Gear Hive Studio Racks Frequently Asked Questions
What does Gear Hive make?
Gear Hive makes handcrafted studio furniture, including studio racks, recording desks, rack accessories, speaker stands, media consoles, and vinyl storage furniture for home studios, professional studios, producers, engineers, musicians, and audiophiles.
Who are Gear Hive products made for?
Gear Hive products are made for music producers, audio engineers, mixing engineers, mastering engineers, musicians, home studio owners, professional recording studios, vinyl collectors, and anyone who wants functional furniture with timeless studio style.
Are Gear Hive studio racks made from real wood?
Yes. Gear Hive offers solid wood studio racks as well as premium birch plywood designs with real birch edge banding, depending on the collection. Products are finished with premium stains and low-VOC waterborne clear coat.
Are Gear Hive racks compatible with standard studio equipment?
Gear Hive studio racks are designed for standard 19-inch rackmount audio gear, making them suitable for preamps, compressors, equalizers, interfaces, converters, patch bays, effects units, and other rackmount studio equipment.
Where are your products made?
Everything is built by hand in our shop in Lodi, California. The wood comes from Murphy Hardwoods in the Pacific Northwest — sustainably sourced, family-owned, and selected by our team for grain and character. The clear coat is made by Gemini Industries, an employee-owned company in Oklahoma and Texas. We're a small team. Every piece that leaves our shop has been touched by human hands from raw material to finished product.
Why choose a wood studio rack instead of a metal rack?
Wood studio racks offer the same practical purpose of housing rackmount gear while adding warmth, style, and furniture-quality design to a studio. They are ideal for creative spaces where appearance matters as much as organization and workflow.
Do you do custom work?
Yes — custom sizing, custom configurations, and custom finishes are all possible. We've built racks for unusual spaces, desks to match existing furniture, and one-off pieces that aren't on the site. Send us a message with what you're thinking and we'll tell you what's possible and what it would cost. No obligation.
What’s the turnaround time for orders?
Most orders ship within 1–2 weeks from the day you order. Everything except Sale Items, rack screws, and thumb screws is made to order — which means we build yours specifically for you after you place it. Custom work, sale period orders, and personalized engraving may take a little longer. If you want a heads-up on timing before you order, just send us a message — we respond quickly.
What’s your return policy?
We stand behind everything we build. If something isn't right, contact us and we'll make it right — that's our first priority before returns come into the picture.
If you do need to return an item: returns are accepted within a reasonable time frame. You'll cover return shipping, and the item should be insured for its full purchase value. Returns are inspected on receipt and refunds processed within 7–10 days. Custom and personalized orders are non-returnable.
Return address: 710 S Beckman Rd, STE C, Lodi, CA 95240
Questions? Message us before shipping anything back — we may be able to resolve it faster another way.
Go here for the full Refund Policy
What if my order arrives damaged?
It's rare, but it happens. If your order arrives damaged, contact us within 72 hours with photos of the damage and the packaging. We'll send replacement parts or arrange a resolution quickly — we don't make customers fight for this. Just let us know.
Can I pick up my order from your shop?
Yes — local pickups are welcome at our shop in Lodi, California. Contact us to coordinate a pickup time. You can also request to have your order assembled by us before picking it up, which a lot of local customers appreciate.
Do you guys have assembly instructions?
Yes — assembly guides are on each product page and collected here: Assembly Guides. Assembly is simple: all products go together one way, and the only tool you need is a Phillips screwdriver. Most customers have their product assembled in under 20 minutes. Classic Collection racks arrive fully assembled (other than optional hairpin legs). If you run into anything, message us — we're happy to walk you through it.
Can you put rails with square holes on my order?
Yes — square hole rack rails are available on any order. Just note it in the 'Additional Notes' field at checkout, or message us before ordering. Standard rails are Penn Elcom 1/8" alloy steel with round holes; square hole rails are the same quality and are available at no extra charge.
What's the weight capacity?
All Gear Hive racks support at least 300+ lbs of equipment. This applies across the Classic Collection, Signature Series, and Traditional Racks. We've never had a rack fail under normal studio use.
Can I order a custom stain or color?
Our standard menu of 15 stains covers most preferences. If you have a specific color/brand in mind that isn't on our menu, send us a message and we'll let you know what's possible. We’ve done this sort of thing plenty of times. Custom stain matching is available on a case-by-case basis.
What size rack do I need for my equipment?
We actually wrote a blog to answer that specific question. Here’s the link: https://gearhivestudioracks.com/blog/what-size-studio-rack-do-i-need
Do you ship internationally?
Yes — we ship worldwide. International shipping rates are calculated at checkout. Lead times are the same (1–2 weeks to build), with additional transit time depending on your location. All international orders are fully insured. Contact us if you have questions about shipping to a specific country.