Oh Cool.....It's Here!

STRATDELUXER97

Stratoblaster Tone Meister
MASS.jpg
 
Re: Oh Cool.....It's Here!

Hey John, I have one of those! Bruce gave me one for Christmyth a year or two back. Works pretty good as long as you don't try to use it to turn a 100 watt amp down to a 1/2 watt amp. Long as you still play at a modest volume, they sound very good! lew
 
Re: Oh Cool.....It's Here!

Lewguitar said:
Hey John, I have one of those! Bruce gave me one for Christmyth a year or two back. Works pretty good as long as you don't try to use it to turn a 100 watt amp down to a 1/2 watt amp. Long as you still play at a modest volume, they sound very good! lew

Thanks Lew.....I bought it so I can crank up the amp more and have more control over it at realistic(practice/gig)levels.My amp is a 50 watter and so it should work fine....I have other stuff for bedroom volume....Actually my Valvetronix amp is great for low volume stuff also...Appreciate the post...
 
Re: Oh Cool.....It's Here!

I really liike mine...like I said, a slong as you don't ask to much of it (like making a 100 watt Marshall sound like 1/2 watt amp) the tone is excellant.

If John's is like mine, there's a dummy voice coil from a 100 watt speaker in there (sort of) that soaks up output power like a speaker would...only there's no cone so it can't make any sound.

Very natural sounding power attenuator...or power soak.

The tone controls are usesful for direct recording I guess...I don't use mine for that.

I just use it to get a 40 watt amp down to home levels sometimes.

But it's great at getting a 100 watt amp down to 30 watt levels for smaller venues...keeps the bartender and/or club owner happy!



Lew
 
Re: Oh Cool.....It's Here!

One of those or a new cab is next up on my list... something to make my amp quieter or louder... i cant decide. :D
 
Re: Oh Cool.....It's Here!

Is that the same toy that Christian just got too?? He was telling me his arrived yesterday.
 
Re: Oh Cool.....It's Here!

Guitarist said:
Have you had prior experiences with any other attenuators?

I used to own the Marshall Power Brake that I bought off some kid for $50 but later sold it on E Bay....It was ok but it colored things too much...It's not one of people's favorite attenuators...
 
Re: Oh Cool.....It's Here!

B Bent said:
Is that the same toy that Christian just got too?? He was telling me his arrived yesterday.

Yes Christian and I were ordering the same one at the same time....Thanks to Christian also,I played it safe and got the 100 watt version for my rather loud 50 watt head...
 
Re: Oh Cool.....It's Here!

Not too bad sounding and I find the sweet area to be around 8 on the dial...I had my Marshall set to about 8 to 9 on the volume also and this allowed me to go from clean when I volumed my Tele down,to just breaking up,and then into a fairly overdriven tone with controllable sustain...The volume was pretty loud but not ear piercing.

It's far from perfect and it takes some of the highs away and colors things slightly,but it does what it's supposed to....It's good for a subtle volume lowering like Lew stated,but it makes things kinda "grating" and harsh in a fuzzy SS sought of way if you lower the attenuator volume too much...I Kept mine set at high on the switch and just played in 8 ohms through 2 of the V30s in my stereo Marshall 4x12 tonight....I need to mess with it more,but as I said,it does the job....

The feel of the attenuator knob upon movement bothers me also...I liked the way my Marshall PowerBrake would click into each setting....This one just rolls along what feels like a carbon pile? Hmmmmmm?
 
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Re: Oh Cool.....It's Here!

I got mine yesterday...I'll tell ya what John, I went last weekend and tried a Dr. Z Airbrake, a THD Hot Plate and a "The Ultimate Attenuator" then lastnight and today tried my Weber Mass (I went with the 50 watt Mini version...same attenuator you got but w/o the toine stack for DI use) and I have to say they are all killer units for what they do. I like them all but the fact that the weber works on any impedence and that fact that it was a goo bit less than the Dr. Z ($300) and the Ultimate (over $500) I like the Weber just fine. Great for trimming down the db's but (like you and Lew already said) NOT to make any amp over 10 or so watts a practice amp and also remember...an Attenuator is NOT a master volume...
 
Re: Oh Cool.....It's Here!

Lewguitar said:
...like I said, a slong as you....

Huh...uhu...huh... he said SLONG! ....uhuhuhh...huh...

:chairfall
 
Re: Oh Cool.....It's Here!

...as long as it's not a ZenDrive

*sigh*
 
Re: Oh Cool.....It's Here!

the guy who invented fire said:
I got mine yesterday...I'll tell ya what John, I went last weekend and tried a Dr. Z Airbrake, a THD Hot Plate and a "The Ultimate Attenuator" then lastnight and today tried my Weber Mass (I went with the 50 watt Mini version...same attenuator you got but w/o the toine stack for DI use) and I have to say they are all killer units for what they do. I like them all but the fact that the weber works on any impedence and that fact that it was a goo bit less than the Dr. Z ($300) and the Ultimate (over $500) I like the Weber just fine. Great for trimming down the db's but (like you and Lew already said) NOT to make any amp over 10 or so watts a practice amp and also remember...an Attenuator is NOT a master volume...

Cool Christian,glad you like your's.....I could be happy with the mini version,unless our band decides to run the direct out through the PA or the monitors? All that adjustment worries me once I'm connected to the PA also...I spent the money to have the 100 watt version,but I'll agree that the mini version would have been fine...I Just got mine yesterday and I need to spend alot more time with it...As long as you just use the Mass to slightly trim back the volume,it's great....If you roll back to much,the tone gets synthetic and harsh sounding(buzzy)....

I don't like the feel of the attenuator knob...I was hoping it would click into each line position,but instead it rolls along a carbon pile I'm guessing....Small things really,but worth the money for what it does and it's features...
 
Re: Oh Cool.....It's Here!

If you crank your amp way up and turn the Weber Mass way down, the tone does start to get pretty articficial and fizzy. I think what it does best is take a 100 watt amp and bring it down to small club levels and make a 100 watt amp sound more like a 30 to 50 watt amp. It won't take a loud 100 watt amp and turn it down to apartment levels though...well...it WILL, but it'll sound thin and fizzy. It sounds best if your amp is still pretty loud after attenuation. Lew
 
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