Ceriatone Forum

Hi all,

My first post!!

I don't know why but since the moment I heard of this amp I became interested in Ceriatone's Overtone Special. I have been through a lot of amps and now I'm looking for a nice versatile amp which can give me gorgeous bright (Fenderish) cleans and a fat organic overdrive. This amp pretty much seems like it!

I would like to hear opinions from owners of this particular amp though. Do you think this amp will suit me? Here are a few clips which show the sounds I'm eager to get close to. Of course, there are no Dumble like amp in these clips. If I reckon the amps used in order are a Fender Brown Deluxe, an Ampeg VT-40 and a Marshall Superbass. But after hearing multiple clips of the Overtone Special, it seems to have that distinct fat overdrive sound... lot's of low mids. The sound I'm looking for (next to the great cleans). What do you think? Can it do it? I don't want to nail it, just want to get close!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_dX40bdeGs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_dX40bdeGs)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZlFTbvfKPE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZlFTbvfKPE)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-SAF6LpM_4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-SAF6LpM_4)

IMO You need a HRM model not the OTS.

The HRM has the same clean channel as the OTS, but the OD is more versatile and can do both solo and crunch rythm a la Billy Gibbons.

The OTS is great for RF soloing,but wont do crunch rythm very well.

I'd agree with that, with the proviso that the clean channel takes pedals very well indeed.

Thanks guys! So you'd say the Overtone could be ít? I play a lot of styles, including the harder rock things like Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy and Motorhead so I need a crunchy rhythm sound..!

But I've heard the Special is the best Overtone to use as a channel switcher? The others have a volume boost when you switch from one channel to the other? I rather switch channels without difference in volume...

Hi Emiel,

I'm in the Netherlands; if you like you can try my OTS and HRM. Nothing beats real life comparison ;D

Greetz Erwin

Not the Overtone Special model!. I'm saying go for a HRM model (50w or 100w) not the OTS.  ;)


Volume difference is not a problem with any of the Amps Overtone amps (Special, HRM or Bluesmaster), since the clean and Overdrive can be set individually.

The Overtone HRM that is. It's the one I have and it is very capable of doing Led Zep and Lizzy. I wouldn't use it for Motörhead stuff though. That requires a bunch more overdrive (or a Boss Metal Zone  or so). I play several different styles and for the "loud" stuff I use a Randall Pre-Amp (the RM-4). For normal stuff, clean and moderate overdrive (ranging from poppy stuff to blues to Classic Rock) I use my Overtone HRM.

Yu can set the volume on the channels. Personally I like to have a little boost when overdriven, so I have the OD channel a little bit louder.

and if your soldering skills leave to be desired, as does mine; my amp has been assembled and modified by a fellow forumite (Franc).

Judging from your nick I gather you are either in Netherlands or Flanders, so if you can go and visit Erwin and check them out. I am in the Netherlands as well, but I only have a HRM, no other Overtones.

If your aim is Fenderish clean, I would go for BM HRM.
 ;)

Wow great replies! Thanks all.


Hi there Erwin,

That is a great offer! And you have both of them! Where are you situated? :)


Yes I'm from the Netherlands! I noticed Franc now sells his version(s) of the Overtone. Do you got a Vernet or did you let Franc modify a Ceriatone? Actually, I was thinking of letting Franc build me both an Overtone and a cabinet :)

Hi Emiel,

I have a Ceriatone OTS and a old 70-ies Peavey classic VT which I converted to Dumble ODS HRM specs.
The Ceriatone HRM maybe slightly different but the sound and feel will be very close. It will give you a good indication what type you're looking for.
I'm from Dordrecht.

Erwin

Hi Erwin
didn't know you HRM was finished :-)
I'm curious to hear the differences
Greets
Steven

Hi Steven,

I promised several people to let them know when it was finished; I forgot who they were :-[; anyway sorry; coming friday will suit?
Erwin

He made me a HRM combo from scratch. He also modded the combo before I even played it because I wanted it to be able to perform at living room levels. He also played some tricks with the speakers because I needed to be abe to insert all sorts of stuff in between the various components.

So now my guitar goes through the pedals into the Ceriatone, the Send<>Return loop goes through a Kleinuator and that through a Volume and multi effect for delays and such, and finally from power out to Talk Box to speakers. When I am in extreme mode it goes from guitar to effects to Randall. The Randall has the Volume and multi effects in the Send<>Return loop, and enters the Ceriatone through the Return on the combo, power out > Talk Box > speakers and I can blast the various black metal peeps off the stage.

The only difference between these two setups is that when I solely use the Ceriatone I add a Keeley modded TS-808 as a boost and extra saturation for solos.

The HRM is completed with 2 Celestion G12-65 speakers.

Many thanks to Erwin to show his Overtone Special and HRM. The lead channel of the HRM sounds a bit too modern for me, the Special is about right and I'm seriously thinking of ordering one :)

Is there a way to make the low end of the Special a little bit more tight? I noticed that Erwin's modified Overtone Special with G12-65 speakers can be a little bit flubby, not that bad though but palm mutes don't come out that well at times... :)

Thanks!!
Emiel

Anyway, I just ordered a 50w Special together with an oversize 2x12 cab with Celestion Heritage G12-65 speakers  :chairdance:

Though the overdrive channel of the HRM was sounding a bit tighter it was also sounding a bit too modern for me. I preferred the Special. It will take some time (3 months!!) before I get the set but I bet it will be worth it!

Now I just have to find quickly a small tube combo to gig with...  ???

I attribute that low end looseness to the 6L6's try either EL34's, KT77's or my personal favorite KT88's

With Franc? Or someone else? My combo has G12-65s as well.
Maybe from the Line6 Pod familly? And then straight into whatever combo is available?

Yeah, Franc is building the amp and cab for me!

I don't know about the POD.. I mainly play blues, bluesrock and hardrock so a simple small tubecombo might do the trick already...

The OTS (all of them) use the same controls to adjust the volume between the clean and the OD channels.  You just adjust the ratio to balance the volume, but the S&M (I have one and am selling to get another OTS) has an extreme amount of OD available (especially if you move the OD trim pot to the back panel) plus it's somewhat "harsher" sounding? Thinner?  don't know how to explain it, but I can hear it.

I would say you need the S&M I'd say....

I do Santana, Robben Ford, SRV, Los Lonely Boys, Joe Bonamassa, etc. with the OTS just fine, but my S&M was a little heavy for that stuff, even with the OD dialed back.

Those are actually quite the tones I'm looking for :) I play a wide variety and play with mostly just a hint of overdrive... it's either that or a Joe Bonamassa type of sound... for heavier stuff I have pedals. Thanks :)