Ceriatone Expression (with TGP mods) - Initial Thoughts

[Dave_5150]

Well my Ceriatone Expression has now arrived an so far it's all good

Just thought I'd give some quick feedback after all the information I'd gleened from these pages prior to ordering my final spec.

In terms of mods I've got both 5.2k and 6.6k primary output, a trim pot to alter the gain characterics (which I'm not touching as Nic's setting is spot on for me!), a choke / res switch, external bias point and bias adjustment, a half power switch (which I doubt I'll use) and PPMIV (surprisingly useful for the house but I'll still use my my TW Clone attenator for live).

With standard settings (6.6k, res, full power) and the volume set to around 1 o'clock it gives some lovely sounds with the guitar volume ranging from very clean to gain laiden solo with many great usable sounds for blues and classic rock in between.

I've tried it with both my 2x12 with V30's and my 1970's Marshall 4x12 with original 20w greenbacks and 30w heritages and it sounds great through both.

As for the mods well to my mind it sounds better with the amp volume set quite a bit lower with the choke enaged, 5.2k output and the bright switch in the upper position this thing is an absolute tone monster. Although I accept that it may have moved it away from the original amp's sound though to me I just love good tone and to my ears set this way it sounds better for me and I'm fine with that.

To my mind this is one of the finest amps I've ever played with amazing note seperation, sustain and clarity. It really is pushing me to play better and after twenty years of playing I spent Saturday having a 6 hour practice with just one guitar and the amp through the 2x12 with V30 stood on it's end. The control of the sound with the guitars volume and tone pots is unreal.

Without doubt this is the best money I've ever spent on equipment and this amp will remain with me for as long I continue to play and I'm totally spellbound by it.

I'll try and get some clips up once I've found a simple but usable way to get a decent recording.


Dave

[Dave_5150]

So what a difference a couple of months makes.

I'm now back to not using any of the TGP mods so I'm at 6.6k Primary & Res rather than choke, Full power and the PPMIV turned fully up.

I've also binned the Vintage 30's in my 2x12 and replaced them with the G12M Greenbacks from my 4x12 (which as a bonus turned out to be 1975 vintage speakers ).

I've also checked the bias and found it was biased very hot and so I've sorted that too. I've replaced the V1 12AX7 with a 5751 which has had a beneficial impact on the gain characteristics and I've also tried a set of 6v6's too (though currently I prefer the E34L's which it shipped with). I also plan to try a 12AT7 in the PI too.

Overall this is a lovely sounding and very flexible amp. Both the brite modes are excellent (in particular I'm impressed by the brightest one). And I now only run the gain at around 10 O'clock (and thats after reducing the gain with the introduction of the 5751 in V1).

I've also now tried the amp with a Strat I assembled with quality parts with tones on the neck and bridge and a load free middle pickup and I think I may prefer the flexibility and tonal range of that to my usual 2 humbucker equipped guitars.

Final note is that the amp sounds way better without the attenuator in the mix.

Still loving it though.

[dartanion]

IMHO, you don't need all that extra crap...I mean mods

Really, a Wreck was meant to be a simple single channel tone machine. Straying too far from this formula makes it less Wreck like. If you like the mods and they are useful for you, then more power to ya.

[rawnster]

IMHO, you don't need all that extra crap...I mean mods

Really, a Wreck was meant to be a simple single channel tone machine. Straying too far from this formula makes it less Wreck like. If you like the mods and they are useful for you, then more power to ya.

Dang Darin, don't be hate'n! Dave_5150 has an inspiring amp that's calling his name. We all could do with a little more inspirational time.

[dartanion]

IMHO, you don't need all that extra crap...I mean mods

Really, a Wreck was meant to be a simple single channel tone machine. Straying too far from this formula makes it less Wreck like. If you like the mods and they are useful for you, then more power to ya.

Dang Darin, don't be hate'n! Dave_5150 has an inspiring amp that's calling his name. We all could do with a little more inspirational time.

No hate here, just pointing out that "those mods" can be useful, but depends on the individual. The OP here seems to have found the magic by basically bypassing the mods, which is enlightening. Enjoy the tone man!

Ron, you should know that I like to tease.

[dartanion]

Dave,

Please report back with your tube switching findings. I have done some experimenting myself and found that you can liberate quite a bit of clean headroom by using a 12AU7 in V1 and a 12AT7 in the PI. The ultra low gain V1 also helps with quelling the microphonics of V1 and reduces hiss. It still acts like a Wreck, but it's not as agressive at lower volume settings. I had a couple of customers who wanted to use some pedals in front of their amps, so instead of modding the amp, swapping in this combination works quite well.

[UR12]

A 12ay7 in V1 isn't bad either and is somewher in the middle of a 5751 and a 12au7

[dartanion]

A 12ay7 in V1 isn't bad either and is somewher in the middle of a 5751 and a 12au7

True, true. I would have tried one, but don't have any in stock at the moment.

[rooster]

Dave_5150 - I actually think your tastes have greatly improved with time. BTW, Glen is still able to work the Express better than anyone alive, so always pay attention to his input. Clearly, here is a cat who says, 'OK, the amp is what it is - how do I make it do what I need it to do?' And then it all just comes together for him. Quite amazing and it does not suffer me one bit to give it up for him - he knows TONE and he knows the Express.

The tube swaps that people offer here are interesting but I run the typical compliment. One thing I will offer up regarding my take on things after a year of having the 35 watt Express, I now bias my EL34s at 40 ma, something Glen presented from day one. I fought this but I now conceed that he has this figured out. I also am liking the J/J KT77 in the amp and I remember that I hated them before! LOL! It had to have been the 34 ma bias I ran at the time.

Any, the amp now sounds fantastic to my ear although I still wish for a little less volume. On this note I have a 25 watt version that uses a 25 watt Hammond OT and, where I thought it sounded pretty good, now I conceed that this OT needs an upgrade. All of this thinking arrived after going back to the 35 watt Express and just hanging with it, making the bias change, etc.. Funny how that goes. So far, after finding nothing to replace the 25 watt OT, I have run into something that looks promising. If this new OT sounds any good I will let you know. For now, much like you, the stock 35 watt Express circuit is something I really enjoy playing.

[Dave_5150]

The "extra crap" doesn't really stop the amp from being a single channel amp. However it does significantly alter what you can do with that channel. That said for the majority of what I play the best settings are the one's used in the majority of wrecks and I guess that why they are used for the majority.

If I hadn't had the mods on then I'd have wondered if they were any good. So I'm glad I did it but for me I can't imagine using any of them again (with the possible exception of the 5.2k / 6.6k promary OT switch).

As for the tube swap I'm going back to E34L's. I'll try them at 40ma however they had been biased at around 44ma from the factory and I much preferred them at 32ma (though I like the 6v6's better slightly hotter at around 30ma rather than say 20-25ma).

I'm going to order a 12au7 and a 12AT7 today which will allow me to pop the 12AT7 in the PI and mess with the 5751 and 12AU7 in V1 and V2 to see what I prefer.

Overall sound is whatever works for you. I agree that having GuitarPickers advice on here is of great use and it's clear from his youtube demo's that his tone is impecable. However he's not at my house and can't hear the affects of changes on my amp so I have to relay on a combination of sensible advice and my own ears in order to get what works for me.

I know what I like and what I don't and this is now my only amp and it's used without effects so either it has to cover all bases, my playing and guitar dynamics have to cover everything or in reality there has to be a compromise where a combination of the amp and playing dynamics have to produce all the sounds required.



Dave

[dartanion]

Dave,

It's great that you are bonding with this amp. I say "crap" as Wrecks were meant to be a no-nonsense tone machine and adding all that stuff doesn't really add effective tonal shaping in my mind, just extra "features" that you don't really need. And, you are right that the OT primary switch is the most useful. 5.2K for more output and a more aggressive tone, 6.6K for a little less output and less aggressive tone.

Biasing an amp is also a matter of taste. I like a hotter bias, but only to a point. Tubes are so variable these days that bias points are not set in stone in my mind. I choose what sounds best to my ears and is not redplating. That, and as the tubes age, bias will drift, so check it periodically if you are not digging your tone.

It's enlightening to gig with nothing more than your guitar, amp, and a cable. Nothing to hide behind, just let the tone flow.

[Dave_5150]

Changed my pre amp valves earlier ..so I'm now running:

V1 - Mullard 1960's 12AU7
V2 - Phillips new 5751
PI - EH 12AT7

E34L's biased at 40ma

Findings so far are that the gain on the amp now needs to come up a long way to get any usuable overdrive going ie. around 2 o'clock now as appose to 10 o'clock before. The tone controls seem a lot more responsive and changing each affects the balance of the others. There seems to be less bass. The guitar volume control keeps clean for a lot longer. Everything is much clearer. I can't get any nasty feedback (squeals).

Overall I think I like it though it may be just a little too clean for my likeing now. Though I like the smoothness and theres nothing harsh about the sound.

There's no pleasing me clearly !! Perhaps using the 5.2k tap will add sufficient bite without stuffing up my tone. I'll give it a go later.

[Tube_S_Cream]

By the way... i bought my Ceriatone Express Kit 3 years ago ( that one with an "original" Trainwreck" Plexi-Logo for my headshell...
I was always wondering about it's harsh and brittle sound. Finally it endet up modifying the tone stack. Changing the Treble Pot to 250K A instead of 1Meg made a dramatical improvement. Before that, the influence of the Mid an Bass Pot was nearly negligible and now it works as a tone stack should work! Several TW-Express schematics show a 250K treble pot and so i was wondering how Nik uses 1M tapers. Just had a look at Nik's online schematic and it's still a 1Meg. Normally a tone stack causes a notch around 400-700Hz, when mid is turned off. Nik's tonestack is producing this notch @ 150Hz. That's definetly too low. I'm pretty happy with the 250k treble pot and a 220pF treble cap instead of the 500p Ceriatone uses.
Now it's a tone stack and not only a treble booster and i enjoy using both position of the brightness switch without getting injured by painful trebles...

So before you experience with some boutique trannies, have a look at the tone stack... most basic sound shaping is done here!
If you haven't got a 250k pot by the hand, just switch a 330k resistor parallel to the treble pot (start and end, not the wiper). O.k. not the best for every time, but you can hear the result without dismounting the pot.

Greetz

Tube_S_Cream

[Dave_5150]

Hey whatever works for you I guess.

Having checked the Franchesca schematics on here they seem to use a 1M pot for the treble too.

I like my tone stack as it is and every thing seems very interactive. Although listening to way too Joe Bonamassa has led me to keep the treble at around 10 o'clock, mids up at around 2 o'clock and the bass and presence round about 12 o'clock with the bright in the brightest position.

Works for me and I'm really liking my tone rolled off clean. crunchy and full up lead now and in all pickup positions too

[M Fowler]

Dave,

The 12AU7 is a very low gain tube for V1.

I use a Mullard 12AT7 in that spot and a GT5751 in V2 and GT goldpin 12AT7 unmatched in V3. I hate the brightness of the Ceriatone Express so I changed my caps for bass response and not I actually use the brite switch.

Mark