"Built like a tank"... but is it?

I

Il_Bès

New member
*** D I S C L A I M E R ***
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DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!!

Ok, just wanna share my experience...
I rehearse in a venue shared by 3 bands, and while it is quite a nice accommodation overall, the stage is a bit crowded with amps. Since there are some 6 of them sitting along the rear end of the stage, I placed mine - an Engl Thunder 50R, with casters - atop a kind of shelf that runs about 1 1/2 ft above stage floor at its back.
Last week, while we were jamming with a fellow guitarist, my amp rolled its way unnoticed to the edge of the shelf and toppled down to the ground, luckily pulling the AC cord out in the process.
After regaining a normal heartbeat, I set the poor thing straight, reconnected the power cord and turned it back on: all of the tubes were still there, glowing as nothing had happened. Then I turned the standby switch on and when I cautiously strummed my guitar... YES! I strummed harder and again YEEESSS!! oh boy! that was a really close one! Whew!
End of story, I managed to play my amp till the end of the session, and played another full session with no problem whatsoever three days later. Anyway, I'm taking the durned casters out :<
All in all, after reading raving HC reviews about amps whose reliability is summed up by the oft recurring quote "it's built like a tank", I guess I truly have the grips of the meaning. Not gonna try this on the Carvin BelAir I keep at home, tho...
What's your weirdest experience with amps?
 
Re: "Built like a tank"... but is it?

My 1978 Hiwatt head rattled off the 4x12 due to the singer jumping around on a flimsy stage. Everything was fine, although the singer stopped pogo dancing after that.
 
Re: "Built like a tank"... but is it?

Engls are indeed super sturdy and reliable. I've seen 'em outlive Boogies and VHTs with zero maintenance and max. abuse.
 
Re: "Built like a tank"... but is it?

Laughing Kookaburra said:
My 1978 Hiwatt head rattled off the 4x12 due to the singer jumping around on a flimsy stage. Everything was fine, although the singer stopped pogo dancing after that.
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I'd prolly have the guy's feet nailed to the floor after that :lmao:

Andrea
 
Re: "Built like a tank"... but is it?

Yea I went to scooch my Belair over whilst it was on, all sorts of stuff came loose
 
Re: "Built like a tank"... but is it?

Laughing Kookaburra said:
My 1978 Hiwatt head rattled off the 4x12 due to the singer jumping around on a flimsy stage. Everything was fine, although the singer stopped pogo dancing after that.
Click to expand...

You have a 1978 HiWatt AND my old Tele???

:shakesfist: GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

;) I am jealous
 
Re: "Built like a tank"... but is it?

Il_Bès said:
I could add Fenders and Voxes to your list

Yeah, well, I don't usually go smashing my gear around :lmao:

Andrea
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Me neither, but one of my former bandmates did everything from dropping his Powerball off stage to leaving it out in the pouring rain (all accidental ofcourse). The other guitarist had a custom made flight case for his Boogie Recto, was super careful with it and the thing just kept blowing.

On the other hand, my workhorse guitars and basses are less dinged up than my price guitars. Might just be the inexorable power of irony.
 
Re: "Built like a tank"... but is it?

JeffB said:
You have a 1978 HiWatt AND my old Tele???

:shakesfist: GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

;) I am jealous
Click to expand...

Jeff, wish I had them both...that gig was around 1997, sold the Hiwatt when I moved to Australia in 2007.

Your Tele rocks, ain't going nowhere without with me! Serious keeper.
 
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Re: "Built like a tank"... but is it?

Ir's YOUR tele now. Rock it in good health :bigthumb:

Sad to hear about the Hiwatt, but I know the drill ;)
 
Re: "Built like a tank"... but is it?

The only "OOPs" moment I've had with an amp was when the sound guy unplugged my rig to plug in a PA monitor... IN THE MIDDLE OF A SOLO! He didn't realize I was using the power on the stage to power my rig... Um, hello. Where am I supposed to get my power from????

Thankfully, I've never experienced much more than that.
 
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