Just got the MASS 150

OlinMusic

New member
Had to say the Weber Mass 150 answered all my problems with taming my Marshall. Can't stop playing it with my OCD and FD2 - man where was this thing when I was gigging with this SLP?


WOW!
 
Re: Just got the MASS 150

What does it do to the tone?

My perception is that there is no perfect solution. While designed to compensate (switched settings) the loss of highs, there is some loss with increasing attenuation. I think it feels more "alive" than the Load Dump, or others designed like that (Hotplate) that I have tried. But, as with all gear each of us has to decide it it works for us. It also has a seelctor switch for various ohm loads so I can use it with more than one amp like most other units.
 
Re: Just got the MASS 150

I have been using the Weber MASS for a while. I used one with my 2204 and now I have another for my 1987x. It's great when you want loud, but not level-the-building loud! :D
 
Re: Just got the MASS 150

What does it do to the tone?
It depends on how much attenuation you use. The higher the attenuation level, the more fizz/compression will be present. In my case, ideally, it is great for taking the edge off of the top. It's not ideal for getting 'bedroom' level volume, but you can get there if you want.
 
Re: Just got the MASS 150

Olin, are you still using the Bogner Shiva as your main amp? I'm curious about how it worked with the Bogner, since it already has a good master volume.
 
Re: Just got the MASS 150

I recently got a mass 100 for the Edana. Same basic thing everyone else is saying about it. It works really well at taking the volume down from ear splitting to something that doesn't hurt in a small room. That's about all I can expect out of it and I'm thrilled with it's ability to tame this overly powerful Edana down a bit. When I take the attenuation down to say 6 in the low range, it really starts getting noticeable in the tone, but it really works well overall and can be compensated slightly by adding a touch of treble from the amp. I wish that it had more than 6 db treble switch plus a bass switch added on for just a touch of added thump at lower volume levels. It still does a lot just like it is though. I'm very happy with it's performance. It doesn't take out the punch the Edana has or the sweetness she possesses. It just lets her lower her voice a touch. Now the amp can roam to places that were previously too small for that kind of volume.

Thank you Ted Weber!
 
Re: Just got the MASS 150

Well,

I posted this because so many reviews failed to tell me what I needed to know. It is NOT like the Hot Plate. It has a lot more "feel" to it, it's kinda brown-ish in that regard. It has CONTINUOUS control which is HUGE. I love THD and the people there, but I couldn't work with THEIR solution of setting to a dB on the HP and then tweaking my amp.

I like to run my Marshall soooo many different ways, sometimes I want an FD2 on Vintage mode and the amp at 3, or an OCD goosed and the amp at 5, or no pedals and the amp at 7, sometimes I yank 2 tubes, sometimes I use a Keeley Ds1 - so nooooooooo I can't have my attenuator get in the way. The Mass solved this.

I do NOT give premature reviews! I am THAt impressed. Let's say I was shopping to sell my marshall and get a Matchless Clubman or /13 JRT and that's done. I shopped today and nope, sorry, Marshall con un Weber Mass es un sonida grande y sexy sexy!

I disagree it doesn't goto bedroom level. Look, you attentuate and you don't get the same mojo and goods that cranking gets, but I can RECOGNIZE my amp and it's tonal qualities sans the speaker push. That matters a TON. Sure I can't get controlled feedback at bedroom levels, but I can HEAR the amp and what it is meant to be, and it always "feels" right to me.

There is a warmth, and brown feel that almost reminds me of my Variac.

The 150 model has a HighMid and Low control knobs so you can mix like you would a Marshall with jumpers. I hate jumpers as it causes some puffiness to the signal. Now at all volume levels I can decide hmmm do I want a darker Marshall kinda ike my Bogner orrrrrrrr hmmmmmmmmmm do I want a bright chimey sound? And as always I have the goodness of touch sensitivity where my Marshall can back off and clean up.

My Hot Plate, a GREAT product, lacks the ability to let me get my amp to MY sweet spots. It colors the tone a TON, and the high and low compensations either make it harsh or boomy. What if I want to EQ just a little bit and then run my amp to a sweet spot and harness and tame it? Now I can!

BEST PART - with my Marshall set to ohhh about 5 and a lightly goosed OCD I can get punk/metal madness short of a Triple Rec - but that's not a sound for me anyway. Metal to me is Judas Priest lol.

Basically, my Marshall is very usable.

I tried 3 Divided by 13 amps today, and found the FTR37 the best. Then I tried a Germino 55, and I decided the Weber Mass150 ended a horrible period of searching, and I got it DIRT cheap! I wish someone had posted this kinda review before, so I woulda bought one.

Joe, I tried it on my Bogner thru G12H's and V30's and CL80's and the Weber Mass mated well with my Bogner - VERY WELL! Allowed me to milk new vibes. On one of my recordings I Hot Plated my Bogner so I could crank the cleans. with post EQ I got exactly what I wanted. Had I owned the Mass I could have done this wayyyy easier and dialed in the exact sound, no need for post EQ. Of course, the Bogner Master Vol is GREAT!


Am I raving? yes!

I have a Soldano Hot Mod on the way, and I am VERY curious to hear this, though the OCD and Mass have me RIGHT where I want. I am a person who's tastes and wants can change - some days I wnt dark, some days I want more gain, and finally a product allows me to get the best of my Marshall outside the studio, in practice etc. Man, I played in a label project where the drummer would have loved it if I had owned this. A 100w Marshall on 4 drowned him out hahahaha.

Oh btw, my impression of the FTR37 was not enough to force a Bogner sale, though it's CLOSE! lol
PS - shouldn't I be out drinking and hitting on some hot latin chick?
 
Re: Just got the MASS 150

Believe it or not, I've never owned an attenuator, and always knew I needed one. Right now, I use the master volume and FX return knob to tame the Ecstasy. I don't call that amp 'Mr. Volume' for nothing! LOL
Thanks to your review, I know that exact Weber is what I'll get next.

I wish there was a way to have a stereo Weber I could patch into my Gibson Goldtone, because that's an amp I KNOW would sound great with some attenuation. It's loud as hell, but has awesome tone turned up. Unfortunately, it's a stereo combo with 2 separate power sections, so 1 attenuator wouldn't work.

And I like the phrase 'milk new vibes.' haha I'll have to remember that one.
 
Re: Just got the MASS 150

Dude, I am about to get a Mass 200 watter for my B-day. Will it tame my AOR to bedroom levels and still preserve, say 80% of gig-volume tone???
Thanks.

It seems to me to vary by amp. I do not know with that one. I would say if you mean from dime the knobs to bedroom volume that will compress it and there will be some sensed loss of highs as it related to the Flecher-Much(SP) curve thing. If that is a 20% loss is hard to judge as it is so subjective to me.
 
Re: Just got the MASS 150

In retrospect I wish I had spent more time with mine before I sold it. I think I did the amateur "crank all the knobs" thing and found it to lose too much tone and too compressed. After reading your review I'm sure I could have dialed it in much better and wish I had kept it . I bought it right too .
 
Re: Just got the MASS 150

Ok, so my number one priority is a bedroom volume out of my half stack so I can really get use to tweaking the sound and understand to what and how my amp responds. So, the second priority is tone preservation, which one of the two following will give me most of my actual tone at bedroom level and with what amp master volume?
https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/masslite.htm
or this
https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/mdump.htm
 
Re: Just got the MASS 150

The Mass will be more natural than the Load Dump, esp with the hi and low range dials..
 
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