Amp Kit advice

[PentatonicPunk]

I need some advice from the board. The sickness is starting again and Im considering a few more amp mods from the usual suspects, Bray, Friedman, Fortin.... I normally dont cut corners and would look for just the right marshall to ship. But recently I have seen kits by Ceratone and Weber that look pretty good. You can get them complete minus tranny and tubes, which is fine because I would probably go with whatever the person modifiying the amp would suggest. Just trying to save a few bucks over a vintage marshall. Has anyone ever tried this and is it a good idea????

 

[droptrd]

Ive played a ceriatone plex type amp before and I was very impressed. Also seen a guy play an Allen super reverb clone with an ASAT - sounded perfect. As far as sending them out to get modded, Some of the kits that are clones would probably work, but im just guessing. also check here...

http://metroamp.com/store/index.php?mai ... lj07ati533

 

[Anonymous]

You are far better off with a metro kit unless you've already built a lot of kits and I'll tell you why. Instructions. The metro instructions are 50 pages long, with step by step descriptions, with pictures, in the correct order, to build a clean, working amp. They tell you how long to cut each wire! It is basically like "paint by numbers". With Ceriatone and most others you get a layout diagram and that is all. Not easy to build your first kit to a layout diagram.

If you are experienced go with whatever you want, but know that metro uses much better parts than Ceriatone. That is a fact. Also factor that with shipping from the far east, Ceriatone is gonna cost similar to metro anyway...

Steve

 

[PentatonicPunk]

Well I have no experience building amps lol , I would just order the amp already complete minus tranny and tubes, then send it away. Would it be worth the savings?? Thats what I am not sure of.

 

[bste328]

You are far better off with a metro kit unless you've already built a lot of kits and I'll tell you why. Instructions. The metro instructions are 50 pages long, with step by step descriptions, with pictures, in the correct order, to build a clean, working amp. They tell you how long to cut each wire! It is basically like "paint by numbers". With Ceriatone and most others you get a layout diagram and that is all. Not easy to build your first kit to a layout diagram.

If you are experienced go with whatever you want, but know that metro uses much better parts than Ceriatone. That is a fact. Also factor that with shipping from the far east, Ceriatone is gonna cost similar to metro anyway...

Steve

i've never built anything more than my cables, lol
and i've a very low basic knowledge from school for electrical circuits...

do you think metroamp kits would do the work for me?

 

[dstroud]

I bought a Ceriatone minus the transformers and tubes - got a great deal on some MM transformers and got my plexi going for about $850 total. I did some modding and put in some Sozo caps and the amp sounds outstanding - but it didn't hurt that I had Roy Blankenship advising me on the mods and what parts needed upgraded.

 

[MrDan666]

If you're building the amp yourself then the Metroamp Kit would work out great pricewise, they're very good kits. If you're buying one already built from Metroamp though, chances are it would cost more than what you could buy an old Marshall JMP/JCM800 for.

I agree with Steve... Metroamp's kit instructions are very good and make it a lot easier for guys who have not built an amp before.

Also, while the Ceriatone amps are very good.. the quality isn't quite on par with Metroamp stuff. For example, the corner seams of the chassis aren't fully welded, whereas the Metroamp chassis are. That can be an issue, so far i have heard of atleast one situation where the chassis bent out of shape in shipping because of that.

Bottom line.. If you want to build the amp yourself then the kit is a good idea. Otherwise, just keep an eye on eBay and grab an old Marshall JMP or JCM800

 

[jonny toetags]

Get a Metro kit

 

[GuitarGuyLP]

Anyone try one of these kits...

http://store.triodestore.com/18wtmbkit.html

or

http://store.triodestore.com/50wmarshkit.html

Look good for the price.

 

[Anonymous]

You are far better off with a metro kit unless you've already built a lot of kits and I'll tell you why. Instructions. The metro instructions are 50 pages long, with step by step descriptions, with pictures, in the correct order, to build a clean, working amp. They tell you how long to cut each wire! It is basically like "paint by numbers". With Ceriatone and most others you get a layout diagram and that is all. Not easy to build your first kit to a layout diagram.

If you are experienced go with whatever you want, but know that metro uses much better parts than Ceriatone. That is a fact. Also factor that with shipping from the far east, Ceriatone is gonna cost similar to metro anyway...

Steve

i've never built anything more than my cables, lol
and i've a very low basic knowledge from school for electrical circuits...

do you think metroamp kits would do the work for me?

All you need to do is practice some soldering. The instructions are so detailed and exact it is really paint by numbers. You don't need a lot of electronics knowledge to do this.

Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Well I have no experience building amps lol , I would just order the amp already complete minus tranny and tubes, then send it away. Would it be worth the savings?? Thats what I am not sure of.

Just grab a JMP when one comes up. Not worth it to buy the Ceriatone unless you are gonna build it and if you are going to build something with no experience, grab a metro kit...

Steve

 

[Vrad]

Metro. Like Steve and the other guys said, good directions. Excellent components that are aimed at accurately reproducing vintage Marshalls (that may or may not matter to you). Lot's of options available. I can go on and on, I've dealt with them many times and they've been great.

 

[japetus]

Venturing into amp modifications, especially with renowned names like Bray, Friedman, and Fortin, is like embarking on a Paint by Numbers journey with trusted brands. However, considering kits by Ceratone and Weber is akin to exploring off-brand paint sets that promise similar results at a fraction of the cost. While the appeal of cost-saving is evident, the outcome can vary based on the kit's quality and compatibility with your preferences.

Holy necrobump. Hey are you a bot? Lemme know!

 

[dcburn mk.ii]

Logged in to say buy a Metro kit.
Ive done two.

 

[glpg80]

Holy necrobump. Hey are you a bot? Lemme know!

Smells like an AI bot

 

[CrazyNutz]

Ceriatone amps that I've experienced have been really pretty good. The only thing I've come across was my buddies Ceriatone plexi that I originally modded to include a MV, some of the switches we had to replace as they broke apart around a year of giging. So maybe install better ones from the get go.

Other than that, it sounds great, it holds up fine to the Metro plexi I built the other guitarist in his band.

 

[japetus]

maybe , and maybe not

Wrong answer.