Can i remove a tube to reduce volume?

[tenniso]

can i play my Fender Blues Deville 410 with a power tube removed in order to reduce power? the damn thing is so loud at even volume 1, so i have to play with the volume between 0 and 1. At that low of a volume, the tone isn't very good. At higher volume, the amp is sweet.

i read somewhere about removing power tubes to reduce power. i just dont want to damage my amp.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Can i remove a tube to reduce volume?

How many power tubes does it have?

If 2, the answer is most likely NO. Power tubes generally work in pairs. With (for example) a 100w Marshall, which has 4 EL34s, you can remove either the inner or outer pair to reduce the output, but you have to also change the output impedance.

If there are only two power tubes you can't do it - they need each other. More importantly, I suspect you could damage the output transformer ($$$) if you run with one tube.

 

[tenniso]

Re: Can i remove a tube to reduce volume?

it only has 2 power tubes, so i guess the answer is no.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Can i remove a tube to reduce volume?

Yeah, you can't do that with that, plus pulling a set of power tubes doesn't lower the volume that much, and attenuator is what you are looking for ... I'm sure more than a few people on here can recommend a few from personal experience.

 

[mrid]

Re: Can i remove a tube to reduce volume?

Even if you had 4 tubes and pulled two, you'd only reduce the volume by 3 decibels. The reason people pull power tubes is to reduce the amp's headroom and get more power tube distortion/compression.

 

[strat_master]

Re: Can i remove a tube to reduce volume?

hmm thaTS INTERESTING, SO YOU CAN get youramp to distort faster with less tubes?