If not MetroAmp then Who?

[darthpoodle]

Ok so my dreams of building the the JTM45 are down the drain and I'm learning to live with it. Since I can no longer build a Metro, who is the next best thing?

Looking at Ceriatone. Anything better.

I don't just want to own a good sounding clone I want to build one.

[harkkam08]

You still can. All you need to do is source the parts separately and just follow the instructions that have been posted up. George even offers metroamp trannies directly from Heyboer. Go to the business classifieds section there should be a post there.

But its easy, because many of the parts can be bought at

http://www.tubesandmore.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or http://www.tubedepot.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and the instructions has a list of all the parts that you need so its fairly simple. You can get chassis from mojotone, and they supply amp tolex heads as well and faceplates you get the idea.

[Ydna]

I posted this in another thread asking the same thing.

If you want to get as close to a metro kit as possible, the only way now is to do it yourself.

1. Bill of Materials: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=9823

2. Layout: download/file.php?id=3112

3. Get the chassis and faceplates from Ceriatone

4. Transformers and Choke: Either http://www.marstran.com/InStock.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or viewtopic.php?f=42&t=34145 (Either company will do fine, honestly, just choose whichever you prefer).

5. Turret board: http://kurtsequipment.com/reproboards/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

6. Electronic components excluding the sozos, wire, solder, fuses, diodes, can be found at any electronics website, try to find one based in Australia to lower shipping charges.

7. Sozos can be bought here in kit form: http://sozoamplification.com/guitar-amp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... -kits.html (Sozo standards were the capacitors that came with the kits).

8. Use George's instructions as best you can, it won't follow exactly, but it'll help.

9. The headboxes that George used are here: http://www.mojotone.com/amp-parts/cabin" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... ad-Cabinet

You could use mojotone for electronics components, everything will be easier to find, but it'll be pricier. Going this route will cost around the same as a Metroamp kit, so Ceriatone could be an option if going this route seems overwhelming and out of your price range.

This is the closest thing possible to a Metroamp kit, inside and out. A stock Ceriatone kit is certainly a good kit, but Metroamp uses more era correct turretboard, and in my opinion, sozos are higher quality.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do jtm45 wise, it'll work out.

[Brian Wallace]

I have parts for sale as well. http://forum.marstran.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=334" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[garbeaj]

Sorry for being out of the loop...what happened to the finished amps?

[demonufo]

Nothing. George's Plexi Replicas (Metropoulos Amplifiers) are still going strong, and keeps George very busy.

[Roe]

havent nik at ceriatone stopped selling parts?

[Xplorer]

this site seems to have a very very big choice of parts, components.

http://www.hificollective.co.uk/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[darthpoodle]

I'm thinking of Mojotone JTM 45 at this time with Sozo vintage Caps. I am way too lazy to source out all those parts on my own. I would have to use the Metro instructions. Any thoughts by anyone? I know the iron is going to be the weakest link but I don't think I'm going to be able to tell the difference unless side by side.

My real hope is that Metro Amp kits come back. I would stock up at this point.

[Xplorer]

yeah, ask to metro perhaps if they plan to start the production again ... then start a metro, or a ceriatone, or a mojo, anyway, something to make fast as you don't wanna source all these components, and perhapos later, if you need and want to, build another amp with nos parts ?

[elronhoover]

I'm thinking of Mojotone JTM 45 at this time with Sozo vintage Caps. I am way too lazy to source out all those parts on my own. I would have to use the Metro instructions. Any thoughts by anyone? I know the iron is going to be the weakest link but I don't think I'm going to be able to tell the difference unless side by side.

I have a mojo jtm45 that I built little over a year ago. If you want the dead accurate marshall thing in looks and circuit values, no it's not it. But it makes a great amp IMO. I built it stock, with the mojo dijons & 150 caps, the xicon resistors, and the JJ cap cans (2 50/50's). Only thing I changed was using a different ground scheme. It is the quietest amp (as far as baseline hum/hiss) I currently own or have ever owned.

My kit came with heyboer iron, and the PT gives me 455 on the plates at 120vac. The pots, cliff jacks, and tube sockets are the same ones that came with my metro 50 kit. Headshell is the same as metro, but I ordered mine with a top vent. Switches, lamp, and imp. selector are perfectly fine. The chassis is aluminum, with the sides just folded. The wire sucks. Board is forked turret. The plexi panels are more copper colored and dont look at all marshall. The B+ fuse is on the back next to the HT fuse. The power cord is an IEC socket.

The ps is a little goofy in that there are 2 can caps mounted over the PT, and then run out to the nodes under the board. I thought this was going to be a noise issue, but not at all.

I run it with gold lion kt66, an amperex 5ar4, and nos telefunks and bugleboy's in the pre. With the higher plate v and the extra filtering, it's got a great tone. Good headroom, great with fenders or gibs, and overall crunchier and tighter bass than I would have thought. I have no idea how it compares to a real jtm45, or a proper clone, but I really like it, it's probably my favorite amp since I built it, and the one I play the most. I think it's a great kit for the $$.

You can build it with the metro instructions for sure. One thing to note if mojo has not corrected it - the 82k and 100k PI plate r's are labelled backwards on the supplied layout diag., but correct on the schem.

Dave