How to stabilize a light head on a thundering cab?

[Al Kraft]

Yep. If anything it's more like a teaspoon of one of those giant Oktoberfest steins.

On the other hand, there are some cabs that aren't as sophisticated in how they were engineered that may eat up a bit more energy in flexing their panels. FWIW I expect there are some larger and heavier cabs that may not be as well designed as some of the small light models which also manifest inefficiency in terms of losing useful acoustic energy simply flexing panels as well.

 

[chris_b]

Is it really? HALF?. . . . .

Maybe it isn't half. The point is still that some of the players tone and volume is being wasted when it doesn't need to be.

 

[coyote1]

I took a forstner bit and cut 4 cup holes into the top of my TL606 cabinet, about 3/16" deep for the rubber amplifier feet to sit in.

This is what I was going to suggest. I’ve always been a fan of more ‘permanent’ solutions to these type issues. I would go one step further, and locate ‘cups’ that can be inserted and glued into the holes. That way it looks for all the world as if it were professionally custom made. Keeps up the potential future resale value... and keeps the holes from deteriorating over time.

 

[byacey]

This is what I was going to suggest. I’ve always been a fan of more ‘permanent’ solutions to these type issues. I would go one step further, and locate ‘cups’ that can be inserted and glued into the holes. That way it looks for all the world as if it were professionally custom made. Keeps up the potential future resale value... and keeps the holes from deteriorating over time.

I wasn't too worried about how my cabinet looked; it already had about about 25 years of accumulated stage and road rash.

I had an incident where someone on stage bumped into my cab and almost knocked the amp off the top, so I took steps to ensure that didn't happen again.

 

[rtslinger]

So I've got a light TC Electronic atop a Fender 4x10 and at volume the head dances all over the place.
Anyone have a great solution for stabilizing a head atop a thundering cab?

I used a rubber computer mouse pad it worked great when my TC was walking off my cabinet

and no pix never happen well here is a video of my amp trying to dance off my cabinet during a live performance


and my quick fix at the time

 

[spantini]

This stuff is super grippy and non-skid (not adhesive backed). I use it under all my studio gear that sits on top of anything. Got my roll at Walmart but any home supply store should have the same or similar.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/EasyLine...0-Ft-Shelf-Liner-Black/16486832?selected=true

 

[JohnnyBottom]

THIS...cuttable, cheap, comes in different sizes, does the job.
tom tom sound off pad....
Evans SoundOff Tom Mute - 14"

 

[Yellow Bang66]

So I've got a light TC Electronic atop a Fender 4x10 and at volume the head dances all over the place.
Anyone have a great solution for stabilizing a head atop a thundering cab?

I had the same problem! I bought a 3 ft Bungee band From Home depot, Flat belt not round cord. attached the hooks unto the cabs handles, I used an old mouse pad between worked great & cheap too!

 

[azureblue]

if it's making the head dance think about what it is doing to the innards of the head. I bought a roll of drawer liner from Lowe's, and glued 4 layers together to make a pad.
Invalid Link Removed

 

[Nephilymbass]

So I've got a light TC Electronic atop a Fender 4x10 and at volume the head dances all over the place.
Anyone have a great solution for stabilizing a head atop a thundering cab?

I ran into this issue using my Mesa D-800 on top of my ampeg full stack. A soft padded computer mouse pad often does the trick for this.

flat

Or they make them like this with a little bit of extra padding if it’s really bad or if you maybe want the amp to be slightly tilted up

You can find them super cheap on amazon

 

[Joeynone]

2 strips of dual lock. BAM! Profit!

 

[coyote1]

I wasn't too worried about how my cabinet looked; it already had about about 25 years of accumulated stage and road rash.

I had an incident where someone on stage bumped into my cab and almost knocked the amp off the top, so I took steps to ensure that didn't happen again.

I had a sorta similar incident, back in one of my first bands. We played a yard party, and our stage was a basketball/tennis court on the person’s property. The stage was next to the basketball pole.

The bass player got a bit drunk (we were age 15, in the late 1970s. Not unheard of back then). Well, more than a bit really. He suddenly, as we were playing Skynyrd’s Simple Man, started wobbling around.... he hit his head on the basketball pole, and knocked himself out cold.

At least he didn’t damage any of our equipment.

 

[zenrad]

THIS...cuttable, cheep, comes in different sizes, does the job.
tom tom sound off pad....
Evans SoundOff Tom Mute - 14"

This ^

 

[Peteyboy]

The bass player got a bit drunk

Wait: are you speaking in the 3rd person?

 

[coyote1]

Wait: are you speaking in the 3rd person?

No, I started band life as a drummer. Hard to walk into basketball poles when you’re sitting behind a maple Ludwig kit with a creaky Speed King bass drum pedal.

 

[Peteyboy]

None of the rubber pad suggestions will keep you from yanking that amp off the cab by the lead. What does it weigh? 4 lbs?

I also wouldn't sweat the vibrations to the circuitry if you tie it down to the cab if there's rubber feet involved. TC Electronic DOES make a combo afterall.

 

[mikecd1]

I'm going with the velcro crowd on this one though there are some imaginative and some very good solutions here!

 

[coyote1]

None of the rubber pad suggestions will keep you from yanking that amp off the cab by the lead. What does it weigh? 4 lbs?.

Why is this invoking images in my mind of miniature Stonehenge replicas being trod upon by dwarves?

A player being able to accidentally yank his bass amp off its speaker stack by the instrument cord?
It just seems so..... wrong.

Now I know for certain: I will never replace my Hartke HA3500 head with any of these newfangled 14-ounce amps.

 

[bbh]

Any soft rubber mat will do. It doesn’t need to be solid.

 

[KeithPas]

I put a small black towel on my cabinet and put the head on the towel