Comments on: Understanding Tube Amps: Attenuators http://www.oldtonezone.com/2010/03/understanding-tube-amps-attenuators/ A place for tone seekers. Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:45:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anthony Stauffer http://www.oldtonezone.com/2010/03/understanding-tube-amps-attenuators/comment-page-1/#comment-43696 Anthony Stauffer Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:01:46 +0000 http://www.oldtonezone.com/?p=509#comment-43696 Hi Joe, Low power is a relative term, and without a master volume, even a 15 Watt amp can be very loud for home use. My Samamp has a 3 Watt setting, and when cranked it's still to loud to use if someone's trying to sleep :-) The main drawback of a small amp is that when you need more clean volume, you might not get it. I find an amp like the Blues Junior, which is 15 watts, BUT also has a master volume so you can overdrive the preamp with out turning up the power tubes, is a good compromise. In general, for really, really quiet overdrive you'll need something with a master volume, to overdrive the power tubes at reasonable volumes, keep it under 15 watts. Hi Joe,
Low power is a relative term, and without a master volume, even a 15 Watt amp can be very loud for home use. My Samamp has a 3 Watt setting, and when cranked it’s still to loud to use if someone’s trying to sleep :-)

The main drawback of a small amp is that when you need more clean volume, you might not get it. I find an amp like the Blues Junior, which is 15 watts, BUT also has a master volume so you can overdrive the preamp with out turning up the power tubes, is a good compromise.

In general, for really, really quiet overdrive you’ll need something with a master volume, to overdrive the power tubes at reasonable volumes, keep it under 15 watts.

]]> By: joe http://www.oldtonezone.com/2010/03/understanding-tube-amps-attenuators/comment-page-1/#comment-43613 joe Thu, 22 Jul 2010 03:13:40 +0000 http://www.oldtonezone.com/?p=509#comment-43613 Great series, Anthony! Distilling everything you said, would it be accurate to say that the "best" amp for home playing would be quite small (5-10W), so it may be possible to overdrive the power tubes without blowing the neighbor's house down? Aside from this amp being kinda small for gigs, is there any other drawback soundwise vs. a larger amp, assuming the overall volume must somehow be kept in check? Thanks! Great series, Anthony!

Distilling everything you said, would it be accurate to say that the “best” amp for home playing would be quite small (5-10W), so it may be possible to overdrive the power tubes without blowing the neighbor’s house down?

Aside from this amp being kinda small for gigs, is there any other drawback soundwise vs. a larger amp, assuming the overall volume must somehow be kept in check?

Thanks!

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