Mercury Magnetics

What Mercury Magnetics does

Mercury Magnetics is a Southern California-based specialty transformer manufacturer founded in 1954 by a former General Electric transformer engineer. The company designs and hand-winds audio transformers — power transformers, output transformers, and chokes — primarily for tube-based electric guitar amplifiers. All manufacturing is performed on-site at the company's Canoga Park, California facility using custom-formulated American-made iron and materials, with hand-stacking and proprietary vacuum impregnation processes that the company uses to replicate the tonal characteristics of vintage transformer designs. Core technical assets include the proprietary ToneClone process for creating tonal duplicates of vintage units, the Axiom next-generation transformer line, and the patented Amp-Saver microprocessor-based amplifier protection device.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market: direct-to-consumer sales through its website and phone for individual players, an authorized dealer/service-center network called the Service & Support Network (SSN) for amp technicians and music stores, and B2B supply of custom and OEM transformers to boutique amp builders (e.g., Mojave Ampworks, Joe Morgan Amps, MetroAmp) and undisclosed major manufacturers under confidentiality agreements. Revenue is generated from hardware sales (transformer units), custom design work, and a smaller restoration/re-winding service for vintage transformers. Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed; the company enforces Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) across its dealer channel and operates on 6–8 week lead times for custom units.

As of October 27, 2025, Mercury Magnetics was acquired by Quality Transformer & Electronics (QT&E) and continues to operate as a division within QT&E at its California facility under existing leadership. The company has been privately held throughout its history with no disclosed institutional or venture funding, and reportedly maintains the world's largest catalog of guitar amplifier transformer designs spanning hundreds of models from 1948 to present.

Name

Mercury Magnetics

Legal name

Mercury Magnetics, Inc.

Website

https://mercurymagnetics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mercury Magnetics, founded in 1954 in Southern California, hand-winds premium transformers (power, output, and chokes) for tube-based guitar amplifiers, selling directly to players, through an authorized SSN dealer network, and via custom/OEM supply to boutique and major amp manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Audio Transformers

NAICS

Power, Distribution, and Specialty Transformer Manufacturing (335311)

SIC

Electronic Coils, Transformers & Other Inductors (3677)

akta.pro primary industry

Transformers & Magnetics (Power/Signal) (HDAHANAD)

Keywords

• Guitar amplifier transformers
• Audio transformers
• Power transformers
• Tube amplifier components
• Transformer rewinding services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chatsworth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Transformer Sales: Sale of hand-wound replacement and upgrade transformers for guitar amplifiers, including power transformers, output transformers, and chokes. Products sold directly to players and through dealer network.
2. Custom Transformer Design & Manufacturing: Custom transformer designs for boutique amp builders and major amp manufacturers, often under confidentiality agreements.
3. Vintage Transformer Restoration: Restoration and rewind services for valuable vintage transformers, meticulously unwinding by hand, documenting anomalies, and rewinding to exact original specifications while maintaining original exterior appearance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mercury Magnetics designs and hand-winds premium audio transformers — including power transformers, output transformers, and chokes — specifically for tube-based electric guitar amplifiers, with its core catalog covering hundreds of amp models from 1948 onward. The company also produces commercial/industrial transformers, the NewVolt line for automotive and marine power enhancement, the patented Amp-Saver protective device, transformer upgrade kits, and offers custom transformer design plus vintage transformer restoration/rewinding services. All products are 100% handmade in California using custom-formulated American-made materials.

Product overview

Mercury Magnetics is a specialized transformer manufacturer offering premium hand-wound audio transformers for tube-based guitar amplifiers, commercial/industrial applications, and automotive/marine use. The core product portfolio centers on guitar amp transformers (power transformers, output transformers, and chokes) available under multiple sub-brands: ToneClone for vintage-accurate duplicates, Axiom for next-generation designs, Mercury Vintage for authentic restorations, and Radiospares/Partridge for brand-specific clones. The company also offers the Amp-Saver protective device, upgrade kits for popular budget amplifiers, and custom transformer design services through their Custom Shop. All manufacturing is performed 100% handmade in California, USA at their Southern California facility, with a focus on duplicating or exceeding the performance of the best original transformer designs from the 1950s and 1960s.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mercury Vintage: Vintage transformer restoration service for one-off repairs and restoration of valuable vintage transformers to original specifications.
• Mercury Custom Shop
• Mercury Boutique
• ToneClone
• Axiom
• Radiospares
• Partridge
• FatStack
• SuperStack
• NewVolt
• Mini-Choke
• Multi-Choke
• Amp-Saver

Products and services

• Guitar Amplifier Transformers (Power, Output, Chokes) Premium hand-wound power transformers, output transformers, chokes, interstage/phase inverter transformers, reverb transformers, and inductors specifically designed for tube-based electric guitar amplifiers; foundational components shaping amp tone and dynamic response.
• Commercial / Industrial Transformers Custom transformer engineering design and manufacturing for military, industrial, and commercial buyers, with over 60 years of turnkey magnetic product design and build-to-spec capability at the Southern California facility.
• NewVolt Automotive Automotive and marine product line providing more power and better performance from stock ignitions, pumps, and motors.
• Amp-Saver Patented microprocessor-controlled device that protects amplifiers by controlling power flow, working with the amp's on/off switch for automatic protection.
• ToneClone Transformer Series Tonal duplicates of the best-sounding vintage amplifier transformers, culled from hundreds of brands the company has analyzed, replicating their exact characteristics including anomalies and asymmetries that create 'magic tone.'
• Axiom Transformers Next-generation premium transformer designs marrying the best of vintage-era designs with breakthrough discoveries to deliver better-sounding, more inspirational amps beyond the limitations of vintage originals.
• Radiospares and Partridge Brand Clones Brand-specific clone transformers that replicate the original Radiospares (England/Europe) and Partridge vintage designs, known for extremely well-constructed, varnished transformers used in early VOX and other classic amplifiers.
• FatStack / SuperStack Upgrade Kits Stacked transformer upgrade kits for Marshall DSL and TSL series amplifiers plus enhanced bass-performance configurations, designed to deliver improved tonal performance and dynamic response.
• Mini-Choke / Multi-Choke Compact choke designs and multi-function choke products included in upgrade kits to improve an amp's tone by enhancing the power supply's dynamic response.
• Upgrade Kits (e.g., Champ 600, Epiphone Valve Jr., Studio-Pro for VOX AC4tv) Pre-engineered transformer upgrade kits for amplifiers like the Fender Champ 600 and Epiphone Valve Jr., designed to transform inexpensive stock amplifiers into professional or recording-quality amps, including the Mercury Studio-Pro kit for the VOX AC4tv.
• Copper-Tone Power Cords Premium power cords offered as amplifier accessories to complement transformer upgrades and the broader premium-tone product ecosystem.
• Mercury Vintage Restoration Service One-off restoration service for valuable, usually vintage transformers. Meticulously unwinds transformers by hand, documents each wind and anomaly, then rewinds by hand to restore original sound and original exterior appearance without modification or enhancement.
• Mercury Custom Shop Custom transformer design and manufacturing service for boutique amp builders and signature tonal requirements, often performed under confidentiality agreements.
• Mercury Boutique Product Line Premium boutique transformer products offered as part of Mercury's high-end product tier for tone-critical amplifier upgrades.

Quantifiable outcome

• Transformers are the most expensive part of any amplifier, representing approximately 50% of costs, making quality transformers critical to amp value and tone.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Quality Transformer & Electronics (QT&E)coreOthers · 27 October 2025Quality Transformer & Electronics (QT&E) acquired Mercury Magnetics in October 2025 to expand capabilities while maintaining Mercury's heritage in audio craftsmanship. Mercury continues operations at its California facility as a division within QT&E, with ongoing leadership and product continuity.
• Alexander DumbleflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlexander Dumble, legendary boutique amp designer, has been a long-time collaborator with Mercury Magnetics. Their relationship dates back decades, with Dumble preferring confidentiality regarding their working arrangement.
• Ken Fischer (Trainwreck Amps)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKen Fischer, creator of the famed Trainwreck amplifiers, was an early collaborator with Mercury Magnetics. Their work together contributed to the development of Mercury's understanding of transformer-tTube relationships in guitar amplification.
• Don Butler (Toneman)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDon Butler, known as 'Toneman,' is a key figure in the amp upgrade industry. He collaborated with Mercury Magnetics on the Building the Perfect Plexi project with Peter Stroud, serving as the implementation specialist who performed amp modifications using Mercury transformers.
• Allen Cyr (Amp Exchange)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAllen Cyr from Amp Exchange collaborated with Sergio Hamernik to design transformer upgrade kits for amplifiers like the Epiphone Valve Jr. and Fender Champ 600.
• SSN Service & Support Network MemberscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMercury's Service & Support Network includes qualified amp technicians and music stores with amp service departments. Members receive referrals from Mercury, educational support, volume discounts, and promotional materials. The program helps expand Mercury's installation and service capabilities.
• Boutique Amp ManufacturerscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerVarious boutique amp builders including Mojave Ampworks, Joe Morgan Amps, and MetroAmp use Mercury Magnetics transformers in their products. Some major amp manufacturers also use custom Mercury designs. Confidentiality agreements prevent disclosure of specific names.

Scale indicators5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hammond Manufacturing: Major North American manufacturer of electrical and electronic enclosures, transformers, and magnetics with an audio transformer product line. Far broader portfolio than Mercury, but supplies audio and signal transformers into overlapping applications.
• Triad Magnetics: Diversified US transformer manufacturer serving audio, industrial, medical, and power conversion markets. Comparable to Mercury at the magnetic-component manufacturing level, but with vastly broader end-market exposure and order sizes.

Others

• Allen Amplification: Boutique tube amplifier manufacturer closely tied to vintage Fender tones; a downstream customer-ecosystem participant to Mercury Magnetics and adjacent peer within the boutique guitar amplification community.
• Mojave Ampworks: Boutique guitar amplifier builder whose products incorporate Mercury Magnetics transformers. An adjacent participant in the high-end amp ecosystem rather than a transformer competitor.

Emerging players

• Jensen Transformers: Specialist manufacturer of high-end audio transformers primarily for professional recording and broadcast. Adjacent peer sharing the audio-transformer craft base but focused on a different (studio/pro) end market than Mercury's guitar-amp emphasis.
• Cinemag: California-based manufacturer of audio transformers and inductors for recording, broadcast, and musical instrument applications. Adjacent to Mercury Magnetics in audio transformer manufacturing, with some product overlap in guitar amp chokes and outputs.

Direct peers

• Mojotone (Classic Tone): Mojotone sells guitar amplifier parts and kits and produces its own Classic Tone line of transformers and capacitors. Direct competitor to Mercury Magnetics in the upgrade/replacement transformer space, with strong B2C and dealer presence.
• Heyboer Transformers: US-based manufacturer of custom-wound audio and guitar amplifier transformers with vintage and modern design capabilities. Direct competitor to Mercury Magnetics, serving overlapping boutique amp builders and individual tone-obsessed players.

Regional players

• Sowter Transformers: Long-established UK manufacturer of audio transformers for vintage and professional audio equipment, including guitar amplifiers. Comparable in craft and application focus, but UK-centric and more weighted toward pro-audio/studio customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MercuryMagnetics/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/100063712805532
• Instagraminstagram.com/mercurymagnetics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mercury-magnetics

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mercury Magnetics