The Tube Amp Doctor Silencer Guitar Amplifier Power Attenuator 16 Ohm is a guitar amplifier power attenuator used to reduce output power and volume, featuring 2db attenuating steps from -2db to -16db, with a boost-switch, a "LOAD" position, 150 watt RMS, and an adjustable line-out. The SilencerTM is used to reduce output power and volume. Many popular rock guitar sounds are based on the well known sounds created by the guitar legends of the sixties and seventies. Guitar playerscranked up their amps to full volume to be heard. Tube guitar amps do sound best when played loud because the output stage starts to saturate and delivers the most musical and harmonic distortion, wonderful sustain and a thick tone with overall response.
It gets connected between the amps speaker output and the speaker(s) (or speaker cabinet) and gives total control on what part of the power output will be feed to your speakers. Crank up the amp to the setting were it sounds best and adjust the final volume just for your speakers with the SilencerTM. All components which are responsible for great guitar tone are still working "cranked up" to your favourite set-up (preamp tubes, driver stage, output tubes, transformers etc.) and deliver great tone. The final volume you hear is adjusted after the amps output. The power attenuation can be set in convenient 2db steps from FULL power to 16db. From 16db on you can fine adjust to total silence.
The main features of the Tube Amp Doctor Silencer Guitar Amplifier Power Attenuator 16 Ohm include:
My first TAD silencer became faulty after a few months.
Got replacement which took 10 weeks and it got same fault after hours use.
Fine control switch became hard to turn and started clicking.
Carried on using unit and it started to smell of burning so stopped using it.
After burning smell the fine control won't turn any more the 9 o'clock position.
Yes it was connected correctly using correct ohm and amp was 100w.
Spoke to a friend who runs a well known music store and he said he don't stock these attenuators because problems with them.
Buy a Rivera rock crusher instead.
I prefer this unit over all the models that are available, no matter the price. It beats all of their competitors. I love it because its stepped, showing the quality of the sound. Also I prefer the Line Output so I can record the output of an Amp to use with an IR to get the sound of a virtual guitar cabinetmic combination. The eq switches are quite handy, though I love that I can bypass them if I want. Also the LOAD position is something that other units just dont offer.