Crate Excalibur head... Anyone try one?

[Racerx2k]

Dude, I can't fully judge it that way, you know that. But you can get a half-decent idea. You mean to tell me, back in the day, you needed to hear C.C. Deville's amp, in person, to tell if it sounded like crap?

[Skred679]

I've owned a Excalibur GX-900 and the GX-2200 (300W).
​​​​​BOTH amps are amazing, but I think I can answer many of the questions here by merely speaking on the two. I of course will add to the narrative here, but this will be the basis for my explanation. before I continue I just want to let you know that I bought the amp at retail brand new and 1997. I've owned the amp ever since the day it was released and I've never considered selling it. I can't get the same tone out of any other amp that exists. I actually refuse to play anything else. I've owned or played through several top-end amplifiers of the years including Marshall Mesa, Peavey, and 5150 brand. dimebag Darrell considered Randall ants crucial to his sound and I consider the crate Excalibur crucial to my sound.

All of the amps I've mentioned are great, but it depends on what era you're talking about. the main thing going on here is the Excalibur pre-2000 solid state. during that time there weren't a lot of tube amps in the stores. Tube amps were quieter at that time.... At least the ones available were. Somewhere around 2000 that all changed.

there's a big elephant in the room in the discussion about this amp in this thread so far. That elephant is how much your amp should be cranked for your guitar to have its optimal tone. usually turning your amp to two or three is not going to be getting you your optimal tone out of your amp-you need to be going to about 5 to 8 range at least.

As stated by many others the X caliber is an old school solid-state;o of the last analog solid states to exist. It can be plenty loud enough to play club situations through the club's sound systems. HOWEVER, many guitarists think that they need an amp that can play f****** Woodstock pretty much on its own. I find most tube amplifiers made after roughly 2000 are flat-out too loud for most musicians unless you are in a major international touring group like Metallica. These massive Mesa tube heads the 5150 are all amps like I mean.

yes these are great amsp but you're often not going to be utilizing their full potential at all because you're playing with your volume at two or three. it's literally Overkill that is not allowing you to reach your full tonal potential.

If we move to the crate, in live situations with no PA system the crate does often have to be cranked to Max to compete with other tube MODERN amps. It's actually a good deal louder than most older tube amps I've heard.

If you want really great tone, to me your guitar needs to be cranked through the amp, and most amps today are too loud for you to do that in most applications.

The crate gfx - 2200 has this issue itself. It's literally the same amp with the same sound it's just a 300 watt version. That version of the amp will blow your tube amp into submission I guarantee you. The gf-900 a is also90 watt head and many tube amps these days are 120 watts....it's a pretty significant difference.

the amp is most definitely usable in a band situation you just need to have a band member using similar gear that's it. use your brain and don't fall for marketing traps and you'll easily be able to make just about any piece of gear out there work

Find an older Marshall or a Randall of the same era and you're fine for the other guitarist to run. The alternative is to obtain the GX-2200, which is the same amp at 300w. That damn thing will destroy the entire mix. That shit slices and sices. Never a more suitable name for an amp. Truly Excalibur.