GK rack ears. Alternative?

[Marvin]

I want to put my GK Backline600 in a rack. Are there any alternatives to buying the genuine GKb rack ears? Maybe some sort of universal fitting? The genuine GK ears are £40, which seems quite a bit for some bent steel with some holes drilled in them. Cheers

[RandomBass]

If you are happy drilling your own holes to mount to the amp, and doing a bit of fiddling, then you can get generic rack ears in standard U heights on ebay for about a tenner. Depends on the width of the amp really, as this could be the limiting factor on which generic ears you can use. If the amp is about 17" wide you should be ok, any less than that you will have to get ears with longer front-facing sections to reach the standard 19" width mounting centres on the rack case.

The generic ones I recently bought have 20mm wide front-facing sections which should just be enough to rack my TE head successfully. I may have to space them out with a couple of washers between the amp body and the ears though, just to get the 19" mounting hole dimension across the front.

[The fasting showman]

Hi Marvin,
What about the angled metal sections sold by B&Q, Wickes et al? They are with the wooden beading and mouldings/ timber dept. Should be easy to cut down, say 25mmx25mm L section into what you want.

Martin

Edited December 15, 2013 by The fasting showman

[flyfisher]

19-inch rack blanking panels are widely available online in various 'U' sizes and will have the required rack-mounting screw-holes already punched out.

It would be fairly easy to cut one of these in half and then bend each piece as required for the width of the amp. Drill the necessary amp-mounting holes and the job's a good'un.

Try not to get a too high-quality blanking panel as these may be rather thick and not easy to cleanly bend without a sheet metal press. Alternatively, search for a metal fabrication business in a local industrial estate and pop along with the two pieces of panel with the required line of the bend clearly marked. Ask nicely and you'll probably find they'll make a nice sharp bend for you for nothing, but give them a fiver anyway. If you have marked the required drill holes they'll probably do that for you as well.

This sort of approach works best with very small companies rather than the bigger ones. Basically, you need the sort of place where you can walk directly into the workshop, not a carpeted office with the workshop out the back.

[Marvin]

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1387129648' post='2308477']
19-inch rack blanking panels are widely available online in various 'U' sizes and will have the required rack-mounting screw-holes already punched out.

It would be fairly easy to cut one of these in half and then bend each piece as required for the width of the amp. Drill the necessary amp-mounting holes and the job's a good'un.

Try not to get a too high-quality blanking panel as these may be rather thick and not easy to cleanly bend without a sheet metal press. Alternatively, search for a metal fabrication business in a local industrial estate and pop along with the two pieces of panel with the required line of the bend clearly marked. Ask nicely and you'll probably find they'll make a nice sharp bend for you for nothing, but give them a fiver anyway. If you have marked the required drill holes they'll probably do that for you as well.

This sort of approach works best with very small companies rather than the bigger ones. Basically, you need the sort of place where you can walk directly into the workshop, not a carpeted office with the workshop out the back.
[/quote]

I hadn't thought of that, I know just the chap. Thank you

[flyfisher]

Sounds promising. Good luck!

[gelfin]

If you can bear to use eaby.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=rack+mount&_osacat=23789&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.Xrack+mount+ears&_nkw=rack+mount+ears&_sacat=23789"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=rack+mount&_osacat=23789&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.Xrack+mount+ears&_nkw=rack+mount+ears&_sacat=23789[/url]

[Marvin]

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1387138690' post='2308622']
Sounds promising. Good luck!
[/quote]

cheers

[Marvin]

[quote name='gelfin' timestamp='1387144450' post='2308773']
If you can bear to use eaby.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=rack+mount&_osacat=23789&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.Xrack+mount+ears&_nkw=rack+mount+ears&_sacat=23789"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=rack+mount&_osacat=23789&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.Xrack+mount+ears&_nkw=rack+mount+ears&_sacat=23789[/url]
[/quote]

If the gent I'm thinking if is unable to help then this will be my next option, thanks.

[RandomBass]

[quote name='gelfin' timestamp='1387144450' post='2308773']
If you can bear to use eaby.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=rack+mount&_osacat=23789&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.Xrack+mount+ears&_nkw=rack+mount+ears&_sacat=23789"]http://www.ebay.co.u...rs&_sacat=23789[/url]
[/quote]

They are the ones I bought, 2U size. Arrived pretty much the next day I think, and appear to be good quality. I just need to drill the necessary holes in the correct places on the long side, to bolt to the side of the amp chassis. Something for the weekend, no doubt

Cheers

Geoff

[Bluescaster]

Hi Marvin, I recently bought a 600 backline to replace the 700rb that I fried. I took the ears of the 700 to put on to the backline so I have a set of white coloured ears that you can have for free if you are willing to pay postage. Cheers, Mick

[Marvin]

Massive thanks to Bluecaster/Mick for his generosity.

[RandomBass]

Isn't Basschat a great place sometimes?
Merry Christmas everyone!