Attenuator suggestions?

[animal control]

Any recommendations for an attenuator for a Marshall TLS 100 that will allow me to use it indoors?

 

[Patrick from Davis]

There are several brands out there.  We all seem to have a preference.  The drawback is the amp doesn't sound the same with an attenuator.  The benefit is that you can play through the amp in normal conditions.  I got a Marshall power brake a decade or so ago, and use it when I need one.  Yeah the amp is not as lively when going through that one, but if I want a screaming preamp sound without the fun of the complaints from the locals, it does the trick.  It is also nice not to have to worry so much about the ears.
Patrick

 

[Superlizard]

THD HotPlate

http://www.thdelectronics.com/

 

[Watershed]

The HotPlate is definitely a solid choice.
I have one myself.

I also bought a Weber Mass which I'm very happy with.
Adjusting the high and low frequencies independently is nice.

 

[OzziePete]

Inofrmation on the Weber website about attentuators is good reading if you are looking at getting one. At least they admit it won't save the world, and could even cause some issues. :icon_thumright:

http://www.tedweber.com/atten.htm

 

[ironeddie]

I was talking to a guy I know and he said that when he was in the studio he had to use an element from an electric stove.  I imagine that it probably screwed up the Ω rating like crazy and he said that it melted a coil shape on the top of his amp head, but he said that it sounded better than any attenuator that they had in the studio at that time... I wouldn't recommend doing that to your TSL.  I just went and got a smaller amp so that I could play indoors (and they sometimes cost as much as a decent attenuator.  The amp I bought so that I didn't blast out the windows, was a little blackstar ht5 ministack.

 

[animal control]

I found a good ebay price on a Weber Mass III. I'm still not sure how I like it. It works, and I can tinker with the tone. But it doesn't sound as good as the amp without it, and at the lowest sound level where I can hear both the highs and lows, it's still louder than my twin. Sigh. I can see a smaller amp on the horizon.

 

[Nightclub Dwight]

I was talking to a guy I know and he said that when he was in the studio he had to use an element from an electric stove.  I imagine that it probably screwed up the Ω rating like crazy and he said that it melted a coil shape on the top of his amp head, but he said that it sounded better than any attenuator that they had in the studio at that time... I wouldn't recommend doing that to your TSL.  I just went and got a smaller amp so that I could play indoors (and they sometimes cost as much as a decent attenuator.  The amp I bought so that I didn't blast out the windows, was a little blackstar ht5 ministack.

Wow, never heard of using a stove as an attenuator.  I bet he was really cookin' on those solos.  Either that, or maybe he's already fried and doesn't know what he's talking about.

In any case, it sounds like he nearly burned the studio down if it melted the tolex on his amp.  I honestly never heard of anyone doing this before.

 

[Cagey]

I found a good ebay price on a Weber Mass III. I'm still not sure how I like it. It works, and I can tinker with the tone. But it doesn't sound as good as the amp without it, and at the lowest sound level where I can hear both the highs and lows, it's still louder than my twin. Sigh. I can see a smaller amp on the horizon.

I don't know what kind of sound you're looking for, but I recently got a Fender Super Champ XD, and it really makes me happy. The "Fender clean" is totally there in several varieties. I mean, they did a yeoman's job modelling those amps. Plus, you have a part tube preamp and full tube phase inverter and power section. It's wicked nice that way, so I'm going to keep it.

They throw in some "special" effects which sound nice enough, although you have little control over them other than wet/dry mix.

I'm not as impressed with the overdriven sounds, but I'm hard to please in that area anyway. You'd have to hear it and decide for yourself. First impressions are good, but I've found them to wear on me. Ear fatigue or something, I don't know. Could just be me. Still, overall for the money, a helluva little amp they could have charged more for.

 

[animal control]

The amp I'm forming a relationship with is a Marshall TSL 100. It has 21 knobs, 11 buttons, and I'm using all of them. I don't have tone controls on my guitars but I really, really love exploring the tones on this thing. I don't play live any more, just mess around with a little home recording rig.

One of the many buttons is a Low-Power button. The original owner of the amp used it liberally. He replaced a set of tubes before it was a year old and the amp tech told him the culprit was the low power button. After that he was understandably paranoid about using said button. I have not been able to find anyone else who has had problems with the button but maybe nobody else has used it. This is not a bedroom amp.

I'm an old Hiwatt dog, never owned a Marshall, and I'm making up for all I missed but it's killing off the last of my hearing.