Dumble & Mercury Magnetics

[UltraHookedOnPhonix]

Here’s an interesting quote from Sergio Hamernik, the owner of Mercury Magnetics, about Alexander Dumble from a recent Internet interview:

“I worked with Ken Fisher on his Trainwreck, a lot of these guys early on, even Alexander (Dumble) and all of that. They wanted to keep thing confidential and not brag about or let too many people know who their sources were because there were few and far between transformer sources, even back then, that catered to the guitar amp market.”

Read the full interview at:
www.guitarfixation.com/features/more/an ... _magnetics

[Funkalicousgroove]

That's funny, because the only Dumble's I've EVER seen with Mercury Iron were built in the last 10 years, and I quite frankly think that the Trainwreck reference was made simply because Ken is no longer around to dispute it- When the t-wreck forum was first starting I distinctly recall people contacting mercury for Express Output trannies, and being sold Marshall JTM-45 OT's as "The closest thing we make". Ken has been quoted (and told me this personally in conversation) that He preferred "a certain brand of off the shelf transformers that are no longer made" (Stancor transformers), when they discontinued the A3801 he used Hammond briefly before moving to Heyboer. When The original owner of Heyboer passed away, the new owners of the company started selling a Hi-FI design transformer that Ken had spec'd as "Trainwreck" transformers, so Ken took his business to Pacific, which is where it stayed until his unfortunate passing.

It wasn't until after Ken passed that this "New revelation" came about, of course if you ask the guys at Mercury, "The early trainwrecks also had chokes" another bit of creative marketing.

When given new information, I always try and consider the source, and their motivation: seems a tip of the hat from beyond the grave that can't be disputed certainly couldn't hurt.....

[Structo]

That is the first I have heard of Ken using MM trannies.

[BobW]

When given new information, I always try and consider the source, and their motivation: seems a tip of the hat from beyond the grave that can't be disputed certainly couldn't hurt.....

Exactly! Also, unless you have been inside or around a few Dumbles, which most haven't, it's difficult to dispute the claim as well.

Brandon Thanks once again for setting the record straight.

[UltraHookedOnPhonix]

Also, MM recently started selling Trainwreck replacement iron as well as Ceriatone replacement iron for the OTS.

[jaysg]

MM do not seem to care much about ruffling feathers. When will they clone SLO-100 iron? There's a certain demand for that.

[Funkalicousgroove]

THe Only Dumbles I have seen with MM iron had the Dynaco OT like the old Sunn amps

[UltraHookedOnPhonix]

I put one of those in at your recommendation a while back Brandon, and it’s a very cool OT. Very revealing, open sound. I guess that’s what you get when you slap some Hi-Fi iron in!

The original Dynaco A-470 which the MM version is based upon, was designed for use with 6CA7/EL34 tubes with a primary of 4.3K CT to 4, 8, 16 secondaries. Undistorted power at 70W=30Hz-15kHz and at 35W=20Hz-20Khz. Also, the MM version I got did not come with UL taps.

Here’s a pic of the trafo:
[IMG768]http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb17 ... Dynaco.jpg[/img]

[talbany]

The core size for the A-470 is an EI-112 and the stack height is 1.875".
Standard holes. The grade of lamination is 29 gauge M6. This is what I believe gives it the open sound..M6 is a grain-aligned steel that is particularly good at resisting saturation, which makes it a technically great steel for audio transformers -- if you're a hi-fi engineer who is looking for clean. To get better saturation performance than M6 -- i.e. more flux with less time in saturation when over driven, meaning more linear phase and frequency response and less harmonic distortion -- you have to actually go to much more expensive materials like nickle. Not to get off here on a transformer tangent...


Tony VVT

[Bob-I]

I don't know what Fisher or Dumble used, but I have a MM set in my 100 watt Dumble in the Funk chassis, it sounds amazing.

[Tonegeek]

It is very hard to determine if one transformer is better than another which is one reason I think MM can get away with their marketing hype and inflated pricing. My latest build has an MM Bassman tranny and 6L6 tubes and the amp sounds great. However I ran the send from that amp to another amp with an MC tranny (costing half as much) and EL-34 tubes and although their were differences, it too sounded just as good. I can say with much confidence that the transformers in THIS CASE were both capable of doing the job more than adequately and did not by themselves make or break the amp. Other factors like the tube type, couplers and PI made a larger difference than the tranny. I admit this isnt very scientific, but that is also why MM can keep us coming back because no one has really put the energy into proving or debunking the claims. So when in doubt you go with the ones that have branded themselves the best and MM has done a great job. We all THINK they are best, right? I would love to one day hook up 2-3 diffenet OTs and switch them instantly while listening.

[LPSGME]

Can anyone recommend a specific MM model for use with a 50W Ceriatone OT?

[dimitris]

Can anyone recommend a specific MM model for use with a 50W Ceriatone OT?

From ceriatone forum:
http://www.mercurymagnetics.com/pages/c ... iatone.htm

[bluesfendermanblues]

Who are the finest amp builders of all time: IMO Ken Fischer and Aleander Dumble. Seems like Sergio Hamernik, the owner of Mercury Magnetics, is trying to do smart marketing. Like every vender he wants a piece of the action.

And the way he's trying to make a puclic know secret is just awesome. What a joker I have a Mercury M OT in my #124 clone and I assure you that the difference in sound between that and a standard Hammond is non-existant.

[KT66]

I live 25 miles from Mercury so I always pick my orders up in person. I don't buy that many units a year, but every time I go there I end up talking amps with Paul for like an hour and even though there is some hype there, I really believe that they care about amp tone and know what they are doing. There definitely is a prestige factor that has drawn people to order amps from me because I use them. He's even mentioned labeling the units I buy with my company name and model to make them more "custom". For the record, Phil at Heyboer has been great to deal with as well.

P.S. I love your passion Funk!