Sorbothane Pucks under Amps
Moderator: jingle_jangle
Sorbothane Pucks under Amps
I had four of those large sorbothane pucks, the kinds made to go under audiophile and computer equipment sensitive to vibration like tubed phono amps and hard drives. I had read where this guy had used them under his telescope equipment to reduce wind induced vibrations. I thought, why the heck not, try them under a tubed guitar amp. It reduces feedback through the floor to the reverb tank when used on something less stable than a concrete slab floor. It's an elastic substance with high hysteresis. When you drop it on the floor it just stops dead still. No bouncing whatsoever. I paid $40 for 4 of the large Audioquest pucks at a high end audio store. I had been using them under a CD player, where they also work well. They had a very bad effect under my turntable, where solid aluminum tone cones did the trick of shorting the motor vibrations to a solid ground. The verdict is: very effective against externally induced vibrations, but internally induced vibrations need to be solidly coupled to an external vibration sink if trying to reduce them. The internal speaker can still induce vibrations into the reverb tank of a guitar amp, but external vibrations will be reduced significantly, so other vibrations don't intrude and color the sound as much. If you can feel vibrations in your feet on stage, so can your amp.
I have used these for about 15 years with my hifi. I beleive they would be helpful in preventing microphonic feedback with a piggyback amp if you place them under the head. They work great as a turntable foundation in preventing mechanical feedback. When placing them under speaker cabs they tend to decouple them from the room resulting in less bass and improved definition. Since I usually play a combo I don't believe it would be much of an advantage for me, but since I have some already I will give them a try with a guitar amp. It will only cost me my time, something I can afford.
"The best things in life aren't things."
My turntable generates its own internal vibration from its powerful synchronous motor (VPI HW-19jr.) Therefore, the pucks did nothing under my turntable. The decision to go solid cones or soft sorbothane pucks depends on whether you want to couple vibrations out of a vibrating device into a stable mass, or prevent external vibrations from coming into a device that is relatively stable itself. Both can work, when properly applied. I use both in different spots. Shoot a shotgun with a hard plastic buttplate, then install a sorbothane recoil pad and the lesson comes home in a big way with no further need to explain.
The sorbotahne pucks will do little good on a concrete floor, they might actually hurt the sound, but may work on a wood floor that vibrates quite a bit like an old wood house. Like you say, they are good for heads sitting on a cab when the tubes are microphonic.
Kind of makes you wonder why guitar amps have been overlooked, as sorbothane is used in many other areas and the guitar world is full of accessories that probably have less real value. It can certainly do more for you than a $50 boutique instrument cable.
You might could try before you buy. The big electronic/computer chain stores usually stock these items.
The sorbotahne pucks will do little good on a concrete floor, they might actually hurt the sound, but may work on a wood floor that vibrates quite a bit like an old wood house. Like you say, they are good for heads sitting on a cab when the tubes are microphonic.
Kind of makes you wonder why guitar amps have been overlooked, as sorbothane is used in many other areas and the guitar world is full of accessories that probably have less real value. It can certainly do more for you than a $50 boutique instrument cable.
You might could try before you buy. The big electronic/computer chain stores usually stock these items.