Ceriatone appreciation

[ibzprestige]

Just got a Chupacabre today, hands down best modded Marshall tones of all the variants I've owned and also the cheapest! It just hits every era of Marshall really, really well, just thought I'd share with you guys, also sounds amazing at low volumes and put a tube screamer in front and it just dominates

Oh and thanks Steve for making an awesome cab that ended up matching as well

 

[FourT6and2]

Hell yes. The Chupa is my favorite amp ever. Congrats!

Sounds great with G12M-25s

 

[Beyond Black]

I've got a Yeti and it flat out kills. As good as or better than any of the modded Marshall variants out there, for a ridiculously low price in comparison. Would love to try a King Kong someday. Who's got one? What say you?

 

[the4thlast1]

I figured you would like it ! Isn't it great how Ceriatone can offer such good sounding amps at such a great price !

 

[SavageRiffer]

Ceriatone might be the best quality non-U.S. or non-European amp there is. They're made in Malaysia correct? They really do it right. There are a few models I have never got to try like the Hiwatt clone or the Yeti. I played the Chupacabra and must say that it was really badass. In fact, I've been mulling over for weeks whether to put on one order but didn't want to wait so long, but I think I'm going to go ahead and pull the trigger on one now. Doesn't hurt to have a Certiatone laying around.

 

[Doughboy]

If you got your average guitar guy to play a Ceriatone blind folded & told him it was a boutique amp made by a secret builder that cost $4,000 for a head, most would believe you.

Unfortunately we live in a world that pays for a brand name or the mystique of quality & not actual quality. Anyone who's paid $5,000 for a Fender custom shop guitar is paying an extra few $1000 for the honor of that Fender logo on their head stock & not getting much more in terms of quality than building a Warmoth.

The same goes for guys paying top dollar for a boutique builder logo on their head instead of a Ceriatone logo.

I asked to have no logo on my Yeti 50 & when people play it, they go crazy trying to figure out what it is.

When I make up a fake name & say it's an underground boutique builder, they go all googly eyed & crazy. When I tell them it's a Ceriatone, it's like I burst their bubble.

 

[endofall]

I've had a Yeti 100 for a while now. Best modded Marshall I've owned. They compete with boutique amps without a doubt in my book, and have blown everyone away that has played it.

 

[FourT6and2]

If you got your average guitar guy to play a Ceriatone blind folded & told him it was a boutique amp made by a secret builder that cost $4,000 for a head, most would believe you.

Unfortunately we live in a world that pays for a brand name or the mystique of quality & not actual quality. Anyone who's paid $5,000 for a Fender custom shop guitar is paying an extra few $1000 for the honor of that Fender logo on their head stock & not getting much more in terms of quality than building a Warmoth.

The same goes for guys paying top dollar for a boutique builder logo on their head instead of a Ceriatone logo.

I asked to have no logo on my Yeti 50 & when people play it, they go crazy trying to figure out what it is.

When I make up a fake name & say it's an underground boutique builder, they go all googly eyed & crazy. When I tell them it's a Ceriatone, it's like I burst their bubble.

That's funny because the faceplate says Ceriatone on it haha!

 

[Mr. Willy]

Those Ceriatones sound killer. What's the difference between the Yeti and the Chupracabra?

 

[FourT6and2]

Those Ceriatones sound killer. What's the difference between the Yeti and the Chupracabra?

Just a voicing difference. Same amps, for all intents and purposes. Chupacabra is more aggressive and mean and snarly. But looser lows and brighter. Yeti is darker and smoother and less aggressive (not as much snarl/growl), but tighter low end.

If I had to make an analogy, I'd say the Chupacabra = G12M-25s and the Yeti = G12-65s. If you have experience with those speakers, each of these amps sort of sounds like those counterparts.

 

[Doughboy]

If you got your average guitar guy to play a Ceriatone blind folded & told him it was a boutique amp made by a secret builder that cost $4,000 for a head, most would believe you.

Unfortunately we live in a world that pays for a brand name or the mystique of quality & not actual quality. Anyone who's paid $5,000 for a Fender custom shop guitar is paying an extra few $1000 for the honor of that Fender logo on their head stock & not getting much more in terms of quality than building a Warmoth.

The same goes for guys paying top dollar for a boutique builder logo on their head instead of a Ceriatone logo.

I asked to have no logo on my Yeti 50 & when people play it, they go crazy trying to figure out what it is.

When I make up a fake name & say it's an underground boutique builder, they go all googly eyed & crazy. When I tell them it's a Ceriatone, it's like I burst their bubble.

That's funny because the faceplate says Ceriatone on it haha!

The tiny Ceriatone print is too small for them to see at a distance.

The lack of logo throws them off & if it wasn't for the tiny black ceriatone mark, most wouldn't have believed me.

 

[gtrplr71]

Well Well well. we Have the whole family here to day. I have the infant son of yeti . theses are great amps for sure. SO ANGRY! welcome to the family. about time someone started an appreciation thread. FUCK YEA!!!!

 

[fuzzyguitars]

got a yeti

pretty cool for sure.

it is its own thing

loop is harshe though

got a klienulator coming.

hopefully that will resolve the issue.

maybe even try the kleinulator in the loop of my slo too.

 

[Chris O]

This thread really makes me miss my Chupa!!

I bought the Ceriatone version of the Kleinulator, but it was noisy. I ended up using an MXR/CAE clean boost, and that worked really well.

 

[odysplob]

Hell yes. The Chupa is my favorite amp ever. Congrats!

Sounds great with G12M-25s

Four, I have to pick at your brain for a little bit if that's alright. I see in your sig that you have both they Yeti and Chupa, would you find either them similar in sound to a Friedman smallbox or BE? What kind of footprints do they have, and which do you prefer/recommend? As one Tool fan to another, how do they compare to the super bass(lead) or Diezel that Adam uses?

Thanks in adance

 

[bog70]

As good or better than any Marshall or clone I've owned. Plexi 50, '68 spec 6550's

 

[1meanplexi]

I owned one!!!! Great amp. Congrats !!!

 

[paulyc]

I've got a Yeti and it flat out kills. As good as or better than any of the modded Marshall variants out there, for a ridiculously low price in comparison. Would love to try a King Kong someday. Who's got one? What say you?

I have a King Kong and I love it. Great amp.

 

[Beyond Black]

I've got a Yeti and it flat out kills. As good as or better than any of the modded Marshall variants out there, for a ridiculously low price in comparison. Would love to try a King Kong someday. Who's got one? What say you?

I have a King Kong and I love it. Great amp.

How does it compare to the Chupa or Yeti? Is it very similar/different? Does it sound like a CCV as some have said?

 

[FourT6and2]

Hell yes. The Chupa is my favorite amp ever. Congrats!

Sounds great with G12M-25s

Four, I have to pick at your brain for a little bit if that's alright. I see in your sig that you have both they Yeti and Chupa, would you find either them similar in sound to a Friedman smallbox or BE?

I've only had very limited experience with Friedman amps. But of the few I've played, I tried a BE and a Smallbox. I didn't really like them. They are very dark and smooth and "round" in the lows. And they have some odd quality in the midrange I didn't enjoy. That said, between the Chup and the Yeti, the Yeti is probably "closer" to a Friedman. But not really anything like a Friedman. Of the two Ceriatones, the Yeti is darker, tighter, and less aggressive. The Chupa is brighter, looser, and more angry/snarly/pissed off sounding.

What kind of footprints do they have...

Not sure what you're asking. Are you asking about the physical size of the amp? They are about the size of the small box Marshalls. So when on top of a typical 4x12, they don't go edge to edge.

and which do you prefer/recommend? As one Tool fan to another, how do they compare to the super bass(lead) or Diezel that Adam uses?

I definitely prefer the Chupacabra. It can be overly bright if you EQ it wrong, though. Most clips I see online, people EQ it way too bright and fizzy. If you boost the mids up really high and go easy on the presence and treble, it will just slay. Very mean and angry and has a snarl to it. Yet it has a certain lushness to the sound. This is with Celestion Greenback G12M-25 speakers in a Bogner 4x12.

I had a Super Lead clone I built years ago to Adam Jones' specs as well as a Diezel VH4. I personally prefer the Chupacabra to either amp. It can easily get you in the same ballpark as a Marshall Super Lead or JCM800. And it can do modern high gain. It won't give you the same tightness or low-end or compression as a Diezel. But that's not the sound I like anyway. Your taste may be different. If you want tighter, darker, more low end, maybe the Yeti is for you. But again, it doesn't seem to have the same aggression as the Chupa. I have to really tweak the Yeti to get it to snarl like my Chupa. I have to max out the mids, lower the bass, bring up the presence a bit, and engage the Feel push/pull. Then it's closer.

Either way, the amps are so close to each other, you can get one and mod it in about an hour to be the other. So if you want one, I wouldn't fret about the choice. In fact, I'd maybe get the Yeti. Because it runs higher B+ and is a little tighter. So you can always change a few resistors/caps and get the same aggression/snarl as the Chupa, but have a tighter low-end.

The King Kong is another option if you want a clean channel. But I think it's closer to the Yeti.

All in all, the Chupacabra is one of my favorite amps. I've had Fortin Bones, Cameron CCV, Diezel VH4, Diezel Einstein, Bogner Uberschall, Bad Cat Hot Cat, Framus Dragon, Peters GNL, Peters Hydra, Mesa Rectifier, and a few others. The Chupacabra is up there at the top for me.