Overdriven B-15 at low volumes... how?

[Walker]

I got an Ampeg B-15 (heritage) a few weeks ago, my first all-valve amp. It's glorious.

I want to get a slightly overdriven tone at low volumes (kids in bed volume level). I don't want to colour the signal at all, just add a bit of grit. Nothing too manic.

It doesn't have gain control, so what's the best way to do this with an all-tube amp? I don't want knacker anything through ignorance.

Do I need a clean boost pedal to push the pre tubes? Or is there some other better way? I want to keep things as simple and 'natural' as possible.

Cheers

Chris

[Beer of the Bass]

Pushing the preamp with a clean boost works on most valve amps. It's not the same sound as turning the amp up but can be good for a little grit. The two channels on the Heritage might respond differently, as I think the 1964 channel has two gain stages and the tone controls before the volume control, while the volume control in the 1966 channel comes after the first gain stage.
(I don't have a B15 myself but I'm building a preamp based on one, so I've spent a bit of time looking at the schematics)

[Truckstop]

Power attenuator might help? THD Hotplate is the most well known I think.

Truckstop

[M@23]

I had a THD Hotplate and hated it. A clean boost is probably your best option, and cheap enough to buy a pedal secondhand and not lose much at all if it doesn't do what you're after.

[Roland Rock]

Yeah, a clean boost is the easiest, even though you are only overdriving the preamp. I found that on my active bass, turning the bass up fully, which would normally be an unusable tone, overdrives my valve amp beautifully, and is not too bass heavy.

In terms of boosting the amp with a pedal, I had great results with my DHA VT bass pedal, but not so much with the Markbass Super Booster

[Lozz196]

If looking for a clean boost to do this, either MXR Micro Amp or Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster should do the trick. No experience with the MXR but the SD if pushed can really add grit into your sound.

[Walker]

Thanks everyone, I'll start the hunt for a clean boost pedal after Christmas.

Chris

[funky8884]

Or you could use a compressor pedal if you have one and max out the make up gain.

[EBS_freak]

Talking of Attenuators, I found the only ones I liked were these- http://www.tedweber.com/atten.htm

[fretmeister]

Attenuators are very amp specific. You'll have to try out different models. The THD is a good bit of kit but might be completely wrong for the amp. Same as the also awesome Weber Mass attenuators.