Bringing amps back to UK

sorbz62

After 10 years in Canada, I'm now moving back to good old Blighty with all my stuff, amongst which are my amps, as follows:

1.  Bogner XTC

2.  Soldano HR50+
3.  Mesa Mark 4 combo.
4.  Marshall JCM900 4101 combo

5.  Marshall JCM900 SLX head.

I know the Marshalls have multi-voltage windings on the tranny's but just wondered about the other amps. I presume I'm going to have to replace the
trannies but you never know. Any advice is welcome.

Cheers,
Jim

ecc83

Jim, you mean the POWER AKA 'MAINS transformers. Lot of expensive work mate. I would look at a top quality auto transformer from someone like RS components. A 500VA model should run any of those amps and probabaly more than one at a time.

Not so convenient if you are gigging but home use or studio will be fine. ICBM will I am sure be along to give you chapter and verse about your options.

Dave.

ICBM

You may have to replace the *power* transformers, but hopefully not the output ones unless something else has gone very wrong .

If the Mesa was sold new in North America it will have a 'domestic' 120V-only PT. I would *strongly* advise buying a 240V export one before you leave Canada - Mesa won't sell spares outside North America other than via their official distributors and you'll be utterly ripped off.

I don't know about the other two but the Mesa is from experience.

ecc83

Found this:https://schematicheaven.net/newamps/soldano_50-100_hotrod.pdf for the Soldano and it shows a single PT primary winding i.e. no 230V option. It also shows either fuse in the wrong side of the mains or the bloody switch! And how cheap for an amp over 2k? Single pole mains switch.

Dave.

ICBM

ecc83 said:

It also shows either fuse in the wrong side of the mains or the bloody switch! And how cheap for an amp over 2k? Single pole mains switch.

USA (lack of) regulations don't require otherwise. You could argue that a double-pole switch is introducing potential unreliability for no reason if both the switch and the fuse are in the live feed not the neutral and the plug can't be wired wrong, rather than it being for cheapness, but...

Whitecat

ICBM said:

You may have to replace the *power* transformers, but hopefully not the output ones unless something else has gone very wrong .

If the Mesa was sold new in North America it will have a 'domestic' 120V-only PT. I would *strongly* advise buying a 240V export one before you leave Canada - Mesa won't sell spares outside North America other than via their official distributors and you'll be utterly ripped off.

I don't know about the other two but the Mesa is from experience.

IIRC Mesa/Boogie distribute directly to the U.K. now so should be no middleman to deal with here anymore. 

ICBM

Whitecat said:

IIRC Mesa/Boogie distribute directly to the U.K. now so should be no middleman to deal with here anymore. 

That's true, but I would be highly surprised if they don't carry forward the policy of punitive overcharging for replacement 230/240V transformers - the purpose is to deter grey imports, and I can't see that changing.

sorbz62

I brought my Mark V to Canada when I moved their expecting to have to change the tranny but it had an export multi-voltage one in.  I'm working away at the moment but maybe I can check to see if the Mk IV has the same 

SquireJapan

For what it’s worth, I brought a Mesa mark 1 back to the UK (from the US). 

Didn’t pay much for it over there, so worth a gamble shipping back. Took the speaker out and shipped it separately, back in the UK bought a step down transformer from Thomann and all is well. 

Had no aspirations of gigging the amp, so all good. 

Chisel_hill

If it was me I would sell and buy again...I love shopping