Ceriatone King Kong Whats the latest on them?

[harddriver]

I've listened to all the King Kong Clips on YT and I'm not hearing any of the claimed CCV Cameron DNA in the tones, doesn't seem to grind or have the aggression like the CCV. The Chupa on the other hand sounds very Cameronish on the HG Jose Front. I didn't like the earlier clips of the Chupa when they first came out but some newer clips sound pretty good, I wonder if Nik has revised his original design.

Yeah I know he ripped off Mark Cameron so let's let it go and not dredge it up.

I would imagine Nik reverse-engineered a CCV but I'm not hearing it, at least in the online clips. I did do a search here on the King Kong and read most of the earlier posts so I thought I would start a new thread.

You guys have any clips where it nails Marks original CCV tones?

 

[Equ1nox]

I'll chime in.

I bought a KK100 to evaluate it. The amp is Nik's version of a CCV, but it's NOT a clone. For one and the biggest thing, it has that Cameron-thing going on, but isn't quite right. I know all of Mark's designs and so changed it to really clone a CCV. The KK is quiet, so that's good. Sometimes you don't know it's on until you hit a cord, but just like the design not being right, it seems sterile. Mark uses elevated heaters and does not like DC heaters and prefers the former. Maybe that has something to do with it, but it seems to make it more sterile IMO. Finally, unlike a real CCV, the thing pops like many Friedman. Mark's amps do not do that. I contacted Nik and he told me his recommended work around and provided clips saying it doesn't pop if you do it. I never got around to it. I'm still debating doing it Nik's way, or Mark's way. Finally, I really can't put my finger on why it's not right, but I think it has to do with the iron! The iron is massive and with the filtering, it's still, similar to Mark's, but the thing is not right. In the end, for the price, the quality is great, but you won't get a Cameron. You can tweak it and again get a good amp, but still not a Cameron. To do that, besides a lot of component changing, you'd need wiring changing and possibly swapping out the iron. For that, you might as well rebuild the whole thing or start from the ground up. So, if you want a nice well built, stiff, versitile 2 channel plus solo master amp at $1500-2000 that is dead quiet, but could use tweaking....it's not a bad amp. But if you're looking for a Cameron clone...this isn't it and you're better off getting the real deal!

My $0.02

 

[FourT6and2]

I've listened to all the King Kong Clips on YT and I'm not hearing any of the claimed CCV Cameron DNA in the tones, doesn't seem to grind or have the aggression like the CCV. The Chupa on the other hand sounds very Cameronish on the HG Jose Front. I didn't like the earlier clips of the Chupa when they first came out but some newer clips sound pretty good, I wonder if Nik has revised his original design.

Yeah I know he ripped off Mark Cameron so let's let it go and not dredge it up.

I would imagine Nik reverse-engineered a CCV but I'm not hearing it, at least in the online clips. I did do a search here on the King Kong and read most of the earlier posts so I thought I would start a new thread.

You guys have any clips where it nails Marks original CCV tones?

No, the Chupa circuit has not changed except for one cap on V1. You can always add that cap in. With it, it cuts a bit of the highs and makes the amp more chunky sounding. That was in there originally, but I think it's no longer installed. In any event, most of the clips out there of these amps... the creator EQ'd the amp way too bright and fizzy. The amp is chunky and mean and grinds. But if you put all the bright switches on and turn up the gain and treble, it becomes a box of bees. Just be smart with how you EQ an amp.

I've not played a King Kong. But from talking with Nik, it's closer to the Yeti than the Chupa. And the Yeti is much darker and smoother than the Chupa. The King Kong is not really a clone of a CCV. It's an evolution of the Yeti, which is an evolution of the Chupa, which came from an (incorrect) schematic someone created of a one-off Cameron.

None of these amps are CCV. The front panel topology is obviously inspired by the CCV. But under the hood it's a Yeti with a clean channel.

As far as elevated heaters vs DC heaters... I don't think either affect the actual "tone" of the amp. But I could be wrong. I've just not found that to be the case from experimenting with both. Elevating the heaters is definitely less messy to pull off.

 

[harddriver]

I agree with what you guys have said. I do hear more of the Yeti in the few clips of the KK that are out there. It doesn't sound bad just not Cameronish. I have played a Cameron Ocean mod(lower gain Aldrich mod so I've been told) so I can attest to the fact that Mark's amps have this certain aggressive grind yet clarity on the notes which is his signature tone for sure.

I think if the KK was voiced more towards the Chupa end of things it might be more CCVish at least to my ears. I believe the CCV was pretty much based off of Cameron's High Gain Jose mods but I could be wrong. I know in another thread Psychodave's old 50 watt HGJose was posted and that amp to my ears encompassed all the things that I hear in certain CCV clips.

 

[LP Freak]

I'll chime in.

I bought a KK100 to evaluate it. The amp is Nik's version of a CCV, but it's NOT a clone. For one and the biggest thing, it has that Cameron-thing going on, but isn't quite right. I know all of Mark's designs and so changed it to really clone a CCV. The KK is quiet, so that's good. Sometimes you don't know it's on until you hit a cord, but just like the design not being right, it seems sterile. Mark uses elevated heaters and does not like DC heaters and prefers the former. Maybe that has something to do with it, but it seems to make it more sterile IMO. Finally, unlike a real CCV, the thing pops like many Friedman. Mark's amps do not do that. I contacted Nik and he told me his recommended work around and provided clips saying it doesn't pop if you do it. I never got around to it. I'm still debating doing it Nik's way, or Mark's way. Finally, I really can't put my finger on why it's not right, but I think it has to do with the iron! The iron is massive and with the filtering, it's still, similar to Mark's, but the thing is not right. In the end, for the price, the quality is great, but you won't get a Cameron. You can tweak it and again get a good amp, but still not a Cameron. To do that, besides a lot of component changing, you'd need wiring changing and possibly swapping out the iron. For that, you might as well rebuild the whole thing or start from the ground up. So, if you want a nice well built, stiff, versitile 2 channel plus solo master amp at $1500-2000 that is dead quiet, but could use tweaking....it's not a bad amp. But if you're looking for a Cameron clone...this isn't it and you're better off getting the real deal!

My $0.02

Nobody cops the Cameron feel or tone but Mark.

 

[JackBootedThug]

I'll chime in.

I bought a KK100 to evaluate it. The amp is Nik's version of a CCV, but it's NOT a clone. For one and the biggest thing, it has that Cameron-thing going on, but isn't quite right. I know all of Mark's designs and so changed it to really clone a CCV. The KK is quiet, so that's good. Sometimes you don't know it's on until you hit a cord, but just like the design not being right, it seems sterile. Mark uses elevated heaters and does not like DC heaters and prefers the former. Maybe that has something to do with it, but it seems to make it more sterile IMO. Finally, unlike a real CCV, the thing pops like many Friedman. Mark's amps do not do that. I contacted Nik and he told me his recommended work around and provided clips saying it doesn't pop if you do it. I never got around to it. I'm still debating doing it Nik's way, or Mark's way. Finally, I really can't put my finger on why it's not right, but I think it has to do with the iron! The iron is massive and with the filtering, it's still, similar to Mark's, but the thing is not right. In the end, for the price, the quality is great, but you won't get a Cameron. You can tweak it and again get a good amp, but still not a Cameron. To do that, besides a lot of component changing, you'd need wiring changing and possibly swapping out the iron. For that, you might as well rebuild the whole thing or start from the ground up. So, if you want a nice well built, stiff, versitile 2 channel plus solo master amp at $1500-2000 that is dead quiet, but could use tweaking....it's not a bad amp. But if you're looking for a Cameron clone...this isn't it and you're better off getting the real deal!

My $0.02

Nobody cops the Cameron feel or tone but Mark.

and freidman and henning and mesa and BILLY FUCKIN BLADES!!!!and jose A.......

 

[FourT6and2]

I agree with what you guys have said. I do hear more of the Yeti in the few clips of the KK that are out there. It doesn't sound bad just not Cameronish. I have played a Cameron Ocean mod(lower gain Aldrich mod so I've been told) so I can attest to the fact that Mark's amps have this certain aggressive grind yet clarity on the notes which is his signature tone for sure.

I think if the KK was voiced more towards the Chupa end of things it might be more CCVish at least to my ears. I believe the CCV was pretty much based off of Cameron's High Gain Jose mods but I could be wrong. I know in another thread Psychodave's old 50 watt HGJose was posted and that amp to my ears encompassed all the things that I hear in certain CCV clips.

I owned a Chupa and a CCV at the same time. Nothing alike. And to my ears, the CCV I had was closer to a Bogner than a HG Jose. There are no diodes/zenners in the CCV from what I remember. And Mark worked at Bogner for a while, so I'm guessing there is a bit of influence. The CCV I had was really dark and smooth and round sounding. It didn't have the super snarly aggressive mid range all the other Cameron clips have. But then again, I've heard a few CCV clips that had a good aggression. But they were the ones Mark built himself, not from the the "production" run.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with what you guys have said. I do hear more of the Yeti in the few clips of the KK that are out there. It doesn't sound bad just not Cameronish. I have played a Cameron Ocean mod(lower gain Aldrich mod so I've been told) so I can attest to the fact that Mark's amps have this certain aggressive grind yet clarity on the notes which is his signature tone for sure.

I think if the KK was voiced more towards the Chupa end of things it might be more CCVish at least to my ears. I believe the CCV was pretty much based off of Cameron's High Gain Jose mods but I could be wrong. I know in another thread Psychodave's old 50 watt HGJose was posted and that amp to my ears encompassed all the things that I hear in certain CCV clips.

I owned a Chupa and a CCV at the same time. Nothing alike. And to my ears, the CCV I had was closer to a Bogner than a HG Jose. There are no diodes/zenners in the CCV from what I remember. And Mark worked at Bogner for a while, so I'm guessing there is a bit of influence. The CCV I had was really dark and smooth and round sounding. It didn't have the super snarly aggressive mid range all the other Cameron clips have. But then again, I've heard a few CCV clips that had a good aggression. But they were the ones Mark built himself, not from the the "production" run.

There are, without question, clipping circuits (diodes/zeners/etc.) in the CCV. That is what the 3-Way GAIN STYLE switches are...

Steve

 

[FourT6and2]

I agree with what you guys have said. I do hear more of the Yeti in the few clips of the KK that are out there. It doesn't sound bad just not Cameronish. I have played a Cameron Ocean mod(lower gain Aldrich mod so I've been told) so I can attest to the fact that Mark's amps have this certain aggressive grind yet clarity on the notes which is his signature tone for sure.

I think if the KK was voiced more towards the Chupa end of things it might be more CCVish at least to my ears. I believe the CCV was pretty much based off of Cameron's High Gain Jose mods but I could be wrong. I know in another thread Psychodave's old 50 watt HGJose was posted and that amp to my ears encompassed all the things that I hear in certain CCV clips.

I owned a Chupa and a CCV at the same time. Nothing alike. And to my ears, the CCV I had was closer to a Bogner than a HG Jose. There are no diodes/zenners in the CCV from what I remember. And Mark worked at Bogner for a while, so I'm guessing there is a bit of influence. The CCV I had was really dark and smooth and round sounding. It didn't have the super snarly aggressive mid range all the other Cameron clips have. But then again, I've heard a few CCV clips that had a good aggression. But they were the ones Mark built himself, not from the the "production" run.

There are, without question, clipping circuits (diodes/zeners/etc.) in the CCV. That is what the 3-Way GAIN STYLE switches are...

Steve

Oh for reals? I must have missed 'em. Admittedly, I didn't really poke around in the amp for very long.