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  • #46
    Re: Crate Amps

    [ QUOTE ]
    I have owned a Dual Rec, the rythm tone was pretty good, but the lead tones were horrible. Those were the dry tones I was referring to, sorry I wasnt more specific. I replaced the tubes with JJ's, which helped a little but not by much. I even had a EBMM petrucci signature and a mesa cab :-P Maybe its just my ears. But I didnt say all MESA sucked either, I was referring to recto tone. I currently have a mark IV as my main amp and it destroys all the tone Ive ever heard. And to the one who said that there is very little processing on petruccis new album, you might be a little mistaken. Have you seen his live rigs for his clinics, let alone his new touring rig?? Its complete insanity. Guarantee that tone is processed like no tomorrow. http://www.johnpetrucci.com/equipment.html think hed completely do away with most of that to record an album? I dont know about that. Also, jgcable, why would saying I just dont like it suffice? Wheres the fun in that? Perhaps you really do understand what I said, but refuse to acknowledge [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

    [/ QUOTE ]

    I love a heated amp discussion. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
    1st. I know that amp tone is subjective. BUT!!!!!
    Lets look at amp tone in reality world. Since the mid 80's, the Mesa Boogie Rectifier series has been regarded as the benchmark or at least one of the benchmarks of great metal tone. Nobody will argue with that statement.
    The list of famous players who use Rectifiers is endless. We are talking about players who can play anything they want. The list of non-famous Rectifier players is even more endless.
    The lead tones to you might be dry and horrible but if you weigh your opinion to the vast hords of Rectifier lovers you will certainly be in the minority.
    Here is how I judge an amp tone initially:
    If countless amounts of players who play the same genre of music that I do love a certain amp, I would bet dollars to donuts that it is a good one. I might not like it but I won't claim its crap because of my ears.
    Since we aren't pulling any punches I'll make another bold statement:
    Most of the Mesa Rectifier bashers who claim that their Crate or Gorilla or Marlboro or Park amp will smoke a Rectifier are actually closet Rectifier wannabees.
    This brings up another question:
    Whats a Closet Rectifier Wannabee??
    Well, I'll tell you.
    We call them CRW's for short.
    These are players who secretly pine for a Rectifier but don't own one so instead they bash them.
    I can point you to many message boards where you will read hundreds of posts claiming that their Epiphone's smoke real Gibson's or that the new Marshall DSL's and TSL's suck and that their Marshall Valvestate's smoke them too.
    Here are some old debated issues from the Wannabee Club:
    Park vs Marshall
    Epi vs Gibson
    Sound City vs Hiwatt
    Sunn vs Kustom
    Any import guitar vs its USA made =
    Boss vs Arion
    Crate vs ?
    Kramer vs YoKramer

    Claiming that a Rectifier has a dry crap lead tone just shows your CRW syndrome. Just go get one bro. Its ok. Submit to the dark side.
    Here is another really easy way to tell if an amp is good regardless if YOU PERSONALLY like it or not:
    If its expensive and manufactured by a large well respected company you can rest assured that its probably pretty good.
    Rectifiers are expensive. Even used. Even really used.
    And finally... I changed my mind. The Crate Blue Voodoo amps suck major ass. The clean is crap, the gain is nothing but muddy clipping diode flexwave noise and they even look like ass. I'll stick to my highly modded SS Gorilla 1/2 stack any day. My Gorilla was originally a SS 10w combo with 1 x 8" speaker in it with a really crappy pressboard cabinet but I sent it to BlueDoodoo mods and they converted it to a head. I am running it through a pair of wedge cabinets with 6 x 9 Jensen Triaxials in it. You can keep that overpriced and overrated Crate BV. They suck.
    [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

    Comment


    • #47
      Re: Crate Amps

      Don't forget...you installed a modeler.

      Comment


      • #48
        Re: Crate Amps

        BTW... the above post is one of my better ones. I really need to start publishing this spewage. [img]/images/graemlins/sick.gif[/img]

        Comment


        • #49
          Re: Crate Amps

          [ QUOTE ]
          Don't forget...you installed a modeler.

          [/ QUOTE ]
          The modeler is part of my Gorilla outboard effects system. I was going to control it with a Bradshaw switching system but they suck ass. Total garbage. Instead I am using a Bradstein switching system. Its made of cardboard and plastic and is much easier to carry around.

          Comment


          • #50
            Re: Crate Amps

            [ QUOTE ]
            [ QUOTE ]
            Don't forget...you installed a modeler.

            [/ QUOTE ]
            The modeler is part of my Gorilla outboard effects system. I was going to control it with a Bradshaw switching system but they suck ass. Total garbage. Instead I am using a Bradstein switching system. Its made of cardboard and plastic and is much easier to carry around.

            [/ QUOTE ]

            Well son of a bitch, I always wondered what the secret to your tone was.

            Comment


            • #51
              Re: Crate Amps

              I'll confess, the cardboard that Bradstein uses is a special composite material. They get it from a green dumpster behind Walmart. When they first started they were using Switchcraft connectors but they found that Switchcraft makes total garbage. They import them from China now. They are all simulated goldtone finish.

              Comment


              • #52
                Re: Crate Amps

                [ QUOTE ]
                I quoted zeegler. Not you. I re-read my post. It's difficult to get the idea of emotion people have, just from text.

                No animosity, I was just offering a suggestion to the guy (he wanted a half stack) and I was trying to offer up some other nice alternatives to the Crate.

                Here is the bottom line, try some shit, and see if you like it. If you do, great. Who cares if it says Super-O, if it's your sound, great (btw my Super-o model is stupid...why would anyone model that turd).

                [/ QUOTE ]

                Jeri assumed the same thing I did. We were talking about Crate, and you said that Carvin was made in USA, implying (in my opinion anyway)that Crate amps aren't. I apologize if I came down kind of hard on you, but there are too many people around here that mouth off about something they know nothing about (not referring to you [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] ). Crate is just a good example. Aria Pro guitars get the same rap. They used to make fantastic guitars until the mid to late 80's, when production moved to Korea. They made some absolute crap in that time, and gave themselves a bad reputation. Unfortunately a lot of people assumed all Aria Pro guitars were crap. That of course is not the case, and a lot of people are starting to realize that an early Aria in good condition can be had for cheap, and is WELL worth the money. Crate is a little different. They started out making crappy amps, and went on to make awesome amps. A friend of mine in high school had a solid state G600XL full stack. Wow, that thing looked so impressive. It was quite the opposite when he plugged in and started playing though. That thing sounded like frying bacon. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

                I've heard lots of positive things about the Vintage Club series, and I know first hand that the BVs are good. I'm not sure where they have gone with their solid state amps though. I believe they have a new flexwave circuitry sort of thing, but I have not tried any of them out. They very well might be crap, but then most solid state amps are crap anyway.

                As for the Marshall Valvestates, some of my favourite guitar players used them, and had the most balls-out tone ever. Tommy Victor and Chuck Schuldiner are perfect examples. HOWEVER, neither of them used the amp without mods or external effects. I flat out guarantee that anyone using a Valvestate, and getting anything better than a mediochre sound, is using effects, stompboxes, whatever. Don't get me wrong, I loved my Valvestate, but it was better suited to playing punk songs, or classic rock than metal.

                Your bottom line is correct. What it comes down to is that he has to try stuff out for himself. One mans trash is another mans treasure...or something like that anyway.
                Sleep!!, That's where I'm a viking!!

                http://www.myspace.com/grindhouseadtheband

                Comment


                • #53
                  Re: Crate Amps

                  [ QUOTE ]
                  [ QUOTE ]
                  The only good Recto tone ive heard is Petrucci's tone. When its behind an Eventide Harmonizer and assloads of other processing. Mesa distortion is just too dry for my tastes, IMO.

                  [/ QUOTE ]

                  I can think of several examples of awesome recto tone... how about King's X Dogman album for starters?

                  Pete

                  [/ QUOTE ]

                  How about anything Corrosion of Conformity has recorded in the last ten years? Mmm, wait a sec, maybe they use Mark IIIs?!?!?
                  Sleep!!, That's where I'm a viking!!

                  http://www.myspace.com/grindhouseadtheband

                  Comment


                  • #54
                    Re: Crate Amps

                    Oh, one more thing, in response to something John said. I'm not one of those people that bashes amps I have not tried myself, or heard first hand. I have only ever bashed a couple of amps in fact. One of them was the Genz Benz El Diablo. I won't even say that it sucked monkey balls, because somewhere out there is someone who likes it (maybe monkey balls too). I will say that I hated it. I tried and tried, and could not get even a passable metal guitar sound out of it. Maybe it was busted! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
                    Sleep!!, That's where I'm a viking!!

                    http://www.myspace.com/grindhouseadtheband

                    Comment


                    • #55
                      Re: Crate Amps

                      [ QUOTE ]
                      BTW... the above post is one of my better ones. I really need to start publishing this spewage. [img]/images/graemlins/sick.gif[/img]

                      [/ QUOTE ]

                      [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

                      Comment


                      • #56
                        Re: Crate Amps

                        [ QUOTE ]
                        I'll confess, the cardboard that Bradstein uses is a special composite material. They get it from a green dumpster behind Walmart. When they first started they were using Switchcraft connectors but they found that Switchcraft makes total garbage. They import them from China now. They are all simulated goldtone finish.

                        [/ QUOTE ]

                        From what I heard on another message board (and I believe everything I read too) the cardboard used were painstakingly hand selected of the finest quality cardboards to assure great tone. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
                        shawnlutz.com

                        Comment


                        • #57
                          Re: Crate Amps

                          I own two BV120's. Wouldn't have bought the second if I didn't like the first(plus I stole it at GC, $300.00 new) I often referred to it as the poor mans Mesa.(don't shoot me) [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] True, they may be in need of some tweakage right now,(time for tubes I believe) but I've chunked out many a brutal riff through these amps. If your playing heavy, you just might love one.
                          Hear the universe scream
                          Bleeding from black holes
                          Whom horns careless
                          And whom God mourns

                          Comment


                          • #58
                            Re: Crate Amps

                            I'll have to give one a whirl. Honestly, I could see me picking up another VC head, I got the one I had for like 60 bucks. Man, I wish I stumbled on good deals on a regular basis [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] Just because it was fun to run FX infront of.

                            Comment


                            • #59
                              Re: Crate Amps

                              HAHAHA nice flame jg. If youll read closely to what I said...I OWNED A RECTIFIER. Ive now gotten out of the rectifier series and own a Mark IV. I dont really give two shytes if vast hordes of metal players use a rectifier...Im not one to jump on the band wagon. I also dont have thousands to spend on sound processing because the famous rectifier players you may mention have tons of processing with the amp- tremonti, petrucci, etc etc... And those who dont have all the processing tend to sound like shit. Such as the "PRS and Recto" epidemic that were coming out of relatively recently. Im by no means bashing mesa boogie, I hope to get a triaxis and simulclass 2:90 relatively soon myself. Just not a recto ;-) And for zeegler, I agree with you on the genz benz el diablo...worked for days and couldnt get a good tone out of it. Swapped out the els for some good ole 6l6's, still crap. Maybe it wasnt my thing, maybe Im just a CGBW- closet genz benz wannabe [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

                              Comment


                              • #60
                                Re: Crate Amps

                                [ QUOTE ]

                                Park vs Marshall


                                [/ QUOTE ]
                                Park IS Marshall... as is Vox, Parker Fly and Korg. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
                                I feel my soul go cold... only the dead are smiling.

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