Crate

[blackendvampire]

Alot of people hate on this company, Yet Ive seen other people who compare the Blue Voodoo to a Mesa Recto.

Ive been working with the Crate GTX 212 for 3 years now. I have yet to find a single amp the compares at all to the amount of Equalization, Tone, Sustain and smooth gain that this amp gives me. Though, unlike the Blue Voodoo, This is from the Solid State line.
There is one reason I think this may be though. The Crate amps were aparently based off of the Ampeg Solid state amps, which were supposedly some of the best solid state amps available. Ive have also recently heard that there is some solid state circuitry that gives the Mesa Recto, it's intense amount of gain.
Ive played a Marshall JCM 2000 Head through it's typical 1960A cab numourous times, It is shrill, weak and crappy compared to my little combo. I dont understand why nothing is coming close. The closest I actually got to my sound was when I took an orange amp, cranked the gain to 10, and it was almost like my Crate, just not quite as much sustain. And no, the crate's distortion is not over the top either, I just find it compresses so beautifully, it does not make whole chords unaudible.

I would just like to know why people have to be so overly repulsed by solid state amps. I am not a bedroom kid by anymeans, I play bars regularly, at least twice a week. All the old men who rely on their JCM 800s, and Fender twins, continously accuse me of putting a really expensive amp into my Crate's shell. They just cannot believe that the Solid state circuity can achieve amazing sustain. I can litterally hold notes forever without the aid of any floor pedals. The reverb sounds like real reverb, whereas my Digitech GNX does not have a single reverb that isnt crap. I currently bypass my GNX's amp and distortion and cab section and push it through the crate's effects loop and utilize the GNX's effects/harmonizor. I have found a couple other amps that are almost as good as my Crate, The Marshall MG can come close with the proper tweaking, as can the Marshall Mode Four, The Fender MH, and the Crate GT3500H (Which I plan on upgrading to). I just want to know why people bitch so much about tube tone. I can say I hear a difference, and the difference is you have to buy stompboxes to help, Somthing I have never worried about with Solid State.

This is my first thread here, I am not even a jackson owner yet, though I have been. I was thoroughly satisfied with my RR3, other than the bolt neck, which I hate, and only 22 frets. I am currently waiting for my JacksonStars Semi Custom Quote though.

[jgcable]

The only guys that compare the Blue Voodoo to a Mesa Recto are the deaf guys!!

Welcome to the board. I am a fan of Crate SS distortion too. They make great practice amps.

[marcus]

I think solid state amps are just fine. They in fact have many advantages over tube amps: in general, they are cheaper, lighter, smaller, and more reliable. Also, tubes generate much higher levels of harmonic distortion, but I don't think we'll get many people complaining about that here

That last part is the key, they do sound different. Tone is subjective, and if you like the solid state sound, well you're going to save some money and hassle over the people (like me!) that have tube amps :ROTF:

Or maybe I'm just bitter because I just had to retube my amp which can, and did, get expensive. And I had to resolder a fucking resistor in it, which I have never had to do with a solid state amp. Maybe I've just been lucky.

Also, I do believe there are some Mesas that have can switch between tube and diode rectifiers, so there's your solid state. I am not sure about the recto line though.

[CharvelRocker]

to be honest, I'm not a fan of most of their solid state amps, though I haven't tried an RFX yet. I have yet to hear a bad Crate tube amp. They are all really nice. I also have a solid state Crate keyboard amp that works nicely.

[emperor_black]

I used to own a Crate GLX 30 Watt. I thought it had one of the most beautiful sounding distortions ever! I could not believe my ears when I used to play on it. But it had the worst resale value in an amp. Its a Made in USA amp, it was selling for $240 new, I got it for $180 in MINT on eBay and sold it in a few months for $160.

But it had a very bad speaker. The amp did not warrant a $80 celestion speaker swap. When I disconnected the stock speaker and connected it to my home stereo's speaker, it sounded like heaven. The shape knob was amazing.

I used to be a "Tube amp only" guy until I got my GT-8 last month. Now I am happy to sell my 5150 and I couldn't be happier with the sounds I am getting with the gt-8.

[toejam]

The only guys that compare the Blue Voodoo to a Mesa Recto are the deaf guys!!

Exactly. I dig my BV60 head, but it in no way sounds like a Recto. Its distortion is actually smoother than a Recto, and it sounds closer to a Marshall, IMO.

[Racerx2k]

I had a solid state Crate GX900H for some time, till recently, when I got my hands on a mint condition Laney AOR to go with my matching cab, and really enjoyed the sounds I got out of it. In fact, I raved several times about it, here. My band had already begun recording sessions, when I made the switch, so lots of my tracks are done with the Crate, with our other guitarist using his trusty Marshall half stack. We are currently in mixdown mode, and honestly, aside from a few minor frequency tweaks (rolling back a tiny bit at 400hz, raising 650hz a tad, as well as around 7-8khz), they are both dialed in, sounding pretty similar. And, actually, in some cases, we've had to re-eq his a bit, in the mids, cause it wasn't cutting through, like mine.
Now, I really liked my Crate, but, my Laney? (hehe) That's NEVER leaving my hands!

[jrnic]

I have an older Crate GX-30M SS amp that I got many years ago at the Music Zoo. Back then, I was impressed with the built in Chorus and Reverb. It was my first "2 channel" amp so I was happy with it. I was using a Marshall SS amp, the single channel "Master Lead Combo." The Crate had much better distortion and gain. I was thoroughly impressed with the chorus of the Crate. It had the best sounding chorus through the distortion channel I had ever heard.

Through the years though, I got to "not like" the Crate anymore. I don't know, it just didn't do it for me anymore. Well, after years of it sitting around doing nothing, I decided recently to try putting in a Celestion G12T-75 speaker I had lying around. OMG!!!!! It has changed my opinion of it completely! It sounds amazing now. I love to just turn it up (when no one is home!) and just crank some power chords through it! Now I just have to take care of those little "crackles" I get when I turn the knobs. Guess I have to pick up some tuner cleaner and open it up! Bottom line.....I am liking it again! It's got some really nice distortion sounds, not "choppy" at all.

[blackendvampire]

Yes, The only thing ive ever really heard that people didnt like were the cheaper speakers and or cabs. Such at the GT1200 Cab line. The larger Blue Voodoo cabs are pretty well the same as the other big names. With the typical Celestian speakers and proper wood and proper voicings. I have not had a head to need a cab, but the cab will probably be the nicer of the few. I dont mind my two 65 watt Crate Custom speakers though, Im sure the nicer the speaker the nicer the sound. The thing with the Crate is though, If it sounded better than a Mesa or Marshall, Just think of how it could sound with really expensive cabinets.
Anyways, I would never call this a practise amp, Its way too good for that. If anything keep that fragile marshall at home as a practise amp. The Crate was made for the road. Whats weirder. Whenever I go to a music store and get fed up with the shitty sounds from the other amps. I can just go plug into any crate amp, it doesnt matter which, and I get the same amazing tone. I probably sound like im an endorsee for the company or somthing. Im not, But with the price these amps go for, its like you must be getting a deal anyways.....

Bahahaha, I just re read that, it sounds too fucking cheesy.

Aside from all that, I have tried many distortion pedals as well, Its funny when you line up like 20 pedals on the ground and (SEPERATELY I DID NOT HOOK THEM ALL AT ONCE, I KNOW THAT WOULD RUIN ALL OF THE TONE INSATANTLY LOL) then proceeded testing them on marshalls and the mesas and even the crate's clean channel and rythem channel. None of the pedals worked worth shit for distortion. I tried a Boss DS1, MXR;Wylde OD, DS+,DS2, Ibanez TS9, Proco rat, And a tonebone. They all failed. The Wylde almost sounded ok on the crate's rythem channel and the mesa's 2nd channel, but with the gain really low. I then figured no point in that.

Something really strange too, is that the Crate's Clean channel pretty well seems to sound just like that, A clean channel. The thing I find funny is somthing like a Fender Tweed, The clean channel on that can make any guitar sound just like a country twang guitar. Thats cool if your into that, But its strange for a Les Paul to automatically just sound like it has humbuckers. I seem to be stumbling, but my point is this, A clean channel should make a guitar sound like the same guitar it is. If I plug in my Dad's Strat through the Crate's Clean channel, I get cleans that are even too clean for Country. I then dial in the Rythem channel to a low low gain setting, Just bairly registering, I get the country twang the strat and tele are known for with their singles. So sure, it wont give you the exact tone you want all the time, You have to change guitars to get a different tone. Big deal, we all love having lots of guitars anyways, Its just better if you have lots of guitars and one amp that makes those guitars shine at what their good at, Not an amp with a SemiPredefind sound. Because really, who would want their Les Paul to sound be super twangy or their Tele to be overly muddy. You get a seperate guitar for a seperate sound, Why get a seperate amp to acomadate that sound, You just get an amp that will let that guitar shine rather than an amp that compliments that guitar.

Im really really baked right now, so I hope people get this.

[thetroy]

I can get a sound I like out of pretty much any guitar and amp. It all sounds fine to me - I just like the volume that tube amps get so I play a cheap one.

[dmtnt]

Those new V-series and Palomino tube amps sound pretty darn good for the money.

[guitarsjb]

Exactly. I dig my BV60 head, but it in no way sounds like a Recto. Its distortion is actually smoother than a Recto, and it sounds closer to a Marshall, IMO.

+ a bunch. My BV120 is awesome, but it's no Recto..
I also have a Crate GF1200 1/2 stack, and it's a great amp too.

[lynchfan6]

I LOVE the sound of my very old Crate G60XL at bedroom volumes. Great sustaining lead and distorted tones. But try to turn it up and use it for louder situations....doesn't happen. I will never part with this amp for quiet, around the house playing, though.

[USA Fusion]

I just want to know why people bitch so much about tube tone. I can say I hear a difference, and the difference is you have to buy stompboxes to help, Somthing I have never worried about with Solid State.

ok, my .02 .....

I run a Mesa Boogie Nomad 100 2x12 combo with a pedalboard. BUT, my pedalboard is there not because I had to fix the tone, but to compliment it and make things more flexable. My tone is great with or without the pedalboard ... with one of my Jacksons, one of my Strats, or one of my Ibanez's. If I wanted to sound like I was playing with a Crate, I would buy a Crate. If I wanted to sound like a Marshall .. you get the point.

Hence my point is, every amp manufacturer sounds different to fulfill the ears and desires of millions of musicians crafting their arts. I think the beauty is in being different. I have often gotten that spontanious hook or riff co-erced out of me just from using a different tone that Im not used to playing with.

A couple other points I'd like to add to the pros/cons list off the top of my head.

Tubes ... one word .... "dynamics" .... you can adjust your gain with the volume knob on the guitar .... I utilize a very "brown" tone ... not nearly as good as, but kind of like EVH from the early days .... and not unlike him ... you can roll the volume knob backwards and get a VERY clean tone ... YouTube some old VH, and there is a video from like '78 of EVH's solo, and he goes into "Cathedral" and just rolls the volume knob backwards to go from full gain to clean.

Solid State ... compression .... if you like your sound with alot of compression, its great for that.

Solid State ... quietness .... nothing a good gate on a tube amp wouldnt fix.

Ahhh Solid State .... reliablility ... I hate trying to find a full 120v when my bands play out. I played a few weeks ago and someone plugged into my circuit with something, and I NEVER did get a decent tone till I unplugged the extension cord they had piggybacked into mine.

Oh well, like I said, my .02 ..... Im tube, and Im happy .....

~k

ps ... the following is now the tube amp owner bitching about said tube amp .... "it is too freaking heavy... retubing costs a mere fortune every stinking year ... oh geesh, what in hells acres is wrong with it now .... yes, I have to keep spare tubes in my toolbox incase I blow one mid-show ..... you plug into the same circuit as my amp & take away from my full 120v, I personally guarentee you that I will stick my size 11.5 boot up your lily white ass ..... ."

[jaydog]

i'm the proud papa of a crate fw-120 212 combo. this amp is from the new flexwave series. i got this amp new from american musical supply for $380. i have had it for approx. 3 months now. i must say i love this amp. the distortion on this amp is very strong, no need for a distortion pedal here. the clean channel is nice and crisp. the effects are not the greatest ,however i find myself using the phaser effect all the time on my high gain channel. the phaser effect seems to compliment the tone of the high gain channel.the amp is rugged and came with casters which is cool because this is a big amp.