Best affordable D-clone

[JD0x0]

nothing wrong with ceriatone trannies. Both of mine run very cool even when played very loud and sound great.

A good idea to save on shipping is buy an OTS with no trannies and then throw some heyboers in.

[scotto]

Put a Heyboer OT in mine and it sounds much better. Well worth doing. You might be able to get one from Branden at Bludotone. He hooked me up a while back.

[chooseyourblues]

I was looking at getting a ceriatone 80s style d-clone but a friend who knows more than I do suggested coming here and seeing what the experts thought about who makes the best affordable d-clone.

I heard the ceriatone transformers (and perhaps other parts as well) are not very good from a few people.

I really don't know and I'd appreciate some advice from you guys/gals that do. Thanks.

I just took delivery of a HRM Overtone Special. I am speechless as to how good it sounds.
It has the extra gain trim pot on the back so makes the front gain real easy to dial in specific amounts.
Got the 50 watt. Only difference i could tell was 100 watt had more clean headroom (50 watt still has loads of giggable headroom). OD channel sounded the same in each.

I've never comunicated with anyone as frindly and as helpful as Nik.

[ChrisM]

There is more difference than just headroom. If you do a search you'll see what I mean. The difference between 50W and 100W is 3dB btw.

Enjoy the amp.

[Grant]

I was looking at getting a ceriatone 80s style d-clone but a friend who knows more than I do suggested coming here and seeing what the experts thought about who makes the best affordable d-clone.

I heard the ceriatone transformers (and perhaps other parts as well) are not very good from a few people.

I really don't know and I'd appreciate some advice from you guys/gals that do. Thanks.

That depends.
You can always spend more money on anything.
Are you wanting to build this amp yourself or have it built?

I don't think you will find any D style amp off the shelf that will be cheaper than the Ceriatone amps.
But you have to decide whether you would rather pay somebody in the USA your hard earned money or somebody living in Malaysia.

There have bee rumors that the transformers on the Ceriatone amps aren't that great.
Other than that, they pretty much use the same parts as everyone else does.

Where it starts getting expensive on those amps is the shipping costs.
So some guys order them without the transformers or tubes to save on shipping weight. Tubes because many would rather source their own.

The cabinet is also expensive to ship as well and some choose to either build their own or buy a custom one in the states.

Whatever you decide, the ODS style amp is a great amp and no, we all don't want to sound like Robben Ford or Larry Carlton.
They already do!
So like most guitarists, I still sound like me when I play one.
I can't tell you if that is a good thing or bad thing, I'd have to let others decide that.

I know my choice

[bluesfendermanblues]

There is more difference than just headroom. If you do a search you'll see what I mean. The difference between 50W and 100W is 3dB btw.

Enjoy the amp.

The 3dB thing is correct, but 100w surely feels a lot more powefull in the lower midrange than a 50w. Its a different beast altogether.

[johan]

I would choose a 100w over a 50w.
100w are more solid sounding. It's not a non master volume amp and most of the gain comes from the pre amp design anyway, right?
Still, most amps sounds best turned up, non-master or not.

[bluesfendermanblues]

Regarding Dumble style amps, I find that even at whisper level a 100w sounds more 'right' than a 50 watt.

[Steven_nl]

Put a Heyboer OT in mine and it sounds much better. Well worth doing. You might be able to get one from Branden at Bludotone. He hooked me up a while back.

I bought (and payed) a Heyboer from Brandon last year. I'm still waiting for it. He doesn't answer my e-mails either.

[bluesfendermanblues]

I was looking at getting a ceriatone 80s style d-clone but a friend who knows more than I do suggested coming here and seeing what the experts thought about who makes the best affordable d-clone.

I heard the ceriatone transformers (and perhaps other parts as well) are not very good from a few people.

I really don't know and I'd appreciate some advice from you guys/gals that do. Thanks.

To answer your initial question, I would say that the most affordable 'kit' you can purchase is to source the parts yourself, using one of the BOM's in the files section.

I have build an OTS 50 from Ceriatone, which has amounted to around 2000 USD. My latest build is a DIY with old Partridge trannies from an ol' 70s Laney amp, which has been around 450 USD.

[Guitarman18]

bluesfendermanblues wrote:

To answer your initial question, I would say that the most affordable 'kit' you can purchase is to source the parts yourself, using one of the BOM's in the files section.

+1.

....and because you have to do a little more homework, you gain a greater knowledge and insight into what you are doing!

[fp2000]

there are other places to buy heyboer tranformers, one of his distribuitors is mojotone. I bought an OT from them and it sounds pretty good. The price is lower than if you buy it from heyboer directly since they buy them by the bulk.

[Gruffnutz]

...But you have to decide whether you would rather pay somebody in the USA your hard earned money or somebody living in Malaysia.

This is a VERY good point you make. I'd much rather pay my 'hard earned' to somebody living in Malaysia. You guys will only use it to stuff the global economy.

[David Root]

bfmb, I'll bet I know which one sounds better too! No Contest!

I had no idea old Laneys used Partridge iron. Which ones?

[alanp]

I haven't thrashed it out thoroughly, but my gut instinct suggests that shipping for Ceriatone transformers is cheaper for me (NZ) than American ones, since the Pacific Ocean isn't in the way.

Once I've saved up my pennies, I'm still gonna get me some yank iron, though. If I'm going to save up and build an amp, might as well be with the Pacifics that were used in some of the original TWs.