New source for Stancor A-3801 style Output Transformer

[BIG Dave]

I was recently chatting with Chris Merren of Merren Audio ( www.merrenaudio.com ) and he told me he has plans to produce a Stancor A-3801 style OT before the end of the year. If you're not familiar with Chris and his work, he produces highly regarded replacement transformers for Marshall amplifiers. He also runs a repair shop for Echoplex units, Celestion speakers, Jensen speakers and McIntosh amplifiers. He also produces his own line of Marshall style amplifiers.

One interesting tidbit he mentioned, he told me that some of the black bell cover versions of the A-3801 had the color codes incorrect on the yellow label. That is why some people tried them and decided they didn't like that particular version of the OT. Look carefully at the attached photo of the black A-3801 for the errors..

[martin manning]

Interesting. I'm in the habit of checking the leads on all transformers just in case the wire colors are mixed.

[rooster]

Chris's Marshall transformer work is well known. He was also a friend of Ken's back in the day, something I didn't know about. In fact, he told me that at one time he and Ken used to create and compare MV circuits, that together they had maybe come up with 40 different variations. Pretty cool stuff.

As to the Stancor OT wiring being labeled incorrectly (or connected incorrectly internally from the factory), yes, he actually pointed this out to me regarding a transformer that I owned.

It would be great if he checked in here once in a while, actuallly.

[C Moore]

I have an old Stancor A-3801.
I was going to use it someday, if I ever build an Express.
Is there anything all unique about it.?
Not sure what the Impedance of the primary is, or what power these OT are rated for....but other than they were used (for awhile) in a Train Wreck, is there something "special" about them.?
Thank You

[rp]

I have an old Stancor A-3801... is there something "special" about them.?

Other that it's what KF initially used it's nothing particularly exotic, but he was supposedly a fussbudget and a tweaker, and very experienced - he didn't just use a A3801, he chose it. Nothing special about all the guitar amp OTs except to get you closer to "that" sound if you are cloning.

I think the 3000 series was Stancor's jukebox, PA line. In hifi you do get special: experimentation, proprietary winds, materials, precision, QC, etc. that are worth discussing. In the bizarro world of guitar amps it's the inadequacies that make them special - like caps.

If you must you could always discuss if the grey vs black bells are special.

Anyway, keep your Stancor that way you don't have to mull which modern repo to order.

[ckpop]

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