Fake Mercury Transformers

Fake Mercury transformers have been discovered in some Orange amps. It is believed that unethical eBay activity is once again the culprit and that Mercury transformers are being counterfeited to increase the resale value these, and possibly other, amps.

Mercury produces special orange-colored endbells, with white lettering and Mercury Magnetics logo, for certain Orange amps.

How to identify counterfeit Mercury transformers:

• No silver part number I.D. sticker affixed to the laminations.
• Laminations are low grade and “shiny.”
• Marked and inferior tonal quality.
• When an endbell is removed the bobbin style will be similar to the sample photos above. Mercury’s bobbins are cream-colored (never black) and do not have independent lead wire holes.

Note: The sample photos above are believed to be from an Orange AD140 or AD200.

Mercury offers a free identification service. If you suspect that you have a counterfeit transformer, send us a 2 or 3 photos, from different angles, of the transformer with an endbell removed. Expect verification, via email, the same day that the photos are received. Send your photos and email address via email or post directly to Mercury (see contact info below).

We will post more information as it becomes available.

Source: https://mercurymagnetics.com/pages/news/misc/BogusOrange.htm