Attenuators??

[charvelguy]

I'd personally go for the 100-200w range with the multi ohm option and all bells and whistles..get the 150 if you can so you can use it on a 100w or a 120 if you plan on doing more attenuation like to amp like your MK3 you had.. A 150w..a little more money, but for the added go factor.. it's not alot.. they pop up now and again on eBay.

[Firebird V]

+1 on the THD It is the one I have but I have never tried a Weber or any other brand so... It can make your sound good or bad IMO. But it does what it is supposed to do so...

[Shawn Lutz]

the only thing I dont like about the THD's is they are not universal in the Ohms dept where as the Weber Mass does it all. With a hotplae depending on your ohms you could have the need for more that one hoteplate..16, 8, 4 etc
https://weberspeakerscom.secure.poww...weber/mass.htm

[hippietim]

John, I wouldn't go with the Weber personally. Having said that, I used a Weber MASS 50 watt for years with my Soldano HR50 and my 1987x (before and after Splawn mods) and the Weber never had any problems. I usually ran the amps around 7 volume-wise. The only problem I had was that the MASS was like throwing a moving blanket on the cabinet - even at moderate attenuation. Also, pay attention to which bells and whistles actually affect the tone going to the speaker. I made the mistake of getting a bells and whistles version thinking the tone controls would allow me to compensate for the blanket effect (I was familiar with that from the Power Soak which was like 3 moving blankets). However, the tone controls only affected the line output which I never even used.

I still have a 15-20 watt Mini-MASS that I used to use on a Fender Pro Junior - with that one as long as I didn't attenuate too much it was pretty decent.

[hippietim]

And don't you dare pay $300 for the Dr. Z Airbrake or a Trainwreck or any of the ones like that. I opened up the Airbrake I borrowed, it's two rheostats connected to a really big ass ceramic resistor. A guy at work made one for $40 after seeing one. He had a box to put it in already though.

[charvelguy]

I still say the GT 928 PR's if he wants to tame it a little. No highs lost.. the conversion to el84's is quite pleasing..to me at least.

[hippietim]

I still say the GT 928 PR's if he wants to tame it a little. No highs lost.. the conversion to el84's is quite pleasing..to me at least.

I picked up a set of those and some yellow jackets a while ago - I haven't had a chance to try them but I am very intrigued at the possibilities.

[charvelguy]

Use your ears and they will be the judge. You will notice a difference in tone between the two brands.. I didn't believe it myself but compare them side by side and see what you think. I have exchanged emails with the designer/engineer of the 928's and thought he was kinda a jerk and as much as I may dislike Groove Tube as a company and the inventor of these, I'd endorse 'em.

[akoch]

I am using both Weber Mass and THD Hotplate with various amps. Both work, and do it well. My personal preference is Hotplate for various reasons:
- cosmetics, it is so much nicer built and more like a comercial product
- smaller
- with the attentuation at -8db or less, it is really does not get in the way of the sound

The Mass on the other hand has switchble impedance which is great, and linear attenuation.

At hight att levels both units alter the sound a lot. It more concervative levels they are very useful, and do the trick.

What I have not tried and heard good things about is the Palmer one. Hope to get it one day.

[fr0sty]

This looks interestign. http://www.londonpower.com/kits/psbox.htm

[hippietim]

the other mistake people make using attenuators is thinking they can get a cranked marshall sound at bedroom volumes. that ain't gonna happen - a big part of what makes that sound is moving air with the speakers and that won't happen with a normal 12" speaker at bedroom volumes. someone needs to build a cabinet to go with an attenuated amp.

[jgcable]

If I could get a schematic of one of these things I could probably build it easily. I am a clarostat/ohmite distributor and we have tons of high power wire wound resistors in stock. It seems there is nothing really to them internally.

[charvelguy]

yeah.. the overall sound quality goes down when used at lower db settings. The gain can be dailed in to be there but it is compressed and hasn't had any means of release. Its a given that part of the JMP Marshall sound was speaker distortion too.

[charvelguy]

An Altair is pretty basic.. a ceramic Ohmite that has since been discontinued.. to a line out switch and a coil spring for heat dissipation.
I could open it up and send you some photos with a description of parts.

[jgcable]

An Altair is pretty basic.. a ceramic Ohmite that has since been discontinued.. to a line out switch and a coil spring for heat dissipation.
I could open it up and send you some photos with a description of parts.

That would be cool. Thanks! JG