Ceriatone Forum

Hi everyone,

got a problem with my OD sound, also a bit with clean.
We played a gig yesterday, and my OD sound was really fuzzy, like playing with a fuzz-pedal. No singing OD. This is mainly when I play with humbucker-guitars (because of the higher output?) Cleansounds with humbuckers are hardly possible, everything sounds cranked, but not cranked in a good way, if you know what I mean. Stiff, harsh and fuzzy. Even the wah-pedal sounded very ill.
The "fuzziness" will get better, when I engage the PAB. Got this problem for a while, but yesterday it was really awful, because the speakers of my cab nearly was in height of my ears, not standing on the floor.

My setup:
- OTS 50W (TAD 6L6 WGC tubes), bright switch off, preamp volume 12:00, Master at 3, presence at 5
- C-Lator in the loop, all controls to 13:00, brights off
- Cab: Semi open 2x12 with EVM 12L's (heavy load  ;D)
Should I switch to a 100 watter, because of more clean headroom? Changing the output tranny? Changing speakers?
Hope someone could help.
Thanks from germany,

Achim

Having a fuzzy sound on the overdrive can have multiple causes.
Most often it is caused by signal wires that are too close to the heater wires.

Your complain on the lack of headroom maybe a tube thing.
In your case, check your tube voltages, swap some pre-amp tubes or when not comfortable with these options I would take it to a tech with some OTS knowledge.
It is shooting in the dark giving you advice without getting actually in the amp.
Speakers you have are one my favourites with OTS amp.

Might be tubes.

I have a similar problem, a aenemic sounding OTS that only sounds right attenuated to a whisper level. And even then it sounds like *SHIT* to me.
Switches are UNUSABLE, PAB wtf is that schrill shit sound that it makes.

F.Y.I. i have never experiënced a CORRECT working OTS
related: someone has put EHX tubes and unbranded Output Tubes in mine.

It's driving me nuts! This AMP was supposed to be Valhallen but as it stands the DUMBLE imitation my VOX vt50 does sounds Waaaayyy better to my ears

Thanks everyone here!
Which are the heater wires?
Forgot to tell that the amp is no build, Ceriatone made it.

I try to change tubes, where should I start? Preamp tubes? Thought they last nearly endlessly...
Here are my tubes:
V1: TAD 12AY7 Highgrade
V2/V3: JJ ECC 83

Power tubes are TAD 6L6 WGC

Does someone know a good OTS-tech here in germany? Stuttgart-region? Thanks!

Achim:
Tubes: put a 12ax7 in v1.
The 12ay7 has a estimated 40X amplification. A 12ax7(ecc83)  has 100x.  The voltages at plates of a 12ay7 might be completely different and can have the opposite effect by clipping earlier due to shifting plate voltages. Best is to use the tubes it was designed for.
Sorry, it is too long tech talk to go any further into this subject here.

For heater wires etc. I recommend you go to a local tech.

Man after i see You in March to go over my amp and IF You can Pach that thing up into something that can sound decent I WILL pick up a study in electrical engineering. Am so tired of standing still with my hand strapped behind my back getting B*ttf*cked for a few bills for a biasjob and retube

*No offence tho! nothing against TECHS in general... only the ones i have met.  ;D

Yes, switch V1 and V3 for a quick and easy solution. I think you'll immediately hear the difference.

Changed V1. Now JJ ECC83. Hugh difference indeed!. Only a small amount of fuzz now. Lets see how I can get rid of it.
Only for understanding: V1 is for clean, V2 for OD, V3 for?
Thanks again!

Small amount of fuzz; due to the 12ax7 on v1 you got more signal going through the wires so it possibly is less prone to heater wires magnetics. Still a suspect of the fuzz that's left.
v1; clean
v2; od
v3; phase inverter

Make sure and check your amp with the C-lator out of the loop as well. I have had a bad 12ax7 in the C-lator make the clean channel sound like the OD channel!

Also I have had bad output tubes make a fuzzy crackling sound when going bad. Tends to be more pronounced when you hit the strings harder! If you change them you will need a digital multi meter and then follow ceriatones instructions for biasing in the OTS owners manual. All this can be done without even opening the amp chassis.

Hope this helps

Todd

I've recommended this tube combo on this board before and others have enjoyed it so you may as well.  Try new Tung-Sol 12ax7s in the V1 and V2 (I use a NOS RCA in V1, but mine is a Bluesmaster, so it's voiced differently).  Make sure you buy them from a shop that tests them first--they have a higher fail rate than other tubes.  Shouldn't cost too much either. 


S