Tube Amp Volume Box

[Gemm012]

Hey guys,

I've been saving up for a tube amp, and came across this on ebay.

ebay

I think this would be useful, especcially because I rarely can turn up that loud when I am playing alone. But, like I said, I'm saving for an amp and don't want to spend the money on that. It looks like a very simple system, I imagin it's just a pot in there. I figure it would have to be a bigger pot than in a guitar, but I just don't know how I would go about making something like this. If someone could enlighten me a bit, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks guys.

Galen.

[Nitefly SA]

It's only twenty dollars.

[MidnightLamp]

it's just a normal potentiometer. It plugs into the effects loop that's all.

[Mr Alex]

Ok, If used like the listing says, that is just the same as a master volume in an amp(0.5w pot, around 500k probably). This will reduce the signal going to the poweramp. Reduce that signal, get less or no poweramp distortion(the good stuff). You will get lots of preamp distortion at lower levels, but I don't think it sounds as good.

What you want is an attenuator for after the poweramp, and before the speakers. THD hotplate comes to mind.

This will let you crank to 13 and then reduce the volume of your wicked cranked tone.

You could make an attenuator, but they are much bigger(need to attenuate ALOT more power than half a watt) and much more expensive to make.

[bancika]

yeah, it's just acting like master volume. It's stupid to give 20$ for one pot in a box. L-Pad attenuator is much better choice and it costs about the same. It goes after speaker so it won't reduce power amp distortion. At really low volumes it can suck a bit of treble but putting 2.2uF non-polarized caps across it will fix the problem. You can also build fixed switchable L-Pad with only two resistors for fixed attenuation you choose.

[Paul Marossy]

You could make that yourself for about $12 at RadioShack. The enclosure looks like one of those small plastic RadioShack project enclosures.

[buzz]

You could make that yourself for about $12 at RadioShack. The enclosure looks like one of those small plastic RadioShack project enclosures.

to be honest id rather pay $8 more to have it complete and properly put together rather than the hassle of wiring and getting an enclosure and even finding good parts.

threadstarter its only $20 so id say why not go for it.

[Paul Marossy]

That's cool if you don't want to build it, $20 is really pretty cheap for something like that. Here's all it is for anyone interested: http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/newland/2081/id3.htm

[Mickguard]

The lead guitarist in my band bought one of these for his Fender Hotrod... doesn't work at all with my Laney though, which I find kind of weird.

What I thought happened is that it attenuates the signal after the preamp but before the poweramp, so you can turn the master volume way up...at least it seems to work that way with the Hot Rod.

The lead guitarist in my band bought one of these for his Fender Hotrod... doesn't work at all with my Laney though, which I find kind of weird.

What I thought happened is that it attenuates the signal after the preamp but before the poweramp, so you can turn the master volume way up...at least it seems to work that way with the Hot Rod.

[ansil]

The lead guitarist in my band bought one of these for his Fender Hotrod... doesn't work at all with my Laney though, which I find kind of weird.

What I thought happened is that it attenuates the signal after the preamp but before the poweramp, so you can turn the master volume way up...at least it seems to work that way with the Hot Rod.

The lead guitarist in my band bought one of these for his Fender Hotrod... doesn't work at all with my Laney though, which I find kind of weird.

What I thought happened is that it attenuates the signal after the preamp but before the poweramp, so you can turn the master volume way up...at least it seems to work that way with the Hot Rod.

thats what a master vol does. it turns up the preamp before the poweramp. however depending on your setup you could be using the master volume to drive the fx loop output section a little harder utilizing it as an extra gain stage of sorts depending on your amp and its setup.

ed

[Paul Marossy]

I built me one of these boxes yesterday to try out with my Hot Rod DeVille. It doesn't work exactly like I envisioned it would, but I can get some nice sounds out of the amp using it, so I guess the $10 and 30 minutes spent making it certainly couldn't be anything less than worthwhile.

[ansil]

hey paul doesn't the hotdoddeville have a parralell fx loop? or at least a preset mix. i haven't bothered to check the schem on it.

[Paul Marossy]

Not sure if it does or not.

[Devo]

I bought one as I didnt have enough cash for a hotplate... it added alot of noise to my effects loop and really killed off the tone of each of my amps I tried it with... i stronly suggest you dont get one... however if your still determined if you paypal me the cost of postage Ill send you mine rhather then throw it in the bin... and have you throw your money away

best wishes

steve

[ansil]

Not sure if it does or not.

what i have seen based off your schematic on your site is that it isn't a paralle fx but a series one however they are using an opamp to drive it if you dont' use the fx loop [from first glance only] it bypasses the opamp and continues on tube to tube signal. perhaps using the master wide open, and then using another vol control behind the opamp is causing opamp saturation and with the different impedance of the volume box coupled with the opamps own output impedance could lead to the phase inverter seeing quite a different picutre not just a lowervolumed one.

anyway just my quick glance.

ed

[Paul Marossy]

what i have seen based off your schematic on your site is that it isn't a paralle fx but a series one however they are using an opamp to drive it if you dont' use the fx loop [from first glance only] it bypasses the opamp and continues on tube to tube signal. perhaps using the master wide open, and then using another vol control behind the opamp is causing opamp saturation and with the different impedance of the volume box coupled with the opamps own output impedance could lead to the phase inverter seeing quite a different picutre not just a lowervolumed one.

I think I agree with your assessment.

[dragonbat13]

Vintage Guitar had a article in their amp tech section last month that tells how to build your own power attenuator. It should cost about 80$ to build and didn't seem like to hard of a project. I plan on building one for my twin reverb.

[marksound]

I got one of those "volume box" things from the guy on ebay. It works ok, but the nice fellow charged 10 bucks for Priority Mail and didn't send it out until at least week after I'd bought it. Then it took another week for the 1 pound (or less) non-padded envelope to get here. He doesn't like answering emails, either, and when he does it's vague and condescending. I had to threaten a PayPal claim and negative feedback to get him to answer back. Great businessman. Can't say enough about him.

Anyway, the box works ok.