admit that i still have a TON to learn, and my skills are continuing to improve. But i will continue to Defy Convention every step of the way. I've got a head full of ideas i can't wait to explore! Decibel Guitars still isn't a full-time venture, but i already have a waiting list, and i'm building as fast as i can while still working as a designer.

Winning the CX-5 would mean a great deal. It would give me a lot more room to carry tools, wood and guitars, and the money saved on replacing my current vehicle will go into acquiring more shop equipment that will help propel my dream further forward.

I think my guitars Defy Convention, and reflect the spirit of innovation and unconventional thinking that has defined Mazda's success since its beginning.

If you agree, please vote for my entry in Mazda Canada's "Defy Convention" contest, and share my story and this link with your friends. I need as many votes as possible by May 20 in order to qualify for the final round of judging.

Thanks for your support!

http://mazda.thismoment.com/v4/api/...aring= 0&content_id=1158&tab_id=57&page_id=5

 
Last edited:
darren wilson said:
And just for fun, i thought you guys would like to see what the CX-5 will be replacing if i win...

Two seats. Rear engine. Rear drive. Turbocharged engine. Six-speed transmission with paddle shifters. A raging 43 horsepower and 75 lb-ft. of torque from its three cylinder engine.

I bring you, my 2006 smart fortwo cdi coup:

april07_01_800.jpg


:D
Click to expand...

(hippy)
 
Heheh... i'm not quite a hippie, but try to do my little bit for the planet. I've run a few tanks of biodiesel in the smart, but the two stations in our region that pump bio are a bit out of the way, so i just run either Shell or Sunoco premium diesel.

It's a lot of fun to drive, believe it or not... well, once you get up to speed (which takes a little while). ;)

But i have to say, i think driving a small, underpowered car has made me a much better driver overall. I have to really look and think much further down the road and be very aware of my surroundings (especially the length of on-ramps), and i think when i get in a "normal" car, those habits carry over.
 
I really like the blue Mazda has in their lineup right now, so i'm building a guitar to be painted Sky Blue Mica. :)

538845_10150899692941605_265892006604_12422947_866035407_n.jpg


(I really love blue guitars.)

Competition is fierce in the contest, and it's still a battle for the top 5 positions. If you could head on over and cast a vote for my entry, i'd REALLY appreciate it. :)

CLICK! Thanks! :D
 
Ah, what the heck, I felt like being nice and reposted your link to my FB. Good luck!
 
Just to illustrate how fierce the competition is in the Mazda Canada "Defy Convention" contest, on Friday i was ranked 3rd by votes, and today i'm ranked 6th! There are some excellent entries and some compelling stories. I like this one, but i'm biased:

http://on.fb.me/HvXQCc

I could really use your votes and sharing the link on your Facebook wall. Encourage friends and family to vote. There's just one week to go!
 
Last edited:
Just four days to go! Please vote if you haven't already.

I'm looking forward to not obsessing over this! (As i'm sure all of you are, as well!) :D
 
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