A queston for Crate V series owners

[beachjammer]

Hey guys,
I'm just wondering if my amp is acting the way it's supposed to. I've got the Crate V33 head. First when you turn the standby off you hear an audible pop and the power light goes off for a quick instant. It does not do this when you turn the standby switch back on. Secondly when you change channels you also hear a popping noise. I can still send it back if it's faulty. If it's just the nature of the amp then I can live with it.

[beachjammer]

I just heard back from customer service and they say it's operating the way it should. So I guess it's fine in case anybody else is wondering about their amp.

[lerxstcat]

There is a thread over at HC about modding those amps and I think one of the mods addresses the audible popping. The thread is in the Electric Guitars section rather than the amps section though IIRC.

The word there is that the drive channel is pretty muddy; have you found that to be the case? One of the mods addressed that as well. I'm not in the market but for $179 it seems like great bang for the buck.

[bombtek]

I just got my V18 212 delivered today and ummm HOLY SHIT!!! I was NOT expecting this for $200. It is friggin LOUD....like seroiusly LOUD!

I had the gain set on 8 the level at around almost 5, mid at 7, treble at 7, bass at about 1.5 (it's really bass heavy) and reverb at 2. Perfect (to my ears) Cat Scratch Fever tone with my Charvel Model 3. After noodling around with it at those levels, I was expecting a rather loud knocking (more like pounding) on my door from either a neighbor, or the police wondering what the fuck was up and PLEASE turn it down LOL.

I cannot wait to dial in my pedals to this thing, but right now I'm just enjoying the amp with just a guitar.

I Just could not believe that this thing cost only only $200. If I had the money, and space....and a justifiable reason LOL.....I would buy the entire lineup of these things.

Of course that could just be someone with that "new toy" mentality talking. In a month or two I could be hating this amp and saying to myself "why did you buy this again?", but for right now, all I can do is think "HOLY SHIT" over and over again.

Oh and about that standby switch, just to reconfirm what was already posted, I researched this amp pretty well before I bit the bullet and spent my money. Someone else had that same concern on some forum somewhere (I've been more tha a few while researching). The answer that the guy got pretty much stated word for word that is exactly how the amplifier is supposed to function.

[bombtek]

Technically I could buy all of the V series amps and keep it under $1000, including the V212 Speaker Cab for the V33h.

I just put them all into a shopping cart:

Name Quantity Each Subtotal Availability
Crate V50-112 Guitar Combo Amplifier (50 Watts, 1x12 in.) (New)
An order containing this item can only be shipped ground. $199.00 $199.00 In Stock - Guaranteed To Ship Today

Crate V33H V-Series Tube Guitar Amplifier Head (33 Watts) (New) $180.00 $180.00 In Stock - Guaranteed To Ship Today

Crate V33-212 V-Series Guitar Combo Amplifier (33 Watts, 2x12 in.) (New)
An order containing this item can only be shipped ground. $250.00 $250.00 In Stock - Guaranteed To Ship Today

Crate V212B V-Series Straight Guitar Speaker Cabinet (2x12 in.) (New) $120.00 $120.00 In Stock - Guaranteed To Ship Today

Crate V18-112 Guitar Combo Amplifier (18 Watts, 1x12 in.) (New)
An order containing this item can only be shipped ground. $150.00 $150.00 Expected 12/8/2008More Expected
We are expecting to receive a new shipment of this item from the manufacturer on 12/8/2008. This date is not guaranteed, rather it is an estimate, based either on information obtained directly from the manufacturer or historical delivery data for this manufacturer.x close


Crate V5 V-Series Guitar Combo Amplifier (5 Watts, 1x10 in.) (New) $99.00 $99.00 In Stock - Guaranteed To Ship Today

Item Total : $998.00
Please select a shipping method : Ground - Free! : Free!
Order Total : $998.00


The V18 212 is absent from above list cuz I already bought it so it doesn't count against my $1000 mark LOL.

[beachjammer]

There is a thread over at HC about modding those amps and I think one of the mods addresses the audible popping. The thread is in the Electric Guitars section rather than the amps section though IIRC.

The word there is that the drive channel is pretty muddy; have you found that to be the case? One of the mods addressed that as well. I'm not in the market but for $179 it seems like great bang for the buck.

Honestly I think that it's very Marshally sounding by itself or with my tube screamer in front of it. I don't think it's muddy at all but maybe has a compressed sound. If you run a EQ in the effects loop it'll tear your head off! I can get practically any tone I want with it. My EQ is just one of the little Behringer $19 EQ pedals. I'm wondering why I spent all that money on those big Mesa's and Marshalls all those years now!

[bombtek]

I got the same EQ. REALLY looking foward to using it and see what I can get out of this amp!
Still can't believe the damn thing was only $200.
Still can't believe how friggen LOUD it is.
Still can't believe that the wife likes the way it looks in the bedroom LOL.

I've played my bud's Marshall JCM 800 50 watt, and although I have to say the tones coming out of that are nicer/fuller, I sure as fuck ain't gonna complain about the $1000 savings as compared to his and the closeness of sounds between the two.

Still Can't believe that it was only $200 LOL.

[beachjammer]

I got the same EQ. REALLY looking foward to using it and see what I can get out of this amp!
Still can't believe the damn thing was only $200.

Still Can't believe that it was only $200 LOL.

I'm just making a guess here but I'd say that you can't believe it was only $200! HA HA! I'm very seriously thinking of selling my two Mesa 3/4 back cabs and getting two the Crate V212 cabs!

[emperor_black]

With the 25% live.com thingy, I got the head just yesterday for a lil over $100 from the bay. In MINT condition, new amp smell and everything!

yes, I see exactly those things that you described. However, when I turn the standby off, i.e. when I'm ready to play, there is a bassy pop, but the light does not go off or anything. It stays on bright red. But for my application, which is a full pedalboard going into the clean channel, I'm very impressed how good it sounds even at bedroom volumes. Its not very heavy and looks great!

[bombtek]

Huh...with mine, if I turn the standby off, everything goes off...at a slow diminishing pace, whereas if I cut the power off with the standby on, I get that "pop". They must be wired differently in that you can still play with the standby off.....mine has to be kept on. I asked Crate about it, and they said it is operating normally.

Whatever.................did I tell you guys that I can't BELIEVE I got this amp for $200?!!!! LOL

[bombtek]

With the 25% live.com thingy, I got the head just yesterday for a lil over $100 from the bay. In MINT condition, new amp smell and everything!

yes, I see exactly those things that you described. However, when I turn the standby off, i.e. when I'm ready to play, there is a bassy pop, but the light does not go off or anything. It stays on bright red. But for my application, which is a full pedalboard going into the clean channel, I'm very impressed how good it sounds even at bedroom volumes. Its not very heavy and looks great!

What pedals are you running into it (in what order)?
I have a kickass idea for a pedalboard for this amp...building a 3 sided box (think of a "U") out of 1/2 finished plywood, exact same dimensions as the amp except it will only be about 6 inches tall, paint it to match. put a pedalboard into the box set up as a drawer with the faceplate closing the open part of the "U".....set the amp on top...viola...instant hidden but very usable pedalboard...just pull it out and go to town!!!........Once I get back from Kentucky on the 15th, that is my project, shouldn't be too hard I don't think....should be done with the dried paint and drawer hardware within a week after that. I'll post pics of my contraption when done. It would be sweet if I could find somewhere to get another V18 emblem and use that as the drawer handle.

[emperor_black]

What pedals are you running into it (in what order)?
I have a kickass idea for a pedalboard for this amp...building a 3 sided box (think of a "U") out of 1/2 finished plywood, exact same dimensions as the amp except it will only be about 6 inches tall, paint it to match. put a pedalboard into the box set up as a drawer with the faceplate closing the open part of the "U".....set the amp on top...viola...instant hidden but very usable pedalboard...just pull it out and go to town!!!........Once I get back from Kentucky on the 15th, that is my project, shouldn't be too hard I don't think....should be done with the dried paint and drawer hardware within a week after that. I'll post pics of my contraption when done. It would be sweet if I could find somewhere to get another V18 emblem and use that as the drawer slide.

My pedalboard has a Compressor -> Behringer tuner -> MXR noise gate -> Line 6 Uber metal -> Tech 21 Boost Delay -> MXR KFK 10 band eq. I'm going into the clean channel of the Crate.

The clean channel by itself sounds great. But the distortion is very muddy and highly unusable even with a Tube screamer in the front. but i did not experiment too much since I'm using only the clean channel and that's exactly what I bought the amp for.

About the loud pop while switching channels...a few years ago, my 5150 used to do that. I asked Peavey and a Amp tech and he said that its a known issue with many tube amps. I figured out for myself that I needed to silence the guitar completely before changing the channels and it was fine. but if I changed channels while playing, there was a loud pop. But looks like that is not the case with this crate. This is a loud pop no matter.

[bombtek]

Ok, I just finished a 2 hour noise making session with my V18 212 and WOW my freakin ears HURT! That thing is so damn loud on just level 4! I am loving this thing! Great tone with it as long as you run an EQ in front to trim down the bass. Killer "vintage" distortion with it, and then when you run a pedal with it..look out!!! This thing lOVES pedals. I am gonna have so much friggin fun with this.

[bombtek]

Oh and about the standby switch, according to manual, you turn the power on, wait a minimum of 30 seconds and then turn the standby on. Play with the standby left on. when you are done playing the sequence of shutting it down is standby off first, then the power switch. Apparently, the standby activates the amp once the tubes are warmed and continues to be left on throughout your playing. the only time that you should turn the standby off wile leaving the power on is during short breaks.

This is from the Crate owners manual:

ON/STANDBY Switch:

Use this switch to activate the amplifier after the On/Off switch (14) is turned on.
Always turn this switch OFF first, and ON last! Turn the On/Off switch (10) on at least 30 seconds before turning on the standby switch.
During short breaks, you should turn this switch off, and leave the On/Off switch on. This will help prolong the life of the amplifier tubes.

ON/OFF SWITCH:

Use this switch to turn the amplifier on and off.Always turn this switch ON first and OFF last! Turn the Standby switch (9) on at least 30 seconds after turning on the On/Off switch.

Following the sequence of Off First, On Last should solve your "popping" problems.
Well that is if the V33H is the same as the V18, and I couldn't see why it should be any different as the standby is really nothing more than an activation switch that allows the power to flow throughout the entire circuitry of the amplifier. At least that is what I figure.

I just looked at the V33H instructions online and they are the exact same as the V18 ....word for word....So that is the procedure of using that switch that I would follow.

Basically leave it on unless you're taking a short break, and then shut it off then the power switch when you're done.

Off first, On last

[toejam]

That's correct. It's the same way you should turn on and off any tube amp.