Crate is the most underrated guitar amp brand in my opinion
@ericgardner5969
Жыл бұрын
I’ve had one that I got from a guy for free for a while. Just started using it a month or so ago. It’s fantastic the tones I get out of it are awesome
@SD-gx1mr
Жыл бұрын
have a GX212+ and a GT212 and they are awesome. I also have a Line 6 spider III 212 and the crates are way better
@peepkindoesstuff4066
Жыл бұрын
Have the Excalibur GX-2200 and VTX-350H crate heads and they fucking shake my room to death with heavy ass tones !! Crate is definitely my all time favorite in my opinion !!
@guitarplayer1495
6 ай бұрын
i have a crate retro FX212, easily one of my favorite amps. i believe it's solid state but has a tube preamp or something like that. not really good on specs, i just play. i also have another 212 cab with celestial speakers in it
@StephenCameron
3 жыл бұрын
I have one of these, bought probably 20 years ago. I remember going to guitar center and Mars Music all the time (they were near me) and playing all the amps, and I always ended up on this thing, and eventually after a year or two, I finally figured fuck it, I like the way it sounds, I should buy it. So I did. It's got a great clean sound, great pedal platform. The high gain channel is great for the metallica type sound (the "shape" knob is key). This amp is great. I kept trying Marshalls, thinking "I should like this, this is what you're supposed to like", but kept ending up on this stupid Crate instead. Yeah, well, your ears don't lie, the "stupid Crate" is actually pretty cool. Fuck what anyone else says. To my ears, the Crate GX212 is awesome. It's an unknown classic. I've had people comment on youtube vids where the amp wasn't onscreen, asking what amp I was using, because they thought it sounded badass and wanted to know what it was. It was this amp.
@zAvAvAz
3 жыл бұрын
hell yeah i'm modding mine for 3 mid control knobs to control mids, separate from the shape knob that shall retain its shaping.
@vorpalblades
2 жыл бұрын
@@zAvAvAz not likely. It's tight inside the chassis.
@ultimatesteve
Жыл бұрын
I have one and just played it for the first time in 15 years or so since it's all my parents. I think it sounds great too I was really impressed.
@naturaljoe759
Жыл бұрын
I had forgotten all about Mars Music! We had one in Birmingham but it didn’t last too long.
@usynthesis4749
Жыл бұрын
Same here! I actually have a very similar story. I picked out a GX-1200H at Sam Ash because I liked the sound. It was tight, crunchy, and metal! 😄 I couldn't get a sound that I liked on the Marshall TSL I was trying out also. Back then, I didn't know how to dial in a sound on a Marshall yet, but still. 😄
@angusorvid8840
Жыл бұрын
I used to borrow some Crate combos for gigs back in the 80s. They were a poor man's Boogie. In fact, even after I got a Boogie I still liked using the Crates for gigs. They sounded amazing mic'd up. I also played a Randall RG75 back then. But the Crates had a more raw edge which I loved, a lot of texture in the tone.
@Guitarnivore
2 жыл бұрын
This was my first REAL amp too. Everything before that was little practice 10 and 20 watts. This thing is LOUD!!! I loved it. Went through some hard times after I got out of the military (some of those hard times were self-induced) and I sold it and just about every guitar I had. Now times are great and I feel like I have to have every guitar I see to make up for it. 😆
@IRIDEHARLEYS
Ай бұрын
I've had this very amp since brand new. Thing is a BEAST!! It's loud af!!! Can't crank past about level 4 without getting complaints. It's in great shape. I'm never selling it. It's a workhorse for sure.
@ekims_echoes
2 ай бұрын
I did something similar a few months back and sought out a Crate GX30m - my first amp. Knowing what I know now about shaping tone, I was surprised how good it sounded. I've since upgraded the speaker (with the stock Celestion speaker from my Palomino v32) and it was a marginal improvement. Since the aforementioned Palomino lives at my band's rehearsal space, the little Crate is my primary amp for practice at home.
@roosternm6830
2 жыл бұрын
I still have my Crate GX120 2X12 combo. Bought it in the mid 90s or there abouts. Prior to the 120 I used a Crate G40C Stereo Chorus 2X10 40w combo I bought in 1988. I loved the G40C, but started gigging and needed something louder. Our singer bought an old Peavey PA with a huge mixing board. I ended up micing it into 2 channels at practice volume using the PA volume to make it loud. Loved the sound I got. I ran an EQ and a DOD Grunge pedal, delay, Chorus and wah through it and it sounded awesome for what my band was doing at the time. I won't sell it. I still jam through it here and there. Brings back great memories.
@kangaroofoot
Жыл бұрын
Great share I have the same amp, but I lost the foot switch years ago. Would you mind telling me what foot switch and cables I need?
@usynthesis4749
Жыл бұрын
My first amp was the head version. The GX-1200H. I really liked it. I actually picked it out at Sam Ash for the sound. It sounded like a tight, crunchy metal tone to me. I went as far as getting the full stack for it. Then I sold it and got the GX900H and matching cab. I liked that even more, played it for years. Then I got the Blue Voodo 60 head. I like that one the best. 😆 To this day, sometimes I prefer the BV over my JCM 2000 or JCM900 SL-X. The pre-amp tubes make a big difference in BV amps. I wish someone would reverse engineer the best crate amps and improve them even more, like all the million Marshall clones. Crate amps are consistent, too. Sometimes, I feel like my Marshall's sound different everytime I play them. 😆
@Grindspine
3 жыл бұрын
I still have a Crate GX212+ from 1994. I have played many other amps and own a few others, but have never wanted to sell the Crate between its use as a plug & play practice amp and lack of resale value. New speakers help as does running an external speaker cabinet. It is really hard to dial out some of the fizz from the distortion channel or the harshness out of the cleans though.
@nicholasberndt6224
Жыл бұрын
Bought one used a few years ago. Swapped the speakers, and the thing came to life. The stock speakers are its weakest link.
@crilf5830
Ай бұрын
What speakers did you substitute in yours?
@nicholasberndt6224
Ай бұрын
Carvin British Series.
@CanadianRockerGuy
2 жыл бұрын
Sounds awesome, I have the Crate GT212 120 watt, pretty much the same amps and voicing also with the shape knob on the lead channel and it kicks ass, great for metal, rock or even blues rock, got it for a great price and every now and then I hook it up and let er rip
@SeveredLegs
2 жыл бұрын
Still have my GFX-212. It's a total powerhouse. People make fun of me for my Crate amps but they always deliver and you can play anything on them.
@honkytonkinson9787
Жыл бұрын
I got one of those used 15 years ago. I don’t use it much but it works fine and sounds pretty good for $100! I think it’s still worth $100 The cabinet and the two allegedly fender speakers are worth the $100 alone. My plan is to remove the head and turn it into a 2x12 cab
@SeveredLegs
Жыл бұрын
@@honkytonkinson9787 yeah once the snobs started hating on solid state, the end was near for companies like Crate. But I have never seen anybody come up with a more versatile or decent sounding multi-channel tube amp for anything close to the price of these, even when they were new.
@honkytonkinson9787
Жыл бұрын
@@SeveredLegs I had another crate in the late 90s that was very cool, and not cheap either, but it was stolen. I can’t remember the model but it had switchable tube and solid state preamps, and the two preamps both had a clean and dirty channel, and then there were digital effects, including a reverse delay! It was quite the upgrade for me at the time and it sounded really nice. Damn thieves!
@SeveredLegs
Жыл бұрын
@@honkytonkinson9787 : angrily shakes fist at thieves :
@villageidiot9867
9 ай бұрын
I also paid $100 for mine about 10 years ago. I got the BX 100 for $100 also. I think they go for about $150 now. Have my GFX15 I bought new in the mid 90s. Those were going for about $15 at one point now I think you can get one for $25-35.
@crowdkillproductions.
3 жыл бұрын
Used to use one of these as a pedal platform back in the day through a 4x12 cab. Wasn't too bad and was super loud
@angelicaschlitz9933
2 жыл бұрын
I use 2 of those amps as practice amps( 4x12" baby) and I never bother with the dial and volume or any other knobs at all, I just run my gn5 boss pedal thru the INSERT and it sounds amazing, any tone I want, super distorted or super clean it kicks ass and is super clean, quiet too
@kangaroofoot
Жыл бұрын
How did you stack both amps? Did you use a regular 1/4” cable, a speaker cable or a TRS? Lastly, what did you use as “out” from your first amp and for “in” through the second one?
@angelicaschlitz9933
Жыл бұрын
@@kangaroofoot gn5 outputs into each of those amp INSERTS and that's It perfect stereo sound, even the delay is panned the reverb very spacious sounding
@kangaroofoot
Жыл бұрын
@@angelicaschlitz9933 Oooooh, you run a Multi FX into each of the amps. Got it. I thought you connected one amp to the other one and got a louder overall Crate GTD sound. Now I understand. Just out of curiosity, do you use 1/4” instrument cables into the INSERT of each amp or do you use stereo TRS cables?
@DetroitFettyghost
Жыл бұрын
I toured with one a little over 20 years ago for a couple years and it never let me down. It was loud enough for pretty decent-size venues and miked it up for the bigger ones. Can't believe I actually missed the thing LOL
@skaldlouiscyphre2453
3 жыл бұрын
Older Crate and Ampeg solid-states sound great.
@aarongustafson3630
3 ай бұрын
Made in the same product line.
@diaryofanaxeman539
Жыл бұрын
It's a good amp. Instead of selling it off, swap out the speaker . Just make sure the new speaker has the same ohms rating and same wattage specifications . Speaker changes , impact the sound more that new pickups.
@daveyboyd784
Жыл бұрын
I had two different variations of these Crate gx 212's that I found in local pawn shops around my area in the early to mid 2000's and they were sooooooooo badass!!! I believe those two were both around 120 watts and I also came across another Crate 2 x 12 combo which was a slightly older model with the same distortion tones that pushed 160 watts. The volume that thing cranked out while still managing to sound crystal clear was absolutely insane! It literally rattled the walls all through the house if I turned it up past 3 or 4. I definitely should've tried to hold onto at least one of them, it was so simple to get kickass distortion tones out of those amps. The cleans didn't sound too bad either actually, I think they had pretty decent chorus and reverb if I'm remembering correctly. I wasn't all that concerned with the clean channel on those amps anyway to be perfectly honest, lol.
@APlagueOfButterflies
Жыл бұрын
I have the same one in my basement. I bought it about 25 years ago when I finally blew my old 1985 vintage Peavy Bandit 65. It was a great pedal platform. From what I understand these were made in St Louis by Ampeg and when they were looking for a circuit for the clean channel, just copied a particularly good Ampeg design. I never quite liked the "crunch" but I had a pretty killer pedalboard back then. I'm fact I have a new Hotone Ampero Silver in the mail and I'm dying to hear what it sounds through my Crate.
@britoemitchoe1175
7 ай бұрын
I just got mine today in the mail thank you so much for posting this I'm so excited I'm on my way home and I youtubed crate 212 man it sounds good I've got the the smaller one and they all sounds just like scorpions Van Halen motley Crue Alice in chains ⛓️ Stone Temple pilots the crunch on this is so untouchable this is the meanest sounding apms I don't even need a pedal
@chzzyg2698
Жыл бұрын
My first amp was the GFX-212 model I bought mine on employee discount working at Musicians Friend at the time it came out. I thought I was so cool with it. As years went on I struggled to find any kind of good sound out of it. Only recently did I finally get rid of it to make room for my Orange Super Crush cab.
@vorpalblades
2 жыл бұрын
I still play my GX212. Picked it up for $15 24 years ago.
@nouse3771
4 ай бұрын
The Crate was lit - good Blink182 tone
@JDStone20
Жыл бұрын
I have the head version of that amp (the GFX-1200H) that I picked up with a locally made 4x12 cabinet for $99 total for both. Awesome amp, very versitile, you can play almost anything with it and it sounds good at any volume.
@user-mr1ku5iz8l
11 ай бұрын
I had the GFX-212T version of that amp. Great Clean channel. I liked adding a little bit of gain on the Dirty channel and cranking that up. Sounded pretty good. I kinda wish I still owned that amp.
@jay-jose9952
9 ай бұрын
I had one of these in the late-90s and early 2000s. I loved it, and their Vintage Club line.
@joshsimmonds7546
Жыл бұрын
that was my first “real” amp as well!! I classify real as having enough juice to play with drums
@JesseDKangas
3 жыл бұрын
Very similar story to mine except mine was a GFX-212. I worked my ass off making $5.15 an hour bagging groceries till I could afford it. I then dumped it 15 years later for a Roland Cube.
@zAvAvAz
3 жыл бұрын
yeah i was cook at KFC we were always swamped so i cooked it up non stop, anyways i pennied my way up the ladder from 4.25 minimum wage all the way up to 4.75 it took years. Found a crate stack in the newspaper for 300 bucks. They delivered it to my door.
@shannonhooker623
2 жыл бұрын
I still have my Crate G80XL and my Charvel guitar from the late 80's.
@Mandilore89
3 жыл бұрын
My first amp was the Grate GX-15R. My dad bought it for me in the early 90s (I think 1994 but I can't remember) but I was barely out of daipers. Somehow he knew I'd end up playing and become really good somehow. I didn't finally start until 2002 at 13 years old. I didn't use it for long replacing it with a Peavey Bandit 112 by 2004 I believe.
@Xcorgi
3 жыл бұрын
My brother used to have one of these. What a great shredder amp it was!
@AngryTruckerBob
2 ай бұрын
Shoot, I dreamed of a 212 when I started. My first was a Crate G40C with two 8s
@dq7860
2 жыл бұрын
Do yourself a favour and get a head from that era, like a GX-130C, trust me, they're even better.
@vorpalblades
Жыл бұрын
It the exact same electronics in a head.
@wearealljustclowns
3 жыл бұрын
Being able to actually know how to dial these in is crucial man
@crilf5830
Ай бұрын
Just got a gx130c for free recently. Sounds surprisingly great!😂
@kuzWich
3 жыл бұрын
Perfect old school sweden death metal machine
@helio1055
5 ай бұрын
I feel like changing the speakers would be a huge upgrade
@Xcorgi
3 жыл бұрын
P.S he had on of the first year model Crates that actually looked like a shipping crate! These were the badass 80’s Crates that gave you the biggest bang for your buck.
@davidross5108
3 жыл бұрын
Thats funny I just watched this yesterday and this morning saw a gfx212 for sale the next town over!
@jasonsapp792
Жыл бұрын
I have owned that same.amp....gone now....still have a Crate GT212 ...that I plan to keep....have many tube amps but the clean and reverb alone are worth having the amp
@TheFlyingVNinjaSamurai
Жыл бұрын
Kyle, I’m building a wicked tone with this amp. Some people love it some people hate it. I know that I love it but it needs more. Needs something else. My dad always said this amp doesn’t take pedals well so havnt really tried that a whole lot. This amp was made for the dimebucker, I’ve never had a noise gate so don’t know how it works, people have said I need one of those though. What would a 10 band EQ do to my sound? I have a set of pedals I’m using with my blackstar stage 40 tube amp. Ibanez tube screamer and boss HT-2 and then the 10 band EQ by MXR. Also have a delay plugged into that chain but I don’t really know how delay works. That tone I get from that is really good but I don’t get as excited about that tone that sounds just like Metallica, to a T, as I do on the crate amp on overdrive 2 with the shape turned all the way up. I will say that my amp sounds completely different then yours, might be the abscence of pedals might be the fact I’m using a dimebucker. It’s close but enough to be able to tell. The sound needs more debt it needs to move more idk what to do, any advice? Since you know how this amp sounds? I know it’s not a great amp but it’s my weapon of choice out of a blackstar HT 5, a blackstar stage 40, a club 60 and a jet city 20 watt 333 amp. All great tube amps I’m able to produce awesome tones with. But it’s like I’m trying to make these amps sound like the crate and why not just play the crate. My dad got this amp when I was like a baby. It’s old. I’m learning all this stuff as I go. He thinks I need to focus on the tone I’m making in the tube chain more than the crate. I think there might be more to it than that. sorry about this extra long comment on here but like your the only guy on KZitem talking about this amp In debt the way it needs to be talked about.
@SlickD217
Жыл бұрын
I hate that I love the sound of these 90’s solid state amps….. I started playing in 95 when I was 8 so that sound is what my brain thinks is “killer tone”….. 😂🤘
@thomascoolberth2648
Жыл бұрын
gonna buy one of these on the cheap and mess around with it. THere's one local to me for cheap with stock speakers switched out so they're probably better than the stock Crates. In a mix , high gain, quad tracking .. this sorta nasty bite can work in my opinion.
@TheOtherJohnBrowne
3 жыл бұрын
Wow. This sounded far better than I expected... little boomy and a little fizz but man... for 40 bucks? Wow. Wonder what a high quality speaker would do for this. But even the way it is, it's defo useable. Edit: I see you did just that 😂 Note to self: watch whole video first next time
@belligerentamateur
3 жыл бұрын
Unfortunately I didn't realize it was clipping once I switched to the Mesa until the end but still, recorded, the V30 helped it a lot.
@vorpalblades
2 жыл бұрын
The stock speakers sound like the voice coil is burnt. The old SLM drivers had that problem fairly often. I stuck EV's in mine.
@acw2237
Ай бұрын
Great amp
@smallcorvid
10 ай бұрын
this was a upgrade to my epiphone twin chorus thing i bought as a pawn shop and i loved this thing until my mommy pawned it while I was at work XD
@cvo223
3 ай бұрын
Ah the sound of Guitar Center 20 years ago.
@williamleather500
14 күн бұрын
Crate amps are real good. .
@iagopedroni2451
3 жыл бұрын
Sounds great.
@brucetungsten5714
3 жыл бұрын
Interesting - sounds pretty good but kinda flat. But if used in the right circumstance it could be great. It seems that the old Crates sound a bit better than the newer ones. I had a GX30 from the 90ies and another one from the 2000s and former seemed way sharper, more aggressive and "tighter". The GX30 and a B.C. Rich Ironbird used to be my setup of pleasure.
@zAvAvAz
2 жыл бұрын
yesH ! we have all accomplisH ! there isn't anything that tracks as fast, and does living metaL better .
@M4Y0_
3 жыл бұрын
Haha, so funny my first amp was also some Crate 2x12 :D Too funny, really happy I got it, it was actually better than the guitar I played at the time :D Actually sounds surprisingly good with the boost! :)
@ultimatesteve
Жыл бұрын
i recently picked one of these amps up again for 75 bucks. ive been using the amps gain which i think sounds pretty dam good, but i was wondering what pedals you would use if this was your only amp. been thinking of getting a distortion/overdrive pedal but dont know what to get for mostly metal.
@sealinski
Жыл бұрын
The death metal or metal pedal from Boss I think is great.
@daveyboyd784
Жыл бұрын
Damn... $75 is a pretty sweet deal for one of these old school 212's, I would've snatched that up in a heartbeat for sure! I loved these combos, I tried a few different variations and they all kicked ass. I totally agree with you about the gain channels, I never had any trouble getting an awesome tone out of these things. I'm sure they could sound even better with the right boost though.
@bub1mark
Жыл бұрын
Get the super badass distortion pedal and a tube screamer 🤘🏼
@ultimatesteve
Жыл бұрын
@@bub1mark i been using the amps gain and actually think it sounds great. i dont rememeber my original one sounding good so maybe they fixed it with this newer version. the jack is going on it now though, cuts out and i have to keep the cord pulled out a little bit and jiggle it to work. now thinking about getting a boss katana.
@serpentsbane9166
10 ай бұрын
@@ultimatesteve Digitech Metal Master gives a pretty versatile range of tones, despite what haters may say. It models a few different amps with the shape knob, which also shifts the midrange, having only a bass and treble control, level, no gain knob (just use the volume control on your guitar, but if you have low output pickups, there may not be enough distortion for your taste) So adjust shape first, then treble and bass to taste. Cheers! \m/
@patrickwilliams3087
Жыл бұрын
I had a crate gt80xl it smoked a solid state Marshall half stack.. my buddy was butt hurt my amp was louder and tubey. Because it had pre amp tubes.😂
@TVguy9999
2 жыл бұрын
He sounds a bit like Matt Damon. Jason Bourne to rock!
@ericpedregon1840
2 жыл бұрын
Scotty doesn't know...
@MikeDragonborn
2 жыл бұрын
I bought a gt212 at guitar center for $199 on sale brand new back in 2009. I ended up selling it for $300 to some local kid 10 years later lol
@TheFlyingVNinjaSamurai
Жыл бұрын
It sounds completely different than mine.
@froggie5628
Жыл бұрын
I was just given one of these for free, it's actually the largest amp I own
@euclidesanatolly6175
2 жыл бұрын
Use the EQ Knobs with gain Chanel, Will work normally...
@chrisday5341
3 жыл бұрын
I had a few Crates. They were not bad for practice amps back in the day. I even gigged with one a couple times. Now.... I wanna hear about that Madison Divinity haha.
@belligerentamateur
3 жыл бұрын
I need to find another and do a review haha
@crunch_amp9282
8 ай бұрын
I had a crate g60xl and still works I think
@subramaniamchandrasekar1397
Жыл бұрын
Sounds like a key chain tied to the speaker. Can it produce a clean guitar sound without the key chain? Regards.
@belligerentamateur
Жыл бұрын
the fuck?
@williamsoule4905
Жыл бұрын
LMAO it was my first too loved that amp
@zAvAvAz
3 жыл бұрын
hell yeah screw mesa barbarah i am modding my crate amp to super status and shall pit it against any amp ever made ever+ when i am have complete the werX.
@depthsofdarknessofficial9677
Жыл бұрын
Just saw it was gift . Now I feel bad for asking if you'd sell lol
@dethsyndrome
Жыл бұрын
I did the nyc underground with thing and holy fuck balls, I hated this amp. The flex wave tech on it was terrible, lol. Strangely IM in love with the smaller amps.
@97warlock
2 жыл бұрын
Can you tell me .............. WHAT is the INSERT input for in the back?? I have Footswicth input & Insert input.. Cant find any info on what the hell its even for,
@CanadianRockerGuy
2 жыл бұрын
the insert is where you plug your pedals from their output but you have to plug your guitar into the pedals to play
@97warlock
2 жыл бұрын
@@CanadianRockerGuy I researched this more since posting my comment & it turns out...... its a 3-1/4 Y plug cable ........... One to the IN & one to the OUT of the pedal chain & One to the Insert & you plug in the normal front of the amp. but ty
@1683clifton
Жыл бұрын
If I could only find the knobs my dumbass cousin stole off mine! 😤
@metalkroy
2 жыл бұрын
whats a good price for one of this in 2021? Ive been offered one in around 200 USD.
@RetroDoneRight
2 жыл бұрын
like $50
@villageidiot9867
9 ай бұрын
Realistically as low as $75-150. Some are asking for more but they'll probably never get that for them.
@aqiboyka7670
Жыл бұрын
heavy as fxxk bro!where was it made ?china or usa?
@vorpalblades
Жыл бұрын
U.S.A. Crate never manufactured anything overseas.
@serpentsbane9166
10 ай бұрын
@@vorpalblades That's not true. They gave in towards the end trying to keep up with the competition so for their last attempt at relevancy the amps were made overseas. Unfortunately there was nothing they could do about the mass outsourcing of production amongst their peers, so they could either change the brand's image to a high-end top quality brand or double down on their reputation as a reliable budget brand. They chose the latter and died :(
@CaballeroGuitars
2 жыл бұрын
Hi, how to conect by fx loop?
@villageidiot9867
9 ай бұрын
My gfx212 has a single jack instead of separate input/output jacks. You can buy a splitter as I'll call it that plugs into the single jack and splits off into your input output jacks. Weird design but it works.
@christineblack4654
Жыл бұрын
is this not gFx? and nobody is shoing the back omg. is there an fxloop return? look on the back!
@vorpalblades
Жыл бұрын
FX loop is on the front panel. Marked as Insert. Needs a stereo Y-cable.
@vorpalblades
Жыл бұрын
Just realized this is a newer version. Insert is located on the rear.
@depthsofdarknessofficial9677
Жыл бұрын
Would you sell this bad boy
@villageidiot9867
9 ай бұрын
You can get them all day online for $100- 150. Less or more depending on condition or what some people think they have.
@jeremiahbacon3651
2 жыл бұрын
real amp? that is a real amp
@user-bt6qd8it1d
11 ай бұрын
First real guitar amp I had years ago also was a Crate 2x12
Пікірлер: 120