Amp stand

[alwaysharp]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Not sure what I'm gonna go with. Probably the chair or milk crate for now.

[JRguitar]

Good decision. Chair is where all the tone comes from.

[Tom Karol]

I use the AmpWedge with my Henriksen JazzAmp112, and it works very well. It does not work so well with amps that are not as deep or that have smaller rubber feet, as it makes them seem like they may want to tip over backwards. With my ZT Club (and previously with a Cube 60), I use an upside down milk crate which fits perfectly (see my avatar). And you get to choose from a variety of matching or contrasting colors!

[mangotango]

I use the AmpWedge with my Henriksen JazzAmp112, and it works very well. It does not work so well with amps that are not as deep or that have smaller rubber feet, as it makes them seem like they may want to tip over backwards. With my ZT Club (and previously with a Cube 60), I use an upside down milk crate which fits perfectly (see my avatar). And you get to choose from a variety of matching or contrasting colors!

Tom, you're so right - I went to a rehearsal studio last week and using my Henriksen Jazzamp 110, I was struggling to stop it sounding so brassy. As I ŵmessed around with the EQ, the bass player brought over a milk crate that someone had left there, presumably for this very purpose. Put the amp up, cut back the reverb a tad and the sound was perfect.

Now I need to find one to take to gigs....

[Spook410]

It's for an acoustic guitar, but it works well with my 110 Redstone speaker cabinet as well. As long as the amp is small'ish and has a closed back, should work. Cheap, looks nicer than most and it's also a good archtop guitar stand. Folds up for transport.

Amazon.com: Stageline GS550A Wooden Guitar Stand: Musical Instruments

[Tom Karol]

Well, I did figure out how to use the AmpWedge with my JazzAmp 110 as well (don't have a Cube or a Club any more) - I just put a couple of small rubber door-stoppers under the back edge. It's pretty stable that way.

[Greentone]

I buy inexpensive (comparatively speaking) road cases for all of my amps...even the small ones (e.g., Fender Champ). When I gig, I always take the amp in a case. On stage, I put the amp on top of the road case. It's a neat fit. If the amp is a big amp (e.g., Twin Reverb), I just leave the amp on the roll bottom of the road case and store the top somewhere offstage until the show's over. A case keeps your amp looking fresh and new, too.

Considering that an amp colors the sound as much as a guitar does, why don't more guys consider them instruments, too, and put 'em in cases? If folks cased all those old Fender amps from the 40s-60s, they'd look one heck of a lot better than they do.

[KEOKI]

Walmart sells folding foot stools, some kind of plastic, that fold flat when not in use. Very convenient and serves the purpose. Oh, did I mention CHEAP.

[Valdez]

Look here!
Atlas Stands - The finest amp stands on Earth!

[farlow]

Will the Standback work with a Polytone Minibrute?

[avalynx]

Curious if people have a recommendation for the angle at which an amp should tilt back on a stand...

I have seen relatively little serious discussion on this topic, and if anything, it sounded to me like it was somewhat arbitrary: varying with the player's gear, personal preference, sound level, stage vs. home use. Since most amp stands seem to come with a fixed angle, does it mean there's an optimal angle and is that why the makers don't bother making them adjustable?

I absolutely love the way Atlas Stands* look but I also enjoy working with wood and figured I'd give it a try to build one myself.
(*are they all fixed angle?)

[KirkP]

Here's how I think of it - but I'm always learning...

The purpose of an amp stand isn't just to aim the speaker toward your ears to hear yourself. It's also a method to change the coupling between the speaker and the room (especially the floor). Open back vs. closed back cabinets interact much differently with the room, so what works for one might not for the other. Every room is different, so if I were to use an amp stand I'd want something with a lot of adjustability.

When I have enough space on the bandstand, I usually like to have the amp located a good distance behind me (maybe 6 feet), on the floor, tilted slightly back but not at my head.

I don't use an amp stand often, but I'll sometimes use a StandBack. It weighs almost nothing and takes little space in the gear bag. However, it tilts the amp farther back than I usually want.

STANDBACK

[2bornot2bop]

The AER stand is low budget, but it does allow for easy and multiple angle adjustments.

[mr quick]

I use one of those Fender stands which was only like 30 bucks. It puts the amp pretty high off of the ground and at quite an angle compared to the AER above me. It's not adjustable but I'm satisfied with how it projects the sound "around" the room. I've never tried it in a bigger room, though.

[Jehu]

Here is one I made. It has about a 15 degree tilt, which seems to work well. I wouldn't go much tiltier that that.

[avalynx]

Nice stand, Jehu! What wood is that?
I'm considering something similar but with some way of adjusting the tilt (at least 2-3 positions), and perhaps making a folding model so I can bring it around more easily.

Thanks everyone for the thoughts so far!
Good points about the characteristics of the room - and given that most of us don't play in the same space all the time, it seems that adjustable systems are a better investment.

I'm realizing that maybe my question about the tilt angle is simplistic since amps are placed at different heights to begin with (which would obviously influence the desirable tilt..), not to mention the amps vary so much).

A more basic survey question: do most of you not use amp stands except when performing? (and if so, why not?)

[nopedals]

I used to use a plastic milk crate. Also used it to haul cables and other junk between the venue and the car. I have also used a nanoverb under the front edge when the amp is on the floor. Don't use anything at home (but might try something to get the controls on my Bud within reach).

[Jehu]

Nice stand, Jehu! What wood is that?

Thanks, avalynx -- nothing fancy, just pine and amber shellac.

[Woody Sound]

I bought the Standback and really liked it at first. (I think I even posted about it here.) But the cheap strap ripped off the sponge block after only about a dozen uses. And with a very light-weight Quilter MP. Now it's useless.

Standback : Good concept idea, but very disappointing materials, poorly made, not durable at all.

[GNAPPI]

I have my Super Twin atop an On Stage brand stand. Getting that monster up there I almost crapped my pants and it hasn't moved since then.

They are SUPER STRONG stands.

[Tom Karol]

Ampwedge

I use it with my JazzAmp112 without anything else; the amp is deep enough so that it doesn't want to tip over backwards. With the JazzAmp110, I just stick a couple of rubber door stoppers behind it as well so that it remains stable fore and aft.

[2bornot2bop]

Ampwedge

I use it with my JazzAmp112 without anything else; the amp is deep enough so that it doesn't want to tip over backwards. With the JazzAmp110, I just stick a couple of rubber door stoppers behind it as well so that it remains stable fore and aft.

Their ad copy rates the Ampwedge good up to 150lbs. Is it a solid rubber construction or hollow? What's it weigh? Nice that a pair of them used in tandem can "potentially be used to stack a pair of components in tandem, if one had a need to do so.

[Tom Karol]

It seems to be rubber with some amount of internal channeling.
On my bathroom scale, it registers between 2.5 and 3 pounds.

[marcwhy]

Frisell is high-tech these days: he uses a teddy bear:

(first shot of it at about 1:50 when they're coming on stage! Great concert, BTW)

[Elamberth]

I use a flat stand. Works great, beautiful finish. Does not wobble. Holds 300 lbs. STURDY. Reclaimed wood, $40 off of etsy.

Custom sizes/ finishes available. Larger ones may cost somewhat more.

Not my jazz rig per se, but the idea comes across:





Sorry - these files always upload sideways for me! Must be doing something wrong.