I want to swap transformers, need advice....

[jl2556]

I just bought a b-52 at-100 and marshall mg214 4x12 cab for $75 from a friend who didn't have room for them anymore.
Yes, I know the price is VERY cheap but they both have A LOT of "gig" wear on them...
What I want to do is get the 6l6s out of there and install some El34s or KT77s.
I read a post on here where a guy already asked B-52 if he could do this with the factory transformers and they said no.
I know Mercury Magnetics has replacement transformers that will handle the El34s but I'm NOT paying $225 for one.
Surely there are others that will work..
My question is, what do I need in terms on min. specs when looking for transformers that will handle El34s?
Is it as easy as getting one that says it works with El34s or are there certain criteria other than that to consider?
What I would really like are the transformers that Jeff Stapelton put in his
SLO 100 50w home brew,(..that I bought BEST FREAKING AMP I HAVE EVER HEARD!!!)
They are a MOP-50 output trans. (I know if they would work I'll need the Mop 100 watt version) and a Hammond 273BX pwr. trans.
I know the MOPs are marshall replacements...
Please let me know your opinions/thoughts on this...
Thanks in advance...

[shredhead]

If you can score some NOS Hammond tranny's, you'll be rockin' 4ever. They are bulletproof.

[Steve Conner]

I guess only the power transformer needs replaced, to handle the extra heater current of EL34s. You can keep using the stock OT.

Or you can add an extra transformer for the heaters.

What do you mean by NOS Hammond? Hammond transformers are still in production and the same good quality as they've ever been.

[teagansd]

I just bought a b-52 at-100 and marshall mg214 4x12 cab for $75 from a friend who didn't have room for them anymore.
Yes, I know the price is VERY cheap but they both have A LOT of "gig" wear on them...
What I want to do is get the 6l6s out of there and install some El34s or KT77s.
I read a post on here where a guy already asked B-52 if he could do this with the factory transformers and they said no.
I know Mercury Magnetics has replacement transformers that will handle the El34s but I'm NOT paying $225 for one.
Surely there are others that will work..
My question is, what do I need in terms on min. specs when looking for transformers that will handle El34s?
Is it as easy as getting one that says it works with El34s or are there certain criteria other than that to consider?
What I would really like are the transformers that Jeff Stapelton put in his
SLO 100 50w home brew,(..that I bought BEST FREAKING AMP I HAVE EVER HEARD!!!)
They are a MOP-50 output trans. (I know if they would work I'll need the Mop 100 watt version) and a Hammond 273BX pwr. trans.
I know the MOPs are marshall replacements...
Please let me know your opinions/thoughts on this...
Thanks in advance...

Well the old engineers from mesa are the guys who started B-52 and the mesa recifier parts are unnaturally simalar to the b-52's internals so you could salvage a transformer from a old EL34 powered mesa that may have some other problems, and swap it with the stock transformer! the problem with this swap though is that each EL34 pushes 50 watts and the tube circut board on the is wired for 4 30W 6l6's that run series parrallel, unless you bypass 2 of the power tube slots you will have an incomplete circut in your power amp section and you will get no sound!

[R.G.]

What do you mean by NOS Hammond? Hammond transformers are still in production and the same good quality as they've ever been.

Shhh... if it doesn't say "NOS" it's unutterably dull and no one will ever buy one.

Maybe we should start a new mystery term like "NNS" which would really stand for New New Stock, but we could say it means "NOS" but in the !Kung language, so is therefore shamanistically imbued with even greater mojo.


Hmm. I wonder if there is a word for "mojo" in !Kung.

[Chuck H]

Actually NOS Hammonds are NOT as good as what you can buy new by two virtues. One) they are old and can have been dropped or exposed to moisure or whatever else, and they have no warranty. And two) most of the NOS that you'll find has has been contract made for some MFG to a lesser (cheaper to buy) spec than Hammonds current 'off the shelf' line. OOohh Sorry. SHhhh.

We can still say NOS and re-interpret it to mean "not old stock" AFAIK there's no copyright on it.

Chuck

[Steve Conner]

Oh sorry RG, I never noticed you were trying to punt a bunch of them on Ebay!

They're the real deal folks, matured for 32 years at Hammond's factory, in casks that used to hold Canadian Club whisky.

[Alex R]

Hmm. I wonder if there is a word for "mojo" in !Kung.

Oh yeah there's going to be one isn't there? Given the nature of the roots of rock'n roll do you think it might be 'mojo'? Or !mojo.