Attenuator Question

[rocknhorse1]

You can run a 16 ohm spekaer into a 4 ohm tap without harming anything. But you should match the ohms...16 ohm cab>>>>16 ohm setting or jack on amp.

 

[rocknhorse1]

If you were to go the other way...4 ohm speaker into a 16 ohm tap, then you could blow your output tranny.

 

[Canman]

Awesome thanks for the heads up guys! All this info is good stuff, hopefully I'll figure something out as far as attenuators go. I'll let you all know.

 

[b3john]

No, an L pad is different. It goes between the amp and speaker. It is a resistive load. It is a real attenuator...Google. And, it's only $10. Just get a pedal box to mount it in with a couple of jacks...done. I have even seen them mounted in a coffee can. (look at the second link)
L-Pad 50W Mono 3/8 Shaft 8 Ohm
Regis's Ampwell House Attenuator

If it's a real attenuator or L-pad that go between the amp and speaker, then fine, though some of these are nothing more than high wattage resistors, which is hardly the path to tone nirvana.

What I was talking about is the so-called "volume box attenuators" that go in the effects loop:
VOLUME BOX GUITAR AMPLIFIER ATTENUATOR FOR EGNATOR AMPS | eBay

 

[onioner]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't Lpad's have to be built for specific speaker impedances? Not that that should be a deterent, as you just gotta put together the right components, but IIRC, they do need to match speaker and amp.

That said, I've heard of folks getting great results from Lpads when using smaller wattage amps. The internets tell me that they're just about the best form of attenuation for the under 25W crowd, like even better than your several hundred dollar options. One of these days I'm gonna give it a shot. One of these days...

 

[rocknhorse1]

Yep, the link I posted is an 8 ohm, 50 watt Lpad.

 

[Splattle101]

You can run a 16 ohm spekaer into a 4 ohm tap without harming anything. But you should match the ohms...16 ohm cab>>>>16 ohm setting or jack on amp.

Rocknhorse1 is right...but a note of caution.

Isn't the Tweaker an amp designed to take lots of different valves of differing power outputs? If that's the case, the output impedance settings might not be as simple as they seem.

If you have output taps of 4, 8 and 16 Ohms rated at 15 Watts, and you have an 8 Ohm speaker, you'd use the 8 Ohm tap. But if you change the valves to get 30 Watts, you'd need to use the 16 Ohm tap. Or if you go the other way to 7 Watts you'd need to use the 4 Ohm tap...

...I think.

In any event, I would follow the manufacturer's advice very carefully.

 

[Dave1968]

Sorry to gate crash...

Does anyone in the states know where can buy a Dr Z Brakelite attenuator for less than $189.00??

Thanks!

 

[rocknhorse1]

Yep, Splat could be correct here, so I would shoot Egnater an email and ask.

 

[Bubbletonic]

Bitmo make a kit for L-pad attenuators, the 10-uator. I've made one and it took under an hour to get it all together.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmne11WDqUA]Marshall Class 5 Attenuator ~ Bitmo 10-Uator - YouTube[/ame]

If you want to go the L-pad route you don't have to buy their kit as it's cheaper to put together yourself, but they do work. When it comes to the bitmo l-pad kit though it's almost as much as buying a Weber anyway.

 

[Canman]

I'm pretty sure my speaker cab is 16 ohms, and the tubes are stock...I haven't changed them to run 30 watts. So I think if I have the amp output tap at 16 ohms I'll be ok right now.

I'll probably be getting an L Pad here soon...I noticed I can get a 16 ohm 50 watt one or a 100 watt one...will the wattage difference make a difference in tone? I realize tone will get a little off anyways, but does the 50 versus the 100 make that tonal change more significant? Also, since my speakers say 16 ohm it would be best to get an L Pad that is 16 ohms, right? I see a lot for 8 ohms, seems like the 16 would be the way to go though.

 

[rocknhorse1]

You could get the higher wattage one just to be safe. You should get the same ohms as your cab. If you read those links I posted, especially the one with the coffee can, I think he explains the build process, and all that other good stuff.

 

[a1terrier]

So glad I`ve found this thread.
I`ve got a Blackstar HT5 R Head running through an HTV 112 Cab and its bloody loud!! Clean channel is fine but OD channel I cant put amp volume much over 8 o`clock,especially with guitar volume turned up. Does this mean I`m missing out on power tube gain? Looking at a Weber Mini/Micro Mass attenuator which sounds like it will do the job. Anyone got/used one? Any advice would be much appreciated as I dont want to spend £100+ if its not going to work. Thanks all.

 

[rocknhorse1]

So glad I`ve found this thread.
I`ve got a Blackstar HT5 R Head running through an HTV 112 Cab and its bloody loud!! Clean channel is fine but OD channel I cant put amp volume much over 8 o`clock,especially with guitar volume turned up. Does this mean I`m missing out on power tube gain? Looking at a Weber Mini/Micro Mass attenuator which sounds like it will do the job. Anyone got/used one? Any advice would be much appreciated as I dont want to spend £100+ if its not going to work. Thanks all.

All you need is an L Pad.

Guys, this whole power tube distortion thing is completely over blown. I wouldn't wast time or money on it. Unless you are gigging with a 100 watt non-master Marshall, it's not a big deal...at all. It's not like it transforms your amp into some magical thing it wasn't before. Most of the coolness of the power tube breakup is the SPEAKER being pushed, and breaking up, and moving serious air. Without that, it still sounds small...and can sound bad. But try it, then you will know, because nobody will believe it, until they hear it for themselves.

 

[b3john]

All you need is an L Pad.

Guys, this whole power tube distortion thing is completely over blown. I wouldn't wast time or money on it. Unless you are gigging with a 100 watt non-master Marshall, it's not a big deal...at all. It's not like it transforms your amp into some magical thing it wasn't before. Most of the coolness of the power tube breakup is the SPEAKER being pushed, and breaking up, and moving serious air. Without that, it still sounds small...and can sound bad. But try it, then you will know, because nobody will believe it, until they hear it for themselves.

I'd rather just have an amp with a great master volume circuit (and a loop).

I really do need to have Randy build me a SIBLY one of these first days, maybe with a side of Corona...

 

[onioner]

I've got to mostly agree with what the Horse says above. My mostly comes just 'cause different amps and setups will get different results. If you're comparing a similar volume level, some will sound best with just the amp and speaker, and some will sound better w/ the right attenuator, and though I haven't tried them yet, from what I've heard, the "right" attenuator for a small amp may well be an L pad. I don't know that it's necessarily about getting power tube breakup, but you may well get better tones pushing those tubes, and then attenuating. You may not. These things are damn fickle.

One thing's for sure though. Nothin's gonna match a full on tube amp, pushing a good speaker. Part of that is that it's really loud. Any attenuator is gonna be less satisfying. The question is just does the attenuated tone sound better at the volume you will be playing than the straight signal. You just gotta try in order to answer that.

 

[Kyle76]

Am I missing something? Why not just get a good overdrive pedal that you can adjust to the tone you seek?

 

[onioner]

Am I missing something? Why not just get a good overdrive pedal that you can adjust to the tone you seek?

Because then you're getting your OD sound from SS instead of tubes?

Sure, you can just use pedals, but they won't give you any tube distortion. To each his own, but I'd much rather the latter.

 

[Riffraff12571]

Dude, $115.......problem solved. It uses an actual speaker motor for the load and sounds pretty damn fine with my 15 watter.

I use mine for that and another fun trick. I set it to load and run the line out to a separate power amp. That allows you drive your amp in it's sweet spot while giving you full volume control with no tone loss from a whisper to a roar. Here is my little 15 watt screamer run through it's cab AND reamped with a stereo power amp pushing my trashman's 212 cab. I ran the line through a G Sharp and added a touch of spring reverb before the power amp for some sweet tone. (yup, wet/dry/wet with a vintage grab-n-go). That cheap little attenuator can open up a world of cool possibilities.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYIqtnMru1g"]Silvertone 1482 - Reamped through MiniMass.wmv - YouTube[/ame]

I got the footswitchable bypass option on mine too for another $25 so I can use it for volume cut/bypass which makes it the perfect lead boost tool for my Vintage Modern. It's great little tool for the price of a stomp box and has a few more tricks to offer than a homemade L-Pad coffee can DIY special. Don't get me wrong, building stuff is a lot of fun all by itself but when you can have all this for that little scratch why bother.

 

[b3john]

Silvertone 1482 - Reamped through MiniMass.wmv - YouTube

Love the vintage Silvertone 1482!