Attenuators?? Any guys use them here with MV amps?

[loudgtr]

I watched some videos online yesterday at Destroy All Guitars featuring the Aracom Attenuator. Looks like a really sweet piece of gear that actually does what you'd want an attenuator to do, in other words, it does not seem to chop off the high end or alter the tone form what I saw. It's not cheap but could be worth it.

Worth it I say because when I visited an amp builder who's on this forum to pick up an amp I had bought at the time, I played it and a few other amps that night through an attenuator he had and I'm thinking now that it helped the tone of said amps quite a bit in terms of feel and overall tone at the low volumes we were playing at. It was later in the evening with kids going to bed etc.

So, seeing my gear in my sig below...my questions is: would a nice attenuator help with the feel and overall tone of the amp at basement volume level jamming? I think yes but thought I'd ask if you guys for your thought and if you think it's worth it. Thanks!

 

[stephen sawall]

I do ....
with some amps it is great .... with other amps I like the master alone better. It really comes down to the amp & how you use it if a attenuator is going to work for you.

 

[racerevlon]

I've always been a huge fan of the Rockman Power Soak. I have more than one and they don't color my tone and have never let me down. Also handy if you only have one speaker output but want to drive two cabinets.

 

[Chubtone]

I have never really used an attenuator with a 2203/2204 type circuit. I use them all the time with my Super Lead style amps though.

I tried one with my Splawn Quick Rod and didn't like what it did to the sound at all. It was too muffled and fuzzy and messy. So with that I use the amps master volujme and it works much better.

Also, regarding the Aracom. I bought one of these to compare to my THD Hot Plate. It was quite a bit more expensive than my THD Hot Plate but I felt it might be worth it. It had a very bright, fizzy characteristic I did not care for at all. I ended up keeping my THD as that worked for my purposes much better. I think I have heard that Aracom have done some refinements to the circuit since mine was an early one. However, after as good as the THD sounded in that comparison and as happy as I have been with my tone, I really haven't looked into anything else since.

Too bad you aren't close, I would loan you my Hot Plate and see what you think. I will try and get it hooked up with my 2204 this weekend and see what I think and let you know. It's going to be a busy weekend though.

 

[Blix]

Bad Cat is coming with a really cool option any day now, the Unleash. It's got an an attenuator, but the curious thing is that is also got an built in power-amp, that's supposed to be super transparent, and a effects loop.
Originally made to work with small wattage amps to make them louder, but it can handle 100w and could be a killer alternative for a non fx-loop NVM amp or a MV Marshall, if it does what it promise.

 

[Riffraff]

Typically no but I tried reamping the line out of a Hot Plate connected to a Vintage Modern like I used to do with my Plexi when running wet/dry and it didn't sound bad. Better than it does with the MV under 5 anyway. This clip is with the HP set to load and the SS power amp powering a 425A cab. I think it sounds a hell of a lot better than the attenuator alone with settings greater than -8db.

 

[stephen sawall]

The Unleash sounds like a "load / re-amp" device ?... not a real attenuator. Also can be a good method.

I also use a THD Hot Plate .... I set the amp up different when I set different dB' settings on the Hot Plate. I tend to boost low & high-end with more dB's attenuation. Speakers sound different as well as how your ear perception of sound at different dB's. So I fine tune to taste.
If you have a attenuator it is a good idea to lean how the amp & attenuator interact with different settings of -dB's to get the best results. All of the attenuator's / as well as any way you attenuate dB's does color the sound. This includes the "Master Volume" that is found on many amplifiers...

 

[Blix]

The Unleash sounds like a "load / re-amp" device ?... not a real attenuator. Also can be a good method.

Yeah indeed. Not an attenuator, I should have typed load instead.

 

[joepete77]

I have a ultimate/ho attenuator that I use with my 74 Superlead non MV and it works nicely. I dig the variac like 400v plug on back of it and run the amp through it with addition of the attenuation and it helps get the amp to break up really nice.i dig that it has two masters that are footswitchable for lead boosts. Most MV amps I have don't really need attenuation all that much but I sometimes run them in the 400v plug in on the ho for a bit more crunch/compression.

 

[steve_k]

Best way to handle a Marshall with a MV, if it has an FX loop with a return pot, is to jump the FX loop. Run your gain about noon, the MV around 3:00 and use the return as a master. Will make your Marshall blossom.....

 

[glip22]

Best way to handle a Marshall with a MV, if it has an FX loop with a return pot, is to jump the FX loop. Run your gain about noon, the MV around 3:00 and use the return as a master. Will make your Marshall blossom.....

A new Revelation after how many years. I bet that Golub is kicking ass and your

 

[verderacer]

Palmer PDI/PGA ?

 

[steve_k]

Best way to handle a Marshall with a MV, if it has an FX loop with a return pot, is to jump the FX loop. Run your gain about noon, the MV around 3:00 and use the return as a master. Will make your Marshall blossom.....

A new Revelation after how many years. I bet that Golub is kicking ass and your

My newest, favoritest, trickiest, trick.

Since most of my mods don't have a loop, it is limited. Works great on the Friedman BE100 too. Get's that tone stack moving....

Steve

 

[tripstan]

Best way to handle a Marshall with a MV, if it has an FX loop with a return pot, is to jump the FX loop. Run your gain about noon, the MV around 3:00 and use the return as a master. Will make your Marshall blossom.....

Would running a volume pedal in the loop do the same thing?

 

[university81]

Typically no but I tried reamping the line out of a Hot Plate connected to a Vintage Modern like I used to do with my Plexi when running wet/dry and it didn't sound bad. Better than it does with the MV under 5 anyway. This clip is with the HP set to load and the SS power amp powering a 425A cab. I think it sounds a hell of a lot better than the attenuator alone with settings greater than -8db.

that sounded killer, don't remember the vintage modern 2466 i had sounding quite as sweet, it was running through v30s at the time however, i think greenbacks would a made it sound a lot better

 

[loudgtr]

Best way to handle a Marshall with a MV, if it has an FX loop with a return pot, is to jump the FX loop. Run your gain about noon, the MV around 3:00 and use the return as a master. Will make your Marshall blossom.....

A new Revelation after how many years. I bet that Golub is kicking ass and your

My newest, favoritest, trickiest, trick.

Since most of my mods don't have a loop, it is limited. Works great on the Friedman BE100 too. Get's that tone stack moving....

Steve

Steve, thanks so much for sharing that tricky trick My '85 Marshall has a tube loop (not stock) that has been jumped on the inside. It just has a send level knob. The guy I bought it from said he thought it sounded best with that knob around noon (noon is pretty much full on I've just discovered) so I never touched it I'm such a noob. Just did that trick you mentioned and it sounds exactly what I was hoping a very expensive attenuator would do. Way more feel and punch. Works Awesome!
I never would have thought to crank the master to 3:00 and try that trick; thanks again.

 

[steve_k]

Best way to handle a Marshall with a MV, if it has an FX loop with a return pot, is to jump the FX loop. Run your gain about noon, the MV around 3:00 and use the return as a master. Will make your Marshall blossom.....

A new Revelation after how many years. I bet that Golub is kicking ass and your

My newest, favoritest, trickiest, trick.

Since most of my mods don't have a loop, it is limited. Works great on the Friedman BE100 too. Get's that tone stack moving....

Steve

Steve, thanks so much for sharing that tricky trick My '85 Marshall has a tube loop (not stock) that has been jumped on the inside. It just has a send level knob. The guy I bought it from said he thought it sounded best with that knob around noon (noon is pretty much full on I've just discovered) so I never touched it I'm such a noob. Just did that trick you mentioned and it sounds exactly what I was hoping a very expensive attenuator would do. Way more feel and punch. Works Awesome!
I never would have thought to crank the master to 3:00 and try that trick; thanks again.

Cool bro

 

[MountAnDewMe]

I used to like the idea of attenuators but never found one that didn't do something "wrong" to the sound. Just remember that they all pose an issue of shortening your transformers life.

 

[stephen sawall]

Just remember that they all pose an issue of shortening your transformers life.

It is a load ... the same as any other load on the speaker. If the amp is designed correct you should be able to run it dime / maxed all the time.
The only attenuator I have heard of that has caused transformer problems is not a attenuator really ~ it is a load / re-amp device that has a 30ohm load. That 30ohm load will cause problems with many amps....

 

[MountAnDewMe]

Sorry, I should have been a touch clearer in my earlier post. It's not that there is a load issue in using one. It is more along the line of using the amplifier in a full power mode for extended periods of time. It is more of a heat diffusing issue. Many people tend to think they can crank the power section to full then cut it to where they need the db level to be for quiet situations. The problem that occurs is that transformers use copper wire and if placed in an overheat situation for too long the transformer will suffer damage. This also can happen without an attenuator if the amp is played maxed for way to long. The end result will be a dulling of the sound either way. Yes I agree with you that a well designed power section should be able to be dimed for the life of an amp but we all know the unfortunate reality of cost effective manufacturing. Thank you for redirecting my error.