equipment setup suggestions

[rickydekker]

okay so my valveking is ALMOST gone and im trading it for a blue kramer showmaster metalist II from 1989 and i cant wait to trade with ths dude.

also my jackson reference 50 head is almost done being repaired by my awesome electronis teacher.

...but i use rack effects... so i keep thinking... that means i need a rack? and i dont wanna just set my head on top of the rack, or visa versa? that will require lefting, and the possibility of things falling over.

...so im wondering, whats the cheapest road case+rack deal i can find? i cant spend that much moeny as it is, but i just need a rolling road case that i can set my head in, and have a 4-6 space rack above it.

any ideas?

[Dreamland_Rebel]

you want something like this. right?

[rickydekker]

yeah... i know they make them and all... i just need a super in-expensive one

[Dreamland_Rebel]

good luck... i don't think they exist due to them being custom sized to spacific heads.

[Mordor]

That thing should be a real pain in the a$$ to carry along..

[jgcable]

What you are looking for is very expensive and extremely heavy. 100+ lbs easily.

[clifffclaven]

build one.

[Dave L]

build one.

+1, it should be pretty straight-forward to build, but might require some time. Definitely the most cost-effective solution, in any case, and it should do just fine for basic handling even if it isn´t up to par for sending via air or similar. I would separate the head box from the rack, for ease of transport, even if it means some basic hook-up at each location.

[rickydekker]

basically what i need is... my 4x12 jackson cabinet, and my head and rack... so if i get a road case for the cab, and a case that the head, and rack are in, that brings me down to TWO road cases.... i just need something that will be cheap and work for local venues, my band is gonna start soon and i have NO money lol

[VitaminG]

sure, but as others have said, it's going to be a heavy, unwieldy mother. JG estimated more than 100lbs for the head, rack units & case. That's quite a weight to be carrying in a large awkward case.

[Newc]

And it has to fit in your vehicle, and you have to be able to lift it and position it gently into your vehicle, even if it's a van.

I know it's tempting to try to look like a high-dollar professional musician in a new band playing local parties and bars, but realistically what you should be looking at is a 6-space road rack like an Anvil for a 2-space tube power amp, a 1-space gap for airflow, and the other 3 spaces for your rack effects/preamps. If you only have one rack fx unit, get a 4-space rack, just leave a gap between the unit and the poweramp for airflow to protect your poweramp.

If you're using a rack preamp, you don't need a full-on amp head. If you're using a full-on head, then rack-mounted effects is probably overkill. Look into getting the pedal versions that you'll actually use instead of a rack unit full of things you won't use most of.

Do you need the programmability of a rack? Do you need the versatility of a rack? If so, then you need a rack-mounted poweramp.

Or, if the head cabinet is wide enough, stick a pair of rack rails in the bottom of it and mount your rack unit in there. I've done that with an old Ampeg head. Of course it weighed 30lbs after that, but you do what you gotta do.

Then all you're lugging in is your head/rack, your cab (a 4x12 not on wheels is dumb), and your guitar(s).

As a bonus, you can lug it yourself. May take 2 trips, but smaller means faster setup. Faster setup is always a bonus. The more time you spend lugging crap into the venue, the less time you have to cool down from that so you can warm up your hands without cramping.

[rickydekker]

well.... one thing is.... its not about "looking cool" or anything like that, its about how easy it could be having you head AND rack all-in-one.

but once i get enough money, im getting a rackmounted mesa/boogie mark IV, so then i can have my rack, on top of a mesa cab, and my jackson cab and head on top of that. BUT that wont be until i have $2000 falling out my ass...

and as for pedals, i want an isp demator, TC nova reverb, bb preamp, digitech whammy, mxr carbon copy delay, my mxr phaser, and the footswitches to my amps. for rack FX ive always wanted an old ibanez ue-405, and (maybe if i need it) a lexicon/TC effects processor with midi controller. that wouls be the best thing ever for me in my situation, but all in do time, and money.

BUT i ndid fond lightweight road cases on ebay for CHEAP??? im VERY tempted...

[rickydekker]

oh and i forgot to add a rackmounted dunlop wah