Volume Boxes...

[Jayce62]

Ok I was thinking about checking out attenuators today and when I searched the bay a bunch of volume boxes came up. I understand the basic concept of how both VBs and Attenuators work, and obviously attenuators work better because they cost about 10 times more. I find the seller descriptions of VBs confusing, some say they work as well as attenuators allowing you to crank the amp getting the overdrive, but lower the volume to reasonable levels. I tend to think (but I'm nowhere near an expert) that it goes in the effects loop so all it would do is make a sensitive volume knob less responsive and I couldn't get overdrive and low volumes.
So if someone would be kind enough to clear some things up...

Can volume boxes allow you to crank your amp (to get distortion) and have low volume levels?
If so, attenuators would work better, correct?
Are volume boxes usable on any amp with an effects loop?

I used the useful search function on the forums and searched volume boxes and not much came back, so sorry if this has been covered already.


Thanks to anyone that can straighten things out for me.

 

[slowhand0461]

I made one to use with my Fender Hot Rod DeVille 410 and Loved it!

It helped tame the beast(if you own one you'll understand). The only thing is that if you use you effect loop for effects it will lessen their affect on your signal....but I wasn't doing that at the time I had that amp and it worked great.
I could set the amp to get the sound I wanted and then dial it in for an appropriate volume level for any venue.

 

[Jayce62]

Yes my one effect pedal is in between the guitar and amp, so this might be nice.
So, hypothetically, if I wanted to get the distortion level of having the master volume on 6, I could turn the amp up to six and the volume box way down and achieve a volume level of about 2-3 and still get that nice tube drive sound?

 

[eddy999]

a volume box in the effects loop simply reduces the level of the signal after the preamp before it hits the power amp section... This means you may well get preamp distortion, but you definitely won't be getting power amp distortion. That is the difference between volume boxes and attenuators - an attenuator reduces the level of the signal after the power amp - a volume box reduces it before the power amp.

Hence in theory the attenuator will sound better letting you drive the power tubes also - although if you reduce the volume by a significant amount (to bedroom levels for example) you are going to loose some high-end with the majority of attenuators.. Most people compensate on the amp by upping the treble.

 

[BillB1960]

I made one to use with my Fender Hot Rod DeVille 410 and Loved it!

It helped tame the beast(if you own one you'll understand). The only thing is that if you use you effect loop for effects it will lessen their affect on your signal....but I wasn't doing that at the time I had that amp and it worked great.
I could set the amp to get the sound I wanted and then dial it in for an appropriate volume level for any venue.

The reason that the VB works so well with the Fender Hot Rod series is that effed up linear pot they use for the master volume on those amps. Those amps aren't any louder than any other 40-60 watt amps, they just can't be controlled as finely with the linear pot. Once that pot is replaced with an audio taper pot they're much easier to control. The VB is just a workaround.