Amp concept for stompbox guitarists - you can have one!

Gearhead

Despite not being a stompbox person I have come up with this amp concept: the FloorAmp.

It's basically a floorboard and amp at the same time. It comes with a cover over the top/front you just remove to reveal all your stompboxes, your amp and its footswitches. I have not drawn the amp buttons (on the dark part in the middle where there's holes in the slanted face) and the footswitches (holes to the sides). There should be a cloth carpeting on the stompbox floor section in the middle, so sticking velcro on the bottom of your stompboxes will make sure they stay in position. It should be possible to build this concept in tube and ~~sand~~ solid state versions alike.

Doing things this way, there's so many advantages I can't believe it's not very popular (yet). I have done a search and not found anything like this. To name a few good things about it:
- all your soundgear in 1 case, the size of your guitar case (well, a little thicker but you get the point);
- any order of effects loop and amp sections possible without adding a lot of wiring;
- the integration of amp sections into parallel effects loop(s) is possible without adding a lot of wiring;
- stompbox power supply is integrated with the amp ground, so best way to have no 'ground loops';
- switching to an integrated 'talkbox' possible without having to use an additional power amp stage;
- ...
Since it is not available commercially you will have to do a bit of work yourself, but this also gives you unlimited options to spec it: with/without reverb springs (on a separate footswitch of course), what tubes for the output stage, number of parallel/serial effects loops, with/without talkbox, with/without buffer stage before first pedal (wah?) and and and.

If there's anyone interested I will make chassis available through Mars Amps (with whom I am not affiliated, at no profit to myself). Karel will surely be able to help you with the amp tech side of things; you might want to combine this with building a kit design for instance.

WantzChas

Very good idea.

mattyd

I love the concept! Really great.
If it was a decent amp in there I would buy it in a heartbeat.

My only concern would be the weight of something like this. Most tube amp heads weigh 20kg+.
Add to that the stompboxes and power supplies, and strong wood needed to build it, and you're looking at quite a hefty item.

That being said, I think I still might get it just because I HATE cables lying everywhere ?

Gearhead

mattyd wrote If it was a decent amp in there I would buy it in a heartbeat.

What amp is in there is up to the builder, I read you recently sold a tube amp of which you had replaced most components, is that not very much like building one? ?

mattyd wrote My only concern would be the weight of something like this. Most tube amp heads weigh 20kg+.
Add to that the stompboxes and power supplies, and strong wood needed to build it, and you're looking at quite a hefty item.

I do realise this, it should be a point of attention to save weight wherever possible. You're also not carrying tons of cable!

If you look at the weight difference between early tube amp transformers and later ones, they upspecced the transformers without getting better tone. I believe in designing for sag and saving iron, copper and therefore cost and weight. A guitar amp is no hifi amp.

In terms of the wood concerned, I feel you could simply use 6-8mm birch laminate since the main loads on the assy occur in transport, with the cover on. Once on the floor, there's not a lot happening to it. The weight of the chassis will be more determined by the locks, hinges and corner profiles than the wood I guess. One should be able to get to the same weight as a combo minus the speaker. Don't forget travelling guitarists tend to have a flightcase around their amps; in this case you can choose to cover in tolex or make it like a flightcase.

On top of that, flat heavy things still carry more easily than bulky things of the same weight....

matta

Gearhead wrote What amp is in there is up to the builder, I read you recently sold a tube amp of which you had replaced most components, is that not very much like building one? ?

Um, I think that was ME, not Mattyd, LOL. And yes, in many respects it is easier to mod than to build because your costs are kept way down... I mean it is very hard to beat the Champ 600, KILLER chassis/cabinet, valve sockets, decent transformers/speaker (not great, but workable) etc... heck even if you gutted it and TOTALLY rebuilt the circuit you would have a killer looking/sound amp for less than the cost of a 'kit' amp.

Gearhead wrote I do realise this, it should be a point of attention to save weight wherever possible. You're also not carrying tons of cable!

If you look at the weight difference between early tube amp transformers and later ones, they upspecced the transformers without getting better tone. I believe in designing for sag and saving iron, copper and therefore cost and weight. A guitar amp is no hifi amp.

In terms of the wood concerned, I feel you could simply use 6-8mm birch laminate since the main loads on the assy occur in transport, with the cover on. Once on the floor, there's not a lot happening to it. The weight of the chassis will be more determined by the locks, hinges and corner profiles than the wood I guess. One should be able to get to the same weight as a combo minus the speaker. Don't forget travelling guitarists tend to have a flightcase around their amps; in this case you can choose to cover in tolex or make it like a flightcase.

On top of that, flat heavy things still carry more easily than bulky things of the same weight....

Most 15+ watter amp combo's weigh in around +25kgs, add in the pedals and power supplies... you could easily get this thing to 35-50Kgs... that is a back breaker, irrespective of it being flat.

I see this set-up more useful in studio with a sub 10W amp and something that doesn't need to be hauled to every gig.

Cheers

Matt

Renesongs

A variation of this idea is to keep the Amp head with the speakers but have the volume, gain, tone, controls, on the stomp box as either knobs or pedals.

mattyd

Quote from: Gearhead on Today at 01:45:34 pm
What amp is in there is up to the builder, I read you recently sold a tube amp of which you had replaced most components, is that not very much like building one? Cheesy

Um, I think that was ME, not Mattyd, LOL. And yes, in many respects it is easier to mod than to build because your costs are kept way down... I mean it is very hard to beat the Champ 600, KILLER chassis/cabinet, valve sockets, decent transformers/speaker (not great, but workable) etc... heck even if you gutted it and TOTALLY rebuilt the circuit you would have a killer looking/sound amp for less than the cost of a 'kit' amp.

hahaha hey I don't mind being mistaken for you. It's actually all part of my plan!
I will lure unsuspecting victims into believing that I'm you and then proceed to give them pointless and, quite possibly, dangerous advice regarding electronics!
... you have been warned... ?

But back to the topic: GRAVITY SUCKS!!! (not the band - you rock Gareth)
This weight thing would really be the deal breaker for me.
If it weighed 40kgs but had really decent handles (ones that weren't designed to cut off your fingers - seriously, has anyone ever noticed that the designers of heavy gear always add the most uncomfortable handles???) I probably still wouldn't mind too much.
For carting it around town to gigs that wouldn't be too much for me.
My problem comes when I want to tour and need to fly with my gear... NOT gonna happen at 40kg+.

Still... I really like the idea.

To give you an idea of weight, my POD X3 Live with 4 cables and multiplug in a flight case weighs about 10kg.