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Thread: Help with making a guitar amp quiet

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    Default Help with making a guitar amp quiet

    I know, why the hell would I want a guitar amp quiet? But when it comes time to practice at night, I need my new amp to be whisper quiet. My problem is my amp (a Peavey Bandit 112) is a monster. It has 10 volume settings really, there's 0 which is no sound at all, then it hits one which is about the same volume as someone talking loudly. There is nothing in between. It gets stupid loud once it gets to 5, and can easily out power a full amp stack if I crank it.

    What I want to do is build some kind of resistance device to go between the speaker wires and the speaker terminals which can at least halve the power to the cone. I'm pretty nifty with a soldering iron but I lack the knowledge to know what to buy. If possible, I'd love a headphone socket built into this contraption (the amp doesn't have one) which would cut power to the speaker entirely. Maybe even a volume knob on it somewhere so I can crank the amp up to get that nice tube sound but retain my hearing.

    Can anyone help me out with a schematic and some part numbers I can get from Jaycar/Dick Smith Electronics?



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    Senior Member big mick000's Avatar
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    I would think a variable resistor (volume control) inline with one of the wires to the speaker, but then again, it is a huge amp, so it might not be so good...

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    Premium Member rob916's Avatar
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    What about plug some computer speakers into the headphone output. MAYBE I should read your post properly
    Inside the amp, is the preamp and the power amp separate?
    Peavey schematics are on the web, I have a look after.
    Last edited by rob916; 21-06-08 at 06:33 PM. Reason: I should read.
    What happens if I press alt + F4?

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    Quote Originally Posted by rob916 View Post
    What about plug some computer speakers into the headphone output.
    Like I said
    If possible, I'd love a headphone socket built into this contraption (the amp doesn't have one) which would cut power to the speaker entirely.
    I'm still looking for a solution, but I'm sure you brainy chaps have great ideas...

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    Premium Member rob916's Avatar
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    The amp has a preamp out. on the rear right hand side.
    You can run this to computer speakers or whatever
    What happens if I press alt + F4?

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    Quote Originally Posted by rob916 View Post
    The amp has a preamp out. on the rear right hand side.
    You can run this to computer speakers or whatever
    It has a preamp out which is so that you can hook the amp into a quad box. This doesn't cut the signal to the speaker though.

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    Premium Member rob916's Avatar
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    Should be able to run the main output volume to zero and use the preamp level.
    If not, just switch the speaker
    What happens if I press alt + F4?

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    Cool Caution with load removal.

    Quote Originally Posted by rob916 View Post
    Should be able to run the main output volume to zero and use the preamp level.
    If not, just switch the speaker
    G'day,
    Depends on the output configuration, but you can cause all sorts of problems if you remove the load(Speakers/speaker transformers) and not the driver input. My suggestion is that any attenuation must be done in the first stage where power dissipation is not a problem.
    Any one would be crazy to give a definitive solution, without being aware of the schematics for this specific unit.
    Kindest Regards, " The Druid ".
    Last edited by beer4life; 21-06-08 at 09:08 PM. Reason: Needed qualification.

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    Senior Member BCNZ's Avatar
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    The simplest solution is the one that doesn't involved modifying the amp at all - and that is to make an input attenuator.

    Go to Dicks or Jaycar and get yourself a 10K log pot, a small plastic case, and two 6.5 mm mono jack sockets.

    Fit the pot and the two sockets to the case. Wire the sleeve connection of one socket to the sleeve connection of the other socket. Wire from the tip connection of one socket (call this the INPUT) to one end of the pot. Connect the other end of the pot to the common wire that goes from sleeve to sleeve of the sockets. Connect the centre terminal of the pot to the tip connection of the remaining socket (the OUTPUT).

    Plug your guitar to the INPUT and connect the output to the input of the guitar amp (using 6.5 mono to 6.5 mono patch cord).

    The volume control on your guitar amp won't be very accurate - as you can see it goes from zero to almost full noise in one click.
    This is a simple passive level attenuator that will drop the level of your guitar output so there is less signal for the amp.

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    Quote Originally Posted by therufus View Post
    ... my amp (a Peavey Bandit 112)
    .... I'd love a headphone socket built into this contraption (the amp doesn't have one) which would cut power to the speaker entirely.
    Are you sure it is a Peavey Bandit 112?

    If so here is the owners manual that you should have read.


    All you have to do is insert a blind plug in the power amp in socket(21) at the rear and the speaker will be silent.
    You can connect either a high impedance headphone or a little active computer speaker system to the preamp out socket (22).

    You can also do the same with the send/return sockets on the front panel. A plug inserted in return will also kill the signal connection to the power amp but the send will be a bit weak for a head phone.
    You could build a volume control for the send/return loop or the preamp/power amp loop, that will not affect the overdrive.
    This amp is not a tube amp so you are not clipping your poweramp like the old Marshalls. All the sound is created in the pre amp.

    Use a 4.7kohm log pot, although anything between 1k and 10k should be OK. The centre terminal of the pot is wired to the tip of the return plug. One end of the pot is wired to the tip of the send plug, the other end to ground (sleeves of the plugs). It should be the end that the centre terminal connects to when the pot is fully turned to zero (anticlockwise). You can see it through the opening above the terminals.

    Don't regulate the input of your amp, especially not with a 10k pot.
    You would need 1Mohm but it will only kill your guitar sound, terribly thin.
    Sorry Studio1
    Last edited by Uncle Fester; 22-06-08 at 02:27 AM.

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    Just buy a brake…. I run one on my Marshall they work a treat and very common....
    Just speak to your local dealer he will know what you need...

    Here is a link


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    Or a multi-effects unit.
    They have practice modes built into them, volume control, etc. and you will also have a few thousand new sounds to play with.

    The Digitech GNX3 is a good one, I have used this one myself and it does SO MUCH.

    Looks like it's been replaced with the RP500

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    Quote Originally Posted by old mate View Post
    Just buy a brake…. I run one on my Marshall they work a treat and very common....
    Just speak to your local dealer he will know what you need...

    Here is a link

    LOL...if you got $300 lying around
    We used to call them a Power Soak.
    Great for Valve amps, almost a 'must have' to get a good sound at reduced volume but for transistor amps pretty much useless.
    You would also have to build in a connection to loop it between the poweramp out and speaker as your amp does not have sockets for this.
    If you screw up, you are in for heavy repair costs.

    There are also many cheaper effects that you could loop into the send/return and use as a attenuator. Sometimes for a few bucks @Ebay, perhaps even a volume pedal.
    I understand that this is just for practising at home.

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    If I wanted just something to practice on, I'd buy a Line6 Pod, but I want to use the equipment I have already.

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    You can run the gnx thru your existing amp, keep the same sound, but of all the features it will give you, one of them is the ability to adjust the volume in much finer increments.

    Loop it thru your amp and you can keep the exact same sound, just lower and more adjustable.

    It is exactly what you need mate.

    Failing that, you can pull your amp apart and start slapping in pots, but you will only be able to guess which one you need, and risk stuffing it up, losing the overdrive pre-amp sound you like, etc...

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    Senior Member Farmsky's Avatar
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    Nomeat's post #10 has nailed it

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    Quote Originally Posted by biggeorge View Post
    Or a multi-effects unit.
    They have practice modes built into them, volume control, etc. and you will also have a few thousand new sounds to play with.

    The Digitech GNX3 is a good one, I have used this one myself and it does SO MUCH.

    Looks like it's been replaced with the RP500
    I've got an old Zoom 505 multi effects pedal I use, works well with headphones. Fairly cheap solution in my book unless you really have to use the Amp.

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    i found the axe worked REALLY well on my sons unit, quiet as a mouse now!
    When I explained to the guy what avatar I wanted, that wasn't what I meant!

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