Attenuator or Tube Change? Recommended/Preferred Attenuator?

[Diminished Triad]

The recommendations read so far seem to prefer using an attenuator rather than changing tubes to provide more break-up and distortion at lower volumes. Lots also recommend skipping the tube sound at lower volumes and just relying upon a distortion pedal/box for the desired sound.

I am currently trying to find a better sound from a Fender Vibro-King (60w 3x10 speakers) at lower volumes. Is there a preferred attenuator that's solid and available at a decent price?

THANKS!

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Attenuator or Tube Change? Recommended/Preferred Attenuator?

How about a drive pedal? Distortion or overdrive.

 

[LReese]

Re: Attenuator or Tube Change? Recommended/Preferred Attenuator?

My .02...

A smaller amp AND a drive pedal. Champs and Princetons sound heavenly, yet very different when at the threshold of distortion, then goosed with a good drive. I say at the threshold because I like a little reverb AND/OR delay.

That being said, I'm a bit out of the norm for the typical member.

However there is no substitute for VOLUME. Attenuators - Havent found one I didn't eventually sour on in one way or another.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Attenuator or Tube Change? Recommended/Preferred Attenuator?

I use a Weber MASS for some things, but an attenuator isn't a better sound, it's a lower volume sound. The tube break-up will sound awesome, and then be filtered through the attenuator, which needs some treble recovery - which will add 3db of fizz or 6db of fizz, player's choice. The sound of an attenuator is like listening to a great amp from around the corner.

Good attenuators aren't all that cheap. Seem to run about $200-$400 USD new. Haven't looked at used.

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Attenuator or Tube Change? Recommended/Preferred Attenuator?

I use a Weber MASS for some things, but an attenuator isn't a better sound, it's a lower volume sound. The tube break-up will sound awesome, and then be filtered through the attenuator, which needs some treble recovery - which will add 3db of fizz or 6db of fizz, player's choice. The sound of an attenuator is like listening to a great amp from around the corner.

Good attenuators aren't all that cheap. Seem to run about $200-$400 USD new. Haven't looked at used.

Preferred or leading brand/model?
Thank you!

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: Attenuator or Tube Change? Recommended/Preferred Attenuator?

The THD Hot Plate isn't too bad at all. You can run it as a power soak to cut volume, or even as a dummy speaker load so you can run into a mixing board or recorder. It has some decent filtering options as well. It will let you crank your tubes up into their zone, but it will suck a little bit of tone in return.

My amps generally sound better through the Hot Plate than they do turned down to "bedroom" volume, but not as good as they sound when cranked without the attenuator.

For about the same money, you could consider getting a different (smaller) speaker cabinet to plug into. If you find a nice crunchy 1x12 you might be able to get good breakup at lower volume than you will into a 3x10. I pretty much stopped using the Hot Plate when I got a more appropriate cabinet.

 

[esandes]

Re: Attenuator or Tube Change? Recommended/Preferred Attenuator?

rivera rock crusher

 

[jeremy]

Re: Attenuator or Tube Change? Recommended/Preferred Attenuator?

i like the weber mass as much as anything out there. i have an old one and it does the trick but there is a trade off.

if the vibroking is too much amp for you then look at something smaller with less efficient speakers

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Attenuator or Tube Change? Recommended/Preferred Attenuator?

Preferred or leading brand/model?
Thank you!

The Weber MASS was my choice based on capability / price. I don't have experience with other attenuators out there, but spending several hundred dollar for only 4ohm, then having to spend another several hundred to plug into 16ohm sounded like a ripoff to me when the MASS can do 4/8/16ohm from one box, and it's an actual speaker load (it uses a speaker driver without a cone as it's load), it can operate as an attenuator and a dummy load, and has a full tone stack to makeup tone loss on the line out. So the capability of the MASS is what won me over. I do find it very useful, it's just you have to accept the trade off if you are going to use it.

 

[FretFire]

Re: Attenuator or Tube Change? Recommended/Preferred Attenuator?

What do you mean by "lower volume"? Are you trying to bring your amp down to a more manageable stage volume at shows, or looking to use the amp at speaking volumes at home? An attenuator is great for the first option, as they're made to knock a few decibels off when your amp is cranked. I think it sounds pretty terrible if you use one to squash the amp down for home use, though.