Mezzabarba SKILL User manual

Mezzabarba SKILL v1.3 eng
MEZZABARBA
CUSTOM AMPLIFICATION
SKILL
User man al
SKILL
ser man al
MEZZABARBA
CUSTOM AMPLIFICATION
SKILL
head
User man al
ser man al
1/10
MEZZABARBA
CUSTOM AMPLIFICATION
head

Mezzabarba SKILL v1.3 eng SKILL ser man al 2/10
IMPORTANT :
PLEASE READ SAFETY INFO ON PAGE 9 BEFORE TURNING ON THE AMP
Index
Introduction. ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Front panel. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Rear panel. .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Turning on your SKILL. .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Channel selection. ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Basic sounds. .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Usage and periodical aintenance.................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Replacing tubes and adjusting bias. .................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Troubleshooting. .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Fuses. ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Warranty. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
I portant safety infor ation ............................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Technical specifications. ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Contacts. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
Your SKILL is a 30W a p (no inal 30W, 40W Max) which is unique in its class. In fact, despite of its contained weight and size, it
is able to deliver an incredible variety of sounds that range fro Clean, to Crunch, to Lead, all of which pack an incredible
punch and clarity.
The signal is processed through 5 12AX7 tubes in the prea p and phase splitter sections and 2 in the power a p section.
The channels are selected through a very si ple switching syste and through sealed relays with gold-plated contacts. This
allows the signal to aintain the ut ost pureness and dyna ic. Further ore, our icroprocessor-controlled, click-less
co uting syste allows for sea less switching of effect loops, without altering the quality of the sound.
Channel switching and effect loops co uting are achieved through the SKILL Control pedal board
Front panel
Fro left to right:
a) Guitar input jack
b) Prea p section with Boo t and Brite switches and Drive and Overdrive pot
c) Equalizer section: Ba , Middle and Treble
d) Volume pots for the two channels
e) Power amp section with Depth, Pre ence and Power pots
f) Stand-by witch
g) Power indicator
Green led lights indicate that the Drive channel is active whereas red led lights indicate that the Overdrive channel is in use.
Rear panel
Fro left to right:
a) IEC plusg
b) Mains fuse
c) Master power switch
d) HV fuse
e) Foot witch input for connecting an external pedal board and controlling the a p
f) Effects Loop with Send, Return, and anual Switch
g) Speaker output jacks (2 X 4 Oh , 2 X 8 Oh , 16 Oh ).

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Speaker Output
Two, 4 ohm output , two, 8 ohm outputs, one, 16 ohm output. You can connect one or two speakers at the sa e ti e as long
as the total i pedance is equal to that indicated on the connectors.
For exa ple, you can connect only one, 4 oh speaker to one of the two connectors arked as “4 Oh (2X8 Oh )”; or two, 8
oh speakers to the two connectors arked as “4 Oh (2X8 Oh )”. In the sa e way, you can connect only one, 8 oh speaker
to one of the two connectors arked as “8 Oh (2X16 Oh )”; or two, 16 oh speakers to the two connectors arked as “8
Oh (2X16 Oh )”.
Finally, you can only connect one, 16 oh speaker to the connector arked as “16 Oh ”.
Whenever connecting only one speaker, the axi u input power ust be equal to or greater than 50W R s. Whenever
connecting two speakers, the axi u input power of each speaker ust be equal to or greater than 25W R s.
IMPORTANT: Do not connect two peaker to input with different impedance value (e.g. one to the 4 ohm input and
the other one to the 8 ohm input)
Switching on your SKILL
IMPORTANT: Before witching on your SKILL, make ure the power cable i intact and ha a ground connection, the
electrical y tem you are plugging into i properly grounded, and the impedance of the peaker i equal to that of the
output jack to which it i connected.
a) Before connecting the power cable to your SKILL, ake sure the power switch is on the OFF position and
that the Standby switch is on STANDBY.
b) Rotate all of the pots in the Prea p section to zero (counterclockwise) and those in the Power A p section
to about 50%.
c) Plug in your guitar.
d) Switch on the a p keeping it on STANDBY ode;
e) After about 2 inutes, ove the Standby switch to ACTIVE.
You are now ready to start experi enting the SKILL’s a azing potential.
When switching off the a p, turn the Standby switch to STANDBY, wait 15-20 seconds, and turn the ain power switch to OFF.
Selecting the channel
In order to activate the SKILL’s Drive and Overdrive channels and activate the effects loop, you need to use the SKILL Control
pedal.
If you use an external switcher see the diagra below. You can use Mo entary or Latching switches.

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Skill Standard Skill with Dual Ma ter

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Ba ic ound
The SKILL wa conceived to deliver the wide t po ible array of ound . Ever. Thi wa achieved through an original,
innovative engineering of the Equalizer ection.
Equipped with EL34, the SKILL is inspired by British sound, which it reinterprets in a bolder, aggressive, yet elegant fashion.
Dedicated to all of you who love vintage sounds co bined with a odern a p.
Drive channel: Ideal for clean to ediu -saturated, rock rhyth sounds. Thanks to the SKILL’s incredible dyna ic response,
you will be able to obtain an i ense variety of overtones just by controlling your guitar volu e, with no sound degradation
whatsoever. Switching on the Boost will add a just enough gain to achieve a ore aggressive sound, both for lead as well as
rhyth guitar. Tip: try etting a clean ound ju t below the break-up thre hold, with the Boo t on, and low Drive.
Overdrive channel: Ideal for heavy rhyth and lead guitar. You will be a azed by the unusual richness of the har onics and
the fat, spacious, sound your SKILL’s Overdrive channel is able to deliver. Incredibly reactive to your picking, it will yield a
heavy yet “liquid” sound with a bunch of sustain. All of this, with no co pro ise whatsoever on clarity, definition, and
usicality.
Aside for the prea p controls, the front panel also features the Depth, Pre ence and Power pot , all of which are co on
to both channels. The Depth para eter controls the speed of response and the richness of the bass frequencies. The Presence
para eter allows you to open and add “freshness” to the id-high frequencies. Finally, the Power control is a proprietary ge
that we are particularly proud of. The Power pot scale runs fro a axi u value of 0 to a ini u of -10. When you don’t
have any particular volu e constraints (e.g. neighbors, late hours, etc.) you can keep the pot at 0 (i.e. axi u level) thereby
utilizing the a p at its full power. Should you however be forced to play your a p at lower volu es, by reducing the a ount of
Power, you will be able to “scale down” the SKILL’s power a p. The result? You will be able to achieve the war th, countour,
and kick of a high-volu e saturated a p even when playing at low volu es!
Usage and periodical aintenance
Your SKILL does not require any ore precautions and aintenance than any other tube a p. Make sure you do not obstruct
the air cooling grids located on the top, front, and back of the a p, in order to allow for opti al cooling.
When turning on the a p, it is of crucial i portance to wait for at least 2 inutes before deactivating the Standby switch in
order to allow the power tubes to reach their ideal te perature.
The external chassis can be cleaned with a clean, da p cloth. The paint is resistant to nor al cleaning products but not to
aggressive solvents (benzene, acetone, etc.) which should therefore be avoided.
If you are using your SKILL ostly in a studio setting, you will si ply need to periodically replace the tubes, especially the
power ones, just as you would in any other tube a p. If on the other hand, you use your SKILL ostly on the road, it is advisable
to periodically (once a onth when using intensively on a daily basis) check that all of the internal co ponents are properly
connected and functioning. Given the heavy-duty build quality of your M ZERO, this ight be necessary as little as once a year,
and in any case only if you use the a p on the road every day.

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Warning: the afore-mentioned check mu h be carried out olely by qualified MGD (Ma otti Guitar Device ) per onnel
and/or authorized technician . Before cheduling any uch check, plea e contact MGD for full advi e.
Replacing tubes and adjusting bias
All of the factory-supplied tubes in your SKILL are accurately handpicked. The five ECC83/12AX7 have a life expectancy of any
onths and their replace ent requires no additional adjust ents. You can experience various sound possibilities si ply by
trying 12AX7 tubes of different akes.
The layout of the tubes is represented in the following diagra :
The life expectancy of the two EL34 power tubes depends on the average volu e the a p works at, and can range fro about 6
to 24 onths. It is crucially i portant to replace the all at the sa e ti e, with high quality brand tubes. You will ost likely
need to adjust the bias with the internal tri er.
In-tube short-circuits due to faulty tubes can lead to blowing up one or ore internal fuses, which ust be replaced solely by
qualified personnel.
Once again, please feel free to experience various akes of tubes for the prea p and power sections, in order to custo ize
your sound. We are happy to offer our advise upon request.
Warning: replacement of tube and internal fu e , adju tment of the bia and any other operation in ide the M ZERO
mu t be carried out by qualified MGD (Masotti Guitar Devices) personnel and/or authorized technicians, while the a p is
powered off and has been co pletely disconnected fro a power source for at least 30 minute !
Trouble hooting
Here below are so e of the proble s that you ight experience when operating your SKILL. So e of the are trivial whereas
other ones ight require the intervention of qualified MGD (Ma otti Guitar Device ) per onnel and/or authorized
technician . Please do not hesitate to contact us when in doubt, we are at your co plete disposal for any help you ay
require.
.
Prea p: 5 x
ECC83/12AX7
FX Loop
P.I.
V3 pre
V2 pre
Power Tubes: 2 x EL34
V1 pre

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SKILL i not turning on. Check whether there is power running to your socket. Check the power cable. Check the
fuse on the rear of the unit and replace it with an identical one. If the proble persists, contact MGD.
The LED light are on but no ound i coming from your amp. Check that all of the jacks are plugged in correctly.
Check the Drive, tones, Volu e, and Master pots are not on zero. If the tones of the active channel are set to zero, no
sound will co e out of the a p. Check that the effect loops switch on the back is not activated.
You hear a cratchy noi e while turning one or more pot . Do not atte pt to clean with spray products! Please
contact MGD and we will be happy to replace the faulty pot(s)
Sound quality ha deteriorated; the amp tend to feedback or make trange noi e . One or ore tubes need
replace ent. Please contact MGD for advise and service in order to continue getting the best out of your SKILL.
Fu e
Your SKILL is equipped with 5 fuses:
1) Internal heaters fuse (power tubes): 250V 5A-T delayed;
2) Internal heaters fuse (prea p tubes and logic): 250V 2,5A-T delayed;
3) Internal bias fuse: 250V 100 A-T delayed;
4) External, High-Voltage fuse. 250V 500 A-T delayed;
5) MAINS FUSE: External Mains fuse: 250V 2A-T delayed.
The external Mains fuse can fault also following a series of power outages and ust therefore be replaced by qualified
personnel with an identical one.
Warning: replace the external fu e with one with identical characteri tic ! Internal fu e mu t be checked and
replaced only by MGD per onnel or authorized technician .
Warranty
Limited Lifetime Warranty: New Mezzabarba Amplifier are lifetime warranted to the original purcha er again t
failure of part /material and workman hip if purcha ed through an authorized dealer. No other warranty applie .
Tube , tran former and peaker are warranted for a period of ninety day . Pot , connector and witche are
warranted for a period of two year . Thi warranty applie only if the amplifier ha not been damaged by accident,
mi u e or a a re ult of repair or modification. The u e of non-authorized Mezzabarba tube and replacement part
may void thi warranty. Mezzabarba re erve the right to make any de ign change without notice or obligation to
incorporate the e change in product previou ly purcha ed. Ma otti i not liable for any freight or duty charge .
Return Authorization i required for all product returned to Mezzabarba Cu tom Amplification. In mo t ca e we will
be able to upply the technical information needed to repair the amplifier thu avoiding the hipping i ue and co t .
All hipping co t to/from Mezzabarba hall be borne by the owner, after 90 day from purcha e. Mezzabarba will be
re pon ible for the factory-to-cu tomer return hipping co t to the original owner only for the fir t 90 day of
owner hip. Authorized Return hould be hipped in the original Mezzabarba box and the original packaging. A return
packing/handling charge may be applied to any product hipped to Mezzabarba in ub- tandard or damaged hipping
box and material . Thi i to make ure your amplifier i packaged afely in a new box and to recover our co t for

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doing o. Since the courier doe n’t honor damage claim for non-original packaging, Mezzabarba i not re pon ible
for any factory-to-cu tomer return hipping damage to product hipped in non-original box and packing material . A
copy of the final Sale Receipt from an Authorized Mezzabarba Dealer i required with thi Warranty Regi tration.
WARNING: it i not po ible to replace the default power tube type with another one. Plea e a k u for any advi e in
thi en e.
I portant safety infor ation
Your SKILL was engineered and built according to the strictest electrical safety standards as per international nor , IEN EN
60065 and according to the electro agnetic co patibility require ents specified by international nor s EN 55103-1 and
EN55103-2. It thus fully co plies to EU standards and therefore carries the CE arking on the rear panel.
Our a ps utilize as uch as possible eco-co patible aterials. Do not however dispose of any parts of the a p in the
environ ent and please use special containers as per EU regulations.
To reduce the risk of electric shock or wounds, please follow the instructions on this anual very carefully, with particular
reference to the following ones:
•Do not open the chassis for any reason. Re oving the rear grid or re oving the etal chassis fro the wooden
fra e will expose you to live circuitry that is powered by potentially hazardous electric tension. Should you need to
replace the tubes or the internal fuses, please contact either MGD or an authorized technician.
•Do not re ove any screws fro the a p.
•Do not expose the a p to rain or oisture, stea , etal particles and anything that ay penetrate inside the a p
through the air cooling grids.
•Do not obstruct the air cooling grids. Always ake sure that the top and rear parts of the a p are not obstructed.
•Do not introduce any foreign objects ( etallic or insulating) in the air cooling grids.
•Do not use the a p without the protective etal grid on the rear.
•Do not insert objects other than the standard jacks inside the a p’s input and output jacks.
•Do not expose the a p to excessive heat.
•Do subject the a p to excessive vibrations or shock, especially when it is powered on.
•When setting up the a p in a roo te perature environ ent following storage and/or transportation at very low
te peratures one, dew ight for on the outside and/or inside of the a p. Make sure that the a p stays at roo
te perature for about 10 inutes before turning it on in order for the dew to evaporate.
•Always use standard power cables aking sure they are intact. Do not re ove or interfere with the ground
connection of the plug or socket.
•Always check that the ains power co plies to the specs written on the rear panel of the a p.
•Disconnect the device fro ains during thunderstor s. 
•Should the HV fuse fail in absence of exceptional external events such as violent power surges, severe
thunderstor s, etc., the cause ight be one or ore faulty power tubes. Do not atte pt their replace ent on your
own. Contact MGD or an authorized technician.
•Do not force pots and switches.

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Technical pecification
Power supply: 230V±10% 50Hz
Power consu ption: 150VA
Input i pedance: 1MΩ.
Max Output Power: 42W
Output i pedance: 4-8-16 oh
Tubes: 5 x ECC83/12AX7, 2 x E34L/EL34
Environ ental operating para eters: 10-40°C, 30-90% hu idity without condensation
Di ensions: 440(L)X240(D)X210(H) ;
Weight: 11.5 kg
Contact
Ma otti Guitar Device Via C. Battisti 107– 01010 Farnese (VT) Italy.
URL: www. ezzabarba.co
e- ail info@ ezzabarba.co
Phone: [phone];
Mobile: [phone]
Mezzabarba
c s t o m a m p l i f i c a t i o n