Mercury Magnetics FTDO-15
Fender 1955 Tweed Deluxe OT
This is the Mercury Magnetics FTDO-15 OT for the 1955 Tweed Deluxe.
Much to my surprise, this OT had some problems when it was unwrapped
from the factory's bubble wrap:
First, the paper wrapper surrounding the coils had a large triangular
section missing. This appeared to be only a cosmetic fault, as a polymer
layer of wrapper was present beneath the paper wrapper. All of the Tweed
era Fender replacement OT that I have encountered have had a paper wrapper over a synthetic wrapper, presumably to make the OT more aesthetically correct. Unfortunately, missing sections of insulation don't do much to add to the aesthetics of a premium priced transformer.
Second, one of the red leads on the OT was spliced as the OT came from the factory! Although I was assured that this OT was a "factory first" and not a "seconds" quality OT, I was unwilling to accept spliced leads. Because it was more trouble than it was worth to return this OT for a replacement (I would have had to have paid shipping at my own expense for someone else's error), I ended up selling it off at a loss.
Unfortunately, this is not the only Tweed era Fender replacement OT that came from the factory with problems. The FTDO-59, also arrived with torn paper insulation.
BACK
Photos Copyright 2003 by Bob Predaina. All Rights Reserved. Photos may not be copied, reproduced, or hyperlinked without the express written permission of Bob Predaina.