Im looking at a crate BT220. It sounds really good and i have tried out its little brother (BT100). The only thing that i am concerned about is that it doesnt have a horn? will that affect the sound much? Can anyone comment on the sound of this amp or crates in general?
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Any one use crate?
- Thread starter dylan
- Start date
Ohhhhhhh...............better start ducking now...........
Crate is considered to be horrible trash "around here"..........which some of it probably is.
No reason Crate can't make a decent piece, but they do seem to go for the "bling-bling". Lights, a million knobs, DSP this and that, bells and whistles, as opposed to selling on purely great sound....
So get ready for some serious bashing.........
Crate is considered to be horrible trash "around here"..........which some of it probably is.
No reason Crate can't make a decent piece, but they do seem to go for the "bling-bling". Lights, a million knobs, DSP this and that, bells and whistles, as opposed to selling on purely great sound....
So get ready for some serious bashing.........
I don't think anyones gonna bash it purse, they're just going to warn you about what you could get for a much better value.
I started on BX-15 combo, and it didn't sound horrible. Any note below an A was practically nonexistant, though.
I've never heard any of their large products.
I've never heard any of their large products.
A buddy of mine has a BX100(?) with a 15'' speaker. Not a bad amp at all. I haven't really seen anything "flashy" with Crate. When we were kids, one of our guitar players had a 112 combo with the crate wood on the body. That little amp absoutely rocked.
Stinsok said:
OK, the bass amps are a bit less flashy. But some of the newer guitar combos with red lights around the knobs and so forth.....makes be think of the "underglow" on some cars......won't play better, nor go faster, but looks cool...........if you like that....
I have trouble getting past that, maybe they do sound OK, I just wouldn't own one.........just because of how they look.........call me silly, call me ataxic.
I absolutely dispise crate. That doesn't mean you have to, if you played though a crate and liked it and it sounds good to you there really is no need to ask us about anything. If you like it and think the amp is a good deal buy it.
Mike Money
In Memoriam
The music store around har has this used crate 50w thingy... i played my fretless through it... and fell in love.
Notanaggie, I've seen the lights on the amps that you're talking about. Purely practically speaking, they'd be a GODSEND -- I've been on stage with more than one soundman who thought a blackout at the end of every song is "dramatic". Look-wise, that's up to anyone, but IMO, it's definitely one of those things that makes you think "Why doesn't everyone do this?". Kind of like adjustable nuts on Warwicks, locking bridges on G&Ls, quick-change bridges like Hipshots, thumb rests on the edge of Bongo pickups, etc. etc.
i had a bt-50 for a little while, and i LOVED the sound, and the built tuner. i didnt like the price, the weight, or the carrying handle (started to come loose). had some gimmicks (distorsion, cd in) to it that were cool, but not necessarily useful; and not value added .
i would definitely buy a bt-25 used for a practice amp in the future, and i would be willing to use a bt-50 for small gigs.
i think you could do better, but if you like it, go for it.
btw, the bt series sounds much better than the bx series, IMO-YMMV.
i would definitely buy a bt-25 used for a practice amp in the future, and i would be willing to use a bt-50 for small gigs.
i think you could do better, but if you like it, go for it.
btw, the bt series sounds much better than the bx series, IMO-YMMV.
I use a hog 30 battery operated amp with my EUB when they ask me to play wedding ceremony's or cocktail hours in the middle of a golf green, or on the seashore.
From my experience Crate has always been solid working class equipment that can take a beating... Things may have changed... I would recommend looking at the Ampeg B100R, Yorkville XM200 or XM200T, Ampeg BA210, Peavey TNT-150. Any of those would be better options in my opinion. The Roland Cube 100 is also an option - the Cube 30 is phenomenal!
Big +1. You can turn the lights off, you know.MuzikMan said:Not buying one for the lights is just as silly as buying one for the lights.
First off, this is my first post, so bare with me ...
I've played bass for the past eight years on and off--mostly off--but I finally got my act together six months ago and started learning some music theory so I'm not just playing songs off my CD collection by ear. So maybe I've only really been playing bass for about six months
That said, once I found some good bass resources--namely TB--I started learning how many bad choices I had made over the years concerning bass equipment ... plus a few decent choices, which were just plain luck.
Soooo, anyway, pertaining to this post, I am a Crate amp user. I bought my Crate BX-160 amp and complimentary Crate BX-410 extension cabinet before I knew all about the stigmas surrounding them. Now, did I buy them because I reviewed countless amps and decided they were the best overall value vis-a-vis tone, functionality, price, etc.?
Nope.
I ended up with Crate equipment because of a few reasons: 1) I was new to bass and had no idea what to look for and didn't have an unbiased reference to point me to what I should look for. 2) I live in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Most people here think bass is something you fish for with a Hulla Popper, not an instrument
There are very limited bass (the instrument) resources/stores up here, so I was at the mercy of what the local music shop offered--which was a lot of Crate stuff and one small Fender Bassman. I chose the Crate because the bass instructor I had for a 4 months said I should look for an amp with a 15 inch speaker, and that's what the Crate had.
So right now I've got a setup monstrosity that stands about 5 feet 5 inches tall (15" combo on top of the 4 10"s), weighs around 140 pounds, puts out a total of 220 watts, and cost about $900
Admittingly, not the best by a longshot, but then again I'm just a hobbiest at this point (never played in a band), so I'm not trying to lug it around. I've played some different amps in a shop here in my second hometown (college), but I can't say I hear any big difference--for better or worse--between what's there and what I've got tone-wise. But, then again, I can't A/B test them either.
So although I don't have any serious complaints with my setup now, that might change if I get into a band and my needs become clearer. If I had to do it again I wouldn't get the Crate again, though. As with most musicial equipment, it has poor resale value, which is further exaccerbated by Crate's reputation for mediocrity.
In a nutshell, today's lesson is to not do what I did. Don't waste your time/$ with Crate. Be patient, try out everything you can get your hands on, and wait until the last minute to make your decision. Otherwise you'll be hinding behind the wall with me and the other Crate guys
I've played bass for the past eight years on and off--mostly off--but I finally got my act together six months ago and started learning some music theory so I'm not just playing songs off my CD collection by ear. So maybe I've only really been playing bass for about six months
That said, once I found some good bass resources--namely TB--I started learning how many bad choices I had made over the years concerning bass equipment ... plus a few decent choices, which were just plain luck.Soooo, anyway, pertaining to this post, I am a Crate amp user. I bought my Crate BX-160 amp and complimentary Crate BX-410 extension cabinet before I knew all about the stigmas surrounding them. Now, did I buy them because I reviewed countless amps and decided they were the best overall value vis-a-vis tone, functionality, price, etc.?
Nope.
I ended up with Crate equipment because of a few reasons: 1) I was new to bass and had no idea what to look for and didn't have an unbiased reference to point me to what I should look for. 2) I live in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Most people here think bass is something you fish for with a Hulla Popper, not an instrument
There are very limited bass (the instrument) resources/stores up here, so I was at the mercy of what the local music shop offered--which was a lot of Crate stuff and one small Fender Bassman. I chose the Crate because the bass instructor I had for a 4 months said I should look for an amp with a 15 inch speaker, and that's what the Crate had.So right now I've got a setup monstrosity that stands about 5 feet 5 inches tall (15" combo on top of the 4 10"s), weighs around 140 pounds, puts out a total of 220 watts, and cost about $900
Admittingly, not the best by a longshot, but then again I'm just a hobbiest at this point (never played in a band), so I'm not trying to lug it around. I've played some different amps in a shop here in my second hometown (college), but I can't say I hear any big difference--for better or worse--between what's there and what I've got tone-wise. But, then again, I can't A/B test them either.So although I don't have any serious complaints with my setup now, that might change if I get into a band and my needs become clearer. If I had to do it again I wouldn't get the Crate again, though. As with most musicial equipment, it has poor resale value, which is further exaccerbated by Crate's reputation for mediocrity.
In a nutshell, today's lesson is to not do what I did. Don't waste your time/$ with Crate. Be patient, try out everything you can get your hands on, and wait until the last minute to make your decision. Otherwise you'll be hinding behind the wall with me and the other Crate guys
I've used milk crates for years at gigs - 
ya know, to hold cords, stuff, put yer amp on top of, etc.
ya know, to hold cords, stuff, put yer amp on top of, etc.
Was playing in the living room and it started smoking...I unplugged it, threw it out the front door and let my roommate dispose of it later. Crap. Pure crap. Before that, I had another, it sounded like crap. Why did I buy two...duno...good idea at the time?
Seriously, buy something used from a fellow TB'r or eBay. A SWR Workingman's 15 combo or Gallien Krueger combo used would be a solid starter rig and shouldn't cost that much. You can spend more money now to spend less money later.
Crates MAY may sound OK, but don't hold up. Do they even still make Crate? Haven't seen anyone that carries them in a while...which is a sign...if major retailers have stopped carrying a bargin brand (one they can sell a lot of), then it has probably gotten to be unprofitable to deal with the dissatisfied customers.
Buy something good and become a gear snob like the rest of us
Seriously, buy something used from a fellow TB'r or eBay. A SWR Workingman's 15 combo or Gallien Krueger combo used would be a solid starter rig and shouldn't cost that much. You can spend more money now to spend less money later.
Crates MAY may sound OK, but don't hold up. Do they even still make Crate? Haven't seen anyone that carries them in a while...which is a sign...if major retailers have stopped carrying a bargin brand (one they can sell a lot of), then it has probably gotten to be unprofitable to deal with the dissatisfied customers.
Buy something good and become a gear snob like the rest of us
