Resistor in series with speaker

[dmoose]

I am about the purchase a Blackstar 5watt tube amp, but the gain has to turned up too far to get the dirty sound. I was thinking of just adding an 16 ohm 50 watt resistor in parallel to cut the effective power the speaker and thus be able to turn up the gain without being too loud. I would then attach it to the 8 ohm output. Can anyone see damage from this?

[Tom Phillips]

That approach would not damage anything. However, it will only cut the power to the speaker in half and that would not cut the volume that your ears perceive by much. You could give it a try since there would be no damage. If it's still too loud then it would be time to look into getting a power soak attenuator.

[Enzo]

Agree, it cuts the power to the speaker in half, but power isn't loudness. the reduction would only be 3 decibels, which is just enough to notice, but not more.

[pdf64]

And it would significantly affect the tone, as the amp's output wouldn't be able to properly follow the speaker's frequency / impedance characteristic.

[J M Fahey]

You are on the good path, but have to walk a little more, what you actually need is an attenuator.

The simplest one is not what you suggest but a little further.
Is the original speaker 16 ohms?
Add 15/20 ohms 10W`(or more) in parallel with the speaker, and 8-10 ohms 10W or more in series with them.
Total load will still be about 16 ohms and attenuation will be ~6dB which starts to be noticeable.

Both resistors are small and inexpensive.

If not enough, we can suggest higher attenuation nets.

[Sock Puppet]

You don't say where you are but maybe a speaker L-Pad attenuator would be a good starting point. Buy a large one the same impedance as your speaker.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L_pad#Speaker_L_pad

[Jammin'John]

Too Loud !

FIVE watts is too loud !


JJ

[Justin Thomas]

And to be half as loud you only need half a watt... what the heck kinda tube you gonna use in PP @ 1/4W per? Dang it, people sure are sissies anymore! Thank you Apple & earbuds... (cries now)

Justin

[olddawg]

FIVE watts is too loud !


JJ

You have no idea how many times I have had a house sound man at a popular venue tell me that I had to bring the stage volume down using a stock Epiphone VJ head (which essentially is the same thing) through one 12" CTS speaker in an open back cab. I finally started using a Weber Mini Mass attenuator. Of course I was driving the living shit out of it using a Bad a Monkey, a Rocktron Big Crush, and an overwound Strat bridge pickup. Something about a small supersaturated Class A amp I think drives them mad! I tell them "But it's just 5 watts" and they get even madder! I had a band mate tell me "that little f@@ker will take your face off"! Lol. Kids these days!

[J M Fahey]

FIVE watts is too loud !


JJ

Not against a drummer or on stage, even in a large Church or mid sized Pub, but full crank a 5W in an appartment at night > 20 or 22Hs) and tell me what happens.

FWIW I successfully build and sell the "FAHEY 3 a.m. attenuator":

[olddawg]

Here is a live recording of me playing a cranked 5 watt amp with a live drummer, rhythm guitar, and bass live on a stage all unmiked in a medium size club. The only thing miked is the vocals and it was recorded by one of those small, cheap Tascam hand held digital recorders stuck somewhere in the room. Also the first time I ever played the song. I was watching the rhythm guitarist's/vocalist hands the whole time. Lol. I like the sustain, feedback, and harmonics.

https://www.reverbnation.com/theshak...the-wheel-live

We were eventually shut down for being too loud. The guy hosting the show had a meltdown. I said... But it's just a 5 watt amp!

[Steve A.]

There is a local blues jam at a small club and for several years there were two modded Epiphone Valve Juniors for the guitarists to keep the decibels down. 5 watts was plenty loud but not exactly that refined for cleaner sounds...

Steve

[Jammin'John]

I guess 5 watts could be too loud in some situations but NOT with a band in a club.
The smallest amp I bring to a club is my Tweed Deluxe.
It must suck to be an apartment dweller. No privacy and you can't crank your amps up to fun level.
I'm glad I live in the middle of nowhere.
I would use a less efficient speaker or an L - Pad.

JJ

[dmoose]

That approach would not damage anything. However, it will only cut the power to the speaker in half and that would not cut the volume that your ears perceive by much. You could give it a try since there would be no damage. If it's still too loud then it would be time to look into getting a power soak attenuator.

Thanks, Tom. I went to electronics school 40 years ago and have not worked in the field, thus, I don't trust all my ideas. I don't know what a "soak attenuator is, can you enlighten me. Also, as soon as I read your post that it would only cut the vol. by 3db, I realized, yeah, I remember that now. You were a help., thanks!

dale

[olddawg]

Well.. I guess that would depend on how and what you are playing. If you listened to the clip I posted earlier that was a 5 watt amp through one 12" speaker in a club with a drummer that was far from light handed. I use a 20 watt PP EL84 amp nowadays mostly because I need to have relatively clean volume at times. At least in the places I play for the most part, things have changed greatly. Waitresses need to hear drink orders. It isn't 1979 anymore. I'm constantly trying to get the other guitarists that I perform with to use smaller gear. But they still insist to use their Marshsall JMP 50 watt combo (or DSL whatever) through a 1960A cab with the MV on 1 also insisting the overhead doesn't matter. Then wonder why there is problem with the management when they blow people's heads off. I will stack more gear or use larger rigs outdoors occasionally. But even that is not necessary with modern PAs and monitors. The vocals are always better if you can keep the stage volume down unless everyone has in-ear monitors.