Truck Bed Liner for Amp - any suggestions?

[Dave Pierce]

Hi All,

 

I know newer amps are shipping with "truck bed liner" finish. I'd like to re-cover my Motion-Sound KBR-M this way. I love my KBR-M, it's perfect for my needs, but it looks like crap. It shipped with a paint finish, which chipped horribly in the first couple of years. I re-covered it with carpet 3-4 years ago, and I did a pretty poor job. Now the carpet is peeling off. It looks really bad.

 

So, have any of you done this? Should I try to do it myself? Or find a company that does trucks and see if they can do it? Or find an amp repair company? Not really sure where to start here, would love to hear input from you guys...

 

Thanks!

 

--Dave

 

[mate stubb]

Doesn't the process require specialized equipment? Seems like it would.

[Michelle ggurl]

Hmm, yeah, this might fall under the category of a process called "flocking." Maybe research that, see if something comes up?

[Bill H.]

You can get spray cans of the stuff but it doesn't look good, nor does it wear well. I've tried it.

 

You can get it in cans, and roll it on. That looks better but it's still not right.

 

You can have it done commercially. There are auto paint shops that also do this. Just like auto paint it's supposed to be applied in layers and baked on.

 

If you really want to go through this, your surface must be thoroughly sanded down and completely smooth. Any imperfections are magnified by the truck bed liner when it's applied.

 

It's actually much easier to carpet, which covers a multitude of sins. All you really need is a metal rule, a good Xacto knife with a handle, contact cement, and black backless indoor outdoor carpet - all which I pick up at Home Depot if I'm going to re-carpet a cabinet. There's really very little skill involved.

[Stormfront]

I had it done to my old Barbetta, still holding up good but was not a diy project. I took the box with the speakers, amp and handle removed to LineX. They sprayed it for about $50. I am about 90% happy with the job. It's a little rough in some spots bet overall looks 400% better than the chipped paint. Apparently this is a relatively common practice for pa bins etc. Ask around your area for references.

 

Now that I re-read your post I see that it's a Motion Sound item. Give them a call and see if they can do it for you. I love their sprayed finish on my KM-12

 

Hope that helps,

Pete

 

[mate stubb]

My Speakeasy Roadboxes have this finish and it is truly the toughest finish I've ever had on a cab.

[mynameisdanno]

My 122 was done up in Line-x before I bought it. I'm pretty sure the guy I bought it from just removed all the components, and took the cabinet to the local LineX shop with careful instructions on which parts to mask. They did a pretty good job. He said before he took the cabinet in, it was in horrible shape, with all kinds of unwanted squeaks and rattles. He serviced the motors while they were doing the LineX and it's quiet enough to record with now.

 

I've gigged it pretty hard with no cover for about five years now, and it still looks like the day I bought it.

 

http://slorg.org/kc/IMG_1146.jpg

 

[Outkaster]

Nice rig by the way.

 

 

 

[Dave Pierce]

Thanks for all the input everyone. There's a LineX dealer in town (two of them, actually) so I'll see what they have to say.

 

--Dave

[DanL]

I made an amp rack for my bass player and used the roll on finish, it came out fine and has held up well. He's not throwing the rack around either, it goes from his house to his truck to the gig and back. I used a quart on a 6 space rack, applied several coats letting each dry completely before doing the next one.

[Rocket Man 2]

I have had about a dozen or so cabinets sprayed with Line-X. It wears pretty well, an looks nice over time. One problem is weight. It added 50% to 100% more weight!

 

Chopped fiberglass sprayed on is another option. Fiberglass is not as hard a finish as Line-X, so the finish will show wear more so than Line-X.

 

A third option is to use epoxy paint on your cabinet.(You can roller it on with a roller used for non-smooth surfaces.) It wears well for abrasive wear, but dents will impact the wood, etc. Since the epoxy is simply rollered-on like paint, the thickness is quite thin, and thus quite light!!

 

Epoxy paint was about $100 for two gallons (part A and part B) about 5 years ago. Fiberglassing or bed-linering (Line-X) should be about the same cost, and depends on how large the cabinet is, and how much "prep" must be taken for each cabinet.

 

If you are not going to "road" your equipment, day-in, day-out, consider the epoxy paint. Although it is not able to take a "direct hit" without showing a dent, it is durable, MUCH LIGHTER, and two gallons will cover about 12 4 ft. x 2 ft. x 30" cabinets.

[Dave Pierce]

If you are not going to "road" your equipment, day-in, day-out, consider the epoxy paint. Although it is not able to take a "direct hit" without showing a dent, it is durable, MUCH LIGHTER, and two gallons will cover about 12 4 ft. x 2 ft. x 30" cabinets.

 

Well, I'm a weekend warrior playing 50-75 gigs a year, plus rehearsals once or twice a month. I generally handle my own gear, but still -- my stuff definitely gets beat up.

 

--Dave