At 9:48 I said "Princeton with tremolo without reverb." I misspoke - I meant without tremolo, with reverb. As I say a few minutes later.

7:08 friendly spider cameo appearance on the right-most pre-amp tube. Oooh she jumped at 7:36 :)

Thanx Lyle, most enlightening... I can't afford a Morgan anyway so you made me feel better about my old HRD cheers

I had a Morgan PR10 combo. Hummed like mad. Sent it back to Joe, and he chased it for a week - sent it back to me and it still hummed. One amp I sold that I do not regret selling

"You sing it and I'll hum it.."

As always top line content

Nice looking amp, lots of serious hardware..Pricey I'd say.. ! Great video and info Lyle..Ed..uk..😀

Ive got a PR36 and when i first got it, it had a big hum with the reverb on. Emailed Joe Morgan and sent him photos and he said the reverb tank has been put in the wrong place like in your video ( He said they had a new person on the production line who was putting them in the wrong place). He was good and talking me through changing its position in the head which thankfully I could do as I am in the UK and didn't want to ship it back to America. After that it's been very quiet, no more hum and no further issues.

I’ve never played a Morgan but have always been impressed with demos(FWIW).If I bought one,I’d expect it to be as good as something I built myself for the price,though. With their reputation and price point,one should expect nothing less. As you say,”it’s not rocket science” or it SHOULDNT be for a boutique amp company!

Fender knew what they were doing when it came to reverb.

Every amp I see that I think I like the look of has a Psionic video that makes me stop dead 😂

Since this 'boutique' Princeton copy runs about the same (pricewise) as an actual handwired Princeton, it begs the question: Why not get the 'real' thing?? LoL

I would put the tank in the speaker cab and run the reverb cables down into it

still a great sounding amp....I always want that sound with my builds, sometimes happens

I would imagine the proprietary transformers can be a complication. I personally like simple amps without internal effects. I'm thinking of building a few someday which have a choice of pentode or triode input stages, and maybe use some unusual but good sounding tubes in the process.

Harbor Freight left handed drill bits. Use the smallest one and if it doesn't bite and back the screw out the next size up will.

Hi Lyle, thanks for all the fantastic content. I understand the power cable requirements( longer ground than the hot and common) when you have a cord that can be yanked out but are there similar requirements when using an iec socket?

I am building amps also and I love the papers about grounding. And now - how can Morgan go to NAMM shows etc. with this kind of safety ground and color codes? Can you explain that? How can he put CE on that? And is it possible to make a video about CE in amps? When it is considered safe to use? Thanks!

BEST AMP ELITIST EVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At 7:25, Boris the Spider 🕷 has entered the room! Or perhaps it's "Flea"? An insect or arthropod climbs one of the preamp tubes, jumps to the adjacent tube in a move that would make Peter Parker jealous, and then hangs out on the chassis until you changed the scene with an edit! If it was a spider, I hope you didn't harm it accidentally. I like spiders; spiders are interesting. I remove them from the house unharmed if it's possible to do so (my wife is terrified of them); granted, you're far more likely to encounter Brown Recluse or Black Widow spiders down there in Memphis than we are up here in New England. If it's a flea, however, it's fumigation time. I went through that once (living in a duplex with a next-door neighbor who didn't use flea collars or insect repellant meds on their cats) and it's not fun. From mosquitoes to fleas, insects love me ---- I get bit when no one else does. The fleas didn't touch my wife or her son but I had nasty welts below my sockline for weeks.

Lyle, thanks for sharing this go through and repair. Speaking of great amp builds, how’s the Exalibre 15 heads progressing? I imagine like the rest of Western Civilization your lining up supplies. I ask because I hope to get on the list early before your backlogged by 4 years. I’m absolutely sure that when you do start production - you’ll be flooded. The design and your execution is just way to great for that not to happen. Thanks for any update you might have.

I just discovered your amazing channel, there are a lot of useful informations on your videos. You often talk about hardware and screws not being tight enough from factory, what are your thoughts on the use of medium strength threadlock in guitar amps? Should it be used?

looks tasty

Great vid! The AC wire bothers me too considering Morgan is made by Boutique Amps Distribution(relatively decent sized company). I’m wondering if this is a Morgan specific design(that B.A.D. just copies for Morgan) or across the board on other amps they make as well? I was a bit put off by Joe Morgan when he was playing a video game during an interview and ended the interview early to continue the game, lol

Ok, I'll throw my amps in the trashcan now... hehe kidding. I do apreciate you speaking your mind. Thanks for sharing.

This is a recently build Morgan amp, built by B.A.D. along with many other amp brands. I hope the crew is now wiring all the grounds to Tone King, Friedman, Soldano, and Synergy. As one person said, it may just be that Morgan’s schematic is wired like that and employees at BAD are copying his design for the ground.

Lyle - Love your work. I have a67 Super that needs a going over.... Long shot but do you know anyone in the UK who works with your level of detail and care? I have a long history of bad experiences with amp techs in the UK. Cheers... love the videos

I will go out on a limb and say that any amp that has a CE, ROHS, UL, or other certification labeled on the amp makes it NOT Boutique. Any amp sold through a distributor or other distribution syndicate is also NOT a boutique amp. A truly Boutique amp is one that is made by some guy in his garage, building them one by one and benefiting solely from the sale. No middle man, no distribution deals, and no factory, just a few guys doing what they do. When a price point, market share, and how to cut costs to maximize profits is factored in so that your distribution deal still pays out, you are no longer boutique, you are just another amp company waiting for their legacy to end...

I am continually amazed by some of these issues with "boutique" amps. You have probably forgotten more than I know, but even I know how to properly attach an AC ground. Secondly, I did not occur to me that attaching the resistor leads close to a cap in the manner they did would cause heat transfer to the cap. Do you recommend using another method?

do what?!?!?!? a problem with an expensive amp???? .... just goes to show ya, any amp can have issues & we are lucky to have a dude like you here in Memphis to help make um right. *end of video watching edit ... could a RFID EMF Shielding fabric faraday bag or pouch around the reverb tank eliminate the hum? (just an idea)

7:42 I see you have your helper spider checking out the preamp tubes. Is he filling in for your ant?

I’ve built a couple of single-ended amps from kits but very much consider myself a novice hobbyist. But even I know the mains should have its own dedicated ground. It is shocking (no pun intended) they didn’t do it that way.

@19:40 we see the "CE" label. I guess you CAN get them on the internet. Morgan must buy them in bulk. LoL.

Lyle, I'll bet that when that broken screw came out with the nut underneath really made your day. Rather disappointing for being considered a "boutique" amp yet too cheap to use SS hardware and lock washers on the pots/jacks. The reason they get the over inflated reputation is from guitar reviews, not experts like you in amp construction. Morgan was a circuit copier not a designed IMHO.

Thanks for the very interesting take on the morgan. I happen to own a PR12 Princton type amp for maybe 2 years and have nothing but problems with it. Started out ith a cap on the bias cicuit making noise, and Joe said just clip it out it wont make a differnece! Why have it then. So after more play I get these loud arching sounds and hiss coming and going. It can work fine on the bench for a few days, put it back in the cab and staarts up again, but then returns on the bench. I changed all the filter caps and tubes to better ones, and the amp sounds good until it starts up again arching. I am thinking that the resitors as you point out across the coupling caps or the caps themselves are the problem. I would really like to remove the cheap board and make it a true point to point amp at this point. I'm not anywhere close to a good amp tech so its do it myself is the only option. Wish I would have bought a bettter amp with my $2k. Like an old Prinston, true point to point wiring instead of a cheap printed cicuit board copy.

CE only valid in EU. The customer broke the screw not realizing it was jam nutted on the reverse. Whatever it is his to do so. But the stud & nut were still holding that grounding terminal fairly secure.

When this scenario occurs..... the amp is just a few weeks old..... i wonder why the owner did bot send it back to Morgan under warranty.?

I thought I was looking into my old Gorilla amp there for a sec 😂

I wonder?? Could a grounded aluminum plate between transformers and Rev tank alleviate most of the hum?

I was wondering if there was some "Boutique" brands that you've seen that was really building amps right, maybe even impressed you a bit.

I'm with you! This is a VERY POOR layout and wiring! I also don't see twisted filament wires!

CE is a self certification. It is the manufacturer claiming that their product meets CE.

CE compliance or in general compliance with electrical codes seems being a serious issue in the boutique amp building business. Amp builders need to put more diligence into this. These codes differ from geography to geography and are there for a reason. They should not be considered as a nuisance.

Thank goodness for your "jaundice" - I'd prefer to hear it straight than more marketing BS.

CE is a self-affirmation and buying stickers from ebay or whereever is perfectly fine. Putting the mark on your product just means you're stating compliance with relevant regulations and that you have a technical description available if needed for inspection. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking

Looks like the display pilot light is out.

Would shielding help for the reverb tank hum?

ralph morgan must be seething

You think that's bad, another guy put up a video of a Mezzabarba amp that didn't have a safety earth connection at all. The company told him it was because of tradition no joke

“ It’s good compared to a line 6 or crate” 😂

I understand there is a second party company that builds Amos for Morgan

0:55...the amplifier HUMS because it doesn't know the WORDS-(?)

It’s not like these amps are cheap either! So glad I didn’t buy one when I was In the market. It was this, A port city pearl or a prs archon. I went with the archon. Do not regret my purchase what so ever!

I can't believe you didn't pick up the fact that this amp is switching the neutral?

7:07...I'd have drilled a new hole in the chassis, and secured the ground lug directly to the aluminum chassis- instead of depending on a PEM nut to secure the ground connection-!! For one thing, a PEM nut and the aluminum chassis are dissimilar metals- and while that may be a secure mechanical connection- I wouldn't count on that to remain a dependable electrical connection!!!

The spider at 7:50 wants to know what your doing to his house. On another note, I appreciate your opinion on the way that it is grounded, but lets say a guy doesn't have your knowledge and wants to know why? I mean, we've all seen UL tags on transformerless, widow maker amps, death-caps, etc... so we know they can make mistakes too. As far as I can tell, the amp is grounded the way it is. What is the benefit of keeping that ground wire from the IEC jack so short, and on its own? Also, what is the benefit of doing it the Morgan way? I think I see the potential of keeping ground resistance very very low with the latter, but not sure. Also not sure why you didn't show what you did to change it. Did you just decide to leave it?

Did they buy the C.E sticker on ebay lol

you have a spider jump on camera v1 to v2

7:13 spider friend

A look inside is worth a couple of grand. I am frustrated by amp reveiws where they rave about the amp and don't show how it's built!

So is the moral of this story, but real Fender Amps?

7:23...stainless steel hardware is not as strong as regular steel hardware!!!

Pfff, called an elitist by viewers who are secretly taking notes on what not to buy! You do you, man!

5:00 oh my lord... How can one do that?! Screws are cheap things. Just drill one hole in that aluminium and that's all. Why manufacturers use transformer's screws? This always amaze me.

i have to say, their wiring is improved compared to the one you showed some time ago, but still overrated amps

It sure seems to have a mojo…… Are you hatein on Morgan Mr.?

my man is not impressed.🤣

I don’t know if I can blame the manufacturer for a “cheap” screw when all you can get is inferior Chinese junk for hardware. I was a certified tool and die maker/CNC programmer for 30 years and have seen the quality of raw steel go down the tubes as American mills were shut down do to climate nuts and our government selling out to the Chinese. Most of the stock we used was offshore crap that was probably smelted in a a none QC mill. We would get stock that was under spec in tensile strength, shear strength, full of stress cracks, filled with impurities……….not to mention the issues it would have when it had to be heat treat hardened. I became quite good at metallurgy over the years of seeing differences in matching one lot of stock to the next, or stock from different suppliers. Knowing how to heat treat and anneal material was part of the job too. Just saw a video of a Chinese cast brake rotor where the hub the mounts to the axil over the lug studs sheared off like someone sawed it off. This could have been a catastrophe that cost someone’s life. As far as the wiring that is on them, hardware they really have no control over.

CE= China Export ;)

All those flaws and it's $2300 new.

elitist? i think the word they are reaching for is "competent". there's no excuse for sh!t workmanship. and ignorance is the worst excuse when it comes to potentially lethal things.

overprice junk for sure!