protecting Acoustic Image amps

[bassdogEmer]

I just bought a AI clarus series 3 - great little piece. My question is how do you all care for these little amps? The case that AI sent me for it is a cheap little padded bag - not much protection at all. This amp doesn't seem like it can really be mounted in to a rack. So, what do you all do?? what have you figured out? Is there some secret comapny that makes special cases for these? Can you indeed mount it into a hard rack etc?? Start AI advice bombardment .....now

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I carry mine in the padded bag, which gets crammed inside the legs of my upturned gig stool after each gig. No problems after several years.

[bassdogEmer]

Thanks Chris - Do you know of any road type of cases though?? I am leaving for Europe in a few weeks and worried in general about only having this AI bag...
Is the bag you have the one that came from AI??

[Farin]

Man, I wish my Series 3 Coda would come soon.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Yes, it's the bag from AI. Rick Jones just told me a few days ago to simply ship my Focus by putting the amp in the padded bag and the small cardboard box it came in, no other padding needed. I'm sure you could find a padded case for it, but why not just carry it on? If I were checking one, I'd probably just put it in my suitcase.

Or if not that, I bet you could buy a small briefcase for gigging that would hold the amp and a bunch of cables and stuff.

[Phil Smith]

I don't have a series III but I took my Focus with me to Aruba in my carry on, which is the beauty of this little amp and I'm glad that I did because the head I was supposed to play out of was so bogus.

[Andy Allen]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

....Or if not that, I bet you could buy a small briefcase for gigging that would hold the amp and a bunch of cables and stuff.

Good call - one of those briefcase-sized flight cases would be great for that, and would stack on a cart on top of the cabinet(s) perfectly.

[abaguer]

I just carry my focus on the plane with me in its padded bad. Fits right under the seat in front of me.

[brooklynbassguy]

I highly recommend http://www.pelican-case.com/15caonca.html.
It makes a great carry on, and if you have to check it, it's indestructable...

[Joe Smithberger]

As a Pelican user in my profession, I have to ask... does it make sense to put a 6 lb amp in a 20 lb case? That said, I would check at professional photography shops. Sometimes they carry off brand (and lighter) versions of the Pelican cases. If you are ordering new and like the indestructable weather sealed cases, I would look at Tundra Sea King. You could also check Adorama or B&H photo in NYC or Calumet in Chicago this stuff. I think a better option in to find a closeout or bargain in something like this
http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/TE3030/SP.html

[Ed Fuqua]

My Woods is in a Mooradian bag that is carry on ALL the time. And it's gonna stand up better to me carrying it everywhere than luggage guys throwing a heavy rack case around.

[brooklynbassguy]

The advantage to the pelican is that it is carry-on sized, and if you travel on smaller, commuter planes where you have to gate check your carry on, and you have a laptop...

[Ed Fuqua]

Woods and AI are headed in the OTHER direction - small and portable, rack mounting defeats that purpose. The Woods is considerably smaller than my gilrfriend's back pack and I have NEVER been asked to check it, either in the little Focke Wolf (think corporate jet) that the Delta affiliate flies from NYC to Columbia SC or the little prop job that flies between Charlotte and Augusta (which even though the LET me pay for a seat for my bass put it in the cargo hold. They did let me watch it being loaded standing right next to the guy that put it in. IT was still Not Fun.) And the AI is even smaller than the Woods. I dunno man, do what you want, but I think you're making it a lot more difficult than it needs to be.

[flatback]

ya'll all must be really bored, to be threading about how to protect a pint sized amp that comes in its own padded carrying case? Course a look at any of my threads might reveal some yawnings too.

[Ed Fuqua]

Sorry to bother you, maybe you should go see if OPRAH is on or something...

[brooklynbassguy]

I'm sure I'm making it more difficult than it needs to be, but my carry on scene is a bit deep. I carry on, in the hardcase: my toiletries, cables, tuner, dtar solstice, power supplies for my ipaq, wireless hub, cellphone charger, and shaver. Then the soft bag has a cd player, sunglasses, crossword puzzles, passport, headphones, a book, and other little stuff. This bag fits under any seat. I also fly with two basses, EUB and BG. The BG goes in a golfcase along with my clothes. Fly every week, around the country and europe. I would love to condense this one day !
About Oprah ...

[Ed Fuqua]

Damn, that's a buncha ****! I only have one carry on (which goes overhead), the Woods (with an MD player in the pocket, that goes under my seat) and the bass in a Gage case (inside the cargo hold).

[brooklynbassguy]

Ed, I am curious to know how travel is these days with the gage case? Nobody I've work with in the last three years wants to pay the travel cost of it, hence the Zeta. Longer trips make me long to get home to my DB...
When I first went to this thread, I thought it was about electrical protection of AI amps. I've been using an APC Line R 1200. As I find AI very sensitive to voltage, and surges. There's no worse feeling than when you amp blows on the gig.

[Ed Fuqua]

The last time I flew with my bass was well over 3 years ago, but I have carried my Woods as recently as last September (doing the bass du jour thang).