Tube Amp Archive

So, I've built a few heads and put them in OK looking cabs. As you can imagine all the iron is on one side of the midline. When I pick them up, they are very unbalanced, always loping down on one side. Do you guys do anything about this?

I thought about adding weight on the light half, but I don't really want to add more weight. Besides, I think it would take about 4-5# to get it in balance and that's a big hunk of metal. Anyone use an off center handle?

Yes, I put my handles off center on the Rocket Dog amps I built.

Ummm, yeah, functional but looks weird. Almost counterintuitive. It is good to march to your own beat. Thanks for that.

I don't put handles on Trainwreck wood cabs and the others that are in tolex cabs I just live with it. One hand on the handle and other hand balancing it.

Make several trips to carry equipment in.

I put the handles on the ends so it doesn't really matter. But I've considered doing what I've seen before: putting the OT on the opposite end from the PT. Never did though.

I did the offset method on my Liverpool clone head. I found the center of gravity and put the handle there. My test head cab has the handle in the center. It is amazing how much lighter it feels when it is balanced under the handle.

You will get used to the wierdness.

I center the handle, in accordance with this sage advice:

Fernando Lamas & Billy Crystal wrote:It is better to look good than to feel good.

Off-center handle: it's not weird, it's art.

And it's appropriate! What else about your amp has L-R symmetry?

why not mount another power transformer to the preamp side and not wire it up to anything?

Milkmansound wrote:why not mount another power transformer to the preamp side and not wire it up to anything?

Yes!

Here is a less costly version of the same idea:

53+ Pounds Of Soft Lead Block Ingots

http://www.ebay.com/itm/53-Pounds-Of-So ... 1c3872e269

Wow! I am fully satisfied because the seller posted seven detailed photos of the honorable lead ingots.

xtian wrote:Wow! I am fully satisfied because the seller posted seven detailed photos of the honorable lead ingots.

You will, of course, want to impress your personal seal* on each ingot installed in each amp as a "value added" bonus.






* Sold By Weight, Not Volume

Just to sidetrack this...remember the old Western Electric phones that Ma Bell used to rent to you? They had a sticker that said the phone company owned it. They must have weighed in at 5 pounds -- full of metal parts and a chassis, too. Years later, you supplied your own phone and they could be bought cheaply. They didn't weigh nearly as much. I had reason to open one of the cheap phones (do I really need a reason?) and discovered a metal ingot on the bottom to give it some ballast. I guess otherwise it would go flying every time you yanked the cord!

Guys

You just need this layout PT on the Left and OT on the right...

Just to sidetrack this...remember the old Western Electric phones that Ma Bell used to rent to you? They had a sticker that said the phone company owned it. They must have weighed in at 5 pounds -- full of metal parts and a chassis, too. Years later, you supplied your own phone and they could be bought cheaply. They didn't weigh nearly as much. I had reason to open one of the cheap phones (do I really need a reason?) and discovered a metal ingot on the bottom to give it some ballast. I guess otherwise it would go flying every time you yanked the cord!

The old Ma Bell phones had a chunk of pig iron in the handset. It's called a quality weight...seriously. It was a lethal weapon.