Putting your amp at a useful height

[-Asdfgh-]

Black tablecloths are cheap, light and easy to store, and work great. Other colors are available for more festive moments.

Crates can also carry and store stuff when not under the amp...

I have some nice, heavyweight red cloth (used to hide something else at a gig) somewhere, and some beige curtains that I will never use...

 

[Deepwoods]

My Rumble 115 and GK 212ii Neo cabs both have removable casters. I only ever use 1 of those cabs at a time. I remove the rear casters so the cab angles back. This gives some floor coupling effect as well which is a bit of a bonus.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

As for that part of the issue, I find my sound pretty quickly, then don't mess any more with the amp through the night, just the knobs on the bass if/when I need to.

I keeps it simple.

I'd rather adjust the amp to suit the venue/stage, and not tweak my bass as the effects are set to the bass as it is, hence having two main basses that are identical in case I ever need a backup. Different strokes, etc.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Can't you just make quick adjustments as it is? Like you've always done?

I could, but if there is a better way of doing it, I'd rather do that.

If it's really that much of a problem, put an eq pedal in your chain. Bend over all the way to the ground, and fumble with those tiny little knobs. Instead of turning around, bending over slightly, and turning standard size ones.

I mentioned this. I'd mount it so I wouldn't need to bend down .

 

[Passinwind]

If you are rocking a 2 4x10 or whatever, your amp is at a convenient height for adjustments. If you are just using a single 15" cabinet, it is at knee level.

• Firstly, my knees are not my primary hearing organ, not can I adjust the knobs on an amp with them.
• The first can be solved, if the cab is an on-stage monitor as its primary purpose, by tilting it back. Then the amp slides off, or you put the head on the floor on one end, making it even less accessible.
• I have a keyboard stand, but I don't fancy balancing a 25lb head on top of an X-stand closed enough to balance a head one. It's not stable.
• I could bring 2 x 15 and only use one, or turn them down, but that's large extra bits of gear. It does get the audible sound to closer to ear level, and works better than tilt back if the amp is also providing FOH sound as well as on-stage.
• I could balance the amp on something else - but what?
• I could just use an EQ pedal in the loop as for on-stage sound all I want to adjust is EQ, maybe, and overall level but nothing that goes to FOH. So I could somehow attach an EQ pedal to a stand (music stand - I have one somewhere, I think) or microphone stand.
• I could just go IEM and give up amps, at least for on-stage sound. I do have wired IEMs, but I am not sure if I am ready to try it. Plus wired is one more thing to trip over.

Do other people have solutions to this sort of issue?

Sure: (minimal) EQ adjustments done right on the bass, and don't play with anyone who makes it hard to hear yourself.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

don't play with anyone who makes it hard to hear yourself.

Don't play with myself is your advice .

Sometimes it's the venue that's the issue. That is probably one of the IEM times. I probably need to bite the bullet on the IEM. If we were using my mixer it has four monitor outputs, so that would be nice. And it's a remote one, so it can be on stage.

I am getting to an age that getting down and adjusting knobs is not a good look [fixed the autocorrect]. Next step is getting down, and then needing help from a younger band member to get up.

 

[Passinwind]

Don't play with myself is your advice .

Sometimes it's the venue that's the issue. That is probably one of the IEM times. I probably need to bite the bullet on the IEM. If we were using my mixer it has four monitor outputs, so that would be nice. And it's a remote one, so it can be on stage.

I am getting to an age that getting down and adjusting knobs is not a good luck. Next step is getting down, and then needing help from a younger band member to get up.

I hear you there. I don't and won't use pedals under almost any circumstances for that very reason. And I've been toying with the idea of doing remote amp control from my bass for a few years now, but since Ive retired from gigging it seems like a bit too much work to actually make that happen!

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I hear you there. I don't and won't use pedals under almost any circumstances for that very reason. And I've been toying with the idea of doing remote amp control from my bass for a few years now, but since Ive retired from gigging it seems like a bit too much work to actually make that happen!

I presume there will be control over Bluetooth from your phone at some point. TC Electronic could integrate that with TonePrint. As long as it's not mind control of the amp as my mind sometimes wanders...

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Don't play with myself is your advice .

Sometimes it's the venue that's the issue. That is probably one of the IEM times. I probably need to bite the bullet on the IEM. If we were using my mixer it has four monitor outputs, so that would be nice. And it's a remote one, so it can be on stage.

I am getting to an age that getting down and adjusting knobs is not a good look [fixed the autocorrect]. Next step is getting down, and then needing help from a younger band member to get up.

I am not as old as Arthur Brown, but neither am I seemingly as fit... And he has much younger band mates.

 

[Passinwind]

I presume there will be control over Bluetooth from your phone at some point. TC Electronic could integrate that with TonePrint. As long as it's not mind control of the amp as my mind sometimes wanders...

Heh, my phone stays in the van whenever I go out.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Bwawaahaha! The KOA campgrounds will be rockin' tonight!

Here's one of the KOAs I played at. Same one that Chris Squire did about a year earlier.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I could, but if there is a better way of doing it, I'd rather do that.



I mentioned this. I'd mount it so I wouldn't need to bend down .

Mount it to a belt clip?


Oh, I saw it. Mic or music stand.

I think a belt clip would be killer

 

[MrB64]

I have an amp stand that I use for my Fender Rumble 500 combo. It gets it up off the floor and tilts it toward my head. In the long ago I used ye olde plastic milk crates for the same purpose.

 

[mrjim123]

I find that the quality of what I can hear affects the playing experience. E.g., string tension feels different based on audio feedback. Now I know it doesn't really change, but there is a perceived change.

I've noticed this also. I think maybe it is due to how well you hearself, and I'm talking about volume as well as tone. I know that if I can't hear myself well I tend to pluck harder, which, for some, might give the perception of increased string tension.

 

[Michael Eisenman]

Before spending money on a device that hooks over the top front edge of the cabinet to keep your amp from sliding off, try hooking the amp’s front feet over the edge. One less piece of equipment and zero cost.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Mount it to a belt clip?


Oh, I saw it. Mic or music stand.

I think a belt clip would be killer

I would, but if in the effects loop of the amp (so the EQ is after pre-EQ amp DI) I am not sure I'd be able to move with 3 cables connecting me to the amp!

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Here's one of the KOAs I played at. Same one that Chris Squire did about a year earlier.

View attachment 4678512

View attachment 4678506

That looks like a pretty good solution.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I've noticed this also. I think maybe it is due to how well you hearself, and I'm talking about volume as well as tone. I know that if I can't hear myself well I tend to pluck harder, which, for some, might give the perception of increased string tension.

Yes to all of that.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Before spending money on a device that hooks over the top front edge of the cabinet to keep your amp from sliding off, try hooking the amp’s front feet over the edge. One less piece of equipment and zero cost.

I have rack mount amps in rack bags (handy for load in/out compared to rack cases), so no feet.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I have an amp stand that I use for my Fender Rumble 500 combo. It gets it up off the floor and tilts it toward my head. In the long ago I used ye olde plastic milk crates for the same purpose.

A taller tilt-back stand might be viable, plus the laptop thingummy or something similar that works with rack bags. What would be good is one that can fit between two cabs too, so one can be aimed at the audience, one at my head for times when my amp needs to reinforce FOH without too many different bass locations (e.g. one tilt back, one for FOH).

I note for those that might sometimes double with keyboard bass, the luggage stand type thing with an amp could also double as a keyboard stand, with the amp under the keyboard.

I used to have a dual-tier keyboard stand, and I angled in the upper extensions as that housed the synth along with the controller. However, I think I remember having to have a plank of wood, even then, to span the gap sufficiently for a 19 inch rack synth. I have have to go back to that. But if there's a synth there, then keyboard plus handy space for amp isn't going to work unless I go for a third tier. And a cape.