Crate Flexwave amps? anyone played them?

[beachjammer]

I'm curious as to what you guys think about these amps vs. the Line 6 Spyders or Vox Valvetronix. I can't find a store around here that has them or any sound clips on the net. It sounds like the amp I want from what I've read though and it's got great reviews.

[jgcable]

Crate Flexwave isn't a modeler so you are comparing apples and oranges.
My opinion is if you like Crates proprietary Flexwave tone stack you will love the amp. Personally.. I think its great for home jamming but its too thin for live playing.

[beachjammer]

I'd rather not have a modeler and this seems to be one of the few solid state amps out now that isn't a modeler. It'd be used for mainly home use and a few upcoming jam sessions and gigs. Nothing big though. I just seem to find myself spending more time turning knobs than playing when I've had modeler amps in the past. I'm going from using Mesa's to this though so I know it's going to be a drastic change and I probably won't be happy with anything! HA HA! This amp would also enable me to run my 1x12 Mesa extension cab since I would get the FW65 1x12 combo.

Any other thoughts?

[Inazone]

I would go with a Peavey before a Crate. My brother has owned two Crate combos (one Flexwave, not sure about the other) and had problems with both. The distortion channel on one started to cut out right after the warranty expired, and the second one would start getting crackly once the volume was halfway up. It wasn't even suitable for us to jam together, just two guitars without the rest of the band. Connecting an extension cab would shut off the internal speaker on both Crates, while the Peavey combos he and I had would run both speakers. Not a big deal, but something to think about.

I have owned many Peavey combos, and my brother replaced his Crate(s) with a Bandit that works great. They cut through in a full band situation too.

[Racerx2k]

I ran a Crate GX900H head, which has a Flexwave preamp, and it was just fine for me. In fact, it seemed to sound better, the louder I got it. Ultimately, I missed my Laney AOR head too much, and managed to snag a mint condition one, so the Crate went.