Motorola 960 3-Channel Amp

[toxcrusadr]

What's the story on these 3-channel amps with separate bass amp? Worth futzing with?

This one appears to have PP ECL82/6BM8's for the L and R and a bass channel with PP EL-84s.

They don't seem to be super common. Just wondered if it was worth picking up as a standalone amp since it's got the weird 3-channel thing going on.

 

[Frankie's Market]

Yeah, What Tox said, I have one the came out of a scrapped console, waiting to come to life, or should I move on to something else?

 

[century tek]

Those 3 channel amps are probably best left inside of their consoles. I own one and many years ago I contemplated on making it a stand alone but the left and right mid/hi channels contain no bass signal whereas the bass channel contains no treble signal but both working together is what makes them sound great in the their consoles. After I rebuilt mine, you just can't stop listening to it. It sounds so good. Just like the little logo on the hood states, "Motorola Stereophonic Masterpiece".

To be stand alone (and it can be done), you just need the know enough electronics and to be able to read a schematic to add or remove the parts needed to make it stereo only. Otherwise, a stand alone option would be to build or to use two separate treble only speakers for the left & right, and a separate speaker cabinet just for the bass.

 

[smccrary]

The original 2.1 system. I have two Moto 3-channel amps with preamps. I have tried them with some full-range drivers on L/R and a passive sub on the bass channel. They sound pretty good.

 

[toxcrusadr]

^^ That sounds good, a sub/sat combo.

And the idea of using just the mid/hi channels in a biamped system sounds plausible too.

It does have the preamp/tuner and some kind of Vibrasonic unit, maybe a reverb amp? Owner says it was formerly in a console but no more, so there's not really a chance of restoring the console. I'm going to pick this thing up anyway just to keep it out of the scrap pile. Someone will use it even if I don't. If the tubes are good it'll be worth what they're asking anyway.

Thanks guys!

 

[knockbill]

I grabbed an amp only for cheap at a radio show a few years ago... Recapped PS, and tried it out... Couldn't find I use for it as is... I gutted it, saved the chassis, PT and bass channel OPT, and built a Maggy 175 amp out of them... Hardest part was finding a matching OPT, but I finally did last year (thanks again, Kevin!)... It sounds pretty good as the bass channel was 6V6 PP and turned out to be full range,,, so they matched the 175 schem pretty well...
Buddy gave me a quad of NOS Tung -Sol 6V6s, and I had a pair of NOS TS 6SL7s... Its a Maggy-Moto!!!!

 

[toxcrusadr]

So the bass channel OPT is good for full range? Cool.

 

[century tek]

Yup! The crossover action is going on inside the amp.

EDIT: Don't know why double post. I just hit the reply button once. Weird.

 

[knockbill]

Seems to be, this amp sounds very similar to my rebuilt Maggy 185... Hi-Mid channels had very small SE OPTs,,, tried them in a 6AQ5 build but they lacked bass,,, since replaced them...

HA,,, wrote this hours ago to answer your question and forgot to post it!!!! gettin old sux....