Where do you place your amp on stage?

Fred Glave · From: McHenry, Illinois, USA

When I put my amp right behind me it seems too loud and stands out in the mix too much. I like it about 4 to 6 feet away so I can hear it in the mix better and set my volume. How about you guys/gals?
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Clyde Mattocks · From: Kinston, North Carolina, USA

About 4 to 5 feet behind and off to one side, the left if space allows. I set it on a milk crate, although I like the sound on the floor if the band is not so loud that the definition gets lost.
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Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

I like mine set at almost a 45 degree angle from my right ear about 3 feet back. I usually sit it in a chair or what ever is available to get off floor. My left ear has lost most of the highs so right ear sounds better. Can't stand the sound of an amp on the floor unless it is really leaned back quite a bit.
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
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Michael Schuppe · From: Kent, Washington, USA

For me, what Henry just said to the "T".
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Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

My preference is 4-6 feet to my rear and more nearly parallel to left ear. Years ago, we used to tilt them upward at about a fifteen degree angle on a standard size chair or now, on a plastic crate.

Unable to get any sense of my playing via my right ear or when it's on the floor. I've determined my Peavey amps are quite DIRECTIONAL.........and if not properly placed, all sound can go right past me and I don't hear it properly.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

My preference is 4-6 feet to my rear and more nearly parallel to left ear. Years ago, we used to tilt them upward at about a fifteen degree angle on a standard size chair or now, on a plastic crate.

Unable to get any sense of my playing via my right ear or when it's on the floor. I've determined my Peavey amps are quite DIRECTIONAL.........and if not properly placed, all sound can go right past me and I don't hear it properly.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

well..when both ears were working, i usually found that about one foot out from my left shoulder and about two feet back was good, on the stage floor. angled slightly towards me, tilted back (not far enough to let it fall backwards, though). i've got a hard rubber wedge thing i throw under it.
i'd set it a little further back if i thought i needed to play louder.

and i'd try to get as faraway from loud band members as possible. this is usually the guitar player, but not always. sometimes it has been the bass player or the drummer. ...or the thrashing rythmn guitar played by the singer.

Bob Gibler · From: Kansas, USA

I place my Fender 100 WATT Twin behind me about 3 feet and to the left. It has such a great "CLEAR" sound when the tubes get warmed up. it gives The Wright quad life. I have tilted the amp back on the side stands but it sounded more treble to me. I like it better in the position I just described. Very Happy

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

I keep my Nashville 112 behind me onstage at steel guitar shows and when I play at church. At home, it stays beside me so I can turn it on, turn it off after playing, or adjust the steel's volume.

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

What Henry said. Hate an amp on the floor. Also, I try to put it on the side of me away from those damn drums. : )
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John Cadeau · From: Surrey,B.C. Canada

I put my Peavey Nashville 112 about 4 feet behind me, on a Peavey amp stand. Perfect height and angle.

Ray McCarthy · From: New Hampshire, USA

I built a light weight stand of wood that holds my Roland 80XL about a foot off the floor and angled back about 15 degrees. I usually place it 4-6 ft. back and a little to my right. My left ear is shot--it distorts loud sounds.

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

Four or five feet right and to the rear. The guitar picker always lets me know when I'm too loud.

He and I have played together for forty plus years so he never hesitates in calling me down. He says the steel is always too loud. I think he is becoming a curmudgeon.
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Craig Schwartz · From: McHenry IL

I use an amp stand, generally pointing it at the singers head or towards the center, and I sit just out of the directional path close enough to adjust everything on the fly.
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Roger Francis · From: kokomo,Indiana, USA

Ive prob tried everything mentioned so far at one time or another, ive been using 2 amps or speakers for many years and had to have a little more volume in my rt ear, i think my rt ear has lost something from sitting left of the guitar player for so many years fighting for volume, now im on the oppisite side of guitar and bass, i have the nash 112 to my left rear on the floor tilted back about 45 degree 3-4 ft and the cube in front of me as a monitor and have been in seventh heaven since, wish i had done this yrs ago
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Fred Glave · From: McHenry, Illinois, USA

That's something, I put my amp up on a plastic milk crate too. That seems to be a common preference...getting the amp up off the ground. I'm thinking of hooking up an small external speaker to my amp to use as a monitor so I can keep the volume in the mix right and still hear myself.
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Zum Encore, Zum Stage One, Fender 2000, Harlan Bros., Multi-Kord,

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

There is no right answer.

Depends on the answers to these (and other) questions:
Is your amp mic'ed?
One or two amps?
Other instruments / how much room on stage?
How do YOU like to hear yourself on stage?

My amp is usually in the PA, so I place one 3-4' beside me on my right, on either an amp stand or milk crate, pointed right at me. I like myself loud and can always hear myself plenty loud without messing with the stage volume. Out front, it's somebody else's game. I can't fret (no pun intended . . . ok, maybe a LITTLE pun) about what's coming out the fronts.

On a roomy stage I'll play through two amps, with one as described and the other facing the audience.

FWIW.
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Barry Blackwood · Posted 17 Jan 2014 9:47 am

Four or five feet right and to the rear. The guitar picker always lets me know when I'm too loud.

He and I have played together for forty plus years so he never hesitates in calling me down. He says the steel is always too loud. I think he is becoming a curmudgeon.

The thing to do is ignore him, Bill. When he finally realizes he's being ignored, (this could take years) he'll lose the attitude... Laughing

Willie Sims · From: PADUCAH, KY, USA

Have any of you fellows ever used the thing that you set your amplifier own that has a piece of four inch piece of foam rubber glued to a board that fits under your amplifier? I think musicians friend used to have them. They were around $20, when you're amplifier is setting on one, it changes the tone of the speaker Cabinet. By isolating the sound waves from the cabinet to the floor.

Some of the guys like thechange of the sound, some don't.
All you need to make one is a piece of four inch foam rubber and a board.
Willie Sims

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

willie..that probably works a little like the wedge i put under mine. it lifts the front edge a couple of inches and keeps the bass response off of the floor, making it a little clearer.

Keenan Friday · From: Magnolia, Arkansas, USA

I guess I'm weird but I find the perfect height to be the measurement from the floor to the bottom of my packaseat which is 9-10 inches I think. Don't like my amp on the floor. I like it up higher where I can hear it. But I don't like it in a chair where the sound is closer to my ear. Setting the amp on the steel case probably isn't the best thing, but that's the height I like my amp. Oh and I set it as far behind me on stage where I can hear it before the audience. It feels more comfortable
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Keenan Friday
Mullen Pre Royal D-10, Walker Stereo Steel, Hilton pedal, George L cables, Livesteel Strings, (White) Fred Kelly thumbpick, Dunlop .025 fingerpicks

Roual Ranes · From: Atlanta, Texas, USA

Anyone remember when amps were placed in front pointing back at you. No I will not tell you my age. Laughing

Roger Francis · From: kokomo,Indiana, USA

I have one set in front now facing me, great ambience
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Rittenberry SD10, 2 nashville 112s with telonics speaker, behringer EPQ450 power amp, 705 pups, Telonics FP-100, live steel strings, mogami cords, wet reverb

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

On stage, I sit to the far right. I place my amp to the left, behind me, about 5 feet away, on the floor, tilted up a little. When I use my Fender Steel King, I pop out the back two casters and it tilts the amp back perfectly. The speaker baffle on my Evans amp is already tilted back at a nice angle.

I don't like having my amp at the same level as my ear, for two reasons. First, I don't want to lose any more of my hearing than I've already lost. Second, with the amp down on the floor I can hear a better blend of my guitar along with the other instruments.
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Wayne Neal · From: Ohio, USA

Up on my road case back a couple of feet; between me and the drums Whoa!

I found out a long time ago if every one would get there amp up closer to their ears the stage volume will go down. Sitting amps on the floor will kill a drummer,steel man or any one who has to sit down there with them IMO.

We started doing this years ago and every place we play the bar tenders and owners like the fact that they dont have to tell us "turn down". Mr. Green

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