Standback amp stand

152 Guitarist March 2008
QUICKTEST
MISCELLANEOUS
GUITARIST RATING
The bottom line
We like: Easy to construct and
works perfectly
We dislike: Can get in the way
of rear-panel features
A simple way of
increasing the
projection of a
smaller powered
combo is to raise it
up towards head
height, most
traditionally
by way of a
construction
of beer crates.
This time-
honoured
method
works well,
but it can be
overpowering
and you do lose
whatever resonant
qualities your stage
gives your tone. Another option is
to lean your amp back around 45
degrees or so in order for it to face
the back of your thighs; a tricky
manoeuvre at best.
This ingenious piece of kit
enables you to do just that safely,
and the design allows the weight of
the amp to counterbalance the
effect gravity has on such items.
It’s possible to alter the angle the
amp sits at and we tried it with
solid-state and valve combos of
both single speaker and 2 x 12
configurations. The heavier the
amp is (we were sure our Boogie
Lone Star 212 would cause it to
fold like a wino in a stiff breeze)
the sturdier the Standback seems,
certainly for any regular combo.
In Use
Putting the stand together for the
first time is a bit of head-scratcher,
but once all the pieces fit into place
you’ll be wondering what the
problem was. A rubber foam block
is placed under the amp and held
in place by both its weight and the
two red straps.
Then it’s a matter of simply
leaning the amp back onto the top
of the A-frame formed by the trio
of black strips and the final black
strap is pulled taught. A stroke of
genius, we say.
Ve rdic t
As the stand folds away to a
dimension more than small
enough to fit into all but the most
modest of gig-bags, your amp-
leaning problems, if indeed you
have ever had any, are now solved!
[SB]
Standback amp stand £24.99
Stand and deliver… great tone to your fans
GUITARIST RATING
CONTACT: Damn Fine Distribution PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.ampstandback.com
Comet Hyperdrive £130
Not Comet the well-known
chain of high street
electrical stores, but
Comet Effects, a new
company featuring a
number of custom-
made stompboxes
built by Shane Brooks
from his base in
Silverton, Devon. Easily
the best-named pedal of the
year so far is the Fuzz Aldrin,
which shares its place in the range
with this darkly good-looking
overdrive number.
It’s quite a chunky unit and
subtlety swathed in a Pimp My
Ride-style metallic blue and black
paint job, offset by a supernova-
bright blue operational LED. The
trio of controls comprise level,
tone and drive and there’s an input
of an optional PSU if removing the
base plate to access the battery
becomes too much of a chore.
Sounds
As with the Ibanez Tube Screamer,
we find it a pleasant surprise that,
with the drive control set to
minimum, the tone of our initially
clean amp was slightly warmed up:
much better than simply removing
the signal entirely.
Even at its maximum setting the
Hyperdrive is restrained and offers
a fat overdrive not a million miles
away from that of Billy Gibbons in
its greasiness. In front of an already
singing amp, the pedal comes into
its own and is even more articulate
than the TS9. It adds girth and heat
to your tone and responds well to
guitar-volume manipulation too.
The bottom line
We like: It offers great tones
and open-ended versatility
We dislike: Not as dirty as
some may require
Ve r d i c t
We’re more than spoiled by the
sheer amount of so-called
‘boutique’ pedals that seem to be
coming out of the walls at the
moment, and it’s a revelation when
we find one that has real potential
to be included on numerous
pedalboards in the months to
come. Don’t get left behind: test
drive one now. [SB]
CONTACT: Manson’s Guitar Shop PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.myspace.com/cometeffects
A cool overdrive from a new English brand
A gravity resisting
device even for the
heaviest amps
Pimp-my-drive: a
boutique British
overdrive
GIT300.rev_quick 152 28/1/08 12:35:35