Grateful Dead Music Forum

Has anyone upgraded their amp's output transformer to a Mercury Magnetics transformer? I was considering doing this with my Twin Reverb but don't know if it's worth almost $200 if the improvement isn't that noticable.

A friend of mine got the mercury kit for the Fender champ 5 watt and it made a huge difference. It turned that little amp into a screamer, great tone and super easy to push into overdrive. I would say it is a good upgrade and worth the money.
Here is a demo of the fender champ 600 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVGWICF5-i8

Thanks Paul. Did he replace just the choke and output transformer? Or the power transformer too. I heard it's changing the output transformer that makes the biggest difference (only works when using the power tubes of course).

I did the OT and the choke on my Twin and it sounded great! Was it that much better than before? I am not entirely sure!?!? It is expensive, and your better off with good speakers and better tubes!

Thanks Imagined Days,

I was also considering just getting some good (yet affordable) tubes like the SED Winged "C".

My higher end amps have MM transformers and I find them to all have something wonderful about them.

mijknahs wrote:I was also considering just getting some good (yet affordable) tubes like the SED Winged "C".

HATE SED Winged "C". Failed in 3 months of low usage. They have known quality issues.

I was also possibly considering the NOS JAN Philips 6L6WGB ($175 for a quad).

mijknahs wrote:Thanks Paul. Did he replace just the choke and output transformer? Or the power transformer too. I heard it's changing the output transformer that makes the biggest difference (only works when using the power tubes of course).

I'm not exactly sure what he changed out, the kit had a bunch of other smaller parts that went in too but a choke may have been part of it. From what I heard after it was installed I really want to get something like that for my amp.

i recently completed building a ceriatone dumble ODS clone - i used mercury magnetics OT PT and choke after a recommendation from a well known amp builder in my area - he told me MM trannies make ALL THE DIFFERENCE

gotta say - it sounds amazing