Vote for your favorite OPT

[talbany]

Here is a pretty good sample of today's most popular Marshall style 50w OPT's in action.. in what I think is a pretty honest no BS assessment of what each bring to the table.. Keep in mind this is a JTM 45 style amp still a good platform for comparison purposes..

http://www.classictone.net/PaperVsPlastic.html

My ear put them in this order... Cast your vote!!

Mercury Magnetics
Magnetic Comp close 2nd
Heyboer
Weber

Tony

[FYL]

in what I think is a pretty honest no BS assessment of what each bring to the table.

This kind of test is anecdotical at best. LPCM should be used (no crappy MP3), levels should have been matched and the same *recorded* clip used in a proper double blind test.

Min RMS power: -77.41 dB (MercMag), -77.2 dB (Weber), -75.92 dB (Heyboer), -69.28 dB (Magnetic Components) - a whopping 8 dB difference

Max RMS power: -9.78 dB (Heyboer), -8.5 dB (Magnetic Components), -8.14 dB (MercMag), -8.08 dB (Weber)...

Anyway, Magnetic Components PT's and OT's are excellent and very competitively priced.

[phsyconoodler]

I use Hammonds.I have used both the 'classic tube' and the 'guitar replacement' units.I have no complaints about the tone.I like them better overall than MM's.
Never used magnetic components yet.I've have to try them out.

[Structo]

I am considering using the MC trannys on my 100 ODS.

To my ears the MM sounded good but a bit dark.
But on a bright amp that may be a good thing.
Money is an issue so I also need value.
The Heyboer and Weber had some harsh overtones I didn't care for.
I listened through good head phones on my laptop in the hospital.....

[talbany]

Tone wise MP3's are pretty bad so you have to put that aside and know what to listen for with these kind's of clips..
The 3 qualities I like to hear and generally do in a decent (MP3) are

Throat... That tight lower mid punch
This tells me the iron is stout w/decent size core..

Top end articulation... Clear pick attack (w/chime clip willing)
This tells me they used decent wire/bobbin..

Smoothness..A bit harder to spot on clips especially crappy laptop speakers, headphones help
This tells me it was wound with thought and care..

If these 3 basic qualities exist generally in person good tone follows.. IMHO
I guess some of you consider this subjective and I suppose in the grand scheme of things it is..I consider them pretty important qualities of the Dumble tone.. Hope this gives you a different perspective..

Tony

[wjdunham]

My take would be very similar to yours Tony, Mercury certainly is different and a little more pleasing to my ears, more body - the other three all sound about the same to me, with the Weber having a bit of harshness that I didn't like. That was an interesting page anyway the way it was done, MP3 and all at least a good attempt at an apples-to-apples comparison.
Bill

[Bob Reinhardt]

Cool. This goes to show you the difference in taste. I have done the same shootout with 3 of the 4 OT's, and for me, and my old Marshall tastes, the MM stuff is way to polite. In teh room with the amp, switching from 1 to the next to the next, the MM has a blanket over it. Would it be good for a smoother Dumble style build, yes, but for say an early 70's metal panel Marshall style, not so much. The MCI stuff is better, but still lacks "attitude" for me.
For my tastes in Marshally stuff
Heyboer
MCI
MM

no personal experience with the weber.

Thats why they make Chocolate, and Vanilla. And Strawberry.

The Mojo Heyboer (which i believe is what they used) is slightly different from a typical -139 teardown heyboer as well

[ayan]

Here is a pretty good sample of today's most popular Marshall style 50w OPT's in action.. in what I think is a pretty honest no BS assessment of what each bring to the table.. Keep in mind this is a JTM 45 style amp still a good platform for comparison purposes..

http://www.classictone.net/PaperVsPlastic.html

My ear put them in this order... Cast your vote!!

Mercury Magnetics
Magnetic Comp close 2nd
Heyboer
Weber

Tony

I don't want to troll, honestlty. My best sounding amp has a New Sensor Corporation generic Marshall 100W OT in it. It is the only amp I ever built with a NSC OT, and my favorite one out of every single amp I have ever played. I will never know whether the OT is to be credited for that distinction because I do not intent to build any more D-style amps (I have been "D build-free" for almost two years already! I think I've made it.).

Gil

[Structo]

Yes, different flavors for different folks.

And from what I have seen, an amp that never sees a gig may be tuned differently than one that is used by the lead guitarist in a band.

You usually desire more "cut" in a gigging amp. Add the bass, rhythm guitar, drums and it can balance out an amp with more top end.
The amp I built and play at home may not "cut" it at a gig.

Ideally the tone stack would allow you to EQ the amp for both bedroom and gig playing but many times that requires some component juggling.

I have noticed before when playing vintage Marshall amps that they lean towards almost a fizzy, harsh tone with that sizzling top end.
But put that same amp into a mix where the bass guitar carries the bottom end and it can sound very cool.

So in a way, if you compare say a Marshall JCM Super Lead to a Dumble ODS 100, that is apples to oranges because tonally they are at opposite ends of the tone spectrum.

I do feel the D amps are more versatile although the tone stack is not the most sensitive, but adequate. (that's why HAD designed the HRM)
But that is just one man's opinion.
If everybody agreed that Transformer A sounded the best, then there would only be one company that made transformers.

But take an example of one of those and listen to it with several different brand output transformers in it and you would be able to hear the difference, such as with the OT Shootout.

This just goes to prove the point that the amp is a sum of it's parts and how the components can change the overall tone of the amp.

[talbany]

Here is a pretty good sample of today's most popular Marshall style 50w OPT's in action.. in what I think is a pretty honest no BS assessment of what each bring to the table.. Keep in mind this is a JTM 45 style amp still a good platform for comparison purposes..

http://www.classictone.net/PaperVsPlastic.html

My ear put them in this order... Cast your vote!!

Mercury Magnetics
Magnetic Comp close 2nd
Heyboer
Weber

Tony

I don't want to troll, honestlty. :D My best sounding amp has a New Sensor Corporation generic Marshall 100W OT in it. It is the only amp I ever built with a NSC OT, and my favorite one out of every single amp I have ever played. I will never know whether the OT is to be credited for that distinction because I do not intent to build any more D-style amps (I have been "D build-free" for almost two years already! I think I've made it.).

Gil

Hi Gil
To confirm I too have built wonderful sounding amps with NS 100w Marshall iron.. The powers are also dead quiet..
...BTW your not allowed to troll.. Hint Hint.. We need your advice.. Take Care

Tony

[sergio]

I use TAD twin transformers type , a lot expensive but very good for my taste.

[FYL]

TAD mainly resells Mojo iron, itself usually made by Heyboer. TAD 125A29AX = Mojo 775. Excellent iron.

[markusw]

Any idea if this TAD Bassman OPT is also from Heyboer?

http://www.tubeampdoctor.com/product_in ... anguage=en

Regards,

Markus

[FYL]

Any idea if this TAD Bassman OPT is also from Heyboer?

The OT pictured is a Magic Parts/Pacific from Transformer Manufacturers (EIA code 1052), but this stock pic from 2003 could be obsolete : TAD has switched alliances since then - from Ruby/Magic Parts to Mojo, etc.

[markusw]

The OT pictured is a Magic Parts/Pacific from Transformer Manufacturers (EIA code 1052), but this stock pic from 2003 could be obsolete : TAD has switched alliances since then - from Ruby/Magic Parts to Mojo, etc.

Thanks a lot for your help!