Any solution for a big amp on a little cab?

phishaholik · #1 11-12-2012, 11:23 AM

Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaat guy in a little coat. Faaaaaaaaaaaat guy in a little coat.

I can't help myself, that's what this problem reminds me of.

Here's my dilemma, I was running my SVT CL with a Bergantino NV610 for a while and loved the tone. Unfortunately, I live in a tiny house full of kids and trying to use this as a practice amp was beyond overkill. I was about to bring the setup and put it into storage when I saw a TBer looking to trade an AE 212 for an NV610, so I traded on a whim.

I've been planning on selling off a lot of gear and run a Jules Monique preamp and a micro head as a power amp, but shockingly my SVT sounds FANTASTIC through the AE 212. I mean it sounds leaps and bounds better than the NV610 with my Fodera; the SVT always sounded fantastic with my Fender P but overly compressed and dark with my EMG equipped Fodera.

Since I would have to sell the SVT plus a bunch of other stuff to afford the Monique and power amp, I'm actually debating keeping the SVT and run it with the AE 212.

Long story short, too late, any ideas to make this combo work together physically?

The head weighs close to 100lbs, but the cab only weighs 55. It's not only silly to run an amp that weighs twice as much as the cab, but I thought I would ask around here for some input. I really fear how top heavy this combo would be. The amp would fit if I moved the feet, only 3 inches on either side would hang over, but I feel if someone brushed it whilst walking past or god forbid my kids got a hold of it, it would just tip over.

I'm probably going to just sell everything and get the Monique, but I thought I would ask,

Thanks for any and all help,

Michael

**CL400Peavey** · #2 11-12-2012, 11:32 AM

I used to run my 35 pound 15/6 with my 100 pound Classic 400. Set the amp on the floor, cab on top.

dukeisdog · #3 11-12-2012, 11:33 AM

Pics of the stack set up so we can see how bad the hang off is?

LiquidMidnight · #4 11-12-2012, 11:42 AM

I also second putting the head on the floor if you have the room and bending over isn't a problem.

The one Achille's Heel of the AE series is the finish on them. Not only is it fragile, but it has a "slickness" to it that makes certain heads and racks slide a little too easily on it, IMHO. I have some AE410s. I used to play a gig that had a stage about four feet off the ground with an open backstage area both to the sides and back. Whenever I'd use my racked 400+, I'd always set it on the floor of the stage. I didn't want to chance bumping the head a little too hard and, due to how heads can slide on the cab, have it take a dive off the stage.

Now my Carvin B2000, which is in a rack bag, is perfectly stable, since the bag grips the cab very well.

Passinwind · #5 11-12-2012, 11:55 AM

I've sometimes used an amp stand that brackets my little Thunderchild cab, but generally I just use the amp stand next to my cab. I'm only putting rack cases weighing 20-40 pounds on the stand though, FWIW.

4-stringB · #6 11-12-2012, 11:55 AM

As one of the above posters mentioned, amp sliding can be an issue. So, I built my amphead/rack wider than the cab on purpose, so that the amp feet meet the sides of the cab. I don't care if it doesn't look like a standard configuration. But truthfully, the cab(2 fEARful 15Subs) is pretty narrow, so anything other than a mini amp is going to exceed the width of the cab anyway...

agreatheight · #7 11-12-2012, 12:08 PM

Will running the cab horizontal rather than vertical help you in any way?

Bassmec · #8 11-12-2012, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agreatheight

Will running the cab horizontal rather than vertical help you in any way?

Running the cab horizontally will loose a bit of intelligibility off axis.
But there is no absolute reason not to.
Especially if the bass players choice is for not too much mid. which is why he may prefer the tone of the twelve inch driver. not that of course it would be in any way socially acceptable to describe a tone or frequency response as cone size related, here or for that matter in mixed company

, but hey I just did, so I'm a heretic!.

Anyhoo! How's the development going on these 18" cone super tweeters then chaps

PS Physics and its relationships with mass and inertia are sometimes hard to totally poo poo! even with the best most fundamentalist ill informed dogma available at the time.

PPS To the original thread poster, you had better go carefully with a pair of twelves on a healthy SVT, be on fart patrol at all times or you will loose the cones.

phishaholik · #9 11-12-2012, 01:26 PM

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the advice!!

I don't have any pics right now. I'm pretty sure the SVT won't sit on the cabinet right unless I move the feet, which I don't want to do if I sell it.

I was thinking about running the head under the cab, but won't I lose a decent amount of low end since the cab won't be coupling with the floor? I also think that the SVT isn't as deep as the cabinet, so it wouldn't be able to sit cleanly on the amp.

I could lay it on it's side, but then I would have my speakers firing at my shins and I think that I'll have trouble hearing myself.

At home right now, I have the SVT sitting on a desk next to the cab, but that isn't really feasible at a gig and really defeats the purpose of downsizing my cab.

I think I'm going to end up selling the SVT, even though I really don't want to. I wish I could keep it until I get another big cab, but I don't really need to keep it.

I think I'll head over to the Monique thread and hear what users have to say about it versus a real all tube amp.

Thanks again guys!!

Michael

Bass Mayhem · #10 11-12-2012, 01:36 PM

Since you are using the setup at home, is it possible to put the cab on top of the amp, just for safe stacking? It will look silly, but there are lots of silly looking rigs around that sound fantastic...

Caca de Kick · #11 11-12-2012, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phishaholik

but won't I lose a decent amount of low end since the cab won't be coupling with the floor?

Didn't you say you were using this for home practice? How much lowend is needed for that...especially with a house full of kids?

Have you tried a Micro SVT head? I picked up a used one for home practice, and for the headphone jack for 'after-hours' practice when the kids are asleep. That little head sounds really good.

phishaholik · #12 11-12-2012, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bass Mayhem

Since you are using the setup at home, is it possible to put the cab on top of the amp, just for safe stacking? It will look silly, but there are lots of silly looking rigs around that sound fantastic...

I'm pretty sure that the amp isn't as deep as the cab, so the cab wouldn't sit completely on the amp and be unstable. I'll have to check again when I get home. I do worry that if the kids, especially my 15 month old daughter, got a hold of it she could mess some stuff up, but that's definitely better than a 100 pound amp falling on her.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caca de Kick

Didn't you say you were using this for home practice? How much lowend is needed for that...especially with a house full of kids?

Have you tried a Micro SVT head? I picked up a used one for home practice, and for the headphone jack for 'after-hours' practice when the kids are asleep. That little head sounds really good.

This will also be my main amp for gigging as well. When all is said and done, I will have one main amp going through the Bergantino and I have my TC BG250 for back up and jam sessions.

I did look into those and thought about buying one, but my BG takes care of that need for me. I was going to just put my SVT/NV610 in storage and use the BG, but I ended up with the AE 212 and the foot print is the same size as the BG.

Thanks!

Michael