Studio Vintage master volume mods?

[Gene Ballzz]

Great attenuators are GREAT, and crappy attenuators are just a disappointment! They are not all the same! The @JohnH is simply the best passive unit to be had for less than $500! If you build it yourself, its just a tad more than $100 or have someone build it for you for about $300.
Always Attenuatin'
Gene

 

[JohnH]

We know how to build a simple attenuator that will scale down the amp power with no change in tone or dynamics. And it's all worked out, tested with these amps, easy to build and inexpensive. No mods to the amp and no risk to the amp.

So given that, my suggestion is that in many cases that might be a better way to go than modding an expensive and somewhat complex amp that may still have a warranty.

 

[trovador]

Great attenuators are GREAT, and crappy attenuators are just a disappointment! They are not all the same! The @JohnH is simply the best passive unit to be had for less than $500! If you build it yourself, its just a tad more than $100 or have someone build it for you for about $300.
Always Attenuatin'
Gene

Which ones do you recommend?

 

[scozz]

Which ones do you recommend?

You’re kidding right?!

 

[marshallmellowed]

Are there any master volume mods available for the Studio Vintage? I'm really loving the demos I'm hearing from this amp, but it's just too loud for my needs. It would be awesome if a master volume mod was available for it. I'd most likely play it to where I'd get a great early VH tone, but in order to get there, the amp just needs to be turned up wat too loud for me.

You pretty much said it, "it's just too loud for my needs". Doubt you'll see any master volume mods for this amp, as there are no schematics to work to. Also, that defeats the purpose of the amp design, and never sounds "right" (IMO). Plan on an attenuator, or look for a master volume amp. My 2 cents.

 

[Gene Ballzz]

Great attenuators are GREAT, and crappy attenuators are just a disappointment! They are not all the same! The @JohnH is simply the best passive unit to be had for less than $500! If you build it yourself, its just a tad more than $100 or have someone build it for you for about $300.
Always Attenuatin'
Gene

Which ones do you recommend?

In case its not obvious, my ONLY recommendation is the @JohnH design, usually the simplest M2 model that is tailored to your specific amp and speaker impedance needs!

HERE'S DA DEAL:

Any method of taming a "too loud amp" will involve some compromise. Different compromises for different methods and you simply need to choose which of those compromises work best for you!
> While nearly any Master Volume or Power Scaling can certainly "tame" an amp's volume, they all change the way the amp operates and invariably the sound, tone response or feel, or any and/or all of the above, to varying degrees!
> An attenuator simply "sloughs off" varying amounts of unwanted electrical energy as heat, during that energy's trip from the amp to the speaker(s)! Different designs compromise tone, feel, and/or response to varying degrees, depending on their design. The JohnH design is quite simply the least invasive of all of the designs!

Now, even with a great attenuator, once you get down to "baby sleeping in the next room" volume levels, your speaker(s) will obviously not make your pant legs flap, but neither will an amp with a Master Volume or Power scaling, at the same volume level! Any volume level between full volume and the lowest, will have varying losses of air movement/pants legs flapping! The best thing about great attenuator is that the amp is still operating "exactly" as intended in its design!

Bottom line is that expecting to get the exact same sound, tone, feel and response of a cranked 100 watt Super Lead through a full stack, at low volumes is a fools errand! A great attenuator, however, gets you about as close as you can get! Of course, if all of one's tone, sound and dynamics are achieved through stomp/pedal/foot/thingies in front of the amp, this whole discussion matters a little bit less!

Simply Sharin'
Gene

 

[trovador]

You’re kidding right?!

Oops. I guess I was lazy and stopped reading his post after the second sentence... My bad...

 

[sundragon44]

Is anyone making the JohnH attenuators for sale?

 

[LCW]

Just got these after waiting for 4 weeks for them to get made. Custom set of fitted earplugs. These are from Sensaphonics. Got the -25 dB filters. Fantastic fit and much more dynamic range than foam plugs I was using.

Obviously doesn't quiet the amp, but I'm in a house. But it does protect my hearing, yet I still feel the full power of a NMV amp in my chest. Trousers not quite flapping lol. Guess I need a 1959 for that.

 

[Resident 217]

Try sticking a G'vnor or some other pedal in the FX loop and use its level control to control the preamp gain. Works quite well.