CeriaTone JTM45/100 Head

Amp was made in May of 09 and is perfect for what I do.I guess if I had to define my style I would say it's classic rock.With only a Fuzz and an Octavia with just a turn of my guitars' volume knob I am able to go from a full deep clean to classic crunch to shimmering solos.It has the high treble and normal channels that I jumper for the deep sound.The only added features I had Nik and his crew install was a PPIMV which gives me a manageable volume to play at home and a external bias so that I can bias the power tubes and live to tell about it.Those are all the features I need or want,I like things simple.Where my band plays holds at least 200 hundred people which allows me play with the PPIMV out of circuit and with a couple of outdoor concerts coming up I should be able to turn it up to 6 or 7 hopefully which is CRAZY LOUD! I love it!! I use pedals for my tone and this amp works great with them which allows me to go just about anywhere I want to in my music.

This is where it shines,great tone.I use an Ibanez strat copy I bought new in the mid 70's and with it I see why Nik calls this amp "The Experience".It's pure Hendrix which is about as close to the style of music I play as I can relate to you.It is not a heavy metal amp and even with pedals you will not be able to hide behind distortion,your technic and or your flaws will come through.I do hear some faint ghosting with the channels jumped and the amp volume around 6 or higher but i think that this is normal for this style of amp and hasn't annoyed me yet.With my strat the clean channel stays clean all the the way to deafening levels.Again this is not a heavy metal amp so the distortion is not brutal even on the bridge pickup but it's right where I want it to be which is for lack of a better phrase"clean distortion".Also the right speakers are critical for getting the best sound from this amp and the sound that defines you.I was able to dial it in so that the bass is tight and the mids stand out and the treble isn't bright.Perfect.

I've had it just 3 weeks with it on everyday 7 days a week for 3 to 4 hours a day and the sound gets better and better as it gets broken in.No issues so far and don't expect any.Great hand built quality based on Marshalls' 66'JTM45/100.Simple is better!

Every e-mail I sent was answered by Nik quickly,not in a matter of days or hours but in most cases minutes.This is before,during and after the sale and delievery.Customer service is key.There is an authorized service center here in my city but I don't plan on ever using them because I want to learn how to repair my own amp.

I got my first guitar in 1970 so i've been playing a little while.My only other amp is a 1969 fender super reverb and it gets the job done.I have been chasing this sound in my head ever since i heard A BAND OF GYPSYS and although this amp is based on Hendrixs' early sound, it puts me right where I want to be.There is nothing that I do not like about this amp and plan on getting Niks' versions of the super lead100 and JTM/50 AND JTM/45. Hey I got to dream big.One last thing,I you are considering getting this amp please know that this amp is very,very loud,deafening loud and depending on where you play a jtm/45 may suffice.

No, it isn't great on the features, but that's because it's a reincarnation of an old tube amp that hadn't much features to begin with. Believe me with an amp like this, features can be a bad thing.

The amp has a high treble channel and a normal channel. In order to get the best sound with this or any similar Marshall-styled amp you should patch the two channels with a jumper cable and mix their respective volume knobs to the tone you desire.

The knobs other than the Volume knobs for the High Treble channel and the Normal channel are Presence and EQ (Treble, Middle, Bass) knobs.

As you can see, very simple. It's a one-trick pony but it is amazing at what it does.

Two things.

1. Unbelieveable tone. I wish I could rate it higher. This is a reissue of the amp Hendrix used, to get an idea of what should be played with it. I typically play a frankenstrat but every guitar I've run through it sounds amazing. Lots of clarity, extremely responsive. Tube screamers and my Big Muff Pi sound unbelieveable on it, and the wah wah is so good through it too. Very warm. Tube tone all the way.

Pretty warm, not as edgy as a Plexi. I love it, it's very smooth and organic, and WOW! so responsive.

Of course it's a Marshall-based amp so you can expect all the Marshall characteristics, i.e. it gets dirtier as you crank it up, etc. In order to get the best tone you have to hear it loud! (Earplugs though!)

2. Unbelieveable volume. This thing is LOUD and i'm only running it through a 2x12. Make sure you have a use for this thing before you get it, because setting the volume at about 3 is enough to shake the house, and 4 or 5 is enough to destroy your neighborhood.

It sounds the best for outdoor gigs, where it can really project and the sound can disperse. Inside the sound can almost be overbearing. And again, as with all tube amps, you get more tone as you crank the volume.

Pretty rock solid. One day I played an indoor show and the amp was by a corner and I think it started to sound extremely bass-y with absolutely no treble, I think this is because the heat started to collect in that corner and the tubes overheated. This is reinforced by the fact that after shutting it off for an hour and turning it on again everything was fine. This is an aspect of all tube amps though, nothing specific to this amp. Other than that the case is hard as a rock and I don't see this falling apart anytime soon.

I've literally had email conversations with Nik@CeriaTone that read like AIM conversations, and they occured within an hour. Nik is the nicest guy and extremely knowledgeable. Ask him anything and there's a good chance he'll reply within 5 minutes. (How the hell does he do that!)

Overall rating, if you have no purpose for a really loud amp, don't ge this amp. If you want a million different effects right on the amp, don't get this amp.

If you want to rearrange people's minds, get this amp.

If you want amazingly smooth tube tone, get this amp.

If you want to sound like Hendrix this is the first step.

And keep in mind that Nik is extremely helpful and offers a bunch of different reissues, not just Marshall-based. If you need anything ask him and he can definitely find the right amp for you.

One other thing I will say is that this amp took a LONG time to get to me. Something like 6 months. But that's because Nik is extremely meticulous in his amp-building. Would you prefer to quickly get a less reliable amp or wait a while and get something really special? Especially at a third of the cost Marshall charges (and that includes shipping from Malaysia!)

A+ recommendation for Nik, his JTM45/100 head, and his company CeriaTone.