Hammond vs Mercury

[SoulFetish]

I used to be a bit of a hater, but I've come around on Mercury. They make a nice product. It's expensive, and I've never bought one because I can get a comparable product at a better price. I, as a repair technician, am relatively easy to keep happy as long as I don't have to start drilling to install what they advertise as a "drop-in" replacement. I get real grumpy when they lie to me about that.
However, as a designer/builder, they are next to useless to me in that they provide NOTHING in the way of useful technical data about their product. I really don't even consider them as an option. ...and their website sucks. just sayin'

[mhuss]

The biggest issue I have with 'designer iron' is context. Say you're in a silent studio and have a perfect A/B listening environment, perhaps you can hear a difference, and perhaps you prefer the sound of the expensive iron (double-blind testing would be good here ). Now, take that amp and put it on a live stage with a bunch of other instruments. or in a recording with a busy mix. Are you still going to hear that difference? The (perceived) perfect is the enemy of the good.

[Jazz P Bass]

"The (perceived) perfect is the enemy of the good."
Nice quote!