japetus
Moderator
What in your opinion is a fair price for a GH50L these days? I used to love those amps back in the day but I remember them being even more expensive than Marshalls
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braintheory
Well-known member
The Sovtek’s are gonna be smoother in the upper mids and mids, but have also a fatter and chewier sound than their Marshall counterparts with more low mids and growl more in that region rather than in the uppermids. With mods (I’ve played some Cameron modded ones) they can get a bit closer I think to what you want, but you will still hear their inherent core sound underneath as the donor amp, which is why I may lean a little more to a good Marshall reissue, but the main benefit of the Sovtek is how it has a more organic and raw sound the way good vintage amps do, while the other amps that were recommend sound comparatively more bland/flat or a bit sterile imho (even the Landry. I’ve played them too)
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braintheory
Well-known member
It really depends on the mod. Pedals can approximate the sound of some mods and debatably even sound better than some depending on the pedal. Pedals will generally be noisier though and very few will be able to do what a resonance/depth knob does or if the amp is somehow modded to have a deeper low end
No pedal I’ve tried IME will approximate really the sound or feel of the Aldrich, Langner or Monomyth mods I’ve had, but I guess with many other mods I’ve played probably. And then some “modded” Marshall’s are actually rebuilds like the Hermansson’s and Gower’s as some examples
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ClintN667
Well-known member
I've owned probably around 5 or 6 ceriatone. Never had an issue with them and wouldn't hesitate to get a new one. I've even bought their transformers for my own builds based on a recommendation from Jason T. and never had an issue. I'm not saying it hasn't happened but I haven't seen anyone post about them in recent years.
Look at the ceriatone group on Facebook. They have a JCM51 that you can get now which is an 800 with a footswitchable plexi channel, plus I think it had a gain boost and some other mods. Other than that I would look at a used Splawn.
Look at the ceriatone group on Facebook. They have a JCM51 that you can get now which is an 800 with a footswitchable plexi channel, plus I think it had a gain boost and some other mods. Other than that I would look at a used Splawn.
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Racerxrated
Well-known member
Yes, pedals can do a great job with the exception of your resonance needs....they typically don't add much in low end and most will rob lows in the act of tightening the sound. A few exceptions are the Boss OD1X, and Seymour Duncan 805 pedal. I'm sure there are more but I've only played those 2...they keep the lows intact and can add a small amount in. So, for a deeper low end you'd need a resonance mod by a technician on a 2203 circuit.
Most Marshall mods are to add higher gain, and deeper lows. But the Marshall tone stays intact.
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Racerxrated
Well-known member
Maybe the transformers are better now? But my experience was such that I'd simply avoid them altogether. It was a good sounding amp though.
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ClintN667
Well-known member
They may have changed vendors or something at some point. But I get it. I tend to write brands off when something like that happens. Seems like I read where a few people had issues years ago. I was actually a little worried when I got my first one. I also remember reading a long time ago people complained about splawn having cold solder joints which almost scared me away from them to.
If I was still in the market for a Marshall type amp I would likely go for a ceriatone or Splawn unless I had Headfirst, Monomyth, or Ground Zero money.
Or for people who are handy with a soldering iron, get a Headfirst board and build your own. Jason has enough documentation for his mods that you could do just about anything you wanted if you had the time and patience. 1500 would go a pretty good way on a home build.
jchrisf
Well-known member
I know Florida Frank and he uses DSL 2000. The other dude does use the TSL though.
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MusicIsLife
Well-known member
IIRC the Ceriatone transformer thing was years and years ago. I can't remember if it was a single batch that had issues, or what, but they determined what the problem was and corrected it. It seems like it comes up whenever someone asks about Ceriatone, but it was a past, isolated problem. I've got one of their 2203s, with bright switch and NFB pot, and it's great...and LOUD.
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dcburn
Well-known member
I was under the assumption that Ceriatone used Heyboer transformers?
Beefeater
Member
You should check out Rockitt Retro. The dude does killer ptp plexi replicas and offers a '76 option, which is his master volume jmp 2203 & 2204 amps. Very reasonably priced for what you get.
rsm
Well-known member
If I was looking for a JCM800 clone, I'd start with Ceriatone. Never owned a Ceriatone.
I'd more likely save to get a used JCM800 2203X reissue
I'd more likely save to get a used JCM800 2203X reissue
acidvoodoo
Well-known member
There’s a Marshall 1987x with a master volume mod on reverb for $1500
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Randy R
Well-known member
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pipboy90
Well-known member
You could also get the Mojotone British 50W kit and a head shell for ~$1200 and either put it together yourself (if you have some experience) or pay a tech to do it. It comes with Heyboer transformers.
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ClintN667
Well-known member
No it's not heybooer. I used to have the name but I can't remember it. My first 2204 from ceriatone I got it without the iron and then put classictone in it. Honestly it wasn't an improvement vs the later ones I've owned with stock.
As far as getting a reissue from marshall they are like 3500 new so even used you are going to pay a lot more vs a new ceriatone. Also the ceriatone are easier to mod or at least more forgiving to mod with them being turret board. I can't justify getting another marshall type amp after the atla but it is so tempting to get a JCM51. He really has a good idea there. I had the All Access plexi and the AJ 100 superlead and both were killer. The JCM51 ticks all the boxes for me.
I did a 2204 kit from Mojotone and I didn't really like it. But when I got it I found some mistakes in the layout that was obvious to me at a very early stage of me building. Mojotone support thankfully is very good. However if I was going to do a build I would go with the Headfirst st1 board. I've done a couple builds with those and all of them have turned out great. Just wish I could have had the same level success with the Cali board.
Ben Waylin
Banned
Well-known member
The PT & OT in my Ceriatone AH-50 have absolutely no branding/labelling of any kind - aside from a sticker denoting PT from OT.
dcburn
Well-known member
When I was going back and forth with Nik over a Marshall kit, I swear it was Heyboer transformers, lol.
Looked back and I was going to omit transformers and source my own.
Kits did not come with Heyboer.
Ended up with Metro kits in the end.
hammered
Well-known member
+1 on the Splawn Competition. Wish I would’ve kept mine
easstudios
Well-known member
Exodus Tempo tone is a Langner modded Marshall, a stock 2203/2204 won't sound like that.
I think these are cool JCM800 (or inspired) amps that are built nice and reasonably priced:
I think most modern boutique high gain amps come out of that JCM800 lineage so you'd probably get close with something a bit less "stock". Splawn's seem WAY too dark to do that aggressive Exodus thing.
Huge part of that TOTD tone is T75's in your cab. Not to be overlooked at all.
I think these are cool JCM800 (or inspired) amps that are built nice and reasonably priced:
I think most modern boutique high gain amps come out of that JCM800 lineage so you'd probably get close with something a bit less "stock". Splawn's seem WAY too dark to do that aggressive Exodus thing.
Huge part of that TOTD tone is T75's in your cab. Not to be overlooked at all.