A few questions about Weber Minimass

[Chingarion]

I plan on purchasing a 50W tube amp, and while this suits me perfectly well in the choir I will start in, I want to use it for practice at home too.

I have looked at the Weber Minimass, which seems to be a very handy tool for this purpose. However, I have never dealt with such devices before, so I wonder about a few things:

How reliable is it? I do not live in the US, so I need the thing to be quite sturdy.

What cable do I need to connect from the Weber to the speaker?

Also, would have been nice if someone could confirm that the device works well outside the US, as my country has 50Hz and 230V.

Thanks

 

[Simon_F]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

I don't have a Minimass, but I do have a THD Hot Plate and can answer a couple of your questions, as they apply to attenuators in general:

- To connect the attenuator to the speaker cab you use a standard speaker cable.

- Your voltage will not be an issue as attenuators do not require any power source. They simply connect between the amp and the speaker cab(s) and "soak up" some of the amp's output power, converting it to heat / light / movement and passing a smaller amount on to the speakers.

Can't comment on the Minimass, but the Hot Plate is a very sturdy piece of kit.

Don't expect to get great results playing at home volume with an attenuator. They are excellent for reducing a 50w or 100w amp to a volume that is suitable for playing in pubs and clubs or for rehearsing with a band, but at bedroom volume the tone isn't great. I prefer to use a solid state amp for practicing at home.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

As Simon said you use a regular speaker cable (you can order them from Weber and have them delivered with the Mini Mass) and the voltage does not matter as an Attenuator doesn't plug into the wall...as for the construction of a Mini Mass mine is built like a tank...great piece of gear.

 

[some_dude]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

I've talked to someone who pulled a Mini-Mass apart and said it wasn't well built. Nothing like the quality of the full size unit.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

I've talked to someone who pulled a Mini-Mass apart and said it wasn't well built. Nothing like the quality of the full size unit.

I can tell you for sure, 100% that the guts from a Mini Mass and a Mass are the same...exactally the same.

 

[some_dude]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

I can tell you for sure, 100% that the guts from a Mini Mass and a Mass are the same...exactally the same.

If that were true then a Mini-Mass would support the same types of loads as the full size Mass.

This guy's Mini-Mass had glued in parts that weren't properly supported. He figures that they were doing it to cut corners to help cut costs. Hopefully your's isn't 100% exactly the same as his.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

Dude...the speaker motor for a 100 and a 150 watt Mass won 't fit in the actual housing that a Mini Mass is made in but they parts are 100% the same...a 50 watt Mass and a 50 watt Mini Mass are exactally the same except for the housing and the tone controls on the DI section...and FWIW, they are very well built.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

I've talked to someone who pulled a Mini-Mass apart and said it wasn't well built. Nothing like the quality of the full size unit.

I call BS. I own a 25-watt MiniMASS, and I don't think it can be taken apart. I'm pretty sure the case halves are epoxied together.

I've had no problems with mine. The cost savings come from not having a tone stack, or switchable impedance. You have to buy the Mini that matches your cabinet's impedance. Also, it comes with cables permanently attached - again, cost savings over jacks. The cables on mine are male in, female out, so it just plugs into the amp, and the cab plugs into it.

I use mine with my DIY 13 Watter, and the tone is pretty good down to bedroom levels. With a 50-watt amp, the tone at really low volumes won't be as good, but try it and see if you like it.

Something else to consider - THD Yellow Jackets. At home, you could swap in the Yellow Jackets with some EL84, then attenuate down from there with the MASS. For gigs, switch back to your octal output tubes. The beauty of this is that at home, you're burning up cheap EL84's rather than expensive EL34's (or your octal tube of choice).

 

[some_dude]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

I call BS. I own a 25-watt MiniMASS, and I don't think it can be taken apart. I'm pretty sure the case halves are epoxied together.

You called BS for me saying that stuff was glued together, and then stated that you're reason for calling BS is that it's glued together?

I'm confused?

 

[some_dude]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

P.S. - I'd post a copy of the PM I was given this info in, but the forum it's on is currently down.

 

[Hendrix95]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

You called BS for me saying that stuff was glued together, and then stated that you're reason for calling BS is that it's glued together?

I'm confused?

He's saying that it can't be opened, so there's no way to see inside. He made no mention of the insides which is what you were talking about. I don't think anyone's gonna believe that they're not made well without a pic of the inside. I've never heard of a single Mass failing. Just because you heard it on the internet from someone, doesn't mean its true without proof.

 

[some_dude]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

He's saying that it can't be opened, so there's no way to see inside. He made no mention of the insides which is what you were talking about. I don't think anyone's gonna believe that they're not made well without a pic of the inside. I've never heard of a single Mass failing. Just because you heard it on the internet from someone, doesn't mean its true without proof.

It's not just some random dude. One of the mods over on TGP is an amp tech. We were talking about various attenuators and their pros/cons in string of PMs. He took one apart to see what made it work and didn't like what he saw.

I'd post the PM thread as it's kinda interesting, but the forum is down.

 

[Chingarion]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

Seems like you've got something to discuss there. At least, I have the answers to my question covered here, although it seems one question is under argument.. However, thanks all for great replies, appreciate it I think I will go for it.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

Get the Mini Mass...it's built like a tank and FWIW, if you buy new Ted will have no problem taking it back!

 

[ruger9]

Re: A few questions about Weber Minimass

Another very happy Mini-Mass owner. I've got a 50watt Mini-Mass breaking a 50watt amp turned up about 75% (the amp is at 8 out of 12 on the Master, the pre is cranked). It's been going for like 3 months now, no problems whatsoever. Ted is a great guy to deal with as well.