USA Amps and Heads voltages

darrenw5094

If i bought a 100w head from the US of A.....and it runs on 110v....what are the options with plugging it in here?
Is it a simple case of buying a voltage downgrader....like the ones in Maplins....or do i have to change the transformer.

I am tempeted with a Mesa Boogie Single or Dual Rectifier from there for about €850 or so....all in with customs tax.

Is it possible to make fatals errors and send it too amp heaven?

Voodu Child

You need a step-down transformer. The only other consideration is to make sure the step-down can handle the full power of the amp - if it can't, the convertor will run dangerously hot, and/or blow its fuse.

The ones in Maplin are usually pretty lightweight, probably not big enough for a Dual Rectifier. I can check what a Dual Rec needs, but it's probably at least 300W.

dabhoys

Some amps may have multiple tap transformers and it may only be a case of rewiring the primary side of the transformer. Obviously a tech would do it but it's pretty simple to do. Some amps require the new transformer but even then you can be saving alot even buying the new transformer.

darrenw5094

How much would a tranformer be for a Mesa Boogie Rectifier or other Mesa amps?????

The $$$ is pants at the moment...:D

Voodu Child

darrenw5094 wrote: »

How much would a tranformer be for a Mesa Boogie Rectifier or other Mesa amps?????

The $$$ is pants at the moment...:D

For the price of a step-down transformer, just google it or check ebay. It'll vary from amp to amp: for a Roadster for example, I'd be looking for a high-quality one, rated at 500W or higher. Might cost €50-100.

A smaller amp might get away with a 300W transformer; you need to check the amps power rating.

A replacement power transformer, to effectively 'convert' the amp to 220, would run at €200 or higher for most large Mesa's. And labour (if you can find someone competent enough to do it, maybe another hundred or two.

Tbh, its easier to just get the external step-down. And very very few Mesa amps have a transformer with multiple taps on the primary.

Quattroste

I use a step down for my Mesa LSS. It cost me 80 euro in Maplins. No hassle at all!

gotBass

Email Messa support.
say that you are touring in UK with a US amp.
They will recommend the best course of action.
some of the step down transformers are not recommended for valve amps, ( I had an issue with this with Ampeg SVT) Result was in my case that I got schematics for my amp and it was a simple jumper re-wire, and fuse replacement ( took about 15 mins but I am experienced with electronics, if you are not DON'T MESS ABOUT THERE ARE VERY DANGEROUS VOLTAGES IN THOSE AMPS) a very simple job for a tech ( once they are not colour blind)

apologies for shouting :-)

Some amps have switches for 220/110v input also not sure if this applies to the mesa amps though.
best of luck

dabhoys

As far as I can remember alot of the new mesa stuff has mutli tap transformers on the primary side. The best bet is to ring and ask.

Sometimes amp manufactures will tell you there **** isn't multi tap to protect there distributors in other countries but alot of times they are and its cheaper for them to have a multi tap transformer!!!

Voodu Child

dabhoys wrote: »

As far as I can remember alot of the new mesa stuff has mutli tap transformers on the primary side.

No, unfortunately they don't. I've been inside half a dozen recent Boogies and the only one with multiple taps was a 20/20 power amp. There IS a couple of other models which do, but the vast majority these days use a dedicated export transformer.

You won't find many Mesa's with switchable voltage either (as mentioned by gotBass). That's a very expensive custom option that almost no US buyers spec when choosing their amp. I've seen it on only about 2 or 3 Boogies over the years.

Step-down transformer is the simplest solution in most cases. Just buy a quality grounded one and make sure it can handle the power of the amp and you'll be grand.

darrenw5094

I just bought a Mesa Boogie Studio 22+ from a UK seller on ebay for €705.
All in including shipping and she's a UK 240V voltage too.
2 EL84's & 5 12ax7's, Vintage Black Shadow speaker.....great nick for a 18 year old.

So that's the voltage thing killed all in one swoop. :cool:
Mesa Studio 22+.jpg

Voodu Child

I had one of those Studio 22+ combo's a few years ago. Great amp, needs a good bit of volume to get it singing, but pretty awesome once you do, and in a very nice compact package. Maybe think about a noise gate or ISP decimator or similar if you plan on using a lot of gain.

Congrats and best of luck with it.

darrenw5094

voodoo_child wrote: »

I had one of those Studio 22+ combo's a few years ago. Great amp, needs a good bit of volume to get it singing, but pretty awesome once you do, and in a very nice compact package. Maybe think about a noise gate or ISP decimator or similar if you plan on using a lot of gain.

Congrats and best of luck with it.

I tried that Boss NS-2 at a gig before and it sucked the tone back down to a $100 amp. I do not like Boss personally anymore, who claim to be the industry standard. There are a lot of other brands doing better gear, which has only become available now because of the net........need to go to ebay annonymous.....no more spending.....very bad for health.....it will kill us all in the end.

What are the best noise supressors out there.....including 19" rackmount???

Will post up the new gear soon......
And another thing....i will have to sell the old gear to cover the cost of the new stuff.:mad:

Voodu Child

darrenw5094 wrote: »

What are the best noise supressors out there.....including 19" rackmount???

Well, theres the ISP range as mentioned above. They get a lot of good recommendations these days.
Wait til you get the amp anyhow, maybe you won't want/need one.

But my experience of high-gain amps from the 80s is that some of them do have a decent bit of noise once you whack the gain up...its not a 'fault', just one of those things the designers were gradually learning how to deal with.

Jelly 292

Hello, I just got a Mesa Boogie Studio 22+ on ebay from states for a good price ( i think! )

Can one of you amp techees tell me if the maplins step down transformer can handle the little amps 22 watts OK?

Cheers

Voodu Child

On the back of the amp, it'll say 117V x ?A

Multiply them to get a rough idea of the maximum power draw (this is where the fuse will blow, so its pretty safe to call it maximum :pac:). So, for example, if ? = 2A, 117x2 = 234 Watts.

234 then is the smallest step-down you should buy. But theres no such thing as 234 Watt transformers, so you'd buy a 300 Watt.

Its a nice little amp, I had one a few years ago, enjoy it

Jelly 292

Thanks a million Voodoo. My first Mesa, really looking forward to it:D