Crate sounds GOOD?

[Black Mariah]

I went to see the almighty Floor last Thursday and something about the first two bands to play that night struck me as odd. Both were SoCal punk bands (I only remember the name of one band, Odd Project. They actually don't suck) They used a Crate half stack (GX1200 head, I think) and a 5150 II half stack. The other band was playing through a couple of Dual Recto half stacks. By all rights, the Dual Rectos and 5150 should have DESTROYED the poor little Crate tonally, but I swear that the Crate sounded the best of the bunch. The Dual Rectos were COMPLETE ass. Muddy as hell, and still grating to the ears. Even Floor's earth-shattering assault didn't hurt as much (and they're the second loudest thing I've ever heard, right behind Top Fuel drag racing).

I don't get it. Gave me a new respect for Crate... er... okay maybe not, but it did surprise me. Until Floor hit the stage it was the best tone I heard all night. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Twisteramps]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

Part of it is the amp, part of it is how it's dialed in, part of it is the speaker cabinet, part of it is the sound man, and last but not least, the guitar/fx used and the hands of the guy playing [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Pete

[Black Mariah]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

Ah, here's the funny thing. The soundman had nothing to do with it. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] This club was fairly small. They didn't put the guitars through the PA. That's one of the reasons I found it so odd. There is no reason whatsoever that a cranked solid state Crate should sound better than a cranked tube Mesa. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Misanthrope189]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

Everything Pete mentioned is an important variable, plus, I find it much easier to dial in a "good" tone on a solid state amp than it is to tweak a tube amp into a good tone.

Cheers,
Nick

[Ninja Guitar]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

[img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] Strange indeed. I wonder if maybe that Crate was really an old Marshall or Mesa inside a Crate shell. I remember hearing that some solid state amp endorsee got caught for doing just that.

[lerxstcat]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

I really doubt some guy in a club band would put his Marshall or Mesa in a Crate
shell. Maybe as a theft deterrent? Nah!

It may have been the poor quality of the power supply at the small club. Tubes depend on consistent power to sound their best; a solid state amp would not have this problem. On the other hand the solid state amp might malfunction from bad power sooner than a tube amp, but would probably sound better until it fried.

Maybe the acoustic properties of the club lent themselves to the Crate, or maybe the guy soundchecked better, or had better guitars, or just played better and
made it sound good that way.

[Black Mariah]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

It probably wasn't the power. Their other guitarist was using a 5150 and sounded much better than either of the Mesa players. It was a fairly small place and there wasn't any guitar going through the PA. That's why I found it weird. In a situation like that, where you're relying completly on your amp for volume, you'd expect the Crate to fall flat on its face and the Mesa to shine.

I think the reason it threw me so much was because I've heard that particular model of Crate before and was never impressed.

[Widowmaker]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

One of the best tones I have ever gotten is from my faithful Crate G60 GTF and Crate ext cab w/ a G12M70 Celestion. The amp was a limited edition with a Fane Medusa speaker. I think I got both in 89 or 90. I also run a chorus pedal and eq through the effects loop. Killer sound for what I do...

[Newc]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

If he had a better preamp hidden behind it and was using the head for power....
Or if he had it set correctly [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
My ex-bassist played guitar for another band, and he had a Crate GX1200 head, and he said he couldn't get enough volume out of it with the mids scooped. I told him to unscoop the mids, but then he said it was too loud [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Newc

[Black Mariah]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

[img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] What's worse is on some amps the mids are just voiced WRONG. They're that really nasty low-midrange. [img]graemlins/puke.gif[/img] So if you don't scoop them your amp ends up sounding like a lawnmower in a wind tunnel made of aluminum. [img]graemlins/puke.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/puke.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/puke.gif[/img]

[mm2002]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

I think it has a lot to do with the cab. My head is an old Crate GX-130C and it sounds like crap through some cabs but I bought one of Lynches old Genz-Benz 4X12 cabs awhile back (celestion 30's) and hooked the 'ol Crate to it and BAM!! It sounds awesome and will cut through any mix. I haven't had the desire to spend any more money on an amp yet.

[10secondLX]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

You know for the money Crates aren't bad amps. They aren't great but if your on a budget and don't want to pay $400.00 for a 50 watt Marshall AVT they are a nice option. I think for the same $$ you can get a 120w 2x12 GFX or whatever the new line is?. Didn't Marty Friedman use Crate heads and cabnets when he was in Megadeth? Just my 2 cents. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[taxistationary]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

That's right, Marty used and endorsed the Blue Voodoo heads. I think those Blue Voodoo's are great amps.

[JACKSONFREAK]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

Its all in knowing how to set up the and use the gear you have. If you don't kno wwho to set up an amp reguardless of how well you play you will sound like arse. A good gear head can make any amp sound good as long as he can play well enough to make it sound good. I remember hearing a story about Clapton being back stage at somebodies show and all they had was a crappy little amp with no eq to it just a tone knob. Clapton was asked to play a few songs and the guy who owned the amp was all worried that the amp wasnt good enough for Clapton. When Eric came out he plugs in flips the switch and the guy was in awe at the tone that little amp produced when Clapton played thru it.
So talent and knowing how to set up the amp is key.
Gil

[etaeniura]

Re: Crate sounds GOOD?

If you really get down to it, would Crate have been in business this long if their amps really sucked that hard? Somebody, somewhere has to like them for some reason. I have never had the privelege to play through any of the expensive tube amps (mostly because I suck and would be embarrassed to have anyone hear me)but i used to love my little Peavey RAGE 108 amp. that thing had the coolest distortion and it was f'n loud as hell! Also, has anyone here ever played through a Gallien Kreuger guitar amp? My old teacher used to swear by them, but i can't seem to find them anywhere.