Most of the basic components are in. Since I dont have the trannys yet I am gonna have to wait on puttin the big stuff in like the boards. I am gonna run the heater wiring and some of the basic resistors for the tube sockets. looking good so far

So I am a bit of a cosmetics fiend. I assume its just a carry over from my days of building hot rods, but I simply cannot leave even the most obscure details unfinished. I was contemplating clearcoating the bare metal finish but I wasnt very confident in the clearcoat I was using. If you use the wrong kind the heat from normal usage would yellow the finish over time. I ended up using a can of Chrysler Red high temp ceramic based paint I had laying around. Looks almost powder coated.

There are different variations of the kit you can order. From all components minus the trannys, cabinet and tubes to a fully assembled ready to play amp with with cabinet. I chose the kit 1 which is just the components and the chassis.

It came very quickly (5 days from shipment) all the way from malaysia where ceriatone is based. It was fully packed and backed with a full parts list. LOVE the way Ceriatone does business, most companies I order from within the states takes a week to one company taking 6 WEEKS!

I still have to order my trannys so I have some time to figure out some cosmetics and other stuff.

The Reason

So I am one of those people that doesnt know how to leave things alone. I watched my Dad tinker and by nature I tinker too. I am a dedicated musician so my Dad's choice of hobby being cars has been replaced in me with a passion for all things guitar.

I have made/modded and mostly ruined guitars, tube amps and some effects. The following is a Bad Cat Hot Cat 30 clone offered by Ceriatone. Ceriatone is a web based company that enables nerds like me to build and play their dream tube amps while often saving thousands over just buying the same amp. The quality of the amp is 80% dependent on the builder but Nik from Ceriatone has provided the best starting point I have yet to see from any similar company.

This Blog is simply to show the build and process of one of these kits, armed with only a little bit of knowledge and a whole lot of soldering iron burns. Enjoy!!!