The 10 Best Amp Stands

If you want one stand that copes with almost any combo, start with the Gator Frameworks GFW-GTR-AMP. Its steel frame carries far more weight than a heavy tube amp, and a rubber leveling foot takes the rock out of an uneven stage. It locks shut for carrying and needs no assembly. Gator's warranty runs three years. The catch is the tilt: there are only a few angle settings, and some small acoustic amps won't sit in it.

Tall arms are the point of the On-Stage RS7000. They reach high up the back of a big combo, so even a Fender Twin Reverb sits secure. The steel legs are braced, the arms are padded, and the frame folds flat for the car. Raising the amp also brings its knobs close to hand. The tilt gets mixed marks for steadiness, though, so make sure the cabinet sits deep in the arms before you play.

Katana players get a stand built around their amp with the Boss BAS-1. Boss designed it for its own combos and for Roland's Blues Cube and JC-40, and one cam lever sets both the height and the angle in seconds. A sliding arm braces the back of the cabinet, and adjustable feet steady it on a bumpy floor. It folds into a slim bundle. Its weight rating is modest, so a big tube combo is too much for it.

A small practice amp on a bedroom floor is the job for the Gator Frameworks GFWGTRAMP100. It lifts the amp just clear of the floor and leans it back at a gentle, fixed angle, which is enough to hear your tone at ear level. The frame folds completely flat and slides into a road case or under a bed. Gator covers it for three years. It's built for small amps only, and it can feel lighter and flimsier than expected.

Miking your amp at a gig? The On-Stage RS7501 pairs a tripod amp stand with a jointed boom arm, so the mic hangs in front of the speaker without a second stand taking up floor space. The back leg sets five tilt positions, padded contact points protect the cabinet, and the tripod folds down for the trip home. It suits one-speaker combos best, and On-Stage doesn't publish a weight rating for it.

Big combos that need a plain, strong frame fit the Fender Amplifier Stand in its large size. It's a steel A-frame rated for very heavy amps, with a height adjustment, a fold for transport and rubber feet that soak up some floor rumble. Read Fender's own fine print if your amp has a vintage lacquer finish: the pads are cleared only for modern polyurethane, so put a soft cloth between them and the cabinet.

Wide amps sit well on the ASC K037, a low X-frame from American Sound Connection that takes anything from a one-speaker combo up to a 2x12. A knob locks the height, and rubber feet keep it from creeping across a wood floor. For a modest outlay it feels sturdy, and the amp's own weight helps anchor it. The knob can be stiff to turn, and the lock can slip, so check it before you set a heavy amp on top.

Gigging light is easier with the Ultimate Support AMP-150, a slim tripod that folds into a bundle you can tuck in the back of an open-back amp. Its locking legs hold it steady, the top tilts to three positions, and a threaded tip takes a mic boom. Ultimate Support rates it for small and mid-size combos. The support arms are narrow, so a wide or heavy cabinet can overhang them.

Nothing to adjust is the appeal of the On-Stage RS4000. This folding frame holds a small or practice amp at one set angle, and it opens or lays flat again in seconds. It fits amps such as the Fender Princeton Reverb and Deluxe Reverb. If that angle is wrong for your room, there's no way to change it, and its screws can work loose over time, so snug them now and then.

The Hamilton KB60 UniStand is a single leg, not a full stand. It props up the back of the cabinet so the speaker angles toward you, with a tilt plate that sits flat on the cab and four preset heights. It works with open- and closed-back amps and stores inside an open-back one. Its limited warranty lasts three years. The front edge stays on the floor, though, so it won't cut floor rumble the way a full stand can.