benefits of amp hanging down or standing up?

[jezzbo]

Hi all,

I just finished my Ceriatone OTS but still have to make the headshell.
Can anybody tell me what the benefits and/or negative sides are for mounting the amp in a "hanging" configuration (like the dumbles, matchless etc) or a "standing" configuration? (like Marshall).
In other words, with the tubes hanging down or standing up?
what's best and why?

Thanks!

[Tubetwang]

Me?

I prefer a head cabinet...

More...huh...er...logical if you will...easier to change tubes...

But i like a little combo as well

I think they are cute...

[jezzbo]

hi tubetwang

thanks for your reply.
I think I wasn't clear enough.
I meant a headcab. But with tubes hanging down or standing up?
what are the benefits of using one or the other?

[Tubetwang]

Oh...sorry lad..

I'm eating all the cookies, drinking milk and watching Unknown Hinson...

I prefer Matchless style head amps but Marshall style is also fine by me...

They say that the heat from the tubes may dry up your amp on the Dumble style but i do not care...then again...i'm an easy going guy.

I've only got 25 years to go before i drive south anyway...Your mileage may vary.

I'm still willin', able and ready to rock and i intend to rock till i drop.

[dr. who]

i believe that the tube type can have an effect on which way it should be mounted...

[Andy Le Blanc]

the chassis and componants stay a little cooler with the tubes standing, heat rises.
you can vent the chassis and or cabinet with any mounting if your very worried.
either way its a vertical mount, some tube types do have restrictions for horizontal mount
some require a proper pin/socket orientation if used that way.
I used to have an old peavey head that used a quad of 6550. they made the box
so small that, with the amp mounted on the bottom of the head, they had to
staple asbestos fabric to the top inside of the head to keep it from starting fires.

[mlp-mx6]

In my opinion there is zero benefit to mounting the tubes hanging down. There is specific and significant benefit to mounting the tubes standing up - related to heat and dissipation. However, there is no heat issue that cannot be solved by a small fan.

[Phil_S]

FWIW, in a head, I'd mount with chassis on the bottom, tubes on the top AND I'd cut a vent in the top above the power tubes. I can't see any reason to mount the chassis on the top. Even if you build an amp with reverb, I'd put the chassis on the bottom and the tank on the top (making sure you get the proper tank for that orientation).

The combo is far more convenient, but there is more flexibility in building a head. Think of it like this: two combos is, well, just that. Two heads and two speaker cabs is four possible combinations. Add two guitars and you've got 8 combinations; half that with the combos.

[billyz]

The only benefit of hanging the tubes/chassis down is to save space and have the controls on top, The rest are negatives. Heat, tubes fall out, more stress on the chassis attachment points. But it is not that extreme. the only method I would not do is tubes horizontal, that one is very bad.

[novosibir]

Tubes hanging upside down is a relict from typical combo amp design, so that you haven't to creep on the floor, to dial the controls. Then they've adapted it for heads.

But it's in fact a drastic downside, when 'hanginmg upside down' output tubes are heating up the chassis and all the components inside permanently.

That might be not as critical w/ 2 * 6V6, but 4 * 6L6 are producing a lot of heat, what's creeping upstears into the chassis.

Just my 2 flints

Larry

[billyz]

I think Dumble and Mesa did it because they started out modifying Fender Blackface amps and progressed from there.

[Andy Le Blanc]

theres always a conflict between the functional and the practical.
the better solution for the user isnt always the best design.

[jezzbo]

wow guys!
thanks for your replies.
Ok standing tubes it will be. I know it's better to get the heat of the tubes away from the chassis. I was just wondering if there where negative sides to 'standing tubes'. Guess not.

When the cab is finished I'll post some pix.
(can take a while, so many things to do so little time )

Thanks a lot for your input.

[bnwitt]

The downside to putting the chassis on the bottom of the head cab with tubes up shows up in high gain amps. You'll need a chassis shield under the chassis to prevent feed back from the speaker cabinet.

[selloutrr]

probably already said... but a negative effect of hanging the tubes is if the sockets aren't tight the tubes can come unseated in travel or vibration from playing. I've had a couple on the bench for loose sockets. a friend actually had a V4 drop a tube during a show and fry his board / tubes / bias network. It was awesome to look inside and see the board chared black. It was a fun rebuild Cost way more in time then the amp was worth!!!, my first PCB eching other then silly FX Pedals when I was 15 Tonally I don't think you'll notice a difference, as long as you have a way of securing an inverted tube and good air flow you should be fine. The little amp I made for my daughter started as a marshall style and ended up inverted, still played and sounded the same.
Happy Building