THD Hotplate

[Abaco]

Curious if anybody here has used one of these things. Once in a while our band plays a venue that's small enough that I need to turn down. It's surprising how much a little reduction in volume makes in the tone of my amp. Wondering if these things are any good.

[Brownsound]

Vital part of my setup. I get less than ear splitting volume and still get the output tubes to breath. Takes the fuzz right out of my low volume tone. Doesnt make a 2203 a bedroom wonder but its great for keeping your hearing for a few years longer.

[sirDaniel]

do you dime the master and dial down the hotplate on that 2203?

[ArnieZ]

I don't use a Hotplate but I do use a Z Airbrake. Lets me get more of what I want out of my amps at home. Fortunately for the public I don't gig!

ArnieZ

[Brian Scherzer]

In past attempts to learn to play guitar I have used THD Hotplates on 2 different amps and had totally different experiences. In one situation, I used a Hotplate with a Dr. Z Carmen Ghia head and Matchless cabinet.....sounded very nice, with nice sounding tube saturation at a low volume. The 2nd time was with a '66 Super Reverb and an ohm-matching Hotplate........sounded pretty bad to my ears. With that very limited experience, my guess is that some amps take better to attenuators than others.

[hardheartedbill]

they work great w/ Marshallesque and Voxy amps , I dont like em as well on Fendery amps. Phoenix has a small box 50 watt jmp and basketweave 412 rig that uses a Gibson version of the Hotplate, it's the best rock sound EVER

[MCChris]

I've been considering a Weber Mass. The switchable ohms is something I would need.

[Abaco]

Thanks for the input. I've read too many reviews from guys who wanted to play their Marshall half-stacks in their appartments and were disapointed with these - haha. In my case, I still need gig volume - just a little less of it at times. My amp is a Marshally thing - a Modern Vintage 50W head into a Mesa Recto 4x12. Really a great sounding rig for what we're playing. Can't say enough about this Modern Vintage head...

Thanks again.

[sirDaniel]

I've been considering a Weber Mass. The switchable ohms is something I would need.

The weber mass work fine. BUT you must get the bypass switch or they are always "a little" in the circuit. You'll have to unplug them to go full tilt.

I've owned Mass, Marshall SE, Hotplate. The hotplate would be my choice of the 3. They look sexier then the dumpy looking weber.

[Blueshound]

I own a Hotplate and have owned a Weber Mass. For my purposes, the Hotplate sounded a lot more natural with my amps (Fuchs Blackjack21, Dr Z 6545). I wish I would have had the chance to try the Hotplate with the Tweed Twin Reissue I used to own because I did not care for the Mass with it. The Mass does have some nice extra features the Hotplate doesn't though, like switchable impedence, tone stack, etc.

[Armitage]

High gain tube heads get most (not all) of their distortion from their preamp section, (the small tubes). They just run one tube into another, into another, into another and overdrive each section until you get the desired distortion. KT-88s, 6550 and 6L6s are usually used because of their wide frequency response and clean output. EL34s of course get dirty faster.

Non master volume tube amps, get most of their distortion from the power section (the big tubes), you have to turn these amps up loud to get the distortion. Power tube distortion sounds different then preamp tube distortion. It's a matter of opinion which is better, but most people tend to prefer power tube distortion... when they can get it. And that's the kicker.

Transistor amps and modeling amps get their distortion in the preamp section and sound pretty crummy when their power section overdrives so I can't imagine anyone wanting to put a HotPlate on one.

I have a HotPlate and have tried it out with my 5150, ENGL Savage 120 (long gone), Steavens Poundcake, Soldano and Marshall TSL. All high gain master volume tube amps and am disappointed for this use. If you're planning on turning your amp up and crushing your volume down to bedroom levels you'll be greatly disappointed. High Gain heads have surprisingly clean power sections (so they don't get muddy when you turn them up). It's actually quite surprising. You also miss out on speaker to air interaction, speaker distortion, the shear volume, room effect, and your hearing curve is different for loud volumes then quiet ones (i.e. the Fletcher-Munson effect, that's why there is a loudness control on your stereo). It also affects your tone a bit, so you may not like it at all.

The HotPlate is great for taming a non master volume amp or running your amp at it's sweet spot, say 6 or 7, in a room you can only run at 5. But not on 10 but only as loud as on 1.

Also consider wear and tear on your tubes. I don't think cranking your amp with a HotPlate is any worse then just cranking it, but you'll play your amp at much higher working levels then you normally would have, and that's a lot of wear and tear that those tubes may never had seen if you didn't have one.

I really recommend you try one before you buy it. Many people have one kicking around because it didn't suit their purpose, not because it's a bad product.

This is my opinion, from my experience with mine.

[dangravano]

I use to have a Marshall Powerbreak and used it with my Marshall TSL602. It worked good in some settings, however I sent my 602 to Trace at Voodoo Amps and they reworked it and put a new output transformer in it for around $650. Now my 602 is everthing I ever wanted at any volume. Sold the Powerbreak on Ebay.

[RRHamer]

I have a Hot Plate that I tried using with my Marshall 1959SLP and 1987X. I did not like it at all. To get the sound that I like It takes pushing the amp and speakers.

For some people the Hot Plate works well, but it just did not do it for me.

[DavidE]

I've been considering a Weber Mass. The switchable ohms is something I would need.

The weber mass work fine. BUT you must get the bypass switch or they are always "a little" in the circuit. You'll have to unplug them to go full tilt.

I've owned Mass, Marshall SE, Hotplate. The hotplate would be my choice of the 3. They look sexier then the dumpy looking weber.

SirDan: Me thinks you need to take a look at the latest version of the MASS....

[MCChris]

The weber mass work fine. BUT you must get the bypass switch or they are always "a little" in the circuit. You'll have to unplug them to go full tilt.

Why would you have it hooked up if you didn't want it in the circuit? That's like complaining that a pedal isn't true bypass, but you have it on all the time.

In other words, so what? If you don't want to attenuate your amp, leave the attenuator in your gig bag.

Or am I missing something here?