candh

http://www.mojomusicalsupply.com/item.asp?pid=581178&pg=44991&id=5352555 Slumming Doug?? Shameless...

Could you contact me at mikecazzx at yahoo dot com? I want to know more about your Ceriatones and building cabs. Sending PM now.

Youtube is fine but sometimes it's really laking in the sound quality. So please clips first, youtube second. That is why I want those clips... I'm in love with Robben F. sound and I was hoping that this amp will put me in the neighborhood of his sound just a little bit. I know it won't make me sound like him but still, just a bit and I'm happy.. Can you describe (in plain words) what is the difference between Dumble ODS from the 70's and later 80's circuit? Mcinku, In plain words it is really hard to convey the differences because those disparities are extremely variable and each amp was individually voiced for the player it was built for. The main difference is the introduction of the "skyliner" tone stack in the 80's. The skyliner is known for having better cleans than earlier EQ stacks. Add HRM and non-HRM, hybrids and bluesmaster tone values and you have on big convoluted ball of confusion. Non-HRM is known for it's singing, middy solo tones and the HRM is a little less distorted but more sensitive to touch. But even that is generalizing too much. These amps are so unbelievably interactive with the player, style, touch, guitar, effects.....etc. I think that is why there is such a dichotomy in the like and dislike of Dumbles. These amps MUST be tweaked. If you really want to know invest a few hours in some WWW searching.... After that...if you have found enlightenment and clarity....pass it on to me...lol.

A little off topic... Yesterday I heard some JSX clips and i was just friggin blown away... the amp is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo amazing :| also my friend bought so i cant wait to try that big nasty beast. You can virtually play anything on it from blues jazz to rock and metal. ITs just pure ownage. Anyway also when i was browsing around i recognized that most guitar players used Marshall Major 200W so my question is which amp would be close to get that tone ? probably plexi right or even JCM (modded) i'm not that good with modding stuff you know :| but i might try it one day.But anyway JSX head... AMAZING!!! Wow, people still actually use Marshall Majors......?lol Those amps are a lot cleaner and thicker than your typical JCM or virtually any other Marshall for that matter. And LOUD......holy {censored}. There are so many great Marshalls. You just have to try a bunch and find one that fits you best.

The amp should be here by this coming weekend if Nik sent it out today. Yes, I will record some clips and maybe some video and post to youtube. I've been really busy building and tweaking, and my band is "taking a break" so my playing has turned to crap. Bare that in mind. Careful guys,, this amp is only but a very loose interpretation of the early Dumble ODS from the 70's. The typical dumble tones made famous by Ford, Carlton and others is a later 80's circuit so this amp by design is A-typical. I really need to sit down with several schematics and layouts to get all the differences straight. If any of you are interested in the nitty gritty of the Dumble world go over to the Dumble discussions at ampgarage.com. You will need to register and log in but there is a wealth of info to learn from some of the best amp gurus on the planet. A word of warning though....DO NOT POST anything without thoroughly researching. It ain't like HC...lol. I won't even speculate what Nik's amp is going to sound like but I had an old Bassman that I tweaked to be .....ahem.......dumbleish and of course I still have my Brownnote D'lite which is in a similar vein of amp. For those thinking of buying the Overtone be aware that there is a reason this amp is far more expensive than any of Nik's other offerings. In terms of build difficulty I would say it is on the extreme side. Even if you buy the completed version if you should have something go haywire it's going to be really tough to troubleshoot. However, a good tech should have no problem so if you have the inclination.....go for it. It's great to see Kitarist taking the initiative to get a Ceriatone forum going. I for one support his efforts and enthusiasm. Chris

The problem is, I don't know what kind of voltage you use in Japan. 100V ?? It has to be. And we have a winner!!!!! Yep, line voltage in Japan is 100V making for a pain in the butt with vintage gear.....either change out the PT or carry around step up transformer. One reason I love Nik is he winds export PT's at no extra charge. So, dinner is on me....should I inform my wife we are having a guest??

OK guys it's the PT just don't know what yet. It's staring right at ya man. What taps do you see coming of the PT??

Can't find anything there ...but here is something for you. 'cause you're the first owner of this amp, it's your duty to record some clips for us. I don't care how you do it, you just have to. If you don't, I'm coming there to get you. Well, if you're coming all this way you might as well get a nice sushi feast. Just remember to not bring an amp because it won't work over here....hint hint... I will record some clips too. No worries.

I honestly can't find anything..unless it's something on the inside? Now, you're getting warm. It is in the guts,, "at the HEART of the matter".

The bias test points on the chassis? Nope, that is standard fare...... Hint......SUSHI

Yep, that one in the pictures is mine,,,FOR SURE. Today's easy quiz. How do I know it's just for me? Winner gets a sushi dinner on me (terms to be disclosed at a later time). Hint....click on complete amp-see more pics.

Anyway i would like some feedback from fans concerning the Forums... Would you visit forums regulary ? Are you willing to help ? I can setup everything up but i would need few moderators that would help keep the site up. All Questions And Answers.. in PM Hey, PM sent.

I'll have to take a look. I know that the plate resistors are now 270K as opposed to the stock 470K (?) - I'll have to take a look at the rest. A huge change was going to the smaller coupling cap in front of the tone stack, and bigger caps after that. It seemed to really help the "boomy" low end that some people (including me) complained about. I was exploring the possibility of doing an 18 watt 'wreck. I'm still looking at it - I haven't drawn up the schemo, but that was a fun discussion nonetheless. It was really interesting seeing the opnions of people like ZPhil and Dartanion. Thanks man, I've done most of those mods and have settled on similar values (for this week...lol). I am also building my cabs for the 18watts "thinner" without the depth and that helps with boominess while not robbing too much magic of the amp in it's typical component values. I tweaking these living, breathing tone mini-monsters.

Another Ceriatone lover here my 5E3 (moded) clip and my new BF_Champ (moded, currently working on switchable bias for 6V6 - 6L6 option ) - clip In general these amps sound so sweet I'm seriously considering selling my DRRI (which I love BTW) and get something else from Nik. PS: The clips I posted... you will find those on Ceriatone Sound Clips page as well. Hey, good looking amps. Did you do the building yourself? Other than populating PtoP boards my favorite part of building is doing the cabs. I haven't built any bare cabs in quite a while but I have some nice old Japanese Zelkova waiting for a future Wreck build.

That is me over there. I ended up matching the tone stack values with a Matchless Lightning, changed the bass pot to a 1 meg, and tweaked the PI. It's a really cool amp - when you back off on the volume, the treble stays and the mids and lows back down. It's a cool "magic trick" - now if I could figure out what makes it do that. Very nice. It's the tweaked PI values I'm interested in...wink, wink, nudge,nudge. Weren't you also doing an 18 wreck?

Very, very true. The only part that Ceriatone uses that I wouldn't is carbon comp resistors - noisy little bastards. I know that it's part of the "mojo" of the amp, but it also raises your noise floor and gives you the frying bacon sounds that everyone loves. My 18W TMB has been reworked a couple of times, and the preamp is entirely different now. The PI has been reworked - basically all that's original is the chassis, tube sockets, switches, transformers, pots, and power section/filtering. Hey Weathered, Are you Hiwattage over on the 18watt forums?? If so, what did you finally end up doing with the TMB?

Kitarist, Hey I'm in. I think a lot of folks might be biting off a bit too much buying a DC-30 or ODS with no amp building/tweaking experience and no tech support when something goes wrong. A tech/discussion forum is a great idea. Make it happen and I will be there. Let me know if I can help. PM is candhh@yahoo.com

Id like to bump this thread and see if anyone can answer this question, ive been wondering the same thing. Thanks. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is dirt cheap, crap components and 10 being the ultimate in boutique and specialty parts I would say Ceriatone is a solid 7~8. So you are getting a well built, meticulously handwired amp. But as all amp builders will attest there is a lot of mojo and magic between an "8" and "10". But mojo is subjective. I think Ceriatone amps (even the completed chassis) are for builders and tweakers where you have a really great platform to experiment with all the NOS and high end components to find your sound. My amps are always on my workbench getting the latest tweak or mod. My 18TMB is only but an echo of the amp I ordered a few years ago. I punched a chassis ONCE myself and vowed I would never do it again.

Nik doesnt respond to my emails :| can someone send him an email if he wants to have a forum on his site as i can help to set it up Kitarist, Give him some time. He's just back at work after their holiday there so I'm sure he's a little swamped. He will get back to you. A forum is a good idea but who is going to moderate and give the tech info? Something to ponder.

Wish he offered more chassis/front plate options with the Dumble ODS amp... With trainwrecks, the ones that people have looked inside of are all pretty similar, but Dumbles were all over the place from amp to amp, it'd be nice to have more choices... Ya, I'm kinda fond of the silver 70's look chassis with the cheesy, spacey text. I was at the fabric store the other day (getting cabinet string) and found some orange/tan suede that would be perfect for a cheese Dumble.

those enclosures are REALLY nice. anyway, Ceriatone is taking orders for the dumble clone tomorrow (22nd). i need monies Thanks for the compliments guys. Yes, I design and build the cabs. I live in Japan. I originally built the cream leather look vinyl cabs because it's the only way my wife would let me have them in the living room (they match a leather chair she has). Anything black is banished to the basement. Vinyl is a PITA to work with though. I am very satisfied with the components of the Ceriatone amps. The only thing I might consider swapping out are the mallory caps for Sozo's and loading it with Kiwame resistors AND possibly trying a different OT,,GDS or Heyboer or MM. Even budgeting for those upgrades all Nik's amps are a great bang for the buck. I will be sure to give a report when I get my Dumble ODS clone.

A few more pics. I just finished this cab for a 18 EF86 TMB. Oh, and the ODS prototype on Nik's site is mine.... I'm going to be ordering a wreck soon as well......once I decide on a Liverfool or Xpris.

OK,, you asked for it. First up is a 5E3 in a pine/bubinga cab. Next is my 18TMB which I love. Another 18 mutant TMB