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Loud Amp Issue


Ziggy

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Hey all,

 

My brother-in-law has a new Vibro King amp. I believe it's 60 watts with 3 10" Jensen Alnicos. This amp really sounds sweet. The problem is he lives in a 1 bedroom apartment so he rarely gets to experience the tube distortion. I was telling him that I believe you can use something called a power attenuator to allow for natural tube distortion at lower volumes. Is anyone here familiar with this device, e.g. drawbacks, price, good brand, where to get, etc? Also, could swapping out the power tubes help?

 

Thanks,

Zig

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There are several power attenuaters on the market. They all effect the tone to some degree but I've heard the Trainwreck Airbreak is the most transparent sounding. Others are available from THD, Marshall, Palmer and Allesandro.

 

I have an old Scholz PowerSoak that I'm afraid to use because I've heard it can damage the amp. The newer units listed above won't hurt though.

 

Several companies also make products that allow you to use dual triode (12AX7, 12AT7, etc.) preamp tubes in your power section. This reduces the volume drastically and also changes the amp's sound quite a bit.

"You never can vouch for your own consciousness." - Norman Mailer
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Thanks for the info Gabriel. I was not familiar with the Airbreak II but I found some info on the web after reading your reply. I will pass this along.

 

Zig

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