Whatever happened to Crate amps?

[meisi]

I’ll never forget thinking id replace my 15w crate guitar amp with a nice SS 30w MG series Marshall.

Got it home and realized I missed my crate which was nearly as loud as the Marshall which was the only important thing to me at the time.

I think a lot of crate customers went the way of line6, at least on guitar.

 

[bassiclove]

I never knew they had that; it looks nice.

 

[Hundred proof]

I’m old enough to remember the original amps were actually wooden crates

 

[bassiclove]

Which ironically is how they got their name... using crates

 

[Drredplate]

Same here. The Crate B160XL... it had chorus, 15" speaker and graphic EQ. Bought one in 1991 and played many gigs with it until '96.

I bought one of these in 92 I still have it.
Sounds ok if connected to a decent external speaker

 

[meisi]

this thread cracks me up because of the 90s gear I thought to save, Crate amps was not on my 2025 Bingo card.

 

[bassiclove]

LOL, I know right....

 

[darev]

If you can find a Crate amp you will be lucky

I think I know what you are getting at but I don't know if 'lucky' is the word I'd use.

 

[Lo-E]

I bought one of those of Craigslist before I left Seattle. It's sitting next to me right now. I use it as a guitar and keyboard amp. As long as it doesn't fail, I really like it. But IIRC, people were saying back in the day that new they were too expensive for what they offered. I really like the sounds I get out of it, but I'm a bass player that dabbles in electric guitar. I can get some clean or nice crunch out of it, so I'm good.
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The problem with them is that they tended to overheat at gig volumes. If kept at moderate volume, I doubt it would let you down.

 

[klattman]

I had a bx80 for years. Kept up with an acoustic drummer, but very heavy with a thin top handle. I put casters on it.
It failed three times before I ripped the amp out and connected a little gk200 to the 15” speaker. That worked for a while. Not very reliable, but it was what we could afford.

 

[Zooberwerx]

I think I know what you are getting at but I don't know if 'lucky' is the word I'd use.

Wait just a minute...

I have a TEN DOLLAR bounty for anyone who can birddog a used 1x15 enclosure (wooden crate platform), either working or not, to complement my existing cab. It will be the stacked rig-from-hell. Come to think of it, the bounty is worth more than the cab itself.

On a similar note, I have a TWENTY DOLLAR bill for anyone who names their newborn child "Riis"....first or middle. SPCA / rescue animals are exempt from this offer.

Riis

 

[Tim Schnautz]

I always thought Crate was pretty good sounding stuff, but a lot of snobs looked down on their products. I guess if they couldn’t explore other options than Ampeg, GK, Messa, Trace, MM, and the like, their mind was made up. Even though I never owned a Crate amp, we did use their monitors for years. They did what they were supposed to do…

 

[Semperfi]

I bought a Blue Voodoo head paired with a Mesa 4X cabinet back in 91'. I use it primarily for studio work. This is one of the best combos I have. People come to my studio and love the punch and sound that combo produces. Paired with a rare RI made electric Guild and the sound is unbeatable!! The head still has the original tubes, and price tags hanging off both the amp and cabinet.. I'm a stickler for keeping my equipment in original condition. My other Crate amp, a GX-130c made it through several years of touring, including a year on a USO tour. couldn't kill it. It went thru a lot of tubes, mostly because things got banged around a lot.... I blame the roadies.. wait, we were the roadies..

 

[deeks]

I'd give my right arm to find an intact wooden "Amish Ampeg" 115-B enclosure so I have a matched pair. They really sound good and a second cab gets me that much closer to gig-worthiness.

Riis

Just found this thread looking for what kind of cab my friend bought we couldn’t find anything online anywhere about it except this. If you have and info to share please let me know

 

[Zooberwerx]

Just found this thread looking for what kind of cab my friend bought we couldn’t find anything online anywhere about it except this. If you have and info to share please let me know

Not much to share. Given to me when I bought the TE amp topside. It is a Crate 115-B rated at 75 watts, 4 ohm. The driver is is Eminence although unsure of the model. I was considering a second like model but my amp won't handle a 2 ohm load. I've seen later Crate models frequently confused as they employ a "B" and "15" P/N...this is the real deal. Frankly, it sounds really good and has a dispersion my good stuff hasn't. IOW, if pushed to one side of the couch, it's hard to pinpoint the source....sounds like it's coming from the TV.

How does your buddy like his? Ideal for small, intimate venues but doubt if it would keep up with anything larger or full band mix.

Riis

 

[deeks]

Not much to share. Given to me when I bought the TE amp topside. It is a Crate 115-B rated at 75 watts, 4 ohm. The driver is is Eminence although unsure of the model. I was considering a second like model but my amp won't handle a 2 ohm load. I've seen later Crate models frequently confused as they employ a "B" and "15" P/N...this is the real deal. Frankly, it sounds really good and has a dispersion my good stuff hasn't. IOW, if pushed to one side of the couch, it's hard to pinpoint the source....sounds like it's coming from the TV.

How does your buddy like his? Ideal for small, intimate venues but doubt if it would keep up with anything larger or full band mix.

Riis

We haven’t been able to use it yet we’re looking for a cheap 4 ohm head but we’ll definitely let you know

 

[Zooberwerx]

We haven’t been able to use it yet we’re looking for a cheap 4 ohm head but we’ll definitely let you know

Virtually ANY head will work...you don't need something 4 ohm specific as amps will accommodate 4 & 8 ohm enclosures. Probably would get by with ~200 watts or so. What have you run across either new or secondhand? The Trace is ~150 watts.

Riis