durable equipment racks to keep your gear safe!

[mynaemisjonas]

I plan on doing some location recording for the drums of my next record... but before I go shoving my $10,000 worth of outboard equipment into a van... I wanted to rack it in a proper roadcase with nice big casters.


I was looking at these.

14 Space SUPER DUTY 3/8" ATA RACK CASE w/WHEELS! New! - eBay (item 360191775118 end time Apr-20-10 05:21:23 PDT)

thoughts?

[John Brook]

You might take a look at Marathon racks. Marathon ® Flight Ready Cases, Road Cases, ATA Cases, Travel Cases, Protective Cases & Rack Products

[bishopthomas]

That is Hybrid cases, and it looks to be part of their budget line. I haven't had much luck with their cases. They just don't hold up to life on the road. For cases on a budget you really can't go wrong with EWI (audiopile.net), but if you want something very sturdy then I would go to some of the major case manufacturers (R&R, Olympic, etc.)

[Thomas W. Bethe]

If you want the best cases contact Chuck at Caravan Cases. They are all custom cases (designed around what you want and need), are competitively priced and I would not trust my recording equipment to anyone else's cases.

I have watched him and his crew build some amazing cases for me and they never ever cut corners or use less than the best when it comes to hardware or case materials.

Here is their web address:Caravan Cases :: Custom Cases Made Just For You!

[ddageek]

If you want durable R&R Cases they are not cheap but they last forever!

[Remoteness]

Man, based on my own experience and what (pretty much everyone) has told me (after the fact) you should avoid those folks in Holbrook, New York.

They run their operation under a few different names.
In any event, their work is pretty bad; the build quality is terrible and dealing with them is even worst.

Believe it or not, I purchased six roadcases from them and had to modify and reinforce four of them, so they can work modestly. The other two were complete garbage that broke apart during inspection in our field shop. I mean, they never made out of our shop!

Avoid them like the plague.

Originally Posted by mynaemisjonas

<snip>...I was looking at these.

14 Space SUPER DUTY 3/8" ATA RACK CASE w/WHEELS! New! - eBay (item 360191775118 end time Apr-20-10 05:21:23 PDT)

thoughts?

[Jay Kahrs]

I wish I had talked to Steve before I bought cases from Hybrid/Island last summer... man, what pieces of junk. When I saw him at AES, couple weeks after purchase and told him my tale he had this priceless "you sorry bastard" look on his face! funny stuff.

One of them was an 8-space "ATA" from one of their Ebay outlets and was advertised as a B-stock return with scratches and shipping wear and tear. Not a problem, a case is a case right? It arrived with a 5-6" long crack through the top plys of the rack! Clean through... getting any sort of resolution was a pain in the ass and I had to call them several times to get a partial refund since they didn't want to take it back.

Overall the rack is such a piece of cheesewhiz that I'm sure if I dropped an empty 6-banger or some other case on it all that'd be left is splinters. Non-reinforced rivets and crappy lightweight "plywood" if its even ply. I won't load it up with heavy gear because I'd wager that the handles would crack right off the sides. Its now my "last resort" case that'll carry lightweight stuff like headphone amps and rack drawers if I need it at all.

The other cases arrived oK but weren't built any better. Two of 'em are cable trunks that, well... they're crap. I've got ratchet straps around the lids just in case the latches fail in transit. By far the best one is a guitar pedalboard, also advertised as an "ATA case" and actually isn't terrible... so far its been ok but I wouldn't put it on a truck or plane! Probably on par with SKB "music store" cases.

Worst part is that none of these were very cheap... for a couple bucks more I could've gotten some MUCH better cases.

[mslim]

Yeah you get what you pay for. My guitar player bought one of these Hybrid cases for his amp. Definitely not pro ATA road case quality. OK for a weekend warrior if you carry in the trunk of your car or back of a pickup. Otherwise pass on it.

[fifthcircle]

If you're searching for a deal on a case, it may pay to call the major manufacturers of quality cases and see what they've got in their bone yards. That is the placee where cases that may have been rejected for whatever reason end up. I do most of my case purcases through Encore or JanAl here in LA. Encore has a great boneyard - I've purchased 2 console cases, a couple shock racks, etc... and they have been things like the wong color for the client or one space big or small or whatever for the given clients. Otherwise perfect, but sold at a fraction of the price.

Just a thought.


-Ben

[bishopthomas]

Ben, have you ever used Get Off My Case? They're somewhere in the LA area (driving distance at least) and have always given the band I work for excellent deals. They have taken advantage of the "boneyard cases" before and got even better deals than they do already. An added advantage is that the cases are very high quality. They made a pair of acoustic guitar cases that would probably survive being thrown off a jet taking off. Of course, they're extremely heavy and I curse them every gig, especially since the case is worth more than the guitar. Their cases have been around the world several times and have never had ANY issues (whereas the RoadReady workbox lost a caster in the first week).

[fifthcircle]

Never heard of them... Interesting to hear about. Going to have to buy some more cases relatively soon as I want to do a couple big racks for pres for the big shows.

I've had really bad experiences when clients have gone to Roadready. Absolute crap- no rotating casters on large cases, pieces that break, and other big problems.

--Ben

[rmx16]

Originally Posted by fifthcircle

Never heard of them... Interesting to hear about. Going to have to buy some more cases relatively soon as I want to do a couple big racks for pres for the big shows.

I've had really bad experiences when clients have gone to Roadready. Absolute crap- no rotating casters on large cases, pieces that break, and other big problems.

--Ben

Ben
Did you ever get any more info on the EMS rack system? They look killerthumbsup

[fifthcircle]

Nah... I think they are allergic to making money. You wouldn't believe how much time I've wasted trying to get those cases. Direct contact, dealer/distributor contact, etc... crickets. They even sent me an email once and when I replied, I heard nothing.

I'm tired of them and it doesn't matter how cool they are. As the cases wear out (plastic can break under stress), they will be replaced with other cases.

--Ben

[medearis]

Gator & SKB make some nice cases, as you probably know.
Never had an issue with anything from either company, then again, never used anything with 14Us of space but I'm sure the quality won't faulter.

[edwinhurwitz]

Originally Posted by medearis

Gator & SKB make some nice cases, as you probably know.
Never had an issue with anything from either company, then again, never used anything with 14Us of space but I'm sure the quality won't faulter.

I've used SKB and they are OK for what they are. Their customer service is excellent, as they will send you parts for free with no time limit or proof of original purchase.

Gator, OTOH, is utter crap. All their cases I've used and owned have been flimsy, poorly designed and just completely not worth the money (who the hell puts the latches on the case, anyway, where they vibrate through the whole gig??? Put them on the lids, so you can stash them away, like every other halfway decent manufacturer, thank you very much.). Their customer service is insulting. I ended up with the wrong caster board for a rack, drop shipped from them along with the case, and they told me that it was my tough luck, even though they sent me the wrong part. If anyone wants a Gator 8 space shock rack cheap, get in touch, but I wouldn't recommend it for any hard use. I also have had problems with the latches getting loose on every rack I've gotten from them and their response is to offer to sell me some latches at an inflated price. In the words of the great Chef, "Fudge 'em."

[medearis]

Wow. I have the case from Gator that has 2Us of space and the laptop holder on top. Works very well, but I do feel you about the latch being on the case as an issue. Never really looked at it like that, as them vibrating isn't really an issue for me (yet).

The 2U + laptop combo hardcase was the only reason I got anything from them. SKB, though, has nice drum cases. Been through hell and back and the drums still do not have a single scratch or any sort of eye-sore!



EDIT: SKB has a nice hardcase that seems much nicer than the Gator. Just found it! Cheaper too. W00t. Lator Gator.

[AlexK]

+1 for SKB. Just don't 'un-hinge' the lids, make sure you un-do both sides, and take the case off straight.

And -1 for Gator - every Gator case I've used has had latches go loose. They last if you're careful with them, but that kinda defeats the point of a case...

[fifthcircle]

SKB cases are definitely better than Gator (not that it is hard for that to be the case), but I wouldn't exactly qualify them as quality cases. T?his is especially true on the larger cases (anything over 6 or 8 spaces) where the construction of the case barely keeps it square when loaded up.

I have several of them, but for me, it is expected that the latches wear out in a year or two of heavy use. Compare that to an anvil-style ATA case, and I have cases with 15+ years of use that are still going strong.

--Ben

[medearis]

Jonas! Ever find what you were looking for?!

[mynaemisjonas]

Yeah. I'll post pictures.

I found some shock racks on ebay. Even one that houses my Mac Pro alongside 12 spaces.

[gatorguybri]

Originally Posted by edwinhurwitz

I've used SKB and they are OK for what they are. Their customer service is excellent, as they will send you parts for free with no time limit or proof of original purchase.

Gator, OTOH, is utter crap. All their cases I've used and owned have been flimsy, poorly designed and just completely not worth the money (who the hell puts the latches on the case, anyway, where they vibrate through the whole gig??? Put them on the lids, so you can stash them away, like every other halfway decent manufacturer, thank you very much.). Their customer service is insulting. I ended up with the wrong caster board for a rack, drop shipped from them along with the case, and they told me that it was my tough luck, even though they sent me the wrong part. If anyone wants a Gator 8 space shock rack cheap, get in touch, but I wouldn't recommend it for any hard use. I also have had problems with the latches getting loose on every rack I've gotten from them and their response is to offer to sell me some latches at an inflated price. In the words of the great Chef, "Fudge 'em."

Hey Ed, This is Brian from Gator Cases. I was reading the forums and I noticed your post about your Gator Rack Case. I would like to first apologize for any poor experiences you have had with the Gator Cases customer service team.

It surprises me to hear however, that you recieved an incorrect item and no one was willing to help you. Please rest assured, that is NOT our normal procedure. We do not sell direct, but through authorized dealers, such as Musician's Friend and Guitar Center, as well as many other Music and AV stores across the country. So, if you purchased an item from one of our dealers, and recieved the wrong item, please contact the dealer you purchased it from. It is certainly not your fault, therefore, rather than take your time to get it resolved, just go back to the dealer, let them contact us and get it resolved. As a gator dealer, that is part of their responsibility to you as the customer. If the dealer still refuses to help, you can then contact us at that point and we will work to get it resolved.

Additionally, if you have a case with bad latches, you can submit a warranty claim via our website, www.gatorcases.com, and we can send out replacements at no charge. We do not charge for replacement parts under our lifetime warranty against any manufacturer defects. If you are looking to simply purchase additional latches, we can sell extras for a very small charge.

Lastly, you are not the first person to bring up the issue with our latches being on the case and not the lid. Therefore, beacuse of this and along with other requests for a more heavy duty molded case, we have released our PRO series line of rack cases, that have the latches on the lid.

You can check them out here: Gator Cases | Products - Pro Series Molded Racks

Thanks!

[Remoteness]

Thank you for chiming in, Brian!

I appreciate your effort to help our fellow Remotesters.

[mynaemisjonas]

I bought these cases. Working out well!

anyone want links to the ebay stores I bought them from?

Cost me a pretty penny though.. Probably about $800 with shipping for both.

[John Moran]

Originally Posted by mynaemisjonas

I bought these cases. Working out well!

anyone want links to the ebay stores I bought them from?

Cost me a pretty penny though.. Probably about $800 with shipping for both.

yeah, go ahead and post it. I'm looking for some roadcase racks, this might save some time searching.

[edwinhurwitz]

Brian,
Thanks for getting back to me. I decided to give Gator another chance and bought one of your new PRO racks for my Crest CA9 amplifier. Since it was designated as professional rack, I thought that it would be a good move. However, I have to say that I am disappointed once again. A professional piece of gear should be built to higher standards than gear that doesn't make that claim. I decided to retire it after noticing that rack rails were held on by only one rivet per side. They are also prone to moving around due to being able to pivot around the rivet. Thus, there is enough slop for the amp to rattle around inside the rack. It seemed to be only a matter of time before the amplifier would move around and rip the rivets out of the rack. So, I am stuck having spent yet another $100 on a Gator product that does not live up to its promise. I wonder if there's breach of implied warranty here for fitness of purpose. I can't really blame the seller of the goods because he believed the manufacturer.

Also, as far as getting the wrong part goes, I did get the rack from an authorized dealer. The wheel board was drop shipped directly from the factory. When I called Gator customer service to figure out why the wheel board was not fitting the rack properly, the response I got was: "Hey, you can make it work if you spend some time figuring it out. The one you got was a more expensive one anyway, so you should be happy!" Whatever. I called the dealer, they said that there wasn't anything they could do, since it wasn't an item they stocked on a regular basis. So, in the meantime, I have sold the rack (at a considerable loss) and used the wheels on a bass cabinet. The wheels are pretty nice, but I could have gotten ones for just as nice for a lot less money. This all happened years ago, so at this point, it's just an expensive lesson.

[Jabbaz]

Thanks for getting back to me. I decided to give Gator another chance and bought one of your new PRO racks for my Crest CA9 amplifier. Since it was designated as professional rack, I thought that it would be a good move. However, I have to say that I am disappointed once again. A professional piece of gear should be built to higher standards than gear that doesn't make that claim. I decided to retire it after noticing that rack rails were held on by only one rivet per side. They are also prone to moving around due to being able to pivot around the rivet.

Which model did you get? 2 space? I just received my 8 space on Friday and am pretty sure the rack rails had 3 or more support points, but will double check when I'm in the studio next to load all my gear in.

I went for the rolling model and must say that the extending "luggage" handle is flimsy enough that it might survive one or two gigs at best.

[edwinhurwitz]

Originally Posted by Jabbaz

Which model did you get? 2 space? I just received my 8 space on Friday and am pretty sure the rack rails had 3 or more support points, but will double check when I'm in the studio next to load all my gear in.

I went for the rolling model and must say that the extending "luggage" handle is flimsy enough that it might survive one or two gigs at best.

I went for the 2 space. I just needed a way to carry around the amp for my bass rig. I also looked at the rolling model and was not impressed. I ended up with a 4 space rolling SKB rack, which is extremely sturdy. I wasn't looking for a 4 space, but it was the smallest one that would fit a 20" deep power amp. I've hauled it over some questionable terrain playing at festivals and other difficult load ins and it's been a trooper. Both the wheels and handle seem up to the promise of being pro gear.

[Jabbaz]

In case anyone is interested, I confirmed that the 8-space PRO Gator case has 3 rivets per rail. It would be quite easy to add more with the appropriate tools.

[G Davis]

Originally Posted by mynaemisjonas

I bought these cases. Working out well!

anyone want links to the ebay stores I bought them from?

Cost me a pretty penny though.. Probably about $800 with shipping for both.

Really dig your case... Mine is kinda like that. I paid 1500 from Nashville Case Company. Been on the road already about 20 times and haven't had any problems. Very sturdy and easy to keep clean.

[Peter_PL]

Originally Posted by fifthcircle

Nah... I think they are allergic to making money. You wouldn't believe how much time I've wasted trying to get those cases. Direct contact, dealer/distributor contact, etc... crickets. They even sent me an email once and when I replied, I heard nothing.

I'm tired of them and it doesn't matter how cool they are. As the cases wear out (plastic can break under stress), they will be replaced with other cases.

--Ben

Hello.
This is my first post here, so let me welcome all of you

I dropped here by total coincidence - was looking for pictures of EMS racks & accesories on the web, and found this topic. And I had to take few photos myself due to TOTAL lack of these on the web.

I work for a company in Poland (yep, Europe, just east of Germany :P ) and we are selling these here with some success.
Should you need more info - just ask.
I am not sure if the shipping costs would be good for Poland-USA route, and the customs also need their share, but ... asking does not hurt, does it ?


Looking forward to hearing from you,
Piotr