Very interesting.  Anybody got any first-hand experience of using one of these things?

My limited experience of variable wattage amps and attenuators is very, well, variable!  Some systems seem to introduce distortion as wattage is decreased or attenuation increased, whereas I'm just looking to find and keep a tone and then calm things down a bit at the back end....

And then there's the issue of adjusting the speaker in a closed-back cab.  Aarrgh!

More views welcomed....

Thanks, guys.  Right now I'm using a Fuchs Verbrator in the loop, which gives me reverb and a tube-driven loop for modulation fx on those occasions I want them. It's also compact and can sit on my second pedalboard (the one in the amp's loop for mod fx - the first board is for pre-input stomps like wah, treble boost and a couple of nice od's, again only when the gig calls for it).

If I were to substitute a -lator, I could use the Verbrator or my Boss RV5 in the -lator's loop for reverb, and add other mod fx in front when I need them, but it would add some bulk. Although I also have several high-end rack fx, I don't really want to mix stomps, amp and racks. I don't have a road crew!

But I'm confused. I want to use higher settings of the master because I prefer the resulting tone, detail and touch-sensitivity, but the result is usually too loud.  An attenuator sits after the master and power amp, so it would control the end volume while maintaining tone (within reason).

Anything in the loop would certainly be before the power amp, but before or after the master? And would I not lose the harder-working amp component of the sound? Also, my amp is dark enough without the 'smoothing' effect referred to in the -lator manuals.

I'm mindful that this forum is populated by people who understand electronics and build and tweak their own amps, whereas my amp is ready-made and I'm just a player, albeit one with very high ambitions, so I hope my questioning isn't too idiotic.

Thanks again.

I have a recently-acquired Overtone Special HRM with Mercury Magnetics, running through a vintage EV-12L speaker in a Custom Cab Co ported closed-back Thiele cab.

I think it's fantastic, makes all my other amps sound like (cheap) toys.

But it's loud, often too loud for some of the gigs I play.  So I'm thinking of knocking it back with an adjustable attenuator.  There are quite a few on the market, but the marketing blurb is full of hype and voodoo.

Anybody got any experiences, good or bad, to share on the subject?

Thanks