Hammond Transformers--Old vs New

[David Root]

Took a day off from debugging a Maggie 113 build's tremolo--

I recently came into a 1950's Hammond 273X power transformer, and it looked bigger & heavier than I recall 27* series PTs being. It had been shoehorned into a brown DeLuxe.

So I checked things out, long story short, this old 273X weighs 6.4 lbs vs current production at 4.6 lbs. (both 120V only primary). I weighed it myself, the old datasheet sez 6.5 lbs.

It's physically much bigger, and actually weighs more than a 373X, which has extra primary windings for 240V etc., at 5.7 lbs.

This old 273X seems to be built on a bigger frame than the modern ones.
Could this be attributed to Hammond using a lower grade lam material in the '50s than M6, which is what the current production is? Or is it just old school overbuilding?

[Leo_Gnardo]

Waaaaayaallll, I dunno. But I DO luv that speckle-paint! Veddy old-school.

[David Root]

It does look great! And that metal nameplate sure beats the current paper label.

[xtian]

Look like you could electrocute an elephant with that thing. (Damn, you, Edison!)

[sixstringer]

A small elephant maybe, the big ones just get really pissed off, same thing happens when you try electrolytics, at least, that's my experience.

[Structo]

Waaaaayaallll, I dunno. But I DO luv that speckle-paint! Veddy old-school.

Is it speckled or is it a wrinkle paint?

The wrinkle paint was used for a time on various devices and enclosures in the early years of electronics.

I had to replace a valve cover on my Honda which utilized wrinkle paint.

Used this stuff and it turned out great!

http://www.vhtpaint.com/products/wrinkleplus/

[rp]

That thing has 'pride' all over it. America what has happened to you?

Does paper make for a thicker wind than a bobbin, though that shouldn't affect the weight that much? People in the USA weren't stealing copper from train lines and light poles in 1950, and pennies were solid!, so maybe back then the cost of seriously over-rating was marginal. But that was your point of posting, right?

[matt h]

(deleted)

[rp]

...Hammond is Canadian...

Didn't they manufacture/d both in Canada and USA? Are they Canadian owned, or USA with factories in CA?

[matt h]

(deleted)

[rp]

Google is our friend:

https://www.hammfg.com/about

So 100% Canadian it seems. Interesting the trannie division was spun off in 2001 right when you see the 1700 guitar amp tannies appear. I always wondered by a global co like Hammond bothered, but the hobbyist market might be significant to the spin off.

[David Root]

Hammond seems to have catered to the DIY audio crowd for a looong time. How many large transformer manufacturers make PTs specifically for use with 2A3s and 300Bs?

That is wrinkle paint, not speckle or hammertone. The close flash pic is a bit misleading maybe, I was highlighting that wonderful old school nameplate!

FWIW the leads are solid not stranded and heavy gauge by modern standards. I do think they were "overdesigned" back then. How else to explain the massive weight difference, unless lower grade lamination steel is involved?

To my knowledge they manufactured only in one location in Canada until recently, now you will see some of their LV filament PTs made under contract in China.

[Regan]

I have an old 1650 something from the mid- late 60's that is supposedly only a 60 watt transformer but its huge- its bigger than that edcor in your SSS, David. The lam stack must be close to 3 inches thick, going by memory. It makes the Hammond iron in my 69 Garnet Pro look small, and that amp probably pushes close to 60 watts rms. They really made things stout in the day!
Regan

[rp]

I guess we have the answer to whether the old Hammonds sound like the new ones.

Would it kill any of these trannie companies today to use hammertone/crinkle and a pretty badge!? You'd think it would make their product stand out, at least give the illusion of pride and attention to detail. I'd pay $10 more for a Hammond that looked like the one in the pict even if no better than a standard model.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Would it kill any of these trannie companies today to use hammertone/crinkle and a pretty badge!? You'd think it would make their product stand out, at least give the illusion of pride and attention to detail. I'd pay $10 more for a Hammond that looked like the one in the pict even if no better than a standard model.

+1 rp . . . I was gonna say much the same.