Guitar Amp Power Attenuators

[Zaphod B]

I'm looking at the THD Hot Plate and Gibson Power Stealth (exactly the same as the Hot Plate except for cosmetics and being about $20 cheaper), Marshall Power Brake, and the Weber Mass.

The Weber Mass is unique in that it uses an actual speaker motor as its load rather than an resistive or inductive load, and it has an impedance selector switch (as opposed to the other units that have to be purchased as 4, 8, or 16 ohm units).

Anyone have anything good or bad to say about any of these units, or any others you might have used?

 

[GONZO-X]

i'm diggin' my Weber Mass Lite

it's so simple, not too many bells and whistles, works exactly as described.

 

[WhiteStrat]

I can't offer you comparisons because I've only used one--the Weber. And I love it. I've got the mass lite on my 100 watt tube combo and it's great. I had read that so many attenuators color the sound either dark or bright (could even vary depending on the amp) so I really like the separate high and low controls on the mass lite.

Don't know if the Weber model you're looking at has that, but even without, I'd be really happy with the tone.

 

[GONZO-X]

if you wanna hear it in action, go here:

http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=256626

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

I've been using a Weber Mini Mass for about a month now and I LOVE it!!! I can switch between any ohm I want to and it has a bypass. Fantastic unit.

 

[Zaphod B]

Wow, thanks, guys - all of you are Weber users.

Gonzo-X, very cool song, and great guitar tone!

I had been looking at the Weber Mass but looking at the other models I think the Weber Mass Lite is more suited to my purpose, since it has better tone control for the signal going to the speaker.

Tell me something, gents. On Weber's web page they advise to make sure that you get an attenuator with a high enough power rating. Since this would be used on my 100-watt Matamp, do you think I should consider using the 150-watt unit?

 

[WhiteStrat]

My amp is 100 watts, and the folks at Eurotubes (where I bought my weber with my new amp tubes)) assured me the 100 watter would cut it. And it handles it with no problem.

 

[Zaphod B]

My amp is 100 watts, and the folks at Eurotubes (where I bought my weber with my new amp tubes)) assured me the 100 watter would cut it. And it handles it with no problem.

Are you maxing the amp?

 

[GONZO-X]

yeah, what ZB asked....


it depends on how hard you run it.

i have a mesa 60 watt head.
i bought the 100 watter, obviously.

if you're on the fence, say, with a 50 watter, but know you'll run it hard, i think it's better safe than sorry.

some amps can SLAM the output transformer with way more signal than a simple '50 watt' or '100 watt' nametag will actually have....

peaks, above RMS, is key....

 

[Zaphod B]

I guess if I plan on really pushing the amp, I'd best get the 150-watt unit.

It looks like the 150-watt attenuator has the same features and layout as the 100-watt Mass Lite.

 

[donkeystyle]

How many watts is your amp? Weber suggests using an attenuator that can handle at least 50% more power than your amp is rated at if you're going to "dime it."

I have the weber mass lite. It's the only attenuator I have experience with, but I don't notice a huge tone difference.

 

[Zaphod B]

How many watts is your amp? Weber suggests using an attenuator that can handle at least 50% more power than your amp is rated at if you're going to "dime it."

I have the weber mass lite. It's the only attenuator I have experience with, but I don't notice a huge tone difference.

It's 100 watts. That's why I'm thinking I would need a 150-watt attenuator if I will be really pushing the amp.

 

[soulsonic]

i'm diggin' my Weber Mass Lite

it's so simple, not too many bells and whistles, works exactly as described.

The MASSLite and MASS150 are the superior of the MASS attenuators. The control labels are a misnomer - they aren't split by frequency in a way the names suggest, but it does let you dial in the right sound. The "Lows-Mids" knob should be labeled "Volume", and the "Mids-Highs" knob should be labeled "Presence" or "Treble Boost". That's basically what's happening: the "Lows-Mids" knob does the majority of the volume, and the "Mids-Highs" lets you dial a little extra clarity on top if you need it. Works the same as the Treble boost switches on the other MASSes except more tweakable.
Though it tries to be similar, I do not recommend the MicroMASS; it doesn't match the design of the Lite or 150 and doesn't sound nearly as good. The only one that I ever heard sound good was the one I rewired to be like a Lite.

 

[donkeystyle]

I just realized my post may have been a little poorly worded. I meant that I don't notice a huge tone soak when using the attenuator.

 

[toobalicious]

i also have a mass. one thing that has bugged me about it is the difference in volume between "bypass" and on but at full volume (presumably no attenuation). i have found a few times that just shaving a few db is all i need for a particular application, but unfortunately, that perfect level sometimes lives somewhere between these settings--- and there is no way to get there. as with any attenuator i have tried, the tone suffers progressively as more attenuation is applied. for me though, i very rarely turn the knob below 50%. if i need that much or more, i will use a smaller amp.

still, it is one of the best purchases i have made, and one that i use continually.

a

 

[Zaphod B]

OK, one more question.

Given that I'll be likely be getting the Mass 150 (or at a minimum the Mass Lite 100-watt), is there any reason why either of these could not also be used to attentuate a smaller-wattage amp (AC30 for example)?

 

[donkeystyle]

OK, one more question.

Given that I'll be likely be getting the Mass 150 (or at a minimum the Mass Lite 100-watt), is there any reason why either of these could not also be used to attentuate a smaller-wattage amp (AC30 for example)?

I had the same question when I bought mine. I wanted it for a 55 watt amp as well as my valve junior, so I asked Ted Weber via email. He told me that lots of customers are doing the same thing.

I rarely use my 55 watt amp anymore, so the mass lite is permanently hooked up to my valve junior.

I guess I repped you too recently and have to spread some around before I can give it to you again or I would have repped you back.

 

[Zaphod B]

I had the same question when I bought mine. I wanted it for a 55 watt amp as well as my valve junior, so I asked Ted Weber via email. He told me that lots of customers are doing the same thing.

I rarely use my 55 watt amp anymore, so the mass lite is permanently hooked up to my valve junior.

I guess I repped you too recently and have to spread some around before I can give it to you again or I would have repped you back.

Thanks, donkeystyle, that's great info.

I'm gonna take back my rep to you.

 

[GONZO-X]

i don't know for sure, but i would imagine that the further out the rating is, from the wattage of the amp, the less 'dialed in' the ability of the mass.

that said, attenuation is attenuation, it's like putting too big of a power transformer on a tube amp...

some dial the transformer size in based on wanting a certain distortion characteristic...
some, to have ultra high clean head room....
etc.


by the way, what's a 'rep'?

 

[Tadpui]

I just wanted to chime in that I love my THD HotPlate. It was worth every penny. It has low and high frequency boost switches and a light on it that functions as both an indicator of the amount of attenuation and a noise suppressor (don't ask me how that works out...).

With the HotPlates, they come in different resistances, not different wattages like the Webers apparently do. Just figure the resistance of your cabinet and select the appropriate attenuator regardless of the wattage of your amp.

I like the attenuation options on the HotPlate. There's a rotary dial that you can select a silent dummy load, the next position enables the other rotary dial that lets you dial in between -16dB of attenuation and total silence, then the other positions are -12, -8, -4 dB and 0 dB of attenuation.

I think it sounds great, although the higher attenuation settings get pretty strangled (I think that's more the laws of physics than the HotPlate though).

Anywho, thought I'd at least chime in about one of the other attenuators since you're getting plenty of advice on Webers