Couldn’t really think of a more appropriate section for this.... For those who use combos, how many here use amp stands? I have a 40 watt combo and started out with the amp on the floor, when someone recommended grabbing a stand. I’ve used it for a few months now but I’m not quite sure how I feel about it. I understand the reasoning Benin’s using one (pointing the sound more towards your head and dispersing the sound through the room a bit easier). Just curious who else uses them, or if you don’t use one, why?
I get what you’re saying but for now my “real” 40 watt tube combo is all I can afford. A 100 watt head doesn’t make much sense for me to have in the little room I play in.
That’s what I’ve seen. It sounds a lot more trebly off the floor, and generally not good. I’ve had it on the stand for 5-6 months, but I’m in the process of taking it down and redoing everything to try on the floor again.
Sure it does. It's looking forward. If you pursue music you will need a bigger amp eventually so get it done and enjoy the headroom.
I’m liking what I’m hearing being back on the floor so far. This is also a pretty small room I’m in, so not sure how much a stand would matter...
Any speaker should be at ear height. With studio/HiFi speakers the tweeter is the one that should be in ear height. The lower a speaker is, the more you will raise the volume to hear it. We are listening with our ears, not our legs. I don't have a combo but I would raise it even if I'd lose some low frequences. I have a half stack and the cab is raised.
That’s what I initially thought... but recently it just didn’t sound right to me. Almost muddy sounding despite Eq tweaking.
What do you have the DSL40? Consider getting an extension cab the same size as the amp preferably a closed back, not only will it look cool it will raise your amp off the floor while maintaining your lows, and no more bending over to get to your knobs for adjustments, you'll have a fuller sound. I think stands kill your sound, I had an AC15 combo I used to put on a milk crate for easy reach of the knobs, it sounded better on the floor. Also built a custom 1x12 cab with a collapsible stand built into it, it never sounded as good as the cab being on the floor.
@pedecamp has it right. I have used a Marshall 1912 1x12 cab under my combos for years. This is the best of both worlds, the sound just gets richer with more speakers. My 1912 is matched to a VS65R at the moment and I am saving for a larger 1x12 for my DSL40CR (bit precarious with the smallish 1912). You may get a good deal on a second hand 1x12 cab, and from there you can start to experiment with different replacement speaker combinations.
I only use them for small 15 watt or solid state combos, because you need to work on positioning the amp just right, tilt and all, to hear yourself adequately on a gig. When its a bigger tube amp it's the floor or i might use a chair or something similar that they have on the gig. The sound changes of course, the less contact the amp has with something the less bass you'll have.
The amp has to be coupled to the floor to get the best tone, maybe a tilt back stand would be better?
might seem ..well a stack freak..BUT...the tilt back legs on my fender's radically changed things recently...the sound is where i need it ..not over at my neighbors house....the floor level is way down at practice ..in a contained room...what a dif ..my stacks are parked..might dump em...for more Supers
Yeah, it does sound a LOT better down here. It’s a DSL401, Jcm2k. I’d like to get some kind of cab for it, be it a 1x12 or a 2x12. I rearranged it all last night and moved it permanently to the floor... big difference.
I have the DSL40C and used an amp stand for a while but felt it lacked bottom end. Eventually I put it on top of a 1x12 closed back and now I have a speaker that's higher up and one on the floor for the bottom end, plus the controls are much easier to see/use.
