Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

Nah..just calling bull**** where I see it man.. (there's nothing to beat saying it with pictures..)

Edit: Wow..I just realized that post was 3 years old :lmao:

Calling BS? So trannies are only measured by size? Its possible to make a huge tranny of junk wire. By far not a guarantee nor measure of quality or even performance.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

It is a guitar amp. A guitar amp for (more or less) distorted play.

You actually need transformers that are too wimpy because that breaks up the sound, makes it more compressed, less harsh, more interesting.

If you were to need a really clear, powerful, full-range tube amp output you could play guitar through a bass amp such as a Mesa bass 400. That's a big and clear transformer in the output, and a "flawless" (screw that!) power supply transformer.

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

I own a Bugera V22HD. In fact, with a self imposed budget of $600 (max) when I was looking for an EL84 amp, I went with the Bugera at 1/2 my budget because I liked the tone, not to save the money. The transformers are a significant part of the cost of a tube amp. Fact remains that they do not sell for the prices they are selling by using high end iron.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

Spoken like someone who's never owned/played one...

& if you've seen the size of Bugera trannies you'd know they don't skimp...my 333XL's tranny makes a JSX's look like a midget...but don't take my word for it...take a look yourself:

The output transformer in that JSX is not the stock output transformer. The stock output transformer is a tad fatter, actually, and black, not silver.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

lol..maybe he upgraded to a Mercury Magnetics?

Jokes apart..there's a JSX in my jam space....side by side...it has smaller trannies than my Bugera. Fact. It's also not as loud or as big sounding....so the tranny in my Bugera (along with the rest of everything that goes in there) does it's job just fine. I also hugely prefer the sound of my Bugera... but then that's subjective.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

I own a Bugera V22HD. In fact, with a self imposed budget of $600 (max) when I was looking for an EL84 amp, I went with the Bugera at 1/2 my budget because I liked the tone, not to save the money. The transformers are a significant part of the cost of a tube amp. Fact remains that they do not sell for the prices they are selling by using high end iron.

How does it sound? ..how many times has the tranny blown? Can't be so bad if it sounds great & it's still going strong. If a high end tranny costs $1000 to make in the US..it will literally cost $100 to make (probably half that) in China. That's something to factor in. They can afford to use high end iron at the prices they're selling their amps for.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

It is an old post but to the OP, I would seriously reconsider messing with the DC-5...I don't think you will be "upgrading" anything. And yes, the bad reviews I've read of it seemed like they never read the manual on how the amp works and how to dial it in. I instantly regretted trading my DC-5 off. Would still be too powerful for my needs but the tone was amazing.

In regards to Bugera, I've found their products to be excellent and have personally not had any issues with them. Are they perfect? No. Are they the best amps on the market? No. Can they achieve great tones and a competitive price? Yes.


I think one should ask "why" before just upgrading. If you are just upgrading because something is suppose to be awesome then I would say that is not the wisest thing...kinda like upgrading to a brass block just because–if you love the tone currently why upgrade? Just my thoughts on it...

 

[some_dude]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

Spoken like someone who's never owned/played one...

& if you've seen the size of Bugera trannies you'd know they don't skimp...my 333XL's tranny makes a JSX's look like a midget...but don't take my word for it...take a look yourself:

lol.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

Damn.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

mercury makes great trannys. bigger is not always better though. the quality of mercury is as good as youll find. whether they are worth the price compared to their competition is up to you. i have purchased more than a dozen mm trannys and never been disappointed

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

They can afford to use high end iron at the prices they're selling their amps for.

Thats actually completely backwards logic, Their amps are cheap so they can afford to use expensive transformers? Sorry it doesnt work like that. The labor cost alone wont drop a 1000 dollar tranny down to 50 bucks...

I get it you dig your bugera... thats cool, but it doesnt mean they come with the be all end all of trannies.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

I'm still trying to wrap my head around bigger transformer = better transformer.

How about a better transformer is one that properly converts the voltages it's made to do, efficient, doesn't fail under regular use, can withstand a bit of abuse rather than being extremely fragile, and plain just sounds good = better transformer. I don't see how size plays into those qualities.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

My jsx is magic inc. :laugh2:

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

How does it sound? ..how many times has the tranny blown? Can't be so bad if it sounds great & it's still going strong. If a high end tranny costs $1000 to make in the US..it will literally cost $100 to make (probably half that) in China. That's something to factor in. They can afford to use high end iron at the prices they're selling their amps for.

In the post of mine that you quoted, I stated that I bought the amp at half the price of my budget because I liked it. That should have answered your first question. I've had it for, probably less than a year. I would hope that the transformers or whatever else hadn't died yet.

It's not that China isn't capable of high quality. High quality still comes at a higher cost. There is no 10X plus cost savings, as in your transformer example, for equal quality between Chinese and USA made product. That's fantasy. Bugera has been good at building some good sounding stuff at a low price point. Maybe the lowest price possible. I have no complaints. When it dies it dies and if it's out of warranty when it does so, then I either fix it myself or it's probably finished. There wont be value in sending it off for an expensive repair. I hope it lasts for years but I accept it for what it is. I'm not going to delude myself.

I really don't want to argue this because it's silly, but hell ... if you think that they are made as well as high end gear (just because China can make stuff cheaper as you note), take a good look inside. You cant see what's inside the transformers but you can see the rest of the board. Compare it to an amp at the higher end of standard production range stuff. Doesn't mean the Bugera is doomed to early failure but there is a difference. You're entire premise seems to be that because they can do it cheaper in China that you are necessarily getting the same quality from Bugera (or whomever else) as you would be with high end gear. It's simply not the case.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

Thats actually completely backwards logic, Their amps are cheap so they can afford to use expensive transformers? Sorry it doesnt work like that. The labor cost alone wont drop a 1000 dollar tranny down to 50 bucks...

You totally missed the point. Their amps are cheap because their transformers are cheap. Because costs are cheap in china, parts/material is cheap in china, production volumes are through the roof in china (higher production volumes = lower costs = basic principle of economics), infrastructure is cheap and highly subsidized in China & labour is cheap in china. So they can make cheap albeit high quality transformers. Which if you take a one look at the Bugera's, you will notice is certainly not lacking quality.

I get it you dig your bugera... thats cool, but it doesnt mean they come with the be all end all of trannies.

Don't recall saying that..but now that you mention it..It comes with better trannies than many...and certainly not a crappy one..far from it.

Besides, I'm not the one who feels that my amp lacks something so I need a new tranny

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

I'm quite happy with my Bugera 1960 Infinium.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

In the post of mine that you quoted, I stated that I bought the amp at half the price of my budget because I liked it. That should have answered your first question. I've had it for, probably less than a year. I would hope that the transformers or whatever else hadn't died yet.

..and they have'nt. I've had mine for close to 3 years and mine has'nt either. I have'nt read anyone posting about their Bugera trannies dying from their poor quality in the last lord knows how many years I've been on here...which means that's probably not been likely either...

It's not that China isn't capable of high quality. High quality still comes at a higher cost. There is no 10X plus cost savings, as in your transformer example, for equal quality between Chinese and USA made product. That's fantasy. Bugera has been good at building some good sounding stuff at a low price point. Maybe the lowest price possible. I have no complaints. When it dies it dies and if it's out of warranty when it does so, then I either fix it myself or it's probably finished. There wont be value in sending it off for an expensive repair. I hope it lasts for years but I accept it for what it is. I'm not going to delude myself.

As I mentioned in my last post Higher costs in the USA does'nt translate to higher costs in China. They manufacture stuff at far lower costs for the reasons I mentioned. That does'nt automatically mean everything they make will die quick from poor quality (which obviously seems to be your preconception...)

I really don't want to argue this because it's silly, but hell ... if you think that they are made as well as high end gear (just because China can make stuff cheaper as you note), take a good look inside. You cant see what's inside the transformers but you can see the rest of the board. Compare it to an amp at the higher end of standard production range stuff.

To be honest the inside of my Bugera looks a lot better & higher quality to me than a lot of very highly prized & exhorbitantly priced vintage amps (won't mention which..but take a guess)

Doesn't mean the Bugera is doomed to early failure but there is a difference. You're entire premise seems to be that because they can do it cheaper in China that you are necessarily getting the same quality from Bugera (or whomever else) as you would be with high end gear. It's simply not the case.

Mine works fine & sounds like this (dry):



I'll have to find other reasons (if any) to complain..

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

I have a Traynor YBA-1a(MKII) that has monstrous Iron. It is basically a Plexi amp, but does sound way different, and cause of the huge transformers. Ive once heard it described as a cross between a Marshall and Hiwatt.
The Hiwatt also has huge overbuilt British "Partridge" X-formers , compared the to less expensive smaller more easily "saturated" Marshall Trannys.

I really am not "all about" the Traynor, though , and considering selling it, since I do have a '73 Marshall Superlead, which sounds a lot lot better than the Traynor I own ( IMO), and about the closest a mere mortal could ever hope to get to a an old "PLexi".

D. Freidman , of Racksystems , whose almost reigns supreme in 'Hot Rod Marshall' style amplification , could, or said he would, modify this Traynor amp for me into a Hot Rod Plexi style amp, but then I'd be modding an original amplifier, and although I expect the Freidman modofied Traynor would absoutely slay, How would I know if it is "THE" sound I am looking for, and besides , modifying a mint original vintage amp ,even for Traynors now, is a questionable thing to do.

There are plenty of Hot Rod Marhsall Plexi amps out there- Splawn,etc .

I am real hesitant to sell the Traynor, cause I am wondering, "What If"..what i i could find a tech to take that Traynor, and rework it , with new Bassman spec Transformers, and 6L6 tubes ; could it be a legitimate Tweed/Plexi amplifier.? In fact, I think 'Voodoo Labs' said they could do this IIRC( not cheap).

BTW- I know a E.E. , with a Masters in Electrical Engineering, who claims 'Heyboar" transformers are much better than M.M.

 

[IM4Tone]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

Spoken like someone who's never owned/played one... ......................

How wrong you are! Owned one for over a year trying (tubes, biasing, different speakers, etc.) to get a good sound out of both channels. Never happened. And that was after the first one was replaced on warranty.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Worth upgrading your output and power transformers to Mercury Magnetics?

Sorry to hear that..but honestly there've been enough threads on here about similar experiences with other amps..including many which are considered 'high end'. Likewise, there are happy Bugera owners with zero issues (myself included) here as well, who love the way their amps sound.

They've actually worked on teething problems/quality issues over the last couple of years...and the infamous (and highly overblown/overstated by haters..and I suspect..competition) 'melting plastic transformer clip/connector" issue has long been sorted out..