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Post by jazzrat on Jan 8, 2010 8:24:46 GMT -7
My Maz 18 tone is already so fat that I thought of getting the amp enrolled in Jenny Craig to start off the new year but instead …………………… I sold some stuff on Ebay and purchased a Brake Lite! The unit should arrive on Monday. My understanding is that the unit is installed with 2 screws. Do you need to pre-drill pilot holes or can you simply drive the screws in by hand? For you guys who have installed the Brake Lite – Any do’s and don’ts? If you had it all to do over again would you avoid anything in particular? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
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Post by mikeslub on Jan 8, 2010 9:27:53 GMT -7
It's easy to install - just two big wood screws supplied into the side of your cabinet, plug jack into your speaker input on the top and run the speaker cable from your speaker into the bottom of the Brake Lite. You can probably just drive the screws in, but I always like to drill small pilot holes when putting screws into wood ( just makes it easier and insures that the unit is parallel to the inside of the amp).
After reading this Forum I know there are a lot of people that like the Brake Lite, and I respect their opinions. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't have gotten the Brake Lite. First, I don't like attenuators because they definitely affect the tone, and this one is no different than others IMO. Second, the master volume works well on the Maz with minimal impact on tone, so I really didn't need the Brake Lite. But your ears may vary.
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Post by Eddie on Jan 8, 2010 10:05:14 GMT -7
You will love it. It allows you to crank the amp and have that natural tube breakup at more reasonable volumes. Just using the MV set low won't get you into power tube breakup like the brakelite allows.
I put mine in by hand and it's a snap.
Enjoy, Eddie
p.s. mine is on _all_ the time and I love it.
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Post by doctorice on Jan 8, 2010 15:02:07 GMT -7
You will love it. It allows you to crank the amp and have that natural tube breakup at more reasonable volumes. Just using the MV set low won't get you into power tube breakup like the brakelite allows. I agree with Eddie. It's not clear, to me at least, that at low volume whether the attenuator is actually sucking tone or whether the fequency response of my ears has shifted. (What used to be known as the Fletcher-Munson effect; led to the "loudness" switch on some stereo gear.) That said, I do suspect some degradation when the BL is notched all the way down to 4.
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Post by Jan on Jan 8, 2010 15:34:53 GMT -7
If an Air Brake is good enough for Mark Knopfler, it is good enough for me.
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Post by Pete aka shouldb on Jan 8, 2010 16:38:25 GMT -7
I think I was one of the first international customers for the Brake Lite and it is a blessing! Easy to install, really easy, and does exactly what it says on the tin - with one small caveat: don't use it at its maximum attenuation. That's the only point where it messes with the tone a little bit. It seems to compress the sound somehow, and squeeze some life out of the tone - just a bit. On every other setting it is fantastic! Sure, like every thing else, the fewer things you put in the signal path the better, but as I play in a band with a big PA system, and our singers do not like a huge on stage sound, it is a true God send. I set it one click off max and hey presto :-)
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Post by countrybilly83 (Ty) on Jan 8, 2010 17:19:14 GMT -7
Alot of the volume/tonal thing is do to the Fletchner-Munson Curve like doctorice said....
Basically human hearing is best and has the best freq response around 80-90dB that's why music sounds the best louder..
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Post by Maddog on Jan 8, 2010 19:53:48 GMT -7
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Post by dgabbear on Jan 9, 2010 8:16:36 GMT -7
I agree about the sound degredation on settings 3 and unuseable on 4. Of course the issue of tone is very subjective, but I find that the MV on the Maz does affect its tone. To my ears, the tone is so much fatter with the MV cranked or at least past the noon position. Anything less, the tone thins out or a little too bright. Just my 2 cents.
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Post by jazzrat on Jan 9, 2010 13:41:15 GMT -7
Thanks to everyone for the advice and tips. Mad Dog - Thanks for the pix - very clean work. I can not wait to get this unit and get it installed.
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Post by substitute on Jan 14, 2010 8:15:59 GMT -7
I think the biggest change in feel/tone is probably from the speaker not being pushed as hard. You lose that sound pressure with the attenuator cranked down.
And it does start to sound more compressed, similar to when you turn any amp down to apartment levels. The biggest difference is the tone isn't as badly affected, and the low-end stays.
A friend just installed the Brake Lite in his Maz Jr and I got to play it yesterday. I also have a Maz Jr so I was very curious.
I really liked getting much louder than any gig volume I'd use -- like turning the master all the way up. You can get closer to that "exploding amp" sound, and then back it off with the first/second position on the Brake Lite.
I'd also suggest setting the Brake Lite first -- then start adjusting the volumes and tone controls on the amp. That hopefully won't play tricks on your ears as much as playing loud first, then cranking back with the attenuator.
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