the way your nasty little amp makes you play…
So where does great tone come from if nearly everybody is using the same parts from a small circle of high production manufacturers? What gave vintage amps their great tone and why do some amps sound better than others? How come so many new amps don’t have that inspiring tone anymore? And where do babies come from?
The answer to (most of) these questions, and the absolutely mission of Mercury, is in the TRANSFORMERS. We’re not kidding when we call them the “heart and soul of your amp.” Transformers establish the character and behavior of your amp’s ability to generate tone, from clean, to dirty harmonic distortion. That’s why Mercury goes through the trouble and expense to build and tune transformers the hard way: by hand, one-at-a-time, with old-world craftsmanship and the most tonally effective materials money can buy. The end result is all the guitar tone you want without a speck of cereal.
But what does the future hold for the electric guitar player and vacuum tube guitar amp owner? Is there truly something out there beyond the limits of vintage tone that isn’t going to be solid-state? Yes, we think so. With just the right combination of know-how and passion, Mercury is now helping amp builders re-think guitar tone by re-inventing it. We call these new tone-generating machines Axioms. The Axiom line showcases new advancements in magnetics through transformer design. Designs that give amp builders better tools to work with and tone that we feel will better connect you to your guitar. All without following conventional vintage designs or recipes.
One fine example of Axiom-based advanced transformer technology is Mercury’s Epiphone Valve Jr. Kit*. What started out as a simple demonstration of Axiom transformers gave a $100 economy tube amp $1,000+ worth of tonal performance! It’s hard to believe there isn’t a vintage bone in their windings! We’re not surprised that this best-selling kit is fast becoming the first choice of pro players and recording studios alike.
Imagine an affordable entry into the world of boutique amps that delivers top-shelf vintage American clean tones all the way to the overdriven distortion of the old British amps. Also imagine an amp that totally responds to every tone knob and pickup adjustment setting on your guitar. It’s fun stuff!
Our little upgrade kit is a showcase of what the future has in store for harmonically-rich tone. We invite you to check out our Epiphone Valve Jr. Kit and hear for yourself just what everybody’s talking about. Or ask your amp tech about other Axiom upgrades for your amps. Remember, in addition to our already amazing-soundingToneClone and Radiospares lines we make Axioms for most popular amps.
Source: https://mercurymagnetics.com/pages/_misc/FAQ.htm#Give_me_your_dirty_tone
