MINT Gates HOTROD MO3777 Mic Pre with tons of Mods - Fully recapped and impossibly clean with Gold Hammertone Case

—- THE ULTIMATE MICROPHONE PREAMP AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON REVERB —-

Some gear is simply the best available. This is that microphone preamplifier. The gem of any control room on earth, no matter the collection. True boutique, fully restored and modified for the modern studio. We restore hundreds of outboard modules but tackle one huge special hotrod each year & this was our recent masterpiece. We did hotrod an emerald green Gates MO3777 to be just like this one in 2020, and sold it to a member of Panic At The Disco for the same price. I reached out to him a couple months ago with this listing and he replied: “that one you made for me is still my favorite preamp in the whole studio.” There's something about the 3D soundstage we've achieved with this schematic that puts it head and shoulders above all else. Since no schematic exists for the MO3777 (trust me I've looked for decades), I had dozens of techs try, fail, and say what we've achieved cannot be done without one. Yet here it is, the fabled Gates Dynamote, fully rot-rodded and available for sale or trade.

QUICK LOOK:
3 in and 3 out summed single mic preamp module with phantom power module added. Phantom power now has a new matching toggle switch and green indicator LED. It now boasts all balanced ins and outs too. DI input added (best DI you’ve ever heard). Balanced TRS output jack added to front panel so you don’t have to use the terminals if you want to avoid them, although both work at the same time for parallel processing! Included is a pair of brand new terminal leads as well. Gain is warm and colorful yet clean and open on top due to all the new components. Massive original Daven potentiometers are in great shape & rebuilt for smooth operation. Multiple balanced outputs added (TRS AND XLR!), repaired variable dimmer, repaired VU, repaired pilot lamp, adjustable VU brightness on dimmer pot works again, new grounded IEC power jack added, chassis is now fully grounded too for quieter operation, unit has been recapped where needed, overhauled PSU, painted chassis, etc. The rusting case hinges, screws and handle were removed, vice-gripped and wire-brushed to a shiny polish & then reattached for a true concourse restoration. Custom rack ears available for $50 if you'd rather use it out of the case.

Hum Balance mod: There is also a small potentiometer inside the chassis next to the tall electrolytic capacitors with an aluminum Manley knob. This is a modified Hum Balance pot to adjust it for minimum hum on the output with all pots open. Will be calibrated for optimal use upon shipment. Best to leave it but it’s there if you need to tweak it down the road. Adjust only when changing to different tubes.

Overall Sound: The preamp does not oscillate at all, even at very high gain. It yields an unbelievably 3D, super-wide soundstage that must be heard to be believed. Unique copper shielding was performed to further quiet the noise floor for modern studio use. Nothing else I’ve heard allows a mic to “step into the room” like this unique preamp. The tone’s color is as you would expect: tube driven tone, clear and open, massive headroom, but a surprisingly quiet noise floor thanks to my brilliant tech’s reworking of the topology and RF isolation techniques. Can be driven into beautiful distortion or kept huge and clean. A very versatile preamp indeed. Gain hungry ribbon mics are given a whole new life and open up and “bloom” in a way no other preamp can do. Even with an old Altec birdcage or RCA 44 long-ribbon microphone, you have plenty of left over gain and headroom to spare. I find an RCA44 only needs 2-4 of 10 available notches on the output knob! You certainly can skip using the cloud lifter with this unit.

DETAILED TECH WORK PERFORMED:

- Rebuilt PSU

- Installed IEC power connector

- Clean chassis and subschasis

- Repaired and cleaned controls and connectors

- Replaced out of spec components with those of the highest quality available (fully recapped where needed).

- Installed new custom output TRS line output jack on faceplate where headphone jack used to be

- Install Phantom power, LED indicator lamp and DPDT toggle switch added

- Other PSU modifications to yield quieter operation and more steady power (which directly equates to a better overall sound).

- Repaired VU assembly and calibrated the needle.

- Repaired center Pilot lamp

- Repaired VU and dimmer pot which now works great

- Rewired terminal output and fabricated a new custom XLR-M output cable (included)

- Upgraded tubes with hand selected NOS vintage JAN glass. Replaced missing tube covers with NOS metal covers where needed too.

- Reflowed most old solder joints and replaced some brittle wire. Lubed all pots and switches

- 7 day burn in test

We are always open to trades. Worst I can say is no. Open to anything that belongs in a studio, try me.

Check out my five star preferred seller ratings and all the rave reviews I have received over the years. Preferred seller status, white glove service.

SHIPPING, RETURNS AND POLICY:
No returns are accepted on any fragile vintage gear, all sales are final so please either inspect the images very carefully before purchasing, ask for audio samples, or come try it out in person in the NYC area. Will be fully insured with reverb's 100% worry-free full coverage and insurance. This insurance covers any damage repair it may incur during transit, no questions asked. This particular item will be double boxed and packed to withstand an atom bomb. I treat all of my items with a white glove. Please see my shop for return policy.

custom hammertone rack ears available for $50 if you’d like to rack it Instead of the case. Please see my other listings for the ears Sold separately.

Pick up is available in the northern New Jersey New York City area. I am 15 minutes from Port Authority in Manhattan, New York to come and try the unit out for yourself if you like.

Reach out w any questions prior to purchasing please. Thanks for looking