interstage transformer

[Leo_Gnardo]

why not put the IT inversion *before* the CF?

You betcha, slam the grid of the next stage. There's NO V gain in a CF in fact typically a small voltage loss @ 10%.

There are mic/line transformers in shield cans or boxes. Mu metal is popular for this purpose. You could "repurpose" an oldie but goodie from Altec or Bogen, or find a new one for not too much $$.

[uneumann]

Thanks for all the comments and pointers on this topic. To close the loop on this - the project is done and turned out pretty well IMO. There is a complete writeup with pics [URL="https://sites.google.com/site/stringsandfrets/Home/bassman/bassman-redux"]here. In summary, the transformer does a great job of inverting the signal, and there is some transformer mojo added to the distortion. Overall, I'd say a transformer stage is something worth considering in custom amps or rebuilds. I'm always on the lookout for new tone and circuit variations and this seems to be an under-explored avenue.