What Do You Do When You Realize Your Amp is Too LOUD?

[Lowspeid]

What did YOU do when you realized your amp was too loud for your needs/space/situation?

Seriously? Because both my SV20h and my Victoria 20112 are KILLING my ears. I LOVE the sound of these two amps when they are doing their thing, but I can’t stand to be in the same room with them at those volumes. Along with damaging my hearing anymore than I already have, I also don’t want to piss off my family or neighbors (I live in a duplex with great neighbors). I’ve tried attenuators (Ox Box, Marshall Powerbrake, JHS little black box, buffered volume pedal) and they sound worse than playing the amps at low volume. Not only that, but when I play at church (they only place I “play out”) it’s all digital and direct, and I don’t see the digital modeling trend going back to amps-on stage in churches for the foreseeable future.

So, do I sell them and use some of the funds to build the 5F2a I’m wanting to build? Do I play them at low volume knowing full well that the tone I crave is in there, but unobtainable? Do I keep them around because they are awesome amps even if they’re too loud and won’t be used to their potential?

As an aside I have a ‘75 SFPR that is the amp I play most. I love it. I can control the volume, it sounds awesome with either my Tele and LP, and takes any of my pedals extremely well, so I do have a great amp that gets played a lot.

 

[Strat Jacket]

Try to find your mojo tone in a small amp. I found mine in the Super Champ but there are some good 10 and 5W amps out there as well. Easy to carry and move and in a church band setting you can mike them up.

 

[arlum]

It really sounds like you're asking and answering your own questions. You obviously don't like your music to be loud. It sounds like you're going for loud amp tone at listening room volume. You're not going to do that using tube amplification or any other type of vintage amp build. I never recommend modelling amps but that's about the only way of coming sort of close to the tones you're going for at that low of a volume. They may sound a bit fake but they'll be a lot closer than anything you'll get from the real deal at that volume level. I guess that's the one single thing I can think of that would ever get me to recommend a modelling amplifier. A somewhat close tone at a whisper if you so desire.

 

[String Tree]

What did YOU do when you realized your amp was too loud for your needs/space/situation?

Seriously? Because both my SV20h and my Victoria 20112 are KILLING my ears. I LOVE the sound of these two amps when they are doing their thing, but I can’t stand to be in the same room with them at those volumes. Along with damaging my hearing anymore than I already have, I also don’t want to piss off my family or neighbors (I live in a duplex with great neighbors). I’ve tried attenuators (Ox Box, Marshall Powerbrake, JHS little black box, buffered volume pedal) and they sound worse than playing the amps at low volume. Not only that, but when I play at church (they only place I “play out”) it’s all digital and direct, and I don’t see the digital modeling trend going back to amps-on stage in churches for the foreseeable future.

So, do I sell them and use some of the funds to build the 5F2a I’m wanting to build? Do I play them at low volume knowing full well that the tone I crave is in there, but unobtainable? Do I keep them around because they are awesome amps even if they’re too loud and won’t be used to their potential?

As an aside I have a ‘75 SFPR that is the amp I play most. I love it. I can control the volume, it sounds awesome with either my Tele and LP, and takes any of my pedals extremely well, so I do have a great amp that gets played a lot.

I tell everybody else to Turn Up.
YEP!!!

 

[2HBStrat]

What did YOU do when you realized your amp was too loud for your needs/space/situation?

Seriously? Because both my SV20h and my Victoria 20112 are KILLING my ears. I LOVE the sound of these two amps when they are doing their thing, but I can’t stand to be in the same room with them at those volumes. Along with damaging my hearing anymore than I already have, I also don’t want to piss off my family or neighbors (I live in a duplex with great neighbors). I’ve tried attenuators (Ox Box, Marshall Powerbrake, JHS little black box, buffered volume pedal) and they sound worse than playing the amps at low volume. Not only that, but when I play at church (they only place I “play out”) it’s all digital and direct, and I don’t see the digital modeling trend going back to amps-on stage in churches for the foreseeable future.

So, do I sell them and use some of the funds to build the 5F2a I’m wanting to build? Do I play them at low volume knowing full well that the tone I crave is in there, but unobtainable? Do I keep them around because they are awesome amps even if they’re too loud and won’t be used to their potential?

As an aside I have a ‘75 SFPR that is the amp I play most. I love it. I can control the volume, it sounds awesome with either my Tele and LP, and takes any of my pedals extremely well, so I do have a great amp that gets played a lot.

Just turn down and use a pedal...

 

[InstantCoffeeBlue]

Man, I get it, those are great amps but definitely too loud for at-home. I don't enjoy the feeling of ringing eardrums, and even my Princeton (set up for maximum volume) and my Pro Junior which has a fairly inefficient speaker are way too loud to crank up to the breakup point in my duplex, so I mostly get to enjoy them to the fullest when I gig and for the most part practice unplugged.

What speakers are you using? If you've got something pretty efficient in there, maybe switch to something like a 93db Jensen Mod and see if that helps. Otherwise... find an open jam where you can open them up and give them a workout. 15-20W is perfect for that kind of setting.

 

[Carl_Tone]

 

[middy]

Attenuators work fine. Modelers work fine. You’re being too picky.

 

[Lowspeid]

Just turn down and use a pedal...

That’s what I do with my PR. It works great, but there’s something about a cranked Tweed that no pedal can emulate.

 

[Tony65x55]

I've done that change myself. I have a big collection of amps, most of which are loud fire-breathers.

I switched to Princeton Reverbs and I'm delighted with the change. The other change I have made is the addition of Fender Tonemaster amps. I have a DR, a SR and now a PR and I use all three for different applications although really, the changes are mostly for me. I use my valve Prinetons when I need my tube fix and the gig permits.

Aside from sounding really good and being superb pedal platforms, the attenuators (more digital scaling) and the DI with two different mic emulations give a DI sound that is better than any I have ever heard - seriously - and the power scaling could allow you to have that Princeton onstage with you at insignificant wattages to let you properly hear what the amp part of your signal chain is really doing.

I'm very sad that the time has come to sell many of my old vintage beauties, my boutique beasts, and treasured amps but at some point, practicality has to rear its' head. 99% of my amp usage could be covered by the TM Super Reverb (awesome down to 15 watts and 4 Jensen P10Rs to kick up a wall of great guitar sound, quiet or loud at 37 lbs or the TM Princeton Reverb between a whisper and 12 watts and 20 lbs. The Deluxe Reverb crosses over in a lot of these areas but I think the Jensen N12K speaker sucks and replaced mine with a Jensen C12Q which sounds much more like a real DR and it actually a little lighter

Do yourself a favor and examine these with an open mind. As a tube guy, it took me a while but these things really sound good and are an excellent solution to your problem.

 

[Lowspeid]

Man, I get it, those are great amps but definitely too loud for at-home. I don't enjoy the feeling of ringing eardrums, and even my Princeton (set up for maximum volume) and my Pro Junior which has a fairly inefficient speaker are way too loud to crank up to the breakup point in my duplex, so I mostly get to enjoy them to the fullest when I gig and for the most part practice unplugged.

What speakers are you using? If you've got something pretty efficient in there, maybe switch to something like a 93db Jensen Mod and see if that helps. Otherwise... find an open jam where you can open them up and give them a workout. 15-20W is perfect for that kind of setting.

I have a 2061x cab loaded with g12h speakers (around 100db spl) that I play the SV20h through, and I have a Jensen reissue P12Q in the 20112, which is a GREAT sounding speaker.

 

[Lowspeid]

You’re being too picky.

100% agree!

 

[Killing Floor]

Celebrate.
Too Loud is like Too Better

 

[Lowspeid]

I've done that change myself. I have a big collection of amps, most of which are loud fire-breathers.

I switched to Princeton Reverbs and I'm delighted with the change. The other change I have made is the addition of Fender Tonemaster amps. I have a DR, a SR and now a PR and I use all three for different applications although really, the changes are mostly for me. I use my valve Prinetons when I need my tube fix and the gig permits.

Aside from sounding really good and being superb pedal platforms, the attenuators (more digital scaling) and the DI with two different mic emulations give a DI sound that is better than any I have ever heard - seriously - and the power scaling could allow you to have that Princeton onstage with you at insignificant wattages to let you properly hear what the amp part of your signal chain is really doing.

I'm very sad that the time has come to sell many of my old vintage beauties, my boutique beasts, and treasured amps but at some point, practicality has to rear its' head. 99% of my amp usage could be covered by the TM Super Reverb (awesome down to 15 watts and 4 Jensen P10Rs to kick up a wall of great guitar sound, quiet or loud at 37 lbs or the TM Princeton Reverb between a whisper and 12 watts and 20 lbs. The Deluxe Reverb crosses over in a lot of these areas but I think the Jensen N12K speaker sucks and replaced mine with a Jensen C12Q which sounds much more like a real DR and it actually a little lighter

Do yourself a favor and examine these with an open mind. As a tube guy, it took me a while but these things really sound good and are an excellent solution to your problem.

37 lbs SR…

 

[Lowspeid]

Celebrate.
Too Loud is like Too Better

Too loud is WAY better. Unfortunately I already have enough permanent ringing in my ears.

 

[Lowspeid]

It really sounds like you're asking and answering your own questions. You obviously don't like your music to be loud. It sounds like you're going for loud amp tone at listening room volume. You're not going to do that using tube amplification or any other type of vintage amp build. I never recommend modelling amps but that's about the only way of coming sort of close to the tones you're going for at that low of a volume. They may sound a bit fake but they'll be a lot closer than anything you'll get from the real deal at that volume level. I guess that's the one single thing I can think of that would ever get me to recommend a modelling amplifier. A somewhat close tone at a whisper if you so desire.

I love my music too loud. Nobody around me, and my ringing ears are the ones that don’t.

I know some of the issues with the volume are actually the space I usually play in (small garage), but there is no other option right now, and unless I buy a house with a large out building I’m not likely going to be able to solve that particular issue.

 

[Tony65x55]

37 lbs SR…

Yep, what a sweetheart.

 

[Recce]

I use the JHS Little Black Box on my Marshal. Works great.

 

[msalama]

An old cheapo, but the amp models are still perfectly usable for anything at any volume. Not a master of all trades, but a great jack still. Bought it used for €50...

 

[msalama]

You’re being too picky.

Well, this. Get a good modeller and folks can't tell the difference if you know how to set it up properly.