FINALLY Ceriatone clip

[deeaa*]

I recorded this at a practice with the band last night, waiting for the lead guitarist to arrive.

Just jammed without any plan, so there are spots where nobody knows what notes they play...anyhow...this is a good clip for how my Ceriatone sounds.

deeaa.pp.fi/clips/spook_jam.mp3

I'm using the same session to make a 6-song live demo, recorded with these settings...so any comments welcome if there's something badly wrong. Will have to try and mix it some later...so now is a good time to notice real bad things.

[deeaa*]

No comments...it's always a bit worrisome if there's no comments whatsoever...makes you think maybe it's because people don't like it and rather just stay quiet about it :-) Well I guess it doesn't really matter much, but at any rate it's very close to my personal tone heaven. Maybe I used a little too much gain on the clip though, I think I'll lower it in the future...I played almost only on my super lead distortion sound on this...But the thing I love about the Ceriatone is that it sounds huge and sings even though there is no FX at all...(well some wah and OD of course...on this clip I used a H&K Warp for OD, so it's more like distortion now)...but it still feels and sounds like there was reverb at least, maybe even chorus. But it's just the harmonics of the guitar and tubes. That's the thing I can't get with Tech-21 for instance. Even with a reverb it still sounds more boxy...sometimes I like the clarity and the driven sound of the techie more than I do the Ceria's but there is no contest in how big and alive the tube amp just sounds and feels.

[tele911]

I think it's a good sounding amp. Can't really go wrong with a plexi or plexi clone IMO. I have no idea what kind of music you play though and I'm new, so there may be some background info that I missed, but I'd be happy with those settings. Are you going to isolate to do the live tracks or at a show? What mic and what placement did you use? What cab/speakers did you use?

[oldguy]

No comments...it's always a bit worrisome if there's no comments whatsoever...makes you think maybe it's because people don't like it and rather just stay quiet about it :-) Well I guess it doesn't really matter much, but at any rate it's very close to my personal tone heaven. Maybe I used a little too much gain on the clip though, I think I'll lower it in the future...I played almost only on my super lead distortion sound on this...But the thing I love about the Ceriatone is that it sounds huge and sings even though there is no FX at all...(well some wah and OD of course...on this clip I used a H&K Warp for OD, so it's more like distortion now)...but it still feels and sounds like there was reverb at least, maybe even chorus. But it's just the harmonics of the guitar and tubes. That's the thing I can't get with Tech-21 for instance. Even with a reverb it still sounds more boxy...sometimes I like the clarity and the driven sound of the techie more than I do the Ceria's but there is no contest in how big and alive the tube amp just sounds and feels.

I thought it sounded fine.
Reminds me a little of my JCA20H head at a certain setting.
The 18w clones are popular for a very good reason. Vood should get his going soon and he'll be all excited about it, I'll bet.

FWIW, lots of posts come up each day, and I miss some all the time. ( I wouldn't sweat the "no comments" things too much. I'm sure a lot of people just missed it.) Happens to me all the time. If you really want comments you can always do what you did, bump it up to get someone to respond.
Good sound on the amph, tho. Two thumbs up.

[deeaa*]

On cell phone now...difficult to write..no isolation...no need really xcept vox are bad, the mic just bleeds too much.

Cab isnondescript 4x12" with 25 and 35w celestions...a pair from 1976 and a newer pair. mic is off a 100 buck drum mic set, I guess meant for snare, got it for free but found out its excellent for amp micing! Softer and less piercing than a 57. Off axis well, 45 angle...near cone edge.

[Eric***]

No comments...it's always a bit worrisome if there's no comments whatsoever...makes you think maybe it's because people don't like it and rather just stay quiet about it :-)

Hmm. I'll comment, since I've listened to it at least a few times.

I think it sounded great, but honestly, I don't think I'm qualified to answer. I listened to the notes and the wah more than anything in that clip, and I generally like anything that doesn't make me think "wow, that's tinny."

My impression on tone is that it matters far more to the person playing than to the audience. Your clip sounded great to me, but I think your opinion is the one that matters.

Put it this way: there was nothing in the clip that I didn't like, and your use of wah is pretty cool. I'd be happy with that as feedback, but I'm not you.

[deeaa*]

Hmm. I'll comment, since I've listened to it at least a few times.

I think it sounded great, but honestly, I don't think I'm qualified to answer. I listened to the notes and the wah more than anything in that clip, and I generally like anything that doesn't make me think "wow, that's tinny."

My impression on tone is that it matters far more to the person playing than to the audience. Your clip sounded great to me, but I think your opinion is the one that matters.

Put it this way: there was nothing in the clip that I didn't like, and your use of wah is pretty cool. I'd be happy with that as feedback, but I'm not you.

Thanks! Wah is one effect I really like. Hardly ever use it, because I don't much play leads, I'm always a rhythm guitarist...but it sure is fun. I find I tend to use a lot of false harmonics with variations on how and where to pick to make it sound somewhat like a wah even when I don't use one. Like pick a bent note with a false harmonic and then pull-off a lower note and do the same again and it sounds just like a wah.

And yeah, tone is always very subjective. And a different tone is needed for different music as well.

[Radioboy950]

Happy New Year, Dee.
I love the funky improv jams too!
Has a little Chili Peppers vibe going on (but that could also be since I was just listening to them).
Single coil guitar? I can't always discern when listening to recordings.
You had some great sustain and feedback going on.
Nice control on the wah too.
I'd like to hear what the second guitar adds in terms of fullness to the mix.
Good luck with the project!

[deeaa*]

Happy New Year, Dee.
I love the funky improv jams too!
Has a little Chili Peppers vibe going on (but that could also be since I was just listening to them).
Single coil guitar? I can't always discern when listening to recordings.
You had some great sustain and feedback going on.
Nice control on the wah too.
I'd like to hear what the second guitar adds in terms of fullness to the mix.
Good luck with the project!

Thanks! Funny you should notice the singlecoil aspect of the sound, it's very subtle, but definitely there. The guitar is my own design based on a gibson/strat bastard with fender scale but tilt-neck & gibson bridge and it has an EMG 85 bridge and an S (or SA, I forget) neck, which are both always on. It sounds mostly like a bucker axe but the single coil there does add a little depth and twang to it that I like...especially when you lower the gain (I use a pan pedal between amp inputs for clean/dirty) it reveals some of the singlecoil features.

I originally did it that way because the guitar is pretty small and 'tight' sounding being a light-weight hardtail, I thought it might add warmth and body to that otherwise quite 'SG' sounding guitar, and I fell in love with the combo and now I have the same setup on all my guitars. Only on the V I mostly use just the 85, with the SA mixed in too much it gets too beefy....and the strat is just quite dark in comparison...well, all in all the 'bastard' just somehow clicked soundwise for me; it's aggressive like an SG and clears up to some real pretty Liverpool-type twangy rasp or even very sparkly clean if I lower the 85 a lot, but still delivers a helluva punch 'cause it's active. Try as I might, I never get quite the same balance out of my other axes. I guess it was just a lucky coincide. I try to only play it when I record to 'save' it because it's so unique, I doubt I can ever get another guitar just like it even if I built another 1:1. Been looking for a similar Charvette/Charvel/Jackson with a tiltneck setup, that I used as a basis for this, to build another one...so maybe some day...but those are very rare it seems. I've only seen one for sale and it was gone before I reacted.

[marnold***]

Finally got a chance to listen. Sounds nice! When I was in a band, we learned to record whenever we could so that if something blew up we could go back a find out why it did. If something went really well we could try to replicate it.

[Eric***]

When I was in a band, we learned to record whenever we could so that if something blew up we could go back a find out why it did.

Huh? Whatever your point was here, I didn't get it.