The first time I'm REALLY hearing my tube amp

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**GEAR**
www.amazon.com...
GUITARS:
Fender Custom Shop Cunneto relic Stratocaster '97
AMP:
Tone King Imperial
ATTENUATOR:
Universal Audio Ox Box - amzn.to/2x5gJZl
MICS USED:
Vocal mic - amzn.to/2BVNtbV
SOUND:
Soundcard - amzn.to/2xk7pSM
DAW - amzn.to/2fhPZjz
CAMERAS:
Camera 1 - amzn.to/2N4NyPX
Camera 2 - amzn.to/2DkDI4D
Lens 1 - amzn.to/2DF6ahR
Lens 2 - amzn.to/2EetpA5

[@PaulDavids]

Just for the record: This video is not sponsored by Tone King, not by Universal Audio, not by Fender, not by D'addario, not by Sony, not by the sweet Les Paul hanging on the wall, and most definitely not by my beard. If some brand was paying me for a sponsored video I would always say it, and my opinion can NEVER EVER be bought. Besides: I think there are *A LOT OF CHEAPER attenuators* that will probably do the same as this one. But I haven't tried them, that's all. Bye!

[@dylanthompson2711]

I like how respectful and honest you are. It's easy to see you do truly love the guitar and joy music bring. Honestly mate you're a legend 👍

[@dylanthompson2711]

No one mate haha

[@matthewjordaan5023]

Whoa... your channel has really really grown this year... keep it up man... love your content

[@KevinBlank]

But does your beard have its own Patreon account? I'd throw a $1/month to support it.

[@JollyRogers102]

"My opinion can NEVER EVER be bought" Would you do it for one scooby snack though

[@Aveal]

Man! If i didn´t know that your chanel is about Guitars i would say it´s about beautiful edditing and camera shots. Your videos are like your musik ... very artfull

[@miloszegarac5838]

Many Guitar Guys on KZbin. But you're still the best. Love your style man.

[@joshoptical]

GimletSc and not a shred of the obnoxiousness that’s so ubiquitous on many of the high profile guitar channels. Bravo.

[@blackcloud5157]

I first read “very awful”🙈

[@rickeymitchell8303]

You forgot the beard

[@theartfuldodger935]

Yes! Isn't he dreamy? I mean those EYES! Ooooooooooh! I want him to push my poo!!!! Ooooooooooooooooooooh!! Anyone for sphincter tag?

[@Craig1959M]

Power tube overdrive is the holy grail of guitar tone. In terms of sound and feel. It cannot be beaten.

[@Craig1959M]

@drsrsv8884 what is 'meh'?

[@thereasonableamericans411]

Very good of you to cover attenuation. Many don't understand that concept. It's nice when an amp offers 1w/5w/15w options and such.

[@mccalltrader]

Man, Paul, the other day you put out a pick video, and today you are talking about finally hearing your amp...you are so humble and willing to learn and man enough to say you were wrong or not doing it in the ideal way...much respect, because of your video I am reconsidering my pick preference, thanks from across the pond

[@someoneshappyness]

Just wanna add something- Not „ man „ enough But Human!! Enough ykkk

[@galtun]

I guess the Tone King Imperial MKII has a built in attenuator, which seems to be crucial for this kind of non-master volume amps.

[@mougabo]

reason why i am saving up :)

[@llwonder]

I finally bought a tone king imperial mkii and I love it. Took a long time to save up for it. The attenuator is amazing. However; I’m still considering buying the ox box or captor x. I want a way to record the tube amp silently. Ox box is only slightly more expensive than a ribbon 121, mics and studio equipment is so expensive.

[@DrFearCo]

A year ago I did not like the strat sound... now I absolutely love it. Crazy how your taste can change so quickly

[@bagels597]

2 Years ago I listen to only classical music and very hates heavy metal and rock thingy,now i'm listening to Nirvana and rage aganist the machine . I Thought its only me that my taste can change so quickly ,but hey! We're the same Lol!

[@KurtLeBlanc]

Paul, after more than 35 years I'm finally really hearing my Fender Twin Reverb amp using this attenuator. 85 watts was always way too loud, turning up to its sweet spot was ear bleeding. The OX is truly one of the finest speaker attenuator and guitar amp recording solutions. It's Awesome, I've rediscovered this great amp!

[@Billywagner22]

Just ordered an Ox Box for my old BF Twin.

[@benallmark9671]

Does the ox have an fx loop ?

[@effinjeffin1811]

Wow! the shipping on the $1300 Ox Box is FREE!

[@squidwardstesticles5914]

What a bargain!

[@coppulor6500]

LMAO!

[@minisurfbanana]

That’s $10 saving if it’s coming from Sweetwater 😂

[@ben-si3dk]

Jhs little black box $47

[@rcpmac]

He stated in the description that a cheaper one would probably be the same

[@AlphaLabRat]

Awesome video! I remember when I discovered the attenuator... wife and kids got to sleep... I got great tone.

[@PreacherAtArrakeen]

I bought a VOX AC-15H last year. I'd never played through a VOX before, but I was on the hunt for a new amp, and I knew I wanted one with an attenuator. So, I play it a 1.5 W in our flat, and the 'Top Boost' channel sounds glorious, and 1.5 W is certainly loud enough for my neighbours to comment. Thankfully, favourably!

[@TheShockRebirth]

Your tone is pristine Paul!!

[@imahighwaychile4958]

I experienced this exact thing when I bought a Tone King Ironman attenuator for my Deluxe Reverb! Can’t recommend the Ironman enough!

[@marleenvos4126]

Recently bought an Ironman mini for my deluxe reverb; best thing ever

[@jamesgrobertson8024]

Hi Paul great sounds, had exactly the same experience when I got a Two Notes Captor X. Finally got to hear what my amps could do without it being to loud.

[@benallmark9671]

Does the captor X have an fx loop ?

[@magusking9215]

That tone / amp sound combination is absolutely gorgeous. Makes me want that amp

[@darthpayback]

I really enjoy watching and listening to people play guitar on KZbin. When I found your channel (quite a while ago) I subscribed instantly. Only recently have I begun to actually take your advice and incorporate your lessons into my playing. You're a great teacher Paul, and I really appreciate your videos. Your videos are so laid back I feel like I'm learning from a friend. Your playing is amazing as well. Thanks from a mediocre player with too many hobbies :)

[@Quicksilver_Cookie]

Before I watch it - it's attenuator, isn't it?)

[@maxherron1376]

Great sounds and great playing! And...your guitar matches your amp.

[@monstermax22]

About the best demo I've seen of the Ox yet - all the others blind you with science...well, blind me, anyway....great explanation, great playing. I'm subscribing.

[@LukeHancock412]

Tone King's Imperial MKII has a built in attenuator and really rocks! You can also disengage the rhythm channel to balance the levels. Great video and great playing!

[@andrewlawther8568]

Your strat is starting to get some really nice looking wear on the body man

[@fishypaw]

I don't understand how this happens. I have a 20yr old Fender strat that I have played so much that the frets are almost worn flat yet it barely has a dent, scratch or scuff on it. Do people deliberately treat their instruments badly just so it can look worn?

[@user-oy7gz5bf2h]

fishy paw Your guitar is most certainly finished with polyurethane. Certain Fenders and all Gibsons (I think) are finished with nitrocellulose. Nitro ages in a totally different way. Sadly, a poly finish is never going to turn into a nice vintage looking guitar by playing it. Even for decades.

[@CosmicConical]

Says in the description that it's a '97 relic'd

[@fishypaw]

@Julien I guess that explains it then. @Cosmic I didn't read the description, my bad.

[@CosmicConical]

@@fishypaw oh no its not a problem no need to apologize, just wanted to make you aware. It's a super nice guitar.

[@station2station544]

I never buy amps that DON'T have a built in attenuator anymore. My current rig is a Carr Skylark. It's a 12w amp that can go down to 1.2, or even zero. BTW - the new revision of YOUR ToneKing Imperial is called the Mark II version, and it has an Ironman II attenuator built in! You can cook the tubes and your volume is still a whisper.

[@stratmatt22]

Builtin attenuators are mostly garbage to be honest. Get a proper reactive load box like the UAD or a two notes live / captor and be free to use any amp you want.

[@theobynight]

@@stratmatt22 Tone King Ironman II Attenuator aint garbage at all. Its actually very very "proper"!

[@co8544]

Two notes torpedo captor works very well also. It has a -20db attenuated output to your cab. Great for stage volumes with all the tone.

[@surfmb70]

I’m a proud owner of a Tone King Falcon Grande. I feel similarly about the tweed and lead circuits, but mine had the built in attenuator. I thought all recent tone kings did

[@fletch557]

I’m using the Tone King Falcon Grande as well & I love it. It’s got built in attenuation & reverb plus rhythm, tweed & lead channels. Each channel gives me something different to work with. I’ve given up on pedals because the amp can do so many things so well.

[@keithmoran8004]

Knew what this video was going to be about from the title. Sounds great. I have a Two Notes load box and there's nothing like playing a Marshall on 10 and not going deaf.

[@TruthSurge]

Nice, but I think there is another thing that happens when you use loud volume and that is speaker distortion. I'm not sure I like that idea but I think it could be a part of some of the older player's sounds like Hendrix. The preamp tubes are up, power tubes are up and it's hurting those 25 or 35 W Celetions and so... you won't get that using a power soak. You'll get what's coming out of the amp, true. More like a Tom Scholz thing where the amp sound is what you get, nice and clear, no mud. So, I think I'd use one of these soaks if I played live or lived in an apt but... I don't do either. I use amp sims so I can get whatever tone I want at any volume. That amp has a sweet sound. Small and tweedy.

[@LaniakeaLeathercrafts]

Hiya, Paul! I came across your channel a few months ago but only now started watching a lot of your videos! You've seriously given me so much joy to want to better myself with the guitar even more. You're such an inspiration and I appreciate ya :)

[@denismguitar1552]

Thank you. This is a good informative amp that most of us guitar players can relate to! I struggle with the same issue. I have a Mesa Boogie 50 watt that has never been turned up past 1. I can get preamp distortion, but never get sag, output tube compression, harmonic distortion, or that spongy feel under the fingers. Just fuzzy 12AX7 overdrive. This sounds perfect. Well done sir.

[@pauljcat1]

Try the Fillmore 50

[@NitroModelsAndComics]

So glad you were able to understand something a lot of us older guitarists knew for quite some time. The reason I used 50 watt Marshalls years ago was the ability to crank one up and get the power tubes working. Then I'd add some OD color. Hope you and your amp have more discoveries along the way. I assure you there are more tones in there.

[@baronhead]

Loving my OX as well. Cranked amps at bedroom volume, yes please. Usable Cabinet and mic simulation, yes please. Thanks

[@sparkyguitar0058]

WOW Reading all these comments makes me love my Boogie S O B even more. With its limit knob I've been able to drive this amp hard since the day I got 12 yrs ago. Having a pro tube Twin I have the same problems everyone else has. Can only use that amp in wide open spaces cause it's deafing LOUD. Even with that master volume dohickey deal in the preamp in- power amp out, I still can't use but about 6 on the volume. My Boogie is so sweet I can play along with a 15 watt practice amp or along side a half stack. With all the tones I want to dial in. S O B Boogie look it up. Seems when these were new no one liked that limit knob but it's magic in my eyes. That's according to Boogie when I called them about this amp before I bought it. They even told me "You might not like this amp cause it's not the high gain rectifier sound most people want". It's a copy of the original Boogie style with some mods. Kinda fancy Mark 1. Mine's wood and wicker and I even found a used road case for $120.

[@aipsong]

I just received my Ox Box, and will be spending lockdown days exploring it! Thanks for your video!!!

[@itaintmebabe714]

"If I turn down the attenuator, my ears will literally start bleeding"

[@due_2477]

best beard on youtube man

[@alexanderheintz6834]

Omg iys pewdiepies dad

[@TruthSurge]

Oh YEAH?

[@indiegun]

Well... maybe a tie with Jay Bauman.

[@C_mao]

i didn't notice he had a beard

[@Adrian-to3gq]

@@TruthSurge you watch his videos? I'm a big fan of your covers

[@d3w4yn3]

This is very interesting. I am a HAM radio operator (well, and a guitarist, of course) and HAM radios overpower our little Nano VNAs (vector network analyzer), so we put an attenuator in between them so we don't blow out our inexpensive analyzers. I didn't realize that you can use an attenuator between a head and an amp to do the same thing!!! GLORIOUS!!! So glad I found this video, I almost never get any crossover love between the different areas that I like to experiment in!!!

[@bluesonkel]

6:00 i use this since 2 Years as Ringtone on my phone ♥ sounds amazing!!! i love it!

[@JorgeGeorgeD]

I've had my amp for 10 years and I didn't knew it has an "overdrive" button, I thought it was just an on/off light, turns out it's another channel. I've felt like an idiot for months.

[@bensteelemusic]

Jesus f'ckin christ. I mean I'm super happy for you man, hahahha but this is an amazing story

[@jdl2180]

Read the instructions next time you buy something! 😂

[@coppulor6500]

Normally, I would say something so someone wouldn't feel so bad but either you're yanking our chains or add another several months cuz, I mean good god man. Kudos to admitting it for our entertainment though 😊

[@zombieman9509]

Attenuators vary greatly in quality, but I have found 300eur units that do not dull the tone at all, and some others in the same price range sound like you just threw a carpet over the speaker.. EU players should really look into the Bluetone loadbox if they need a great and reasonably priced attenuator, I don't have one, but I have tested one extensively and found it to be extremely transparent. A great guitar tone with any attenuator is still going to miss one key component of the chain: a speaker working at its limit. The percieved sound of any given speaker is different when played softly vs at Jimi Hendrix levels. Attenuated signal won't get the same attack from the coil and cone.

[@GeoffreyCairney]

I'm with you Paul, that is a sweet tone.

[@Andreorsel]

And exactly this you never can achieve with all the moddeling stuff. This is how a good tube amp sounds when its tubes are pushed; love it!

[@innocentoctave]

For those of us who aren't professionals, there are many attenuators on the market now. One of the cheapest, the Bugera PS1 Power Soak, sells for around £72 / 80 Euros / $95. The Ox is one of the most expensive options: there are plenty cheaper. I'm a little surprised that it took Paul Davids so long to realise that this might be the solution to his problem. After all, every amp plugin with separate gain controls for pre and power amp sections allow you to set your overall volume low while running the (simulated) power amp section hard. This is just the same principle applied to a physical amp: a device that allows the power amp to be run hot, so that you can hear the distinctive character of power amp distortion, without worrying about the volume. Johan Segeborn has made a number of interesting videos comparing attenuators at different price points: e.g., kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYekY2qKob6tlbs

[@powdermnky007]

With attenuators (like a lot of things) you get what you pay for. The more you pay, the more you get into diminishing returns. You just have to research and find the one that's right for you.

[@dietmarsimon]

I would really like to know if there's a difference between a separate attentuator and integrated 5 - 15 - 25 W attentuator in my Mesa TA15. I know how nice that little amp can be when cranked up to a certain volume. But even 5 W is too mighty for my home situation. I feel that the power tubes want to, but can't, because they're not allowed to.

[@powdermnky007]

Its easy for me, I play 90s rock, so a Marshall with preamp tube distortion gets me home.

[@innocentoctave]

You may be asking too much of any simple attenuator to drop even a modest amp's flat-out volume to a bearable level for home use. People have unrealistic expectations of what is possible. These amps were intended for stage use. Rather than look at watts, it makes more sense to look at decibels. A 5 watt amp running flat out through an efficient speaker can easily produce peak volume levels of 100dB. For comparison, a vacuum cleaner or hairdrier produces about 70dB. To reduce your amp's volume even to 70dB would require a full 30dB of attenuation. To reduce it to normal conversational levels would require about 45dB of attenuation. I doubt whether any passive attenuator on the market could do this. For example, THD's Hotplate produces a maximum of 16dB of attenuation. Running the amp to the point at which it was producing sound levels of 85dB (threshold of hearing damage for prolonged exposure) into a Hotplate dialled to maximum attenuation would still only bring the in-room sound level down to vacuum cleaner level. Even amps with 1/4 watt output are still plenty loud. If you want burning tone at conversational levels, I suspect the only way is to use a load box and then reamp the hot - but now line level - signal from the load box. The more expensive attenuators are usually attenuators and load boxes in one. They also make a big thing of being reactive rather than resistive, which means that they keep the speaker's characteristic impedance curve so that your tone doesn't change markedly as volume falls.

[@sneifert1968]

Paul B Great point. Reactive load boxes are much better, but more pricey, and most resistive attenuators max out at -30 dB at best. That’s why I like the idea if a lower wattage amp. I’m considering a 20-WATT head as a step down from my Marshall TSL 60 but now I might even drop to a 10 or 15W so I can really drive the power tubes. I just jam with friends and would only play small clubs/ bars anyway. Still have the Marshall for bigger venues if needed.

[@derpimusmaximus8815]

The ox box seems nice, but for a cheap bastard like me, spending more than I did on the amp on something to make it less loud is kind of heresy.

[@Les537]

Back in my day you could't make them loud enough.

[@BigDaddyWes]

Might want to consider a solid state.

[@superdog4343]

Derpimus Maximus like Paul says in the pinned comment, there are many cheap attenuators that achieve similar results, just with a lot less features. You should look into that, they’re really not very expensive if you look in the right places

[@fossilmatic]

Until you hear the tone.

[@davetighe]

£1100

[@GIBKEL]

It’s such a tricky fine line when dialing a tube amp. That’s not even taking in account the variation in how our ears perceive sound from day to day. Pedals can make it even trickier. So much variation in how circuits behave with other circuits. Never-ending frustration and joy....kind of like life macrocosm!

[@franknguitars7671]

Your videos are incredibly well made! I am running a Fryette Power Station 2 with my Twin Reverb that I can‘t recommend highly enough.

[@Vaughn6886]

The beauty of properly using an overdriven amp is that you don't need to switch channels for crunch/clean or use a pedal for a lead boost. Those can all be attained with the guitars volume knob. If you check out some of those great Nashville players (JD Simo) they use non-master volume amps cranked up but with the guitar volume backed off. Their full volume and pick attack is their lead tone, and their rhythm/clean is the guitar volume rolled down with controlled dynamics. You'd be surprised how well volume can be mitigated with dynamics. Enjoying the content, keep it up!

[@ParaBellum2024]

Agreed. I use a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue, which is way too loud but sounds great. Having previously used a controllable solid state amp with the guitar volume always at 100%, I had to change my style and now use the guitar's volume control as you describe above. I only use the overdrive channel, which is set to break up a little when the guitar's at 100%. Backed off, I get clean rhythm and lead tones, with pick attack and guitar volume adjustments adding overdrive. No need for attenuators, and I always get compliments about the tone.

[@Vaughn6886]

howardsinclair I do the exact same thing with a Deluxe reverb set between 6-8. Pulled the V1 tube so it saturates just a hair earlier. Never had any complaints about volume and have also been complimented on tone several times 👍

[@ParaBellum2024]

I'm not brave enough to mess with tubes, so my amp is stock. Another benefit I've found is that I can use a guitar with coil taps and not worry about losing volume when on single coils, as there's always plenty available.

[@Vaughn6886]

I've only started tinkering with tubes n such the last few years. I don't mess with anything super invasive, I've just read up on what is safe. (pre-amp tubes can be swapped out and don't require any internal biasing, some can even be removed and it is totally safe to the amp) Internally I leave my amps stock as well, tubes and speakers are all I tinker with.

[@Ekis86]

That Mayer tone is spot on! Now I need (need!) this gear combo.

[@monkeyrobotsinc.9875]

holy shit. still going. your stories bore me to tears. cant take it anymore.

[@mrmjdza]

I worked as a studio engineer for years, amp attenuators are SUCH a useful tool that sadly very few people know about or use... I wish more manufacturers would just build them into their amps!

[@lucaszembrzuski]

Dude, plug the emulated output of the ox into some stereo delay and reverb, and play/record with some good headphones, you will fly into another dimension of guitar deliciousness :D I use my Fender Super Champ X2 this way, from Two Notes Torpedo Captor 8 to POD HD500X (for stereo effects) and then to computer sound card line in using "wall of sound" plugin (2ms latency with creative audigy rx, no need for an external daw) is sounds great.

[@richatlsomm833]

This sounds interesting. Have a superchamp and wanted to upgrade sound. Was thinking of getting cab for the current combo I have or an attenuator

[@hatsikideetje146]

Hi Paul! I still remind you as the best guitar teacher!! I learned alot, while not struggling at all. The last time i was here, you had somewhere around the 250 k subscribers, and now almost 750 k?! Let's go to the one million!! I will definetly go back soon, if your still there. Keep it up! Deniz ~

[@stephen3164]

Sounds beautiful. I sold my original '62 Princeton amp because I was just using it in the bedroom at low volumes, and it never sounded like anything much. A buyer came over, used my Fender 60CP Strat direct, dimed the the volume in my garage and produced the most amazing tone I had heard. The tone I had been searching for - I had it the whole time! Of course he bought the amp - it sounded glorious, and now it will be played as designed. And my search for amazing tone at lower volumes continues. (not a fan of attenuators, though the clips in this video sound real good)

[@BluesDoctor]

Yes. So I bought an attenuator early this year. Ultimately placed it between a Train Wreck amp and custom cabinet with a reconed 12 inch 60's grey frame JBL. Does not matter which guitar I plug in, USA Strat, Mexican Tele, Les Paul Studio, Epi Wild Cat. It is the sound I have chased for years. Know exactly what you are saying, attenuation does miraculous things to tone. Thanks for the video.

[@BrunoCastonguay007]

When you need an $1300 attenuator to make an $2500 amp sound good, that's when you need to ask yourself; Did you buy the good amp for your needs? Beautiful amp btw..

[@coppulor6500]

or maybe amp manufacturers need to start including one in the circuitry of their amps. that would be pretty sweet. and wattage switch just isnt the same. don't get me wrong, I love when an amp's wattage can be cut down to 5 or 1 watt etc. but you love that low end tightness and meat. sigh.......

[@BrunoCastonguay007]

@@coppulor6500 I've seen a couple weeks ago a Fender Princeton Recording. Build in attenuator... You're right, they need to make more amps with build in Attenuator.

[@coppulor6500]

@@BrunoCastonguay007 that's so cool!! What timing. I can see the future.....FINALLY. 😊

[@Silverback303]

I think this is the Tone King mk1, the mk2 released in 2015 has an attenuator.

[@aniketdatta2450]

This guy loves to pay more. He paid probably a 100 dollar extra for a pedal which came with a piece of paper saying "this pedal is special", or something along those lines. He said it himself in a video.

[@user-dh3pc4ed2v]

I play 15 years on electric guitar,but i never played on tube guitar amp(( only cheap solid state.Thats real pain.

[@trillrifaxegrindor4411]

its time my friend,its time!!! the difference (if you can turn it up) is awesome.you feel as well as hear what you are playing

[@homeworldmusic]

super demo, one of those pieces of kit I'd read about and "understood" on paper but so impressive to hear it demonstrated. glad you've found your sweet spot finally!

[@scarletiv5683]

Hey Paul, just wanna say how much I enjoy your videos. Everything from the tone of your playing to the grading of your film. It's all so slick, and a joy to watch. Keep it up! :)

[@tonelok]

Sounds sweet indeed. I solved this problem with $34 eargasm earplugs and, for gigs, a $100 clearsonic baffle. Of the rest of the $1166 I saved not going with the ox box, I dropped $600 on wine, $500 on tacos, and the rest I just wasted.

[@jimdenman6704]

Sounds amazing, Paul! I run a Mesa Boogie Road King II, and during the first half of this video I thought "Well, I've got my master and my channel volume, so I should be OK." Then you busted out the attenuator setup and I thought "Hm...well now I need to know what this does for me..." Quick Google search, and WHAM! I got slapped in the face with a $1,300 2x4 of an attenuator. Are there more affordable options you could recommend? I, and probably others, would love to hear them!

[@Addictive4real]

tactical comment placed here, need to know as well

[@PaulDavids]

Hi Jim, real good question. To be honest I can't imagine that this attenuator will sound any better then a cheaper one. I don't know if the Ox Box does something other then just attenuating the sound if you don't use the speaker/cab simulating part.

[@frodehau]

Yes, there are many much cheaper options. Some have an adjustable rheostat, and some are not adjustable at all. Pay attention to match the unit to your speaker impedance. This one seem to be of reasonable quality. www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PS1Atten--bugera-ps1-passive-100-watt-power-attenuator I have Bugera's V22 combo, and I'm pleased with the quality on that amp. Attenuators suck some mid and trebble, but I never have a problem getting way too much of those anyway.

[@10sassafras]

Great video demonstration but for the extra cost and hassle I’m not really tempted to try it. Pedals on a clean channel and channel switching on a Boogie will cover a lot of territory.

[@frodehau]

@@PaulDavids Some attenuators have filters to compensate for the inherent loss off higher frequencies.

[@fransvenrooy4760]

A fine product you have there, and it makes it much better!!

[@matthewhonnor]

This channel is gold. Love watching these videos before heading off for a gig

[@gerryjamesedwards1227]

Anything aimed squarely at guitarists tends to be hugely overpriced for what it is, and this box seems to be no exception. 150W? You can get electronic loads for use in EE labs, there are many cases where you need to see how something behaves under load. RF transmitters, for example, need to be driving an antenna load equivalent without actually transmitting anything. I'm wondering if the RF frequency loads are usable in the audio range? They are generally able to soak up a lot more than 150W and cost a fraction of the price..... without the digital modelling bit, obviously, but you could use a cab sim, couldn't you?

[@Paajanenae]

The difference between a standard load and the reactive loads used with guitar amps are huge. In a normal situation the speaker acts as the load for the amp and boy are they not stable loads. Their actual resistance varies wildly depending on the frequency and amplitude of the signal you are playing through them. Therefore for a loadbox to respond right to the amp it cannot be just a simple 8 ohm 150w load, it needs to react to the signal that's being driven through it and that is what makes them so damn expensive.

[@jcugnoni]

If you are only interested in the reactive load portion of it, you can relative easily build one out of resistors, inductance and caps. These two pages contain lot of examples of reactive loads www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/aikens-reactive-dummy-load.1072793/ and www.aikenamps.com/index.php/designing-a-reactive-speaker-load-emulator . I built a small reactive load for up to 20w amps following these guidelines.

[@lptomtom]

Guitarists are extremely gullible and love spending insane amounts of money to get "the tone", even though 90% of the tone they admire in great players came from the fingers. Do you think Rory, Jimi or Stevie Ray obsessively tuned and tweaked and upgraded their gear with expensive boutique crap because they relied on it? Nah, they used what was available, plugged a basic Strat in it (and not a "Custom Shop Reissue Nitro-Skin Hot-Rod 1965 NOS" or some other overpriced axe), and made it sound great. I'm not complaining about gear videos, I love watching those, but I'd never spend so much on that stuff.

[@acebone2]

Well - Jimi Hendrix had loads of gear, and he didn't need a "re-issue vintage blah-blah" guitar - he had the real thing :) Not disagreeing with your general point though

[@lptomtom]

@@acebone2 Jimi played CBS Fenders, considered by many to be the worst they ever did, I'm not sure I'd call them "the real thing"... now Rory on the other hand played an L-series Strat, which is much more desirable by collector's standards (although I actually prefer CBS ones because of the larger headstock)

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

Why hasn't any major manufacturer just built in a variac after a bunch of power tubes if people like power tube breakup so much?

[@fabianwho9797]

Hughes and Kettner offers included powersoak

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

Seems like a gimmicky thing someone could invent, a bunch of EL34s, with maybe only one or no preamp tubes, into a powersoak. I wonder what it'd sound like.

[@kimhansen6384]

A Variac is not a power soak, maybe that´s why.

[@billphillipstube]

Have you ever seen a variac? Lots of iron and windings = heavy and expensive. It is much simpler to allow the high voltage low power output from the power tubes to be converted into low voltage high power output by the output transformer, and then reduce the power using heavy duty resistors. There was a company that came up with an amp (Guytron GT100) that two sets of power tubes with a custom transformer between them. Same idea as a variac, but the transformer was not variable. Those amps are not cheap.

[@kimhansen6384]

@@billphillipstube Some of what you are describing is a little bit confusing. But it seems that you are refering to power soaks, that comes in a lot of versions, and that a relatively inexpensive. The Variacs are not that expensive either, I paid around $120 for mine. And lastly there is an invention by London Power in Canada, that lowers the internal voltages in the amp. So there are many ways to skind a monkey :-)

[@davidjohnston4240]

I'm an EE, so I built myself some linear power attenuators for my Mesa Boogie Mark V 25. No knobs, just an in and out to go between the amp head and speaker. Being knobless, they could be entirely non inductive and resistive, impedance matched on both sides so it doesn't colour the tone. By making a 3dB, 6dB and 12dB box, they could be linked in line more attenuation was needed. Put the smallest first to even out the power dissipation.

[@ralvknights]

Paul the tone path is a a wonderland of discoveries. Thanks for sharing. Great tones, like your channel.

[@Peetie_Wheatstraw]

I thought the Tone King Imperial came with a built in attenuator. Is that only the newer MKII version?

[@RichardSmith-bj3bo]

Yes I think so

[@littlemachinewing]

yes

[@jimslim2831]

TWO FRICKEN GRAND?!! Jesus this is not the right channel for me. Maybe a $200 attenuator but $2000 🤪🤐😵

[@Smart-Alex]

$1200 not $2K

[@johanneschristopherstahle3395]

Paul is a professional musician. Of course he's using a professional attenuater/load box/speaker simulater. Yes you could get an attenuater for 100 bucks, but it won't sound as good/realistic as the ox. A huge part of the sound of a tube amp us created by the interaction of the power amp and the cabinet. Unlike a solid state amp, a tube amp will change it's output depending on the speaker that's connected to the amp. A simple load box will interrupt this interaction. The ox in contrast to that is able to interact with the power amp almost like a real speaker would do.

[@henripechdepluvinel898]

Just buy a volume pedal dude

[@Andrey.Balandin]

@@henripechdepluvinel898 You've completely missed the point of the video. With volume down on the pedal you won't be driving neither the output nor the preamp stage of the amp, I'll just sound dull. Paul's juicy sound comes from cranking the tube amp to the max to make the output tubes work in saturated mode and soaking up the unwanted loudness with the attenuator placed between the amp output and the speaker. Well, you may try putting your volume pedal there instead to see what fraction of a second it can withstand 20 watts running through it. [BTW, it was sarcasm, don't do it!]

[@jimslim2831]

Alexander Acker you realise there's more currencies than the USD, right?

[@mynameistiago10]

100% sure that’s my favourie channel on yt! Greetings from 🇵🇹

[@jivanbansi9640]

Rick Beato

[@darrenwatsonmusic]

Great tone. I just use a Headstrong Lil King Reverb for most gigs these days. Basically a hand-built '64 Princeton Reverb (12 watts) into a 12" speaker. I can get to 'the zone' for any stage or room.

[@gejin2862]

Never played a Tone King amp before but doesn't it have a built in attenuator? So what's the advantage of having an ox box? (besides the simulation)

[@jonathanbaker2789]

Ge Jin old model imperials don’t have built in attenuators, only the mkii models have them.

[@helooo28]

Does anyone else not have a clue of what he's talking about yet continues to watch the video like start to finish like "Ahh yes Paul, I totally agree!"

[@MarceloHamdan]

Paul, there is a guy in Brazil making amps with gain, master and POWER knobs. That's the true experience of being able to listening to your tube amps in your bedroom just like you said. After that, I sold my Mesa, Fender and Marshall amps.

[@souperdave2009]

Thanks Paul ...answered ALL my questions! Especially the Master Volume vs. no Master Volume effects. I have a 80's Peavey Stereo Chorus 130w RMSx2, with 2x12 Eminence 150w Texas Heats, 3 channel, no master volume. I can't turn it past 2 or, as you mentioned, my internal organs and brain will liquify. It is a solid state amp (no I will not listen to those who say this only applies to tube amps..) I noticed recently that I can run thru my Tube Screamer (or other peddle with Level control turned almost all the way down), and turn the volume and mids up on the amp and get amazing (silent moment of disbelief) tones and sounds! However, clicking the peddle off or cord movement/jack noise will result in immediate self injury panic and possible death to any living objects within a mile. Been wanting a power soaker, now I know its a must have, pretty much already knew it based on EVH's rigging. People have told me in the past that this dosent apply to solid state, perhaps they don't understand the true nature of the beast... Ty

[@Naglfar]

Doesn't the Imperial come with a built-in attenuator?

[@Tennis214]

Paul has a Tone King Imperial (original). No attenuator. You’re referring to the Tone King Imperial mkll. Which comes with an iron man attenuator.

[@DMSProduktions]

This also can be done (in a round about way) WITH a MV mod, however you need the right TYPE of MV Paul! A PPIMV will get you pretty close to the cooking sound you can get with an attenuator, for a lot less. TRY it, you can still also combine it with the attenuator!

[@RossCampbellGuitarist]

Sounds sweet! Your videos are always so enjoyable to watch.

[@observerboutique]

i recently replaced my hotrod deluxe to a 68 princeton reissue and boy oh boy, just being able to soundly get to the natural compression and beyond without breaking you hearing holes is the best thing in the gotdang universe

[@PapaWheelie1]

All these years I’ve been putting the attenuators in my ears. Neighbors would probably be happier if I put them on the speakers.

[@andytraverse]

I bought a power brake for my Marshall JTM30 combo years ago, transformed my sound. surprised that with all your gear you did not figure it out sooner. And in 5 years ownership you didn't once dare to fully crank your amp for a few seconds just to see how good it sounded?

[@MAP448]

It's amazing what a $2000 Universal Audio box can do.

[@ElmoSyr]

Welcome to the world of cranked amps! I discovered this 2 years ago and have since always cranked every amp I've recorded to find the sweet spot. I've learned that every knob in a tube amp is a tone knob! Also when recording with the cab in isolation, try to push the speakers with the output of your attenuator. There's one more step of speaker distortion/compression for you to discover. Tbh this is more subtle and requires the volume so can't easily be reproduced live. This is why in ACDC and Motörhead the guys are talking and singing about loud amps. They are really damn loud.

[@fewpoundcory]

1 dislike, i bet it was his barber because he hasnt made any money shaving his beard in years

[@Kashed]

They tried shaving it but it broke the clippers.

[@tremolo664]

I'm disliking it aswell (as much as I love this guy), because it feels just like very bad advertising.

[@kdrake777]

I thought all Tone King Imperial amps came with the Ironman attenuator built in.

[@PaulDavids]

That's the mk. II

[@zbqb84a]

I thought the same, didn't realize it was specific to the mk II

[@fenderjazzmaster]

Tone King Imperial mkii comes with the Ironman attenuator. And it works perfect. Too bad for him that he didn’t realised it.

[@GuitarDeuce]

Paul Davids Before the MK II, it was introduced in the hand-wired 20th Anniversary Imperial which I have. The difference is that the MK II is PCB and has the Iron Man 2 which allows you to attenuate the lead channel (louder channel) without having to attenuate the rhythm channel at the same level or at all.

[@fredbholz388]

I had the same problem playing two Sovtek 50W Heads live. Solution 1: A "Koch Loadbox". Never heard my amps so powerful on lower levels. Solution 2: A Vox AC10 for clubs.

[@fuglbird]

Vox AC10 is LOUD, very LOUD. You need a big club for that.

[@kungfudildo3159]

I wish I just had your gear 😍 This sounds beautiful and it's very nice that you reinforced or renewed your love with your amp

[@JammyGit]

I don't think I've seen anything quite so counter productive as buying an X thousand pound amp and then buying an X hundred/thousand pound attenuator so I can use it to it's potential - what a waste ! 😆 So many people don't understand how valve amps work, and they buy these amps and never use them properly. Being predominantly men who buy them there's an element of willy waving and 'my watts are bigger than yours' going on with everything from amp watts to strings - 'you use 9's? 😆 I'm a real man and use 13's.' Knackers to big amps and attenuators costing a fortune, low wattage amps are the best innovation in recent years and are the way to go. I own a 5 watt Laney Lionheart L5 Studio and it's a bloody excellent amp. 5 valve watts are still very loud and can be gigged with in smaller venues, and in ones where you need more you can mic it up or send it straight into the PA. At home, the 0.5 watt setting is still pretty loud and the great thing about my Laney is that I can get that saturated valve sound any time. 👍

[@einarabelc5]

Yep, it's called progress by competition, is how Women pick mates...in case you forget...Obviously like someone with real experience like David Gilmour said....you haven't felt what is like to lie against the sound onstage. Is not the ears but your entire body that "expensive amps" are for. As for the expenses, this guy has a youtube channel that's successful because he thinks differently than you, apparently. You're welcome to make a youtube channel about the mentality you're talking about instead of just posting. After all, you're free.

[@titmusspaultpaul5]

@@JammyGit it was a quote that defined big stage sound that goes through your body. You both have valid points.

[@Quicksilver_Cookie]

I'm not using anything over 25W or so with tubes in it anymore. Ideally less than that. It's just not practical in so many ways.

[@3000wizkid]

I highly recommend you watch the 30 minute Joe Bonamassa interview (he has on a green jumper) where he talked about tone from Clapton, page and beck. The whole time he is using like a 5 or 10 watt fender champ and reverb from a bathroom haha

[@used_muses]

@@3000wizkid Yeah, all very similar blues tube tones. There are different amps for a reason; that being they all sound different. Attenuation allows for those big amp tones in smaller venues. Not taking a 5W Champ to a small soul gig that calls for a Super Reverb. Thus the reason for attenuation.

[@Canaris]

Sorry for the noob question, but: I dont get it. Your amp is too loud, so why don't you just turn down the volume? Why do you need an extra box to turn down the volume instead of just using the volume knob on your current amp? The total volume should be the same then, so what difference does the additional box make? I think I might have not understood the key problem/solution here.

[@MichaelSengers]

Follow the howl and why not turn up the amp and the volume down in the guitar?

[@furiabongo]

A common conception about tube amps is that they sound best at maximum volume. A common problem with tube amps is that their maximum volumes tend to be really damn loud.

[@Andrey.Balandin]

Atheist Thor, you need to understand the design of the amp circuit a bit. The volume knobs (potentiometers) in the preamp or the output stages of the tube amp are placed BEFORE the respective stage, soaking up (wasting as heat) the guitar signal before it gets amplified (we are talking mW level). As the volume knob is cranked up, the signal is soaked up less, volume goes up, and after a point the tubes begin to saturate the signal by limiting or clipping the peaks and bringing up the quiet harmonics and generating additional harmonics, which results in the craved rich and juicy sound. That is why tube amps sounds awesome when cranked up. Since at this level they are painfully loud, the solution is not to kill the signal at the input (through volume knobs) but to soak up the amplified signal (we are talking 20 W level) by placing the attenuator AFTER the output stage and before the speaker. Got it? In principle any passive load of sufficient thermal power rating could do - a light bulb, a powerful resistor, an electric heater - but there may be fine details in practice...

[@rhythmace1]

@@MichaelSengers Because the desired distortion comes from the tubes having to *output* signals of a certain strength. Lowering the input (by dropping the guitar volume) also lowers the output, just as lowering the gain does, either way it both lowers the volume but also reduces the distortion.

[@rhythmace1]

Here's a simpler explanation. Guitar amps have 2 amplification stages, the pre-amp and power amp. In each one, when that stage is driven harder it begins to distort the signal in a pleasing way. The level of "drive" is determined by output volume; essentially each stage has a limit to how powerful a signal it can handle, and as you get closer to that limit the more it breaks up and colours the sound. Turning down the volume in either the preamp or power amp stage will reduce the amount of drive and clean up the sound, which may not be what you want. Attenuators allow you to drive the amp harder to get the tone you want bht then reduce the amplitude before sending the signal to your speakers.

[@johnemsley2893]

I fully relate to this. I have been aware of attenuators for years and it has just never occurred to me, the obvious benefits of using one. In 20 odd years of gigging, I’ve only shared a stage with a single guitarist using one. Even then, it didn’t occur to me how integral it was to his tone. I’m going direct at the moment as it’s ideal for my regular gig, but if I’m in a situation where it’s practical to go back to valves, I’ll definitely be getting one. Really excellent and enlightening video. Thank you.

[@nietomarcos586]

On my Orange TH30 I enjoyed very rarely the sweetness of the Clean channels overdrive when pushed hard. Bought the best bang for the buck solution for cheapasses like me, a Jettenuator! Absolutelly love that thing. And I even use it for my 12 watt Fender Vaporizer, wich was also way too loud, even changing the preamp from a pair of 12Ax7 to 12au7 and 5751. The tubes did lower the volume and tame it a bit, but tube watts are tube watts! Nice channel by the way!

[@Butts666]

I just can't wait for when I spend 10 years' worth of savings on a tube amp, finally showing the internet guitar player community that I'm serious about guitar, only to find out I have to buy an additional piece of equipment in order to be able to use it near other people without it sounding worse than a solid state that could probably give me similarly good sounds at any volume for a fraction of the price.

[@HIMcules2112]

when somebody tells you that your amp is too loud the correct response is either 1 : tell them if it's too loud you are too old 2: turn it up louder for the next song and then say, see it wasn't too loud after all was it?

[@Cole-ek7fh]

The GreyJedi2112 you get kicked out of bands a lot, huh?

[@garystackhouse5787]

you forgot 3: Never get hired by that venue again.

[@Frostliche]

There's a reason you mike up the amp when playing live. Less sound directly from the stage and more from the PA means: 1. the sound will be distributed more evenly across the audience 2. the sound technician can actually create a mix, balancing the volume with the rest of the instruments and EQ it so that it fits better in the mix 3. there is less bleed on stage, making every other microphone on stage pick up less noise overall, and making it easier to give the rest of the band as much or little of your guitar as they need to be able to play So, as a sound guy, you may turn your amp up but don't expect to even be in the PA mix at all

[@SocraticIAM]

@@Frostliche a little trick i counter with in case i cant find myself is to soundchecks with my volume rolled back a bit, then i again have the option. sorry sound guy, but you tamper me, i flex in return.

[@SocraticIAM]

mesa boogie mark iv btw

[@guydouglas6094]

I know exactly what mean - crank up the tube amp and it has a fullness and tone. But the volume is like a jet taking off in your room! Another good video with honest simple opinion/advice. I like your 'dry', quirky humor.

[@TheAxe4Ever]

Nice! That is a sweet sounding amp when the power tubes are properly pushed with the attenuator. Be prepared to chew through power tubes a bit more quickly if you crank it through the attentuator. But the payoff in tone sure is worth it. You’re gonna have a lot of fun finding new ways to use your amp. It’s like getting a new amp all over again. Cheers!

[@MrScrofulous]

Ouch, have to disagree with that old chestnut that classic rock OD is power tube distortion. There was a very nice treatise on TGP a few years ago, with evidentiary oscilloscope shots, that demonstrated nicely that it's really phase inverter saturation that makes that tone, so a post-phase inverted maser volume does achieve that effect. That said, all the tones you posted were super nice, and I'm happy that you have a tone solution that works for you.

[@PaulDavids]

Oh, I definitely did not mean/say that classic OD sounds are all power tube distortion! For this amp I am playing however, that is the case (it says so in the manual haha!)

[@daveanderson5680]

With an attenuator you get POST Phase Inverter and POST Output Tube sounds.....with a MV you get only POST PI sounds as the output tubes have nearly been idled

[@johanneschristopherstahle3395]

The PI is the first tube of the power amp stage. ;) So it's power amp distortion/overdrive.

[@MrScrofulous]

Semantics. It's still not power tube distortion. It was shown really clearly that even a "Marshall on 10" isn't really using power tube distortion..

[@bradatherton9369]

@@MrScrofulous is very correct! Semantics, semantics. Whether or not you want to say that the PI is part of the power amp stage or not, it has a very different overdrive/distortion characteristic than a power tube. Why? Because a 12ax7, 12at7, etc is a TRIODE device (control grid, anode, and cathode), whereas power tubes vary from triode to pentode (additional screen grid and sometime supressor grid). The extra grids produce different nonlinearities, and nonlinearities are precisely why simply turning the volume level down is not the same as power soaking or PPIMV. The distortion/coloration in the iron of the output transformer is also a dominant quality, but a PPIMV doesn't invoke that property because it attenuates the control grids going to the push-pull power tubes. The PPIMV does have some appeal though. Check out the Victory Sheriff. Martin Kidd did a great job on that one. Not sure if it is a Lar Mar or Trainwreck PPIMV, though.

[@juppersonpornelius]

How tall are you Paul

[@cerrito7806]

Fin Pender Paul is 7'7". He's huge. That's why he's so good at guitar 😂

[@juppersonpornelius]

CERRITO 7 foot 7 🤣

[@sseltrek1a2b]

So true…most of us will never hear what our amps really can sound like because they’re meant to bo played really loud…attenuators are awesome…

[@jakestewartmusic]

I experienced the EXACT same thing with my Carr Rambler. As guitar players, we hear so much about cranked amp tone but not all of us take the time to actually try it for ourselves After years of constantly swapping overdrive pedals and running clean boosts afterwards to boost the overall volume for solos, I tried just plugging straight in and cranking the amp to 10. I finally got that natural compression, smooth transition from clean to dirty, dynamics, and natural overdrive that I was looking for. My amp's tube bias tremolo finally sounded strong and had a beautiful pulsing wave to it, and the spring reverb became more prominent but also touch sensitive. I went from a pedalboard with a compressor, dual overdrive, tremolo, and slapback delay to plugging straight into the amp and using the onboard spring reverb and tremolo - adjusting the amount of volume and gain with my guitar's volume control. I haven't looked back. If my rig is too loud, I often don't need as much overdrive anyway. At max volume, I'm perfectly suited for a loud band. The moral of the story is this - amplifiers need to be moving some air. Nowadays, we're all used to super high headroom amps with barely any master volume being pushed by pedals. Turn those pedals off and we're often left with a flat, uninspiring tone. It often isn't that much louder than our solo-boosted full-on-gain sound to just turn our amps up a bit more. It can be more cost-effective and sound better to get a lower headroom amp and actually turn it up. Remember that there was a reason Fender made amps of all different wattage ratings - each one breaks up at a different point and that's crucial when playing different size rooms or with different ensembles. Crank it up y'all!

[@thegingerpowerranger]

....if your dad doesn't have a beard, you've got two mums....

[@en5490]

Why does this guy, despite making ostensibly quality videos, feel the need to put super click-baity video titles?

[@C_mao]

That thing where a comedian says what the audience has been thinking, but they put it into words, and it invokes a chuckle, you have that. "Caged system" and this one, are the only two i'v seen of your channel, so far. (And i just noodle occasionally) but am in the process of modding a few guitars to 'perfect' them, thinking of getting a killer little, low-wattage amp(maybe a Bogner)

[@eranfalek]

In my second year in the university I got the idea to build myself an attenuator. I bought the resistors, a heat sink, proper wires. I had a similar experience as you. I finally could open my 100 watts jcm 800 to hear it in full capacity! Didn't pay 1300$ though.... I love your videos!

[@charlieboyd2453]

eranfalek how did it sound

[@eranfalek]

@@charlieboyd2453 very good. I think it would be better if I connect it to a smaller speaker but I didn't try it yet.