Amp stand for LSC - Good idea or not?

[FunkyMonkey]

I've just become a Mesa owner (and valve amp owner) for the first time and am wondering about an age old problem that I've had playing gigs.

Basically on smaller stages (in pubs etc) I often find myself stood over the amp and cannot hear it. I used to put my solid state combo on top of my plastic GSK 4U rack case, but the LSC is just going to be too heavy for this. Should I invest in an angled amp stand or do these mess with the sound too much?

Someone did suggest to me that just having the amp far enough off the wall allows the sound to bounce around more and give better on stage sound, but I'm not convinced that will work, even though the combo is obviously open-backed.

Any thoughts and opinions greatly received....

D

 

[Joel]

I use one for my LSC and it helps me hear it so much better. I think it's worth it. Guitar amps, as you're aware, are very directional. For some amps, like my Marshall on the gain channel, I would rather not be in the direct line of fire, but for an amp like either of the Lone Stars, point the cone right at your eardrum and enjoy!

 

[drunkdolphin]

Hey,
I use a Gramma from Auralex, never used a stand though.
S

 

[FunkyMonkey]

I use one for my LSC and it helps me hear it so much better. I think it's worth it. Guitar amps, as you're aware, are very directional. For some amps, like my Marshall on the gain channel, I would rather not be in the direct line of fire, but for an amp like either of the Lone Stars, point the cone right at your eardrum and enjoy!

I guess my main worry was whether suddenly having the amp pointed at 45 degs (or there abouts) was going to mean that the audience were missing something. Or do valve amps tend to just fill a room anyway?

D

 

[Maury]

Chances are, when the amp is angled up like that you're even more likely for it to bleed into the vocal mikes onstage ... so I doubt the audience would hear any less of it. Just my .02

 

[Barry]

I use one for my LSC and it helps me hear it so much better. I think it's worth it. Guitar amps, as you're aware, are very directional. For some amps, like my Marshall on the gain channel, I would rather not be in the direct line of fire, but for an amp like either of the Lone Stars, point the cone right at your eardrum and enjoy!

I guess my main worry was whether suddenly having the amp pointed at 45 degs (or there abouts) was going to mean that the audience were missing something. Or do valve amps tend to just fill a room anyway?

D

Why dont you mic it if thats an issue ?

 

[FunkyMonkey]

[/quote]

Why dont you mic it if thats an issue ?[/quote]

I do mike amps sometimes. The concern is more around those very small stages where at 6'2" I am stood right over. On a stage like that you usually don't have room for monitors. If it you turn it up so you can hear it "in the clouds" then you are probably defening the audience in small venues.

I don't think there is a perfect solution.. I just really wanted to get views on having the amp angled and how that might effect the sound out front.

Thanks all!

 

[ol4t]

I don't gig that much, but I have gigged with a LSS on a stand. The one I got from GC doesn't come close to 45 degrees angling, or maybe it's because I don't use that angle (there are two angles). It seems to me to give a much better representation to your ears of what the mic is hearing.

 

[Mountain Fever]

Some time ago I went to using an amp stand. All four of my amps are combo style and getting them up off the floor is a win-win proposition.

I think dialing in the sound you want is easier when the amp is pointed toawards your ears. Further, it is easier to make adjustments on the fly, and lastly in the case of my Genz-Benz Shen 200 (where some moron thought white letters on an aluminum face would be a good idea) it can drastically improve your ability to see/read the knobs which may have small print or poorly placed print.

I cannot think of one downside to doing this. I guess the angle would be determined by whether you are mic'd or not and need to reach the audience or just monitor for yourself.

My $.02

 

[Bikedude]

My LSC always sounds better when its up off the floor. I always mic to FOH. You can hear it better, and it doesn't blow away everyone else on stage. My .02.

 

[FunkyMonkey]

Thanks guys appreciate the .04c

 

[gsouth]

What about if the amp is a LSC head + 2x12....can someone give me an idea of whether this set up can be put on an amp stand ? and can someone recommend a specific brand of amp stand that has a low center of gravity (so the amp won't get knocked over) and an a specific brand of amp stand that can handle the weight of the LSC ?

 

[Bikedude]

If you have a 2X12 cab, just put it up vertically, and your head on top. This way at least one of your speakers should be up high enough for you to hear better. I used to do that with my old Bassman piggyback 2X12. Mobetta!

 

[Bikedude]

BTW, the amp stand that I use, I got from GC, and it doesn't tilt the amp back, and it will defenitly hold a 2X12 cab, and head. That combination can't weigh too much more than an LSC combo at around 75-80lbs.

 

[Billy Hiwatt]

The Lonestar head and 2x12 cab is rather heavy. I just put them on top
of two black plastic milk crates. Now it is up off the floor, and the knobs
are within easy reach. Sounds better too. I couldn't find an amp stand
that could handle that much weight. It is a good solution.

 

[jenks10]

I have a Lone Star Classic head and use a Mesa 1X12 cab to gig with, all the time. For years I used a stand with the Auralex isolation pads between the head and cab. It didn't work very well, as far as isolation for the front row but me still being able to hear my amp (I added some PVC pipe on the upper stand brackets to hold a 2X12 and head).

What we do now is, use a Gramma from Auralex for the cab to sit on. I still use the isolation pads, but I built the plexiglass front shields (3, 12X24 pieces with hinges to put in front of the amp). This works REALLY well!!! You can actually turn up your amp without blasting the audience and the sound waves seem to pop straight up and you can hear yourself. We also mic the cabinets. We have never gotten more positive comments about our sound, and the club owners don't ask us to turn down anymore.

 

[FunkyMonkey]

That is a simple and great idea! I haven't been able to find out how much my amp actually weighs - its not on the website or in my manual, which is a pain. Any stands that I have looked at, I can't actually make a call on whether it is going to crushed under the weight!

D