i did consider changing the V2 tube for a 12AY7 in hope of getting similar results to what you described.


however, in the end, i realised i could keep the 12AX7 + 12AY7 configuration and still get definition by plugging into Mic or Instrument Input 2 (lower gain input).

well, no i'm not aware of other champ clones he offers. thanks for your replies!


i guess i will email him after all, just to get a clearer picture.

i was also confused because SF and BF champs do have slightly different tonal characteristics. It made me wonder exactly which champ the Ultra was cloning.

yes i was hoping to be able to get my questions answered on this forum as opposed to emailing him.


he replies emails very very promptly and offers excellent customer service as i experienced when i bought a 5E3 from him a few months ago.

however, i figured he's a busy man! best to ask here before emailing him.

Hello!

It appears the main ceriatone.com website doesn't provide very detailed information on the Champ clones built by Nik and his team of great guys!

Right now, the only "Champ" shown on the website is the "Ultra Champ". I presume that's a Champ (BF, SF or what) with a "tweed voicing" switch.

However, there is a lot of talk on this forum regarding BF Champs and Vibro Champs that i don't seem to see on the main site at all.


So these are my questions:

1) Apart from that listed "Champ Ultra" what other Champ Clones are offered by Nik and his team?

2) Are these other clones priced similarly to the "Champ Ultra" or should i expect to be charged a bit more for them?

3) If the "Champ Ultra" itself is not switched to "Tweed Voicing", what is it supposed to be cloning?


thanks for taking the time to read my questions guys! 

the ceriatone 5e3 comes standard with a 12AY7 in V1. presumably, that cleans up the amp quite a bit and makes it much easier to get clean tones at high volumes.

however, a 5e3 with a 12AX7 in V1 appears to turn the amp into a tube saturation monster from volume 3 onwards.


my questions are:

is it still possible to get clean tones with a 12AX7 at very high volumes when you pick very softly?

how much will this clean tone differ from having a 12AY7 in V1?

it appears that many tweed amps like the Bassman have a bright channel, and a normal channel.

but the 5E3 actually has an instrument channel, and a mic channel.

my questions are:

1) How do these two channels differ in tone?
2) In what other ways do these two channels differ?

Those guys are just a bunch of booteek snobs that spend more time rubbing their Mecury Magnetic transformers against their scrotums, than actually playing music.

if asian made parts sound the same as "standard" parts, then use Asian-made parts. at the end of it all, we appreciate music with our ears, not our eyes.

just remember that Ceriatone has a strong reputation that is not going to be easily destroyed by a bunch of losers. Brand image? Just let your products speak for themselves.