Just wanted to post another praise for this amp, and the awesome tube buffered effects loop in mine.

For anyone that needs to boost their leads, I found the most effective method yet. I run a Fulltone Fatboost in the effects loop. I've had the Fatboost version 1 for years, I believe they have version 3 out currently. I tried it for the first time at band practice last night, and I finally have the tone I've been looking for, and I'm able to hear every nuance of my solos above the din of the band. I get an actual jump in volume, not just more gain, like you get when you put an overdrive in front of the amp, and its not noisy. I also tried the Fulltone OCD in the loop, with the gain very low, but it was a noisy mess, so it seems that a "clean boost" in the loop is the way to go.

My main amp for the last several years has been the Orange Rocker 30, which has no effects loop, and I see so many guys that gig with amps that have effects loops and they don't use them. If its there, why not take advantage of it? Sure you gotta bring along two more cables, but the pay off is sooooo worth it. Now I'm toying with the idea of getting a Holy Grail nano for the loop as well to sweeten some of my lead spots.

   Got a Ceriatone 2555 locally used on Craigslist.  It is in mint condition, not a scratch on it, never been gigged out. After having it for only four days, so far, I am blown away! I'd been in the market for a Marshall for awhile, I play in a tribute band and was looking for that Silver Jubilee sound (not a GnR tribute, lol). I previously played an Orange Rocker 30 which I still own and love dearly. Not many amps have such an in your face and ballsy gain tone as the Rocker 30, but even though its loud for 30 watts, in some venues I play it just doesn't have the headroom that I need. I thought I was going to get a used Marshall JCM800, but everytime I played one, they are either too harsh or too loud for my tastes, and I would have to have a pedal in front always on to get the gain that I already get from my Orange. Then  I was looking at the newer Vintage Modern series, but I heard some things about them that I didn't like, and they just seem over priced to me on the used market, they never pop up locally here either. Started thinking about a JVM, but there's just too many knobs on those for me. A real Silver Jub on Ebay these days is just too rich for my blood.

   I'd heard about Ceriatone, but not being able to test drive one before I took the plunge always made me hesitant, so when I saw one locally, and the price was just right, I jumped on it. After only one band practice with it, I am awestruck, running a Les Paul thru it on top of a Framus 4X12 w Vintage 30s is just a match made in tone heaven. I wasn't even expecting the amp to take my pedals as well as it does. When I hit the Fulltone OCD for leads....I am still just gobsmacked at how good the tone is, the amp takes this pedal better than my Orange ever did, and with hardly any noise whatsoever! It also cleans up better when I roll my guitar's volume knob off, the Orange did that pretty well, but the Ceriatone does it exceptionally well. I had the Output Master up to 6, Lead Output and Input Gain both up around 8 (I like a crunchy tone).

   One more thing to mention, the seller told me that he got Nick to put the upgraded transformers in this head, and it has the tube buffered effects loop. I cannot believe how much the control knobs actually effect the sound, unlike my Orange, where the tone knobs barely make any difference at all. By the end of practice last night, I had the meatiest, meanest classic Marshall tone dialed in, and then when I step on the OCD pedal, its just more goodness on top! I finally have the tone that I have been chasing in my head for years, and I'm only in the honeymoon phase with the amp, I'm sure it has more to show me. I can tell that this is one of those amps that makes you a better player.

Based on the quality of my 2555, I would not hesitate to order another Ceriatone from Nick in the future, just have to figure out which one, there's so many!