amp stands pros/cons?

[sfletch]

Hi;

I've heard from time to time that amps stands rob some bottom end....I've never used one, so don't know. I know that I like to get my 1x12 combo up higher so it's not blasting my ankles at gigs. My favorite place to put is is on top of our power amp rack case (which raises it about 10" and since it weighs about 70 lbs., has good coupling with a solid surface)

Any experience with amp stands and their effects on tone? Anyone tried the Auralex Gramma? (not a stand, I know, but an interesting concept) I have the MoPads in my home studio, and think they de-coupled my monitors nicely from my mixing desk and my mixes have been more accurate in the low end and lower mids since I started using them....wondering if that is a good thing with a guitar amp....or if you'd lose thump...

Thanks!

 

[scott1568]

Try the "enhancer"-addresses your needs. I think they are being sold on ebay now. I tried one out a few years ago. It made an open back sound much fuller and aimed the amp upwards.

 

[GAT]

Grammas clean up the bottom end. I use them live, seems to help, but they are still low and not pointed up at you.

 

[bosstone]

Putting a couple of rubber door stops under the front of the amp will give you a good range of angles, including beyond what a slanted speaker cab has. They are cheap and can be stowed in the back of a combo or in your gig bag. Hook them together with a nylon string and they won't get lost as easily.

 

[FloridaSam]

Putting a couple of rubber door stops under the front of the amp will give you a good range of angles, including beyond what a slanted speaker cab has. They are cheap and can be stowed in the back of a combo or in your gig bag. Hook them together with a nylon string and they won't get lost as easily.

That is the tip of the day! Thanks! :AOK

 

[studiodunn]

I've used one with a closed back 2x12 and my 2x12 combo. They definitely help get you in earshot of the speakers, but really kill the bass response of the sound. This was especially negative with the open back combo. On the stand the combo struggled to be heard in the mix of rehearsal. On the floor it was much better, although it wasn't as articulate to my ears the rest of the band said it sounded much fuller and louder.
I am a rhythm player so single note definition isn't my priority.

 

[lakesider]

off the floor the amp looses bass and it also gets into the vocal mics messing with the monitors and the house sound.

I like the amp on the floor.

 

[supergenius365]

Amp stands, to me, are bad. Lots of lost tone.

Gramma is good. Does tighten up bass.

My favorite, for a combo, is tilted back up against a wall. I always get a good sound going that way.

 

[sfletch]

cool! Good tips from everyone. Thanks a lot.

I thought that a couple of cinder blocks, a piece of plywood, and a gramma would make a great combination: Raise the amp closer to ear level, decouple it from the floor, but still have a heavy stable surface....but then I thought....why would I add a pair of cinder blocks to the gear I already have to schlep to gigs? Then I realized I was an idiot.

 

[Lt_Core]

I stopped using amp stands. Totally lost the bottom-end while using one. Our band is all in-ears now so I don't have to face the amp towards me and angle it. I love it!

 

[Ginglymus]

The Standback is a good alternative. It keeps the amp on the floor, it's cheap, and is portable enough to stow in the back of a combo. The amp may seem a tad unstable but I've never had one tip over.

 

[Brien]

Amp stands are great if the band needs you to keep your stage volume down, or if it's a tight stage and you need to stand right in front of your amp. You're able to hear yourself a lot better. I personally would rather not use one because I don't really like the sound of the speaker pointing at my head, but I use one fairly regularly with a particular band where my amp is always miked up.

 

[jackaroo]

My old Pro Reverb has tilt legs built right in- I think it's great.

I play a 335 and use the neck PU a lot. With the amp full to the ground it can get a little muddy. Tilted back it's much better/clearer. Less of those subs works for me- I don't want to be all too present down there in the bass register- I find it tends to get confusing with a bassist.

I think that in a live setting it's great too, because I can keep the amp lower in volume and pointed at me, rather than the audience- So the soundman has less to battle with onstage, and everyone can hear themselves. It also is a plus in that I don't need to put guitar in the vocal wedges up front- so it's lot's of voice coming at me.

If I was just playing guitar, and was in a more rock or metal scene I guess I'd want those lows back, but I'd be playing the bridge PU a lot more too. I guess it's just a matter of taste, genre and finding your place/space within the ensemble.

In general though I feel most guitarists try to be everywhere at once with their sounds all to often- that is to say, they want lots of highs, full, deep bass and plenty of mids. The problem is, it's sounds good on your own, but in a mix you kind of need to pick where you're going to live or you get lost/muddy up other players sounds. So I play in the Mids mostly, with some sparkle up top. That way the bass is clear and my tone is rarely fizzy/sizzle- sometimes it's sharp and biting but in a good way. I think the amp stand/legs does a lot of this for you so- kind of a natural roll off... So, contrary to what I've read here- I vote "Yes" on the amp stand.

cheers,

Jack

 

[bigbang]

Stands do suck tone. But if you can tolerate the sound onstage, you can still get a good sound at the mic (assuming you are mic'ing the cab).

 

[frank62]

The Smith Sound Enhancer.

 

[somedude]

I stuff a couple of rubber hockey pucks under the front of my cab. Doesn't totally decouple the cab, and it gets it pointed up at me a little better without totally blasting my head off.

 

[fr8_trane]

With bass shy amps like my Deluxe Reverb, I think the best compromise is tilting the amp back using low-tech like door stops (these worry me because they can slip right?) or the standback.

However with full bass combos I wouldn't hesistate to put the amp on a crate or stand. Stands do not SUCK tone - the floor/amp coupling exaggerates bass. Guitars should not be stepping on the bass as it just creates mud.

 

[petromalt]

I just moved into a new house where amp stands are critical. In my old house I was always complaining about lack of bass, not here. Any speaker cabinet, stereo included is super boomy in my new place. So I guess it's all relative to the room.