What to do with blown power transformer?

[DaveG]

A while back one of my pals borrowed my '65 Princeton and stupidly put the wrong fuse in it (why? dunno...) causing it to short out and blow the power transformer after all these years. Nice...
I had it expertly repaired by the late Dennis Kager, who replaced the tranny with as-close-to-original as possible.
I still have the blown transformer that he returned to me.
Does it have any value? Can it be repurposed? Or is it only worth scrap value? Any info appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dacious]

If you can find a tube radio repair and restoration place locally they will almost certainly have a tame transformer winder. You can also check out armature winders. If you have the spec for the transformer it helps - someone on the board here will know. Or - advertise it on Craigslist as blown. There are people who look for trese to rewind.

 

[King Fan]

A while back one of my pals borrowed my '65 Princeton and stupidly put the wrong fuse in it (why? dunno...) causing it to short out and blow the power transformer after all these years. Nice...
I had it expertly repaired by the late Dennis Kager, who replaced the tranny with as-close-to-original as possible

May I ask: A vintage 1965 or '65 reissue? If the former, your 'pal' should now be mowing your lawn and washing your car until the next century.

In any case, I like the note from @Dacious about rewinding the PT. Let us know what you decide.

 

[Killing Floor]

Do you fish? Need a sinker for groupers.

 

[Intubator]

The repair person repaired your transformer? Or made a new one and then returned your original with the new one? If you in fact have your original, first you may want to remove the bells and do an inspection. I was fortunate enough to repair a CT open circuit on my 66 Bandmasters original PT which was located at the connection of the windings, removed the bells and the fried wire and resoldered in a new one. If your original has not been molested at this point maybe you would be as lucky? If not so lucky I'd have Mercury Magnetics or maybe Soursound rewind it to original specs, use it in the amp and then keep the receipt for posterity.

 

[Jasonpatrick]

Soursound will rewind it for you.

 

[PhoenixBill]

I don’t understand the root cause though. What made him change the fuse? Fuses rarely just go bad (though they can, it’s rare). So something made the amp draw more current than necessary and blew the fuse. If he put in a bigger fuse, and the amp is drawing more current, then yes the PT may burn up. However, something was making the amp draw more current than it was intended to. Merely putting in a bigger fuse will not burn up the amp unless the amp was drawing more current to start with. There could be a 50 amp fuse in there and if the amp was operating normally, you would never know. If the amp was functioning properly. The larger-than-normal fuse wasn’t good for the amp because something was amiss. Was the original PT shorting out?

 

[dogmeat]

exactly ^^^^^^ the fuse did not damage the transformer, something else did. it may have contributed but a short will immediately take out a fuse thats 5x over the rating. x-former windings are pretty robust for short durations of being way over powered

as for what to do with it... wait until someone is tailing you on the freeway

 

[Monoprice99]

Probably as good as you're gonna find/get for a 3rd party rebuild. Mercury Magnetics are reputable for the most notable boutique amps.

Mercury Vintage™ Transformer Restoration Service

Is the transformer of your prized vintage amp dying or no longer working? Do you have an original vintage transformer that is losing its tonality? Mercury will restore it to its original condition.

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[Monoprice99]

Dennis Kager (RIP) probably thoroughly repaired that amp, so the fuse was also replaced with the right type. The least of your worries should be what didn't blow the fuse & ultimately the Power Transformer. What Transformer did he replace it with ? Compare that, with, if you can find the specs for the original Fender part. You might be just better off having the original rebuilt & as a spare should it ever blow/burn up again at some point in your lifetime. Mercury Magnetics or Soursound seem to have replacement parts that are on par or better than what Fender has. But I also get that the original part on a pre-CBS era amp is part of the mojo of the vintage amp. To me, it's like an old car with a rebuilt automatic transmission or engine in it. It's never going to be 100% original parts, because it's been rebuilt. And whoever does rebuild it, can only try to match what's left of it that isn't damaged beyond that analysis and attempt to build it identically. Rebuilt is never going to emulate decades of use just the same. It's like dropping a rebuilt speaker cone & coil into the amp. all it's become is a new speaker using the original magnet & cage.

 

[Peegoo]

Rebuilt is never going to emulate decades of use just the same.

Many players don't consider that when Fender amps were new right off the line, they sounded different (better?) than they do now. Specs drift as heat/cool cycles, the environment and age take their toll. Almost always for the worst.

The only magic and romance in any amp or component is whatever a person imagines is in there. Same goes for any guitar.

Turn that PT into a Vintage Woo-woo Mojo paperweight

 

[SoK66]

Check with Kendrick Amps in Texas. Many years ago they got some vintage Bassman transformers rewound for us. Not sure who they used, but they worked great. You could also contact Mercury and Heyboer, they may still offer rewind services.

 

[Monoprice99]

Many players don't consider that when Fender amps were new right off the line, they sounded different (better?) than they do now. Specs drift as heat/cool cycles, the environment and age take their toll. Almost always for the worst.

The only magic and romance in any amp or component is whatever a person imagines is in there. Same goes for any guitar.

Turn that PT into a Vintage Woo-woo Mojo paperweight

Yep, there's a part of me that feels like the original parts should be a forever thing. If it can be rebuilt & reused, I'm for that.

 

[Intubator]

Many players don't consider that when Fender amps were new right off the line, they sounded different (better?) than they do now. Specs drift as heat/cool cycles, the environment and age take their toll. Almost always for the worst.

The only magic and romance in any amp or component is whatever a person imagines is in there. Same goes for any guitar.

Turn that PT into a Vintage Woo-woo Mojo paperweight

Of course this why Leo in his brilliance of foreseeing the future and the degree of obsessive future disciples, of whom I am one, stated on his layouts and schematics in the style of an ancient religious scroll "+/- 20% of all values, including revered tones peepes!" Long live Leo!!

 

[NTC]

Assuming this was an actual '65, weren't the PT's notoriously under specced and prone to self-destruct under duress? Maybe this one was just lucky it lasted as long as it did? That said, it is worth looking into getting is rewound.

 

[Wally]

Assuming this was an actual '65, weren't the PT's notoriously under specced and prone to self-destruct under duress? Maybe this one was just lucky it lasted as long as it did? That said, it is worth looking into getting is rewound.

Yes, the original PT was a 70ma unit….good enough for the .champs, Broncos, and Vibrochamps that used the same PT but a bit light for the demands of a Princeton And Princeton Reverb amp. It appears that all of the replacements for those amps are now 100ma PTs. I have a blown PT from a 1964 Prin Rev. Good paperweight for the obsessive Fender geek??? I have never seen a dead PT in a BF/SF Champ/Bronco/VC, so I don’t know if I am going to foot the bill for a rewind. I would not advise putting an accurate rewind back into a Princeton or Princeton Reverb.
circa, 1970, Fender upgraded the PT with the #010020 PT….multitap primary and 100ma.

 

[kingmlg]

The power transformer in my 67 BFPR fried when the filter caps crapped out. I pulled the bells off and dumped the rest.