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Looking for a rack case. Pro's & con's of ABS

slap-a-da-bass

slap-a-da-bass

Sep 28, 2009
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#1
Simple one...I'm looking for a 6 space rack case to put my head, wireless, tuner, etc in. I was going to go with a shallow rack to reduce the size.

Two questions I have...

Looking at the wood cases (sold by Carvin), they have a 6 space for $100. I was initially thinking I wanted a molded case like SKB or Gator. After looking further, it seems SKB only makes a shallow case in a 4U or less. The pricing of the molded cases are about $160.

Is it worth the extra cash? What are the pro's con's of a ABS/Wood case. I really wasn't planning on spending that much.

I should also add, I don't gig often, I just want a play to keep everything solid and hooked up. I also live in Wisconsin. Is there any issues with the ABS in below zero weather?
 
#2
I've been using SKB ABS cases for 25 years without a problem and prefer them to 'wood' cases. They're lighter and sturdy don't have joints or any other places to fail, and with gasketed lids are sealed from the elements. I currently have 3 and 4 space in regular use with a couple others for 'studio' use.
 
#3
The SKB stuff is great for light and medium weight setups. One of my faith racks is over 130 lbs in 5 rack spaces. I'm not sure I would trust that much weight to an ABS case. I would be concerned about the riveted rack rails pulling out. At some point. So that puppy is in a heavy duty wood case that weighs a ton... I have 6 and 8 space SKB's in use for other lighter weight FOH gear and over the years SKB has been great about sending me latch kits and gaskets to keep them in shape. My racks are old and have seen a lot of use. Their customer service is just great.

For the typical bass rig, I would go SKB.
 
#4
slap-a-da-bass said:
After looking further, it seems SKB only makes a shallow case in a 4U or less. The pricing of the molded cases are about $160.
Click to expand...
SKB *does* offer 6u shallow racks: Rack Products | SKB Music / ProAV. So does Gator: Amazon.com: Gator Shallow 6U Audio Rack (GR-6S): Musical Instruments

slap-a-da-bass said:
Is it worth the extra cash? What are the pro's con's of a ABS/Wood case. I really wasn't planning on spending that much... I also live in Wisconsin. Is there any issues with the ABS in below zero weather?
Click to expand...

Weight. A filled 6u wood rack starts to get into PITA territory. Theoretically, in dangerously cold weather the ABS will become less flexible, but that shouldn't be an issue for typical use. (I'm assuming you're neither flinging your racks around at -60º nor leaving them outside for all of February in Eau Claire).
 
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#10
The SKB stuff is certainly worthy of consideration, but...

I've been buying racks and cases from Audiopile.net. They have several models of racks and each racks comes in several depths. Great cases for the money and very reasonably priced. And they are great people to deal with.
 
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#11
Carvin or Seismic Audio cases are used here(wood/alum) since I'm my own roadie now most of the time.

Gator's also appears to survive, see picture below.
Our keyboardist/guitarist had a drunk wedding reception guess come full-on into his keyboard stand, knocking him and his gear over. Cases survived, contents survived, and his laptop(with solid state hard drive) survived a 4 foot drop onto concrete(it was still running).....it's out of the picture to the right since it flew about 5 feet.

All this did was crack some of his BOSE plastic and break a few cables AND end the gig about 30 minutes early. Keyboardist/guitarist was congratulated for not dropping any F-bombs or profanities or even appearing mad. He was in shock but also controlled himself(customer relations and all that).

AvalancheWedding.JPG

PS: I was REAL lucky. There's a smashed tubular guitar stand in there that had a bass on it before we started this song.
 
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#14
SKB rotomolded (ABS) cases are the best. They are water resistant (wood is not), more shock resistant (the plastic has natural give, and thus acts like a shock absorber), and far lighter. I've had no issues with my rails coming out, although I feared they would. SKB customer service is on par with A-Designs'.
 
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#15
slap-a-da-bass said:
I'm my own roadie, and I'm always careful. I own the PA too, and my gear always stays in excellent condition.

I'm leaning toward a SKB right now. Even thinking of going the full depth, then it can hold all the power cords & extension cords too
Click to expand...
yes sir! thats what i did also (full size for extra storage) i went with the skb 4space roto rack.
 
#16
I'll add another vote for full-depth. I do that, and have room for all my cables. Storing them there has the added benefit of helping to balance the case, as it gets very front heavy otherwise. No big deal, just a little awkward to carry in one hand. Of course, I have a six space with a power block, EQ, tuner, PF-350, Markbass Compressore, high-pass filter, and a REDDI in it, so I'm probably going a little beyond what it was intended for. It works great, though, just doesn't balance well...
 

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