been in search for this head case:

[bryan_kilco]

Ok, maybe someone here can help me.

I want pretty much this case: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ATA-Kent-Cu...532?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4abe533afc

except to fit the Mark IV short/compact head instead of the Mark V (which are all wide-body, if I'm not mistaken).

I, for the life of me, cannot find anyone with this type of case.

I want the live-in style where the front and rear panels pop off, NOT the lift-lid style.

Why so difficult?

EDIT: Just visited this Kent Cases website and I can custom order what I need there. Was sort of hoping to find something slightly cheaper. Got tossed the idea of building my own, but I don't have the time or patience for that....

 

[aortizjr]

Any case builder will build you a custom one. They aren't too hard with the right tools and if you know what you are doing.

$250-ish range is about what I would expect to pay and more for thicker/better wood, abs outer laminate, and heavier duty/recessed hardware.

On the cheap there are places like NY case Company and island cases (same company) but they do build to a price point and can customize corners to cut at your price point haha.

Personally I wouldn't cheap out too much since case hardware is all riveted and a bitch to repair. I have had good luck with cheaper cases for like my PA gear which only gets used about once every couple months and I am careful. But for touring or even regular local shows like my guitar rig, invest in a good case. Buy once, cry once.

 

[bryan_kilco]

Ok, before I seal the deal on this, does anyone own a type of case like this that can vouch for it?

I've seen/used the ones where the top or bottom lift off but never the front/back. Just worried that there may be some floppage going on, but I'm probably just worried for no reason.

The head should fit in pretty damn tight, correct?

 

[Jormyn]

The road case that my 6505 212 lives in has just enough space for the amp, with the feet sunk into the foam on the bottom - to get it in and out, I have to wiggle it an inch or so at a time. As long as your case is a similarly tight fit, the only way your head will fall out is if you tip the whole thing over with the cover off and give it a shake.

 

[newamerikangospel]

If the case is made for your amp, by a good builder that does good work, then it will fit snugly. The foam should sag a little bit since it's designed to absorb impact/shock. And you should not go "cheap" with a head case. $250 to protect an $1800 amp is a good deal.

 

[Lozek]

Used to have my Diezel in one, i would literally have to tip the case on it's end and let gravity take over to remove it. My personal experience was that it made the amp very cumbersome to move and pretty much turned it into a two man lift at all times, that may not be the case if the Mark IV is smaller and lighter.

 

[aortizjr]

Yeah I never really liked having a case like this. It seems like a great idea but in practice it made the amp way to heavy to deal with on my own. So needing a second man meant slower set-up and tear down. Then also dealing with the case lids was more cumbersome than a whole case oddly enough. It also tore the hell out of the top of my cab.

Personally I prefer a trunk style where I just pull the whole head out and then put the case back in the van or stack it with the rest of the gear. Sometimes you can even repurpose a case from like Oxygen bottles or something.

 

[bryan_kilco]

Thanks for the input guys.

I thought about going slip-cover for the amp but I'm leaning towards a hard case like this. Have a slip cover for my cab, works great, but for my head I think I want something more protective. I have the compact version of the Mark IV, so it's sort of small, but still feels like a bag of bricks. I reckon I wouldnt have much of a problem lugging it around though in a case like this, plus I'd feel MUCH safer about letting other people handle it or load it in the van with the rest of the gear instead of having to find a nice safe spot where nothing will bang into it.

 

[newamerikangospel]

The best part of these are, your settings arent going to get "rubbed" away through handling/moving the amp