Ventilated Amp Stand
Last updated 4/04/02
I had an idea to build a stand for my amp. Since I am planning on keeping it at the church I attend, I thought it could be something semi-permanent. I wanted it to be tilted back so that it would act as a stage monitor. So this is what I came up with. Below is some pictures:
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Here is the front view. I cut holes in the face where the back of the amp sits, for ventilation. Since all my amps have fans in them, I don't feel that this harms the amp's performance in any way. I put a handle on it for easy transport. It is covered in a medium thickness black vinyl. I used spray adhesive to bond it to the wood that is underneath. |
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Side View. The pieces attached to the sides are for extra support. I made the stand just wide enough to fit between the casters that I installed on my amp. (This one was made for my Convertible 100) |
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Here is the rear view. |
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Here is the cooling fan. This one was the one I originally
installed in my Twin Reverb. It is a 3" 12VDC fan powered by a 12VDC
transformer. I have an extension cord with a rotary switch connected to
the transformer that is powered by one of the 120VAC outlets on the back
of my amp. This fan is in addition to the one already in my amp.
This helps the Convertible to stay cooler - there is four EL34 power tubes and up to eight 12AX7 preamp tubes in the amp! I am using this stand with a different amp now, and I have removed the fan since it doesn't require as much ventilation. |
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This 12VDC transformer is hard wired to the extension cord.
It is permanently attached to the stand with a metal strap. This assembly has also been removed now that I am using the stand with different amp. The fan may have been a little overkill, but I design HVAC systems for a living, so what else would you expect?! Of course, the amp that sits on this stand now has a fan in it, which I installed... |
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Here is how it looks with the amp on it. |
Well, I didn't think to take pictures of it when I was building it, but all of the large surface areas are 1/4" plywood glued and screwed to cleats underneath which holds it all together. The horizontal bottom front and the two horizontal rear members are 1"x6" pieces I had left over from building a fence in my back yard. And I attached a couple of stiffeners here and there. This thing is very sturdy! And when the amp is sitting on it, it is firmly planted on the ground.