Thread title change....issue resolved

[Matt300ZXT]

I saw your other thread about this amp so I know it’s the Morris XSIII model you purchased. You didn't purchase a lemon just because it arrived in the mail with a faulty pre-amp tube (after being shipped twice!). With regards to design and reliability it would be hard to find a better quality amp than the Morris.

Some thoughts on attenuators...

I have a 1 watt, 15 watt and 45 watt Morris. The only one I would consider an attenuator with is the 1 watt. Confused? The 1 watt doesn't have a master volume But there is more to do it than that...

A non-master volume amp or a PPIMV could be a good candidate for an attenuator but less so a pre-Phase invertor MV amp. The XSIII is a pre-phase invertor MV amp designed from the ground up with pre-amp distortion in mind. The purpose of the MV on the XSIII is really to get you the volume you need... start off so you can't hear the volume and work your way up (this is the opposite of having the master dimed and then lowering it down).

As someone else mentioned the ideal candidates for an attenuator in the Morris Amp lineup would be the 68 Brownout as well as the VTR-10 as they do not have master volumes of any sort. Don't assume all high wattage amps require an attenuator.

Attenuator tip: Try to adjust all the controls at the loud volume without the attenuator hooked up so you know what you're getting in order to avoid unnatural settings like having all the controls dimed. We often cut some EQ controls when diming the master on an amp. Get to know your amp without an attenuator first. You may find the sound doesn't get better past a certain increased setting of the master. Then use the attenuator to tame the volume perhaps only 3 to 6dB for best results with most attenuators.

That's what Glen said, the amp wasn't really designed for this attenuator like a Marshall would be in comparison. I did turn the mv down a little last night and then flipped the attenuator into bypass and put the volume back up and it wasn't a whole heck of a lot of difference. But then again, I was only running the attenuator on 8db at first and then 3db, so with 3db fresh in my mind the volume wasn't a whole heck of a lot of change, but I only had the mv set at around 3-3.5 so it wasn't REALLY breathing so to speak. I had the Rockcrusher for the nmv 1987x. I never realllllly got a crunch I liked out of the 1987x so it went up for sale. That money funded this. Even with me still figuring out how I like to set the amp and the fact that it had a dud of a preamp tube, it still gets a better rock sound I like w/o a pedal on it than the 1987x did with a pedal on it. Naturally, never having heard an amp do the sub octave thing, it concerned me. However, Glen explained why/what was happening and I figure since he built the thing, he'd be the authority.

I'll get back to the jammin' later and tweak it some more and fiddle with the eq settings and find my favorite settings. Now, if only I could actually stand to crank the volume up even higher, but alas, the neighbors....also, it's going into a 4x12 Greenback cab and part of me is still afraid to really crank it up even if my ears would be able to take it because I don't want to blow a speaker.

 

[classicrocker]

That's what Glen said, the amp wasn't really designed for this attenuator like a Marshall would be in comparison. I did turn the mv down a little last night and then flipped the attenuator into bypass and put the volume back up and it wasn't a whole heck of a lot of difference. But then again, I was only running the attenuator on 8db at first and then 3db, so with 3db fresh in my mind the volume wasn't a whole heck of a lot of change, but I only had the mv set at around 3-3.5 so it wasn't REALLY breathing so to speak. I had the Rockcrusher for the nmv 1987x. I never realllllly got a crunch I liked out of the 1987x so it went up for sale. That money funded this. Even with me still figuring out how I like to set the amp and the fact that it had a dud of a preamp tube, it still gets a better rock sound I like w/o a pedal on it than the 1987x did with a pedal on it. Naturally, never having heard an amp do the sub octave thing, it concerned me. However, Glen explained why/what was happening and I figure since he built the thing, he'd be the authority.

I'll get back to the jammin' later and tweak it some more and fiddle with the eq settings and find my favorite settings. Now, if only I could actually stand to crank the volume up even higher, but alas, the neighbors....also, it's going into a 4x12 Greenback cab and part of me is still afraid to really crank it up even if my ears would be able to take it because I don't want to blow a speaker.

That's good. Take your time. Maybe the amp won't be right for your situation but spend weeks or months with it. It's also something you are unfamiliar with it... it's not a Katana. ;-)

When regards to an attenuator on a "Marshall" that would refer to the one you had... the non-master styles or even the late 70s JMP models and JCM-800s could possibly warrant some attenuation.

I haven't had an XSIII model but isn't 3 to 3.5 on the master louder than band volume?? It would be too loud for a drummer with my 45W Morris Classic.

I wouldn't worry about the 4x12 Greenbacks at typical band or lower volumes. If you hear nasty clipping then back off the volume. I know Glen often records his videos with a Greenback in a 1x12 or 2x12 (so 25 or 50 watt power handling) -- he says he has never blown a speaker as he knows what's reasonable. Also if you're loving the sound of a cabinet and one day you actually blew one of the speakers would it be that terrible to have to replace one of them if they are not rare? My comments hopefully make others think too... I don't mean to single you out.

 

[RaceU4her]

Sorry to hear. Could tell by your initial review you weren’t digging it