It’s not a “problem” anyone should expect Fender to “solve.” First of all, a 40 watt amp isn’t made to play in your bedroom. You could rattle the pictures off the wall and get the law called on you with a 15 watt amp. Second, the amp has a master volume already on the drive channel AND it has an effects loop so you can add another volume control as Brian shows here, just in case your Spark amp ever fails to update and you’re forced to switch on your 40 watt touring amp in a residential neighborhood. This is great advice from Brian for newbies, but it’s not a solution to any engineering problem that Fender is “ignoring.” The PROBLEM is consumers buying a 20lb. sledge hammer when what they needed was a 5oz tack hammer.
Brian, I love watching your videos. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us nerds. I don't know of ANY other CEO of any other gear manufacturer that interacts like this with the public. You are one cool dude and I look forward to more of your fabulous creations!
I use a passive volume pedal. It works awesome on stage. I love your videos and insight. What you teach used to be trade secrets that nobody would teach. Thank you!
This is probably my favorite video find on youtube. I had this box assembled and working inside of 15 minutes, and it was JUST what I needed for my Deluxe. Love it.
Good tip. Speaking of tips you are calling the sleeve connection ring on the Jack. The plugs and jacks go back over 100 years with the old telephone switchboards and electro-mechanical telephone switches. Tip Ring Sleeve are the three parts of the Jack and plug. Tip & Ring are the two that go out to your home land line if you still have one and ringing voltage ( usually 90v) would go down the Ring side of the line. In the switching office the sleeve is used for controlling or “holding” relays operated to hold up the call. Fast forward fifty years and stereo plugs used the same technology for left right and ground ( which the sleeve is). Mono plugs are just Tip and Sleeve. I don’t know anything about pedals and why I watch your videos which are great but I’m an old dinosaur telephone guy who worked on cord switchboards back in the day. Like this video showing how to make a master volume and using the amp send receive jacks to attenuate the volume. Two thumbs up!
@@StopTheRot Not sure about Paul, but I personally always used a boss GE7 just because it's got good controls and also has a good buffer built in. It doesn't really matter that much though. Just as long as it has a level control and is quiet.
Until you click it off and forget your amp is running full volume, I like the idea of the dial and no on/off button. That volume box doesn't need 9v power either. Cheers
Another great quick and easy mod for the hot rods is to put a 12AU7 in the V1 position. Makes the clean channel more controllable and decreases the gain on the distortion channels. This is what fender does to the George Benson model hot rod.
This is Brian being awesome as usual!! Thanks for your kindness Brian, sharing your expertise with the world. The world is a better place because of people like you!
Brian, you're awesome! I always love your willingness to help us learn and your humility in the face of your vast amount of knowledge. I've learned so much from you and have benefitted more than I can measure from the pedals you have created and what you have shared about them. Thank you for doing what you do!
Awesome...a volume pedal in a box. I always use a volume pedal in the effects loop for this purpose to adjust volume on the fly while gigging. This is a cool option for those with a few parts and a soldering iron. Bravo.
I am just getting into pedal mods and such, working on my first build (klon clone) and I have to say this channel is a WEALTH of cool knowledge and fun to listen to. Thanks man! Keep ‘em coming!
To be honest, I thought that by using it I would get the same fizzy sound out from the second channel of my bugera v22. I tried this anyway and the truth is that the amp sounds almost as good as it would ("open" sound) if it was cranked but at lower volume! Yeah, Brian thumbs up man!
I haven't placed a small bear order in years! Brian, you owe me 17 dollars now. I love your channel man, as everyone else always confirms, you are the man. And it is way cool to see the amp on TPS, watching it now!
And we’ve come full circle from taking the master volume out of the silver face” circuit to putting it back in! I never could afford a good blackface, but I do love some silver face fenders with master volumes! Thanks for the “how to!”
I didn't see this comment before I said the same shit. Hilarious, man. I guess if you really dont know how, youd never even know you just watched him show you...
@@donaldmusic6274 I'd like to know too, the pot used in the video is a 100k one, but on the website brian showed at the beginning, the potentiometer is a 25k one :/ does it really make a difference? I don't don't know much about electronics, but I really want to get this right hehe
Brian, thank you so much for this latest video. I use a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue amp which has the same volume issue. I happen to have the identical Ernie Ball volume pedal which you suggested as an option. I've always used this volume pedal in line with my guitar input and effects chain BUT NO LONGER. You've just totally transformed the usability of my amp, I can control the overall volume easily and now roll out as much of my amps natural hair/grit by using my guitar's volume pots beyond say 5 or 6, my go to guitar is a Gibson Les Paul Custom. I use a number of your pedals but this video has just completely increased my sound options and released the true versatility of my amp. You're a total star!
Great video! I solved the volume problem on my Hot Rod Deluxe with a Weber Minimass, which is an attenuator, for real. I have been very happy with the Minimass, but now I am wondering if I could have achieved the same results for less cash by using your method. If only I had known about this trick a few years ago. Thanks for taking time to share your knowledge with us. Also, your video about putting an EQ pedal into the effects loop of a Hot Rod Deluxe has been life changing for me. I can finally get usable tones with the amp set to drive/more drive. Thank you so much for that!
I came up with this a long time ago, on the Fender Discussion Page. During discussions of the original Blues Deluxe, I suggested patching a level controlling device, compressor, EQ with volume control or even a 100k Audio taper pot in a box. One FDP'r wanted to know what that would look like, I put up a crude BMP drawing. It was dubbed the "Volume Box." A few guys took my little drawing and started selling them on Ebay. The first guy does credit me. I didn't "invent" it. I had a comercial Ampeg pedal to use in my SVT loop in the mid 70's.
I know you probably won't see this, but for the hot rod deluxe, it would be nice to have a foot switch to turn the reverb on and off (instead of having to turn the knob up and down). Any ideas on how to do this?
@@matthewkennedy7283 on the hotrod deluxe the 2 button switch toggles Clean/Drive and Drive/More Drive. You'd need to modify the circuit with a relay to short the reverb out.
In case you already have something into your effects loop and have an extra hole or space to drill one on the back of your amp, like me... you can put a potentiometer there without having to mess up with Jacks. To me a 1nF capacitor was mandatory, because when I turned my effects loop volume down there was I huge treble loss. A volume pedal could be great, but you'll need two long cables to reach you effects loop and by the way you'll add capacitance, buzz and maybe hum... if you're lucky!
Sweet. Now for an encore. How to build a passive eq into this master volume mod and an overdrive with another passive eq inside that. All in 1 box. Lol
Thats pretty slick. My hot rod Deville has been collecting dust for years. I go back to it every once and a while, and quickly remember why it is moth balled. It is very dark, loud and the over drive is crap. I cant bring myself to sell it, so this may be just the thing to give it a second chance. Thanks!!!
Lmao "I'm not going to show you how to solder..." **Shows exactly how to solder the wire to the lug with pretty much professional fluidity and ease, in approximately five seconds as he's even saying it** "...its just that easy." Your videos rule, dude. I'm hooked. You should not show me how to do my taxes while we're at it.
Was going to buy the JHS little black amp box for my Hot Rod Deluxe. Stubbled across this video and turned an old self made boost pedal into this instead. Saved £50. Put said £50 towards a Euphoria instead. Happy as a pig in you know what. Cheers Brian!
I just made mine today and it worked awesome. Even though I’m dumb when it comes to electronics like this I was able to follow the instructions. Appreciate you making this video sir.
Thank Brian. It's obvious and logical to me but this is a nice video for beginners and those starting along the technical route. The dog should and must wag the tail so guitarists really should learn to solder, rewire and customise their instruments.
I made one of these a while ago to tame my Blues Deluxe Reissue. It works ok, but I also fitted treble bleed circuits (just a resistor & capacitor from ebay) to my guitars, so I can use the guitar's volume control to reduce the level without the tone going muddy. I prefer this method.
Thanks for the video! I built one to use with a Fender Frontman 65R to tame the clean channel volume control. This reduced pre-amp noise as well by allowing me to boost the guitar signal above the pre-amp noise, then turn everything down before hitting the power amp. This resolved my biggest issue with this amp.
That's a fair question E.g typically I use my eq pedal in the loop But if you have looper post the eq pedal Then a master volume as a final tweak, would make sense.
Must be nice being Brian Wampler! You've got some really nice tricks up your sleeve. Quite a lot of them.. Wish I had your knack for electronics. Thanks for sharing some of your knowledge with the rest of us. Very cool of you..
Put an 12at6 preamp tube in the first position it dimes back the volume, you dont go from like zero to 5 in volume. Doesnt do what Brian is doing here , but at least its a cheap option if you dont have any sodering skills ( ala me :).
Edit: ah, ok, you mean the clean channel, right? -I guess the point is to also reach high gain levels at low volume, which is hindered by a weaker preamp tube. This is a master volume retrofit, not a tube swap.-
I built one of these for a Peavey Classic 30, essential for home playing. But also when playing live if your turn the amp up too much the fx in the loop will clip, so you can reel it back a bit with a volume knob.
Great video! Maybe a weird question but could you do more amp mod videos? For example the one wire mod on a plexi, I know its an easy mod but there is no video about how to do this.
Thank you for this video. My son painted up an old pedal for me, now I'll be making my volume pedal soon for my hot rod deluxe. Thank you again for your diy.
These amps have a separate volume and drive knobs so what does this volume box do differently to the existing volume? Is it just that the original control is too sensitive or are you actually driving the tubes more somehow.
The master volume doesn't affect the clean channel. On these amps, the clean volume is way too sensitive. Basically, it's just adding a master control to the clean channel. It's redundant if you use the dirt channel of the amp, however very few use that dirt channel on those amps.
I have been trying to figure out how to use this amp for home practice. Forget about modding the volume control knob, or adding the above mentioned stupid added volume control in the effects loop. Try this instead - it worked like a charm for me, and the tone is better: replace the first tube 12AX7 with a lower gain tube like the 12AT7 or 12AY7. Easy to do, and cheap. Try it, you won't regret it.
By the way I have your Tumnus which is a killer boost , that adds thump and a killer transparent mild "klon" distortion, goes great with a Strat and Deville! I follow it with a Sovereign.....great for hard and cleaner rock sounds, gives me ample options and sounds so nice!
lil volume box like that is such a handy piece of equipment for touring artist, fly gigs or venues with back lines can lead to needing a volume box like this
Veritas072 it isn't like that. At max the pots is like connecting directly the signal to output, and at min it's like sending the signal to ground directly.
I think the big thing here is that if the pot can handle the circuit voltage/amperage then the lower resistance of the 100k pot as opposed to the 1meg pot will give you a smoother sweep from full to off.
Thanks 4 this! Got the parts yesterday.. Just made. Didn't have a box so used an old smoke detector that I was gonna throw out. Briefly tested with my 60 dollar MIM Fender Deluxe. Cannot wait to play with it to try to find it's sweet spot now. Thanks again!!!
12AY7 tube has a lower amplification factor than 12AX7 so it reduces the volume sensitivity. It will also improve the frequency response of the pre-amp. It does not affect the max output since you have more room in the volume control to reach the peak power.
Because my Fender Twin Reverb does not have a Looper in the back I have to do that but into the front of the amp so what I do is I run my pedalboard into JHS amp box with a master volume just like you built on this video and I run that into the front of my amp and keep my volume on five on the amp in the summer and seven or eight in the winter and use the master volume after my board on the pedal
I built a similar one for my Deville, but even on 0, I still can hear a faint distorted sound (while running the volume on the amp on 8). Is this normal?
There's a cool device called the "lion tamer" that you can buy online. It's basically a volume pot with in/out jacks designed for this issue. It works great.
I have a Fender Performer 1000 , 100 watt tranny amp . The volume goes from silent to deafening at about 1.5 and is very difficult to get a usable volume . Somewhere on the tinterwebs I read that using a patch lead to loop the line out to effects return ( doing this from memory as the amp is in a rehearsal room , but I think thats right ) , the volume could be tamed by then setting the effects mix dial to about 5 ( or whatever suits ) . This is what I did and it worked a treat .
Fantastic video! I've made a couple of these for me and one for a friend, and I love 'em. You have to dial it waaaay down before things start to sound cruddy. Thanks for the tip. And FYI, in deference to my German heritage, I call mine the LautKnopf (LoudKnob). :-)
I enjoy your videos so much. I built one of these boxes tonight. It is amazing the difference in my Blues Deluxe. Hard to believe about $10 in parts and a little time and now I can enjoy this amp at lower bedroom volumes. My family and neighbors thank you. I do too.
I can attest that this volume box works with my Hot Rod. I added a DPDT switch so I can turn it off. Tip: make an outline on graph paper and plot out your holes ahead of time, then rubber cement the outline onto the casing, it should peel off really easily after you've made your guide holes. All totaled it cost me around $25, but that includes a new 3/8" HSS drill bit for making the holes. Google "tubes and more" for a great place to buy small parts cheaply.
Just made this thing, it works!!!! I am very happy (so are my neighbours...). I spent 8 Euro on the parts, so it is very cheap to make. Thanks from Holland for your video.
It's a handy gizmo to have, but don't expect to get the sound of a cranked amp out of it. For that, the poweramp needs to be pushed hard by the preamp, and this box is reducing the preamp signal before it hits the poweramp.
I discovered that on some amps, you don't even need the box. Just a 3'' jumper cable from the "preamp out" to the "effects return" and there's a massive volume drop. Peavey style amps that have a lower output "preamp out" vs the effects send.
Cheers, I had a few jacks lying around from various guitars I upgraded to more sturdy ones and bought a 25k pot from Amazon for about $6. Had an old plastic enclosure I previously used as a Y splitter till I got a bypass tuner pedal, so I had it up and choking my FX loop in 20 minutes. Even had an old guitar volume knob that I could use. Works like a charm for getting a fuller sound at bedroom volumes on my Marshall 20h
fantastic mod Brian really loved the DIY soldering and making stuff.would love to see you build more stuff on camera that we could maybe build ourselves 👍
Really nice tip adding the 100-300 pf capacitor to avoid the pot cutting the high frequencies. Thank you. But using this lower of signal to the power tubes doesnt avoid them to get saturated and sound gainy ? Wouldnt it be better to use an attenuator ?
Good questions! This basically just creates a master volume control like any other amp would have, so yes it will lower the saturation to the PI and power stages. Also, in my opinion I prefer an actual attenuator rather than this.
So thankful I came across this video. I've been trying tame my Deville for years. I have gone as far as changing out the annoying volume knobs with linear pots (as opposed to the stock audio pots which increase gain exponentially). It does give me much better range, but I still have to make the amp get very loud-almost always too loud-before it starts to break up. I'm going to give this a shot with a defunct basic distortion pedal someone made for me out of similar parts. This question has always been a curiosity of mine: how does the effects send work in the Hot Rod amps? I've never managed to get it working correctly. I've tried a delay pedal in there and got nothing.
Actually, my custom pedal is basically one of the pedals you explained in this video: ua-cam.com/video/PH2uj9bWfM4/v-deo.html I wonder if I'll be able to use it as a passive pedal as is.
Not unless you want to fry your amp. This box is simply creating a controlled short. You get away with it here because it's line level. If you are pushing serious current, you would effectively drop the impedance of the load and push massive current through your output section of the amp until it goes poof. If you want a volume control on the way to the speaker, you need an attenuator.
hey , Mr Wampler. Thank you very much. I saw your video and it's really clear. a 100k pot and 2 mono jacks later, i have myself a "volume tamer" for my Fender Deluxe.
im running a 100k log pot but my Eric Clapton strat with its inbuilt TBX control is still a bit too loud on my Fender Deluxe. Even on my 100k pot, I can't wind it past 20-25% without the amp going into distortion. Would running a 25k pot be better as in i can further lower the overall volume?
@@wampler_pedals Yep, i was. by the way, i built another one of these boxes during the xmas break with a 10k pot. Omg... It overdrives so much easier... Love it !!!!! It's like a little tube screamer LOL
I have a 4-10 HR Deluxe, it is one of the loudest amps I have encountered. But it sounds great and loves pedals. I have to use a power soak just to be able to turn it past 4. But this is a terrific $10 - $20 solution. It's about time your customers/fans learned to solder anyway.
This is awesome solution. You can also use a 12ad7 in the preamp section instead of a 12ax7. It significantly increases the use of the volume knob. I use the second channel with light drive so I can use my master volume.
I made one of these with a true bypass switch in line so that I could run it on as a rhythm volume and off for lead. Great little trick, nice video, thanks!
Good video if you're a professional effects box maker, or an electrician. It's beyond the skill level of most of us. But I still found it useful if I ever have an electronics lab.
Trip to radio shack, and the thing actually works. Couldn't find a 100k pot at radio shack, so I substituted. I did find that your video contradicted what the website you shared as far as the ground post. After I made that change, works well. Next time I'll use a higher quality pot though. Used on a 22 watt fender super sonic. Nice project for a wanna be pedal maker...how about some future vids on making/modding further. Kudos!
If you have some preamp breakup you keep it but lower in volume and with out changing the tone which happens adjusting the master or the gain control pots ! Not a bad idea there Wampler !
Bloody handy that. It's going to save a few quid too. I also like that you weren't going to show us how to solder, and then showed us. I'd like to know what would happen if you used the 250? Defeat the object?
Thanks! Going to make this. Will probably add a switch that can add in a fixed amount of extra resistance. That way I have a quick fixed amount of attenuation. Need to figure out the R value tho.
Thanks Brian. I love building pedals and I love learning! I also have a Blues Deville collecting dust because the kids are upstairs :) Awesome solution. Thanks for the posts!
Aw man! Thanks so much for this video! Been thinking about changing my V1 to an 12AT7 but I didn't really want to change my tone and this fixes my problem of wanting to get my amp 'hot' while keeping the volume down a bit. I've had an idea where I'm going try to measure the space between the in and out and create a box with jacks that come out of it directly at that spacing, so in theory there'll no need for patch cables. If it doesn't work, I'll just make new holes in the box! Wish me luck!
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
How many CEOs would encourage you to build your own instead of trying to sell something. Top dude 👍
@@KahruSuomiPerkele Why would you say that?
CEO? Is that why this dickhead solders like Stevie Wonder?
@@TheLexiconDevils lol
I know right!
Yeah, but lazy ass people like us have to get around to building one. 😂
Simple as that, you solved a problem Fender has been aware of (and ignoring) for decades. Bravo sir, and thank you.
Most people just insert a passive.volume pedal
It’s not a “problem” anyone should expect Fender to “solve.” First of all, a 40 watt amp isn’t made to play in your bedroom. You could rattle the pictures off the wall and get the law called on you with a 15 watt amp. Second, the amp has a master volume already on the drive channel AND it has an effects loop so you can add another volume control as Brian shows here, just in case your Spark amp ever fails to update and you’re forced to switch on your 40 watt touring amp in a residential neighborhood. This is great advice from Brian for newbies, but it’s not a solution to any engineering problem that Fender is “ignoring.” The PROBLEM is consumers buying a 20lb. sledge hammer when what they needed was a 5oz tack hammer.
Brian, I love watching your videos. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us nerds. I don't know of ANY other CEO of any other gear manufacturer that interacts like this with the public. You are one cool dude and I look forward to more of your fabulous creations!
glad you like them!
jcoulter43: Totally agree! Brian is one-of-a-kind indeed. But everyone knows - the lovely Mrs. Wampler is the REAL CEO of Wampler Pedals. ;) :D
Your the best Brain, many thanks!!! Love your pedals dude!
you took the words out of my mouth. i watched his videos for a year before I realized he's THE Wampler! lol
Couldn´t have said it better! 👍🏻
I use a passive volume pedal. It works awesome on stage. I love your videos and insight. What you teach used to be trade secrets that nobody would teach. Thank you!
This is probably my favorite video find on youtube. I had this box assembled and working inside of 15 minutes, and it was JUST what I needed for my Deluxe. Love it.
Did you use a 100k ohm pot? Linear or logarithmic?? Mine is not working
I saw a mod where you change the first 12AX7 to a 12AT7 and that enables the clean volume to open slower. It also warms up the drive channel tone too.
Dr Watson Lion Tamer is a very high-priced alternative HRD apartment-use alternative.
When soldering on a pot make sure it's turned all the way on or all the way off so it will not burn up the wiper. See Dr. Z soldering tips video.
Good tip. Speaking of tips you are calling the sleeve connection ring on the Jack. The plugs and jacks go back over 100 years with the old telephone switchboards and electro-mechanical telephone switches. Tip Ring Sleeve are the three parts of the Jack and plug. Tip & Ring are the two that go out to your home land line if you still have one and ringing voltage ( usually 90v) would go down the Ring side of the line. In the switching office the sleeve is used for controlling or “holding” relays operated to hold up the call. Fast forward fifty years and stereo plugs used the same technology for left right and ground ( which the sleeve is). Mono plugs are just Tip and Sleeve. I don’t know anything about pedals and why I watch your videos which are great but I’m an old dinosaur telephone guy who worked on cord switchboards back in the day. Like this video showing how to make a master volume and using the amp send receive jacks to attenuate the volume. Two thumbs up!
I run an EQ in the loop, which has a volume slider that works like this as well. 👍
Good idea!
@@StopTheRot Not sure about Paul, but I personally always used a boss GE7 just because it's got good controls and also has a good buffer built in. It doesn't really matter that much though. Just as long as it has a level control and is quiet.
@@StopTheRot Gonna try that
Until you click it off and forget your amp is running full volume, I like the idea of the dial and no on/off button. That volume box doesn't need 9v power either. Cheers
Brian seems like a great guy that doesn't take himself too seriously. Love his pedals and gladly support him and his company.
Another great quick and easy mod for the hot rods is to put a 12AU7 in the V1 position. Makes the clean channel more controllable and decreases the gain on the distortion channels. This is what fender does to the George Benson model hot rod.
This is Brian being awesome as usual!! Thanks for your kindness Brian, sharing your expertise with the world. The world is a better place because of people like you!
Changing V1 to 12AT7 is a great update as well, helps tame the beast
That is the most simplest ( and most obvious as you explained ) and effective mod to this loud amp. Well done.
Brian, you're awesome! I always love your willingness to help us learn and your humility in the face of your vast amount of knowledge. I've learned so much from you and have benefitted more than I can measure from the pedals you have created and what you have shared about them. Thank you for doing what you do!
Awesome...a volume pedal in a box. I always use a volume pedal in the effects loop for this purpose to adjust volume on the fly while gigging. This is a cool option for those with a few parts and a soldering iron. Bravo.
I am just getting into pedal mods and such, working on my first build (klon clone) and I have to say this channel is a WEALTH of cool knowledge and fun to listen to. Thanks man! Keep ‘em coming!
To be honest, I thought that by using it I would get the same fizzy sound out from the second channel of my bugera v22. I tried this anyway and the truth is that the amp sounds almost as good as it would ("open" sound) if it was cranked but at lower volume!
Yeah, Brian thumbs up man!
I haven't placed a small bear order in years! Brian, you owe me 17 dollars now. I love your channel man, as everyone else always confirms, you are the man. And it is way cool to see the amp on TPS, watching it now!
And we’ve come full circle from taking the master volume out of the silver face” circuit to putting it back in! I never could afford a good blackface, but I do love some silver face fenders with master volumes! Thanks for the “how to!”
I'm not going to show you how to solder... proceeds to show how. LOL
+madmatt41187 😂
Wampler Pedals Hey Brian. How much of a difference does the pot value make? Would a 250k be alright,or a 50k?
I didn't see this comment before I said the same shit. Hilarious, man. I guess if you really dont know how, youd never even know you just watched him show you...
@@donaldmusic6274 I'd like to know too, the pot used in the video is a 100k one, but on the website brian showed at the beginning, the potentiometer is a 25k one :/ does it really make a difference? I don't don't know much about electronics, but I really want to get this right hehe
@@lucasvillaquiroz Potentiometers are like $2, just buy a couple different ones and find out for yourself what the difference is.
Brian, thank you so much for this latest video. I use a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue amp which has the same volume issue. I happen to have the identical Ernie Ball volume pedal which you suggested as an option. I've always used this volume pedal in line with my guitar input and effects chain BUT NO LONGER. You've just totally transformed the usability of my amp, I can control the overall volume easily and now roll out as much of my amps natural hair/grit by using my guitar's volume pots beyond say 5 or 6, my go to guitar is a Gibson Les Paul Custom. I use a number of your pedals but this video has just completely increased my sound options and released the true versatility of my amp. You're a total star!
+Andrew Garner awesome, glad to hear that! 😊
Great video!
I solved the volume problem on my Hot Rod Deluxe with a Weber Minimass, which is an attenuator, for real. I have been very happy with the Minimass, but now I am wondering if I could have achieved the same results for less cash by using your method. If only I had known about this trick a few years ago.
Thanks for taking time to share your knowledge with us.
Also, your video about putting an EQ pedal into the effects loop of a Hot Rod Deluxe has been life changing for me. I can finally get usable tones with the amp set to drive/more drive. Thank you so much for that!
I love how it starts to break up ever so slightly now. Time to dig thru the toy box and find my volume pedal. Thanks for posting this.
I came up with this a long time ago, on the Fender Discussion Page. During discussions of the original Blues Deluxe, I suggested patching a level controlling device, compressor, EQ with volume control or even a 100k Audio taper pot in a box. One FDP'r wanted to know what that would look like, I put up a crude BMP drawing. It was dubbed the "Volume Box." A few guys took my little drawing and started selling them on Ebay. The first guy does credit me. I didn't "invent" it. I had a comercial Ampeg pedal to use in my SVT loop in the mid 70's.
well arent you fucking special! Go post your own video....
Thank you Steve. Those who know, know who you are.
You can replace the 12AX7 in the first stage or two of the pre-amp with a 12AU7 or similar lower gain tubes to quieten the amp down also.
I know you probably won't see this, but for the hot rod deluxe, it would be nice to have a foot switch to turn the reverb on and off (instead of having to turn the knob up and down). Any ideas on how to do this?
Get the hot rod deluxe foot switch, probably 40$. It’s gotta have “drive/more drive” and “reverb” 2 switches
@@matthewkennedy7283 on the hotrod deluxe the 2 button switch toggles Clean/Drive and Drive/More Drive. You'd need to modify the circuit with a relay to short the reverb out.
In case you already have something into your effects loop and have an extra hole or space to drill one on the back of your amp, like me... you can put a potentiometer there without having to mess up with Jacks. To me a 1nF capacitor was mandatory, because when I turned my effects loop volume down there was I huge treble loss. A volume pedal could be great, but you'll need two long cables to reach you effects loop and by the way you'll add capacitance, buzz and maybe hum... if you're lucky!
Sweet. Now for an encore. How to build a passive eq into this master volume mod and an overdrive with another passive eq inside that. All in 1 box. Lol
Thats pretty slick. My hot rod Deville has been collecting dust for years. I go back to it every once and a while, and quickly remember why it is moth balled. It is very dark, loud and the over drive is crap. I cant bring myself to sell it, so this may be just the thing to give it a second chance. Thanks!!!
Lmao "I'm not going to show you how to solder..."
**Shows exactly how to solder the wire to the lug with pretty much professional fluidity and ease, in approximately five seconds as he's even saying it**
"...its just that easy."
Your videos rule, dude. I'm hooked. You should not show me how to do my taxes while we're at it.
😂
Was going to buy the JHS little black amp box for my Hot Rod Deluxe. Stubbled across this video and turned an old self made boost pedal into this instead. Saved £50. Put said £50 towards a Euphoria instead. Happy as a pig in you know what. Cheers Brian!
So much respect for Wampler and JHS. So down to earth
Thanks Brian! This little trick also woks nicely to tame the send if your pedals in the loop don't like the signal too hot...
Could you similarly just use a volume pedal between the pre amp and power amp?
Why not?! Good idea!
14:30 ...
That’s all he’s created but not foot pedal format
You just gave away that you did NOT watch the whole video to the end. Lol... Fast forward the video to 14:30, he shows the volume pedal. 😁
I did it today.
Now I can play hot tubs with bedroom volume.
Thanks, Mate.
Greetings from the Polish Coast.
Can you do a video compairing this to an attenuator?
It is an attenuator, it attenuates the signal from the preamp out, but it is not a power attenuator, which is a completely different thing.
I just made mine today and it worked awesome. Even though I’m dumb when it comes to electronics like this I was able to follow the instructions. Appreciate you making this video sir.
Thank Brian. It's obvious and logical to me but this is a nice video for beginners and those starting along the technical route. The dog should and must wag the tail so guitarists really should learn to solder, rewire and customise their instruments.
I made one of these a while ago to tame my Blues Deluxe Reissue. It works ok, but I also fitted treble bleed circuits (just a resistor & capacitor from ebay) to my guitars, so I can use the guitar's volume control to reduce the level without the tone going muddy. I prefer this method.
I’ve done this with a volume pedal for a few gigs, works great.
Thanks for the video! I built one to use with a Fender Frontman 65R to tame the clean channel volume control. This reduced pre-amp noise as well by allowing me to boost the guitar signal above the pre-amp noise, then turn everything down before hitting the power amp. This resolved my biggest issue with this amp.
Can one use the volume box along with all your time based effects pedals in the loop....and if so, where does it go in the chain?
That's a fair question
E.g typically I use my eq pedal in the loop
But if you have looper post the eq pedal
Then a master volume as a final tweak, would make sense.
After all the rest.
Must be nice being Brian Wampler! You've got some really nice tricks up your sleeve. Quite a lot of them..
Wish I had your knack for electronics. Thanks for sharing some of your knowledge with the rest of us. Very cool of you..
Put an 12at6 preamp tube in the first position it dimes back the volume, you dont go from like zero to 5 in volume. Doesnt do what Brian is doing here , but at least its a cheap option if you dont have any sodering skills ( ala me :).
I just watched a video with a dude doing that on this Red HRD. Would something like that work on a Blues Junior or would I lose too much volume?
I cannot, nor will I ever, solder. So I need another option. Or another amp. 20Watts and some damn linear volume control.
12AT6´s are hard to come by, I suppose a 12AT7 would be better :-)
Edit: ah, ok, you mean the clean channel, right?
-I guess the point is to also reach high gain levels at low volume, which is hindered by a weaker preamp tube. This is a master volume retrofit, not a tube swap.-
I built one of these for a Peavey Classic 30, essential for home playing. But also when playing live if your turn the amp up too much the fx in the loop will clip, so you can reel it back a bit with a volume knob.
Good stuff, maybe could use an EQ pedal like boss that has a volume .
Where do you place it when using other effects in the fx loop like a delay?
Same question here
...
Great video! Maybe a weird question but could you do more amp mod videos? For example the one wire mod on a plexi, I know its an easy mod but there is no video about how to do this.
Thank you for this video. My son painted up an old pedal for me, now I'll be making my volume pedal soon for my hot rod deluxe. Thank you again for your diy.
These amps have a separate volume and drive knobs so what does this volume box do differently to the existing volume? Is it just that the original control is too sensitive or are you actually driving the tubes more somehow.
William Billington Drive only affects the dirt channel right?
Wondering the same exact thing
The master volume doesn't affect the clean channel. On these amps, the clean volume is way too sensitive. Basically, it's just adding a master control to the clean channel. It's redundant if you use the dirt channel of the amp, however very few use that dirt channel on those amps.
Ahh ok that makes sense. I did use one of these amps to record something a couple months back and it was like 0 to death by 2 on the dial.
exactly! :)
I have been trying to figure out how to use this amp for home practice. Forget about modding the volume control knob, or adding the above mentioned stupid added volume control in the effects loop. Try this instead - it worked like a charm for me, and the tone is better: replace the first tube 12AX7 with a lower gain tube like the 12AT7 or 12AY7. Easy to do, and cheap. Try it, you won't regret it.
So basically Fender to save $0.25 left off the master volume on this amp
I'm sure they were thinking about cost but they probably did it to create the illusion that it's a lot more powerful than it is
I thought Hot Rods had master volume?
@@daveclinton4945 yup! Mine has. But it also is controling the drive channel. So if you switch. You can do it more easy.
Dave Clinton They do, but it only controls the dirty channel. Clean channel just has one volume.
Matt Laurence No need to create a illusion, I have the Blues DeVille and it’s way to powerful.
By the way I have your Tumnus which is a killer boost , that adds thump and a killer transparent mild "klon" distortion, goes great with a Strat and Deville! I follow it with a Sovereign.....great for hard and cleaner rock sounds, gives me ample options and sounds so nice!
JHS makes a great one too “Little black box”
lil volume box like that is such a handy piece of equipment for touring artist, fly gigs or venues with back lines can lead to needing a volume box like this
My lack of electronics is going to bring me to posting this question why not use a 1 meg or 500k pot instead of the 100k, to retain brightness?
Following
It's a low impedance loop. 100k works fine.
Veritas072 it isn't like that. At max the pots is like connecting directly the signal to output, and at min it's like sending the signal to ground directly.
I think the big thing here is that if the pot can handle the circuit voltage/amperage then the lower resistance of the 100k pot as opposed to the 1meg pot will give you a smoother sweep from full to off.
Thanks 4 this! Got the parts yesterday.. Just made. Didn't have a box so used an old smoke detector that I was gonna throw out. Briefly tested with my 60 dollar MIM Fender Deluxe. Cannot wait to play with it to try to find it's sweet spot now. Thanks again!!!
Or... you just swap the V1 12AX7 tube with a 12AY7 tube.
Exactly !
TimMer1981 hi, with that tube you had less volume?
12AY7 tube has a lower amplification factor than 12AX7 so it reduces the volume sensitivity. It will also improve the frequency response of the pre-amp. It does not affect the max output since you have more room in the volume control to reach the peak power.
I used a 12AU7 once. Buys about 8 db’s.
Does the 12AY7 reduce the volume more than the 12AT7?
Because my Fender Twin Reverb does not have a Looper in the back I have to do that but into the front of the amp so what I do is I run my pedalboard into JHS amp box with a master volume just like you built on this video and I run that into the front of my amp and keep my volume on five on the amp in the summer and seven or eight in the winter and use the master volume after my board on the pedal
I built a similar one for my Deville, but even on 0, I still can hear a faint distorted sound (while running the volume on the amp on 8). Is this normal?
There's a cool device called the "lion tamer" that you can buy online. It's basically a volume pot with in/out jacks designed for this issue. It works great.
I have a Fender Performer 1000 , 100 watt tranny amp . The volume goes from silent to deafening at about 1.5 and is very difficult to get a usable volume . Somewhere on the tinterwebs I read that using a patch lead to loop the line out to effects return ( doing this from memory as the amp is in a rehearsal room , but I think thats right ) , the volume could be tamed by then setting the effects mix dial to about 5 ( or whatever suits ) . This is what I did and it worked a treat .
Smithers & Co but how then do you use the send & return inputs for your pedals?
I've been needing to see this video for a long time. I bought my 4 x 10 Deville in 1996... so, since then. Thanks man.
Fantastic video! I've made a couple of these for me and one for a friend, and I love 'em. You have to dial it waaaay down before things start to sound cruddy. Thanks for the tip. And FYI, in deference to my German heritage, I call mine the LautKnopf (LoudKnob). :-)
i made this with a old ds1 i had. i recommend soldering both the grounds together on the input output jacks if it is not cutting enough signal.
I enjoy your videos so much. I built one of these boxes tonight. It is amazing the difference in my Blues Deluxe. Hard to believe about $10 in parts and a little time and now I can enjoy this amp at lower bedroom volumes. My family and neighbors thank you. I do too.
A 12ay7 tube in v1 makes the volume more adjustable also
I did this for my Fender Blues Deluxe: I think I used a 250k pot as it's all I had to hand but it worked fine. Cheers Bri :)
I can attest that this volume box works with my Hot Rod. I added a DPDT switch so I can turn it off.
Tip: make an outline on graph paper and plot out your holes ahead of time, then rubber cement the outline onto the casing, it should peel off really easily after you've made your guide holes.
All totaled it cost me around $25, but that includes a new 3/8" HSS drill bit for making the holes. Google "tubes and more" for a great place to buy small parts cheaply.
Good job Brian, you're a good trainer, basic, thorough and practical.
you can also use one of these at the end of your pedal board to regulate the overall signal going into the amp as well.
Just made this thing, it works!!!! I am very happy (so are my neighbours...). I spent 8 Euro on the parts, so it is very cheap to make. Thanks from Holland for your video.
It's a handy gizmo to have, but don't expect to get the sound of a cranked amp out of it. For that, the poweramp needs to be pushed hard by the preamp, and this box is reducing the preamp signal before it hits the poweramp.
Almost commented to ask whether this is the same as using a volume pedal in the loop. Glad I wait until the end of the video. LOL
I discovered that on some amps, you don't even need the box. Just a 3'' jumper cable from the "preamp out" to the "effects return" and there's a massive volume drop. Peavey style amps that have a lower output "preamp out" vs the effects send.
Cheers, I had a few jacks lying around from various guitars I upgraded to more sturdy ones and bought a 25k pot from Amazon for about $6. Had an old plastic enclosure I previously used as a Y splitter till I got a bypass tuner pedal, so I had it up and choking my FX loop in 20 minutes. Even had an old guitar volume knob that I could use.
Works like a charm for getting a fuller sound at bedroom volumes on my Marshall 20h
fantastic mod Brian really loved the DIY soldering and making stuff.would love to see you build more stuff on camera that we could maybe build ourselves 👍
I made one out of a gutted DOD Grunge pedal, works like a charm for the clean channel of my amp - Great tutorial!
used to put that in between pedal board and amp input with a foot switch for lead/rhythm vol cut, while leaving gain and boost pedals on.
Really nice tip adding the 100-300 pf capacitor to avoid the pot cutting the high frequencies. Thank you. But using this lower of signal to the power tubes doesnt avoid them to get saturated and sound gainy ? Wouldnt it be better to use an attenuator ?
Good questions!
This basically just creates a master volume control like any other amp would have, so yes it will lower the saturation to the PI and power stages. Also, in my opinion I prefer an actual attenuator rather than this.
@@wampler_pedals oh great, excuse me I didnt knew a master volume do that !
Is it true that even the “reactive” attenuators may damage amps ?
No, I haven’t heard of that, as long as they are a well designed one. I use a two notes captor.
So thankful I came across this video. I've been trying tame my Deville for years. I have gone as far as changing out the annoying volume knobs with linear pots (as opposed to the stock audio pots which increase gain exponentially). It does give me much better range, but I still have to make the amp get very loud-almost always too loud-before it starts to break up. I'm going to give this a shot with a defunct basic distortion pedal someone made for me out of similar parts.
This question has always been a curiosity of mine: how does the effects send work in the Hot Rod amps? I've never managed to get it working correctly. I've tried a delay pedal in there and got nothing.
Actually, my custom pedal is basically one of the pedals you explained in this video: ua-cam.com/video/PH2uj9bWfM4/v-deo.html
I wonder if I'll be able to use it as a passive pedal as is.
can we put this volume knob betwen the output of the amp and the speaker?
Not unless you want to fry your amp. This box is simply creating a controlled short. You get away with it here because it's line level. If you are pushing serious current, you would effectively drop the impedance of the load and push massive current through your output section of the amp until it goes poof. If you want a volume control on the way to the speaker, you need an attenuator.
Thanks! I figured that, but it never hurts to ask, hehe.
hey , Mr Wampler. Thank you very much. I saw your video and it's really clear. a 100k pot and 2 mono jacks later, i have myself a "volume tamer" for my Fender Deluxe.
im running a 100k log pot but my Eric Clapton strat with its inbuilt TBX control is still a bit too loud on my Fender Deluxe. Even on my 100k pot, I can't wind it past 20-25% without the amp going into distortion.
Would running a 25k pot be better as in i can further lower the overall volume?
Are you using an audio taper?
@@wampler_pedals Yep, i was.
by the way, i built another one of these boxes during the xmas break with a 10k pot. Omg... It overdrives so much easier... Love it !!!!! It's like a little tube screamer LOL
I have a 4-10 HR Deluxe, it is one of the loudest amps I have encountered. But it sounds great and loves pedals. I have to use a power soak just to be able to turn it past 4. But this is a terrific $10 - $20 solution. It's about time your customers/fans learned to solder anyway.
Watching you put things together really helps with understanding how things tick! This is an awesome upload!
This is awesome solution. You can also use a 12ad7 in the preamp section instead of a 12ax7. It significantly increases the use of the volume knob. I use the second channel with light drive so I can use my master volume.
Thanks Brian. I suppose you could use a clean boost, turned down, or a simple volume pedal, but.... I'm gonna do it. My first Pedal build!!!!
I made one of these with a true bypass switch in line so that I could run it on as a rhythm volume and off for lead. Great little trick, nice video, thanks!
Great video brian i just build my box last night and it sounds awesome can you make a video showing how to add the tone control really appreciate
Good video if you're a professional effects box maker, or an electrician. It's beyond the skill level of most of us. But I still found it useful if I ever have an electronics lab.
You can always buy one of these boxes for about $20.
Trip to radio shack, and the thing actually works. Couldn't find a 100k pot at radio shack, so I substituted. I did find that your video contradicted what the website you shared as far as the ground post. After I made that change, works well. Next time I'll use a higher quality pot though.
Used on a 22 watt fender super sonic. Nice project for a wanna be pedal maker...how about some future vids on making/modding further.
Kudos!
Love this little box -- really helps keep a tight leash on an HRD. Thanks for the idea and the how-to!
Thanks Brian for the entire soldering course in five seconds. 60 more credits and I graduate.
If you have some preamp breakup you keep it but lower in volume and with out changing the tone which happens adjusting the master or the gain control pots !
Not a bad idea there Wampler !
Bloody handy that. It's going to save a few quid too. I also like that you weren't going to show us how to solder, and then showed us. I'd like to know what would happen if you used the 250? Defeat the object?
What do you mean by 250?
The original pot you picked by mistake?
+Muff Evans gotcha. The 250k.... probably nothing much since it's a buffered loop.
Thanks, Brian, JHS also makes the Little Black Amp Box.
Thanks! Going to make this. Will probably add a switch that can add in a fixed amount of extra resistance. That way I have a quick fixed amount of attenuation. Need to figure out the R value tho.
Thanks Brian. I love building pedals and I love learning! I also have a Blues Deville collecting dust because the kids are upstairs :) Awesome solution. Thanks for the posts!
James M
I just bought a blues deville 212 and am curious if you built a volume box for it. No way i can play this in the house, way too loud.
Aw man! Thanks so much for this video! Been thinking about changing my V1 to an 12AT7 but I didn't really want to change my tone and this fixes my problem of wanting to get my amp 'hot' while keeping the volume down a bit. I've had an idea where I'm going try to measure the space between the in and out and create a box with jacks that come out of it directly at that spacing, so in theory there'll no need for patch cables. If it doesn't work, I'll just make new holes in the box! Wish me luck!