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Putting casters on a Peavey Tour TNT 115
- Thread starter JT92
- Start date
I have the same amp and had the same question. I asked my bass teacher that and he said not to put casters on them, they need to sit on the floor. he said to make or buy (harbor freight) a moving dolly. it has 4 casters and sits on 2x4's that have carpet on them. it works great. I think it would rattle when it's tipped back and would look funny also.
If you do a search on here, I think you'll find that just putting casters on your cab/combo does not badly effect your rig. IIRC, some sound engineers on here say you can get your cab about 18" or so above the floor before causing any issues.
What folks percieve as losing bass is just that they are now hearing the mids their rig naturally puts out and they could not hear before. I've put 2", 3" 4" casters on a few of my cabs and it just helped me hear my rig quite abit better.
And made moving it about much, much easier with I feel improving my tone. I recently installed 4" rubber casters on a 15" cab. That cab moves like its' on a cloud now. And I feel I can hear it better as well.
What folks percieve as losing bass is just that they are now hearing the mids their rig naturally puts out and they could not hear before. I've put 2", 3" 4" casters on a few of my cabs and it just helped me hear my rig quite abit better.
And made moving it about much, much easier with I feel improving my tone. I recently installed 4" rubber casters on a 15" cab. That cab moves like its' on a cloud now. And I feel I can hear it better as well.
Whether the cab sounds better on the floor or not, I can't say. But I have a set of the Ernie Ball removable casters on my Ampeg 115. Easy to move around, and the casters pop out so the amp can sit on the floor with the 4 rubber "feet" on the bottom of the amp. If I don't remove the casters, they rattle while playing; they can rattle loud enough for my drummer to ask what was wrong with my amp.
The casters aren't too expensive, and installing them requires a little work with a drill. They have a metal "socket" that has to be screwed to the amp, and the casters attach to a hole in those sockets.
The casters aren't too expensive, and installing them requires a little work with a drill. They have a metal "socket" that has to be screwed to the amp, and the casters attach to a hole in those sockets.
I added casters to my 80s TNT130. I recommend Ernie Ball removable casters. They are available at Guitar Center for about $25.00. On the back corners, measure at least 1 1/2 inches in to avoid drilling into the amp bracing. On the front, you will need to remove the grill cloth. It's held on by Velcro, so don't worry about breaking anything. Just grab a flat blade screwdriver and pry away. You will need to drill further back from the front to avoid drilling into the baffle board. While you are doing this, I would highly recommend you remove the speaker ( I hope your model has the Black Widow ) and vacuum out the interior. This would be a great time to line the interior. Go to WalMart and buy the smallest size convoluted mattress foam (twin size) you can find. Cost about $10.00. Cut the foam into strips and glue it onto the back and all four sides of the amp. Replace the speaker and enjoy. I wish I could remember the drill bit size.
Casters lifting up a bass cab a few inches will not negatively affect the sound.
And it’s convenient, especially tight stages to be able to spin the rig around to plug in cables then spin it back around. Same with PA subwoofers.
I’ve also sometimes just removed the back two casters so the cab was angled back a bit, more aimed up at my head to hear it better.
That rubbery grippy shelf liner works great to keep the head from sliding off the cab when it’s angled like that.
And it’s convenient, especially tight stages to be able to spin the rig around to plug in cables then spin it back around. Same with PA subwoofers.
I’ve also sometimes just removed the back two casters so the cab was angled back a bit, more aimed up at my head to hear it better.
That rubbery grippy shelf liner works great to keep the head from sliding off the cab when it’s angled like that.
hate to disagree, and i am sure someone can quote science to tell me i am a dumba$$... but, big rubber feet seem to make *any* cab sound better, especially those that are lightweight. at home, i have spikes on the subs--- they focus all of the weight onto tiny points on the floor, and the sub does not move. IME, ive seen (well, heard) time and time again the difference it makes to get a cab off wheels--- it isnt a product of the distance it is raised or lowered (we are talking a few inches), but it *is* a product of the cab being more securely anchored, so that there is little to no energy wasted moving the cab (even if you cant see it). this presents itself as better response, particularly as the frequency drops. it may be SUBTLE, but it is definitely REAL. YMMV, but i rather doubt it unless you have tin ears.
and BTW, dolly boards from harbor freight or wherever are singly one of the most useful things i have ever purchased for schlepping gear.
I also recommend the dolly. I don't recommend adding wheels directly to the cab since it's tilt back--I think it may not be stable.
Home Depot - mount 4 casters to one side. I did this with my 4x10 cabs and works great. Easy to roll in, flip it on the rubber feet and it won't get knocked off stage when a drunk girl dances on stage and falls over (don't ask how I know this lesson...)
while the language used on your link in unarguably better (where the effect i try and fail to describe is actually isolation), from my perspective we are pretty much in agreement on the results. one thing that doesnt seem to be taken into account is room mode and the effect of moving a sound source around within a space, even if it is vertical. (*NOT saying that casters are enough to affect room mode, before you correct me) only outside is this never a problem for me, as i dont play stadiums yet. and incidently, casters make a pretty crappy isolation device IME, especially on a hard, uneven floor.
