Upgrade speaker in older Crate amp?

[Spacelord]

I have a Crate G60. Its nearly 20 years old. I'm the original owner and hasn't seen much action until the past few months. I am thinking I want a better sounding amp.

Do you think I'm better off to pick up a Used $260 Roland Cube 60, or maybe swap out the Crate speaker with a Celestion for around $100?

I already use a Digitech RP-250 for modeling and does the job, but was hoping for a bit better sound.

Metal is my favorite, but I want a good all around amp. If I got the Cube I would run the RP-250 through it also, unless the modelling was that much better.

What you think? Any suggestions on a Celestion speaker or something with better bang for the buck... or just get the Cube and sell the G60? Doubt I'll get much for it, basically for the age and lack of features.

[Robert Burns]

Depends on if you really love the sound of your old Crate? I can tell
you that the Roland Cubes are great sounding! I have the Cube 30,
and its feature packed... clear as a bell, and has some great features
for $255 Its really up to you? I was also impressed with the new
creme colored Crate V combos, They Rock!

[jgcable]

Whats wrong with the stock speaker that is in your Crate??

[Spacelord]

Whats wrong with the stock speaker that is in your Crate??

Maybe nothing, just trying to get a really sweet sound on a budget. I just keep thinking theres gotta be something better. It may be ok.. I run the RP-250 right to the Line In, so it skips the Crate pre-amp, and gets amplified right to the speaker itself.

[RacerX]

Roland > Crate

[technogumbo]

Checkout Carvin for when the Celestion Seventy80 12" speaker goes on sale (regularly priced about $110, but they knock them down to $30 + shipping), or check Ebay for one.

Then pickup an Ibanez SM-7 Smashbox distortion pedal and a few 9V batteries. You should find a good used SM-7 for $30. This is a superb low-budget, underated distortion pedal to makeup for the distortion channel not integrated into the Crate G60.

Dial in the pedal, turn it up to 11 and put on a some Pantera.

[Spacelord]

Checkout Carvin for when the Celestion Seventy80 12" speaker goes on sale (regularly priced about $110, but they knock them down to $30 + shipping), or check Ebay for one.

Then pickup an Ibanez SM-7 Smashbox distortion pedal and a few 9V batteries. You should find a good used SM-7 for $30. This is a superb low-budget, underated distortion pedal to makeup for the distortion channel not integrated into the Crate G60.

Dial in the pedal, turn it up to 11 and put on a some Pantera.

oh, I have distortion.. I have a Metal Zone, a 20 year old MX Distortion+ and the RP-250. and the Crate has a distortion channel .. nothnig special though.

Is it likely that I'll even hear a difference with a new speaker as opposed to the Crate stock speaker?

[markD]

not really. that amp sounds how it sounds. they were neat for the time, but it is a 20 year old solid state amp. buy the roland and forget about the digitech.

[emperor_black]

I actually had a crate. A GLX30. It had amazing tone thru headphones but sounded like crap through the speakers. Nevertheless, I hooked up a panasonic closed back speaker from one of my sound-systems to the crate and the difference was just mind-blowing. So, go for it, if you love the amp so much. Crate gets a bad name because of their fxt series and other amps that are made in china with very poor quality control. Try the Made in USA GLX series. You WILL be amazed.

[Spacelord]

Checkout Carvin for when the Celestion Seventy80 12" speaker goes on sale (regularly priced about $110, but they knock them down to $30 + shipping), or check Ebay for one.

Is there a new speaker to replace the Seventy 80? I don't see it here..
http://www.carvin.com/products/group.php?CID=GSPK

[lynchfan6]

I still have my G-60 XL Crate amp from like 1989. I plug straight in and still love that overdrive sound.......but I only use it for quietly playing around the house. I'm also thinking of a speaker upgrade, but probably won't do it cuz I just use this amp for noodling around. Such cool gain and sustain,,,,no pedals needed. I absolutely love it at low, low levels. Turn it up, though, and it is bad. I'd never use it for jamming with a drummer, etc., anymore. That's what my SLO is for. But for low level practicing, I still love it. Maybe stop running that pedal to bypass the preamp and rediscover the crate gain factor! But if you want to use the amp for louder playing, forget it. I don't think any speaker is gonna redeem this amp in a loud jam situation.

[lynchfan6]

Although in high school I used to run it through a big old Crate 4x12, and it sounded much better! At least I thought it was the holy grail of tone when I was 16! Wow,,,,I could never play that for a live rig anymore. Played some high school talent shows and dances with it,,,and the recordings aren't too bad. Except for the singing....that's another story. The good old days of making any friend who was brave enough your lead singer

[chrisolson]

Here's a thought -

RP250 >> Crate Powerblock >> New cab of your choice

The Powerblock should run you less than $100, and you should be able to pick up a decent 2x12 (check www.avatarspeakers.com) for a couple hundred bucks. It'll end up being a few extra bucks, but you would have a nice, loud, compact rig. If you end up doing that, make sure the cab is 16 ohms. I had a Powerblock that didn't do well with 8 ohms.

[technogumbo]

oh, I have distortion.. I have a Metal Zone, a 20 year old MX Distortion+ and the RP-250. and the Crate has a distortion channel .. nothnig special though.

Is it likely that I'll even hear a difference with a new speaker as opposed to the Crate stock speaker?

Yeah, you should absolutely hear the difference. The first upgrade I did was on a 50W Line 6 Spider. After the upgrade, the bass sounds would rumble the floor. The difference was so noticeable that our drummer could tell the difference.

[Spacelord]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I bought the Cube 60 and am going to keep an eye out for a good deal on a new speaker for my Crate just for fun, especially if I could nail a Celestion Seventy 80 for $30+s&h, although I havn't found any near that price yet.

I guess its time to tell the wife that more guitar stuff will be arriving.