Amp loudness question

[Dan_74]

I love my triple xxx half stack,but the wife always gets mad that I turn it up loud.So,for my birthday she got me a triple xxx 112 combo.I love it,but it needs to be cranked also to get that thumpin' rich tube sound.Would an overdrive or eq pedal help pull the goodness out without the high volume?My wife and I [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] would appreciate any help!!
Dan

[MikeStrat]

Re: Amp loudness question

THD Hot Plate. That is the answer.

[Dan_74]

Re: Amp loudness question

I checked that out.Looks like it would work on my half-stack.Anything I can use for the combo since it's actually in the bedroom (half-stack is in the basement)?
Thanks!!

[lotsa80sgtrs]

Re: Amp loudness question

You can use the hot plate (or other brands of attenuators)
with the combo as well. On the one I have (ultimate attenuator) I plug the amps speaker into one input on the box and the amp back into the other. Very important that you plug into the right jacks. You could fry your amp if you do not. Then you turn your amp on at the levels that you like but your wife doesn't and then use the control on the box as a master volume. So, your amp thinks it's on 10 and the tubes are doing there thing but you are controlling the overall volume with the box. One more word of caution, doing this will effect the way your clean sound (sounds).
It won't be squeaky clean anymore. It will have some break up. Good luck. Joey

[Dan_74]

Re: Amp loudness question

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
My amps have a clean channel?

I'll have to get one and give it a try.Thanks guys!!
Dan

[horns666]

Re: Amp loudness question

Question..?

On a high gain amp such as the XXX...won't a hot plate saturate your tone to mush..unless you back off the preamp like crazy.

I thought they were desinged for older non-master volume Marshalls and such so you can push the poweramp ..for more gain and compression..

I had a couple of Ampeg VL100 Lee Jacksons..with a built in attenuator and that was always my observation...so I never used it...it already had alot of preamp distortion..so I just simply turned it down.

Like I do with my Uber..or any high gain bastid.

Just askin'.. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Dan_74]

Re: Amp loudness question

Right now I have the volume pegged at 10 and the master pretty low,2 I believe.It just seems like it isn't pushing.I mean it sounds the same as turning the volume down and the master up. [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img].Crank them both and it's awesome.I know,I know that's the way they are supposed to be played!

[horns666]

Re: Amp loudness question

Well, Jeff Loomis never sounded better when he used his XXX ..IMO.

Tons of gain..plenty on tap.

I dunno.. [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[toejam]

Re: Amp loudness question

[ QUOTE ]
Crank them both and it's awesome.I know,I know that's the way they are supposed to be played!

[/ QUOTE ]
Like Bill said, modern amps rely on preamp gain and not power tube saturation (that's why they've got a master volume).
If you want the cranked power tube gain, get an attenuator and use it on a cranked amp that's got no master volume.