How Do Power Transformers Affect The Sound Of An Amp?

[dumb donnie]

I know OT's are crucial, but do PT's make any real difference tone-wise?

[loverocker]

Well, they're not supposed to :)

But an amp specced with a marginal PT might contribute to the tone when the amp is cranked, or if there's a significant load on the valve heater winding.

And on very long model runs, there may be some variability in the high voltage from different batches of the same PT (e.g. Marshall).

And a few bad PTs can create a hum issue (unwanted stray magnetic field).

[Old Tele man]

re: "It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit"...and how FEW know there's a difference!

[Scott_F]

It seems to me that the transfomers (all of them) are one of the greatest factors I see when I'm comparing amps. For some of us, it's the starting point to choosing a great amp. I look for big massive heavy iron first. The right set of trannies make or break an amp.

Just buld a Deluxe and pop in some killer trannies, then pop in some cheap ones. I'm betting you'll be able to tell.