Wedge or angled amps

viz

Are there any actual good 1x12 guitar amps where the speaker is angled upwards a bit? Even in a square box, but with the baffle plate situated diagonally inside the box, if you know what I mean?

Doulin

Do magnatones have angled baffles or is it just the grill cloth?

stickyfiddle

My old Rivera Clubster has a slightly angled-up speaker, but we're talking ~5 degrees, not 45. 

I'd guess anything with a significant tilt would be rare as the cabinet would need to get a fair bit bigger

relic245

I know it's not what you asked but have you considered a stand? 

I've used one of these for a couple of years and wouldn't want to be without it now.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B002GOHDEO

viz

Thanks guys - yeah I have considered one but I don’t really want it. I might have to make a slightly taller combo body and angle the baffle. Or repurpose a wedge monitor. 

ICBM

The only amps I know of with properly angled baffles are things like the 80s Boxer amp and maybe some Ohm models… but they’re probably not what you would consider “good”.

skay

Fit some tilt-back legs like on some bigger Fender amps?

Lebarque

I used to be obsessive about tilting my amp back using a stand, tilt-back legs or a simple door wedge. 

Then I realised that pointing the beam straight at my head is not a good idea. Ringing ears, overly trebly tone compared to what the audience is hearing etc. 

By all means get the amp off the floor slightly if it's a little bassy etc. But don't bother with tilting IMO. 

barnstorm

Mambo does good and angled – but a 10in speaker rather than a 12in.

Littlejonny

Funnily enough this is the factor that has finally encouraged me to DI into the PA - the directional nature of amps means it can sound good from one position, but not from another. Going through the PA allows me to hear myself through monitors exactly as the audience hears it.

viz

Littlejonny said:

Funnily enough this is the factor that has finally encouraged me to DI into the PA - the directional nature of amps means it can sound good from one position, but not from another. Going through the PA allows me to hear myself through monitors exactly as the audience hears it.

thanks everyone - LJ how does that compare to micing the amp and hearing it through the PA as well as direct from the amp? 

My normal setup is a 1x2 behind me (mic'd) and also a lead to a 2nd speaker in a passive wedge in front of me so I can hear my noise. 

I've had a lot of success with an amp head into a passive wedge, mic'd, but I'm looking for a 1-box solution

viz

barnstorm said:

Mambo does good and angled – but a 10in speaker rather than a 12in.

is that a valve amp?

barnstorm

viz said:

barnstorm said:

Mambo does good and angled – but a 10in speaker rather than a 12in.

is that a valve amp?

No, it's not – another point in its favour 

viz

Haha, naughty

ecc83

Viz, if you are beginning to need the treble of the amp pointed at you, chances are you are in first stage deafness. HF loss. This might just be bad luck, mine was. I had lost 20dB at 2kHz at about 50yo and "off a cliff" from there. "Bad luck" for me because I was always careful to avoid prolonged exposure to loud music. Mind you there was a genetic component in both sides of the family. 

If indeed you are going mutton it would be folly to keep increasing the HF level you experience (and get tested!) It might be time to look at IEMs? 

A good, but not 'professional' check is if everything is quieter than normal during the drive home...called a "Temporary Threshold Shift" then it stops being temporary!

Dave.

gatheredinsong

I was going to suggest, as an alternative, trying something like the Deeflex reflectors. Some people here praised them in a previous thread on this kind of topic.

Full disclosure: I looked on Ebay this morning to see if there was a used one available, and there was, but I ordered it for myself because it was the cheapest I've seen. Sorry.

viz

ecc83 said:

Viz, if you are beginning to need the treble of the amp pointed at you, chances are you are in first stage deafness. HF loss. This might just be bad luck, mine was. I had lost 20dB at 2kHz at about 50yo and "off a cliff" from there. "Bad luck" for me because I was always careful to avoid prolonged exposure to loud music. Mind you there was a genetic component in both sides of the family. 

If indeed you are going mutton it would be folly to keep increasing the HF level you experience (and get tested!) It might be time to look at IEMs? 

A good, but not 'professional' check is if everything is quieter than normal during the drive home...called a "Temporary Threshold Shift" then it stops being temporary!

Dave.

Cheers - yep that can definitely be a thing. I’m actually 100% deaf in one ear and have frequent audiologist checks on the other, which is still holding up - so far …. 

This is more as the 1x12 is sitting right next to my legs at rehearsal pointing at all the metalworkers. (I’m in a brass swing band). They can all hear me but I can’t. I can only hear the noise of their plumbing. 

AntonHunter

Oh man, I know that feeling of competing with brass players! My approach has ended up at pointing my amp at my ears on a small foldable stand, but make sure I take some time out in front on a long lead every now and again to check brightness. 

JohnS37

Littlejonny said:

Funnily enough this is the factor that has finally encouraged me to DI into the PA - the directional nature of amps means it can sound good from one position, but not from another. Going through the PA allows me to hear myself through monitors exactly as the audience hears it.

People rarely use this kind of setup, but it can work really well.
Our band plays small local gigs, village halls etc, and the best sound we get is when we put everyone through a mixing desk on individual channels.  We use the Left channels for all the mics (all mic channel strips panned full left) and all the instruments panned right.  Then the left and right mix outs go to separate channels on the PA.  That way we can get to a really reliable mix - best sound we ever had.

ICBM

I can't actually find any valve wedge amps - there's possibly a reason for this, as ventilation would be an issue for most possible designs, at least if the controls were going to be in a sensible place - although they could be on a separate sub-chassis mounted away from the main one.

Your best bets are probably going to be a solid-state one - Peavey did a wedge version of the Special, which at 160W should be audible over the brass section!) or a wedge cabinet with a separate head.

maharg101

gatheredinsong said:

I was going to suggest, as an alternative, trying something like the Deeflex reflectors. Some people here praised them in a previous thread on this kind of topic.

Full disclosure: I looked on Ebay this morning to see if there was a used one available, and there was, but I ordered it for myself because it was the cheapest I've seen. Sorry.

Mitchell donuts are cheaper, less visually intrusive, and better imho.