CeriaTone 18 watt Head

This is my second Ceriatone amplifier & as usual the build quality & attention to detail are really excellent given the amazing value for money. There's just something really special and 'open' sounding in this simple hand-wired circuit. I was lucky enough to own an original 20w Marshall combo many years ago that I've always regretted selling; getting this amp was like getting an old friend back! This version is essentially a clone of the earlier 18w circuit with the all important EZ81 tube rectification plus a well designed master volume on one channel. You also have the standard volume & tone channel just like the original and using a jump lead between the two channels provides the classic Marshall 'clean & crunch' tones in spades. The master volume is really important as if you've never auditioned one of these amps then you're in for a shock- they're LOUD! And I mean LOUD for 18w- easily keeping up with the JTM45 I also own.

This amp has so few components that it's almost like having a straight jack to the speaker! Notes seem to 'jump out' with lots of natural compression plus that elusive quality that many modern amps lack- 'touch'. Basically this means with this class A circuit, you can really dig in hard and the amp responds with bags of sustain & harmonics- lay-back and it cleans up with some of the warmest 'Wind Cries Mary' chime you'll ever hear- superb stuff! Many of those classic 60's & 70's guitar tones are all here at a much more manageable volume; however this isn't a Metal amp- with a Les Paul or similar humbucker guitar think much more EVH 'brown sound' & Kossoff/early Clapton/Mick Ronson and you'll get the picture. Together with a quality overdrive pedal this amp will give you all the singing classic rock lead tones you'll ever need.

The originals were & are very reliable- I own an old Plexi that has seen much hard use & has never let me down- I believe these 'clones' will be just as good. The internal hand wiring & soldering is of the highest order- easily on par with many respected 'Boutique' amp manufacturers. Amps built this way are easily repaired and serviced. Ceriatone have an excellent customer service set-up, and although I'm based in the UK and Ceriatone is in Malaysia; all emails have been answered promptly and with service centers set up in many countries world-wide, I can foresee no issues with reliability & repair.

See above!

I also own an Overtone & this is my second amp built by Ceriatone, I am now about to order my third! I consider them incredible value for money considering the astronomic prices some manufacturers ask for their products- nothing wrong with that & good luck to 'em - however, if you're not a Lawyer, Doctor, Banker, Rock Star etc...etc...etc... then Ceriatone make those boutique tones & build quality available to guitarists of much more modest means- like myself!

If it were stolen then I would replace immediately whilst also calling a personal friend called '??10-a-leg-Fred' and giving him ??30 to get all medieval on the thieving scum! ;-)

This is the standard Ceriatone 18 Watt head, without the TMB or EF86 modification and so, perhaps, more authentic. Instead, this circuit has the legendary all valve/tube model 1974-style tremelo, which is rich and organic (my son *loves* it). I opted for the steel chassis, as it is the norm for Marshall heads, and also stronger.

The amp has 2 channels, the tremelo is footswitchable on one channel. Each channel has two inputs, hi and lo. These can be jumpered together in the time honoured Marshall fashion.

I had to provide my own case and cover it - jobs that are not to be underestimated. However the result is amazing.

This has exactly the right features for me, no more, no less - perfect. For higher gain applications, the amp is well known for flattering external overdrive & distortion pedals.

This amplifier is intended for that beautiful 60s/70s style blues and classic rock overdriven tone. Bluesbreaker style. At this it excels.

Good clean sounds are also available at lower volumes and the tremelo really shimmers.

For modern higher gain applications, external pedals are the way to go. Fortunately this amp complements external pedals; you can, if you choose, complement the amp's power stage overdrive with, say, cascaded input stage distortion from external pedals and the preamp...to get more of a Santana or Nu-metal Mesa Boogie type sound.

Marshall's ad for their new 1974X reissued amp features blues rock legend Gary Moore complementing its tone "sweet as it ever was". Enough said.:

I made a point of tracking down an awesome blues/rock amp that used point-to-point wiring, because they are so strong and reliable. They are also easy to repair -- I plan to do my own repairs, if the need ever arises. They are not complex and the connection points are accessible. Like most EL84 amps, the tubes do not need to be biased in this circuit (although they do need to be a matched pair). What more could you ask for?

The boss, Nik always responds in person! It doesn't get any better than that. My only suggestion would be that he include more information on the Ceriatone website, so that we don't have to bother him with basic user manual type questions.

I am an intermediate level player, I play mainly blues and classic rock for my own enjoyment. I play a Gibson Les Paul Standard (sweet) and a similar style Japanese original guitar. My son plays a Fender strat. I long ago fell in love with the sound of the Les Paul plugged into an overdriven Marshall amplifier, although it took me decades to realise that this combination was the common thread in the music that I most love. Thin Lizzy, Led Zepplin, Eric Clapton with John Mayall Blues Breakers, Free, Freddy King, Allman Brothers, Eagles, Boston, Peter Green, Gary Moore,... When I first plugged a Les Paul Standard into a (20W) Marshall valve amplifier and strummed the tone made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, I got goose pimples and a shudder went through my body. "That sound" at last - it was a magical moment. This amplifier provides that tone in spades. What more could anyone want?

If I was wealthier, I would have just bought one of the reissued Marshall handwired amp heads and the matching cabinet. However, having a limited budget proved a blessing in disguise, because I was able to get exactly the combination of features I wanted from Ceriatone (tube tremelo, tube rectifier, steel chassis, head format) - a combination that is not available from Marshall.