The Steel Guitar Forum

How much does that amp cost that ya'll have to stick a piece a plastic or foam inside to get it to sound right?
Go a head, call me a stick in the mud.

How about this little funnel I found in a kitchen drawer?

NOW yer talkin' Lee!

Just a note as to why this discussion is on going and why various ideas are being discussed.

It' in our blood I guess.

I read postings all the time about players trying various speaker combinations and gadgets looking to improve their sound. I would think a piece of foam or and old CD that wasn't that good anyway is a small investment as opposed to the cost of speakers available today, and besides it's fun .

Just sayin'

I would be interested to know what guitar, pickup and volume pedal are being used to see if there is a trend.

I had to install a tone control between the output of my E66 pickup and the input of my Goodrich active pot pedal to tame down the highs. I wonder if some may be trying to tame the beast in the wrong place?

I am using the same set up as Lee - S10 Willy 400 (black mica of coarse) w/true tone pick up and cube 80XL. My VP is a Telonics.

The "beam blockers" are supposed to arrive today and I'll install them immediately. I would think that using CD's with tape would tend to fall off when hauling gear to & from gigs????

Geo

That 3M molding tape tacky on both sides is very strong. Jack

I would be interested to know what guitar, pickup and volume pedal are being used to see if there is a trend.I had to install a tone control between the output of my E66 pickup and the input of my Goodrich active pot pedal to tame down the highs. I wonder if some may be trying to tame the beast in the wrong place?

I use a Sarno Freeloader but I also use a Hilton Pedal so the Free Loader acts more as a tone control for various songs or to occasionally compensate when I can't get up to get to the amp.

The purpose of using some sort of filtering device is not to alter the tone of the amp. In fact the foam solution I am using has very little to no effect on the tone. The amp sounds great, its an attempt to have the amp sound the same no matter where you're at in relationship to the amp. Many or most amp speaker combinations exhibit this effect. It's called beaming.

Here is a link to a demo of the effect

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeteI0G-nMU

I noticed it with the Cube at the last gig I played where we had limited space and a very low ceiling. I had to put the amp directly behind me at about 4'. It was on the usual tilt stand right at ear level pointing directly at the back of my head. Usually I have it 4-5' to the left or right of me and not pointed directly at me.

steel pickers are worst than women they can't be satisfied LOL

Here is a photo of my amp with the stock Roland beam blocker installed:

Lee Baucum wrote:a photo of my amp

Lee,

I know this is off-topic, but where did you get that flip handle that doubles as a tilt-back stand? I'd like to know what to order, and where?

Like the beam-blocker too!

Thanks,
Tommy

Lee, that is very innovative, does it help?

Morton Kellas wrote:Lee, that is very innovative, does it help?

I have to admit, I posted that photo in jest; however, now that I've played through the amp at several rehearsals and gigs, I have to say it does help.

My daughter brought home this Halloween "Ball and Chain" she found at Value Village (it's a solid hard plastic sphere about an inch or two wider than the dustcap).
I'm going to hang it from my amp handle and try it as a "Beam Diffuser".

I made this from a septic distribution box outlet plug kit. I was hoping that it wouldn't sound like "crap", but it works pretty good. It was bright yellow so I painted it black. I bolt it on the inside through the holes in the amp grill with the convex facing the speaker. It measures 3 3/4" and I did have to drill the plastic through the center for the bolt.

I'll bet that works well.