How do you carry your Orange head

[Hubaxe]

Hi,

This question is oriented gigging/working musicians (others can answer too )
It's been a long time I haven't bought a brand new head, and I have my TH100 for a little 3 weeks, but it already had to travel in the van and move from place to place.
Everytime I carry it I say "I should have something to protect it".

Are you rather going for a big heavy flight case, or the cover?

So far I'd be more on the flight case despite the carrying hassle. Because the flight case protect from hits and also from ice cold shock when you leave a rehearsal and do not have 20 minutes to wait for the valves to cool.

Any experience?

[a.hun]

I'm not a touring musician, and for gigs I always carry my own heads. I've always been happy with a decent cover for them. I've gigged my old Orange head on plenty of cold Scottish winter nights and it has been fine.

Valves are more delicate when hot and a flight case won't change that. In fact immediately putting a hot amp in a flight case will only keep them warmer longer. But leaving the amp to cool for 10 minutes before handling should be sufficient either way.

On rough handling, I often think that flight cases can give a false sense of security. People seem to think that heavy and hard boxes aren't delicate. But the amp inside still is and won't like it if you drop the case or hit it hard against other objects. (Which very likely will happen eventually if other people are shifting your gear in flight cases.) Drop a big amp with heavy transformers more than just a couple of inches and you risk the transformers bending the amp chassis, with or without a flight case.

A good cover is pretty good protection against light 'dunts' and dirt. It protects the tolex from scrapes, and the amps own wooden head box is very tough itself. For touring flight cases make a lot of sense, but if you are doing your own loading I personally think a sturdy cover is fine. The extra weight of a decent flight case has always been enough to put me off considering I shift my own amps.


Andy.

[ESBlonde]

If you can always carry it yourself and gently place it in your own car, then a dust cover is just about good enough. If other people are involved and vans in particular, then a flight case is essential. You will retain more value in the amp and if you buy a used case the chances are you'll get your money back when you sell that on too. There is no sense in having good gear that gets bashed on the road and becomes unreliable.

There are plenty of makers for cases and a healthy used case market.

[baytamusic]

I gig often and do some light touring from time to time. I just use the cover that came with the amp and it still looks brand new. I don't feel the need for a flight case. If I was doing month long tours often I guess I might consider one.

[JF3]

I've been considering a hard case for my AD30 head, the added purpose to use live as a "stand" under my 2x12 and head - getting them up off the floor. Of course it would protect the head while taking up no extra room in the car. I suppose I could make something myself...

[Hubaxe]

Thanks for all your feedback. Some very interesting points!
As I've enough room in the van, I think I gonna go for a flightcase with the base that stays under the head.
To make it on budget I gonna choose the DIY way, using true flightcase hardware.
The cover would probably be ok, but as someone states in the thread, sometimes it's related to someone else.
On venues with several bands, the backline is handled by stage guys.
It's probably not a bad idea the have the head on the flightcase base, and just put the case on to have it save. Better than having the head put backstage as is.

If it's too much to handle, I'll go for a cover then.

[bclaire]

I have both a soft cover and road case - I use one over the other depending on what kind of gig it is - if I'm moving my own gear then it's soft cover, someone else moving it then road case...

[Thinline_slim]

I have both a soft cover and road case - I use one over the other depending on what kind of gig it is - if I'm moving my own gear then it's soft cover, someone else moving it then road case...

Same here. I've carted my own stuff for a number of years but I recently joined up with a group that has a big pickup and trailer. I can't put my OR50 or AD30 in the back of the trailer with only a dust cover.

[woodddj]

I was fortunate enough to purchase two amps that come with their own travel bag. It's all I need for what little shows I do. "maybe 2 a year" if I'm lucky.

[everdrone]

if it rains, I put a tarp over it

otherwise no cover, I just carry it as is. but I use a rocknroller dolly if possible since it is 45 pounds

[nlimbaugh]

The rock star cases we bought ended up being more hassle than they were worth... they disappeared quickly. My bass player's Eden amp was constantly overheating in the case it was supposed to play in. I'm the only one who still has one (giant drum case) because no one will take mine. I say they're a space waster and not necessary unless you're flying with an amp. Even then, I think a lot of people opt to walk on the plane with their amp as a carry on... if that's still allowed. Oh yeah, we kept all our gear (guitars and all) in a trailer whether it was 105 or -5 degrees. Maybe we got lucky, but the only thing that ever broke were leaf springs on the trailer. Well, I guess the Marshall cabs got trashed cosmetically, but hell, he's still using the same ones after 20 years. I suppose I'll get a flight case for my OR if I have to fly.

[fiveightandten]

I have both a soft cover and road case - I use one over the other depending on what kind of gig it is - if I'm moving my own gear then it's soft cover, someone else moving it then road case...

This. I'm with Billy.

If you're going the DIY route, FYI, i've had very good luck with the following method over the years.
-Measure each side of the amp and cut a cardboard panel to match it. Use some nice thick cardboard from a good quality box or something similar. Leave cutouts for handles.
-Get a roll of duct tape, I like black. But any color will do.
-Put the cardboard panels together accordingly and wrap the whole thing together with a layer of duct tape.
-You now have a pretty robust slip cover for a few dollars.

I have expensive padded slip covers for most of my amps. They're nice and all. But truth be told, for my old '71 Orange head, I still use the duct tape and cardboard slip cover when it's not in a flight case. The flight case weighs like 25 lbs. So it turns the 50 lb Orange head into a 75 lb package that's a few inches larger in each dimension. I don't use it unless we're on a tour and I know the amp is going to be getting bumped around a lot or in a trailer.

I also have a flight case for my Vox AC-30. It turns that amp into a 120 lb behemoth and makes bringing it up a flight of stairs into a 2 man job.

I can recommend those D2F covers you see all over eBay. I have a D2F cover for my Hiwatt head and my Orange AD30. They're very nice. I have a Tuki cover for the Vox AC-30. The Tuki is slightly thicker than the D2F covers. Tuki is nice, as it has a velcro strap that goes under the cover to keep it on. The D2F covers don't have this. Padding is a little thinner on the D2F, where as the Tuki padding is thicker, but also compresses a little easier. They're both great options if you plan on keeping the amp around and don't mind spending a little money. But truth be told, the cardboard and duct tape DIY cover does darn near the same thing for the cost of a roll of tape and about 20 minutes of your time.

Regardless, you need *something* to go over an amp. Tolex is cheap stuff. It scuffs and tears quite easily. And let's be honest, we're all using the amp to push doors open when carrying them, and things like that. It makes life much easier to have something covering it so you don't have to worry about it. I also like the amp to be incognito when it's sitting off to the side of the stage and I may or may not be around to watch after it. A black slip cover or black duct tape cover do that job as well.

-Nick

[everdrone]

great post above. my 212ppc is starting to feel it... I may buy some covers for my tv50 too from humbuckermusic

[Dark Helmet]

I hand-carry my TV50 any/everywhere.... it rides shotgun with me!

the AD30.... eh, its so beat I'd never notice, but I do have a big road case for it when it needs to go longer distances.


the key with moving orange amps/cabs is advil, LOTS AND LOTS OF ADVIL....

[Hubaxe]

Finally here is my DIY work.
I've gone through the solution to buy all hardware, and build my amp head flightcase. It cost me 60 euros, and I'm more than happy of the result. I used the original amp box foam.

After the gig, I just put on the upper part of the case on, and ready to go!

A picture is better than long talking: