Ceriatone Forum

just ordered it today from Nik.  As always, he was great with my 90,000 questions trying to sort out which OTS series to buy.

Now the wait.  Wondering what folks are using for settings on this amp?  It is coming with the C-lator builtin to the cab.

What other model were you considering and why did you finally decide on the FM?
The wait is tough.

The other model was the Blues Master 50.  But when I spoke to Nik in regards to the "blooming feedback" of notes for clean and OD, he said I was better off with the FM 50.

I went through all of the page on the OTS side and collected comments from all posters.

•   On HRM, clean and OD channels have separate master volumes
•   On Non-HRM, they share an master volume.
•   When you add a Dumbleator, the return line is the master volume.
Non-HRM’s come to harmonic feedback easily.  Mid-heavy.   Rich w / sustain.  Emphasis on mid harmonics.  More singing sustain.  OTS will sound a little warmer on the clean side compared to S&M.
HRM’s – more dynamic and percussive, very touch sensitive.  Less OD.  Not gritty or buzzy.  Have internal trimmers for TMB.  HRM series are 90s.  The HRM is much gainier and tighter on the OD

Overtone Special
•   Thicker and warmer than S & M
•   Less O.D.
•   Smoother and deeper sounding.
•   OTS will sound a little warmer on the clean side compared to S&M.

Overtone Special S & M
•   Much brighter OD and more aggressive.
•   A rock machine, but not as good at cleans.
Overtone Special 183
?





Overtone Special FM (#102)
•   Skyliner clean tone stack with a Non-HRM OD.
•   More “Chime y” clean tones.
•   More focused OD with a almost horn sound.
•   Very bright amp.
•   Needs a Dumbleator
Overtone Special FM Modern Eagle MOD
•   Less bright than the FM
Overtone HRM
•   Stands for Hot Rubber Monkey
•   Has a second tone stack just for the OD channel.
•   Marshally
•   Very refined
•   More compression
•   Smooth singing OD
•   6L6’s
•   Jazzz fusion but can get dirty
Overtone HRM Bluesmaster
•   Early raw Fender / Marshal tone on steroids.  Like a Bassman
•   Great Cleans (sing and sustain)
•   Less smooth OD and much less compresed than above.
•   OD is a bit raw and edgy.  Meaty and fat.  Lot’s of gain can be had.
•   Cleans are very girthy and has more bass.
•   Less clean headroom than all other OTS amps.
•   Needs Dumbleator.
•   Great blues / rock / jazz
•   More cord friendly and string definition.
•   Bluesmaster version has a smoother overdrive, but cannot be as
aggressive as the regular HRM.
•   excellent cleans, but the OD isnt gainy but more articulate.




Overtone HRM MK II
•   A bit more hair on both channels than the FM 50.
•   OD is crunchier and more compressed than FM.
•   EL34’s
Non HRM Classic EQ
•   excellent cleans, but the OD isnt gainy but more articulate.Great sustain
•   Singing OD
•   Very touch sensitive and not much compression.
Non-HRM Skyliner EQ (Regular Overtone)
•   Little less Fendery.
•   EQ is a little more Dumbley
•   Better cleans than above.Great sustain.
•   Better string to string definition.
•   The Presence is focused around the high freq. only.
-HRM Skyliner Non EQ
•   Same as above, but gain stage is not classic Fender.
•   More headroom, definition and punch.
•   More alive cleans and smoother OD.
•   Small bit of compression.
•   Touch sensitive.

Now, I'm not sure all of that is accurate, but it was based on everyone's comments.  Then I confirmed with Nik what tone I was looking for and came up with the FM 50.

Appreciate all of your research!
I had a HRM 50 watt. My first D-style amp.
The OD was great . Definitly had gain up the wazzoo if wanted and had a od knob on the rear panel that was like a master/OD trimmer I guess.
The clean channel was too clean for me and did not break up at all. A great clean for traditional jazz player. I sold the amp ,not becasue I ddint like but due to financial stuff. I will soon get another. I think I will end up with the Ford 50 but may go for the bluesmaster. I like to get the clen fendery sonds ala srv/hendrix. I know I should get two amps but will just get a versatile ceriatone. Those d-style solos are too irresistable.
I think ,for me, the HRM may be too gainey. The bluesmaster though would give me the cool clean channel though so tough decision.

Does anyone have the FM50 or FM100 yet?  Really curious as to what settings everyone is using.

Hey Jim

I've had the FM50 for few months now and out of the 4 amps I own/built it is my favorite.  Right after building it back in Feb I went to a RF show and was able to take pics of his rig, posted here
http://ceriatoneforum.com/index.php?topic=3478.0

IMO if you copy those settings you are very close to that sound!
I like my presence a little higher at around 1:00
The ratio knob may differ but is just there to match volume between the clean and OD.
On the rear OD trimmer I like it set fairly low 9:00 about. Too high and OD will sound fizzy but may differ depending on the tubes you use.
On my C-lator drive and send knobs at 12:00 and the return is my Master volume.

If I forgot all my settings I would just set pretty much everything to 12:00 and then tweak from there. pretty hard to make this amp sound bad

Todd

Thanks Todd,  That is a HUGE help!

No problem at all

What is the ETA on your amp?

Todd

5 - 6 weeks.  I've got 2 other Nik amps, so I think he was going to try and start right away.  He likes that when you buy more than 1.  : )

I did get the C-lator built in to the cab.  Do you put a cord in the regular passive loop to "even things out?"

Will any kind of cord do?

I am not sure what you mean by putting a cord in the passive loop?
Some people here mention using high PF cables to smooth the highs.
I have my time based effects in the loop at all times pretty much and just use regular Livewire from GC cables without any concerns of having to even things out.

What other 2 amps have you ordered?

18/36 watt EF86 and a 2550.  The cord thing I was talking about was not in the c-lator, but in the passive effects loop on the back.  No effects, just one end in the send and one end in the return.

I never heard of it either, but Nik mentioned it to me as the way to go.

The C-Lator plugs into the passive loop of the amp. There is no internal connection between the amp and the C-Lator, they will just be mounted into the cab together

Thanks Plastic. 

So, I hook the C-lator up to the send and return lines on the passice effects loop.  Then, if I want ot run effects, i.e. reverb and delay, I hook them up in the C-lator loop?

So, it's like a loop in a loop?

but, you can still run boost and things out front of the amp?

Exactly
Even if you didn't use time based effects in the loop the C-lator is useful in amps loop for master volume and adds some compression as well. The FM is pretty bright without the C-lator in the loop.
Now if you didn't use anything in the amps loop at all i could imagine using a cable in the passive loop to maybe get rid of some of that brightness could help. Never tried it. Maybe thats what Nik meant?

Todd

Hey Jim,

What kind of cabinet to you plan to use with the FM50?  I'm facing the same decision.

Thanks!

tboulette,

Mine is coming already assembled from Nik in the cabinet.  I had him build the C-lator right intot the same head cab.