Is there a problem bunging a big set of casters on a cab?

[Ancient Mariner]

Just thinking about moving stuff around over smoothish carpeted floors. Putting casters on a cab should decouple it from the floor, right, so is there a reason NOT to do this?

Thanks.

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' post='1105682' date='Jan 27 2011, 10:54 PM']Just thinking about moving stuff around over smoothish carpeted floors. Putting casters on a cab should decouple it from the floor, right, so is there a reason NOT to do this?

Thanks.[/quote]

Absolutely none... in fact it can be a benefit (do a quick search for 'Gramma Pad' on BC). Just be sure to not compromise the integrity of the cab and ensure that you don't have a X-over bolted to the bottom of the cab, which you might screw/drill through!

[Soliloquy]

This is a quote from Andy Lewis from Acme Sound, designer of Acme cabs.

It's from the 'frequently asked questions section' on his website.

[i]Q. Should I put casters on my 4x10 cab?

I was wondering if the B-4 is available with casters

A. We don't recommend casters because they decouple the speaker from the floor, which ain't good for bass reproduction.[/i]

Edited January 28, 2011 by Soliloquy

[Mr. Foxen]

It should make no odds, because the box should vibrate or anything that will interact with the floor, and it remains acoustically the same save for a few inches height, as in still radiating into half space due to the floor. Plus, no reason it needs to be sat on the casters while you are playing, put them on the side.

[yorick]

Make sure you get a least a couple of locking casters.... I have seen a cab rolling away!!!!

[Lozz196]

My last two cabs have had castors fitted by the manufacturer. Previous to that, I added castors to my cabs that didn`t have them as standard.

For the difference in sound that you/the audience will hear with a cab firmly on the floor, compared to the difference in your life being able to wheel your cab around, rather than carry it, will make. Well its castors all the way for me.

[mybass]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' post='1105682' date='Jan 27 2011, 10:54 PM']Just thinking about moving stuff around over smoothish carpeted floors. Putting casters on a cab should decouple it from the floor, right, so is there a reason NOT to do this?

Thanks.[/quote]

And sometimes not having the cab sitting flat on the floor does help eliminate some boom. Years ago 'we' used to put bass cabs on beer crates to stop stage boom resonance.

[Adrenochrome]

...after a drunken gig you could be tempted to ride the cab down a road

[benh]

Never again, not after last time when I smacked into the wall of a holiday park clubhouse!

[quote name='Adrenochrome' post='1106100' date='Jan 28 2011, 12:40 PM']...after a drunken gig you could be tempted to ride the cab down a road [/quote]

[Ghost_Bass]

[quote name='Adrenochrome' post='1106100' date='Jan 28 2011, 12:40 PM']...after a drunken gig you could be tempted to ride the cab down a road [/quote]

...or you can pass out on top of it and get your mates to weel you down to the car!


I'd just made a complete fool out of me laughing alone in the office to your post!

[Spike Vincent]

[quote name='Adrenochrome' post='1106100' date='Jan 28 2011, 12:40 PM']...after a drunken gig you could be tempted to ride the cab down a road [/quote]



A flight case is needed for the full effect.

[witterth]

Bad Idea, IMO
casters have a habit making a very annoying rattle at certain frequencies.
better off with a good old flight case which doubles as a "stand" or cheaper option, homemade fitted trolley option (if you get me, plonk on to move?) chucked back in the van apres arrival
I've tried all of above
casters on cab?
nine danke

Edited January 28, 2011 by witterth

[icastle]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' post='1105682' date='Jan 27 2011, 10:54 PM']Just thinking about moving stuff around over smoothish carpeted floors. Putting casters on a cab should decouple it from the floor, right, so is there a reason NOT to do this?

Thanks.[/quote]

Not really.
I'd recommend using T nuts and bolts to fit them though - they spread the load better than bog standard wood screws.

[geoffbyrne]

[quote name='icastle' post='1106894' date='Jan 29 2011, 12:13 AM']Not really.
I'd recommend using T nuts and bolts to fit them though - they spread the load better than bog standard wood screws.[/quote]


Plus the one.....

Years ago I put small casters on a Marshall Combo & every time they hit a decent bump, the screwnails tore out. They didn't last very long.

On my present cab, I got 3" wheels from B&Q & bored through, putting a nice big 25mm washer , locking washer & nut on the inside, 4 per wheel.

These don't pull out, and they are all locking if I need it - I usually just do diagonally opposite corners, though.

G.

[Al Heeley]

best cab i ever played thru was a mesa boogie 600w bass cab, 4 x 10, sounded gorgeous and it had casters on it. I felt embarrassed as I'd wheel my hartke cabs to a gig on the casters I'd screwed into them, then turn them thru 90 degrees so they had proper 'full contact with the floor'.
The mesa cab sounded way better, but too dear for me to buy. There's a couple of morals in this story but its late and there's toast on.

[icastle]

[quote name='geoffbyrne' post='1106899' date='Jan 29 2011, 12:28 AM']These don't pull out, and they are all locking if I need it - I usually just do diagonally opposite corners, though.[/quote]

+1 to the locking wheels.

I once saw a guitarist I know running across the stage at an angle to his Roland JC120... which suddenly decided to follow him.

No harm done to any kit but he was the butt of many jokes for many years...

[Ancient Mariner]

Thanks gents - looks like locking & bolted it will be then. My first ever guitar amp was an AC30 that someone had put castors on before I got it, and that saved me a few times times (including rolling several hundred yards across a bumpy field at Greenbelt festival). But bass amps seem a bit different, and I thought I'd get advice before fiddling.

[icastle]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' post='1107466' date='Jan 29 2011, 06:31 PM']Thanks gents - looks like locking & bolted it will be then. My first ever guitar amp was an AC30 that someone had put castors on before I got it, and that saved me a few times times (including rolling several hundred yards across a bumpy field at Greenbelt festival). But bass amps seem a bit different, and I thought I'd get advice before fiddling.[/quote]

I use these:



For those that haven't used T-Nuts before, you just drill a hole, put the nut on the inside of the cab with the 'tube' part inside the hole.
When you tighten everything up the little 'teeth' bite into the wood and hold it there.
Having a flat plate on the top acts as a 'washer' and spreads the load.
If you ever need to change a caster the nut stays in place when you undo the bolt and it saves dismantling the whole thing.

Edited January 29, 2011 by icastle

[Ancient Mariner]

[quote name='icastle' post='1107503' date='Jan 29 2011, 06:52 PM']I use these:



For those that haven't used T-Nuts before, you just drill a hole, put the nut on the inside of the cab with the 'tube' part inside the hole.
When you tighten everything up the little 'teeth' bite into the wood and hold it there.
Having a flat plate on the top acts as a 'washer' and spreads the load.
If you ever need to change a caster the nut stays in place when you undo the bolt and it saves dismantling the whole thing. [/quote]

I like T nuts for speaker mounting, but they're a little tricky to get hold of in Homebase.

[icastle]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' post='1107679' date='Jan 29 2011, 10:16 PM']I like T nuts for speaker mounting, but they're a little tricky to get hold of in Homebase.[/quote]

I usually buy mine online.
Funnily enough though I did actually see them in B&Q a few weeks ago - I wasn't looking for them at the time so I didn't stop and see what sizes they did.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote]Putting casters on a cab should decouple it from the floor, right, so is there a reason NOT to do this?[/quote]There is no such thing as mechanical coupling, so don't worry about that. But less than perfectly level floors can result in the cab being tippy, or one caster not having any load on it, and it may then rattle. Carry some bits of foam rubber in your kit to put under the casters in that case.

Edited January 29, 2011 by Bill Fitzmaurice

[Ancient Mariner]

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' post='1107728' date='Jan 29 2011, 11:15 PM']There is no such thing as mechanical coupling, so don't worry about that. But less than perfectly level floors can result in the cab being tippy, or one caster not having any load on it, and it may then rattle. Carry some bits of foam rubber in your kit to put under the casters in that case.[/quote]

Thanks BF

[rogerds]

in the past

1 - casters on the side
2 - casters on the bottom and turn cab on its side to use
3 - skateboard plus bungees

then i discovered Flite / Schroeder / Markbass ....

[janmaat]

i quite agree with the skateboard idea. in that it should be possible to fix wheels to some sort of a board, which then attaches to the bottom of the cab - and can be taken off altogether for servicing etc ...