[Shai`tan]

Here is my experience.

I was on the fence between a Ceriatone Expression.... or buying a Phaez. The Phaez Jackal was not out at the time. I looked hard at player reviews on both Amps and sound clips via youtube. Phaez was earlier getting a bad rap here and there of some early build wiring pics. Ceriatones wiring was impecable.

On the other hand, I couldn`t find ANY youtube vids of a Ceriatone Expression that impressed me. I chalked it up to peeps not knowing how to record a good clip or set up the amp well. But just about every Phaez vid I watched sounded pretty decent.

I ended up taking a chance and going for the Ceriatone Expression. And I wish I had gone for the Phaez instead in retrospect. To date I have changed out the stock Ceriatone trannys to Heyboer.... but I still can`t seem to get a sound I like out of it. Got it in again and hoping redoing the caps to Sozos will help. The cleans ARE nice, but this amps dirt is harsh as it gets.

Ok, so Randy brings out the JTM18. And in the demo vids it immediately grabs my ear. But after trying the Ceriatone with no Loop, I was looking for something with a Loop to add a smidgeon of Reverb. Soon after out comes the Jackal. A JTM18 with Loop. I think Roscoe released some demo vids, and THAT was it for me. I ordered the Phaez Jackal.

And the real kicker was this.... ya know when ya hear a vid demo and how it sounds on vid is not necessarilly what it will sound like inperson? The Jackal sounded exactly inperson what it sounded like in Roscoes vids. I dialed it in, and with my VL III loaded Bartlett EMCT Kit, 97 Flying V, and 71 BB Custom...... the Jackal delivered that thick dripping tone I have always looked for but never found.

Very happy I went with the Phaez. The Ceriatone? Not so much. Between the 2, there was just no contest. Gotta be honest.