The finals (tubes), transformer, and the speaker all interact to create the distortion that we seem to call 'warmth.'  When we really screw up the matching of all three components we end up with expensive guitar amplifiers.  Poor speaker impedance matching is an important part of trashing an amplifier's linearity.
 
Glen.

I don't imagine a power transformer can make much difference in tone but a good output transformer can. Otherwise Mercury Magnetics would likely go out of business, why pay more for the same thing? The first preamp tube can make a huge difference, sometimes the second... but speakers make the biggest difference.
Having said all that, I can take pretty much any amplifier and dial in "my tone". Like Clapton on the Cream reunion tour, using a Stratocaster and what looked like a narrow panel tweed Fender amp, and a Leslie (he used a Leslie on Derek and the Dominoes in  his chain too)... but Crossroads.. sounded like well, Cream.
That doesn't stop me from wanting more amps and OD pedals.
I do tend to change speakers in my favorite amps and use NOS preamp tubes in V1.
I guess what I mean to say is your settings make the most difference in your tone. I sound like me no matter what I play through. Eh...
The pickups you put in a guitar make more difference, to my ears than transformers or tubes... maybe more than speakers. Huge difference between a PAF and a JB. Fast Tracks and CS 54s.
 
edit> I almost forgot. Even knowing all this... I am thinking of selling some stuff to get a Dr. Z Antidote head. It sound's like the ultimate 45w Marshall style head to me, at least for the money. Used ones on Reverb.com for around 1599.00 new 1999.00. You only live once, may as well live well, huh? Check out the Cast-engineering Texas Flood pedal. TONE.
 
J

I've never tried a Dr Z head but my Dr Z head in AmpliTube is one of my favorites. Cutting tone.

sharke
I've never tried a Dr Z head but my Dr Z head in AmpliTube is one of my favorites. Cutting tone.

I don't know if it really sound's as good as the clips they have posted but if it does... wow.
This is the one I'm talking about: http://drzamps.com/product/antidote/ and this guy, Dave Baker they have on some of the demos... man, he has some chops. So do the others. He makes this amp do some GOOD stuff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjel8Ja-3EI sorry, no picture link but straight from the Dr's website. I'd like to get lessons from this guy, just to learn some licks and riffs...
Tell me this amp don't sound great... and RAIN... if you see this, check it out. It may do Marshall better than Marshall.
 
J

Yeah from the clips it sounds like it produces the kind of tones you'd want to EQ everything else around. 

batsbrew
it's not really the same animal we are talking about here....
 
every amp has a output transformer....
 
we're talking recording gear here,
not tube guitar amps.

At the risk of going further afield, I just wanted to say that I have an old Hohner HI-210R  SS amp from 1971 that has no output transformer. The speakers are wire directly to the power transistors. It actually sounds pretty awesome.

jbow
Having said all that, I can take pretty much any amplifier and dial in "my tone"

 
True Dat.... !!    Or get very close with something that's workable.  
 
In a nightclub, many years ago, a certain picker in town sat in on another guitarist's rig. The original guitarist commented.... "How the #$%@ does he do that?"  The guy who sat in had a sweet singing tone and the guitar owner had a clinky plain sound.... and knew it. Same rig, but different players. It's not all about the gear, although having good gear is certainly better.

kevinwal

batsbrew
it's not really the same animal we are talking about here....
 
every amp has a output transformer....
 
we're talking recording gear here,
not tube guitar amps.

At the risk of going further afield, I just wanted to say that I have an old Hohner HI-210R  SS amp from 1971 that has no output transformer. The speakers are wire directly to the power transistors. It actually sounds pretty awesome.

Opps, sorry. I should have paid more attention... when I hear transformers and tubes I default to guitar amps..
I'll do better, I promise I will...
 
Julien

Thanks jbow for that link to the Dr Z Antidote. I enjoyed those videos a lot and yes the playing is nice for sure. (helps!) I worked in a shop that was into importing Mesa Boogie amps into Australia around 1983 so I was into those designs as well. I got to know Randall and some of the ideas he was using then too.
 
I built a stereo Williamson Class A valve hi fi power amp in the 70's around two KT66's as the output stage. This is a sweet sound. I am wondering if the designer has done something similar here. I had to use a special output transformer that had multi-taps. Key to its sound I think.
 
Power transformers help a lot (not so much in sound but a little though) if they can deliver high current at the high voltages. Big and heavy. I had a very hefty power transformer in my valve power amp. It delivered punch and had a full sounding low end delivery. All requires power.  The plate voltage is 500V DC in the Williamson design. I have hooked myself across that voltage a few times too! It can melt a screwdriver!  It was hard getting an electrolytic capacitor to work safely at that voltage and deliver heavy current surges. Phillips made those for us in Holland.
 
I had to get a transformer manufacturer to wind the output transformers for me. They were big and heavy too. They would only do 10 minimum so I got 4 others to build stereo power amps with me at the time too. (All the Williamsons are alive and well and all sounding perfect today in one ctiy still. Canberra, Australia)
 
They are doing something nice and sweet in that guitar amp design. I loved the sound too when the crunch was not coming from a pedal preceeding the amp. The natural amp cruch is killer. And also to be able to disable the EQ sound like that. That sound rocks. That whole amp just oozes valves and transformers working well together.

jbow

kevinwal

batsbrew
it's not really the same animal we are talking about here....
 
every amp has a output transformer....
 
we're talking recording gear here,
not tube guitar amps.

At the risk of going further afield, I just wanted to say that I have an old Hohner HI-210R  SS amp from 1971 that has no output transformer. The speakers are wire directly to the power transistors. It actually sounds pretty awesome.

Opps, sorry. I should have paid more attention... when I hear transformers and tubes I default to guitar amps..
I'll do better, I promise I will...
 
Julien

Lol, no worries, I'm guilty of mixing subjects, sorry about that. That Hohner is a guitar amp. The clean tone has a great Marshall growl mixed with a lovely Fender chime.