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Easy tiltback mod

Sundogue

Sundogue

Apr 26, 2001
8,795
481
65
Wausau, WI
#1
Lately my band has been playing a lot of weddings and other gigs where we have to keep our volume down, but in so doing I couldn't really hear myself very well. I've been putting my cabs on a case, but it's a pain (especially when someone realizes they need something out of it after I'm all set up).

So, I made my rig very easy to tiltback. I simply added some longer rubber feet to the bottom (along the front) of my top cab, and another set to the top (along the front) of my bottom cab. I put my top 115 on the bottom 115 making sure the rubber feet of the top cab rest on the rubber feet I added to the top of the bottom cab. Voila, instant tiltback, cheap, easy and quick.

I also added some rubber feet to the bottom of my rack along the back end to tilt it level (and added a simple cleat to the top of my top cab so my amp won't vibrate off.

Nothing that will change the world, but an easy mod to tiltback my top cab. Night and day difference for hearing my bass at a low volume gig where I can't turn up, and I don't have yet another piece to haul around to prop it up.

Oh yeah, and the guys who need to dig in the case can do it now without inconveniencing me. ;)

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#3
Stumbo said:
Clean, easy fix.
Nice job.

What's the "cleat" look like?
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It's just a scrap piece of 1/2" X 13" construction plastic (same thing I built my custom rack out of) screwed into the cab so the amp rack can't move backwards.

Anything that the feet of the rack can rest against so it can't move backwards will work. It might not even move without it during a gig, but since it's pumping out bass frequencies, I'd rather not take a chance of having it fall.
 
#7
Fetusyolk said:
it doesnt scare you that it's going to fall over at all?
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It doesn't have any more chance of falling over than it did before the mod.

It is all balanced and the weight is evenly distributed. I've even pushed and pulled it and tried to tip it over and it is very steady.

My amp is a little Superfly which is loaded in the front of my custom rack (which is not nearly as long as it looks in this distorted pic...heck it's not even twice as long as my Zoom B2 pedal next to it, so the weight in my rack is more to the front)...

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#11
so I guess my question is, if you are trying to keep the volume down, why are you bringing two cabs to the gig? I mean couldn't you do a low volume gig with a single cab?..and secondly, how tall are you?...You must be pretty tall if you are using two cabs stacked up and still can't hear yourself?

I've been taking a 2x10 cab to low volume giugs, and placing it vertically on the floor, and can hear it just fine...Maybe the problems not you, but the volume of the other band members...

Oh and BTW...I see from your profile we share the same birthday...just a couple of years apart.
 
#12
fishtx said:
so I guess my question is, if you are trying to keep the volume down, why are you bringing two cabs to the gig? I mean couldn't you do a low volume gig with a single cab?..and secondly, how tall are you?...You must be pretty tall if you are using two cabs stacked up and still can't hear yourself?

I've been taking a 2x10 cab to low volume giugs, and placing it vertically on the floor, and can hear it just fine...Maybe the problems not you, but the volume of the other band members...

Oh and BTW...I see from your profile we share the same birthday...just a couple of years apart.
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A single cab needs to be up on something anyway, and since my cabs only weigh 27 lbs. each (one with wheels), why not use that instead of one of the band cases (that eventually need to be opened for something later, which inconveniences me).

Secondly, I do not know which gigs will be this way (low volume) until we are setting up or are set up (especially weddings...some we play pretty loud at).

I'm just under six foot. But even at that, my two cabs stacked up are only 40" high. I don't have ears on my elbows.

And it isn't only just volume, but missing frequencies. For instance, this last wedding we played, the volume seemed sufficient overall, yet even with EQ'ing I just could not hear my notes with any definition. This solves it for me.

Oh...and happy birthday! (early...in case I forget. :D).
 
#13
Sundogue said:
Secondly, I do not know which gigs will be this way (low volume) until we are setting up or are set up (especially weddings...some we play pretty loud at).

I'm just under six foot. But even at that, my two cabs stacked up are only 40" high. I don't have ears on my elbows.

And it isn't only just volume, but missing frequencies. For instance, this last wedding we played, the volume seemed sufficient overall, yet even with EQ'ing I just could not hear my notes with any definition. This solves it for me.

Oh...and happy birthday! (early...in case I forget. :D).
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Good point, it's often hard to hear definition with one cab blasting at your ankles. I also like to bring one more than I think I'll need. Much easier to turn down a little than to give her all she's got and realize it's not quite enough.
 
#14
Hi,

I use a Hartke kick back 10 for nearly everything. It's small (contains one 10"), It tilts backwards some 45 degrees so I just have it sitting there on the floor while having the full spectrum of sound directed straight to me. Did I mention the easy but very efficient tone control yet?
Invalid Link Removed have a look.
Anyway: this thing does it for me most of the times. Sometimes I miss this little extra but hey, the advantages are obvious for me.
 
#16
That would work if only one cab was plugged in, but wouldn't using both cabs with one angled like that cause phase cancellation on certain frequencies of the sound wave?

Makes no difference with guitar cabs because of the shorter frequency waves, but the longer waves of bass frequencies I would think this would cause phase cancellation.
 
#17
Eric Moesle said:
That would work if only one cab was plugged in, but wouldn't using both cabs with one angled like that cause phase cancellation on certain frequencies of the sound wave?

Makes no difference with guitar cabs because of the shorter frequency waves, but the longer waves of bass frequencies I would think this would cause phase cancellation.
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Well, the cabs are angled apart from one another, not towards. Plus we have PA support and I'm never that far from my cabs for it to really be an issue.

Regardless of what the science may say...it kicks ass for me and my rig (at all the frequencies I require) is louder than I can stand at it's loudest, and loud enough to hear them when quiet.
 

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