Ive heard that using an attenuator can burn up output transformers and power tubes. Is this true. I have a 70 watt 81 super reverb i want to quiet a bit will a hotplate mess up my amp?
Thanks Steve. With my Fender Supersonic 60 I realise now that the master volume on the second channel is basically a built-in attenuator. The gain 1 is the pre-amps, gain 2 is the power tubes then master is the attenuator. Cool! :)
@CTuxford Not quite. A master volume lowers signal to the tubes causing them to run cleaner (quieter), an attenuator lowers the signal level before the speaker, i.e. the tubes can be cranked, and still get low volume.
I have a Non Master Volume Amp (Randall RM22) and I use a volume box (use in the loop) to tame the volume of preamp, are they the same as a Amp-Speaker Attenuator?
Is the Hot Plate going to make make amp sound distorted like in this video, or can i get a clean and clear sound with it? I have a Fender Blues Deluxe, btw.
@Martinijos The harder you push your amp (louder)The more load (output) you put on the power tubes.So yes it will clip or distort.When using this type of power tube overdrive in conjunction with your preamp overdrive,you'll get at tone thats preferred by many pros.This is the type of tone tube amp lovers cream in their pants over.Hope this helps.
My hot rod deluxe is just a bit on the loud side for house use, but I think with one of these I can have it on 4 on the amp and 8 on the attenuator, which will still give me a clean nice tone, thinking of getting a princeton reverb and that way I will not need one, or a deluxe reverb and attenuator, as with the deluxe reverb it will not have to be set as high, is the princton reverb a spanky clean type of tone ?
Attenuators cause damage to your amp in one way or another. no matter what anyone says in favor of them. better to get a lower wattage amp and mic it for live gigs
@spicecrop Attenuators cause damage to your amp in exactly the same way playing your amp at 8 or 10 damages your amp. You stress the tubes more and they run hotter. Like a light bulb, tubes have a burning piece of metal in them with a limited life. The hotter your run it, the shorter the life. Like he said, you always pay for your tone.
anyone interested in a cheap practice-valve amp? look at the bugera v5 combo, attenuator included, switchable from 5 down to 1 and to 0.1 watt. the beauty of it is that one can use the head on different speakers, just need a speaker-cable. well, just saying...best read some reviews...
I have a Crate Blue Voodoo BV120. Its 120 Watts RMS. What attenuator can I use with it? How many watts etc? I am looking at a Marshall PB100 which is 100 watts. Will that work? Do you know any cheaper ones?
Simple: Get one if you have an amp over 30/50 watts lol
You get a better sound when using higher volumes on your amp BUT you never really ever get to go high due to how loud it gets. By using this, you can get that full sound while hearing low volumes. Recycled Sound 6/12 is pretty transparent (meaning there isn't really any tone lost) and it's passive so you don't need power for it
Ok, please let me know if I got this right. Besides some blues, I mainly play 70s/80s hard rock. I play on a 100watt head and at home I can only play with the volume at about 1. If I get an attenuator, I can get the tone of my amp at a higher volume, but the attenuator will actually drain some of that tone? Have I got that right?
@MrNebelful Not exactly. I use a Samamp VAC 23 amplifier, and the Samamp amps have a different type of power scaling that uses light bulbs, far better sounding than an attenuator.
A Mark V at the 10watt setting, cranked to distortion, or a 100w Marshall JCM800 2203kk cranked (or nearly so) with the Hot Plate at -16db. Which would be "louder"? Would I still need an attenuator for a cranked 10w amp? Trying to decide between the Marshall and the MarkV. Need to have reasonable "home" volume. I would be happy if I could go with the Marshall and a Hot Plate and still meet home volume level. Maybe the MarkV with its varying wattage is the way to go? Thanks.
@massif20022000 HIya, i saw your commend here, i just want to say, after owning a Mark V amp, that the 10watt setting is friggin loud, real loud, thus, you still need an attenuator for 10 watt setting aswell. IM going to get an Aracom DAG as they are the best with hardly any issues when you set it heavy volume reduction. The MArk V is real loud on 90watt setting, freaky, 50 watts the same, but the 10 watt isnt like any 10 watt ive heard, its real loud when you crank the master volume up.
great video man, u think if i got this for my twin reverb and kept the volume up near all the way and used the hotplate i could get it to break up like a deluxe reverb? also i need to replace the tubes in my twin reverb, iv never retubed an amp, what tubes should i go for?
Maybe this tone issue would easily be solved if you plugged a speaker rated at lower wattage as opposed to use the Vibroverb ones that are rated to the amp voltage?
@lespaulman1 yea the attenuator will just control how loud it is through the speaker, and the higher up you turn your amp volume, the hotter it will get
i would imagine that even though the hot plate is designed to work on that amp,when you attenuate the signal it changes the load on the amp somewhat and pushing it into distortion easier. you would have a slight tone loss due to going through another device and also the speaker not moving as much. it's a good tool to have when you need it.
6:15 because you get more compression and lose on the headroom :) Look at this video and it will become more clear. watch?v=guSL1zjYhiA Great demonstration, cheers! :)))
i have a triple rectifier that i want to record with but to get the "sweet spot" is waaaaay too loud. could i get the sweet spot and then use an attenuator to quiet it down for recording purposes?
If you don't have a master volume and want to run both preamp and power tubes high, couldn't you just use a volume pedal to keep it low? While still having high gain?
@guiitarist Not really, if you keep the volume pedal really low, you're limiting that amount of signal that enters the amp, so no matter how high you have the preamp or master volume, you're only feeding it a little bit of signal, so the tubes won't overdrive.
hi! i like your review.btw.Iim just a bedroom guitar player and i want to try some nice paul gilbert tone coming from a laney GH50L tube amp through a 2x12 Laney straight cabinet. would i still get paul gilbert's exact quality of distortion when using an attenuator?
@satjathamma : It's not a matter of which one is best, it's a matter of which one matches the impedence need by your amp's output...same as choosing a speaker configuration. If you can't figure out which one goes with your amp, then talk to the guys at THD or a knowledgeable dealer before buying. If your cab has only one speaker, then look to see how many ohms it is. If your cab has 2 or more speakers, then the overall ohms depends on how they are wired together.
Would you use the Attenuator on a Solid State Amp, or just a Tube Amp? Some great demo editing and overlay work. Still don't know if I gain (no pun intended) anything by owning one.
So, if you tend to use a lot of preamp distortion, but also want poweramp distortion at the same time, using an attenuator is not the best idea? But if you just want poweramp distortion alone, it is? Am I right?
@angrygoldfish The attenuator actually allows you to overdrive the power tubes while controlling the volume to the speaker. Without an attenuator, as you push the power tubes harder and harder, your volume goes up and up. So the attenuator doesn't really affect the inner workings of the amp (preamp / power tubes) , it mainly just limits volume. However, it does affect the tone as it does this as I showed in the video.
hey i got a stupid question here man. i have a danelectro talkbox, and i cant crank the thing without gettin realy horrible feedback. will using one of these in any way help to be able to crank it? i mean i cant put my amp (marshall) stack above 3 but i need to be able to have it on 5 cause thats were my sound is at. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Great way to explain the attenuator. I heard that Eddie used a similar approach in the 70's when playing in small venues where he couldn't turn the amp to full drive. He got to over drive the tubes to get his brown sound but rigged it so the speaker won't be so loud. I heard he still keep the actual method a secret to this day but its thought that he messed with the voltage somehow.
Will a E.H. Signal pad work the way you have this set up? (It's a passive attenuator) I tried putting it between the amp (super champ xd) and the speaker using a speaker cable, and it didn't work correctly. The volume on the attenuator works in line with my effects in front of the amp, but not on the back end. I wanted it to use with my 68 champ. (which would need a speaker out mod)
Awesome series of demos on the tube amp issues. Really enlightening. Isn't this the coolest thing, that this really old technology helps us get great tones out of our guitars.
Just remember that your amp is working harder and tube life will suffer. So the question remains for me - given the strain that an attenuator can place on your amp tubes, can't us get the same effect, or very near it, with a pedal? Say a Full tone OCD or even more so a Full tone Fat Boost. Especially when you want to switch between sounds at a gig. Great review Anthony, just a related question to the issue of how amps work in a given setting.
@sparkdoggy A pedal can boost the overall signal level going into your amp, which will overdrive the tubes further, but if your master volume is down, that prevents them from overdriving, even with the increased level. You can add distortion to your signal with a pedal, but then you're putting a distorted signal into your amp, before it even hits the preamp tubes. This is not a bad thing, but it rarely sounds 'like' distorted power tubes.
Surely if you want the best tone you're better off getting a lower power amp that you can overdrive in any given situation without having to use an attenuator...?
Indeed. But that's not as simple. First thing is, for technological reasons, there are few tube amps in the "right" power / output level range to get THAT tone at rehearsal level. Then, when gigging, you sometimes need more volume, specially when playing in small/mid-sized clubs where the PA is, well, what it is (barely enough for the singer). And finally, not all amps sounds the same so when you do find THAT tone, well, you try to deal with the amp's output level.
(continued) : FWIW, I got really nice tones out of my bjr, but at a volume that was just to low to cope with our drummer - was on the edge for rehearsals, didn't cut it for gigs, and where we usually play I can't rely on the PA. Now there's no 30w version of the bjr, and the closest amp (tonewise) I could afford was a hotrod, which is just too damned loud. So what do I do ? Yes, right: get myself an attenuator. Not the best solution but the best bang for the buck as far as I'm concerned.
@TheShuffler94 Not necessarily. It takes more power to amplify low end cleanly, so a 3 watt amp will give you overdriven power tubes at a lower volume than a 30 watt amp, but most likely the bass will be much muddier. There are always tradeoffs no matter which route you go.
These burn tubes through tubes way quicker. Its really the same as cranking the master ful blast. It really really really works the power tubes hard. Your gonna go through tubes quicker, but i guess thats the sacrifice you make for quiet volume.
I found that the Ultimate Attenuator was the most transparent attenuator out there. Its expensive, but well worth the money. But any attenuator is going to "suck" tone from your sound, since at highly attenuated volume levels, the speakers aren't "pushing" as much air, and our ears perceive the different aspects of sound (highs,lows, mids etc) better at higher volume levels. (that is one of the reasons why people with hearing loss turn the treble all the way up, because you lose the HF first.)
Its a great example of how to use the attenuator. Great Video. Here's a question though... Would anyone use a 15 Watt Amp for stage or band practice? I'm trying to step up to the next level, but do I need a louder amp????
It depends how many people you're playing with. I used a 15w Blues Junior in a 5 piece band, with 2 guitarists, and it worked fine. However, at a larger venue, you'll need to have a mic on the amp, which is a good idea regardless of what amp you're using.
@jjulch 15w is more than plenty for tubes. I use an Orange Dual Terror, rated at 30w, but can be stepped down to 15w and 7.5w. There isn't much difference in the volume levels between the three. The only difference is that I can overdrive the power tubes at a lower dial setting on 15w & 7.5w.
Even at 7.5w, the amp is loud enough to play over our drummer, and I play rock. More than 30w is wasted at most semi-pro gigs, because you can't push the tubes hard enough before drown out the band.
Great video as normal. Could be the answer to overdriving my Bassman and Vibrolux channels on my Supersonic. Same problem as your Vibroverb its just too loud.
Great video Anthony, made me consider an attenuator for my Supersonic, I never get to overdrive the Bassman or Vibrolux channels as its just too loud!! Great amp by the way.
people even compare it w/ Aracom and Faustine attenuators, which are pretty much hi end right now. I had the hot plate borrowed from a local guitar forum guy and it was really nice combined with the variac I have on my amp (together sound like stage volume when I open it a bit) but I'll be getting the Alex since it's about the same price as hot plate (shipped to Europe! w/ customs ;)
First off sweet amp man! I bet you'd like to run it on full tilt, well I would hehe :)
Anyway you might want to check out Alex's attenuator, it's for 370 $ I think and it's a lot better than hot plate, or so I read. Search it on thegearpage, the guy builds them, you can PM him for order. It's about the same leage as the Ultimate attenuator, but half the price...
Great video! The Hot Plate(and similar) simply bleed off the excess power you are putting out to the speakers. That happens in the form of heat dissipation. These things are very cool, I have been wanting one for a while. The one I really want is a real "Power Soak" created by Tom Sholz of Boston fame.
Keep up the videos, you do a great job explaining the tech.
Anthony, first off thanks for these videos VERY informative and VERY useful
Do you plan on doing any videos about the reason people use pedals such as the TS-808 or BD-2 instead of the amp's power/preamp tube distortion? I mean strictly for tone not for volume and/or more distortion
I've had that same Hot Plate and a Dr. Z Air Brake and as simple as the Air Brake is, it doesn't squash your tone as much as the Hot Plate. It may react differently on different amps of course, but I'm using a Carr HammerHead II and it's SUPER loud, and the Air Brake does a much better job with this amp.
I sold the Hot Plate, but as you said, they do exactly what they were built for and the tonal quality will suffer the more you push the volume down. They're both pretty good products.
is input volume the same as channel volume?
villafan95 2 weeks ago
Ive heard that using an attenuator can burn up output transformers and power tubes. Is this true. I have a 70 watt 81 super reverb i want to quiet a bit will a hotplate mess up my amp?
morbe77 1 month ago
Why do you double-up on the to strap button? Does it stay on better?
ThePyroHobo 1 month ago
@ThePyroHobo yes.
gr8bluesgtr 1 month ago
This has been flagged as spam show
ell no, it won't be free (7:06) just $300.
xxGNR12xx 1 month ago
Comment removed
xxGNR12xx 1 month ago
Thanks Steve. With my Fender Supersonic 60 I realise now that the master volume on the second channel is basically a built-in attenuator. The gain 1 is the pre-amps, gain 2 is the power tubes then master is the attenuator. Cool! :)
CTuxford 2 months ago
@CTuxford Not quite. A master volume lowers signal to the tubes causing them to run cleaner (quieter), an attenuator lowers the signal level before the speaker, i.e. the tubes can be cranked, and still get low volume.
gr8bluesgtr 1 month ago
I have a Non Master Volume Amp (Randall RM22) and I use a volume box (use in the loop) to tame the volume of preamp, are they the same as a Amp-Speaker Attenuator?
Zhorellski 2 months ago
@Zhorellski Not realy... You change the volume before the powertubes, not after... it's not the same
JustSomeRandomNewb 2 months ago
1:50 - 3:20 Basically, you want to get the distortion of the power tubes without the extreme volume needed to achieve this. In a nutshell.
rev101ben 3 months ago 2
My mate says his Line 6 spider 75 watt sounds better than any tube amp until you play at gig volumes. Is he on crack?
J4m3z1 4 months ago
@J4m3z1 Yes he is, they suck at any volume
stevo946 3 months ago
great job man thanks! I learned a few things.
Bflatest 5 months ago
Crank up the amp then use the attenuator, you got a horrible tone because the amp not cranked up when you used your attenuator.
William102582 5 months ago
Is the Hot Plate going to make make amp sound distorted like in this video, or can i get a clean and clear sound with it? I have a Fender Blues Deluxe, btw.
Martinijos 6 months ago
@Martinijos Can't say for sure with other amps, but with mine, the amp distorts much more quickly as I roll the attenuator lower.
gr8bluesgtr 6 months ago
@Martinijos The harder you push your amp (louder)The more load (output) you put on the power tubes.So yes it will clip or distort.When using this type of power tube overdrive in conjunction with your preamp overdrive,you'll get at tone thats preferred by many pros.This is the type of tone tube amp lovers cream in their pants over.Hope this helps.
cast390 2 months ago
Awesome video, i will get an attenuator, because my peavey 6505+ is waaaaaaaaay too loud, even if i'm playing with the volume at 2
themaggot8 6 months ago
My hot rod deluxe is just a bit on the loud side for house use, but I think with one of these I can have it on 4 on the amp and 8 on the attenuator, which will still give me a clean nice tone, thinking of getting a princeton reverb and that way I will not need one, or a deluxe reverb and attenuator, as with the deluxe reverb it will not have to be set as high, is the princton reverb a spanky clean type of tone ?
UKToneKing 6 months ago
Attenuators cause damage to your amp in one way or another. no matter what anyone says in favor of them. better to get a lower wattage amp and mic it for live gigs
spicecrop 7 months ago
@spicecrop Attenuators cause damage to your amp in exactly the same way playing your amp at 8 or 10 damages your amp. You stress the tubes more and they run hotter. Like a light bulb, tubes have a burning piece of metal in them with a limited life. The hotter your run it, the shorter the life. Like he said, you always pay for your tone.
2253glen 6 months ago
attenuator or variac?
Ericclapton325 7 months ago
anyone interested in a cheap practice-valve amp? look at the bugera v5 combo, attenuator included, switchable from 5 down to 1 and to 0.1 watt. the beauty of it is that one can use the head on different speakers, just need a speaker-cable. well, just saying...best read some reviews...
tit4tat4dat 8 months ago 3
how do you run it though?
charlieshreds 8 months ago
Might the Hotplate work better with different amps. Maybe like a plexi of some sort?
electrickithara 8 months ago
yeah SRV it..ha ha
PIlotrcm 9 months ago
Hi,
I have a Crate Blue Voodoo BV120. Its 120 Watts RMS. What attenuator can I use with it? How many watts etc? I am looking at a Marshall PB100 which is 100 watts. Will that work? Do you know any cheaper ones?
Cheers
Eraj1979 9 months ago
Just wondering, where did you find the Vibroverb?
Angelfish25000 9 months ago
@Angelfish25000 Got the last available one from Sweetwater right before they were discontinued.
gr8bluesgtr 9 months ago
@gr8bluesgtr Ah thanks. It's a shame they were discontinued :/
Angelfish25000 9 months ago
@gr8bluesgtr Ah thanks. It's a shame they were discontinued :/
Angelfish25000 9 months ago
An attenuator like a Faustine or an Aracom won't rob your highs
LabelBob 1 year ago
Simple: Get one if you have an amp over 30/50 watts lol
You get a better sound when using higher volumes on your amp BUT you never really ever get to go high due to how loud it gets. By using this, you can get that full sound while hearing low volumes. Recycled Sound 6/12 is pretty transparent (meaning there isn't really any tone lost) and it's passive so you don't need power for it
headshot992 1 year ago
Ok, please let me know if I got this right. Besides some blues, I mainly play 70s/80s hard rock. I play on a 100watt head and at home I can only play with the volume at about 1. If I get an attenuator, I can get the tone of my amp at a higher volume, but the attenuator will actually drain some of that tone? Have I got that right?
jakemk21 1 year ago
this guy actually knows what he is talking about, unlike most other people with demos.
coolcustomer31 1 year ago
so in other words.. if you want to attain SRV break up at human volume levels you might need an attenuator right??..
From all the dudes inyou tube .. to me you are the most accurate for the SRV tone I look for.. is this attenuator thing you do in your vids?
MrNebelful 1 year ago
@MrNebelful Not exactly. I use a Samamp VAC 23 amplifier, and the Samamp amps have a different type of power scaling that uses light bulbs, far better sounding than an attenuator.
gr8bluesgtr 1 year ago
Faustine :)
knikk77 1 year ago
So I's basicly makes you have the tone a very loud amp, but at low volume? Exactly what i was looking for!
Gitaaroverlast 1 year ago
Is it the fat strings that make that fat Stevie Ray Vaughan sound?
pipon55 1 year ago
Of course, I meant 10W--> 10db -6db = 4db
massif20022000 1 year ago
Maybe this can help me understand;
2 amps a full throttle:
First amp: 100W with attenuator @ -16db --> 4db
Second amp: 10W with attenuator @ -6db --> 4db
So, both amps would then sound as "loud".
(100W-->20db, 10W-->10db and the attenuator just cuts out db's so:
100W-->20db - 16db=4db
10W--> 10db -4db = 4db
Is this how it is figured out?)
massif20022000 1 year ago
A Mark V at the 10watt setting, cranked to distortion, or a 100w Marshall JCM800 2203kk cranked (or nearly so) with the Hot Plate at -16db. Which would be "louder"? Would I still need an attenuator for a cranked 10w amp? Trying to decide between the Marshall and the MarkV. Need to have reasonable "home" volume. I would be happy if I could go with the Marshall and a Hot Plate and still meet home volume level. Maybe the MarkV with its varying wattage is the way to go? Thanks.
massif20022000 1 year ago
@massif20022000 HIya, i saw your commend here, i just want to say, after owning a Mark V amp, that the 10watt setting is friggin loud, real loud, thus, you still need an attenuator for 10 watt setting aswell. IM going to get an Aracom DAG as they are the best with hardly any issues when you set it heavy volume reduction. The MArk V is real loud on 90watt setting, freaky, 50 watts the same, but the 10 watt isnt like any 10 watt ive heard, its real loud when you crank the master volume up.
nznaturopath 1 year ago
just and amazing tone man, every video!
ArtVandaleit 1 year ago
great video man, u think if i got this for my twin reverb and kept the volume up near all the way and used the hotplate i could get it to break up like a deluxe reverb? also i need to replace the tubes in my twin reverb, iv never retubed an amp, what tubes should i go for?
ArtVandaleit 1 year ago
Maybe this tone issue would easily be solved if you plugged a speaker rated at lower wattage as opposed to use the Vibroverb ones that are rated to the amp voltage?
mr4y 1 year ago
Very Useful THANKS :)
Guitarmania03 1 year ago
I have a jcm800 and it has a master volume and a pramp volume. Will a hotplate still work with my amp if it has a master volume?
lespaulman1 1 year ago
@lespaulman1 yea the attenuator will just control how loud it is through the speaker, and the higher up you turn your amp volume, the hotter it will get
wxp24 1 year ago
@lespaulman1 yes, the master volume controls the amount of signal to the power tubes; consequently, you'll get more power amp distortion.
pfarina 1 year ago
What is your opinion on graphtech saddles??? I have Two strats, and a tele. Im debating on upgrading the saddles. does it help the tone at all?
RubyTuesday93 1 year ago
@RubyTuesday93 Absolutely necessary.
gr8bluesgtr 1 year ago
@gr8bluesgtr Thanks man, Do you think you could do a demonstration on the saddles? I dont think there are any on youtube?
RubyTuesday93 1 year ago
i would imagine that even though the hot plate is designed to work on that amp,when you attenuate the signal it changes the load on the amp somewhat and pushing it into distortion easier. you would have a slight tone loss due to going through another device and also the speaker not moving as much. it's a good tool to have when you need it.
THECROW572 1 year ago
I've heard that you can take some tubes out of the amp in order to make it sound good at low volumes, is it true?, if so, how do I do it?
Zarzosa 1 year ago
You're the guy who taught me Rude Mood! Now, I'm learning about amps. Thanks!
heliobluesrock 1 year ago
What does the "load" setting do?
Haukelid 1 year ago
6:15 because you get more compression and lose on the headroom :) Look at this video and it will become more clear. watch?v=guSL1zjYhiA Great demonstration, cheers! :)))
FenixBG 1 year ago
Ouch, that hot plate is terrible... Try the Koch Load Box, much better.
Gnarkill2k6 1 year ago
@Gnarkill2k6 Both are worthless! I owned a Koch Loadbox 2 for a week, sold it!
Yes, you get more power amp distortion but you lose all your bass and some treble.
Don't start that the Koch doesn't affect your tone : I've read that too until I tried it.
If the Koch is one of the best, then I'll never gonna get me another.
turboblues 1 year ago
Hey Anthony!
i think you should try the Vibroverb with an ultimate attanuator. sound alot(!) better than the hot plate.. ;P
BluesThor 1 year ago
i have a triple rectifier that i want to record with but to get the "sweet spot" is waaaaay too loud. could i get the sweet spot and then use an attenuator to quiet it down for recording purposes?
sk8monster112 1 year ago
If you don't have a master volume and want to run both preamp and power tubes high, couldn't you just use a volume pedal to keep it low? While still having high gain?
guiitarist 1 year ago
@guiitarist Not really, if you keep the volume pedal really low, you're limiting that amount of signal that enters the amp, so no matter how high you have the preamp or master volume, you're only feeding it a little bit of signal, so the tubes won't overdrive.
gr8bluesgtr 1 year ago 4
hi! i like your review.btw.Iim just a bedroom guitar player and i want to try some nice paul gilbert tone coming from a laney GH50L tube amp through a 2x12 Laney straight cabinet. would i still get paul gilbert's exact quality of distortion when using an attenuator?
xtianmusic 1 year ago
thats the best sound I heard! I will get one of these! but wich one is best? 4 ohm? 8 ohm? 16? I know nothing about this, what is the difference?
satjathamma 1 year ago
@satjathamma : It's not a matter of which one is best, it's a matter of which one matches the impedence need by your amp's output...same as choosing a speaker configuration. If you can't figure out which one goes with your amp, then talk to the guys at THD or a knowledgeable dealer before buying. If your cab has only one speaker, then look to see how many ohms it is. If your cab has 2 or more speakers, then the overall ohms depends on how they are wired together.
hellbenttexasman 1 year ago
Would you use the Attenuator on a Solid State Amp, or just a Tube Amp? Some great demo editing and overlay work. Still don't know if I gain (no pun intended) anything by owning one.
nutmegger1957 1 year ago
Comment removed
satjathamma 1 year ago
So, if you tend to use a lot of preamp distortion, but also want poweramp distortion at the same time, using an attenuator is not the best idea? But if you just want poweramp distortion alone, it is? Am I right?
angrygoldfish 1 year ago
@angrygoldfish The attenuator actually allows you to overdrive the power tubes while controlling the volume to the speaker. Without an attenuator, as you push the power tubes harder and harder, your volume goes up and up. So the attenuator doesn't really affect the inner workings of the amp (preamp / power tubes) , it mainly just limits volume. However, it does affect the tone as it does this as I showed in the video.
gr8bluesgtr 1 year ago
can this thing bring the volume down of a 50W tube amp with 2 1'12 cabs to bedroom level without killing the tone????
TerrorBlade84 1 year ago
what ohm would you use for a 100w marshall plexi?
ZakkHendrix666 1 year ago
Thanks Anthony, all of your gear videos are very informative, you have helped me make some decisions, keep up the great videos D.
dannyrybeck 1 year ago
hey i got a stupid question here man. i have a danelectro talkbox, and i cant crank the thing without gettin realy horrible feedback. will using one of these in any way help to be able to crank it? i mean i cant put my amp (marshall) stack above 3 but i need to be able to have it on 5 cause thats were my sound is at. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
coitussnakes 1 year ago
Great way to explain the attenuator. I heard that Eddie used a similar approach in the 70's when playing in small venues where he couldn't turn the amp to full drive. He got to over drive the tubes to get his brown sound but rigged it so the speaker won't be so loud. I heard he still keep the actual method a secret to this day but its thought that he messed with the voltage somehow.
zer0dahero 1 year ago
Life is to short for bad tone
Get a Aracom PRX150-Pro attenuator it is TOTALLY transparent!
And throw that hot plate in the trash can.
pleximanic 1 year ago
Will a E.H. Signal pad work the way you have this set up? (It's a passive attenuator) I tried putting it between the amp (super champ xd) and the speaker using a speaker cable, and it didn't work correctly. The volume on the attenuator works in line with my effects in front of the amp, but not on the back end. I wanted it to use with my 68 champ. (which would need a speaker out mod)
edmiglia 1 year ago
I been playing my modded Champ600 for the last 6 months which is the only amp I have and the tones coming out of this amp cut it to pieces
Strat0Blues 1 year ago
Once again - nice playing mate
lstierney 1 year ago
Ok, so my 15 watt tube amp should work... Thanks for the videos!
jjulch 1 year ago
Awesome series of demos on the tube amp issues. Really enlightening. Isn't this the coolest thing, that this really old technology helps us get great tones out of our guitars.
VGStratGuy 1 year ago
Just remember that your amp is working harder and tube life will suffer. So the question remains for me - given the strain that an attenuator can place on your amp tubes, can't us get the same effect, or very near it, with a pedal? Say a Full tone OCD or even more so a Full tone Fat Boost. Especially when you want to switch between sounds at a gig. Great review Anthony, just a related question to the issue of how amps work in a given setting.
Beezer
sparkdoggy 1 year ago
@sparkdoggy A pedal can boost the overall signal level going into your amp, which will overdrive the tubes further, but if your master volume is down, that prevents them from overdriving, even with the increased level. You can add distortion to your signal with a pedal, but then you're putting a distorted signal into your amp, before it even hits the preamp tubes. This is not a bad thing, but it rarely sounds 'like' distorted power tubes.
gr8bluesgtr 1 year ago
Surely if you want the best tone you're better off getting a lower power amp that you can overdrive in any given situation without having to use an attenuator...?
TheShuffler94 1 year ago
Indeed. But that's not as simple. First thing is, for technological reasons, there are few tube amps in the "right" power / output level range to get THAT tone at rehearsal level. Then, when gigging, you sometimes need more volume, specially when playing in small/mid-sized clubs where the PA is, well, what it is (barely enough for the singer). And finally, not all amps sounds the same so when you do find THAT tone, well, you try to deal with the amp's output level.
2latuile 1 year ago
(continued) : FWIW, I got really nice tones out of my bjr, but at a volume that was just to low to cope with our drummer - was on the edge for rehearsals, didn't cut it for gigs, and where we usually play I can't rely on the PA. Now there's no 30w version of the bjr, and the closest amp (tonewise) I could afford was a hotrod, which is just too damned loud. So what do I do ? Yes, right: get myself an attenuator. Not the best solution but the best bang for the buck as far as I'm concerned.
2latuile 1 year ago
@TheShuffler94 Not necessarily. It takes more power to amplify low end cleanly, so a 3 watt amp will give you overdriven power tubes at a lower volume than a 30 watt amp, but most likely the bass will be much muddier. There are always tradeoffs no matter which route you go.
gr8bluesgtr 1 year ago
You forgot one thing...
These burn tubes through tubes way quicker. Its really the same as cranking the master ful blast. It really really really works the power tubes hard. Your gonna go through tubes quicker, but i guess thats the sacrifice you make for quiet volume.
LordOfThisWorld74 1 year ago
Excellent Anthony! Very helpful.
TBIRD100450 1 year ago
I found that the Ultimate Attenuator was the most transparent attenuator out there. Its expensive, but well worth the money. But any attenuator is going to "suck" tone from your sound, since at highly attenuated volume levels, the speakers aren't "pushing" as much air, and our ears perceive the different aspects of sound (highs,lows, mids etc) better at higher volume levels. (that is one of the reasons why people with hearing loss turn the treble all the way up, because you lose the HF first.)
RickyboyH 1 year ago
Its a great example of how to use the attenuator. Great Video. Here's a question though... Would anyone use a 15 Watt Amp for stage or band practice? I'm trying to step up to the next level, but do I need a louder amp????
jjulch 1 year ago
It depends how many people you're playing with. I used a 15w Blues Junior in a 5 piece band, with 2 guitarists, and it worked fine. However, at a larger venue, you'll need to have a mic on the amp, which is a good idea regardless of what amp you're using.
gr8bluesgtr 1 year ago
@jjulch 15w is more than plenty for tubes. I use an Orange Dual Terror, rated at 30w, but can be stepped down to 15w and 7.5w. There isn't much difference in the volume levels between the three. The only difference is that I can overdrive the power tubes at a lower dial setting on 15w & 7.5w.
Even at 7.5w, the amp is loud enough to play over our drummer, and I play rock. More than 30w is wasted at most semi-pro gigs, because you can't push the tubes hard enough before drown out the band.
leslawrenson 1 year ago
my amp has a 4-8-16 ohm setting. the attenuator's come in each setting. Which is the safest to use, and does it make a difference in tone?
airtap1982 1 year ago
Great video as normal. Could be the answer to overdriving my Bassman and Vibrolux channels on my Supersonic. Same problem as your Vibroverb its just too loud.
FrictionWelding1 1 year ago
Great video Anthony, made me consider an attenuator for my Supersonic, I never get to overdrive the Bassman or Vibrolux channels as its just too loud!! Great amp by the way.
blindlemonUK 1 year ago
GREAT DEMO Anthony. I have consider a hot plate in the past, but now that I realize the tone loss...I will pass. THANKS
SingleCoilVoodoo 1 year ago
I have the same amp but don't use it too often. Like you said, it's REALLY loud.
I'm going to try this and see how it works.
Thanks for the example!!
notwaiting 1 year ago
whats the song at the beginning of the video
mafew129 1 year ago
2nd part:
people even compare it w/ Aracom and Faustine attenuators, which are pretty much hi end right now. I had the hot plate borrowed from a local guitar forum guy and it was really nice combined with the variac I have on my amp (together sound like stage volume when I open it a bit) but I'll be getting the Alex since it's about the same price as hot plate (shipped to Europe! w/ customs ;)
rasomaso 1 year ago
First off sweet amp man! I bet you'd like to run it on full tilt, well I would hehe :)
Anyway you might want to check out Alex's attenuator, it's for 370 $ I think and it's a lot better than hot plate, or so I read. Search it on thegearpage, the guy builds them, you can PM him for order. It's about the same leage as the Ultimate attenuator, but half the price...
rasomaso 1 year ago
Great video! The Hot Plate(and similar) simply bleed off the excess power you are putting out to the speakers. That happens in the form of heat dissipation. These things are very cool, I have been wanting one for a while. The one I really want is a real "Power Soak" created by Tom Sholz of Boston fame.
Keep up the videos, you do a great job explaining the tech.
firemedic510 1 year ago
can you do a video on how to mic up your amp for recording?
mofemobile 1 year ago
thanks this is great
guitarD92 1 year ago
Anthony, first off thanks for these videos VERY informative and VERY useful
Do you plan on doing any videos about the reason people use pedals such as the TS-808 or BD-2 instead of the amp's power/preamp tube distortion? I mean strictly for tone not for volume and/or more distortion
ebmx66 1 year ago
I've had that same Hot Plate and a Dr. Z Air Brake and as simple as the Air Brake is, it doesn't squash your tone as much as the Hot Plate. It may react differently on different amps of course, but I'm using a Carr HammerHead II and it's SUPER loud, and the Air Brake does a much better job with this amp.
I sold the Hot Plate, but as you said, they do exactly what they were built for and the tonal quality will suffer the more you push the volume down. They're both pretty good products.
Stratomacaster 1 year ago
@Stratomacaster Thanks for the info on the Air Brake.
gr8bluesgtr 1 year ago
wow, i didnt you had a vibroverb!
SRVthenumberONE 1 year ago