Recommendations - Mods to Ceriatone Bluesmaster 100w

[rane008]

Hey Everyone,

Well, I did a search on the forum but couldn't find a lot of info in one place; it seems recommendations were scattered around different topics. So, I thought it may be a good idea to assemble suggestions into one thread. Here goes:

I've got a Bluesmaster 100w clone from Ceriatone, delivered around May 2010 (so it SHOULD have the JM Mods already). I really love the tone coming out of this thing, but I feel it's missing the smooth, singing OD tone that Dumbles are known for. I'm feeling like I'm getting fizziness a bit and maybe some fuzz-like artifacts. So I've decided that I'm going to take the amp into King Amplification (Bay Area, California) and have them do some work/mods on it. I don't have TOO much to spend, but I'd like this to be the last amp I'll buy for a while, so any suggestions or recommendations for mods would be very helpful. Here's some more information:

GOAL: Getting the fizziness/fuzz artifacts out of the OD, make it more singing/smoother. Leave Clean Tone intact.

Playing Style and Use: Running gambit from ambient fill to classic rock. Was a solely plectrum player, now using finger picking to get the most out of the amp. Usually run the amp with the PAB always engaged and have had better results with the Jazz setting as the Rock setting is too trebly. Usually plug into HI Input Jack.

Guitar: Les Paul Studio with Burstbuckers, American Custom Strat
Cab: Hermida Ported 212 with EVM-12L and EVM-12S running @16ohms
Pedal Chain: Don't have an "always on" pedal, no compression. Mostly use a Java Boost for hitting the amp harder.
Settings:
Input 6.5
Bright/Deep/Mid/Voice: On/Off/Off/Jazz
T/M/B: 4/6.5/2.5
Drive: 6
Level: 6
Master: 6
Presence: 5
OD Trim: around 10 or 11 o'clock
C-Lator in Loop: Both bright switches set to off

Tubes: Tung-Sol RI (V1), NOS RCA Blackplate (V2), JJ 12ax7 (V3), TAD 6L6GCs, TAD 12ax7 in C-Lator.

Ideas Thus Far:
Pull the HRM trimmers to the outside of the chassis and adjust (found a great post by Ayan on global HRM settings, so I'll use that as a baseline)
Check Bias (of course)
Install HRM bypass switch
Mod Voicing Switch to 3-way: Rock/Jazz/RockJazz Blend

I'd prefer not to sub out the x-formers, since the cost will be high, but if it really is necessary, any suggestions on the best cost/value product would be great.

Thanks All, Let me know if you need any more info.


Stephen

[sonicmojo]

Hmm, I wouldn't describe my BM50 as having too much treble or the fizziness. It is all personal taste I suppose. If you use the PAB boost mainly, then you might start by tweaking the internal HRM trimmers to your liking. If that fails to get you where you want you can add a selectable high cut mod like I have. I find it helps a whole lot when I switch between a Strat and Les Paul like it sounds you do to. It quickly helps you tone down the highs on the Strat especially. This only works with the OD channel.

It is in this post:

https://tubeamparchive.com/viewtopic.ph ... ht=#161826

People on the Ceriatone forums will probably have some good ideas too.

[Mark]

Dare I ask about the JM mods?

What are they?

I built a clone and adjusted the tone control trimmers for more output. The amp sounds pretty good and is smoother than a Marshall.

[rane008]

Honestly, Mark, I am not clear on that question. All I know is that all the BM's coming out of Nik's Place after Jan 2010 had the "JM mods".

[Structo]

Is that as in John Mayer mods?

[wjdunham]

Hi Stephan, I'm in San Jose and would be happy to help you out with some tweaks to get the amp closer to what you are looking for. No need to spend the big bucks down a Val's if the changes are minor.
Disappointing that a fully built amp out of the box has those sorts of problems.

PM me if you want to arrange a time for me to take a look.
Bill


www.sebagosound.com

[rane008]

Thanks, Bill. Emailing you now.

[talbany]

If a smooth singing OD tone was what you were after why did you go with a BM..

Tony

[ToneMerc]

If a smooth singing OD tone was what you were after why did you go with a BM..

Tony

That was my exact thought as well.

TM

[rane008]

If a smooth singing OD tone was what you were after why did you go with a BM..

Tony

That was my exact thought as well.

TM

Agreed, Gents. Thing is, when I ordered the amp, I was not nearly as savvy (and did not have nearly as good an idea of what I wanted) as I do now. So I guess what I'm thinking is that perhaps I can do something with this amp, which I do love, and which I should say doesn't have any problems, that may help make it more along the lines of the sound I want. Now I know that each of these amps is a different beast, and that one amp will never be all of these amps, but I was thinking maybe I could do a little change up with it.

Thanks for all the responses so far.

Stephen

[Bob-I]

If a smooth singing OD tone was what you were after why did you go with a BM..

Tony

That statement confuses me, my BM is very smooth after Scott L did some tweaking.

[Bob Simpson]

If a smooth singing OD tone was what you were after why did you go with a BM..

Tony

That was my exact thought as well.

TM

So, which one do you go with for a smooth singing OD tone?

TIA

Bob

[ToneMerc]

My recipe would start here for the "smoother" Dumble tone.

1. Standard PI
2. High plates V1 & V2
3. Non-HRM
4. LNFB V1
5. Healthy snubbers on V2
6. 6L6's with Fender Iron or 700V MM supply with 7581 or 6CA7
7. Skyliner stack

TM

[Mark]

I don't what to be a pest, but does anyone know the "JM" mods?
Does anyone wish to talk about the BM mods?

Do search on Mark and my experiences as documented. No point in reinventing the wheel I say.

Stephen the best advice I can give you is to forget about who said what about the trimmers get out all the guitars you own, get friends guitars too if possible and start adjusting till all the guitars sound good through the amp. As noted I started with only one guitar sounding good and finally the amp worked for all of them:

I believe you need to do this first.

What tubes are you using in the amp?

12ax7LPS work very well as do the JJ ECC83's use the ECC803 on the OD tube if you want to fatten it up.

[rane008]

I don't what to be a pest, but does anyone know the "JM" mods?
Does anyone wish to talk about the BM mods?

Do search on Mark and my experiences as documented. No point in reinventing the wheel I say.

Stephen the best advice I can give you is to forget about who said what about the trimmers get out all the guitars you own, get friends guitars too if possible and start adjusting till all the guitars sound good through the amp. As noted I started with only one guitar sounding good and finally the amp worked for all of them:

I believe you need to do this first.

What tubes are you using in the amp?

12ax7LPS work very well as do the JJ ECC83's use the ECC803 on the OD tube if you want to fatten it up.

Hey Mark,

Here's the ceriatoneforum post about the JM mods

http://ceriatoneforum.com/index.php?topic=3682.0

S