NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by rickenbackerkid »

the v30 will sound bassy. the 18w is designed for a greenback, which has less bass responce.

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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by AmpShop »

bbrunskill wrote:the v30 will sound bassy. the 18w is designed for a greenback, which has less bass responce.
I've heard a few straight 18w clones through V30's (single tone control only, no cathode-follower tone stack) and they were not overly bassy. It'll be the tone stack on this particular amp (particularly as the OP isn't finding the EF86 channel overly bassy). But yeah, in saying that, the Greenback will give a spongier, less aggressive low-end.

Best approach with the tone stack? Run it with the bass control on zero, or just above. Sounds a little extreme in theory, but in practice it's the best way to get a low-end response that balances with the rest of the tone, especially once the amp is overdriven. I've cranked a few JTM45 and 1987 type amps recently and they all sounded best with the bass control very low (or off), and that was throught the bright channel!
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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by Miza »

CustomAudioBoutique wrote:
bbrunskill wrote:the v30 will sound bassy. the 18w is designed for a greenback, which has less bass responce.
I've heard a few straight 18w clones through V30's (single tone control only, no cathode-follower tone stack) and they were not overly bassy. It'll be the tone stack on this particular amp (particularly as the OP isn't finding the EF86 channel overly bassy). But yeah, in saying that, the Greenback will give a spongier, less aggressive low-end.

Best approach with the tone stack? Run it with the bass control on zero, or just above. Sounds a little extreme in theory, but in practice it's the best way to get a low-end response that balances with the rest of the tone, especially once the amp is overdriven. I've cranked a few JTM45 and 1987 type amps recently and they all sounded best with the bass control very low (or off), and that was throught the bright channel!
I had a good long play on it this arvo, and yeah the bass sounded best on about 1. Treble on 8 or 9, and mids fairly high, like 6-8.

I realised why the FX loops were labeled the way they are (Ch1 and Ch2). They are individual loops for each channel. You need a Y cable to use them. Bit of a pain as I wanted to use a reverb pedal in the loop, but Nik said its the only way. Otherwise you get bleed.

On a happier note, the Loopmaster single bypass looper I have kicking around makes a great A/B pedal. Worked a treat.
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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by robthemac »

Dredge. How did this amp work out?
Jops wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 7:46 am Spring is the comic sans of reverbs anyway.

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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by Miza »

Looong gone. Traded it for an Acoustic.

Lovely amp though, would totally buy it again, but probably in the combo format.
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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by robthemac »

Miza wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:03 am Looong gone. Traded it for an Acoustic.

Lovely amp though, would totally buy it again, but probably in the combo format.
Nice. The SV20 thread got me thinking about low-powered JTM-style amps. This one from Ceriatone has a reputation for breaking up at much lower volumes than most.
Jops wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 7:46 am Spring is the comic sans of reverbs anyway.

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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by Bg »

18 watters still need to be cranked above easy listening level - and 18 watts is fucking loud
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by robthemac »

Bg wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:13 pm 18 watters still need to be cranked above easy listening level - and 18 watts is fucking loud
Certainly the case for the 1974x and slightly more powerful 2061x. I read that the TMB has a lot less headroom though. A fair few people online complaining about it compressing and breaking up very early. Which sounds like a good thing for bedroom rockstars like myself.
Jops wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 7:46 am Spring is the comic sans of reverbs anyway.

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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by Bg »

maybe it was because my TMB was a 36 watter, but it still needed loud
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by robthemac »

Bg wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:44 pm maybe it was because my TMB was a 36 watter, but it still needed loud
Did yours have a half-power switch?
Jops wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 7:46 am Spring is the comic sans of reverbs anyway.

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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by Miza »

robthemac wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:28 pm
Bg wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:13 pm 18 watters still need to be cranked above easy listening level - and 18 watts is fucking loud
Certainly the case for the 1974x and slightly more powerful 2061x. I read that the TMB has a lot less headroom though. A fair few people online complaining about it compressing and breaking up very early. Which sounds like a good thing for bedroom rockstars like myself.
Yeah this is true.

I was in a 3-piece for a short while and set at 18W (it also had a half power switch) I found it did compressed a bit too much for that scenario. Don't get me wrong, it sounded glorious, but there was just very little room for dynamics. Was an eye opener.

At half power, with the master vol (TMB channel only) and a nice OD in front it was just perfect.
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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by robthemac »

Oh so not much downside to the half-power setting? Tonally.
Jops wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 7:46 am Spring is the comic sans of reverbs anyway.

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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by Miza »

robthemac wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:54 pm Oh so not much downside to the half-power setting? Tonally.
Not that I could recall no. Was a while ago though.

Ceriatone amps are outstanding. I see their prices have gone up a fair bit in recent years.
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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by jimi »

I remember having a blast on that amp at a gearfest in the tron. sounded great.

Was this and the 65 London (red channel) that got me shopping for an 18w Marshall sound.

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Re: NAD: Ceriatone 18W TMB EF86 Head

Post by Bg »

robthemac wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:48 pm
Bg wrote: Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:44 pm maybe it was because my TMB was a 36 watter, but it still needed loud
Did yours have a half-power switch?
No it was a home brew from a weber kit. Currently reconfiguring it to be just 18 watt only as 36 watt is just too much for my needs.

Have been reconfiguring it for 15 years so far.... I should really get around to it :D
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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