# what's a good source for transformers?



## a Pack of Wolves (Sep 5, 2007)

just wanted some opinions,or experiences y'all may have had finding/getting them?


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## peter benn (Mar 29, 2007)

*Boutique Transformers*

If you want to judge by obvious market presence, A Pack of Wolves, the big display ads in Vintage Guitar Magazine for both Allen and Mercury Magnetics should catch your eye.


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

Isn't Hammond a Canadian company?


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

theres this place around the corner from me-
not sure what they have sitting around at any given time, but i got some hammonds there before, and they can get you pretty much anything in a few days time
http://nutechelectronics.com/index2.htm
theyre on parkdale, few blocks south of the beer store


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## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

Great iron, great prices!

http://www.edcorusa.com/


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## bcmatt (Aug 25, 2007)

NB-SK said:


> Isn't Hammond a Canadian company?


Ya, I think it is. It got me all excited when I discovered this; thinking that I would be able to get good deals on them somehow because we are in the same country; no fees for importing, etc. But I have found no such deals, and have sort of lost hope of getting any good deals on quality transformers. Apparently, good deals on good transformers are an inside/priveleged secret reserved for amp manufacturers and other companies. (Of course I am basing this purely on my own ignorance).
I'm proud to be Canadian, but a little disillusioned at the same time. I found it ironic that the cheapest "Tonebone Classic Pedal" that I could get was through american ebay sellers, despite Radial Engineering being a Vancouver company. I couldn't even get anything close to those prices anywhere in Canada.


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

bcmatt said:


> Ya, I think it is. It got me all excited when I discovered this; thinking that I would be able to get good deals on them somehow because we are in the same country; no fees for importing, etc. But I have found no such deals, and have sort of lost hope of getting any good deals on quality transformers. Apparently, good deals on good transformers are an inside/priveleged secret reserved for amp manufacturers and other companies. (Of course I am basing this purely on my own ignorance).
> I'm proud to be Canadian, but a little disillusioned at the same time. I found it ironic that the cheapest "Tonebone Classic Pedal" that I could get was through american ebay sellers, despite Radial Engineering being a Vancouver company. I couldn't even get anything close to those prices anywhere in Canada.


Ah Matt, be fair!

Hammond is a BIG company! Like most manufacturers, they don't want to take onesy-twosy orders direct. It's like when you buy a Ford you don't call the factory. You go to a dealer. On the west coast you could call Electrosonic in Vancouver. 

Hammond has never offered transformers strictly for guitar amps until quite recently. They now have drop-in replacements for some of the vintage Fender models. They have always had power transformers and output transformers for tube amps but the OT's were for hifi use. They also assumed you knew your electronics. You could look in their catalogue and pick your own transformer from the specs. If you phoned them and asked for a power transformer for a Bassman they would have no idea what you were talking about.

That's because we guitar tubeheads are too small a market for a company like Hammond! They lose more on the floors than we all could ever buy! The only reason they started carrying the new Fender replacement line is because they have guitar guys working in the place and they want them too! If it was strictly business I'm sure they never would have bothered.

So if you want a deal, go to a Hammond distributor. Or if you want to place an order for manufacturing, to get a good price you need to offer a quote for volume, not just a few.

Apples and oranges, my man. And money talks... :smile:

The problem with being Canadian is that we are a very small market living beside a great big one! American sources can sell in much bigger volumes than we can. This gets them better costs. 

The other problem with being Canadian is that we never think of selling to the US for such parts! With free trade there's no reason why we can't sell to them and build up the same volumes but few of us do. Thetubestore.com is one. They never could have paid the electricity bill with only Canadian sales. Most of their business comes from down south.

I've said it many times. We Canadians are like hobbits. We live in the Shire and believe it to be the best possible place to live. We know little to nothing about the neighbouring lands and think that people from other places are "queer as news from Bree!". Meanwhile we are protected by rangers who keep the wolves away and are blissfully ignorant about it.

Oh well...<sigh>

:food-smiley-004:


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## bcmatt (Aug 25, 2007)

You are right Wild Bill.
I am sorry. I am just being ignorant and self-centered. I want my stuff cheap, and I just whine when I don't get exactly what I want. I shouldn't talk smack about good companies just because they won't come to my apartment and cook me dinner and then hand me free stuff, at the expense of their business. Also, the stuff I like about my country is probably pretty closely linked to the same stuff that I complain about my country for. I'm just to lazy to think about it and only see what is directly convenient for me.
I retract my smack talk.


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## Davestp1 (Apr 25, 2006)

Can anyone recommend a company in Canada that rewinds output transformers? I have been told Heyboer in the US does a good job as well but what about here? I have a 62 tremolux output transformer that I want to get rewound.....


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

Davestp1 said:


> Can anyone recommend a company in Canada that rewinds output transformers? I have been told Heyboer in the US does a good job as well but what about here? I have a 62 tremolux output transformer that I want to get rewound.....


To the best of my knowledge there is none! Not to say you might not find one but I'm sure glad it's you looking and not me!:smile:

Hey, there's an untapped market niche! Who will be the first to set up a Canadian transformer rewind business?

Anyhow, is the reason you want it rewound to do with preserving tone? I assume you know that there's no problem in sourcing a new one.

:food-smiley-004:


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

I've used Mercury Magnetics for anything Fender I build. They do accumlative volume discounts so over the years I reached the third level of discount which actually made them somewhat affordable for the quality.


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## Davestp1 (Apr 25, 2006)

I've had a reissue fender output transformer in it for several years. I guess to try to get it as close to original as possible....but then again, it would be original like a reconed speaker is original....


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## a Pack of Wolves (Sep 5, 2007)

good stuff


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## Davestp1 (Apr 25, 2006)

I got a quote from Heyboer in the US of 70 dollars to rewind the output transformer for my 62 tremolux yesterday. Anyone know what paperwork needs to be filled out here so that when it comes back I don't get dinged for all kinds of charges other than the taxes (It will be shipped both ways by USPS/Canada Post), so that they don't try to charge me the value of the transformer which was already here in the first place?


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

Davestp1 said:


> I got a quote from Heyboer in the US of 70 dollars to rewind the output transformer for my 62 tremolux yesterday. Anyone know what paperwork needs to be filled out here so that when it comes back I don't get dinged for all kinds of charges other than the taxes (It will be shipped both ways by USPS/Canada Post), so that they don't try to charge me the value of the transformer which was already here in the first place?


Heyboer needs to mark it as return from repair. Then you just have to cross your fingers.


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## Adicted to Tubes (Mar 5, 2006)

As far as transformers go,Mercury Magnetics is way over rated.They are not by any means the best sounding,they just have that reputation.(much marketing hype)I have used them by request in some customers amps and have not been overwhelmed.Don't get me wrong,they do sound good.I have build many amps with Heyboer and Hammond and the tones are excellent with both.As far as Hammond being only for hi-fi,that's just not true.Some of the 'classic' tube series have untralinear taps,but you don't have to use them.They sound every bit as good as MM tranny's.
I am using the current line of 'guitar' transformers from Hammond and they are great sounding.
If you factor in shipping and getting raped by UPS across the border,Canada still comes out on top for Hammond.
It depends on the distributor what they charge for Hammond.
I buy lots from www.mojotone.com and they are priced right and have the performance I need also.
Also Allen Amps in North Carolina has some transformers for fender's.Good stuff!
I have A/B'd Hammond to the best MM has to offer and only a total snob will say MM's sound better.And only if they know it's in there to start with!The only problem in the past was the big gap between specs in Hammond.That's been closed by the new guitar amp lineup.
Cheap is all relative when buying transformers.Too cheap can often mean it will not last.Some offshore transformers do not last a year.I have changed quite a few of those!

www.claramps.com


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## techplayer (Jan 22, 2008)

*Transformer rewinding*

Hi Davestp1:
As a newbie to this forum, I was reading through the posts and came across this one. If you look up www.transfopolaris.com, you may be in luck with getting your transformer rewound here in Canada. I used them once a few years ago to rewind a Marshall output transformer, and although they were not cheap, they did an excellent job. They are located in Delson, Quebec.

Jim:smilie_flagge17:


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## Kapo_Polenton (Jun 20, 2007)

You know , to be honest, shipping anything up from the states often means you get screwed. And yep, we don't even get a break on Canadian made goods.. 

I think we should lobby the tubestore to start stocking more amp parts like pots and head cabs and transformers! 

How is dealing with mojotone? Do you get screwed on customs?


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## Kapo_Polenton (Jun 20, 2007)

ps- SRS webstore (look them up) apparently have marshall style and fender style transformers but i have no clue of the quality.


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## Emohawk (Feb 3, 2006)

I got the iron for my JCM800 build from Metroamp.com (Heyboers). Had them shipped USPS with no unexpected border rape. The only carry marshall-ish stuff though.

I was thinking about ordering from Mojotone but they only ship UPS to Canada.


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

Wild Bill said:


> To the best of my knowledge there is none! Not to say you might not find one but I'm sure glad it's you looking and not me!:smile:
> 
> Hey, there's an untapped market niche! Who will be the first to set up a Canadian transformer rewind business?
> 
> ...


Try a place that rewinds electric motors. In Hamilton it would be Duke Electric. I can't say for sure that it will be cost effective, but if you really needed something like that, I would look at companies that specialize in electric industrial motors that have a small service counter for things like furnace motors and such. 

An automotive electric repair shop might also work, but I would doubt that they would have stock on many different solid wire types.


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