Is an attenuator better than the Mesa Roadster's master volume?

[BostonRedSox]

Anyone know a definitive answer to this question?

[SteveO]

There is no definitive answer as tone is a subjective thing, but with my Roadster I found that running the power tubes harder with an attenuator behind it helped smooth out the harshness in it quite a bit.

[somedude]

I've never tried one with a Roadster specifically, but I have owned both Rectos and Hotplates over the years and in general I found I preferred lowering the MV to attenuation.

If I'm playing at moderate volumes I'll usually switch the amp over to it's tube rectifier and if I'm playing low volumes I'll usually use the spongy setting.

[realityczech]

Mesa is irrelevant in todays market.
So I say attenuate away the fixed noise.

[Hendog]

No way to answer such a subjective tone question, but I personally believe that the Roadster and Mark V output knob does a hell of a job of lowering and raising the overall volume output with very little effect on tone to a certain point. In other words, you have to get the output or master up to a certain point to get the real tone out of these amps. Below that point an attenuator still has trouble getting the goods.

My answer would be no, an attenuator is no better to my ear.

[SteveO]

I've thought about this a bit since my prior post (I sold the Roadster over a year ago, so my initial response was based upon a fairly distant memory of my experience with the amp), and I realized that my fight with the amp was trying to get it to sound less like a Recto. "Harsh" isn't really the appropriate word, I was after a smoother lead tone-which can be tricky at best with the Recto amps.