Does this Ceriatone JTM45 look legit?

[fitz]

Popped up on Reverb yesterday and I'm kinda interested.
I'm not a circuit expert, but the photos look to like the ones from Ceriatone pic gallery.
Seems like a good price and I've never heard bad things about the brand.
Looks like a MV mod in the indicator light hole - good or bad?

2017 Ceriatone JTM45 Head KT66 Mojotone Headcab | Reverb

Here's a great sounding Ceriatone JTM45 Head in a Mojotone "shorty" cab that's covered in their handsome faux Carbon Graphite Tolex. The power tubes are Gold Lion KT66. The head has a front mounted Master Volume, bias taps with an external bias pot and an fx loop. It was lightly used in a smoke f...

reverb.com

British Style : JTM45

35 Watt

www.flickr.com

 

[2203xman]

I'm not 100% sure but I believe all Nicks in house builds are signed.Might want to research that.Looks neat and tidy.My Ceriatone is wired so perfectly.Almost robot perfect.Those guys are good.Mine is signed as well.

 

[2203xman]

Looking at mine there are similar numbers on the inside chassis near the pt.

 

[2203xman]

Not sure if this is some chassis ID or something.Guess these could be on one of Nik's kits as well.If you ask Nik via e-mail you will get a quick responce and a positive ID.

 

[Chris-in-LA]

Looks like the real deal but you can buy one from Nik for that same price. I’d make an offer of $600 and negotiate from there. You can build his kit with a Sourmash cab for about $1000.

 

[fitz]

Looks like the real deal but you can buy one from Nik for that same price. I’d make an offer of $600 and negotiate from there. You can build his kit with a Sourmash cab for about $1000.

I was looking at Nik's prices - $1,225 + s&h for complete w/ head cab.
Lead times are crazy long, so assembled and ready to ship has some appeal.

I like the small box Mojo shell size, but that carbon fiber reminds me of my old MG15 micro stack.
I know a guy that could fix that in a few hours...

Does the MV mod look semi-professional?
I don't think that looks like it came from Ceriatone like that.

I've been thinking about a low watt 4-holer, but I don't want the SV.
Also, kinda like the idea of having a loop, so even a good deal on the 45RI would need that added.

 

[Chris-in-LA]

I was looking at Nik's prices - $1,225 + s&h for complete w/ head cab.
Lead times are crazy long, so assembled and ready to ship has some appeal.

I like the small box Mojo shell size, but that carbon fiber reminds me of my old MG15 micro stack.
I know a guy that could fix that in a few hours...

Does the MV mod look semi-professional?
I don't think that looks like it came from Ceriatone like that.

I've been thinking about a low watt 4-holer, but I don't want the SV.
Also, kinda like the idea of having a loop, so even a good deal on the 45RI would need that added.

Ii may have misjudged the value of used Ceriatone gear based on another thread here. That PPIMV looks good. You might email that pic to Nik and ask him, he’ll probably tell you if he did the work.

I have his JTM45 BB model. I built it and he shipped it very fast. It sounds great and it has a 1/2 power switch as many of his amps seem to have. I did change the bright cap from 100pf to 500pf for a little more sparkle. It sounds almost exactly like my Metropoulos JTM45. I run it with the vibrato on very low all the time, adds an almost 3d quality to the sound. It takes my OCD pedal very well. I did not put the loop in my build, all pedals go into the front end, some slap back echo or a reverb pedal at times as well

 

[fitz]

Ii may have misjudged the value of used Ceriatone gear based on another thread here. That PPIMV looks good.

Thanks for the feedback.
Seller has 2 other offers showing.
I sent a 3rd and asked for a counter that he would accept.

You might email that pic to Nik and ask him, he’ll probably tell you if he did the work.

Gut shot in the listing looks damn close to the gut shot in the Ceriatone gallery.
If it's a clone of a Ceriatone clone, it's a good fake fake, as far as I can tell...

 

[Chris-in-LA]

Thanks for the feedback.
Seller has 2 other offers showing.
I sent a 3rd and asked for a counter that he would accept.

Gut shot in the listing looks damn close to the gut shot in the Ceriatone gallery.
If it's a clone of a Ceriatone clone, it's a good fake fake, as far as I can tell...

Doesn’t look fake, I just wonder if that’s his PPIMV.

 

[fitz]

Doesn’t look fake, I just wonder if that’s his PPIMV.

Seller would only come down $99 - I passed.

Also made an offer on a Ceriatone 2202 and seller wouldn't even come down $50.
Why have the "make an offer" option if you're not accepting offers?

 

[TXOldRedRocker]

Seller would only come down $99 - I passed.

Also made an offer on a Ceriatone 2202 and seller wouldn't even come down $50.
Why have the "make an offer" option if you're not accepting offers?

I see it's still for sale. Maybe given some time, he'll come down after no one buys it at the price he's set on.

 

[fitz]

I see it's still for sale. Maybe given some time, he'll come down after no one buys it at the price he's set on.

Wheels are turning.
Picking up a new Studio LP today at the local GC, so I checked their used stock to see if there's anything interesting while I'm going to be there anyway...
Found this 1965A cab - in the cart it went.

There's a 1965B local on Reverb with a mismash of speakers in it.
Negotiations are underway...

 

[BlueX]

This stack (1965A/B) is in my candidate list for future DIY projects. Got hooked on 10" by my 2 1x10 builds.

Interesting to hear how you like the sound!

 

[fitz]

Upped my offer $50 and seller accepted.
Ceriatone JTM45 inbound...
I'm surely going to ditch that carbon fiber - maybe just scratch build a JMP style shell to match the 1695A.
Looks like I'll be putting that 3203 up for sale.

 

[Springfield Scooter]

Congratulations Fitz.
You can always e-mail Nik at Ceriatone.
He is really good about responding quickly,.
And more importantly, he can usually just tell by looking at gut shots, if it was built in house, or assembled by someone else, as a kit.
Hope you enjoy it!

 

[Amadeus91]

Congratulations!!!! Looks so nice, is this your first JTM45 style amp?

 

[fitz]

Congratulations!!!! Looks so nice, is this your first JTM45 style amp?

Yes. My 1st 4 holer and 1st handwired.

 

[paul-e-mann]

Yes. My 1st 4 holer and 1st handwired.

Start shopping for an attenuator! Oh wait, I see a master is installed cool! Congrats on the amp!

 

[fitz]

Start shopping for an attenuator! Oh wait, I see a master is installed cool! Congrats on the amp!

Been thinking about that...
PPIMV bleeds preamp signal before the power tubes - resistance, or ground, or something like that, AFAIK.
I have the Bad Cat Unleash V2 - Class D re-amp the output signal to speakers.
I'll be finding out the difference in tone between the two methods.

 

[paul-e-mann]

Been thinking about that...
PPIMV bleeds preamp signal before the power tubes - resistance, or ground, or something like that, AFAIK.
I have the Bad Cat Unleash V2 - Class D re-amp the output signal to speakers.
I'll be finding out the difference in tone between the two methods.

I'm so mad I didn't grab an Unleash before they were all gone!