Got a couple of new amps... Crate Powerblock, Vox

[khabibissell]

Yep. First, I picked up a Vox AD15VT. I wanted to get a low wattage modeling amp for my front room... something small enough to hide behind the couch when not in use. I really dig it. The JCM800 model is pretty damn close, as are the Vox models. It's a perfect little practice amp! Pretty loud too.

Also, I grabbed a Crate Powerblock. For all you guys with modelers (PODXT, Tonelab, etc...) this is the perfect compliment. It is a 150 watt mono, 75 watt stereo SS poweramp that does just what it is supposed to do; provide power to a modeler with coloring it. It also can function as a practice amp. Let me tell ya... My PODXT Live sounds friggen great through it, and it is LOUD connected to the Mesa 4x12. It will easily keep up with a loud drummer (though I haven't tried it yet). for $180, it's a no brainer. Flame on, the POD sounds better through this SS poweramp than it did through my Mesa 20/20. Check it out!

[zeegler]

Re: Got a couple of new amps... Crate Powerblock, Vox

What does the Crate sound like by itself?

[khabibissell]

Re: Got a couple of new amps... Crate Powerblock, Vox

I didn't really play with it by itself, and at that only the clean. I guess it's okay, but that is not why I bought it.

[PallarAndersVisa]

Re: Got a couple of new amps... Crate Powerblock,

i never see anyone with crates anymore. i think 3 of my guitar playing friends (including me) had crates as first amps, but that was it

[khabibissell]

Re: Got a couple of new amps... Crate Powerblock,

Yeah, I wouldn't consider myself a Crate fan by any means, but this is a slick piece of gear (My two other amps are a Boogie F50 and a Single Rectifier). It's light, cheap, and sounds good. I jammed with it in a band situation today using it through my 1x12 overside Mesa cab and it rocked. Like I said, it lets the POD do it's thing and provides more than enough volume.

I'll admit that I'm a baby and I hate taking my tube heads out of the house. Besides, you hardly get to turn them up loud enough to utilize their full potential.

[PallarAndersVisa]

Re: Got a couple of new amps... Crate Powerblock,

i just leave my tube head at my drummer's house. crank that mofo to about 6/10 and let it hummmmmmmmmmm

[tseegert]

Re: Got a couple of new amps... Crate Powerblock,

I had to post here, as A guy I jam with just (3 days ago) sold his Mesa Triple Rectifier AND PRS because he was just blown away by the sound of my amp. Jackson SLSMG>Boss Compressor>Crate 50 Watt Stealth head>B52 400 watt cab.

Have a decent digi delay, chorus, and phase 90 in the loop, and it is truly amazing. I simply cannot say enough about the head, and the cab is no where near a slouch either, expect to hear more from B52, much more.

Enjoy the Crate... I am aware they havent made many worthy amps, but they definitely had 1 or 2 right.

[XSSIVE]

Re: Got a couple of new amps... Crate Powerblock,

i keep hearing on a few forums that these powerblocks have potential with a pod. right now i use my podXT through an atomic 1x12 for just at home practice when cranking one of my 1/2 stacks is a bad idea (3am lol). i think i'm going to have to try one of the powerblocks out in the future to see what all the fuss is about.

-Mike

[khabibissell]

Re: Got a couple of new amps... Crate Powerblock,

Honestly, you can't lose with the Powerblock. It's less than $200! Believe me, it's very loud too. I plug both outs from the XT Live into the Send/Receive stereo In/Out jacks, then go stereo into my Mesa standard 4x12. Set the POD to Poweramp Stack, and there ya go! I've also gone mono into my Mesa 3/4 back 1x12. Works great either way. The output volume is controlled by the POD; when plugged into the loop on the Crate, there is no volume control. I'm no tone guru by any means, but it really sounded great.

I love tube gear... it can't be replaced, but this setup so far is turning me into a believer that other stuff can work well too. If it sounds good, does it really matter whether you got there with glowing bottles or SS/Microprocessors? I don't think so.

Rarely has an impulse buy worked for me... as a matter of fact, I think this is the first.

That Vox is a kickin' little practice amp to. [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[siggy14]

Re: Got a couple of new amps... Crate Powerblock,

[ QUOTE ]
Honestly, you can't lose with the Powerblock. It's less than $200! Believe me, it's very loud too. I plug both outs from the XT Live into the Send/Receive stereo In/Out jacks, then go stereo into my Mesa standard 4x12. Set the POD to Poweramp Stack, and there ya go! I've also gone mono into my Mesa 3/4 back 1x12. Works great either way. The output volume is controlled by the POD; when plugged into the loop on the Crate, there is no volume control. I'm no tone guru by any means, but it really sounded great.

I love tube gear... it can't be replaced, but this setup so far is turning me into a believer that other stuff can work well too. If it sounds good, does it really matter whether you got there with glowing bottles or SS/Microprocessors? I don't think so.

Rarely has an impulse buy worked for me... as a matter of fact, I think this is the first.

That Vox is a kickin' little practice amp to. [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

SS's downfall is when you turn it up it can get shrill sounding! This is one of the reason line 6 makes there flextone heads at 200 watts so this way you have plenty of headroom. I take my pod and put it into a nady 2200 watt power amp (cost me $300) and i have plenty of headroom and the power amp is just like the crate, a clean no coloring amp.

I have said it in the past and i will say it again, the line 6 stuff is getting so good that eventually they will be better then tube amps. I have seen many bands just use the pod pro directly into the PA system and it sounded Killer! Now the three groups i have seen use them were all rock groups so i am not sure how it would sound for metal, but iam sure it would sound good. The bands i have seen using these and it sounded killer with killer tone was weezer, sum 41 and garbage. I know also the no doubt bassist use's the pod bass as well and i think there guitarist's use's the regular pod pro.

You ask me nothing wrong with using line 6 products if you have the power for plenty of headroom.