Amp Switcher & Attenuator

Have a bunch of tube amps setup and keep reaching for your speaker plug? Well look no further for a simple and neutral way to switch between amp heads. Bypass-able attenuator allows you to turn down speaker volume a bit. This is not a high power attenuator by any means.

This was something that I made for myself a while back and personally use all the time. I wanted an amp switcher that was completely neutral to the speaker signal path, with some basic load protection if I accidentally left an amp on. The attenuator is just an 8 ohm L-Pad, but if dialed in right can retain a good sound at not so ear-splitting volumes. I find it very useful for trying out different amps while keeping a single speaker cab permanently setup/mic'ed up.

Some rules to keep in mind:

• All connected amplifiers must be turned off when switching the selector switch.
• Only one amplifier should be turned on at any given time, make sure it is correctly selected.
• Observe correct wattage ratings: 
• With attenuator bypassed: 100W max
• With attenuator engaged: 25W max
• Do not keep the attenuator at its minimum position (below 10 on the dial) for long periods of time with your amp at max volume. The L-Pad is meant to shave a little volume off the speaker, not soak up all the power of your amp.
• The L-Pad is meant for an 8 ohm speaker.
• If an amplifier with no input signal is accidentally left on while in the wrong switch position, your amp is safe and protected with a small 2W 8 ohm metal oxide resistor. It is not there to soak up wattage. It is only there to “just have something” on the amp output, vs having no load whatsoever.
• Make sure all cables are firmly seated when setting everything up.
  

*Please Note: I am not responsible for any damage caused by ignoring any of the for-mentioned rules or by any other misuse/abuse. If you follow the above rules, you will have no problems and it should last forever :-)