Splawn Quickrod vs Ceriatone King Kong

[napalmdeath]

man of few words I see
and what did they do the tone of the amp vs EL-34's ?

I find them more aggressive, a little more low-mid focused, and nice thump.

 

[kmanick]

thanks

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

What did the kit-77’s do to the tone?
I’ve used these in other amps that were 6l6/el-34 switchable with pretty good results
Which KT-77’s did you use?

Never tried them in a Splawn... but have tried KT77s in Diezels, Marshall’s, and other amps... and the KT77s are darker, smoother, less edge, more bass and low end. The mids are different and lower too. I prefer EL43s by a wide margin. Many builders use KT77s as it is easier and cheaper to find a reliable set of JJ KT77s... but cheaper and more reliable always don’t sound better.

 

[braintheory]

Never tried them in a Splawn... but have tried KT77s in Diezels, Marshall’s, and other amps... and the KT77s are darker, smoother, less edge, more bass and low end. The mids are different and lower too. I prefer EL43s by a wide margin. Many builders use KT77s as it is easier and cheaper to find a reliable set of JJ KT77s... but cheaper and more reliable always don’t sound better.

I’m not yet that experienced with tube swapping, but so far that’s been my experience as well. I have a friend nearby who has lots of EL34 amps I’ve played many times before (Engl’s, Uberschall, EVH’s, Cameron’s, Marshall’s, Herbert and others), but he swapped them all with KT77’s and I didn’t like any of them as much for those same reasons you mentioned. Seemed like an awkward middle ground between a 6L6 and EL34. They seemed to lose that aggressive EL34 mid growl that I was used to hearing in them. Not sure why he likes them so much. I’ve not really liked any tube so far that starts with KT, but still curious to hear an amp with KT90’s, 120’s or 150’s. Maybe it could be the specific tubes he chose, but so far I seem not to like KT77’s as much

 

[kmanick]

I've used them in the Peavey JSX (worked great) , in a Mesa mark IV (outer tubes)and a Mesa Rectoverb . They worked pretty well but these are are 6L6 based amps that are EL-34 switchable. I think they added a little EL-34 bark to them not removed it as it seems they would do in something like a Splawn.
Interesting.

 

[skullfxr]

I should say that time has passed since my last post in the thread, but I now have a QR, PM, and a Nitro as well as the SS.

I really dig my Splawns tbh. I don't think that for a grand used you can get a better built amp. Great Iron, great quality components and very well built. Durable and nice cabs too and tolex work, etc. I don't think that the quality of work can be had at that price point anywhere else. I have not been on the inside of a Ceriatone but I have read about issues with the transformers and other things. Splawn is a pretty safe bet for a damn solid amp for reliability and they sound pretty damn good. They are pretty fussy with some speakers and cabs though and that is really my only complaint. But get them in front of the right cab and watch the paint peel in satisfaction.

For power tubes in the QR, I have ran a few different EL34's in the last month or two just messing around and I was stupid lucky to have it come with the quad of =C= that were in it, but I pulled those out to tuck away for recording or something in the future. Everything else has since been a disappointment but I have Mullard new production EL34 in now and it's pretty solid and I like it. I highly recommend a Sovtek 12AX7LPS for the PI and for the other preamp tubes I am not 100% accurate on what is in there now but it sounds great. I also recommend that if you have not tried it with a FL cab to give it a shot.

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

I should say that time has passed since my last post in the thread, but I now have a QR, PM, and a Nitro as well as the SS.

I really dig my Splawns tbh. I don't think that for a grand used you can get a better built amp. Great Iron, great quality components and very well built. Durable and nice cabs too and tolex work, etc. I don't think that the quality of work can be had at that price point anywhere else. I have not been on the inside of a Ceriatone but I have read about issues with the transformers and other things. Splawn is a pretty safe bet for a damn solid amp for reliability and they sound pretty damn good. They are pretty fussy with some speakers and cabs though and that is really my only complaint. But get them in front of the right cab and watch the paint peel in satisfaction.

For power tubes in the QR, I have ran a few different EL34's in the last month or two just messing around and I was stupid lucky to have it come with the quad of =C= that were in it, but I pulled those out to tuck away for recording or something in the future. Everything else has since been a disappointment but I have Mullard new production EL34 in now and it's pretty solid and I like it. I highly recommend a Sovtek 12AX7LPS for the PI and for the other preamp tubes I am not 100% accurate on what is in there now but it sounds great. I also recommend that if you have not tried it with a FL cab to give it a shot.

Good info, thanks. I had a Pro Stock B+ and didn't find it too stiff, but it doesn't have the Friedman 3D sound or feel, either, which I just came from the Friedman camp after owning 4 of them. I've had to downsize recently and put cash back in my pocket.

I'm willing to try Splawn again, but feel I'm gonna want to get a little more saturation, bounce, give, out of it. I do a lot of lead work with big bends and don't want to fight it too much and I honestly can't remember exactly what the feel was like. I do remember thinking I wasn't sure boosting it with a TS pedal was my favorite, and think now that I would boost it with some sort of clean boost to get a bit more of that saturation and 'give' in the feel.

I've always read good things about the Yet/Chupa (minus the non-buffored loops and transformers), but I've never played one. There's one for sale on here locally by me.

Thanks again for the input.

 

[skullfxr]

Good info, thanks. I had a Pro Stock B+ and didn't find it too stiff, but it doesn't have the Friedman 3D sound or feel, either, which I just came from the Friedman camp after owning 4 of them. I've had to downsize recently and put cash back in my pocket.

I'm willing to try Splawn again, but feel I'm gonna want to get a little more saturation, bounce, give, out of it. I do a lot of lead work with big bends and don't want to fight it too much and I honestly can't remember exactly what the feel was like. I do remember thinking I wasn't sure boosting it with a TS pedal was my favorite, and think now that I would boost it with some sort of clean boost to get a bit more of that saturation and 'give' in the feel.

I've always read good things about the Yet/Chupa (minus the non-buffored loops and transformers), but I've never played one. There's one for sale on here locally by me.

Thanks again for the input.

Splawn and Friedman are totally different camps 100%.Splawns are stiff and unforgiving and raw, which is one thing that I really like personally. Not for everyone. Friedmans are definitely polished and that's not really me. Whatever works for you works for sure. I boost with a clean boost or OD most of the time with them, as i do most amps. I should say that I have not tried the drop b+ on a Splawn, but I won't be getting rid of mine nor picking up anything else.

 

[ClintN667]

I should say that time has passed since my last post in the thread, but I now have a QR, PM, and a Nitro as well as the SS.

I really dig my Splawns tbh. I don't think that for a grand used you can get a better built amp. Great Iron, great quality components and very well built. Durable and nice cabs too and tolex work, etc. I don't think that the quality of work can be had at that price point anywhere else. I have not been on the inside of a Ceriatone but I have read about issues with the transformers and other things. Splawn is a pretty safe bet for a damn solid amp for reliability and they sound pretty damn good. They are pretty fussy with some speakers and cabs though and that is really my only complaint. But get them in front of the right cab and watch the paint peel in satisfaction.

For power tubes in the QR, I have ran a few different EL34's in the last month or two just messing around and I was stupid lucky to have it come with the quad of =C= that were in it, but I pulled those out to tuck away for recording or something in the future. Everything else has since been a disappointment but I have Mullard new production EL34 in now and it's pretty solid and I like it. I highly recommend a Sovtek 12AX7LPS for the PI and for the other preamp tubes I am not 100% accurate on what is in there now but it sounds great. I also recommend that if you have not tried it with a FL cab to give it a shot.

I have read a few things about Ceriatone iron but that was either a batch of flukes or an issue that they have since corrected. I have actually bought transformers from Ceriatone for some home builds to great results. The only thing about them is they are freaking huge. They dont get hot at all. The build quality of a Ceriatone is pretty damn amazing.

I really like Splawn too. Friedman though is too polished for my taste. I dont think you could go wrong with either but I tend to favor Ceriatone. The Molecular is like the halfway point between a Splawn and a Friedman imho. It's just a nice balanced hot rodded Marshall. A bit more saturated and forgiving than a Splawn but more aggressive than a friedman.

 

[kmanick]

the newer Spawn 50 watt heads are all B+= by default. I came from a JVM and prior to that a Mesa mark IV, talk about amps that aren't stiff LOL!
but I'm not getting that with my Supersport. True it's not as "Liquidy" as my JVM was but it's also no where near as compressed sounding either. It sounds much bigger and thicker. I either kick on a compressor or a clean boost when I need some more of that "liquidy" feel depending on whether isn't hard rock/metal or fusiony stuff. Honestly, I think the Splawn is making me a better player, I can't get away with any "gaffs" playing this thing, it's so in your face, there's no where to hide if I get sloppy. After a couple of rehearsals with this thing my bandmates have been saying it's night and day , this thing smokes my old JVM (and I loved that amp , had it for 8 years), with the Fractal Fx8 I have so much at my disposal to shape my tone how I want it, I'm loving it. It's all 2203-ish tone but I can get a pretty good range of marshall-ish tones out of this thing.
Plus this thing is built like a tank.

 

[skullfxr]

Splawns will clean up your playing quick and sound good getting you there LOL. I remember that happening when I got my first Splawn.

I definitely prefer the Splawn to the Friedman personally but both are great. Splawn is raw, Friedman is polished. The right spot in the middle is certainly not a bad thing.

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

Splawns will clean up your playing quick and sound good getting you there LOL. I remember that happening when I got my first Splawn.

I definitely prefer the Splawn to the Friedman personally but both are great. Splawn is raw, Friedman is polished. The right spot in the middle is certainly not a bad thing.

Played Ceriatone? Where does it fit? I'd love to play the 'in-between' of a Splawn and newer Friemdan, which I find rawer than the older Friedmans.

 

[skullfxr]

I have only really played two of them, and that was a few years back oddly enough at GC or Sam Ash and they were next to each other. Can't remember which ones but both were some form of hotrodded Marshall like a dozen of them are. They sounded good and I enjoyed playing them, didn't take one home as I wasn't looking for another amp at the time. They did not at that time blow away what I had and wasn't like super amazing, but I liked them. But 30 minutes at a chain store doesn't constitute for enough experience to really make a brash statement or judgment call. I saw them there and plugged in and liked them.

My Riveras are the only amps that see more action than my Splawns and they all are very loved by me.

I will say if you are wanting a badass classic Marshall tone get the original Rivera K100 with a boost out front and use the loop as a master, and be a happy man. $600 for mine and it is spectacular.

 

[motorboy1]

Ive had 3 splawns 2 22w supersports and a 40w street-rod. Way too bright for my ears, I guess I like darker sounding amps, and LOUD. Forget about playing at home at any low volumes. Does not sound great ala Friedman, Bogner etc.. If you can turn it up, man do they punch and thump, great for live playing. Ymmv.

 

[ClintN667]

Played Ceriatone? Where does it fit? I'd love to play the 'in-between' of a Splawn and newer Friemdan, which I find rawer than the older Friedmans.

Ceriatone is a good middle point between a Splawn and a Friedman in my experience. I've only owned a 2204, Molecular and Leviathan. If you dont need multiple channels I would go with the molecular all day. Especially for tones that arent modern high gain. I sold my Molecular with the intent on getting a 2 channel version but ended up going with a leviathan. The Leviathan is a cool amp no question about it but I think in hindsight I would have been fine with the single channel molecular.


I sold my molecular to a guy in South Carolina who drove an hour to pick it up. The next day the guy sent me an email thanking me for the amp which never happens. The yeti, chupa, and molecular are all versions of the same amp but with the molecular you dont need to upgrade the loop. It's basically like a well balanced JCM800 with a boost. I feel like Peavey could have got to this point if they would have kept building on the VTM

 

[skullfxr]

Ive had 3 splawns 2 22w supersports and a 40w street-rod. Way too bright for my ears, I guess I like darker sounding amps, and LOUD. Forget about playing at home at any low volumes. Does not sound great ala Friedman, Bogner etc.. If you can turn it up, man do they punch and thump, great for live playing. Ymmv.

What speakers were you using? And did you use the loop master at all? I agree with the bright and the fact that they do best loud but my Supersport does low volume well, which has me wondering how you used it.

 

[motorboy1]

Glad it worked for you. I did use the loop control but found that below 1/2 it just thinned out the tone. I tried to EQ differently but didnt help. With the loop vol up tone got thicker but channel vol was too touchy then and it got loud quick. Used an EVH 4x12.

 

[skullfxr]

Glad it worked for you. I did use the loop control but found that below 1/2 it just thinned out the tone. I tried to EQ differently but didnt help. With the loop vol up tone got thicker but channel vol was too touchy then and it got loud quick. Used an EVH 4x12.

Bummer it didn't work out for you. I feel mine sounds good quiet but again maybe we have different ideas of quiet.

Have you had much experience with other lower wattage modded Marshall kind of stuff? I tried a JJ JR and liked that a lot. I guess I wonder how they vary at low volume.

 

[endless]

I am debating a used UK-made 90s Marshall versus a Ceriatone, versus.... a number of ~$3000 amps that probably sound too much like an (undesirable) American amp (MESA DR or SLO).

For death-doom, the name "King Kong" sounds appropriate, but I've not tried any of these Ceriatone amps.

Not sure many on this forum have tried the Ceriatone models inside their own homes, with their own rigs for extreme metal (black metal/death-doom).

 

[Holy-diver]

I am debating a used UK-made 90s Marshall versus a Ceriatone, versus.... a number of ~$3000 amps that probably sound too much like an (undesirable) American amp (MESA DR or SLO).

For death-doom, the name "King Kong" sounds appropriate, but I've not tried any of these Ceriatone amps.

Not sure many on this forum have tried the Ceriatone models inside their own homes, with their own rigs for extreme metal (black metal/death-doom).

I had a yeti I used for my metal band for a little while. That was one of my favorite tones, just killer sounding