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Anyone ever tried a Crate BT-100?

T

TUEP

Apr 8, 2007
940
722
#1
I remember how bad the 90's BFX-100 models were. The weakest 100 watter I ever played, back in the day I went through two in one year. Now it seems Crate has quit producing bass amps, but I heard the BT-100 was a good improvement over the old BFX models. Seems like I saw one a couple years ago, and it looked more stream lined.

Anyway I figure I can probably find one used for about 150 bucks. I also heard they had an extension cab jack, and some other options. Thing is that some of the places I play I don't always like leaving my GK, or Ampeg. So if I could get an old BT-100 down the road I might if they are decent.
 
#2
I've used a BT-100 almost every day for a year, but never outside of my house. It seems to be built well enough. It does have a lot of options like the effects loop, distortion channel, and built-in tuner. I've never measured the output, but some of my neighbors would believe it puts out 100 watts.

It has no tweeter, if that matters to you. The green power LED had to go, though. The thing sounds much better with a blue one.
 
#4
I had a BT-220 for awhile. It had good tone for the price but I wasn't impressed with the output. Mind you I was in a heavy rock band and had lots of competition to deal with so that may have been the problem, but it was always a struggle to hear myself even with just the drummer playing and that's just lame imho. For practice it couldn't be beat, especially with all the features.

The other problem was that the wire connecting the head of the combo to the speaker was shoved in there so stupidly that it ended up shaving all the wrapping off and shorting it out just from the basic vibrations. I had to basically take the whole thing apart just to replace that wire. Not easy to put back together either, things just don't want to fit right.
 
#6
It's okay for a budget combo amp, if you can snag on of the St. Louis Music era ones on the cheap. I think Crate was
still making bass amps when LOUD took over St. Louis Music, but I couldn't tell you if any Crate branded bass amps rolled
out of any of the asian factories that LOUD had contracted with.
 
#7
gregoire1 said:
HUGE difference! All amps have more clarity and punch with blue LED's. Blue lights=even better.;)
Click to expand...

Maybe its a joke I am not getting, but what would the color of a light have to do with anything? My B100R has a blue light, and the GK Backline I got has a green. Granted the Ampeg sounds better but, I don't understand the science here. Please explain.
 

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