The Ceriatone HRM 50 is a Ceriatone amplifier. Close alternatives include the Ceriatone Overtone Special and the DSM Silver Linings Drive Preamp Engine. It pairs well with the Colorsound Overdriver and the Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz.
Ceriatone HRM 50
Ceriatone · amplifier
The Ceriatone HRM 50 is a 50-watt point-to-point hand-wired amplifier head built on the His Royal Majesty version of the Dumble Overdrive Special circuit, which adds the later midrange-shaping tone stack to the standard Overtone Special design. That HRM tone stack gives the overdrive channel a more vocal, forward midrange and a wider range of lead voicings than the earlier non-HRM circuit, while the clean channel keeps the full, dimensional character with a broad bottom end and sweet highs. At 50 watts it reaches its sweet spot at more manageable volume than the 100-watt version. It is highly touch sensitive, cleaning up with the guitar volume and blooming under a harder pick attack, and suits blues, fusion and smooth rock lead playing.
What stands out
“Most praised for the vocal, horn-like lead midrange”
— from the community notes
“It is highly touch sensitive, cleaning up with the guitar volume and blooming under a harder pick attack, and suits blues, fusion and smooth rock lead playing”
— from the listing
“That HRM tone stack gives the overdrive channel a more vocal, forward midrange and a wider range of lead voicings than the earlier non-HRM circuit, while the clean channel keeps the full, dimensional character with a broad bottom end and sw…”
— from the listing
“which adds the later midrange-shaping tone stack to the standard overtone special design”
— from the listing
“Works best with the amp doing the drive , though it takes a clean boost well for solos”
— from the community notes
Trade-offs
“dimensional character with a broad bottom end and sweet highs”
— from the listing
- midrange
- lead
- vocal
- overtone
- clean
- rock
- more versatile
- pick attack
Good for
- Live
- Studio
Genres the Ceriatone HRM 50 is commonly used in
- Blues
- Rock
- Blues Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Ceriatone HRM 50
Colorsound Overdriver
pedal
27% matchgain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → fuzzy)
Put Colorsound Overdriver in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward fuzzy
Goes in front of the amp
Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz
Black Arts Toneworks
25% matchgain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → fuzzy)
Run mid-forward into Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz for more fuzzy on top
Goes in front of the amp
Fjord Fuzz Berserk
Fjord Fuzz
22% matchgain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → fuzzy)
Fjord Fuzz Berserk stacks fuzzy on top of the mid-forward already here
Goes in front of the amp
MXR ZW90 Wylde Phase
MXR
12% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run MXR ZW90 Wylde Phase after Ceriatone HRM 50 in the signal chain, clear of Ceriatone HRM 50's own gain stage
Goes in front of the amp
Caline CP-10 Hot Mushroom Compressor RED Script
Caline
11% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain. (dynamic → compressed)
What Caline CP-10 Hot Mushroom Compressor RED Script brings here leans toward compressed — that's worth building a pairing around
Goes in front of the amp
Keeley Halo
Keeley
7% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep Ceriatone HRM 50's mid-forward voice out front: Keeley Halo goes in Ceriatone HRM 50's effects loop so its ambient voice doesn't muddy it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Roland SDE-3000D
Roland
7% matchRun Roland SDE-3000D in Ceriatone HRM 50's effects loop, clear of Ceriatone HRM 50's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes
Electro-Harmonix
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes is voiced for a clean amp's front end — Ceriatone HRM 50 gives it exactly that
Alternatives
Ceriatone Overtone Special
Ceriatone
73% similarity“which adds the later midrange-shaping tone stack to the standard Overtone Special design”
DSM Silver Linings Drive Preamp Engine
Dsm Humboldt Electronics
72% similarityDSM Silver Linings Drive Preamp Engine recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Mooer Micro PreAmp 010 (Two Rock Coral)
Mooer
72% similarityMooer Micro PreAmp 010 (Two Rock Coral) recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Xotic Bass BB Preamp V1.5
Xotic
72% similarityXotic Bass BB Preamp V1.5 recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Rowin LEF-315 Dumbler Amp Sim
Rowin
72% similarityRowin LEF-315 Dumbler Amp Sim recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Ceriatone Overtone Special HRM Bluesmaster 100
Ceriatone
57% similarityShared character: fusion, vocal, pick attack
Ceriatone Overtone Special HRM 100
Ceriatone
54% similarityShared character: fusion, vocal, pick attack
Amplified Nation Wonderland Overdrive 50W
Amplified Nation
53% similarityShared character: overdrive channel, fusion, sweet
Dumble Overdrive Reverb
Dumble
52% similarityShared character: fusion, blues players, pick attack
Amplified Nation Bombshell Overdrive 100W Head
Amplified Nation
52% similarityShared character: overdrive channel, fusion, blues players
Mesa Boogie Mark I
Mesa Boogie
51% similarityShared character: sweet, smooth, clean
Van Weelden Twinkleland 100W Head
Van Weelden
51% similarityShared character: fusion, vocal, pick attack
See all alternatives to the Ceriatone HRM 50 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Ceriatone HRM 50?+
The closest matches in character are the Ceriatone Overtone Special, the DSM Silver Linings Drive Preamp Engine, the Mooer Micro PreAmp 010 (Two Rock Coral).
What pairs well with the Ceriatone HRM 50?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Colorsound Overdriver, Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz, Fjord Fuzz Berserk — Put Colorsound Overdriver in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward fuzzy.