Felix Pappalardi amp stacks

[broiler]

Anybody know how the heck Felix stacked his 200s cabs with a head in between? I always wondered what held them up! Especially as loud as he played, you'd think they would vibrate and fall over! I've never seen a picture of anyone else who stacked their cabs that way.

[stanner]

that a good question.
i wonder about bands like Sunn and Boris and bands that play vibratory sounds-how they keep their stacks from a buzzin and a shudderin and a tumblin down.
i saw BLUECHEER a while ago and they held their stacks together  with CHAINS! cool
s

[Ryanx]

i saw Sunn and they didnt have anything rigged, just blasted through it

[Iron Mtn]

[broiler]

Yeah! That's the stack I wondered about. What is holding those top cabs up? I've seen other concert photos where Felix, and Leslie West had stacks like that. Looks cool, don't think I'd attempt it though! Thanks for posting that pic Iron Mtn!

[basiklybass]

One can only assume that some industrious roadie fabricated a box to fit behind the amp, open on the front and back of course. I have never had my head vibrate off the bottom.....I would not think the cabinet on top would do so...but then chains would work too!

[Oli]

Are U shure abot the 200s amps? Looks like a 2000S/350B to me.

[EdBass]

Those are 200S's. You can tell by the proportion of the speakers to the cabinets. Felix was a small guy, that old Gibson is almost as long as he is. 
I don't have issues with 200S heads walking, but at volume my 2000S heads will absolutely walk right off their cabinets. Anybody remember those old vibrating football games with the little plastic men? Kind of like that.

[stanner]

yeah i had that football game w/ the felt football-
my fav trick is to put my guit on top of the Sunn amps and let it catch a frequency and boy does it start ajumpin and avibratin-you just have to watch where its goin so it doesnt fall

[cromag]

it kinda looks like they are set in to some sort or enclosure.   there is no light between the cabs and amps.   and it looks like the top cabs are each angled out a bit.  if so, ther would most definately have to be something holding them all together.   


but more importantly, those are the baddest assed pants ever!

[Soundmasterg]

My 200S will walk right off my custom 1x15 cabinet if I don't put something on there to stop it. If I use foam, then the whole cabinet and head will walk themselves across the room since I have wheels on the bottom. I need to get some locking wheels I think.

Greg

[djc]

I'm counting 4 control knobs on the head on his left.  200s have 3, don't they?

[JoeArthur]

Having to carry around something extra to stack cabs would have been a real pain. But of course maybe Mountain could afford it... or afford to replace the occasional cabs that... well, bit the dust.

Back in the day, there was really only one company that made amps specifically so they could be stacked.



Although the head in this pic appears to be simply resting on the cab, notice there ain't much room between them. Yes, the head has "feet".



The feet of the head sit in metal inserts that look like little cups on the top of the cab. There is another set of these cups on the top of the head. It was all set up so that the feet of one component would fit inside the cups of another component - so it locks it together.

Then again... chains would probably work too!!   

[EdBass]

I'm counting 4 control knobs on the head on his left.  200s have 3, don't they?

By Jove, I think you're on to something!
The cabs are definitely 200S's, but looking closely that 4 knob amp also seems to hang over the sides. I think it is a 2000S head sitting between a pair of 200S cabs.
Legend has it that Pappalardi played 2000S rigs, and there is plenty of photo and video documentation to that effect, but this pic and this You Tube;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqj6XQ65OqU&mode=related&search=
Are proof that he did at least sometimes use the little amps as well.

I think they are just stacked up. The wheels probably help keep the top cab from walking off the head.