That looks great. I'm in the middle of building mine. I'm using an enclosure that about 1/2 the size and it hasn't been easy fitting everything. I wish I could have gotten a toroidal xformer like the one you have. They're so much more appropriate for a project like this. Did you have yours made special or did you find a production model? I don't know why they're are not easier to source here in the US.

Looks great, Todd!!

What's next? hehe he he....

Man, that's really looking good, Todd. You should just about be a "Guru" by the end of this and the TW. 

So the MKII has snubbers on V2? I'm really going to want to hear your opinion on this amp once it done. One thing I've been always curious about is how the V2 snubbers would effect the sound of a HRM.

Man, that sounds like a great amp. Got any sound clips?

Well, I'll handle the preamp tube queston first. No, you won't blow up your amp using lower gain 12A** preamp tubes. But, I'm pretty sure the result will not be that great. IMO, these amps are pretty dependent on staying within a certain specification.

The main difference between the OTS and HRM is the HRM has a tone stack after the overdrive section. There are some other smaller details that effect the tone as well. I own an HRM so, I'm probably biased, but I think the HRM is a very versatile amp. I have never played a non-HRM version so I can't say what I think is better. But it seems the HRM does not get the same level of praise, which I can't really understand. I love it.

Todd pretty much covered things, but to reiterate the point of the build pics on the Ceriatone site. I downloaded everyone and had them at the ready to view while building. Also, before each build session, I would sit and look closely at the photos of the section(s) I was planning on working on before even starting.

From that sound clip what I hear is not hum, but loads of hiss. Just to clarify, was the PPIMV installed after you got the amp from Nik? When did this noise problem start? I would check the wiring on the PPIMV for sure.

Once again, what I hear is hiss. Did the tech you had it to difinitively rule out any bad tube?

Oops, beat me to it, Greg.

You know, that's a good point about using the power supply of the Ceriatone to drive the D-lator.

In a broad sense it would be closer to a Kleinulator. Meaning, it's a solid state buffer as opposed to the C-lator, which is a tube based buffer. Without seeing the exact circuit it would be hard to say for sure, but I'm inclined to think it's a very simple buffer circuit and wouldn't be very comparable to the C-lator.

How long ago did you purchase these tubes? Also, where did you buy them? I think I remember reading this was the case a while ago, but the quality control has improved. That's a bunch of bad tubes.

I will probably look into trying different preamp tubes sooner than later, especially in the PI. I'm sort of in the same camp as "mcinku". For me good guitar tone is so elusive, that when I find it, I don't want to quickly mess with it. Having said this, I'm rather certain if I had a bunch of NOS tubes to experiment with, I would. 

I guess I'll post my humble set of all regular production tubes.

Preamp tubes are all Tung Sol RI 12AX7
Power Amp= TAD 6L6 WGC STR

They sound great with my HRM 50.

   

+1 on what Todd is saying and everyone else. If the next guy is someone you trust, then I would try that after making sure it isn't a tube issue. After that, I would post some gut shots before anything else.

Yeah, I guess "recognition" is not quite accurate. But to me, just knowing my amp was being used and sitting on Santana's stage would be a BIG deal. Be proud of yourself.

Heck, I thought it was odd that he was talking about PRS guitars and holding a Brian Moore model.

Pink tolex and shiny sequins would be a start for the Bieber model. 

"SSS/HRM Hybrid" Very cool. Congrats on the recognition!!!

Take notice to my signature. The PRS 513 and my HRM 50 is one hell of a combo.