CeriaTone Overtone

This amp has everything. mid boost, treble boost, rock/jazz setting. you can tailor your sound perfectly. it about 43 watts(NOT 50) powered by two 6L6 tubes which can be swapped out for others.

i use mainly single coil guitars and this amp is perfect. the cleans are warm yet also sparkly and the overdrive is nice and fat. can go from light distortion into Mesa territory.

Even at high gains this amp has very low backround noise

this amp is hand soldered PTP so its built nice and sturdy. my only complaint was the green led does not work on my footswitch

Nik is very helpful and responds quickly

i play rock/funk/jazz and this amp is amazing and can suit any style

Overtone special amplifier from Ceriatone in head cab. 50 watts of all tube power and point to point wired with very high quality circuit components.
Cloned from Dumble amplifiers overdrive special that is known for very smooth tones rich in harmonics.
Just like the Dumble the overtone has a very ajustable tone stack and has the addition of three small toggle switches for augmenting frequencies and preamp gain.
These include bright and deep options and a rock or jazz setting for smooth signal or the choice of a fatter tone with more gain applied.
On the back panel there is an impedance selector for 4 8 or 16 ohms.
A foot switch comes with the amp and has the ability to change from clean to overdrive channels. The foot switch will also activate a boost function to either of the channels,which is a great feature.
This gives you 4 settings at the click of a remote foot switch.
The amp runs very quietly and the swiching feature selects quietly too.
All in all this amplifier is very versatile.
It is like a fender in alot of ways, but much better in my opinion.

I use a marshall 4x12 cab at 16ohms and the overtone purs and screams as required.
I have tried a compact 1x12 cab which has a more focused sound, but is still very good.
The clean tones are most impressive, but you have to find the sweet spot depending on your guitar. Its easy to just plug in and get good tones but spend some time adjusting the tone stack and volume to gain balance and you`ll have tone like no other amp that i have played through.
The overdrive channel is the same. All settings sound very good but you need to find your desired tones.
Once you`ve got them, you wont beleive your ears.
There are many sweet spots within this amplifier.
A gibson or PRS requires different settings to a tele or strat.
I feel humbuckers give instant tonal nirvana but singles can be dialed in to kick butt as well.
If you want that smooth, fat harmonic tone some of the pro`s elude us with, this amplifier will deliver for you.
There`s quite an amazing content to the tone of this amp.
It has that three D thing. Smooth and fat but also with harmonic chime that makes an amp like this so damn special.
There`s very good definition to all notes and chords even when played at higher gain levels.
The overdrive can be dialed in from lower gain smooth blues through to high gain quality.
I feel the truer tones are found in the low to medium gain settings.
There is a small trim pot inside the amp for adusting internal gain levels.
My amp was set with a lower gain setting and it still kicks butt when pushed.

My Overtone Special was assembled from Ceriatone parts by a talented amp builder.
It cost quite a bit, but compared to the Dumble or even the likes of a Two Rocks or Fuchs, it makes real sense.
Through out all the years and gigs ive done, ive been a fender amp man.
My favourites have been the Vibroking and an original Deluxe Reverb.
This Dumble clone has sold the Vibroking, but i`ll keep the Deluxe for a back up and other applications.
I think the overtone is great for many styles and is built very well.
Lowell George once said, "Dumbles are like Fenders` built properly".
All frequencies come out smooth and balanced and these amps sing like no others.
Even Carlos Santana has now put his beloved Boogie amps aside and plugs into a Dumbles.
Thankyou Ceriatone for making this amp possible!

Bought brand new direct from Ceriatone. It's essentially a clone of a D*mble Overdrive Special, which in turn itself was based on the Fender twin circuit. It could be described as almost a four channel amp- with clean & boost then overdrive & boost. This simple idea makes the amp incredibly versatile and the excellent supplied foot switch makes quick tone & level changes during performance a dream. I guess I'm really a Blues/Classic Rock player in the vein of Robben Ford/Joe Bonamassa who both use similar design amps in their rigs & that's what attracted me to this amplifier.
It's effects loop has quite a hot output- so check compatibility with floor based pedals- rack gear running at +4db should have no issues. (There's a whole cottage industry on the web making specialised send/return 'D*mblator' boxes for these amps that allow you to adjust levels to suit your pedals; indeed Ceriatone may offer them soon as an accessory).
The amp is rated at around 40 watts, which is plenty enough for most work- although I sometimes slave an AC30 with the Overtone mostly for some extra spread.

I am lucky enough to own many guitars- and the Overtone uncannily allows each to speak with it's own voice (unlike many modern amps that have a 'generic fuzzy tone' no matter what you play). With Strats you can dial in quite thick midrange tones that surprised me- I have a thing about those 'ice-pick' treble frequencies & I'm glad to say that their still there if you really want them, but you can easily dial in smooth glassy tones with that liquid clean sustain that's so elusive in many modern amps costing much more.
Overdrive tones are where things get more complex- this amp does take a little more time to dial in lead tones, that's not to say it's bad- it's just that making small adjustments make a great deal of difference & you need a little patience. For the brave & experienced out there you can adjust a trim pot on the circuit board that when increased the overdrive becomes more 'Marshally' - reduced it heads towards those cleaner compressed Robben Ford tones.

The Overtone is stunning value for money- especially when you consider each is hand wired and a true 'point to point; circuit. I could have bought the kit and built it myself- but Ceriatones prices are such good value there was little point. This amp is as tough & well built (although more complex) as my 1969 plexi Marshall- which I've gigged continuously for the past 10 years. I believe the Overtone will be just as reliable. The circuit boards are extremely tidy and made from very thick phenolic that looks almost bullet proof.

I've now retired the old Marshall (getting too valuable to use!) and now use the Overtone exclusively- I've already played a dozen 'long haul' gigs with no problems.

Ceriatone could certainly teach a few companies I've experienced about REAL customer service. e-mails are always answered promptly & courteously and although I'm based in the UK & Ceriatone is in Malaysia, I'm pretty confident that I could get instant advice about any repair issues and given the construction of the circuits- all components can be easily replaced by a qualified amp tech.

I've been playing more more than 35 years & consider myself a professional musician combining regular live work with teaching. I have the best of everything I can afford and the Overtone is no exception. I could have spent more than four times the money on similar design boutique amps and not made any real significant improvements in tone and quality of construction. I own five other amps for different tones, but the Overtone covers much of what I need for any style.

All tube 50 watt Dumble clone amplifier head.
2 channels clean and overdrive and boost for both via footswitch.
6L6 and 12AX7 tubes.
Point to point wired internals.
outputs for 4,8 or 16ohm connections.
Effects loop.
Styles are modern blues, rock:jazz fusion.
This is quite a versatile amplifier with fender bell like tones, but is far superior to any fender in my opinion.
The overdrive circuit is another story!
It runs quietly and smoothly.

I always judge a tube amp by the quality of clean tones produced and the ceriatone has one of the nicest and most complex clean tones ive heard.
The sound is solid and thick with very good clarity on full chords.
The overdrive channel is something else. It overdrives like no other amp ive ever played, and that`s quite a few.
Smooth and musical with alot of harmonic content that supports your playing.
Makes the experience of playing quite different to using the usual selection of tube amps on the market.
The best amp and most interesting guitar tones ive heard to date.
I use mild overdrive for my style of playing and this amp sustains beautifully at lower gain settings.
It will drive hard of you crank the gain though.
Footswitch works well with no popping,noises or delays.

Have only had this amp for 3 months now. It performs really well everytime i plug in.
Judging by the way it is built internally it will be good for along time yet.

I was fortunate enough to purchase this through the connection of a good friend.
He put me onto the amp as it was for sale as pre used,but in mint condition.
I was not aware of Dumble amps that this one is cloned from, but since being educated on the subject ive discovered a new level of tone and amp performance.
Ive just sold my original 64 Vibroverb that`s been my main amp for many years. Couldn`t afford to keep both amps so it had to go.
The Vibroverb is an excellent alrounder with a big full tone from the 15in speaker and classic circuit.
The ceriatone is my main amp now.
It`s new and point to point wired with tone you dream of.
I don`t know much about ceriatone amps, I was told this one was imported from Europe.
Quality right through.

Standard default Overtone configuration. Will do lots of music styles. I bought it thinking it would be the end-all be-all amp based on reviews and sound clips from others, but its not. It is a nice amp, and does has some great tones and overtones/harmonics. These harmonics are pleasingly complex, but if I had it to do over again, I would make sure I heard one live before I bought one.

Does have complex sounds; lots of harmonics and nice tones.

Solid build, and so far no problems. Ceriatone is very responsive to emails.

Good support but only one year, non transferrable warranty. Limited authorized repair centers in the USA

Overall, I like this amp but think its overpriced. There are lots of competing tube amps in the market that have great sounds, too. While I like this amp, I like my Mesa LoneStar Special with its EL84's better, and the Mesa is built better.

If it were stolen, I would not replace this Overtone.

This review is additional to Grants below.
As a friend and amp tech Grant wanted me to review his overtone with my thoughts and comments regarding build quality and sonic performance.
The specs have been covered below, so I will look at how this amp performs under different conditions.
The Dumble circuit this was taken from is unique and many a pro has praised the original for having tone in spades.
I can say that the internals look very well layed out and put together
well. All point to point circuit board.

The best way to describe tone complexities of an amplifier like this are firstly to recognise Dumbles are Fender influenced and run 6L6 tubes.
This means the amp will behave to one degree or another like a nice Fender Tube amp.
But the sonic equation doesn`t end there and this is where things get interesting.(Dumbles are in a league of their own).
With the overtone you get the rich, warm cleans of a Fender but with added harmonic midrange complexities much like you would expect from a nice class-A Vox.
the harmonic content in this amp is out standing and this is in the clean channel!
Selecting the overdrive channel via the remote footswich kicks things into overdrive heaven.
The clean channel is very impressive on its own but the O/D channel takes harmonic complexity to higher ground.
Inside the amp is a small pot for adjusting the gain in the circuit and there is a difference with how this is set.
The higher you go the more Marshall like the gain character is.
If you run with a lower gain setting on this pot, the amp seems to retain the Dumble character alot more even when driven hard.

I tested this amp through a single EVM12L in a ported cab.
I plugged in my treasured old pre CBS Telecaster with rosewood board and heard the Tele speak like I have not before.
I prefur Tele`s through AC30s or old tweed Fenders, but the overtone had its own thing happening that was more than impressive.
I borrowed a Les Paul to see how things cooked with humbuckers and was pleasantly surprised the amp retained alot of the complex tone character, even when driven hard on higher gain settings.

Totally awesome.
This is a 50 watt model running two 6L6 tubes.
There is nice warm headroom in the clean channel and the overdrive is just beautiful.
It is the harmonic complex structure to the tone of this amp that is very unique.
I love the chime of Vox AC30s, but this amp has a blend of the best amps all in one.
It runs quietly and performs well.
I can say that Ceriatone have really got something happening here.
Quality in all aspects.

Ceriatone Overtone amplifier head that`s cloned from the circuit schematic of a Dumble overdrive special.
Point to point hand wired with sturdy components of high quality.
Internally seems very well made with good attention to detail and impressive workmanship.
All tube design utilising 6L6 tubes in power amp producing 50 watts output.
Two channels: clean and overdrive with a further boost for each mode.
There is an effects loop for adding effects.
three mini toggle switches just like the Dumble for embellishing the tonestack.

Does it sound and behave like the Dumble it`s cloned from??
That`s the big question!
In my estimation i`d say yes it does, although i`ve never played through a Dumble.
In saying that though, i`m quite familiar with what to expect from Dumble amps ie.Robben Ford, Larry Carlton & Lowell George tones.
It`s very Fender like but more refined with tones that glow harmonically. It`s fat and smooth and balanced all in one.
It performs flawlessly and is quite addictive to play, Like an extension of your instrument it`s a very inspiring amp.
It performs smoothly and has quite a bit of quality clean headroom.
The overdrive channel really shines in this amp and worldclass tones can be easliy coaxed.

We are rather fortunate to have this affordable cloned Dumble available to us.
Who can afford or even locate a Dumble amp..!
In my opinion this is great value and delivers Dumble tones for sure.
It`s loaded with beautiful quality tones and smoldering harmonics in the overdrive channel. Just amazing.

This Ceriatone "overtone" was assembled for me by my local amp Tech.
Specs and features are well described in reviews below ie)Dumble thing.
The quality of parts and components are very good and I got to see the amp being assembled in various stages.
It operates well and runs quietly under higer gain settings.

This amp does contain unique tones of the Dumble O/D special, I guess it should since its taken directly from a Dumble O/D schematic.
I play alot of slide guitar with a Strat and noticed Sonny Landreth and the late Lowell George both using Dumble amps.
The tones produced from both these world class players are outstanding and is really what inspired me to look at the Ceriatone.
I have been playing a victoria 4x10 Bassman for my slide work, and the victorias are stella amps. I think the Bassman tone is very classic and good for slide styles with a Strat, but it was Landreth and Georges` tones that got me hooked into Dumble tone.

Very new and i cannot say at this stage. I know it was very well built and the internals are high quality, so i expect a very good run.

If you want Dumble tone:.. the Ceriatone delivers and is fantastic value.
After purchasing the parts and having the amp built, the ceriatone was still good value for a Dumble clone.
I had considered a two rocks or Fuchs, but was put onto the Ceriatone by my amp tech and now i`m more than glad i did.
This amp is so good..! It`s versatile and has the best tone i have heard playing through an amp, keeping in mind i have not plugged into a Dumble.
I do like celestion G12-65 speakers and they are well matched to this amp.
The tones I can dial in are the same sonically as the Dumbles i`ve heard on recordings including Robben Ford who also plays a Dumble amp.
There is a quality to the tone that is not achievable in other amps. This is just amazing and is be a keeper.
My slide tone is thick and so very toneful.
If you`re like me and love the tone of Dumble amps the Ceriatone should not be overlooked. It`s a bargain for what you get and that includes quality components and major unique tone.

CeriaTone Overtone-special amp head inspired in both appearance and tone by the legendary Dumble Overdrive-special.
This is POINT TO POINT hand wired with quality components.
50 watts using the same layout as the early non-HRM Dumbles O/D specials.
3x 12AX7s, 2x 6L6s. Non reverb. Effects loop (passive)
3 mini toggles for fine tunning the tone stack.
Performs very quietly.
Built with quality components and build quality is very good.

I was asked to look over and review this amp for a good friend who purchased it in Europe recently.

I ran this amp head through 3 different cabs/speakers and it sounded more than impressive through each one.
(1)Celestion G12-65 (65 watts) 1X12 cab really suits this amp for a smooth blues type tone. Articulate and most impressive both clean and overdriven tones.
(2)Celestion Blackshadow C90.(90 watts) I`ve always enjoyed this speaker employed by MESA.
The clean tones are warm & clear and the overdrive tones are also outstandingly fat, smooth and articulate.
(3)EVM12-L (200 watts) This speaker just loves the amp and many Dumble amps are paired up with EVMs.
It has outstanding qualities of headroom and clarity that both celestions don`t quite possess, but that doesn`t make it superior. Tone is very subjective and both Celestions are warm and fat toned.
I will say that all speakers are well matched and awesome when paired with the overtone special.
I would suggest you invest some time to see what you prefer for your needs and style.

I substituted the 12AX7s with 5751s to see what the sonic result was. This was a worth while swap as it gave the amp a slightly different sonic result with smoother O/D and a little more headroom from 50 watts should you wish for that.

This amp is really amazing.
I will say if you crave Dumble tone, the overtone special delivers.
You can find the L.Carlton and R.Ford tones, especially if you use a 335 or Lespaul.
Single coils also sound really good. I plugged in a nice old Tele to see what happened and it also produced the goods.

Over all:
The tones are most impressive and more Fenderish than Marshall.
Although the tone is in a league all of its own.
A trim pot inside the amp that can fine tune the gain and the tone gets more Marsahll like if the trim pot is maxed. I preferd the trim pot back off for medium lower gain tones and feel this is where the amp shows its true persona, which is in the Dumble camp for sure.

The effects loop is passive and functions accordingly.
I ran a Holy Grail reverb through it and it functioned quite well.

This was an intersting and pleasant review i did for my friend.
I`m pleased he showed me the amp.
The overtone special is well worth checking out..

This is a new amp, so we will see.
In saying that though, all components are quality and well put together. As an amp tech, I will predict there should be no issues.

If you`re like most Dumble tone fans, the chance of owning one is generally out of the question due to market prices and availability.
There are other Dumble type amps out there, but they are not really cheap either, although alot less than the Dumble.
Dumble amps are on their own when it comes to individual tone and this Ceriatone does an awesome job of capturing the overdrive special! Quite amazing really.
I own a Two-rocks amp from similar circuit design and must say i payed alot more for my amp than this one.

Nice to see we guitarists have alternatives these days.
Some folks have the opinion that Dumble gets ripped.
My personal opinion, just like the first Marshalls were conceived from the tweed Bassman, or Matchless from Vox.. other such Legendary amp circuits inevitably also get utilized one way or another.

If you're reading this, you probably know the features...You can buy it in different levels of completion (kits)...I chose to buy it fully assembled, with the head cabinet and tubes....so it came in already biased and ready to go.

I've heard that the effects loop is the weakest link, but there are mods and work-arounds for that...you can read about that on the ceriatone forums.

I've had it for a couple of weeks, and after tweaking and twiddling and fiddling and flipping and switching....I've come to the conclusion that I LOVE the sounds I get from this amp! I play a variety of guitars (strat, tele, les paul, etc), but my main guitars are Music Man Axis guitars, and a Carvin CT6T (PRS style). I'm able to get massive, punchy clean tones with tons of headroom. I'm still working with the overdrive in this amp...it's really sensitive to knob tweaks, and really can get a LOT of different vibes. It's been a little tricky to get the smoothness from the overdrive that I'm searching for, but I'm VERY close. I still have some experimenting to do with different pre-amp tubes, speakers, and the internal overdrive trimmer. I think I'm about 90% of where I want to be. Please keep in mind that I'm just being extremely picky here. The amp is awesome...just trying to smooth the drive out a little bit more. The amp handles pedals really well...so I can get the exact tones I want from a reverend drivetrain II pedal, or an Xotic BB Preamp and a delay. However, I KNOW I'll get the drive I need from the amp by itself.

Only 2 weeks with it, but it seems very solid...I've had it on 4 gigs without a backup. (which is not really recommended with any tube amp)

Time will tell, but so far so good.

Nik has been a GREAT person to deal with. VERY patient, friendly, responsive, etc. PERFECT example of what customer support should be like. It made me feel even better about sending my hard earned money to a company that is run that way. I feel confident that they would be quite accommodating if i had any problems. The only problem is that they're in Malaysia....Luckily one of my best friends is an amp builder and he could handle a total rebuild if need be....so, I'm not too worried about that.

I've been playing over 25 years...I have owned a TON of really nice amps. My other gear includes a Bilco electronics custom made head, Peavey JSX head, Classic 30 head, Reverend Hellhound Combo, and some other older tube stuff in various states of disrepair. The Bilco and the Classic 30 have been my main gigging heads lately with a carvin legacy 2x12 cab with Celestion V30s. I play in a couple different bands and we play a little of everything. This amp has become my new favorite , and I feel like it can cover everything very well (except maybe scooped mid metal) If you're looking for the Robben Ford/ Larry Carlton Dumble tones....THEY ARE IN THIS AMP! Without a doubt...the BEST amp I've owned for the money (for any price actually).
If it were stolen, I would order another one immediately!
check out ceriatoneforum(dot)com to hear some sound clips.

I ordered the amp completely assembled ready to plug and play. It arrived in the San Pedro port customs office and I went to pick it up. My Style of music is mainly blues, but once in a while we have to play cover music at some of the local clubs in Southern California but mostly Eagles, Joe Walsh, Vince Gil, ZZ Top and others of that nature. The amp has two channels (clean and overdrive) switch able via the foot pedal. I use it to mainly gig at night clubs and some out door festivals, just enough wattage 50 of them.

I use a 1970s Yamaha SA-2000 semi hollow body guitar (better than any Gibson 335) It has a set of WCR Good Wood pickups that make it sound tremendously thick and fat and on the verge of a little break up even on the clean channel. My other three guitars are clean as hell and only Overdrive in channel two.
Once this puppy gets a taste of the OD channel look out!!!!
You are talking Gary Moore's Les Paul sound. I also play an 80s custom Stratocaster with Di-Marzio Virtual Vintage pickups and Callaham complete bridge system. The OD channel can be driven from a bit grungy to a toothy bite (ala) Talk To Your Daughter by Robben.

I've only had the amp for three months, no problems yet!
Maybe if it does ever have a problem I'll can Alexander Dumble and ask him to repair it.....Ha Ha!!!

Warranty is one year, Ceriatone told me they would send another amp to me within that year. You have to ship them the original amp first.

I've been playing for 19 years. I also own a 5150 head, Bogner Ectasay head and a Carvin V-3 head. I play with one other classic rock band that does allot of Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Cactus, and Van Halen. I use those amp for that Band. I mainly use the O.D. Special for the blues band. I was previously using one of my other 3 amps with a Zen Drive pedal and it sounded Okay but NOTHING like the Ceriatone OD Special. I love the lower mid's this amp can get without over riding the highs. The bass channel remains strong regardless of what you do with the treble and mid. The Ratio and level on the OD controls don't need to much tweaking to get that Robben Ford sound. This is a dawn good $1,150.00 I spent buying this amp, my buddy who paid $2,600.00 for his Two-Rock admits he made a bad choice. Our mutual friend really hates his Fuchs after hearing the OD Special.

50 watt head, channel switching, with cab and footswitch.
Fully built and assembled i head cabinet.
Take on the famed OVERDRIVE SPECIAL by Dumble.

Ok, so I've been playing my new OVERTONE for about one week, and, first of all, let me say that I'm totally satisfied with this fantastic amp, and with the service I've been getting from Nick.
Made in December 2007.

To begin with, living in Italy, I've never had a chance to try out other Dumble inspired amps, like Two Rocks, etc. so all I'm comparing to is the recorded sound of some tracks I've enjoyed listening to during the years.
The one sound I was looking for in particular was from the track "Revelation", from the Robben Ford album "Talk to Your Daughter". Was I able to get it?
In a word YES, and I AM HAPPY

Keep in mind that I'm using a very cheap 1x12 cabinet, made by Epiphone with its stock 70w speaker made by Eminence, the one that is sold with the Valve Junior head. Actually, I'm so satisfied with the sound, that I'm thinking about NOT switching to the famed Celestion G12-65 everybody seems to be talking about. Anyway, maybe in the future, who knows.

What I've been most impressed with, is the fact that it doesn't really sound "like" any other amp, but seems to have most of the characteristics I've loved in other amps, i.e. the fatness of Fenders, the good "honk" of Voxes (boost on), the dynamics of Hiwatts, etc. It doesn't "sound" like those amps, but it's got those qualities.
It really helps me sound like me, it's really fun and inspiring to play.
What else does one need?
I find it to be a VERY versatile amp. Clean, semi clean, or overdriven. And I've been playing it with a Les Paul, SG, Strat, Teles, Firebird. Another thing is that it sounds good and responsive even with the master on 1 1\2


Keep in mind that I keep the overdrive trimmer inside the amp slightly lower than it was set at the factory, maybe around 10 o'clock. It makes a big difference in the overdriven tone. It seems to me that the higher it is set, the more Marshall \ less Dumble like the overdriven sound becomes.

All in all a fantastic amp, not even considering IT IS an amazing value.
I would buy another one in a minute.

Can't tell.
Seems to be built like a tank.

Amazing customer support from Nick.
He promptly responds to e-mails, maximum within 24 hours!!!

Amazing!!!