Has anybody done the Mercury "Holy Terror" mod?

[Leo_Gnardo]

I have a customer who thinks he wants to have me swap Mercury PT & OT into his Orange Tiny Terror, also do mods according to their directions. I'm looking for feedback from anyone who's done it, whether good or bad. Also I think it's fair to state I'm not all that impressed with Mercury's hyper-priced iron. I expect most of the tonal changes would come from the circuit mods. But - I could be wrong. TIA for your comments.

[mozz]

Maybe do the circuit mods first and see if it changes the sound?

[bob p]

Putting Mercury iron into an OTT is a great way to turn an inexpensive lunchbox amp into an expensive lunchbox amp.

For example: I paid $300 locally for my OTT. Your customer is talking about putting a $300 kit into a $300 amp. He's doing to double it's price and the amp isn't going to sound very different. If he wants to spend $600 there are better amps out there.

If he likes the amp, then he should play it as it is.

If he doesn't like the amp, then he should sell it.

Spending as much on the iron as the amp is worth is just effing stupid. There's no way I'd ever consider doing it, and I'd never consider paying someone to do it for me.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Putting Mercury iron into an OTT is a great way to turn an inexpensive lunchbox amp into an expensive lunchbox amp.

That - and all the rest - corresponds with my line of thinking. But I am leaving open the possibility that some MEFster has bought Mercury's kit, done the project, and thinks it really is the bees knees. We'll see what shows up in replies for the next couple days. Thanks!

[bob p]

Forgot about your mods question: my understanding is that the Holy Terror kit isn't much more complicated than an iron upgrade and a pentode/triode switch, but I could be wrong on that.

I don't find triode/pentode switching to be a very useful mod, but then I've never liked the tone of power pentodes switched into triode mode. I've always thought that mod sounded bad. IMO there's a limit to how much tone you can get out of a low powered amp by continually cutting back on it's power. The OTT already has a half-power switch, and I don't use it because I don't like the low power sound of the amp, and I don't think that going farther in that direction with tri-pent switching isn't likely to make the amp sound better.

That amp already has the ability to provide all the dirty crunch that you'd ever want out of an amp. If I were to mod the amp, I'd focus my attention on modding it to make it louder and cleaner, rather than quieter and dirtier. that would give the amp something new in an area where it's lacking.

I haven't bothered with modding it because for me, it's easier to just move to a different amp when I want clean. I just use the OTT as a one trick pony.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Maybe do the circuit mods first and see if it changes the sound?

I'm 100% for that - if we can worm the info out of Mercury without committing to sending them this month's mortgage money for their iron.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Woops I meant to add the link to Mercury's ad for this mod, here 'tis:

Mercury Magnetics -- Orange "Tiny Terror" Upgrade Kit

Gosh I just don't know if I can live another minute without it...

[bob p]

I've looked ... no schematic has been published. I guess you only get the schematic if you buy the iron.

I recommend the $5 solution: paint the endbells orange. We all know just doing that will make the amp sound better.

[Leo_Gnardo]

I recommend the $5 solution: paint the endbells orange. We all know just doing that will make the amp sound better.

HA! That's worth at least half the price of admission. Hell why not blast orange paint all over the amp innards? There's some "Orange attitude" for you. It would also save the labor of unassing the transformers, prying off the bells & reassembling. Then paraphrase Bob Dylan: "Everything is orange."

BTW my customer found an MEF thread from @ 6 years ago where you're laying down the bob p attitude on Merc & mods for the Tiny Terror. All consistent with right now, extra points for you! http://music-electronics-forum.com/t1477-8/

[The Dude]

I'm a Mercury dealer, too. I think I have some of their badges laying around here. If you want, I can send them to you to stick on top of the orange paint. Booteek transformers at a fraction of the price.

[Leo_Gnardo]

I'm a Mercury dealer, too. I think I have some of their badges laying around here. If you want, I can send them to you to stick on top of the orange paint. Booteek transformers at a fraction of the price.

Thanks Dude! Meanwhile, hand my my gittar, I'm inspired to play along now - here's the angry man of rock, Graham Parker to entertain us...

"It's always fatal and it never gets better, it's the best kept secret in the West!"

[bob p]

Leo! You've brought back an old memory -- Graham Parker is one of those guys who lives in my vintage vinyl collection. Sadly, he just didn't get repurchased along with Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello when I had to re-buy during the CD era. At least now I have YouTube to give me the fix for free:

[Leo_Gnardo]

Leo! You've brought back an old memory -- Graham Parker is one of those guys who lives in my vintage vinyl collection.

Well now and for the last couple decades Graham's been a neighbor - sort of - around 45 miles northwest up in Woodstock NY. I've seen him play solo gigs at the Bearsville Theater in the 90's. Still full of energy but mellowed out a bit now he's got fresh air & sunshine & a bit of elbow room. About 10 years ago he teamed up with a popular local band The Figs and did a bit of touring. You'll find some YT recordings of them together, quite a good team.

[nsubulysses]

This is my experience with this mod. I have one at my shop now. "Triode mode doesn't sound good. And the switch is broken. Can you just hardwire it to pentode and get rid of the switch?"

Don't put that triode/pentode switch sticking out of the back panel so when the player puts the amp in the "gig bag" or whatever it's called, the switch breaks off, getting stuck in one mode.

[bob p]

I can't say that I really understand the whole gig-bag concept. Guitars and amps get protected in hard cases and broken in soft cases.

I think the best mod for the OTT involves a can of Orange spray paint.