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

[stylemessiah]

Just in case no ones already said it:

Buy another of the same amp and make your ears bleed in stereo


Ive said it before, but well...the first proper tube amp i bought was only a couple of yeards ago, at the end of my playing days, and it was ridiculous...an Ampeg GVT15-112...i never got to run it above 3 (on the half power mode) in my close quarters innner city pad. The only time i heard that thing on 10 was the day i sold it...to a guy with a commerical space during COVID...it was insanely loud...and laughingly clean, all the way to 10....ive never met anyone who ever got one of those to distort without goosing it with a pedal. Pristine clean till 10. Theyre super cheap 2nd hand, as they were cheap brand new. Just dont use the effects loop and you'll be golden. Also chuck in a better speaker than the Celestion Seventy Eighty

 

[Lowspeid]

Attenuator - lots to choose from. BTW - your photo show a Silver Face Princeton - is that too loud?

I recently bought a Marshall Powerbrake for a couple hundred bucks off Reverb. I like it alright.

The PR is my favorite amp and works in pretty much any situation because I use pedals with it. But it’s insanely loud when turned up past 4 even with the really inefficient Jensen C10R (92.3 spl) in it.

 

[Silverface]

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

Regarding the thread linked below: Read the OP and (not bragging - just for details) my and other posts regarding using the lowest-output amp for the venue (with a few other details...just trying to keep this post brief.).

Every gigging semi-pro I've played with or seen in the LA area over the last 15 years owns multiple amps and works with an amp/guitar tech to dial their rigs in for optimum tone at ANY volume level.

I've played full band gigs using anything from a Tweed 1958 Princeton to a 35W Holland Little Jimi (all cranked to just below the top of their headroom) depending on the size/configuration of venue, band size, musical style etc.

Read the details in the thread:

The need for multiple/optimized amps

 

[Kmanshaman]

I bought a CARR SuperBee. You can dial it in for any sound level.
I was the original owner of a Mesa MKIIB 60/100 watt, hardwood cab. I used to "write a letter" to the Smith's during the build.
That amp could be dialed down to a whisper but didn't have the same tone/mojo when loud. What a freakin' animal that was.....and physically heavy. We rented out a studio space for drummer "try outs" in 1982 and I cranked that, could barely hear for a while and that was it. From then on I stood in another room if we did that!

 

[IggyT]

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 realized this back in the mid 80’s when I sold my 50 W Marshall and 60’s cab to pursue modern lower volume amps. All I can say is I wish I still had that setup But in reality I doubt I would use it except for rare old times sake

 

[KCFretsAB763]

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.

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.

Honestly, even 5-watt tube amps dimed (or tweed-12’ed?) can be *loud* in small spaces. My 5F2A builds regularly trip my Apple Watch 90 & 100 decibel warnings (“You’re gonna hurt yourself if you keep this up!” or something like that lol).

That said, sans-pedals the 5F2A & the 5F1 cranked are the sweetest tweeds tone-wise while doing the least damage to your ears when cranked. No way I can roll up the 5E3s for long in the studio…

 

[KCFretsAB763]

Interesting. I was also gonna suggest the vast Marshall-forum attenuator archives -- IIRC, mastermind johnH is a member here as well. But then I see you've tried an Ox Box? If an $1100 attenuator doesn't work for you, I'm not sure attenuators are your solution.

I also see you're planning a 5F2a to get quieter tweed than your Vicky 'Deluxe.' It'll be somewhat quiet-er, yes, but it won't be at all quiet. 5 watts, *single-ended,* is surprisingly loud.

You don't mention what speakers you're running. A low-efficiency speaker is your friend.

You might also look into Rob's Deluxe Micro. A 5F2a is wonderful, but it doesn't do all the raw tweed tones of a 5E3. Does the micro version? That I'm not sure.

What King Fan said; speakers matter a LOT. I have a duplicate pair of 5E3s; #1 has a Weber 12A125 & #2 has a Jensen C12N.

#2 is hella-louder….seriously mean volume-wise.

 

[Lowspeid]

What King Fan said; speakers matter a LOT. I have a duplicate pair of 5E3s; #1 has a Weber 12A125 & #2 has a Jensen C12N.

#2 is hella-louder….seriously mean volume-wise.

My 5e3 came with a C12N. Way too loud. I put a RI P12Q in it and LOVE it. It’s still too loud in my basement unless I’m playing squeaky clean, but if I throw it on my powerbrake I can crank it a bit and get that awesome tweed tone without destroying my hearing. I still wear earplugs when I play in the basement regardless of volume due to weird frequency issues in that room.

 

[Lowspeid]

Honestly, even 5-watt tube amps dimed (or tweed-12’ed?) can be *loud* in small spaces. My 5F2A builds regularly trip my Apple Watch 90 & 100 decibel warnings (“You’re gonna hurt yourself if you keep this up!” or something like that lol).

That said, sans-pedals the 5F2A & the 5F1 cranked are the sweetest tweeds tone-wise while doing the least damage to your ears when cranked. No way I can roll up the 5E3s for long in the studio…

I’m planning in building a (as stock as possible) 5F2A as soon as I get the funds saved up.

 

[KCFretsAB763]

My 5e3 came with a C12N. Way too loud. I put a RI P12Q in it and LOVE it. It’s still too loud in my basement unless I’m playing squeaky clean, but if I throw it on my powerbrake I can crank it a bit and get that awesome tweed tone without destroying my hearing. I still wear earplugs when I play in the basement regardless of volume due to weird frequency issues in that room.

Yeah, decades later it’s still crazy to me how LOUD 15 tube watts is. For comparison, I use *800 HUNDRED* (Mesa TT) watts for my Rick bass setup…and I’m at 3-4 all the time and not sonically-assaulted like with the C12N.

Watt for watt, I still think that’s the loudest speaker I’ve ever encountered.

 

[KCFretsAB763]

I’m planning in building a (as stick as possible) 5F2A as soon as I get the funds saved up.

A great choice. If you get a chance, try a 30 watt 10” Greenback in that build.

LZII in a box

 

[yamatele]

I really loved the SV20H and was going to get one until friends put me wise that it gives up the goods fairly early with plenty still on tap so that in reality it's closer to being a 35-40 watt amp. I've gone to using 5 watters like the Marshall SL5C or Laney Lionheart to get the tone and when I need more volume, run it through an attenuator with 100 ss watts.

 

[Caffiend]

I love my TMDR. It may not be 100% there as compared to a really good one, but it's a great amp with a couple of touches of modern flexibility.

 

[telecastergirl]

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.

Kids gave me a Positive Grid Spark Mini Amp for Christmas and it's genius!!! Full-bodied electric sound, but very acceptable (by the neighbors) sound level!! Less than 6"cubed.

 

[Dmelton1955]

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.

Well, Used to love to play loud, but now being much older, not necessarily wiser but earsfull of tinnitus and tired of carrying around heavy amps to gigs I downgraded from a Super Reverb to a deluxe but even that can get too loud. I'm lucky to have this little Masco combo amp when the deluxe is too much. And if it is a REALLY quiet gig I have a little Fender Champion 40, super light, and I have been able to coax reasonable tones from said amp...

 

[Fredmant]

You said you didn’t like the OX but I use it with my heads and listen with headphones. It sounds pretty glorious to me anyway.

 

[mojodelic]

I velcro mounted a soak in the bottom of my SV20C because even at the 5W setting it'll blow you out of the room (just ask any of our sound guys). Works great at home or gigs.

 

[Lou Tencodpees]

Simple solution: a small closed-back 1x12 or 1x10 speaker cab, laid face-down on a carpeted floor.

Seriously. Until you've tried this, you'll claim it sounds like poo just because it's a different approach.

You can dial an amp way up to get power tube distortion and it sounds glorious. I'm not kidding.

I've not ever tried this. So there is no speaker hazard involved with impeding the air movement around the front of the speaker? Probably a silly question, and I'm just the guy to ask it.

 

[Bandboy]

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.

I second the Tonemaster recommendation. My VibroChamp can’t hack a gig and my SFPR is too loud for small clubs. I’ve been using the the TMDR for almost 3 years and I love it.

 

[Old Deaf Roadie]

Well...my Dual Showman Reverb is too loud, so I replaced it with another amp that is too loud, and now I have two too loud amps and still looking for something small & tweedy.