[Guest]

Like 'em? Hate 'em? Do they really kill the value of the amp or cab (even if they're professionally installed) or is that just posturing by CL buyers trying to bully you down on your price?

 

[Guest]

No Casters, a folding cart:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=46460&cat=1,43456,43391

I actually own that thing. It's not bad but I found it a little too easy to take serious nicks out of the leather corners of my Mesa cab when wheeling it around on it.

 

[GuitaristZ]

I think casters are great. they came with my marshall 1960a cab and I would have bought them nevertheless. They make transport a LOT easier. They should not take away from the price...I sure wouldnt take any agruement that they do. I think they ADD to the price

 

[Gunny]

I've put them on every cab except the Eden combo which already had them.
Most recently put 1.5" wheels on a cab and they broke within 2 weeks. Replaced them with 2" like I've done in the past...much better. I'm too old to life the damn thing from the car to inside a club and repeat at the end of the night.

I think it is a non-issue as far a resale value is concerned.

 

[Coustfan'01]

Casters are great , especially when you move it around in you rehearsal space .

 

[Guest]

I've had this conversation on the side with some colleagues today and I think we all seem to be in agreement that cabs + casters = a-okay. Not quite so unanimous on combos. I've never caster-ed a combo, just flight cases there, but I can see maybe casters on a combo where the tubes weren't secured but just kind of hanging down might not be such a great idea.

I definitely feel better about telling the guy who argued long and loud that my Mesa cab was worthless because of the casters to go do nasty things to himself. Man, that's be bugging me for months now.

 

[GuitarsCanada]

My back loves them, so they are OK with me.

 

[torndownunit]

I never found caster to be that useful on my Twin. As someone mentioned earlier, carts can be a way better option.

Casters didn't help on bumpy sidewalks etc. so I still had to carry the amp. 50% of the places I played had stairs when I had that amp, so I still had to lift the amp up and down the stairs. Most stages had stairs too.

While they are great in theory, the only times I used them was to push the amp around the stage, and to get from the club door to the stage doors.

With a good card on the other hand with straps, you can even use it on the stairs.

I personally don't want them on any of my gear, and if there weren't set up to be removable it would affect my decision when buying gear.

 

[dwagar]

I put casters on anything I can. Way easier on this old back.

Just be careful when you're installing them. I put some on my JTM60 combo awhile ago, then checked to see where the screws were sticking out. I missed the reverb pack by about 1/2". That woulda sucked.

 

[Mooh]

I use the Lee Valley folding trolley a lot, especially for my guitar amp and for guitars, but my bass amp has casters and extra handles...I'm too old to risk my back before the gig. I value my back and arms more than the originality of my amps.

More hands make less work too. My current bandmates are fantastic when it comes to sharing the load...two guys on each PA cab, mounting cabs on poles, lifting amps from the van, etc. Helps (I guess) that we sincerely like each other. In one previous band the singers would hardly carry their own mics, never mind weighty equipment.

Peace, Mooh.

 

[bRian]

I can see someone putting casters on an amp that weighs more than 60 lbs but on a 30 or 40 lb amp :confused-smiley-010 A friend of mine bought a 62 Deluxe a while back and someone put casters on it; oh the humanity Nothing adds value more than 16 holes in a vintage amp.

 

[hollowbody]

My Traynor YGL3 has casters and I wouldn't have it any other way. Although, I'm planning on building a custom enclosure for the combo soon, and when I do, I plan to put removable casters underneath it (like the Mesa ones) and recessed handles on the sides like a 4x12 has, just to make it easier to carry, and better to stack on top of another 2x12.

I could see a case being made for an all-original combo from way back losing value for having casters, but my Traynor is not all orig to begin with, so I couldn't care less about holes in the plywood as long as it sounds as it should.

I can't see any reason for knocking value off a cab for having casters. If anything, it should be seen as an upgrade if they are installed professionally, are properly balanced and work well.

 

[Milkman]

Casters have pros and cons in my opinion.

I don't really like them on tube amps simply because of the shaking and bumping many floors will deliver to the fragile guts of the amp. I'd rather use a trolley of some sort that insulates some of the shock from the amp.

Also on stage, casters can be a bit of a pain, especially if you want to raise the amp up to head level (where it belongs).

I have a number of heavy duty road cases on casters and it's a matter of piling a few heavy items (like amps without casters) on top and wheeling the works into the venue.

 

[KoskineN]

My Mesa Roadster combo came with casters(which are easily removable), and as mention earlier, my back love them too! I can carry the amp around even if it's really heavy(about 115 lbs. I think), but casters are quite welcome when I'm up the stairs to our rehearsal room! :smile:

 

[Ripper]

Most of my stuff has casters. When I install them I put in the removeable ones so I can pop them off and they will sit on top of things if the need arises.

 

[Lemmy Hangslong]

I like casters but they must be easily removed... there are time casters get in the way. If I have an amp that I don't want to alter i use a trolley.

Yeah wheels are cool even on amps.

 

[guitarman2]

I can't be bothered putting casters on amps or cabs. My Dr Z stangray doesn't have any but its a head and cab. The 2X12 open back with alnico blues is actually pretty light and doesn't require them. I have not yet decided on a second amp but it will most likely be a tube combo that may be heavy. If there isn't casters on it I most likely won't put them on.

 

[shoretyus]

I can see someone putting casters on an amp that weighs more than 60 lbs but on a 30 or 40 lb amp :confused-smiley-010 A friend of mine bought a 62 Deluxe a while back and someone put casters on it; oh the humanity Nothing adds value more than 16 holes in a vintage amp.

Snicker...Snicker. He must be a little on the ... small side. A deluxe na. I am a man of many wheels though.

Define casters!!! there are many differences between the cheap ones that frustrate you and wheels that keep on rolling rolling ...

If I win the 649 I would be using cases with the best wheels I could buy.