Prop up / tilt back an amp

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tikka308

New member
I've seen people using some type of peg to tilt back their amp. My goal is to prop up my amp about 6" off the floor and tilt it back about 30 degrees (Fender Hot Rod Deluxe). I realize this screams DIY, but I'm limited on materials & tools...

Anyone know of a product that would do the trick?
 
About 20 years back I used to manufacture amp stands, similar to the Vox one shown but collapseable, I eventually got sick of carrying the extra gear on gigs and stopped using it. I didn't make a huge amount out of them and a customer went belly up and I was one of his creditors so I gave up. They are just more gear to lug. Borrow a chair at the gig.
 
A handy 6 inch riser when playing at a bar is to set your amp on a case of beer, put another box (upside down) on top of the beer to prevent your amp from sliding or ratteling the beer too much. Empty kegs (the stainless steel ones) work great for setting PA cabs on too, they even look kinda cool. If you have hauled gear around as much as I have, you learn to use certain things which will already be at the gig rather than hauling around any extra stuff.
 
Dani Pace said:
Empty kegs (the stainless steel ones) work great for setting PA cabs on too, they even look kinda cool. If you have hauled gear around as much as I have, you learn to use certain things which will already be at the gig rather than hauling around any extra stuff.
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There is no way that I would balance a 70 pound PA cabinet on top of a keg. As soon as you start playing music through it the vibrations would cause it to come crashing down to the floor. Unless you are talking about an acoustic gig where you only use around 500 watts into each cabinet.
 
I think folks are talking about for gigging... but in a recording situation getting the amp off the floor might reduce some vibration or maybe attenutation of low end due to the floor absorbing some of the speaker's energy... also it might make it easier for the guitarist to hear himself as it does in gigging situations...
 
mithra6 said:
Ok maybe I'm newbie, but what is the benefit of tilting the amp up for recording?
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Most people don't have ears on their ankles so the benefit is pretty obvious.
 
I bought a 4' piece of 1.5" x 1/8" aluminum from Home depot and made some nice legs for my amp. all I had to do was add a new screw and a few washers to each side, and it worked real nice. Took maybe an hour with a hacksaw, a file and a drill, and some random spare bolts, nuts, and washers I have laying around. I'll try to remember to take a picture tonite. I think it's every bit as good as the fender brand legs, and was much cheaper, and cooler.
 
tikka308 said:
I've seen people using some type of peg to tilt back their amp. My goal is to prop up my amp about 6" off the floor and tilt it back about 30 degrees (Fender Hot Rod Deluxe). I realize this screams DIY, but I'm limited on materials & tools...

Anyone know of a product that would do the trick?
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I got a folding stand from Guitar Center for about $30 that works really well. Its height is adjustable and the leanback is about 10 degrees. I use it to lift my bass combo amp about 2 feet off the stage. It will hold about 100 lbs and folds up pretty small.

EDIT: It's this one
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Guitar/Amps?sku=450811

A friend of mine has one of the Ultimate stands that's pretty cool, too. It doesn't raise as much but leans back more, and the bar that sticks up behind the amp is threaded at the top, so you can screw on a mini boom (or gooseneck) and mic clip.
 
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If it's a completely sealed cab, then you can tilt it back on a bean bag in a pinch..... but if you shop around there are little stands made just for what you are talking about, some 6 inches off the floor, some are 12 inches, some go as high as 24 or more.....
 
mithra6 said:
Ok maybe I'm newbie, but what is the benefit of tilting the amp up for recording?
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Getting the amp up off the floor (onto a chair, etc) will decrease reflections coming from the floor which muddy up the bass a lot. You will get a much clearer recording putting the amp up on something.
 
Will the wedge (link below) get it off the ground enough for recording or should I really get it up (12" +)?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/General/Accessories/Stands?sku=425900

I'm only using it for recording, so I was planning on putting it on the wedge and having it sit underneath a table that I have some misc. stuff on (mixer, monitor, etc)... If it would be better to have it ~12+" off the floor, then I'll swap that table with another one and use a chair / amp stand in lieu of the "wedge"...
 
Treeline said:
Put it on a piece of plywood sitting on a milk crate and use the prop ups.
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For anything smaller than a Twin, you can cut wedges out of two sides, and you will get height and angle out of the crate. No plywood needed. I do this with my amp and monitor wedges.
 
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