best brand Super reverb output transformer for SRV tone?....

[sck1001931]

im converting a 69 super reverb to a vibroverb for a client/friend of mine which ive done a few times. he wants one for the best SRV tone and i was wondering brand wise, which output transformer would sound the best? -8 ohm tap

ive tried classictone and the distortion doesn't sound good in my opinion.

i havent tried mercury magnetics or heyboer but if you have please give me some feedback.

im also referring to a large output transformer like a super reverb one with 2-4 and 8 ohm taps. not the small OT like the stock blackface vibroverb.

thanks
i know mercury magnetics makes a SRV oversized OT. has anyone tried it?

[billyz]

I have had similar experience with classic tone output transformers. The tone is harsh and not as full bodied as the vintage blown transformer it replaced. I have then replaced it with one from mercury and every time the customer is once again smiling. Have not specifically tried the vibroverb ot but I would recommend one from mercury anytime.
I did recently upgrade a sonny jr (cruncher) bandmaster ot. To the tweed bandmaster mercury ot and it was a huge improvement all around. The mercury ot was more than twice the size of the original, closer to a bassman in size.

[sck1001931]

thanks man, yeah i told him we'd probably go with mercury. its about 50 bucks extra than hoffman but in the end itll be worth it.

im still wondering about hoffman transformers but so far mercury magnetics is the front runner.

i wish i could find some pacific or schumacher trannys though, very hard to find.

[Stevem]

Is the a Mercury OT interleaved?

[billyz]

Maybe you can find an old twin reverb ot. It would be 8 ohm out with 2 6l6's.

[sck1001931]

the mercury transformer is exactly like the originals except they use nylon instead of paper.
i ended up going with the mercury magnetics toneclone super reverb with an 8 ohm tap so we'll see how that sounds.

i've used a silverface twin reverb OT in my own vibroverb clone and it rocks for SRV tone i just didnt want to have to drill new holes for the twin OT in my customers super chassis.

I've already got a great speaker in there so hopefully this OT will get the job done.

I'll let you know how it goes

[vibratoking]

I can't really understand why everybody wants the SRV tone. That tone is very specific, well-known and overdone. It completely pigeon holes the player IMO. Whenever I hear KWS or Chris Duarte, I want to throw up. Poor Stevie must be doing summersaults in his grave. It's like a guy with a short dick trying to be a porn star. It just isn't that believable at the end of the day.

[67plexi]

This is the In Step rig. This is the way I see it,
16 each 10" speakers, 10 each 12" speakers, 2 each 15" speakers.
Total of 310" of speaker surface area.
My favorite is 40 each 12" speakers with five 100 watt heads.
Total of 480" of speaker surface area. The only way to make a Stratocaster
sound good.

Steve.

[Roe]

my experience with classictone is different. I'm using their twin transformers in a blonde twin build that sounds absolutely great.

[Cliff Schecht]

I can't really understand why everybody wants the SRV tone. That tone is very specific, well-known and overdone. It completely pigeon holes the player IMO. Whenever I hear KWS or Chris Duarte, I want to throw up. Poor Stevie must be doing summersaults in his grave. It's like a guy with a short dick trying to be a porn star. It just isn't that believable at the end of the day.

Chris Duarte has gotten away from the SRV thing in more recent years, really came into his own and sounds great IMO. Same with KWS really, I'm not a huge fan but he's not just a straight up SRV clone anymore.

[Reeltarded]

Hey. My twin amp!

heh

Steve, you are an animal. I can get great sounds with 6 cabs and humbuckers.

[Stevem]

I have posted this before and I will do it again, but the fact that Steve used 13 gauge strings had a huge effect on his tone, but it seems like all that gets messed with is the electronic end of things in search of his tone!!!!
Just sayin!

[jelle]

Those Fender style 50W Classictone transformers are M6 steel. This steel is not the same steel as what fender/Schumacher used back in the day in that the M6 steel in those days had higher amounts of contaminants. And this affects tone.

These new transformers are more hifi ish because of this. Depending on the amp, this is a good or a bad thing.

I would consider using a transformer with a lower grade steel like the vintage ones.

Or you could put snubbers from the powertube plates to ground to reduce the bandwidth of the new M6 transformer, this will change its clipping characteristics.

[Stevem]

Don't forget that he used Marshall Major heads for a while also!
I have worked on one of his Major heads that a local studio owner has in his back pack of amps, and the fact that these heads do not use a cathode follower to drive the tone stack makes them go more in the Highwatt Tone dept!

[vibratoking]

...My favorite is 40 each 12" speakers with five 100 watt heads.
Total of 480" of speaker surface area. The only way to make a Stratocaster
sound good. "

That may be the right formula for the SRV sound, but that's bad math. 40 12" speakers is 4524 sq in of speaker surface area