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General Category => Jam Room => Topic started by: spookstrickland on July 25, 2011, 02:59:56 AM

Title: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: spookstrickland on July 25, 2011, 02:59:56 AM
My drummer and I are going to be doing some out door "guerrilla" type shows and I need some kind of Amplification for my guitar.  We will not have access to 110 or a Generator at all so it would have to be some type of battery power.  what is out there?  Hemi you got any DIY ideas?  I have heard of a larger Pignose amp that has 20 watts but do you all think that would get me heard along with a drummer?  He is not going to be playing super loud so as long as I can be heard it will be OK>

thanks
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: Baltar on July 25, 2011, 09:20:13 AM
It won't work, you'd need like a fucking wall of Pigs.  Like 10 and an A/B/C/D/E/F/G/H/I/J/Y box.  I think D*A*M* will make you one for 5,000 GPB.
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: clockwork green on July 25, 2011, 02:47:06 PM
Probably about the same price to rent a small generator. 
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: spookstrickland on July 25, 2011, 04:25:54 PM
Any other amps out there that run on batter power that might do the job?  What about using an inverter and a car battery to power my amp how big of an inverter would I need and how long would it run on a charge?
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: RacerX on July 25, 2011, 06:03:15 PM
http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=594

Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: RAGER on July 25, 2011, 06:24:46 PM
Quote from: spookstrickland on July 25, 2011, 02:59:56 AM
My drummer and I are going to be doing some out door "guerrilla" type shows and I need some kind of Amplification for my guitar.  We will not have access to 110 or a Generator at all so it would have to be some type of battery power.  what is out there?  Hemi you got any DIY ideas?  I have heard of a larger Pignose amp that has 20 watts but do you all think that would get me heard along with a drummer?  He is not going to be playing super loud so as long as I can be heard it will be OK>

thanks

please don't
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: black_out on July 25, 2011, 07:23:48 PM
Why don't you just use an acoustic guitar?
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: spookstrickland on July 25, 2011, 07:42:27 PM
Quote from: black_out on July 25, 2011, 07:23:48 PM
Why don't you just use an acoustic guitar?

It would just not fit the sound we are going for and my drummer will have a full kit so even an acoustic guitar would still have to be miced up. 

Might not be doable "Proper" but I think there has to be a quick, dirty, easy and cheap way of doing this.
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: spookstrickland on July 25, 2011, 07:53:22 PM
Quote from: RacerX on July 25, 2011, 06:03:15 PM
http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=594



I was thinking about checking one of them out.  Are they loud as the Pignose HOg 20?
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: Hemisaurus on July 25, 2011, 07:59:26 PM
Hmm, how cheap is cheap?

The best amps to run off a battery, are ones designed for it, you can use an inverter, I don't know if I'd chance one on any valuable gear.

I've seen portable PA's done with car amps, no reason you can't do the same, provided you've got a pedal that can act as a preamp, like a DOD250, or any OD/boost type stomp, you could build one in your sleep I'm sure ;)

I'm seeing car amps running around 250W (probably peak not RMS) going for $22 on Google Shopping. Bigger ones for more money. Or you may know someone who has one kicking about somewhere you can borrow.

So big ass car battery, car amp, pedalboard, cabinet, you could mount the amp and/or the battery in the cab for portability, mind and give the amp vent space, so either open back the cab or have a fan somewhere.

The only hitch is car amps often like 2-4 ohm loads, so you may need to rewire a cab to suit.

If you want to be really portable, car amp and battery built into speaker cab, preamp built into guitar  ;)
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: neighbor664 on July 25, 2011, 09:14:06 PM
Get a VW.
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: Ranbat on July 25, 2011, 10:48:50 PM
I thought this was the forum for all things Heavy 70s? Get yerself a 70s Custom van (Chevy, Dodge or Ford, your choice) with a Lloyd's stereo with the guitar jack built in and rock the fuck out. Duh!
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: spookstrickland on July 26, 2011, 12:05:57 PM
Quote from: Hemisaurus on July 25, 2011, 07:59:26 PM
Hmm, how cheap is cheap?

The best amps to run off a battery, are ones designed for it, you can use an inverter, I don't know if I'd chance one on any valuable gear.

I've seen portable PA's done with car amps, no reason you can't do the same, provided you've got a pedal that can act as a preamp, like a DOD250, or any OD/boost type stomp, you could build one in your sleep I'm sure ;)

I'm seeing car amps running around 250W (probably peak not RMS) going for $22 on Google Shopping. Bigger ones for more money. Or you may know someone who has one kicking about somewhere you can borrow.

So big ass car battery, car amp, pedalboard, cabinet, you could mount the amp and/or the battery in the cab for portability, mind and give the amp vent space, so either open back the cab or have a fan somewhere.

The only hitch is car amps often like 2-4 ohm loads, so you may need to rewire a cab to suit.

If you want to be really portable, car amp and battery built into speaker cab, preamp built into guitar  ;)

That's a great Idea Hemi, I had not thought of using a car stereo amp. 

Thanks :)
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: Chovie D on July 26, 2011, 04:24:01 PM
when he was able to take a break from laughing at us on his big screen tv (?) I had joel at electric build me a custom battery powered 200 watt head. Mutherfucker takes 1000 D batteries all of which are completely drained after only half a song tho :(
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: Hemisaurus on July 26, 2011, 08:38:00 PM
Quote from: Ranbat on July 25, 2011, 10:48:50 PM
I thought this was the forum for all things Heavy 70s? Get yerself a 70s Custom van (Chevy, Dodge or Ford, your choice) with a Lloyd's stereo with the guitar jack built in and rock the fuck out. Duh!
You mean like the van he already owns ;D

(http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x103/sghmedia/Spook%20Strickland/leroysquadravan.jpg)

Good thing is, if you have some jumper cables, you can use your van to power up the car battery between sets. :)
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: Hemisaurus on July 26, 2011, 08:42:39 PM
Quote from: Chovie D on July 26, 2011, 04:24:01 PM
when he was able to take a break from laughing at us on his big screen tv (?) I had joel at electric build me a custom battery powered 200 watt head. Mutherfucker takes 1000 D batteries all of which are completely drained after only half a song tho :(
You know lots of old radios used to use special cells, with a low voltage high current side for the tube heaters (use a car battery) and a higher voltage, lower current side for the plates.

You do realize 1000D cells = 1500V, Joel doesn't like voltages that high ;D

Speaking seriously, it would be possible to build a tube amp to run of a car battery, using say a 12U7 or 12AU7 in the preamp, and I forget the type of tubes you need, sparse electron or something like that? they were tubes designed specifically for car supplies, they do make pentodes you'll only be able to get 15W or so tops out of it.
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: spookstrickland on July 26, 2011, 09:28:20 PM
We have success!  Thanks to Hemi's suggestion of using a car stereo amp and battery.  My drummer had an old subwoofer system with an amp bolted on the side of it in his garage, we hooked it up to a battery and I used a little booster pedal I had built as a preamp and it worked great!  Pretty loud too and the sound was not bad at all.

Now I'm thinking of taking that old sunn pa cab I have and putting in some car stereo speakers and doing the same with it.  then we can use the subwoofer for the kick drum and then run the guitar through the 12 and 10 sunn cab.  I think we would easily be able to play any where we want now.

Thanks

Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: Ranbat on July 26, 2011, 10:35:30 PM
Quote from: Hemisaurus on July 26, 2011, 08:38:00 PM
Quote from: Ranbat on July 25, 2011, 10:48:50 PM
I thought this was the forum for all things Heavy 70s? Get yerself a 70s Custom van (Chevy, Dodge or Ford, your choice) with a Lloyd's stereo with the guitar jack built in and rock the fuck out. Duh!
You mean like the van he already owns ;D

(http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x103/sghmedia/Spook%20Strickland/leroysquadravan.jpg)


Um, how serious can he be without a mural on the side?  ;D
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: spookstrickland on July 27, 2011, 12:05:49 AM
Quote from: Ranbat on July 26, 2011, 10:35:30 PM
Quote from: Hemisaurus on July 26, 2011, 08:38:00 PM
Quote from: Ranbat on July 25, 2011, 10:48:50 PM
I thought this was the forum for all things Heavy 70s? Get yerself a 70s Custom van (Chevy, Dodge or Ford, your choice) with a Lloyd's stereo with the guitar jack built in and rock the fuck out. Duh!
You mean like the van he already owns ;D

(http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x103/sghmedia/Spook%20Strickland/leroysquadravan.jpg)


Um, how serious can he be without a mural on the side?  ;D

That's the first thing my drummer said when he saw it that he want's to paint a mural on the side of it.  I'm all for it :)
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: Metal and Beer on July 27, 2011, 02:16:43 AM
Paint a salad dressing bottle with a Jack Daniels logo on the label  ;D
Title: Re: Battery Powered Amp Help
Post by: spookstrickland on July 27, 2011, 04:39:23 PM
Quote from: Metal and Beer on July 27, 2011, 02:16:43 AM
Paint a salad dressing bottle with a Jack Daniels logo on the label  ;D

I bet you would be the first guy sporting a T-Shirt with that logo on there wouldn't you ;)