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Mojave Ampworks / Scorpion / 2011 / Amp For Sale

1.482,- EUR

1995 USD

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Modeled after its big brother the Peacemaker, Mojave Ampworks has made the ultimate 50 watt dream amp a reality. No shortcuts, no compromise. The Scorpion 50 watt with Power Dampening breaks boundaries on clean headroom, tone and flexibility. The Scorpion makes it possible to truly harness big guitar amp tone from a smaller package.

Non-Master Volume

Preamp: four 12AX7

Power amp: Two EL34

Selectable Power output range: 3-50 watts

Adjustable Fixed Bias

"The Scorpion is the best amp I’ve ever used for getting all those classic guitar tones."

-Brian Young, David Lee Roth band

Power Dampening

Power Dampening is a unique feature that allows infinite power levels to be selected. With the Scorpion you can dial in anywhere between the maximum 50 watt to the minimum 3 watt output. If you need to get a full throttle overdrive tone, but at a volume you can play at home, then you can select the power or volume level that works best for you and still get the same tone you had with the amp cranked up.

A non-master volume amp does not have preamp distortion and normally needs to be run at high power levels to achieve an overdrive sound. Higher power levels result in higher volume. With Power Dampening the user can select what power level they want to use. By reducing the power the amp can make, the volume will be reduced with it. Because Power Dampening lowers the power being generated by the tubes, the amp runs cooler, and with much less stress. This reduces wear on the tubes and transformers. Power Dampening is not a built in attenuator, nor is it a master volume control. The result is excellent retention of both tone and clarity. Power Dampening lets you get full throttle overdrive with lower power amp volumes.

Dual-Voiced Preamps

With separately voiced preamp volumes the Scorpion can produce better gain and more variety. Since the tone can be added together from both the Treble volume and the Bass volume controls, the resulting sound is richer with more harmonic content and develops better response. Using both preamps together offers greater variety from one guitar. The preamp signals are tied together internally to allow mixing from each preamp.

Current-tracking preamp design

Our current tracking preamp design allows for better clarity and gain. The signal is stronger with lower noise and will respond better. Single coil guitars can actually drive the amp into overdrive without pedals, while double coil pickups can produce heavier tones with clarity not obtained form pedals.

High and low sensitivity input jacks

The drive signal from the high sensitivity input is two times greater than that of the low sensitivity input. By using high and low input sensitivity the user can find different dynamic ranges with the Scorpion. The low sensitivity input allows you to obtain a larger degree of clean headroom, especially with lower output pickups. If the high sensitivity input is used a greater degree of output tube overload can be achieved.

Line Level Output

All Mojave Amplifiers are equipped with adjustable line level outputs. The adjustable Line output is also equipped with a ground lift to avoid any ground loops that might occur from direct connections with external equipment. Line outs serve as an excellent source for collecting the amplifiers sound as a whole without microphone or speaker interaction. The tone is also inclusive of the power tubes and output transformer. By using the line level output the guitar amplifier signal can be sent directly to a live board, recording device, effects processor and amplified separately allowing wet/dry setups.

Top quality components

Top quality electrical parts are just another feature that help make the Scorpion an exceptional value. The Scorpion shines inside and outside, as much as it shines sonicly.

Reinforced Aluminum Chassis

The Scorpion is built atop a reinforced aluminum chassis for superior strength and durability. All Scorpion chassis are fully seem welded and made from high strength aluminum that is powder coated for a superior finish and protection from corrosion. Aluminum is many times lighter than steel. Aluminum is also non-magnetic and helps to combat noise and hum.

Hand built Terminal board electronics

Terminal boards are just another intelligent construction feature within the Scorpion amp. Terminal board construction is extremely reliable because of superior mechanical contact between the parts and connecting wires. Mechanical strength is achieved when the leads from the parts are fed directly into the turrets themselves and then soldered for guaranteed electrical bonding. Terminal board construction provides ease in changing circuitry as ongoing development occurs.

Metal Film resistors

Metal Film resistors are used rather than the typical carbon composition or carbon film type resistors. Metal film resistors can be obtained in precise values and also boast greater temperature coefficient ratings, which in turn make the part very stable and less likely to drift from its original value. Each resistor found within the Scorpion amplifier has been specified and designed to have a greater power rating than the circuit actually demands. This will ensure longevity of the part and proper circuit operation for the life of the amplifier. Metal film resistors are also superior with regard to noise, unlike their carbon composition counterparts. Carbon composition resistors are typically very noisy, giving rise to an increased hiss when the amp is on. Metal film resistors, on the other hand, are extremely quiet. This factor proves to be very desirable, especially when recording.

Custom made 1% tolerance capacitors

Custom made 1% tolerance capacitors are utilized throughout the Scorpion amplifier, for sonic consistency from one amplifier to the next. The capacitors used within the Scorpion amplifier are of the high-grade film and foil polypropylene and silver mica varieties.

Ceramic Tube sockets

Ceramic Tube sockets are also a part of the Scorpion's high grade component makeup. Ceramic sockets do not burn and are less likely to arc with the high voltage present at the tube pins. Lower grade tube sockets such as phenolic or plastic can burn and cause a carbon resistance to form, which in turn will increase arcing between the high voltage tube pins.

Hand-tested select matched preamp and power tubes

Mojave AmpWorks tests all of the tubes it uses in every Scorpion. This step will ensure that each amp has minimum hum and a balanced gain. Balanced preamp and power tubes provide the amplifier with improved clean headroom and smooth overload tones that move fluidly from one sound to the other. This step requires the personalized attention that is synonymous with the entire construction process of the Scorpion.

Teflon insulated silver-plated copper wire

The Scorpion amplifier has been completely hand-wired with Teflon insulated wire. Teflon insulated wire will not burn like plastic insulated wire. Teflon insulated wiring also resists heat, preventing cracking of the wiring insulation. In addition, silver-plated wire is an excellent conductor.

Creating a Better Guitar Amplifier

The first way to improve any design is to learn from the past. Mojave AmpWorks has the distinction of having a great deal of experience in the restoration and service of vintage guitar amps. A large part of our experience has been gained solving problems with older guitar amps that had many miles on them. All amps start out new and wind up old. It comes down to how they weather the wear and tear.

Classic Clean Chassis Design.

For those who search for the most coveted of guitar tones, many find safe haven in the earlier vintage amps. The Mojave Scorpion is designed with this in mind. With a fluid and classic look, the Scorpion has the makings of late 60s topology. While benefiting from the past, many improvements are also included that bring the Scorpion to the next level.

Fluid chassis layout for quick easy circuit assessment.

One of the most distinctive features of the Scorpion amplifier is the exquisitely laid out circuitry. Unlike other amplifier layout schemes, the Scorpion amplifier utilizes a fluid and simplistic parts layout system that provides even the non-technician with an easy way to understand their amplifier. Mojave AmpWorks felt it was important to keep the amp as easy to understand on the inside as it is to use on the outside. Looking at the adjacent image, one can see there are clean and accessible solder connections for each part, as they are placed onto dedicated turret pairs across the turret board.

A detachable AC receptacle with built in fuse holder is a good start.

Most amps built today have a detachable AC cord as opposed to the AC power cord being permanently attached to the chassis. By using a detachable AC power cord, it can easily be replaced in the event that it becomes cut, frayed or damaged. This is a lot less hassle than having to change a power cord that is permanently attached to the chassis.

A built in fuse holder that also contains a spare fuse has it’s advantages.

The main benefit of having the fuse holder built into the AC receptacle is that there is no fuse holder protruding from the chassis back panel. Items such as fuse holders that protrude from the back of the chassis are subject to breakage in the event there is an impact along the back panel of the amp. A broken fuse holder or missing fuse cap will render the amp useless. This is an all-to-common problem among both vintage and modern amps which use that design. Mojave amplifiers have the fuse holder safely packaged within the confines of the AC socket. An added bonus is the convenient spare fuse that is stowed inside the fuse holder itself.

Speaker connection is easy and dependable. One problem encountered by guitar players is knowing what settings to use when running more than one speaker cabinet. Mojave amplifiers have clearly marked back panels making it easy to understand and use. There are no “Impedance Selectors” on the Mojave amplifier. Impedance selectors are switches or contact plugs that wear out over time. This creates an opportunity for noise and intermittent operation due to poor contacts within the switch or plug. Mojave amplifiers are trouble free and easier to use without these switches. As a result, Mojave amplifiers are also more dependable.

Well-grounded input jacks prevent your amp from becoming a radio receiver! The most common cause for radio frequency amplification by a guitar amplifier is poor grounding on the input jacks. Amplifiers that are designed around a mechanical ground from the input jack to the chassis have an open door for this problem. If the contact between the input jack and chassis corrodes, the ground is poor and you will become an antenna when you plug your guitar cord into the amp. To prevent this action, the Mojave AmpWorks amplifier has no mechanical ground made at the input jack, rather there is a solid ground made with a soldered connection directly to the input jack.

Central-Point Electrical Grounding.

Central-point grounding is favored for its lower noise and increased grounding facilitation. Central point grounding reduces ground loops while improving conductive points for each area requiring ground connection. Power amps are better served when grounds are brought together to their respective points and not just made in different points across the chassis.

Dual-Primary Power Transformers.

The Scorpion is built with a High Efficiency Dual-Primary power transformer. This means higher efficiency and cooler core temperatures. The result is a more reliable power supply with better current capacity. The Scorpion is also designed with a larger power supply filtering system resulting in better clean headroom and dynamics. Upgrades like these are all part of the improvements built on classic designs.

Triple-Capacity Output Transformers.

The goal of getting the Mojave Scorpion to sound like a 100 watt power amp meant taking a close look at the output transformer, since it lies at the heart of the tone in the amp. 50 and 100 watt output transformers are made very differently and therefore sound uniquely different. There is a distinct difference in character between the 50 and 100 watt amplifiers. These differences can be traced back to the output transformers as well. In order for Mojave Ampworks to truly offer a 50 watt model that acted and sounded like a 100 watt amp, we needed to design an output transformer that was designed exactly like the 100 watt but made to work with only two power tubes rather then four. This means creating a much physically larger transformer with much greater power handling capacity which is exactly what the Scorpion has. The Scorpion output transformer is capable of handling more then triple its 50 watt application. A major improvement in reliability is the result. In addition the Scorpion output transformer offers tonal character simply not available in other 50 watt amplifiers. This upgraded transformer makes the Scorpion a one of a kind.

Scorpion - Head Price:

L = 20.25” x W = 8.75” x H = 9.5” Weight = 32 lbs

Order with a 2x12 cab and save $200