# Moratto Amp Build



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I went and visited Steve to have him tweak/mod the Silver Jubilee, but changed my mind and decided to have him build me an amp with the same circuit as the one pictured. I was trying to describe what I wanted, and he told me to plug into this. It sounded like what I was describing.

It will look somewhat similar - only bigger. I think this was an experiment for Steve where he was trying to see how much he could possible squeeze into a small space. This amp is 50 watts.

I believe this amp is based primarily on a JTM45, but is separated like a JCM800 (don't ask me how or what) and also has some late 60s stuff going on. 

He's going to grace me with a lot of images and a write up on what's going on as we move forward.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Thanks for the pics! (I had asked you in your other thread if you would post pics of the new build)

Very impressive transformers and tidy wiring/wire dress (IMO).

I will be following this thread with interest.

Cheers

Dave


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

greco said:


> Thanks for the pics! (I had asked you in your other thread if you would post pics of the new build)
> 
> Very impressive transformers and tidy wiring/wire dress (IMO).
> 
> ...


Thanks Dave, I had you in mind when I popped by the Amp Shop today and started snapping pics of his amp.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

And the first pic has been sent. I believe steve should have the chassis by now.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

The old amp is gutted and the building begins:









- - - Updated - - -

Here's a look at what the original amp used to be: a solid state Master Reverb 30. Steve likes these 80s amps, since they are built like tanks.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Thanks Chuck. I appreciate you taking the time to post the pics.

The chassis certainly does look like it would withstand a nuclear blast!

Cheers

Dave


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

I'm excited for you. I'm thinking of ordering one too. I just got one of those lead 12s . cute little things. I was thinking of 40 watts!!!! with trem though.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

sambonee said:


> I'm excited for you. I'm thinking of ordering one too. I just got one of those lead 12s . cute little things. I was thinking of 40 watts!!!! with trem though.


Thanks Sean.

Is the lead 12 the little amp my circuit is based on? It's definitely coooool.

I don't think I mentioned that this one is 35 watts. Perfect for me.

I'm not much of a tremolo guy, but I could use a bit of reverb.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

More goods


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

More Moratto guts...what a pic, eh?


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

adcandour said:


> More Moratto guts...what a pic, eh?


Beautiful pic and very impressive craftsmanship!
I can almost hear it already...OK, OK everyone...just let me be and permit me to indulge in my weirdness!!

Thanks for posting this.

Cheers

Dave


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

That's a great picture and the build looks very precise so far.

Should be a beast when it's done.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Great thread Chuck, thanks for the updates.

You have to admire tidy work like that, nice!


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

when I first met Steve like 6 years ago, I was buying some tubes from him and we met in mississauga. he showed me there and then a JTM 45 style chassis all built up. his work has always been that tidy. although I've said you could eat off it, I still haven't tried it!!

Chuck, no, the lead 12 isn't what Steve bases the amp of, it's just one of the platforms from which he likes to build these "mighty mites". huge power, little package. the one you saw of his was a Lead 12 chassis/cabinet that he converted.

I'm getting him to try with the pre-amp upstairs, and the power-amp in the basement so as to keep a lower centre of gravity. I don't like amps that are at all top heavy.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Here's the front - looking good....


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

now THAT is a cool project!!

looks great

I have a solid state Master Lead Combo sitting around that has some issues, maybe I'll get him to do something similar

although this guy makes me want to get it fixed:

[video=youtube;9kY3PNz4JA0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kY3PNz4JA0[/video]

also have a Lead 12, it is my go-to practice amp lately....all I did was put a better speaker in there


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

bolero said:


> now THAT is a cool project!!
> 
> looks great
> 
> ...


I find that solid state amps have a couple of good settings - and mostly on the neck pup. I've been trying to listen harder to youtube videos, and I think this is another one of those misleading demos (he sounds good, but I can hear that solid state bzzzzzzzz).

Morattos Lead 12 pictured in the first post was completely gutted and rebuilt - just using the chassis and swapping out the grill cloth. It sounds amazing and I would definitely consider having him do it to your amp.

I'm not sure if he's a member here, but you can always go to the website to contact him.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

I'm trying really really hard not to start gassing for this.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

davetcan said:


> I'm trying really really hard not to start gassing for this.


Hey,...it's not for sale


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

adcandour said:


> Hey,...it's not for sale



Sure! LOL .....


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

LOL. Adcandour needs to find a Rodney Dangerfield gif.

"No respect, I tell ya. I get no respect."


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## parkhead (Aug 14, 2009)

Steve does great work! 
I have a purple combo he built out of some sort of Beltone 
and some sort of a tone bender clone 

P


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I believe this is the innards complete:


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## Guest (Sep 14, 2015)

High/Deaf said:


> LOL. Adcandour needs to find a Rodney Dangerfield gif.
> 
> "No respect, I tell ya. I get no respect."


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

Hmmm, is he re-purposing telephone handset curly-cords there? As shielding? Novel idea!


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

jb welder said:


> Hmmm, is he re-purposing telephone handset curly-cords there? As shielding? Novel idea!


I wondered about that too when I saw the pic, but it looks too small for phone cable, no?


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I'm not sure, but here's another pic with some more shrilding. 

I now have the amp in my possession. I went to try it out and Steve said it can come home with me until the grill cloth arrives. Finally a proper amp in the house.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

keto said:


> I wondered about that too when I saw the pic, but it looks too small for phone cable, no?


It is pretty small.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

keto said:


> I wondered about that too when I saw the pic, but it looks too small for phone cable, no?


If it isn't phone cable, why would one choose to use coiled cable (over regular shielded cable) for this purpose? 
Is there a specific reason to use coiled cable from an electronics theory perspective?

I have never seen or read about this...not that I have seen and read as much nearly as you folks in general.

Thanks for educating me.

Cheers

Dave


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

I'm guessing its one wire wrapped around another. The middle wire is for the signal and the other wire acts as a shield and is grounded at one end. Usually you just twist the wires together, but this may be another way to do it.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Scottone said:


> ....Usually you just twist the wires together....


Can you achieve the same effect by doing this as you would by using shielded wire?

*@adcandour*....How are you liking the tones from the new amp (to the extent that you have had a chance to try it)?


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I must have missed it, what's the over/under on this one?


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

greco said:


> Can you achieve the same effect by doing this as you would by using shielded wire?
> 
> *@adcandour*....How are you liking the tones from the new amp (to the extent that you have had a chance to try it)?


You'll get better shielding with a co-ax shielded wire (with shield grounded at one end) than you would with the twisted wires. The scheme used on this amp (if it is what I think it is) would provide pretty good shielding I would think.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Scottone said:


> You'll get better shielding with a co-ax shielded wire (with shield grounded at one end) than you would with the twisted wires.


Thanks, Scottone. I didn't realize co-ax and twisted pairs were somewhat interchangeable.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I just spoke to Steve not too long ago, and he mentioned something about using a lathe when it comes to that coily cable. Maybe he'll chime in, since I simply can't remember - I can tell you that it sounds pretty involved.

@greco - I hesitate to say anything - due to my shameful track record, but I'll do a couple of demos soon and probably post more comments down the road.

I _can_ say this though - the lead tone I was enamoured with in that friedman/vintage marshall I had was dialled in on my Moratto not too long ago; But, I was able to take away the unwanted muddiness that seemed to be the only set-back with the friedman. 

Steve has added an additional "Sub-Bass" knob to the traditional EQ, and it really helps shape the tone. I'm very happy about it.

I have yet to experience this amp blaring at home, but soon will.


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## numb41 (Jul 13, 2009)

adcandour said:


> I just spoke to Steve not too long ago, and he mentioned something about using a lathe when it comes to that coily cable. Maybe he'll chime in, since I simply can't remember - I can tell you that it sounds pretty involved.
> 
> @greco - I hesitate to say anything - due to my shameful track record, but I'll do a couple of demos soon and probably post more comments down the road.
> 
> ...


unwanted muddiness? I've twisted every knob this way and that, flicked the switches, and have a hard time getting a bad sound. Man I love the Marshall/ Friedman!


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

numb41 said:


> unwanted muddiness? I've twisted every knob this way and that, flicked the switches, and have a hard time getting a bad sound. Man I love the Marshall/ Friedman!


Hey, I thought you sold it? Like I said before - you'd be nuts to let that go.

When you come up here for work, we gotta try to connect, so you can hear this beast. 

There's a few differences in the two amps:

1) how high gain is handled. I'm a high gain fanatic and the HBE channel was too noisy, and had a fizzy quality to the high gain. The Moratto is very low noise (comparatively) and has such a tight, clean handle on high gain. The power chords have so much string definition.

The BE channel really shines on your amp. The lead tone is ridiculous. I've literally tried 20+ Marshalls since then and haven't found a better one. Thankfully, I took the friedman to moratto before I sold it and played a bunch of sound samples. My amp has the same lead tone, but with the added sub-bass, I can tighten up the bass strings and suit it to my tastes further. 

Like I said, you gotta hear it in person (after I've had more time with it).


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

...and it's complete. I'll be grabbing it tomorrow.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Awesome. What are the 2 inputs on the right? A loop with send level right beside it?


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

They are essentially blank for any future mods I can think of.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

adcandour said:


> They are essentially blank for any future mods I can think of.


Those are the 2 inputs I would sound best playing through.

Congrats adcandour!!

ENJOY having the "completed" amp at home!!

BTW...You really need to work on the "Comfortably Numb" solo.......j/k

Cheers

Dave


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

greco said:


> Those are the 2 inputs I would sound best playing through.
> 
> Congrats adcandour!!
> 
> ...


Firstly, thank you.

Secondly, I heard you noodling last weekend. Amplifying you would be very easy on the ears.

and, thirdly...I did work on it 

Honestly, for once, I'm quite happy with the tone here (Solid state. Go figure?). Main issue is the lead level needs a boost..some bends are flat...and I forgot some bits...:sSig_busted:

[video=youtube;r-UGHbleyFI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-UGHbleyFI[/video]


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

That sounded great! Keep that solid state and sell the one you just had made. Lol. 

Are you using a Muff or is it just the amp?


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Stratin2traynor said:


> That sounded great! Keep that solid state and sell the one you just had made. Lol.
> 
> Are you using a Muff or is it just the amp?


Believe me when I say that the amp is quite bad. You can get by with pedals, but, wow, ... it's amazing they let it out the factory. It's fine for clean tones, but that's it.

The pedal I'm using and will never give up is my MI Audio Megalith Delta. It is so insanely tweakable, that getting these thick warm lead tones is quite easy (exhibit A is the video). The higher the gain, that fatter the tone. You can always tweak the EQ to "sharpen the thickness" (if that makes sense), so it's not a wooly mess. The only shame about the pedal is that it can't do overdrive - at all. The great thing about this pedal is that has never sounded better than through Moratto's amp.


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## GWN! (Nov 2, 2014)

Why does it have a Marshall Logo instead of a Moratto Logo?


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

GWN! said:


> Why does it have a Marshall Logo instead of a Moratto Logo?


The Morratto logo is on the back. The Marshall Logo is purely for aesthetics - as is common with most replicas (even though this is hot-rodded, essentially).


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