Is Randall Smith no longer with Mesa?

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RaceU4her said:
I don’t know anything about electronics, but what is it that they can’t replicate in the trannys and whatever else? Is it like the Yamaha ns10s where the tree they used to make them went extinct or something? Did they run out of a certain metal??
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I read something here that Larry said about the old metals used in transformers being much less pure and of inferior quality to modern day metals, and on a molecular level this actually contributed to the tone.
I believe he also said that he had access to a stash of these old materials that he used to build his trannys.

I know fuck all about circuitry but I’d think that vintage circuits and the materials they’re made from could age in a way that would be conducive to a more raw and organic tone, much in the way that tonewoods do, and couldn’t be reproduced with modern day materials.
 
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Beyond Black said:
I read something here that Larry said about the old metals used in transformers being much less pure and of inferior quality to modern day metals, and on a molecular level this actually contributed to the tone.
I believe he also said that he had access to a stash of these old materials that he used to build his trannys.
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Whilst Frodo was at war on Mount Doom, Larry was in the background scooping up ladles of the fire and brimstone and pouring them into casts to create his transformers. He had to work quickly, hence why they are so limited.
 
japetus said:
Whilst Frodo was at war on Mount Doom, Larry was in the background scooping up ladles of the fire and brimstone and pouring them into casts to create his transformers. He had to work quickly, hence why they are so limited.
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And he gained access by bribing Dildo Baggins with a nice dish of roasted potatoes smothered with German Caterpillars, and a spot in line for a Larry.
 
It wasn't until I got off the bus that I noticed this was not going to be a normal evening. Smith had told me about it. He transformed my thinking about all of the signs - which was definitely a plus. Mark my word. He was a maverick, standing there wearing his original tweed jacket, but there was something about it. It definitely was not off the rack. Not something you would go trans-Atlantic to get.

All of the signs had been there just like he said. I couldn't tell though if he was fired up, or merely leaving on his own. He had told me Pete said the new boss was in town. The kids were taking over. I guess old man Gib finally got his heir into the business. Kid was trying to amp things up. Smith didn't like. Not even a bit. Made me wonder if he still carried his stiletto with him.

It was starting to rain. Like a nomad, I pulled up the collar on my coat, pulled my hat down tighter, and headed off the Fillmore. Some new 50s show was playing.
 
Beyond Black said:
I read something here that Larry said about the old metals used in transformers being much less pure and of inferior quality to modern day metals, and on a molecular level this actually contributed to the tone.
I believe he also said that he had access to a stash of these old materials that he used to build his trannys.

I know fuck all about circuitry but I’d think that vintage circuits and the materials they’re made from could age in a way that would be conducive to a more raw and organic tone, much in the way that tonewoods do, and couldn’t be reproduced with modern day materials.
Click to expand...
According to my search on google and chatgpt the Output transformer makes a difference when it comes to the tonal character, harmonic quality and overall sound.

The Power transformer indirectly influences the reliability and performance but not the tonal character, because it is only responsible for delivering the necessary voltages to the components. Meaning the components need a certain amount of voltage to function.

So when I see people talk about how much of a difference a transformer makes on the tonal character and sound it is the output transformer they are speaking of.

I think this is important to point out because some people like me have replaced the US power transformer to a 230V input with a new power transformer, and it doesn’t make the amp less attractive because it doesn’t impact the tone.
However the Output transformer does make a difference.
 
japetus said:
Whilst Frodo was at war on Mount Doom, Larry was in the background scooping up ladles of the fire and brimstone and pouring them into casts to create his transformers. He had to work quickly, hence why they are so limited.
Click to expand...
And it was at that point Larry crossed paths with Medusa and she turned him to stone.
 
Beyond Black said:
I read something here that Larry said about the old metals used in transformers being much less pure and of inferior quality to modern day metals, and on a molecular level this actually contributed to the tone.
I believe he also said that he had access to a stash of these old materials that he used to build his trannys.

I know fuck all about circuitry but I’d think that vintage circuits and the materials they’re made from could age in a way that would be conducive to a more raw and organic tone, much in the way that tonewoods do, and couldn’t be reproduced with modern day materials.
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This topic was discussed a lot. It’s the steel laminations. Modern transformers use M6 lamination supposedly extending both top and bottom end.
 
CrystalSky said:
How new Wizards are still good then?
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Wizards weren't around yet when those vintage amps came out. Wizard's IME for recent made amps are surprisingly raw, organic though. Still not the same way as my vintage amps, but surprisingly close. Alessandro's have been the closest I've tried of recent made amps so far

Clearly Wizard, Naylor and Alessandro have figured something out that most other amp makers have not. Not sure if it's the transformers since lots of amps use Mercury, but who knows
 
braintheory said:
Wizards weren't around yet when those vintage amps came out. Wizard's IME for recent made amps are surprisingly raw, organic though. Still not the same way as my vintage amps, but surprisingly close. Alessandro's have been the closest I've tried of recent made amps so far

Clearly Wizard, Naylor and Alessandro have figured something out that most other amp makers have not. Not sure if it's the transformers since lots of amps use Mercury, but who knows
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Wish these secret things get implemented more often.
 
RaceU4her said:
I don’t know anything about electronics, but what is it that they can’t replicate in the trannys and whatever else? Is it like the Yamaha ns10s where the tree they used to make them went extinct or something? Did they run out of a certain metal??
Click to expand...
From the horse's mouth, one deal breaker in the circuit between vintage & modern amps is germanium. The EU banned it and since Mesa is building amps for a worldwide market they can no longer use specific germanium-based components, and the replacements have a fundamentally different voltage / resistance / whatever (I'm not an EE) capacity.

Also we know from a RS interview that they spent time with the physical layout of the PCBs in that he said how the traces are overlaid against each other affects tone, feedback, sustain etc.. The PCBs in the reissues are completely different.

That said, if they came out with an identical - including the guts & the PCB- reissue, I'd be in to try it. If I'm seeing modern / different PCB designs, miniaturized components & ribbon cables, I'm out. BTDT with the V, JP & VII.

..and I'll say it, on the microphone I think the JP is the closest.
 
GJgo said:
From the horse's mouth, one deal breaker in the circuit between vintage & modern amps is germanium. The EU banned it and since Mesa is building amps for a worldwide market they can no longer use specific germanium-based components, and the replacements have a fundamentally different voltage / resistance / whatever (I'm not an EE) capacity.

Also we know from a RS interview that they spent time with the physical layout of the PCBs in that he said how the traces are overlaid against each other affects tone, feedback, sustain etc.. The PCBs in the reissues are completely different.

That said, if they came out with an identical - including the guts & the PCB- reissue, I'd be in to try it. If I'm seeing modern / different PCB designs, miniaturized components & ribbon cables, I'm out. BTDT with the V, JP & VII.

..and I'll say it, on the microphone I think the JP is the closest.
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Not to mention the tubes the amps were originally designed around (STR 415 - Sylvania 6L6 and STR 416 Sylvania 6CA7 for Simul-Class models). The original transformers were spec'd around the higher voltages those tubes could handle, relative to newer production tubes.

I've also heard, but it remains unconfirmed, that copper wire in general was made from a higher purity (fewer imperfections) formulation decades ago.
 
Beyond Black said:
I read something here that Larry said about the old metals used in transformers being much less pure and of inferior quality to modern day metals, and on a molecular level this actually contributed to the tone.
I believe he also said that he had access to a stash of these old materials that he used to build his trannys.

I know fuck all about circuitry but I’d think that vintage circuits and the materials they’re made from could age in a way that would be conducive to a more raw and organic tone, much in the way that tonewoods do, and couldn’t be reproduced with modern day materials.
Click to expand...
makes sense from a material quality - I'd expect higher quality back in the '60s, but less consistency of quality - from caps to wire, and everything else; then factor in the MILSPEC vacuum tubes pre-mid 1970s which are higher quality than new tubes today...

I remember reading from a few sources that in the early days Marshall would use whatever they had around increasing the range of variability from one amp to the next, one hour, day, week, month to the next.

it's alchemy shrouded in mystery as many of the amp alchemists of the '60s are no longer with us.
 
braintheory said:
Not sure if it's the transformers since lots of amps use Mercury
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Hammond does custom transformers from what I recall, I wouldn't be surprised if Mercury does too. In which case, all bets are off since the manufacturer could be specifying stuff that's non-standard in production model transformers.
 
c+addict said:
What tubes are they gonna use?
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I'd be willing to bet that they'll use the PT from the JP & the VII which runs more like 460PV (Like the PT100 & X101) and can take whatever tube. If they're paying attention they'll probably use the SRT448 (TAD Redbase) which is based off the old Sylvania & RCA designs.
 
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