The Emberato 18 is a hand-built, hand-wired 18-watt tube amplifier crafted in Salem, Oregon, designed to deliver expressive tone, dynamic feel, and uncompromising build quality. Built on a traditional turret board mounted to an FR4 substrate, it combines serviceable hand-wired construction with long-term stability and consistency. Powered by dual JJ 6V6 tubes, precision-selected JJ preamp valves, custom-wound Sour transformers by Bryan Sours, and a constant-impedance reactive attenuator with seven steps down to -21 dB, it maintains consistent response from full output to stage-friendly levels. Housed in a resonant poplar cabinet with Baltic birch baffles, rattle-free dovetail construction, durable custom finishes, and your choice of Amperian VSOP Alnico or Ceramic speaker, the Emberato 18 blends boutique craftsmanship with modern versatility for studio, stage, and everything between.
The Heart of the Amplifier
Every amplifier is powered by custom Soursound transformers, hand-wound in Portland, Oregon by Bryan Sours, who brings a creative and masterful approach to the art of transformer design and construction. Our close proximity to Soursound allows true collaboration and transformers voiced specifically for the response and character we’re after.
Full Power, Controlled Volume
The Emberato’s built-in attenuator offers seven selectable steps in precise 3 dB increments, from -3 dB down to -21 dB, with a bypass switch on the top panel and a true hard-bypass located under the chassis. It maintains a constant 8-ohm impedance at every setting, so your tone, feel, and speaker response remain unchanged—perfect for smaller venues, church stages, or any situation where FOH needs you quieter without touching your sound.
Amperian V.S.O.P. Alnico
The Amperian V.S.O.P. Alnico is an expressive, boutique driver designed to capture the most sought-after qualities of classic alnico speakers from both sides of the Atlantic. With shimmering top-end detail, rich midrange warmth, and an unusually full low end for an alnico, it features a 40 oz alnico motor (100 dB sensitivity), 1.75” voice coil, and a 55 Hz UK-made Kurt Mueller cone, delivering depth and articulation that pairs effortlessly with the Emberato’s dynamic response. Hand-built in Paducah, Kentucky.
Where Structure Meets Resonance
The cabinet shell is built from solid one piece poplar boards, a wood prized for its balanced resonance, light weight, and lively acoustic response, allowing the enclosure to contribute musically rather than dampen the sound. Critical structural components, including the front baffle, sub-baffle, and back panel are made from Baltic birch plywood for strength and stability, all joined with through-dovetail joinery and built to tight tolerances to create a rigid, unified cabinet that resists rattles, buzzes, and unwanted vibrations, even at high volume and under heavy low-end response.
Carefully Voiced Tube Complement
The Emberato 18 runs a full complement of JJ tubes chosen for gain structure, balance, and long-term stability, anchored by a matched pair of JJ 6V6S 'Double Mica' power tubes sourced from Eurotubes in Portland, Oregon for consistent biasing, tight low end, and smooth transition into power-stage saturation. The preamp begins with a JJ E83CC, a high quality frame grid style tube in V1 for extended headroom and low noise, followed by a JJ ECC83MG in V2 for harmonically rich gain shaping, while a long plate JJ ECC803S drives the long-tail-pair phase inverter, providing strong drive symmetry, balanced phase splitting, and articulate power-tube response across the entire attenuation range.
Every Emberato amplifier is humbly hand-built in Salem, Oregon by Harvey Gerlitz, David Iliyn, and Darrell Adams, with careful attention to detail and an unwavering focus on tone. Each amp is crafted by hand and by ear, guided by one goal above all else: sound.
