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Ceriatone Overtone Special

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Bloozcat

Bloozcat

Leggo of my HoHo!
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Jensen Beach, Florida
Now I really know I'm insane....

I have been so impressed with the tone of the Ceriatone Overdrive Special that I decided that I would have to get one...eventually.

Well, eventually has a way of sneaking up on you it seems...

I was innocently searching The Gear Page Amps Emporium (more like, "just asking for trouble") when I happened upon a used, mint condition Ceriatone OTS. Seems the owner has a case of GAS for another guitar, and needs to raise the necessary funds to satisfy his addiction. Well, as I've often said, addiction loves company, so in I rushed where angels fear to tread.

Anyway, there's a mint condition Ceriatone Overtone Special that'll be headed my way in a couple of weeks.

I'm so ashamed of myself... I'm just dirt....(but happy dirt...;) )

Don't worry oldguy, I only partially blame you for this...nah, more like I owe you a beer if I ever get to see you...:AOK:
 
Tis madness, but there's a method to it.

May I be the first to say "clips!"
 
mrmudcat said:
I hope to build one soon ,but the bass50 head 1986x:beer:
Click to expand...

I've thought about building an 18 Watt as afirst project, but this OTS is much more complicated than I would feel comfortable tackling. Tung maybe, me no.

I'll enjoy reading about your project when you start it mrmudcat...:AOK:
 
Congratulations, Bloozcat, that's great news!:AOK: :AOK:


Welcome to the club.:D
I'm glad to be found guilty on this one, and I'll tell you why............
You're finally gonna get to hear what I can't explain in words, and can't capture in a laptop vid or clip. Kind of like a beautiful sunset I photographed, you had to be there to see it in 3-D to get the full effect.....

If you've heard a good Super Reverb really cranked, we're getting close, but the OTS has no reverb, I'm referring to the slightly overdriven transparent clean tones a Super can get. Then add even more sweet harmonic overtones, in-your-face sustain, and you're about there. It has an ambience about it that's almost 3 dimensional, esp. on chords. If you need more depth, stick a reverb or delay pedal in front of it, it loves pedals.
You'll have enough control knob tweaking to keep you busy for awhile, but I'd suggest setting everything on 5 (except the Master Volume, start w/ it on 1 or you'll blow your head off), guitar in the NOR(mal) input, all 3 switches in the down position........I'm just suggesting, here.
You can then tweak to your heart's content, and the sound will change. Not "change" as in modelling/digital sound change. Change as in "good gawd!" tube tone you manipulate not only for that sweet spot in the control panel, but in your guitar volume/tone knobs, your fingers on the strings, how hard you dig into the strings, how gently you caress them, what you translate to the instrument from your head and heart.....................:)
Crank the preamp, lower the gain, you can get slightly gritty on the clean side and down and dirty on the OD channel. OR.........
Back off the preamp, crank the gain just a tad, you can get crystal clean, big , fat, thumping tone, then step on the OD switch for a smooth bluesy sound (this is one of my favorites), similar to that big fat Fender Super tone I mentioned switching to a slightly cranked, gritty JTM45.
As I PM'd you, I do feel the "boost" function makes the amph sound a little too dark for my taste, unless you use the guitar's tone knobs and/or pickups to compensate, but alot of that depends on your EQ settings on the OTS as well. You can set the amph a tad bright w/o the boost on, roll back the tone controls on the guitar a little, then hit the boost and open the tone controls, and you essentially have 4 sounds from the amph.
1. Clean
2. Clean/boosted
3. Overdrive
4. Overdrive/boosted
I have not changed a single thing on mine since I bought it, not a tube swap, not the internal OD trimpot, nothing........... I've just played it, played it, played it, and the sounds get better........owners on the Ceriatone forum say it needs to "burn in" for hours to sound it's best. I thought that was BS, but I'm starting to believe it now myself. Usually by now I'd have been tinkering with something to coax "more" out of the amp......... I have with every other one I own, but not the OTS, it sounds the way I want my amp to sound. Like my old BF Super, or the JTM I played @ the local music store a couple weeks back, though none of the three sound exactly like the others, they all have "that" sound.
(Sadly, though, I must ashamedly admit my Super needs a cap job and thorough going over, and I've waffled over it far too long, trying to find a really good amp tech that knows the AB763 inside and out, and whom I can trust...............)
Oh, my,
I'm rambling on again.........senior moment...........sorry.

Blooz..........
When it arrives, wire it up to a good cab, tune up your favorite guitar, crank it just enough to NOT annoy your neighbors, and strum a nice, fat chord.
Then we'll both be smiling..........:D :D :D
 
Kind of like if we were sitting at the lake together, having a couple beers, and looking at this in real life, in 3-D.:D




 
Hey congrats Blooz , I thought you would go more in a JTM45 in your quest of Duane s tone but this is a good sounding amp as we can hear here :

 
Yep, that's the Sammi and Marin version OTS. Those guys and Jack Zucker have some of the best OTS vids out there. Very nice playing!
 
Thanks for all of your input and encouragement, oldguy. I don't think I've ever heard another amp that has the versatility and pure tone as this amp. Certainly, not at anything approaching a reasonable price. When I say "reasonable price" I mean when you step up to that level of quality and craftmanship that truly distinguishes an amp as "professional equipment".

For starters, I'm going to try it out through my Avatar semi-open back cab with the 2-G12H30's in it. I expect that it may sound just a tad dark with maybe some attenuated highs. From there, I might try mixing a V30 (or a WGS Veteran 30) with one of the G12H30's. I haven't heard anything but praise for this combination, not just with the Ceriatone OTS, but with many others as well. The 1X12" and 2X12" G-12-65 set up is another that's highly touted by OTS owners. The only negative I hear about this, is that you lose some of the high frequency, something that does not happen with the G12H30/V30 combination it seems. I even heard a sound clip with 2-Jensen C12N's that sounded really sweet. I have a pair of the fine Weber Ferromax C12N's that I might try out as well.

BTW: I know what you mean about that sunset picture, oldguy. After taking about 150 pictures while in Alaska this past summer, I found myself saying repeatedly as I showed them to others, "you really had to be there to appreciate the whole 3-dimensional picture..."

Blazes:
Yeah, I was looking seriously at a JTM45 clone, but this amp will cover that Duane tone and so much more. The JTM45, while a great amp, is known for a more singular tone where the OTS is known for such versatility and "tweakability".

My new Guitarforce Lord of the Blues humbuckers should be arriving about the same time as the OTS. The pickups can get that Duane tone and EC Bluesbreaker tone with the right amp, so I think I'm really going to be in tonal Nirvana soon...:D

I think I've listened to just about every YouTube clip on this amp, plus all the others on the Ceriatone Forum. I only hope my playing sounds half as good as some of those guys.....:)
 
Congrats Blooz:AOK: Nothing like having it all come together. :rockon:
 
M29 said:
Congrats Blooz:AOK: Nothing like having it all come together. :rockon:
Click to expand...

Thanks, M29...

The pressure will be on now! I'm going to have to live up to the level of the equipment. I have this feeling though, that playing will become just that much more enjoyable that I'll really want to get better. :)
 
Bloozcat said:
Thanks, M29...

The pressure will be on now! I'm going to have to live up to the level of the equipment. I have this feeling though, that playing will become just that much more enjoyable that I'll really want to get better. :)
Click to expand...

You'll hear every subtle nuance in your playing.............I know that's almost a cliche'd phrase now, but it's true. It will make you a better player, IMO.
Perhaps I should say I believe I've become a better player, working to play cleaner, less sloppy, more focused.
 
I saw that amph in the Emporium & thought about the tones that Old Guy gets. I agree that looking at the TGP Emporium is just asking for trouble, but I didn't buy that amp. ;)
 
OK, the wait is killing me...

Breath deeply into the paper bag...relax, and listen to yet another Overtone Special clip...

It's only two more days to this tone....
 
oldguy said:
Hang in there, Blooz....... "we're all pullin' for 'ya".......:D
Click to expand...

When I sent payment to the seller, I specifically, and emphatically asked that he not ship the amp "delivery signature confirmation required" because I would not be home to sign for it. Well, despite my instructions, when I first checked the package tracking online, it stated "delivery signature confirmation required" on the page.

So, I called FedEx and got what I believe is their absolute worst customer service rep. Clueless wouldn't even begin to describe him. He couldn't offer any kind of a rational explanation for their signature policy, let alone offer any options that might help me. I e-mailed the seller, and although he was very apologetic about not complying with my request that he not add the signature requirement when he sent the package, there wasn't anything he could do to change it once it was in FedEx's hands. FedEx company policy, and all that rubbish.

Sooo, I tried something that had worked in the past. I typed up a letter to the FedEx driver asking that he leave the package at my request and on my responsibility. I signed the letter and included a clear picture of my drivers license as proof of identity. That ought to work, I thought.

Nope...that didn't work either. At 1:44 pm the driver entered a note that appeared on the tracking page stating, "customer not available at time of delivery". So, I called FedEx again. This time I got a very competent woman CSR on the phone who was able to explain the signature policy and the options (of which there were none), and basically said in as nice a way as possible the equivalent of "tough luck Charlie".

The only saving grace in this fiasco is that since the package was shipped on a Tuesday, the delivery week is Tuesday through Saturday and not Monday through Friday as it would have been if the package went out on Monday. Fortunately, I can be home tomorrow which is not always the case (although I hadn't planned on hanging around the house all day waiting for FedEx).

FedEx's distribution center is located in West Palm Beach, which is 45 miles from my home. So they shipped my package 45 miles to my home, and now 45 miles back to their distribution center, only to have to ship it another 45 miles back to my home tomorrow - a total distance of 135 miles for a "local delivery". Let's see, 45 miles to make the delivery, or 135 miles to make the delivery :confused:. FedEx isn't exactly my favorite shipper right now. :whatever:
 
Sorry to hear that..... I've been through it more than once myself, and it does pi$$ a guy off bigtime. I've had words with UPS and Musician's Friend (which is why I'm no longer on their mailing list, and don't plan on being back on it), and FedEx. Always over "policy", lack of customer support, or basically being lied to..........anyway, best of luck to you, I hope you get your amp tomorrow.
 
Well, I can certainly understand rules, but there are two customers in a transaction like this, and no acommodations are made for the party at the receiving end.

The only option FedEx offered me was to hold the package at their distribution center where I could pick it up. Their distribution center is 45 miles away (or better). That's hardly "home delivery" as stated on the tracking site. The much maligned UPS - whom I've had no problems with - has an office about 5-miles from me and another 3-miles from where I work.

Comically, as I'm waiting for this amp to finally arrive, I've been having visions of my package floating up on the shore of a desert isle and Tom Hanks picking it up and using it for a table or something. And I'll bet that FedEx thought that movie was a good advertising vehicle for their business...:rolleyes:

Morning update: On FedEx vehicle for delivery. Once more unto the breach, Dear friends, once more...
 
I've got a good feeling about today............. I'm gonna go fire mine up and start the "Delivery Dance" song that I just finished making up on purpose in my head.........:crazyguy:
This waiting's drivin' me crazy, too, Blooz. Post or pm me or something when it gets there.
 
Ok,Ok....the amp arrived on Saturday, safe and sound. This is the first chance to post anything about it, and I've had very little time to play with it so far. I hate it when a new toy comes in and there's no time for it. All day and into the evening Saturday, and all day and into the evening Sunday I was busy...:mad:

All I can say at this point is that the amp is in like new condition, everything works, and that it came with 2-Tung Sol re-issue 6L6GC's and three JJ 12AX7's.

I'll have about an hour this evening to try it some more. I just got word that my new Guitarforce, Lord of the Blues humbuckers are shipping today, so this Saturday when I'll have all day to myself, I'll be putting both new toys to the test...:beer:
 
OK, I've had the amp for a little over a week now and I've had some tome to play with it (but not nearly enough!).

When I first got the amp, I fiddled with it in various settings and found the tone to be a bit flat, dark, farty, and somewhat fizzy. The tube complement in the amp consisted of two Tung-Sol 6L6GC's and three JJ 12AX7's. I'm not a big fan of JJ 12AX7's, and I've read that this amp really responds well to pre-amp tube changes, so I thought I'd give that a shot. I replaced the JJ's with NOS Tesla (not JJ) E83CC's in V1 & V2, and an NOS GE 12AX7WA in V3. WOW, what a difference, is all I can say! It was like lifting a wet blanket off the amp.

My initial impression after the tube change is that this amp is a very complex piece of equipment...to say the least. Subtle little changes in the EQ can create big changes in tone. I've never had another amp where I could set the EQ controls for a basic flat response and get such truly balanced tone. All my other amps require tweaks for each guitar I plug into it. Tweaking the EQ certainly does enhance the amps response to certain guitars, but I was still quite surprised at how even the tonal response was with a flat EQ setting accross the board. At the advice of another who owns an Overtone Special, I set the controls as follows for my initial testing:

Volume - 5
Bright switch - off
Deep switch - off
Jazz/Rock switch -Rock
Treble - 5
Middle - 5
Bass - 5
Level (distortion) - 5
Ratio (") - 5
Master - 2.5
Presence - 3

Avatar 2X12 cabinet with 2-Celestion G12H30 reissues (made in England) used.
BTW: These speaker are very efficient, so this setting is loud...like small club gig loud.

This amp has a presence that is big, bold, clear, and articulate. It is very responsive to pick attack and subtle nuances in playing technique. At the same time, it is also unforgiving of mistakes. It picks up everything your hands do on the fretboard. It forces you to concentrate on how you manipulate the strings. By forcing myself to slow the normal pace at which I play and concentrating on each note, I've found tonal nuances that I've not experienced with other amps. The way the notes swell and sustain is something really beautiful. I've always had to resort to pedals to get that long sustain that blooms to the point of controlled feedback, but this amp alone does it with ease. All it takes is a subtle change in the direction I face in relation to the speakers. It is often said (and we've all heard it), that one note played really well can move you more that a bucketful of notes played really fast, no mater how well they're played. This amp really defines that notion. Hitting just a few notes just right through this amp and allowing that last one to bloom into a lingering sustain is the stuff that brings tears to the eyes. Sweet tonal bliss...

Another really pleasant feature is in how this amp responds to my guitars volume and tone controls. With the volume and tone at full, I was getting a great hard rock to classic rock type tone with humbuckers, and by rolling off the volume pot in varying degrees the tone went from rock, to thick warm blues at the edge of distortion, to a thick clear tone. Rolling off the tone control changed the treble attack of the pickup from bright, biting hard rock, to warmer classic rock, to warm blues, to a jazz tone. Full volume and rolled off tone produced a Santana-like tone. I'm sure that the Vitamin Q PIO caps I installed have something to do with this, but they alone didn't produce this tone in my other amps.

I had never truly experienced the full capabilities of the Highorder pickups that I have in my Agile 2800 DLX with my other amps either. My Epi Blues Custom 30 came closest, but it's far from this amp. The bridge pickup with its A2 magnet finally sounds like the PAF humbucker it's designed to be. From Mike Bloomfield like tones to Gary Moore, it all comes out through this amp. My Ibanez Artcore AS73 with the Truetone Technologies PAF's finally projects that warm, thick, and fat 335 tone. And what fun it is to play with the controlled feedback with that one! I purposely put off installing the new Guitarforce Lord of the Blues pickups in my Agile AD 3000M this weekend so that I could get a feel for the tone of the guitar with the stock Agile A5 pickups. They are most definitely rockin A5's and sound great through this amp. But now that I've played the guitar stock for a while, I'm ready to try the new pickups. I really prefer the tone of a good PAF style humbucker over the grainier, thicker, and heavier tone of the A5 magnet humbuckers. And now that I have an amp that really gives life to that PAF tone, I'm really looking forward to it. I'm convinced that the elusive Duane tone I've been craving is in the combination of the LOTB pickups and this amp.

I have not had the time yet to really sit down and dial in the Strat tones I'm looking for. But, I know from the many videos I've seen on YouTube with Strats played through this amp, it's just a matter of tweaking until I find them.

Later in the week I'll be getting a WGS Veteran 30 speaker that I plan to pair with a G12H30. It'll be interesting to see how that combination enhances the tone of this amp. A single or 2X12 cabinet with Celestion G12-65's (or WGS ET65's) is probably the most popular with this amp, but this speaker combo seems to be second most popular (and pretty universal with a lot of amps).

We all know that tone is in the hands, and that no amount of spending on equipment can make up for that. But...better equipment does get you closer, and in this case it forces the player to get better to meet its standards. And better equipment can create the desire to apply one's self toward the goal of becoming a better musician. I know this amp has renewed my desire....:AOK:
 

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