MERCURY MAGNETICS Output Transformer | MARSHALL 1959HW PLEXI

[@RiffsAndBeards]

I recently put all Mercury iron in my 2203x and the difference is BONKERS. Night and day difference.

[@bobdillon1138]

Ears are very unreliable.

[@hootowl6354]

@@bobdillon1138 Especially while you're watching a video that's telling you what you're listening to.

[@MickH60]

@@bobdillon1138 They are also very reliable, so you don't actually have a point. if all ears were "unreliable", we wouldn't have producers and engineers would we..?

[@curtisprice9806]

​​​@@bobdillon1138Ears are very unreliable lol 😂 !!! That is the dumbest thing I ever heard...no pun intended 😂 but, I understand the point you are making also....✌ But the point is that Output transformers made a big difference in tone, and I agree after swapping mine out in a '66 Fender Bassman head with a famous Altic Lansing Peerless OT ️transformer! Night and day difference to my ears!!! Transformers are the heart and soul of an amplifier...to quote the maker of Germino amps. The best builder of reproduction vintage amps in the world.

[@bobdillon1138]

​@@curtisprice9806 I thought it was obvious but i will spell it out for you what you hear compared to what you remember hearing can be unreliable you need to be able to A B them back to back to get a reliable reference frame.

[@christophergray42]

I cant believe no one returning Euges enquiry.. 🤷Lucky for us Mercury saved the day and we get another excellent video 🤘🍻

[@ordohereticus3427]

Right? Blasphemy!

[@vorpalblades]

Items like this are usually sold wholesale, not direct to consumer.

[@MickH60]

@@vorpalblades If that is the case they would say that on their site, I have bought from wholesalers and had others refuse to sell to me without an a business account, but they ALL had the decency to get back to me.....

[@curtisprice9806]

Great video Euge!!! I replaced the Output transformer in my '66 blackface Fender Bassman head with an Altic Lansing "Peerless " OT from an old Dynaco kit radio tube amp (6L6) my Dad had made in the '70's. The bottom line was that it made a real big difference!! I never swapped it back to the Bassman's stock OT transformer. It is definitely all about what tone you like better, and the "Peerless "OT transformer sounded just awesome!!! Definitely a difference in tone big time. Mercury Magnetics makes a huge assortment of transformers to choose from according to their advertisements in Vintage Guitar magazine...such as "Radio Spares" OT reproductions, etc., etc., etc.! Quality transformers will run cooler in the Power transformer position also (the amp will not overheat as easily) Keep up the great dives in rockin music videos!!! Love your content!!👍💪❤️🤯

[@stopUkrainewar666]

HUggge Valovirta making the sound going forward again !!! 👍👍👍 thanks for the experience

[@Hagstrom4ever]

The improvement is evident to my ears, a lot. And it looks beautiful.

[@markn4526]

To me the visual differences are more apparent than the auditory differences.

[@Hagstrom4ever]

@@markn4526 our ears don't work the same, to me bass freqs are bigger and lower, clearer. There's more harshness inthe MIV and less omph.

[@markn4526]

@@Hagstrom4ever Marshall Plexi's are harsh, relatively speaking. As I've said in my other comment, the MM transformer is more modern sounding, which to me partially means more bass and clarity. A real vintage Marshall Plexi sounds ratty (I call it raw) to a lot of players, just like a lot of players don't like the sound of a real vintage Fender Tweed amp. It depends on what kind of sound that you're going for.

[@bvanhoosen]

Oh HELLO YEAH! Glad you went with the Mercury, they rule!

[@mattnagy2565]

Your playing and tone moves to top shelf when you're inspired. Clearly the case here. Awesome! Thank you as always.

[@AdamGotheridge]

Super interesting and very well presented. 🙏

[@RRoy83]

I just subbed, I like this guy

[@Skoora]

Several years ago I came across a ‘75 50 watter in my favorite local store and it had Mercury iron and choke all around. My first thought..I was a little bummed it didn’t have original iron but the price of the amp was good. After plugging in, all it took was 3-4 big chords and it was all over. Normally I would prefer Heyboer as a replacement for Marshall but couldn’t deny the amp sounded good enough where I would never care to change it….and the red is kind of snazzy. In this vid I could hear a more articulate sound. Low end was clearer and not as smeared. The top end was more alive in the saturation. Would somebody be able to tell at a gig, probably not. But for recording it’s better.

[@odyssey6684]

One of the other companies - Magnetic Components - went out of business due to covid as I understand it. I have Mercury transformers in my Yamaha T-100C amp (power, output, and two others). The difference before and after was night and day. Bigger, more low end, and less background noise. Amazing transformation from raspy to smooth. The louder it goes, the better it sounds.

[@KelsterVonShredster]

Wow...I noticed a huge difference. Impressive.....great video Euge!

[@me.roderick]

Researching the amp I remember the location of xformer manufacture was an issue which kept me from buying it. Cleaner copper and better insulating I can hear a punch coming from the mercury. Kick ass vid Euge💥 drilling nuno style. The clean progression very nice. Top job on tech talk. Thx👍

[@darrenc8776]

Wow the difference is huge the clarity was the first thing you notice and, that's on KZbin. Marshall are using these cheaper transformers in hardwired premium UK amps to save money and probably to increase production. but it's bad for Marshalls reputation. I wonder if Marshall would offer these as an upcharge upgrade but really they should be in as standard on these HW amps

[@darrenc8776]

Tell you what, I absolutely love Euge's videos. At the start, when he looks straight into the camera and says his name kills me every time. He's as cool as a cat in new silk PJs

[@TavaresProject]

I'm listening on my studio monitors and if I'm being honest the difference is very slight. It is fuller without being in the way and there's also a little more clarity BUT in a mix I don't know if you're going to hear a difference. Euge, maybe an "In the mix" video :)

[@These_go_to_eleven_1959]

After you hit the SD I got a big smile on my face! The SD1 is perfect with that head!🤘

[@HRHPOW]

Dope idea, wow this is going to be fun.

[@PainterDans]

Probly quieter too. Ive seen on " head first mods" videos the stock ones can hum.

[@mbgmail5911]

They can but not always. Hit n miss

[@Amp_Expert]

...and there are idiot losers out there that pay $4k for modern Marshall...junk!!

[@jcugnoni]

Great video. Love this kind of comparison. It sounds better with the Mercury Magnetics in my opinion, more open / clear with more low end. At least that's the first impression I got.

[@mikewatkins3533]

EV?! You got pinky back home! Cheers brotha and awesome tutorial!!🍺🍺🍺😎🎸🎸🎸

[@mikeptacek2190]

sweet! thanks for sharing this. One of these old myths, OT compared in a good context. I was on the watchout for "this one". cool! I imagine the difference is more clear IRL compared to compressed youtube but still. Thanks again!

[@hootowl6354]

All comparisons should be demonstrated with a loop; and quickly switching back and forth helps a lot. Love your playing and tone though, Euge. Really, that's the main attraction here. 👍 Yeah, I think the Mercury sounds a bit better...not that I can tell. 🤣

[@skyhorseprice6591]

I think we can conclude that the transformer mod is a smashing success. The low end response is worlds better, & for me any kond of heavy guitar tone should be oozing lows. And tthis does, I love it.

[@thecase1975]

Nice!! I'm in Canada and bought a JvM410 from Poland. Was super happy until I tried to plug it in. Duh, 240v transformer and I'm 120v. No taps unfortunately so I luckily found an original 120v Marshall and changed it out.

[@billl.4410]

I prefer the original. The Mercury is cleaner, more hi-fi and refined for sure. But the original sounds more raw, which is a good character of a plexi. They are not very refined amps to begin with. But its all personal preference at the end of the day. :)

[@terrydemol5354]

Good reply. MM is a more HiFi sounding transformer which is subjective. Really need to compare an original Dagnall / Drake to see what it's trying to replicate.

[@markn4526]

Yeah, they both sound great, but the MM is clearer and I would call it more modern sounding. I think I prefer the rawer sound which to me defines a Marshall Plexi. But it all comes down to personal presence.

[@markn4526]

@@terrydemol5354 Really good point! The amp tech points out the additional 4 plates of the MM transformer which is supposed to produce "better" bass, but I'm sure it's doing more than that. The question is how many plates does an original Drake or Dagnall have? It would be nice to have a 3-way comparison.

[@allboutthemojo]

Do they have a model thats suited for the dsl100hr?

[@FRANANGELICOONA]

Definitely tighter

[@darrelferns8969]

To me the Mercury sounds noticeably less compressed, but with a rounder fatter low end when playing riffs that accentuate that mid bass fatness.. But it really does sound clearer. They both sound great though. I notice a lack of compression in the mids with the Mercury more than anything else. Sounds awesome. Seems like it really would be much more responsive to things like pick attack, volume and articulation. I have an old Marshall 9005 dual monoblock rackmount 50/50 poweramp with the Drake transformers they used from the early 90s. It makes everything that is run into it sound noticeably better. Just needs a service.

[@barrymurphy5548]

The Mercury to my ears sounds great, fuller with more clarity BUT I actually prefer the way the Vietnamese OT sounds more 'together' and less perfect, it just works and blends the tones more pleasingly, its like it suits the circuit better than the Mercury. Hard to describe but I heard the exact same thing when Headfirst Amplification did a similar comparison. A similar thing exists in hi end hifi, just putting all the best kit together doesn't necessarily give you the best sound, components need to work in synergy, and to my ears the original Vietnamese OT does that, and keeps it truer to the 'plexi' sound, but yeah I wish Drake were still making the OT for no other reason than nostalgia and keeping it more 'historically' correct.

[@stopUkrainewar666]

It sounds more modern ooh i want to add that someone told me that adding pc vents as a mods can help cooling the stuff !!!

[@jamescassidy4045]

So, do you notice even more difference in the room, and in the feel/response etc? What do you think, and feel changed with the MM, and what do you hear? I always wonder if KZbin also makes certain things a bit harder to hear vs the Raw tracks, and just being in the room.

[@luca4352]

I can't really tell any sonically difference to be honest and if there is any it's probably due to slightly different playing between the takes. The visual difference of the tracks in the DAW is because of them being different takes though ;). In a blind test no one in the comments would be brave enough to tell which sounds better. The opinions of most comments here live from the visual suggestion that the mercury is playing now so it must sound better. But I guess the mercury is better build quality than the ones they put in stock currently.

[@Amp_Expert]

Thank you for the video. To me and I'm not into the boutique MM bullshit, just listening....the MM is more clear and cutting and better in tone imo!! Very surprised, but there's many articles that the Vietnam transformers are shit. This conclusively shows this.

[@chrisstevens4680]

For UK viewers, Dagnell make transformers for Marshall. I tried to contact them and they didn’t bother to reply to me either. However, it appears that they only sell to individuals through their agents such as Modulus Amplification, who also supply amp kits.

[@felipefarias7654]

Nice job. The Mercury is defiantly a bit more punchy and has more clarity/colour. It's not an abysmal difference, though if it is noticeable in recording context in the room it must be more noticeable.

[@terrydemol5354]

Nicely prepared vid Euge, especially since you included some cleaner tones and differing styles. To me the Mercury sounds more HiFi like, more low freq, more extended high freq and a bit more clarity. This may or may not be what you like, personally I like it especially on the cleaner tones. However people are trashing these Vietnamese transformers without comparing them to the original Dagnall / Drake OP transformers, which I think most likely sound very similar, the Mercury sounding different to all.

[@donsmith5385]

I am surprised you didn’t go with a Drake Transformer. But like you said more clarity, but I hear more tightness, you are using an 85 p/u. They never have the solid bottom end like an 81, but it’s solid sounding now!

[@Jurrysnow]

Mercury is more transparent, you can hear the pick attack better. Also more low end coming through.

[@mbgmail5911]

Also more strile and loses some of the cool Marshall tone.

[@dasistthomsen9]

Hi Euge , between iic+ and badboy which feels less saggy ?(More immediate response , harder to play cleaner vs) Some use the word "tight" but tight bass not always means less sag

[@MATTE.U.K]

Its almost a bit too aggressive/punchy to me but if you like that then its WAY worth it.

[@EugeValovirta230V]

Yeah I really like it but not necessary for me everyone since it’s all about personal preferences 👌.

[@richwalter5322]

Is it worth also replacing the choke and power transformer? I see Mercury makes replacements for those as well.

[@nafis6668]

First impression: sounds like the Mercury has less low mids , maybe thats why it sounds clearer to you. (Listening to Yamaha HS8 here)

[@playit-gamebasedlearning]

oh also wondering if you've tried a Y cable in stead of classic jumpering which takes of 6dB input I've read. the Y cable should give you the same amount of inout gain like when using the treble channel only.

[@darrenc8776]

Do you have to improve other components if your upgrading the transformer? The upgrade sounds a lot like my old JVM in OD 2 mode in the Orange gain

[@lolx1847]

Old one more raw and wild horse-y. Has that “slice”. New one sounds stiff to my ears?

[@nuitari666uzgurzmor6]

Wow long did the esp repair job take? And is this service only for signature artists, or for any customer? With the shipping costs from Europe and back plus the repair fee it probably costs a fortune?

[@oldguyjammin9732]

I’m sure that “in the room” you felt it, but can’t say out thru my iPad and ear buds that hear much difference.

[@Burnt_Gerbil]

I don’t hear much of a difference. Your attack likely makes it sound different. It’s two performances. Would be interesting to hear a re-amped DI track and compare.

[@LoBo-ru7xm]

Placebo effect :)

[@myuncle2]

You are joking? Less hum (which is revealing), in clean cruch the difference is obvious, with more gain is less obvious. But damn, they are expensive, that's the only thing I don't like.

[@LoBo-ru7xm]

Who do tells you that power amp wasn't rebiased after O.T. substitution? Probably it was (it must be...), so possible pre-existing imbalance between push&pull was cured: more balance makes P.A. quiter. Guitarists are always in search of voodoo magics :).

[@myuncle2]

@@LoBo-ru7xm I know, the devil is in the detail regarding sound, nothing can replace some nice crunchy distortion, and transformers are as important as the circuit itself. They produce different sounds, different hiss/hum, and most importantly if there is even a minor mistake in the coil, the transformer is less durable.

[@Kenman540]

You should have upgraded the choke also for the max improvement.

[@deathalizer]

the original transformer sounds better to me.

[@FourMypersonaluse]

Mercury is inanimate object 👶🙏👶🙏

[@waynegram8907]

EUGE, are you saying that the Taiwan OT adds this certain ringing noise or resonance noise while the Mercury OT is more noiseless and focused? Why haven't you tried the EVH Peavey O.T that are very punch and midrange because of the laminations material and core material they use. You still haven't gotten the Vulgar pedal yet? come on man you're slipping you need to get the Master effects Vulgar pedal RG100 its an cool pedal. Why am I always teaching you everything :)

[@ITheFight]

Dude sounds way! better!

[@HarkoBarf]

I can't help but liking the original transformer more. The MM sounds a bit stiff to my ears. I have that everytime when I hear this comparison. Maybe high end components are not always the best choice for these amps.

[@tgchan]

I can hear the difference over yt = it must be quite huge difference in real life. Congrats on your upgrade/

[@moparbryan]

Well I couldn’t hear any noticeable difference, that said oftentimes the player will feel response that can’t be heard by the listener as long as your happy that’s all that matters

[@M81_WOODLAND]

Meh. I put one of their OTs in a Marshall I had and the price didn't outweigh the hype. Just get an amp you love from the jump and you'll never feel the need to mod it.

[@johnmarshall3903]

Exactly!

[@franciscocuelo1657]

i cant linsen any diference...

[@truescotsman4103]

Nobody trusts the bench. You have to plug it in and crank it to know for sure.

[@spatnaspolecnost]

So this wasn't reamped? Meh, small difference but yeah it's a little better.

[@motorboy1966]

MIV sound fizzy MM way better

[@PandemiuM-gtr]

Everyone knows that the red cars are faster and red transformers are better... 😅

[@mymindisgone1758]

Sorry i must say it ....that red ESP guitar have most ugly bridge sound what i listen for while....but AMP playing sounds better, and in single coil position is very nice. I want listen same videos with different guitar...

[@jutukka]

That original is 'cardboardy' sounding. Mercury is better.

[@JohnWiku]

This one over here listens with his amazon packages 😂😂

[@dnadeau819]

You think itll be the same improvement with the Jubilee reissue?

[@dnadeau819]

7am 1pm???? Lmaooo