Blu angel master volume mod!!!

[mcsqunk]

!!!Hey guys, I am new to this site. i have thoroughly enjoyed what I have seen thus far and decided to share this.
I LOVE MY BLUE ANGEL HEAD AND 2X12 cab but find even at moderate levels it is too loud for some gigs/applications.
I always wondered about a master vol mod and stumbled upon this one.
Its probably beem shared already but here goes.

NB. this is only applicable if you don't use the effects loop.
Basically. All you need is 2 regular 1/4 inch jacks that aren't connected to a lead or anything, short the tip and sleeve of 1 of them.
Plug the totally stock 1 into the send of the fx loop
Plug the shorted 1 into the return.
Thats it!
The fx loop level control becomes your master volume knob (albeit works in reverse. ie: full counter clockwise is 0 volume)
The send jack engages the fx loop and the shorted 1 just send the signal straight to the power amp.
This may be a hacks way to do it but I have had great results and i can now run my amp up around 1/2 on the front panel volume, thus getting more preamp gain at more bedroow/small gig appropriate levels.
I'm sure some of the amp tech guys can have a look at the schematic and let us know exactly what is happening with this.
And i know that the amp sounds much better cranked normally thus getting poweramp distortion but alot of the time when I play, ath church mostly, this is just not possible due to noise restraints.
thanks
duncan

 

[Monsta-Tone]

If you want to make the amp breakup at lower volumes, this isn't exactly the way to do it.

This Master Volume (although it needs to be installed by a tech) is a lot better, sorry.

Good explanation although slightly off his own topic: http://guitarforworship.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/post-phase-inverter-master-volume-taming-stage-levels/

http://www.google.com/search?q=post+phase+inverter+master+volume&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a

 

[94Tremoverb]

I tried that FX loop method, and thought it sounded like crap. I also tried fitting a post-phase-inverter MV (using the Slave pot hole) and thought that sounded like crap too! And I tried running it with an attenuator, and guess what! It sounded like crap... until I discovered that the BA *hates* inductive attenuators, like the Hotplate and Powerbrake. It was actually fine with an own-built purely resistive one I have, so I would guess it would work OK with the Airbrake.

It's a shame it's not a bit more controllable really, because the natural overdriven sound of the amp is fantastic. But the reason it sounds so bad and unlike itself with any kind of master volume is exactly because of why it is actually a Dual Rectifier even though it bears no relation to the 'Recto' at all - the power stage is fed from the tube rectifier, but there is a separate solid-state one for the preamp, so the preamp has more headroom than the power stage and can't be overdriven (or at least not until after the power stage is). The preamp distortion by itself is quite nasty.

One good thing about it is that it takes most pedals well though.

 

[mcsqunk]

Thanks for that. I totally agree that it NEVER sounds as good as actually cranking the volume thus reaching power amp distortion. I thought I explained that. I was just sharing it as it is a cheap and easy way to tame the volume and still get useable tones at lower levels.
Even though the blue angel is only 38 w max it I still find it to be fairly loud for alot of the applications I use it in.
Also, tone is subjective and personal and I find the attenuated sound from the blue angel to be not terrible.
Monsta tone. thanks for the link to the ppimv. I'll definitely look into that. that guitar for worship site is pretty cool.