Flight Case for two heads

[Wood]

I want to rack mount my Acoustic Image Coda 4 and ampeg PF800 heads together for travel. I tour with two cabinets and backline two cabs when I fly, but I'd like to keep the heads together and protected for baggage checks. Since they are smaller heads, they don't have the hardware that make rack mounting easy.

Any ideas for going about this? I was thinking I could just build and pad out a wooden box or suitcase for it, but I'd like to do it as pro as possible. Also willing to have one made for me if there's a pro out there.

 

[WayneP]

Tough situation. When I used to do pro audio installations in the ’90s , we’d occasionally have to rack-mount consumer audio gear like cassette decks and CD players. We used 2- or 3-space rack shelves like this. We’d take the feet off the CD player, and remove the top cover to look for suitable places where we could shoot a few sheet metal screws up through the rack shelf into the CD player’s bottom chassis (at least three).

You might be able to do something like that for your Ampeg. Sheet metal screws were fine for permanent installations like we were doing; a road-worthy installation like yours would require nuts, bolts and washers.

Alternately, you could fashion some rack ears out of aluminum angle stock (most big box hardware stores carry some). They would be bolted to the sides of the Ampeg.

The Coda is a bit of a problem, if you’re using the combo amp I found doing a search. If you’re using the pre-amp head only, then you could do the same thing discussed above.

Anyway you cut it, it’s going to require some fabrication and drilling holes for screws into your gear. Most gear has some internal “dead air” space where it can safely be done.

Other alternatives might be to fashion a metal strap that would span the width of the head and hug the sides, and screw that to the rack shelf instead. Or, some Velcro to secure the head to the shelf. These options won’t require violating your gear, but obviously are not as secure.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
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[guy n. cognito]

See if there's a Pelican case with pick and pluck foam that will work.

 

[seamonkey]

Vented aluminum rack shelf, and tie the amps down with zip ties.

Like this but in aluminum to save weight. All the holes let you zip tie things down.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Vented aluminum rack shelf, and tie the amps down with zip ties.

In checked baggage....

 

[Ulf_Hansson]

Flying with the stuff, I'd probably like to go with a foam solution. But on the other hand you'll need venting for a amp head...

So, you should get (or build) one of the double wall flight cases, like those many modern digital mixers use. Then you could mount your amps (nuts and bolts) on shelves in the inner case, with the outer case and foam protecting from shock. Shouldn't be too expensive, but bigger, bulkier and more heavy than most travelers would like...