New DIY Amp Rack

[HANGAR18]

With the most recent amp head acquisition, I realized that I could no longer stack them all on top of each other as the stacks became extremely unstable. So I labored this Labor Day weekend to build a new amp rack. (I don't know how Brent does that whole construction thing every day. I spend two days hauling and assembling this thing and I feel like I got hit by a truck.)

I think it looks cool. Hindsight, could I have done things a little differently, like the shelf spacing? Yeah, but I was just making this up in my head as I was shopping at Lowes and assembling it. I didn't actually know how everything was going to fit until the thing was completely built.

One thing surprised me though... Seeing as the rack is 24" deep, I should be able to fit more than one amp on each shelf if I scoot heads to the right and then place lunchbox sized amp heads on the left side, each facing out the left side. The front of the rack has room for very large amp heads while looking at the rack from the side, it is perfect for small heads. To test this I moved that Sewell head off to the right and then inserted my Mesa Mark 5:25 head on the end facing out to the left and it is a perfect fit. That one shelf will accommodate two amp heads, so long as one is PRS sized and the other is truly lunchbox sized.  (Time to go shopping for two more lunchbox amps. hahahaha)

[DetroitBlues]

Looks great!  If it functions well, its all good.

Now I've seen a lot of YouTubers that have dozens of amp heads and I've been curious about how they connect to a cabinet or something to take the speaker load.

How is that accomplished?

[Steiner]

Oh boy, are you on a slippery slope!  First shelves, then packing multiple heads on each shelf, next comes collecting every flavor amp out there.  Why not?  There's room...  Then, it's off to the races with speaker cabs and speaker swaps (so Many speakers...).  Once complete you've got to keep power, speaker and guitar cables apart to minimize cross inductance.  If you fire up multiple amps at the same time, you'll need to split the guitar signals - mind the ground loops.  Finally you'll need a solid core door and much more insulation; it's going to get LOUD! 

It starts quite innocently and, if you mind the minor setbacks, ends in total madness enveloped by sonic nirvana.  You've already mounted the stallion, enjoy the ride!

But, what we really want to know is how did you find SO MANY straight 2x4s?!

[rockabilly69]

7 hours ago, HANGAR18 said:

With the most recent amp head acquisition, I realized that I could no longer stack them all on top of each other as the stacks became extremely unstable. So I labored this Labor Day weekend to build a new amp rack. (I don't know how Brent does that whole construction thing every day. I spend two days hauling and assembling this thing and I feel like I got hit by a truck.)

I think it looks cool. Hindsight, could I have done things a little differently, like the shelf spacing? Yeah, but I was just making this up in my head as I was shopping at Lowes and assembling it. I didn't actually know how everything was going to fit until the thing was completely built.

One thing surprised me though... Seeing as the rack is 24" deep, I should be able to fit more than one amp on each shelf if I scoot heads to the right and then place lunchbox sized amp heads on the left side, each facing out the left side. The front of the rack has room for very large amp heads while looking at the rack from the side, it is perfect for small heads. To test this I moved that Sewell head off to the right and then inserted my Mesa Mark 5:25 head on the end facing out to the left and it is a perfect fit. That one shelf will accommodate two amp heads, so long as one is PRS sized and the other is truly lunchbox sized.  (Time to go shopping for two more lunchbox amps. hahahaha)

Dude that looks like a solid rack, great job! I just bought some racks for my studio, but if I would have seen your post earlier I would have built some like yours! Do you worry about that heater vent right above the top amp?

[HANGAR18]

10 hours ago, DetroitBlues said:

Looks great!  If it functions well, its all good.

Now I've seen a lot of YouTubers that have dozens of amp heads and I've been curious about how they connect to a cabinet or something to take the speaker load.

How is that accomplished?

For now I'm just going to manually run speaker cables from the amp I want to play to the cab(s) that I want to play just to make sure I don't screw up any impedance requirements.

[HANGAR18]

8 hours ago, Steiner said:

Oh boy, are you on a slippery slope!  First shelves, then packing multiple heads on each shelf, next comes collecting every flavor amp out there.  Why not?  There's room...  Then, it's off to the races with speaker cabs and speaker swaps (so Many speakers...).  Once complete you've got to keep power, speaker and guitar cables apart to minimize cross inductance.  If you fire up multiple amps at the same time, you'll need to split the guitar signals - mind the ground loops.  Finally you'll need a solid core door and much more insulation; it's going to get LOUD! 

It starts quite innocently and, if you mind the minor setbacks, ends in total madness enveloped by sonic nirvana.  You've already mounted the stallion, enjoy the ride!

But, what we really want to know is how did you find SO MANY straight 2x4s?!

I will respect this profound wisdom and insight and heed your warnings... just as soon as I finish shopping for lunchbox amps. hahahaha

Yes, the lumber I got was surprisingly good. Especially the 4x4's. I happened across a very fresh pallet of premium rated 4x4's that had a Salmon pink tint to them and I though to myself, I had better build this thing quick before the jungle hot environment here warps these things.

[HANGAR18]

4 hours ago, rockabilly69 said:

Dude that looks like a solid rack, great job! I just bought some racks for my studio, but if I would have seen your post earlier I would have built some like yours! Do you worry about that heater vent right above the top amp?

Thanks Dan. It seems that I have embraced my father's home construction methods. Primitive looking but really, really strong. The shelf support crossmembers are glued & screwed into the 4x4's to reduce vibration. Gorilla wood glue and deck screws. I drilled a thin pilot hole for every deck screw so that it wouldn't split the ends of the 2x4's.

Yes, there was a bit of a conflict with that air duct up there. I was expecting to run out of shelves before I got up that high and was even planning to add another shelf up there one day. For now, I'm keeping a dust cover over the amp (as I do with all my amps). I could block that vent but I don't think that cool A/C air coming out of that vent would hurt the amp while it is in use. Then in the winter, the heat that comes out of that vent really isn't that hot, not like a hair dryer, so I don't think it would be any worse than playing at an outdoor gig on the 4th of July (or yesterday).

Right now that amp up there on top I think will be the least used of all of them. The decision for the placement of each amp was largely based which dials I can read from their respective positions. The SEWELL I have to look down at the top of the amp to see the dials, and it has dials on the back too. So I need that one low. The other two amps have the labels under the dials so they are easier to see when they are placed up high.

[Gitfiddler]

@HANGAR18Nice job constructing your heavy duty multi-level amp 'rig rack'.

Too bad IKEA doesn't have something similar.  Even if they did, I wouldn't be able to put it together.  LOL!   

[HANGAR18]

12 hours ago, Gitfiddler said:

@HANGAR18Nice job constructing your heavy duty multi-level amp 'rig rack'.

Too bad IKEA doesn't have something similar.  Even if they did, I wouldn't be able to put it together.  LOL!   

IKEA doesn't employ anyone strong enough to warehouse it or help me load it into the back of my truck. hahaha

[rockabilly69]

4 hours ago, HANGAR18 said:

IKEA doesn't employ anyone strong enough to warehouse it or help me load it into the back of my truck. hahaha

I bought a guitar rack the other day that I thought was going to give me a hernia lifting the boxes into my car and then loading them into my studio...

 

 

[HANGAR18]

41 minutes ago, rockabilly69 said:

I bought a guitar rack the other day that I thought was going to give me a hernia lifting the boxes into my car and then loading them into my studio...

 

 

I keep my guitars under my bed.
It's a big bed.
You just need a bed bed to keep your guitars under so that you don't have to lift them too high off the ground. hahaha

 

[HANGAR18]

On 9/5/2023 at 10:28 AM, Steiner said:

Oh boy, are you on a slippery slope!  First shelves, then packing multiple heads on each shelf, next comes collecting every flavor amp out there.  Why not?  There's room...  Then, it's off to the races with speaker cabs and speaker swaps (so Many speakers...).  Once complete you've got to keep power, speaker and guitar cables apart to minimize cross inductance.  If you fire up multiple amps at the same time, you'll need to split the guitar signals - mind the ground loops.  Finally you'll need a solid core door and much more insulation; it's going to get LOUD! 

It starts quite innocently and, if you mind the minor setbacks, ends in total madness enveloped by sonic nirvana.  You've already mounted the stallion, enjoy the ride!

But, what we really want to know is how did you find SO MANY straight 2x4s?!

Okay I just got back from that same Ma&Pa guitar store that I bought the Archon. I just bought a Hendrix 20w amp head to go on the amp rack right next to the Archon.

https://prsguitars.com/amplifier/hdrx_20_2023

[Steiner]

1 hour ago, HANGAR18 said:

Okay I just got back from that same Ma&Pa guitar store that I bought the Archon. I just bought a Hendrix 20w amp head to go on the amp rack right next to the Archon.

https://prsguitars.com/amplifier/hdrx_20_2023

Cool!  More flavors  

It's interesting, the amp uses 6L6s.  I think (may be wrong) that early Marshall Super Leads used 6L6 power tubes and changed to the British version of EL34s.

I'm not a fan of marketing that implies an amp is based on player X,Y, Z's sound.  Soldano marketing always said their non-SLO amp circuits were based on the SLO's - BS.  I get the sense that this amp is in the Super Lead style (a really FUN amp).  Hendrix, IIRC, also played/recorded with the JTM-45 and JTM-45/100.  I'm also of the mind that the year of Marshall production, sometimes the within year serial number run, have a strong indication of good/bad amps.  What I'm inferring is attaching Hendrix's name is nothing more than marketing hyperbole the same as suggesting a Soldano Lucky 13 has SLO DNA.  The 13 I had had none of the SLO characteristics; we learn the hard way.

I'm excited for your NADs.  Regardless of the marketing, if you're diggin' the sound, Congrats!  I've read many good tributes to PRS amps; if they release a 20W Marshall Super Lead, I bet it's got desirable attributes.  If you'd be so kind, please put me on her dance card.  One never knows when HANGER18 will appear at PSP.

[HANGAR18]

And the modifications begin.

Yep. Brand new DIY Amp Rack and here we go with the modifications.

Realized that each shelf can fit two amps, one normal and one lunchbox sized amp. I was going to orientate them where the big ones would face forward and the small ones would face sideways but that presented a conflict for space behind each amp. Instead, I decided to place each amp facing forward, one in the front and one in the back. Then, whichever amp I feel like playing, I'll bring that amp to the front of the shelf and place the one I'm not playing on the back side of the shelf.

Adding 2x4's to the front and rear edges of each shelf provide an extra 7 inches of shelf space. Now the sides look empty... Eureka! I can add wall mount guitar hangers on the side of the Amp Rack. Heck, why stop there? Two more guitar hangers are added to the front of the amp rack for a total of 5 guitar hangers. That saves  a lot of floor space! Then all the floor stands are relocated to the closet of eternal doom!

 

 

[HANGAR18]

[HANGAR18]

[HANGAR18]

[TalismanRich]

Hangar, you missed a golden opportunity to engineer some lazy suzan action on those shelves.   Then you could just spin to the one you want!

 

A shelf system like that would never work for me,  all my amps are combos.  

 

[Steiner]

Music room floor space is always the limiting factor.  You've engineered an eloquent solution that keeps necessary devices readily available.  That room looks like a lot of fun.  Enjoy it

[HANGAR18]

10 hours ago, TalismanRich said:

Hangar, you missed a golden opportunity to engineer some lazy suzan action on those shelves.   Then you could just spin to the one you want!

 

A shelf system like that would never work for me,  all my amps are combos.  

 

I've already imagined an 8 sided amp rack in the middle of a very large room where one could pick a side, plug in to any amp on that particular side and play. But I only live in a small, entry level mansion and the basement barely has floor space for 3 or 4 people to participate in a jam session. It's so limited for space there that if I singer were to show up to a jam session, the singer would have to stand behind the bar. hahahah

Or I suppose I could just get a Will sized drum set instead of taking up as much space as Alex Van Halen. That might help the space problem.

 

[bolero]

Hey, nice job on the amp rack! Brilliant idea to add gtr hangers ( HANGAR! ) too.

Rockabilly that's a nice gtr rack idea as well.

 

Hendrix' Woodstock amps were modded by Dave Weyer in LA to run 6550 power tubes, among other things. Plus they were later Marshall amps too. So very different from his '66 JTM100 used on the 1st & maybe 2nd album.

[Steiner]

oh, and Nice Rack!

thx bolero

[ElNumero]

I have challenges with Lincoln Logs!   Nice work!

[pressure]

On 9/11/2023 at 4:19 PM, Steiner said:

oh, and Nice Rack!

The last time I said that I got my face slapped!