where do you place your amp on stage?

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

At my house, my amp is beside the pac-a-seat so I can turn the steel on. When I play at a steel guitar show or at my church my amp is usually behind me or to my left

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

The one thing I can't stand is having the amp on the floor with the sound going under me. I can't hear the real tone, or volume, coming from the amp. I have 2 ways of setting my amp up. I have an amp stand if I want the amp close to me at ear level. I also have a tilt back stand that I attach to the amp and can sit it on the floor, but tilt it back at different angles as needed. That's usually what I use on large gigs with a large stage and a sound man mic'ing our amps, and have the amp close to me, even off to the side of me at times. Again, I don't like hearing myself coming straight at me from a monitor. I want to hear MY amp. In these situations, stage volume is usually pretty low, enough to hear the mains, maybe someone else's monitor, or other amps.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 54 years and still counting.

Larry Bressington · From: Nebraska

No amp...No problems.
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A.K.A Chappy.

Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

My speaker cab is a repurposed monitor wedge loaded with a BW. I mic it & keep it on the floor pointed up at me, sometimes right in front of me, sometimes to my right side. I usually try to position it so it's facing toward me & the drummer cuz he's usually asking for a bit more of my signal (I switch between lead guitar & steel guitar) It also depends on the stage & what space is available. Sometimes the cab has to be behind me, but I don't prefer it there - I've noticed my ears do not face behind me.

Steve English · From: Baja, Arizona

I set my amps so that I'm in the "sweet spot" between the two. I prefer hearing my effects in stereo.

Sound guys do whatever with their signal......

If no soundman, then I angle them out a little more for coverage.

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Always remember you're unique..... Just like everyone else

Floyd Havner · From: Modesto, California, USA

Norbert, I assume in posting this question your objective is two fold.
1. To be able to hear yourself,
2. and to achieve the best sound from your amp.
We would need several pages to list all of the factors to be considered. First of all don't get caught up in the futile attempt of trying to duplicate on stage the same sound that you get in your small music room. It's not possible. You can get close and sometimes very close but not exactly. I've watched musicians struggle with this and mess with their amps all through a set. Sound waves behave very differently in a small room than they do on a stage of a church or large auditorium. As for as placement of your amp, the closer to the floor your amp or speaker is, the more low end you will get. That is why manufacturers of speaker systems instruct you to place the sub-woofer flat on the floor. I use speaker stands that sit flat on the floor and place them a few feet behind me and they tilt the speakers up about 20 to 30 degrees. I still get plenty of low end and I can hear myself very well. If you play in many different places every place will have different acoustics that will effect your sound. That sometimes can be a real challenge.
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2003 Carter D10, 2010 Carter D10, Digitech RP350, Nady stereo power amp, and Eminence EPS-15C speakers.

Sven Kontio · From: Sweden

No problem hearing... Smile

(No statement intended w/ the Dixie. It just was there...)

Dale Rottacker · From: Walla Walla Washington, USA

I havenâ€™t always set up like this, but my buddy Jim Lindsey talked me into trying it, and except for having to carry the extra luggage, I loved the sound this setup produced...if you set the volume correctly on each amp the sound of the 3 run into each other right behind your head into a ball of sound that sounds awesome, (Itâ€™s a little hard to see, but I have an amp on â€œmyâ€ left side as well as the two that are more easily seen)...I actually had all three amps micâ€™d and run though the PA, so the volume I was playing at on stage didnâ€™t seem all that loud, just really good...Will I now always use this setup?, time will tell, but in this instance to my ears it sounded REALLY good.

In the past, Iâ€™ve always set my amp/amps on a stand directly behind several feet away...After reading some posts by some amp and effects makerâ€™s Iâ€™m kinda rethinking that.

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Dale Rottacker, Steelinatune™
*2021 MSA Legend, "Jolly Rancher" D10 10x9
*2021 Rittenberry, "The Concord" D10 9x9
*1977 Blue Sho-Bud Pro 3 Custom 8x6
https://msapedalsteels.com
http://rittenberrysteelguitars.com
https://www.telonics.com/index.php
https://www.p2pamps.com
https://www.quilterlabs.com

Norbert Dengler · From: germany

thanx guys for your great posts. Smile

of course it`s great to have 2 or even 3 amps on stage for the steel.
but honestly: besides lugging a telecaster and a 5-string banjo along with the steel i`m just too lazy to carry more stuff.
anyhow, interresting to watch what you guys prefer Wink

Dennis Detweiler · From: Solon, Iowa, US

I have used two amps and a stereo system in the past. It sounds great sitting in front of it, but standing 20 feet in front or left or right of center stage, the audience doesn't hear the separation of the effect, unless it is separated through the mains. Inspiring for the player, but not necessarily for the listener.
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1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Boss 59 Fender pedal for preamp, NDR-5 Atlantic Delay & Reverb, two Quilter 201 amps, 2- 12" Eminence EPS-12C speakers, ShoBud Pedal, 1949 Epiphone D-8. Revelation preamp into a Crown XLS 1002 power amp.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

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