Volume box

[Mr. C]

Has anyone used one of these? I'm wondering if they work just as well as a power brake (considering the price difference!).
http://cgi.ebay.com/Omnisonic-Tube-A...em130070399446

OR

http://cgi.ebay.com/VOLUMEBOX-FOR-PE...em200070484172

I would like to use it with my Classic 30 if it is of any use.

[travelin travis]

If it's being placed in the effects loop, it's not attenuating the amp's output, i.e. , power tubes. Looks like useless crap to me.

I guess it will let you drive the preamp and pi sections but what good is that? This is more like a master volume not an attenuator. They should be shot for preying on the ignorant.

Go to the 18watt forum and look up diy attenuator. It will cost you about the same and WILL actually attenuate the power section of the amp.

[Outlaws]

That thing is a joke.

[Mr. C]

Thanks Travisinflorida, I always appreciate when someone comes to the rescue of us ignorant people. After all we do need help now and then.

[travelin travis]

I'm pretty ignorant myself but I'll share what little I know.

[Light]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

I guess it will let you drive the preamp and pi sections but what good is that? This is more like a master volume not an attenuator. They should be shot for preying on the ignorant.

Naw, the PI comes after the FX loop (kinda has to, though, don't it).

But yeah, if it is in the FX's loop, it's a total waste of time.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[andyhix]

The idea, I beleive, is that it eases the rapid volume jump that occurs between, say, 1 and 2 on many amps. This website has some good info on various volume mods. The site is specific to Fender amps, but I'm sure the same sort of idea would work on other makes, and it explains it better than I can:
http://studentweb.eku.edu/justin_hol...html#volumebox

[travelin travis]

Originally Posted by Light

Naw, the PI comes after the FX loop (kinda has to, though, don't it).

Yep, my bad, I'm still learning this stuff.

[travelin travis]

Originally Posted by andyhix

The idea, I beleive, is that it eases the rapid volume jump that occurs between, say, 1 and 2 on many amps. This website has some good info on various volume mods. The site is specific to Fender amps, but I'm sure the same sort of idea would work on other makes, and it explains it better than I can:
http://studentweb.eku.edu/justin_hol...html#volumebox

The way those ebay ads are worded, that volume box lets you get cranked up amp tone at low volume, which is wrong.

[Outlaws]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

The way those ebay ads are worded, that volume box lets you get cranked up amp tone at low volume, which is wrong.

Well it does let you crank up the master volume. You are just sending the power amp section a smaller signal to work with.

If you have a delay unit or something else with an output knob that works good in an efx loop, stick that in there and use the output knob to control the volume of your amp while it is at full volume. That is what this little box they are selling will do.

[travelin travis]

Originally Posted by Outlaws

Well it does let you crank up the master volume. You are just sending the power amp section a smaller signal to work with.

If you have a delay unit or something else with an output knob that works good in an efx loop, stick that in there and use the output knob to control the volume of your amp while it is at full volume. That is what this little box they are selling will do.

Isn't that kind of like holding down the gas pedal of a hot rod but using the brake to creep along at a slow speed with the engine revving high? I mean, you have the potential there but you're not really using it.

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

Isn't that kind of like holding down the gas pedal of a hot rod but using the brake to creep along at a slow speed with the engine revving high? I mean, you have the potential there but you're not really using it.

Well, at least you aren't burning out your clutch... ;^)

[Outlaws]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

Isn't that kind of like holding down the gas pedal of a hot rod but using the brake to creep along at a slow speed with the engine revving high? I mean, you have the potential there but you're not really using it.

I don't know. Thats a hard one since the engine would the volume and the gear ratio's would how efficient the speakers are. There really isn't a way to cut something going to the engine while still making the engine work. I guess it would be like holding the the gas all the way down and then cranking a knob that cuts off a lot of air to the engine, but that wouldn't let the engine work as it should.

But an attenuator would be like putting on the best muffler ever made. You could be at 120mph and barely hear a thing.

[travelin travis]

Ok, car analogies, bad.

Cranking the volume of the power section while feeding it a wimpy signal from the preamp isn't really working the power tubes. The power tubes are all juiced up and ready to go but they don't have a healthy signal to work with.

[legionserial]

Ok I'm kinda new at understanding this stuff too. So basically, if you whack your master volume up to 10, does it get driven hard even with no signal going through it? Or does it only have to work hard when there's signal going through it. Please forgive my noobishness, shamefully I've been playing guitar for 15 years and never learnt too much more than the very basics about the inner workings of an amp.

[Outlaws]

Originally Posted by legionserial

So basically, if you whack your master volume up to 10, does it get driven hard even with no signal going through it?

Yes. But for the most part it defeats the purpose when sending a small signal to it as this box would do.

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by legionserial

Ok I'm kinda new at understanding this stuff too. So basically, if you whack your master volume up to 10, does it get driven hard even with no signal going through it? Or does it only have to work hard when there's signal going through it. Please forgive my noobishness, shamefully I've been playing guitar for 15 years and never learnt too much more than the very basics about the inner workings of an amp.

No. If there's no signal, nothing is being driven. It's like having the gas pedal to the floor with the engine off, or like being in 5th gear with no gas in the tank, or like having the radio on full blast with the headlights off, or something like that... ;^)

But seriously, it takes a signal going through the amp to drive any of the tubes.