As rock’n’roll and music made by the electric guitar in general grew from fringe to mainstream throughout the 1950s and ’60s, the trend in amplification was consistently toward the louder, the bigger, the more powerful. Along the way, the benchmark for great rock tone was set somewhere in the “sweet spot” of the many great tube amps of the day: clean-verging-on-crunchy for roots rock, rockabilly and country; crunchy verging on wailing for classic rock and blues rock; wailing verging on meltdown for heavy rock and metal.Fast-forward to the 21st century, though, and the volumes produced by great tube amps when set to these levels—let’s call ’em around 11 o’clock, 1 o’clock, and 5 o’clock respectively—are just too much for many venues and studios to tolerate. Often the simple and wise advice is, “Just use a smaller amp!” I’ve presented that solution countless times myself, and there’s a lot to be said for it. Units like the Aracom PRX-150 Pro, the Scumback DBL (formerly Alex’s Attenuator), Tone King Iron Man, Komet Air Brake, Dr Z Air Brake, smaller and and others have proven real game-changers for players seeking old-school, big-amp tone at reasonable volumes, and they tend to be no more of a danger to your amp than is the strain of running the amp hard in the first place.They sometimes add a little compression and darkness (some have controls and switches to compensate), but often it’s a worthwhile sacrifice for the juicy lead tones you get in return.
And the hand crank generator provides a never-ending supply of power and information. Making the hand crank radio, a must-own device. One you should add to your collection of survival gear. Because when cell, tv, and internet go out, a radio will be your only means to crucial information.
Voltage-reduction controls reduce the DC voltage levels within the amp’s circuit that the tubes run on in order to reduce the amount of power they put out. The theory is that if you turn down the voltage while simultaneously adjusting other operating parameters that determine how the tubes perform, the tone should remain the same.The key in how well some of these function—and how accurately they enable cranked-down tone—is often in that latter part of the equation. The voltage level at which a tube operates is a big factor in determining it’s response to your guitar signal, and therefore the resultant tone, so just altering the voltage without also changing, for example, the tube’s bias level or other driving factors might not always do the trick.That said, the better-conceived of these circuits do a very good job at helping you turn it down while cranking it up, and voltage-reduction controls from the likes of, London Power, and Hall Electronics have won many fans. Tube converters were subject to a flurry of popularity when they first came out a couple decades ago, leading many players to install these devices in their Twins and other amps to achieve “instant AC30 tone.”A tube converter plugs into your amp’s output-tube socket and, as the name implies, lets you use lower-powered, nine-pin tubes in place of higher-powered eight-pin tubes (usually converting from 6L6 to EL84, but sometimes from 6V6).
At the same time, they convert the amp’s output stage from fixed bias to cathode bias (nominally referred to as “class A”).While successfully dropping an amp’s output power—from 100 watts in a 4x6L6 amp using four converters to around 30 watts—the change in operation from what the amp was designed to do can sometimes sound a little unnatural, to my ears at least, but plenty of players enjoy the results. Isolation cabinets are like a studio isolation booth in a box.
By enclosing a speaker entirely within a sealed box—with an input to receive the amp’s output, and an XLR jack to connect to a microphone mounted inside—the sound of a full-blast amp is reduced to a whisper (or less) in the room, and you can run the microphone to your recording setup for studio use or to the house PA for live use.In either case you will need to monitor your playing through some external device, but this can be done at far lesser volume than that which is raging inside the cab. Complaints about the smaller units in particular is that they can sound, well, “boxy,” although larger efforts like Rivera’s Silent Sister go to great lengths to overcome this shortcoming.Master volume controls are the granddaddies of volume reduction. Many amps are made with them these days, but if yours doesn’t have one, and you don’t mind subjecting it to a little modification, you can usually get a qualified tech to add one.Do some research on the more popular master designs afloat in the amp world these days, talk to your tech about it, and decide whether it’s right for you. Scads of players still swear by the good-old master, but be aware that the amp rarely sounds “exactly like itself with the master cranked” when you turn the master down (then again, that caveat applies to many volume-reduction techniques). Less Obvious, Alternative, and Downright Whacky SolutionsLess efficient speakers are one of the simpler, yet often overlooked, means of reducing your amp’s volume. Check out the specs of several popular speaker types and look for a rating listed as “efficiency” or “sensitivity.” This tells you how much sound any given speaker puts out with 1 watt of power injected, measured at a distance of 1 meter. If you note that a Celestion G12H-30 is rated at 100dB or an Eminence Red Fang at 102.2dB, changing to a Heritage Series Celestion G12M Greenback at 96dB or Jensen C12Q at 94.6dB is going to knock down your volume considerably.Of course the swap will also change your overall tone—whether for better or worse depends on your objectives—and you’ll need to calculate power-handling and other factors into the equation, too.Crazy speaker-in-a-box trick as a parallel output to reduce your “live” speaker’s volume.
Put simply, any two speakers wired to your amp in parallel (or in series, for that matter) will share the output between them, so, for example, a pair of speakers in a 2x12' connected to a 50-watt amp will receive 25 watts each. What if one of those speakers is in a box, padded down heavily so you can’t hear it? Turn your closed-back cab backwards on stage to take the directionality out of it and majorly reduce your perceived stage volume and the “beaminess” of your amp in the first several rows of the audience. You usually need to be miking amps at a show for this to work quite right, but it’s an easy fix that a lot of guitarists use to maintain their big-rig 4x12' tone in the mix, without blowing their bandmates and fans right out the door. Some players also achieve similar effects, but with a little more on-stage volume, by tilting their cabs way, way back and aiming them toward the ceiling.Stick something in front of the speaker cab to soak up some of the volume and directionality.
So, you show up at the gig with your amp and 2x12' cab expecting to be able to crank it up as usual, only to find the room is much smaller than you expected, or the soundman or club owner is going apoplectic over the volume levels that you normally consider merely sufficient to achieve your tone. What do you do?If none of the former fixes are handy, try propping something soft and semi-sound-absorbent in front of your cab. Lean a pillow or cushion in front of the speaker, put your jacket over it, or put the cab’s slipcover (if you have one) partially back on while you’re playing (though without covering any ventilation for the tubes if it’s a combo cab).
Owning an emergency radio is wise for many reasons. In the event of a natural disaster or serious emergency, it’s important to be able to receive radio broadcasts and alerts. Radio communication is one of the most important factors considered in our post on building an effective. Depending on the scenario, radio communication might be the only form of receiving vital information — does your household emergency kit or include a reliable radio device?On another note, if you’re a wilderness enthusiast who enjoys hiking and off the beaten path, you oughta have an emergency radio on hand. You don’t have to be days away from civilization to get caught in a sudden, violent storm without the proper equipment, and some of these units pack even smaller than a. If you spend time in the great outdoors hiking, boating, biking or backpacking, it’s a smart move to own a reliable, portable radio that you can tune in to weather alerts with — it could save your life.Fortunately, there’s been some awesome recent advances in emergency radios.
They are more compact, energy efficient and affordable then ever. Hand crank and solar powered radios are the solution to your radio lifeline dying in the middle of an emergency — self powered devices won’t quit on you when regular batteries do. Furthermore, most emergency radios have been built with a small array of features to further support you in the event of a survival scenario.
Built in flash lights and power banks are commonly incorporated into modern emergency radios making them that much more capable of assisting you in serious situations.Whatever your outdoor hobbies or home survival kit calls for, owning a self powered emergency radio is absolutely a good idea. Read through our list and find the unit that suits your needs best! Here’s another capable emergency radio that can be self-powered by the included crank and also charged by the solar panel or by a micro USB cable. There’s a 1000 mAh power bank for charging other USB compatible devices and a strong 50 lumen flashlight included, so this radio has truly been made with a disaster or emergency scenario in mind.This radio is exceptionally compact and lightweight at only eight ounces, so it can come with you on backpacking trips though the wilderness or remain at home in your family emergency kit.The hand crank translates one minute of cranking into 20 minutes of radio time or 30 minutes of flashlight power — this is a highly energy efficient unit. You won’t have to crank this thing for a week in order to get some usable power, radio time or flash light use. It’s a highly portable power bank that if treated with care will provide you with unlimited juice for all your USB compatible devices.Stay tuned in to what’s happening from within and outside of your home and don’t miss any updates or announcements during potential survival situations.2.Esky Multi-Pupose Emergency Solar Hand Crank AM/ FM/ NOAA Weather Radio with 3W Flashlight. Here’s another radio from Esky that is quite comparable to the previous model listed.
The main differences between the units is that this model has twice the battery capacity (2000mAH vs. 1000mAH) and can also be powered by AAA batteries.The flashlight on this unit is also a bit brighter (3W). The rechargeable battery is good for up to 10 hours of light or 8 hours of radio time on a single charge! This radio is barely any less compact or lightweight than the previous model — it’s just an inch longer in length. This is another highly portable emergency radio that can really go anywhere.This unit if taken care of should provide you with unlimited energy for all of your USB compatible devices. This radio can tune in to AM, FM and NOAA radio channels — but it can also broadcast an SOS alarm as an emergency signal if you get caught in a sticky situation.
This feature could truly save your life in a survival scenario and is perhaps the most important aspect of this radio. Another winner from Esky.3.iRonsnow Dynamo Solar Hand Crank Self Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio. Here’s an awesome unit from iRonsnow that comes at a super low cost. This radio can be powered by the included hand crank and solar power as well as by the USB port. Customer reviews insist this unit has excellent battery life on a full charge – but between the hand crank and solar panel that shouldn’t be much of a factor anyways.There’s a very bright 1W LED light built into the radio so you’re covered in the event of a power outage or if you get caught on the trail after dark.
This radio can tune in to AM, FM and most importantly NOAA radio stations so you won’t miss any important alerts or updates in the event of an emergency.This is one of the most compact and lightweight emergency radios available, it’s impressively less than half a pound and only two and half by five inches! This unit will operate as a power bank, but don’t expect it to charge your smartphone in a matter of minutes.There are better options available if you’re looking for an emergency radio to double as an effective power bank, but this unit will still absolutely give you a bit of juice if you need it. This one will fit inside or clip to a backpack with no problem — it’s the ideal unit for portable use.
Reviews insist the radio component itself is of good quality, so don’t rule it out for your home survival kit just because of its small size.4.Compass Culture Brand Emergency Solar/Crank Radio with SOS Bonus Survival Paracord Bracelet. Here’s another reliable emergency radio that comes well reviewed by customers — and there’s even a bonus survival paracord bracelet included! I think this is my favorite unit included on this list, it combines all the best available features of an emergency radio into one package. There’s four ways to charge this radio (solar panel, hand crank, AAA batteries and USB cable) and it’s equipped with a larger, 2000mAh power bank.This radio tunes in to AM and FM radio and will also pick up seven different NOAA weather channels. There’s a powerful, 4W LED reading lamp in addition to the flashlight, and even a wrist band for attaching this radio to your person. You’ll have 15 hours of light or six hours of radio time on one charge depending on how you charge up the radio.
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There’s even a SOS emergency alarm with a flashing red light if you find yourself in a scenario where you need to broadcast your location.The included paracord survival bracelet is a totally awesome tool on its own! Aside from the length of valuable cordage you get from the paracord itself, there’s a whistle, a scraper, compass and fire starter incorporated into the construction. For some other neat (and potentially life saving) survival tools and gadgets, check out our post.5.Running Snail Emergency Solar/Crank Radio with 4000mAh Battery. I really like this little boom box from Running Snail. This is a tiny handheld unit, so if you’re looking something larger with some serious volume output, this isn’t it. On the other hand, this is one of the best quality emergency radios available concerning battery life and power bank ability and it’s still a highly portable unit.The 4000mAh rechargeable battery is good for 10 to 12 hours of radio play time or up to 40 hours of flashlight time on one charge.
That’s significantly more battery life than any of the other radios listed here.This unit can be charged or powered by AAA batteries, the incorporated hand crank, solar panel or by USB cable. It takes about 7 hours to charge by USB cable. The speaker itself although small is a high definition speaker that despite its size puts out some good volume.It’s not a full on boom box by any means, but you’ll be impressed with its sound. For the price point this is a superior piece of survival equipment that will perform great as both a survival tool and as a quality music player.See Also:.