Ceriatone Forum

Hey Nik
This is very sad news for this community of amp builders.

If the tech support / holding peoples hands through the build is a problem dont do it! That is what this forum is here for.

I dont know who is saying your components are shitty but they are sadly mistaken and probably just jealous because they spent >$2500 for a name brand amp with the same components. Dont let these assholes bother you.

I do not understand how it is easier to build the complete amp than to count the parts out and package them for you! You still have to count the parts before building them right?

As McInku stated in the ots section of this forum, put a disclaimer on your website that all tech support will be through forum only or else the builder will have to bring it to an amp tech! That would sure save you a lot of emails back and forth and you could focus on bringing out the new products.

Just my 2 cents

Honestly I'd rather see you raise your prices than drop your kits 

Dont do it :o :o :o :o :o

Todd Wilcox
Proud owner of 2 soon to be 3 ceriatone amps ( from kit )

++++1, Agree totally!!

For me, the "barebones" alternative for the future doesn't appeal to me at all. It's the caps and resistors, etc. that are hard to source or just not cost friendly when not bought in bulk that are the great aspects of the Ceriatone kits. Those that try to say Ceriatone products are inferior in someway are either jealous, inexperienced or just plain stupid.

Please reconsider.

I honestly think that the bulk of tech support requests comes from builders of the OTS series, and for good reason: it is a very complex build. I originally planned on buying the kit and building it myself, but after much hemming and hawing, and rethinking my soldering and wiring skills made me reconsider, and i bought the completed chassis, with some mods. As much as I hate to say it, it may be wise for Nik to discontinue the kit options for the OTS series, and keep the other kits available and continue his awesome tech support, or as he is planning on doing, discontinue all kits for now, until he catches up on some projects he has going. I am kinda sad about the kits being discontinued, because i was going to build the prinzetone as my first build.  :-\ 

As far as the haters, they are just that, haters. I notice the same hating attitude against epiphone guitars, mim fender guitars and amps, made in korea PRS guitars, etc. It's all BS. I have had several high dollar and american made amps in my day, but none, except for vintage handwired amps have come close to being as well made as Nik's amps. Also, Nik made my amp the way I wanted it, which i love.

Ok enough ranting for now...

I'm with you guys... all the way.
 ;)


bring back the kits, bring back the kits....

WOW
McInku that was your 1000th post!

Here goes 1000 and one...

...I spent quite some time here didn't I.
I learned a lot, so it was not all wasted.
 ;)

Not at all my friend
As a matter of fact your clips are partly responsible for my getting into the D-styles.
Thank you

Also to everyone or anyone who celebrates it have a good memorial weekend!

Todd

Am I just reading something different into the statement?

Nik says he will still sell Pack 1 which is a kit isn't it?

If you were going to build one of these amps yourself and you live in UK or US, Pack 1 is what most would buy to reduce shipping charges?

What's changed?

I'm confused too. He says "However, Pack 1 + Assembly would still be on the menu, for those wanting to use other brand of transformers."

I took it that what he meant was that you would be able to buy a completed amp without transformers, and just didn't state it more clearly. But, I could be totally wrong.

Todd, I saw you said you talked to him today. Do you know what exactly will be available come June?

The conversation was via email
But yes Soundperf pack 1 will only be sold assembled, you just add iron, so not really a kit!

Todd

Yes, this is what I understood as well...

Why is Nik doing this? Not enough money in kits? If it's the bashing and criticisms, not offering kits won't stop this. Who cares what people say anyway. If they don't like the product, don't buy it.

I'd say that he gets snowed under trying to field support calls from people who either can't get their kits to work or don't like the tone.

This is the word i just got from Nik. He responded in 10 minutes.

Nik,

Will your new policy affect full working chassis orders, i.e., Bluesmaster
HRM Package 3 like i bought? Also will you no longer to be able to do custom
mods on orders? Sorry to hear people are downing you. They are just hatin!

Keep up the good fight

Gregg V


Greg

Thanks man.

Pack 3 is not affected, as that's really a complete amp, not kits.

Ie, we'd offer those still - complete, less head cab (pack 4), less head cab
less tubes (pack 3) etc etc.

We're still doing this for the techs, resellers etc. We're just limiting
down on the support for kits, which can be time consuming.

As for gurus, they'd always be there :)



Thanks!

Nik

I am a 1st time builder. The most complicated thing I've done before building an OTS is to wire up my Strat.
With help from Nik and this forum, my first build went without a hitch.  Most of my confusion was about what various pieces of wire were for.  When I grokked that this was somewhat arbitrary - the task became quite simple.  It was mostly a matter of following the pics and layout very carefully.  The next build will be a breeze.

IMO, printing a set of instructions - basically what to do in what order - would help 1st timers get it done with a lot less help from Nik.

So my vote, FWIW, is keep the kits...modify the support policy, which is way better than anyone has a right to expect.

If the kit hadn't been available, I wouldn't be playing through a Ceriatone now.

As for parts quality issue...
When I started researching D clones it quickly became apparent to me that Ceriatone's version sounded the best.
I've never heard a real D in person, but going by a ton of YouTube videos, I doubt if I could tell the difference between a real D and a Ceriatione.

Thanks Nik, for making it possible to have the tone I coveted for years.

As someone who plans on building his first complete kit in the very near future and waiting on a response from Nik before pulling the trigger, I'm a little disappointed to hear about the shake up.  Don't necessarily blame Nik as I deal with people all the time who are high maintenance.  Nik has a great reputation in certain areas, and that would primarily be support.  Personal attention to customers... It sounds like that is becoming too overwhelming and may be monopolizing his time. I agree with many of the suggestions about instructions and limiting direct support. 

What is personally frustrating for me:  I'm a careful, deliberate guy about my purchases (and tone) and the timing for his change in business practice stinks.

I'm planning on getting a 50W OTS Package 1 with an assembled board.  I'm getting the trannies, tubes, and the cab here in the US.  I spent several years before getting my degree and two of my college years doing electronics assembly, R & D, and aviation electronics design/fabrication. I feel comfortable doing the complete assembly, but I have no time!!!  I understand how Nik feels.  I'll build it, but I can't spend all the extra money on shipping too...  I hope Nik reconsiders or changes his support to free up time...

It'll work out, but it is disappointing.

Guys

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

As for the kits, indeed so. I think, in order for me to really be able to release more amps, and make things quicker,  and cheaper, it'd be best.

The bare bones kits should still enable builders to get stuff.

As for the other parts, like caps, resistors, and small components, not very sure abt that, yet. As we have more and more models, it does get a bit unwieldy.

Kits are quite lucrative, money wise. So, it's not that we're losing money on it, so it was a tough decision.  If I sell it, then I feel I do need to support it, so supporting it was not a burden, it was an obligation.

Since I feel that the obligation has become a bit too much, in light of what I intend to do in the future with Ceriatone, then this has got to be done.

But, I think it'd be fine. People wanna change the components, or want unassembled boards, anyways, usually. So with the bare bones kits, it'd be a win win.

Shopping or hunting for the parts, should be another fun adventure.  You can really fine tune the parts to exactly what you want.

And you guys can just go to the gurus or to TAG. Pay some homage, buy some resistors from em! ;) I heard the gold resistors are nice, and the rhinestone caps are sweet!


We'll see how it goes.



Thanks

Nik

Thanks, Nik. Good to hear the words straight from the man.

Hi Nik, what will be included in the bare bones kit? Price?

Hi

it'd be everything available except the resistors, signal caps, wire and screws

But it wont be by default. Default would just be chassis, plates and bare board perhaps.

You can add pots jacks sockets, can caps and the likes.

This way, as I have said, more option to source your own esoteric parts! :)

Price wise, it'd be the same pretty much. Maybe more, it's costly to maintain private jets  LOL!

Thanks!

Nik

Guys

There seems to be confusion here:

Pack 3, 4 (wired chassis) are still available

Clator is available as complete.

it's KITS that are not, ie the one you need to solder to get it to work.

Pack 1 + assembly is also available as well (this one is where we wire the whole thing, except the tranny section, so it'd be cheap to ship).

Oh well, new website will be on soon with good descriptions.

Well, temporary one while we commission someone to make it with CMS, cart, and what not (abt time!)

Thanks!

nik