Thule Van Locks

I've been tinkering with electronics ever since I was a kid – starting with taking apart and putting back together televisions and radios. I always got them back together again and working. I took courses in radio and electronics as a teenager, and became a ham radio operator. I worked in my high school's stage crew, running sound, lights, and a movie projector. After college, I joined a rock 'n roll band as the soundman and learned how to lug around and operate the gear that helps make music sound good and loud.

Working in a music store in Austin, Texas, I spent a few years manufacturing, installing, repairing, and operating sound systems. Our customers were recording studios, nightclubs, and touring bands. Eventually I moved back to Charlottesville, Virginia and opened a small demo recording studio. In 2006, I finally came to my senses and got this job at Crutchfield. They actually pay me to ramble on, rant, and explain the things I love about music, electronics, and getting good sound.

Given my background, they put me to work writing about some of the most complex electronic products Crutchfield sells: car amplifiers, digital signal processors, wiring, professional sound mixers, and PA systems.

More about Buck

• Started at Crutchfield in 2006
• Completed our thorough in-house Advisor training, learning about the ins and outs of our various products
• Designed and organized Crutchfield's subwoofer wiring diagrams
• Stays up-to-date by attending vendor training sessions for new products
• Earned MECP (Mobile Electronics Certified Professional) certification
• Authored dozens of Crutchfield articles and hundreds of product presentations, primarily focused on car audio amplifiers and pro audio gear
• Answers the many customer questions posted in the comments on his articles
• Semi-retired soundman with decades of experience making other people sound good
• From 1999 to 2018, also worked as a sidelines video camera grip for University of Virginia football and basketball games