Help me get this hellish blues Deville out of my shop

[Steelwitch]

To add to this, the correct transformer does not have a center tap on any winding. This makes me think you might have bought the wrong one. Can you provide a link to it?

It's definitely the right one! its a classictone 40-18018 heres a link http://www.classictone.net/40-18018.pdf

[g1]

It has one of those reactive load boxes that's connected to where the rest of the rectifier should be

Huh? Sounds like you are familiar with something we are all scratching our heads over. How about some pics of this gizmo and its wires.

[nickb]

It's definitely the right one! its a classictone 40-18018 heres a link http://www.classictone.net/40-18018.pdf

That doesn't have a center tap on the HV winding. Yet you said above

I’m getting 120vAC on the primary side, and 170vAC on each side of the secondary B+, 25vAC on the low supply... so I guess the rectifier isn’t rectifying?

Implying that the one you have does have a center tap. Did the one they send you correspond with the spec? If so what color is the wire you call the HV secondary center tap. There is still the issue of the bridge rectifier that has to be restored that keen eyed bill noticed.

I see the voltage winding does have a center tap that I had missed because of the unusual arrangement of the +/-16V supply.

[g1]

I think that's a Weber bridge version coppercap in there. If it was working before, it's probably not the problem.