JHS Pedals Little Black Amp Box Attenuator Pedal

Everyone’s heard of the ephemeral “sweet spot” that a good valve amp can deliver. The point in the amplifier when everything works in tandem, all the planets align, a secret musical dimension is accessed, and the amp just sings. It’s the tone that everyone longs for when they purchase a valve amp and the secret to why guitar giants like Hendrix, Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Freddie King sound oh so good! 

The Secret

Unfortunately, for most, that “sweet spot” is a spot that is accessed through sheer volume. It is the sound of an amp pushed to, and often just beyond, it’s comfortable limits and is straining to send forth heaven-sent tone. It is the tone produced by pushing the power section of the amp, hard. The reason that is an issue is that valve amps are loud. Very loud. For most, turning your valve amps up to a level high enough to access this “sweet spot” isn’t possible due to the sheer amount of noise. That amount of volume tends to clash with certain ideals people tend to value like their relationship with their neighbours, their hearing, or the structural integrity of their house.

Master Volume

The hang-up is that old, glorious, mouthwatering valve amplifiers that everyone dreams about rarely had master volumes. The controls were typically very simplistic. You’d have one overall volume and some EQ controls (if you were lucky). The trouble here is that to get the amp to reasonable levels of volume you only have the one control with which to do so. At low volumes, with only one volume control, the amp is barely running and none of the components are given a chance to flex their muscles.

Master volumes solve that issue. With that, you can slam the preamp section of the amp and then curtail the volume before it hits the power section, screams out of the speaker, and remodels your bedroom for you. The issue, as stated above is that the lauded amps of old rarely came with master volumes and as a result, some modern amps leave them out too.

The Solution

If you have an effects loop on your valve amp, JHS has the solution for you. The Little Black Amp Box Attenuator is a volume attenuator that sits between the preamp and power amp sections of your valve amp of choice. 

This is an ingenious fix as it allows you to run your amp organically, push the preamp section as hard as you want to get your desired amount of compression and beauty, then, take all that lovely tonal goodness and quieten it before it hits the power section. This allows you to get all the tone and character of an amp on full chatter at bedroom levels of volume. In effect, making the Little Black Amp Box one of the best overdrive pedals in existence. Forget “amp-like tone” this is actual, bonafide amp tone.

The unit itself is housed in a ridiculously convenient, small housing, easily mountable underneath your board or to the amp itself. What’s more, it is also completely passive, meaning that there’s no batteries or power cables needed for it to operate. It’s built rugged with JHS renowned quality American construction.

If you’re looking to tame your valve amplifier or access the tonal nirvana that resides within in any scenario, the Little Black Amp Box Attenuator may well be the perfect solution.

Why Bonners?

Here at Bonners Music, you have the opportunity to try one of these great JHS effects pedals yourself. Just give us a call on 01323 636141 or better still, visit our showroom! If you can't see the JHS pedal listed that you are after just call 01323 636141 for availability and the best price.