Time for some changes to my Ceriatone Liverpool

Express, Liverpool, Rocket, Dirty Little Monster, etc.

Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal

Post Reply
fierce_carrot
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:34 pm
Location: Des Moines, IA

Time for some changes to my Ceriatone Liverpool

Post by fierce_carrot »

I've been running my Ceriatone Liverpool for about two years now and think it's time for some changes. I'd like to darken the tone a bit, get some more lows and mids outta it and shave off some of the highs.

I'm running it thru a 4x12 avatar cab pushing two Celestion Greenbacks and two vintage 30's.

I've searched this site ( a considerable job considering how many posts are here) and haven't really found what I am looking for. I've built a number of amps myself so I intend to do the work.

Can anybody point me in the right direction?
User avatar
hairyandy
Posts: 193
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2006 3:02 am
Location: Columbus, OH
Contact:

Re: Time for some changes to my Ceriatone Liverpool

Post by hairyandy »

Well, you could try some Alnico speakers. Both the Greenbacks and the V30s are pretty bright...

Andy
fierce_carrot
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:34 pm
Location: Des Moines, IA

Re: Time for some changes to my Ceriatone Liverpool

Post by fierce_carrot »

hairyandy wrote:Well, you could try some Alnico speakers. Both the Greenbacks and the V30s are pretty bright...

Andy

I have a GDS 18watter I built that runs 2x12 Celestion blues thru it and when hooked up to the Ceriatone, it was way too bright.

I'm wondering if changing the caps or resistors to a higher quality will have an impact as well as changing the transformer to a toneslut.
User avatar
gearhead
Posts: 928
Joined: Sun Mar 19, 2006 2:54 am
Location: Virginia (Fairfax)

Re: Time for some changes to my Ceriatone Liverpool

Post by gearhead »

How have you searched? You might know, or not, that this site uses boolean for searchs.

In other words, trying to find threads discussing liverpool and mid and bass, you actually need to type in "liverpool and mid and bass".

If you do so, you will find a number of threads. For playing just with the tonestack, the express and liverpool tonestacks the same.
User avatar
geetarpicker
Posts: 918
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2005 8:08 pm
Location: Nashville, TN
Contact:

Re: Time for some changes to my Ceriatone Liverpool

Post by geetarpicker »

Pull your speakers, and put about 2-4 layers of felt under each speaker up against the baffle stapled or taped in place until you get the speaker screwed back down to hold it tight. Walmart carries some small felt squares that cover the 12" cutouts fully one way extending under the speaker edges nicely, but are a little short on the other. Two one way and two the other will fully cover it. Nice thick basketweave cloth will help too if your cab doesn't have it, but the felt will do more than the BW cloth to mellow it out. To me the felt works better and sounds more natural than beam blockers.

Make sure you are using at least 2 long cords hooked together. I run x2 18' Mogami golds. IMHO a short low capacitance cable sounds terrible on a Wreck for anything except dead clean.

Seriously, these two things will make a big difference!

If you really want to thow some money at the situation get a some Scumback M75s, and possibly a new OT but others may have more experience with results upgrading the Ceriatone iron. Oh, some Mallory PVC caps might help too. That said, I always found my original Liverpool to be too bright, so I'd still go with the felt and cord tricks to darken the sound outside of the amp itself.
Last edited by geetarpicker on Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:04 am, edited 3 times in total.
User avatar
jaysg
Posts: 1211
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 11:16 pm
Location: San Diego

Re: Time for some changes to my Ceriatone Liverpool

Post by jaysg »

Have you tried beam blockers? Tape some coffee can tops in front of the centers, or use an X of duct tape for trial purposes.
Kregg
Posts: 232
Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2008 10:57 pm
Location: Atlanta

Re: Time for some changes to my Ceriatone Liverpool

Post by Kregg »

Go on an NOS tube search. 8)
User avatar
dartanion
Posts: 1562
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:02 pm
Location: San Jose, CA
Contact:

Re: Time for some changes to my Ceriatone Liverpool

Post by dartanion »

Ruskie Military power tubes. The 6P14P Rosnov or Saratov have a darkness to them that works well with these amps.

Also, the grid leak on the input of the clipping stage can be increased for more bass, but go to far and it'll fart out. The coupling cap on that stage can be increased as well for more lows.

Another option on speakers is to try something darker in flavor. I am pretty biased, but the Fane AlNiCo is much like a Celestion Blue, but with bigger low end and mids as well as a 100W rating. No worries about torching the speaker. However, any speaker known to have more lows and mids would help. Closed back cab helps too.

Lots of options to try.

Simple question that I have to ask:

Are you experiencing this brightness while playing with a band or playing by yourself?
Eardrums!!! We don't need no stinkin' eardrums!
fierce_carrot
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:34 pm
Location: Des Moines, IA

Re: Time for some changes to my Ceriatone Liverpool

Post by fierce_carrot »

dartanion wrote:Ruskie Military power tubes. The 6P14P Rosnov or Saratov have a darkness to them that works well with these amps.

Also, the grid leak on the input of the clipping stage can be increased for more bass, but go to far and it'll fart out. The coupling cap on that stage can be increased as well for more lows.

Another option on speakers is to try something darker in flavor. I am pretty biased, but the Fane AlNiCo is much like a Celestion Blue, but with bigger low end and mids as well as a 100W rating. No worries about torching the speaker. However, any speaker known to have more lows and mids would help. Closed back cab helps too.

Lots of options to try.

Simple question that I have to ask:

Are you experiencing this brightness while playing with a band or playing by yourself?
It's abright amp playing alone or with the band. Seems to have an awful lot of highs, much more than my GDS18 watter but not nearly the mids or lows of the 18. I'd like to fatten up the sound as much as I can and I'm not sure exactly the route to go. I play mostly my Gibson Firebird and a tele thru it so that just enhances the brightness.
Post Reply