Crate Guitar Combo Amplifiers

I acquired my dx 412 crate amp at Stringfellows music in Lynchburg Virginia roughley one year ago. I paid $525.00 for the amp and $200.00 for the twin two twelve speaker cabs. Incredibly enough it had been returned by some poor guitarist who had no idea how to maximize the dx's full potential. The great thing about the dx is that is in three very easy to transport parts. Underneath the speaker cab is a roll away system and ample carry handles. The head is thin but some what heavy I can hear why with all of effects and possible combinations of such. So far it has been a most reliable tool in as many shows that I put it threw. The only thing I can see as a downer is that the dx wont get up and make me breakfast in the morning! The dx is very well built. It is both solid and space friendly. I have already put alot of hard hours on the dx and she is still holding up quite well. If you want an amp that has both practicality and power then purchase the dx. Trust me all of my fellow guitarists want one once they see and hear what this machine can do, and you will too. P.S. the dx is midi ready and with the 412 option makes a nice stereo attack. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Bought two of them from the Guitar Center in Harahan, Louisian on sale for $70 each. The contruction and the sound. I bought them so that I could do stereo effects from a Digitech RP300 Effect peddle. The sound is GREAT. It is really a full sound and very clean. When playing with the overdrive button depressed, it produce a fine sounding distortion. It sings, has lots of sustain when overdriving with my Gibson SG. I often play through one of them with my Strat. Sounds equally good. In fact I like it so much that I don't use the RP300 peddle much and just play it straight through. Since I started playing it without any effects, sometimes I wish that I had spent and extra $20 and got one with a reverb. Top notch. It is finished as good as any Fender or Peavy, maybe better. Well spent money. I tried a lot of practice amps. This sounded the best to me. I do it again. Like I said, have two, but I would buy one of them with a reverb. You won't be sorry with this one, no way. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought it new at Music Go Round for $299 It's very portable and the built in digital effects sound pretty good, although the ability to tweak an effect is very limited. On the clean channel it starts to sound a little compressed at higher volumes which is actually kind of nice. The FlexWave distortion is adequate at best- on the gain 1 channel it is obvious that the sound is coming from a solid state amp, but on gain 2 with the shape effect it sounds very nice. I have had no problems at all with this amp and I have played it in numerous different places including an outdoor show where it was below freezing- try that with your vintage tube amp. I have yet to run the amp into an external speaker, but I have miked it through the PA, and that sounds great. As mentioned above, the effects are nice but there are limits to the settings you can choose. Also, the gain 1 channel sounds a little cheezy. The amp is also somewhat volume limited, but that comes with a 65 watt amp with a single 12 inch speaker, and can be overcome by adding extra speakers or miking. Rock solid- I've had no problems at all with it. For a relatively cheap amp it is a very good deal and will work for most amateurs or as a practice amp. I will rate it a 4/5 This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Guitar Center, $100 used I bought this as a starter practice amp. I have an ES-355 copy and wanted a small, inexpensive amp that could run the gamut from jazz tones to rock leads. This is an amazing value, and with the DSP provided effects and the high-gain lead channel, I've been able to create about any tone I wanted. With a small price tag, there have to be limitations, and this unit has a few. Certainly, there is a limit to the volume you can get. In my basement, it can certainly make my ears hurt, but there are limits. There is some hiss to it. Finally, with the gain turned up, chords are just too muddy - you really can't hear the notes clearly. While that setting sings playing lead, it just can't muster the crunch. It's built just fine for a practice amp. It wouldn't stand up to gigging, but it shouldn't have to. It does what it was designed to do and does it very well. You don't drive nails with screwdrivers - you don't play out with a practice amp. As you grow in technique and range, this amp will get replaced with a more capable one. As a starter, it is really tough to beat. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I purchased this amp at Dave Anderson's Zoo Music for $378.00 I bought the amp mostly because it was loud and cheap. In both of these areas it performed well, and the included footswitch is an added bonus. The digital effects are pretty cool, mostly the reverb and the chorus. As for the others, you have to play with the knobs for a long time to get them exactly where you want them, and when your'e on stage, this can be fustrating. Many people complain about the weight of the amp, but when you compare it to tube amps of the same size, it's really not that heavy. I would say it's a good affordable amp for the beginning guitarist. While the overdrive channels perform their duty without any problems, I constantly found myself playing with the knobs on the clean channels. The GFX series claims to reproduce the sound of tube amps, but in the end, they are still solid state. Since I play on a lot of rhythm tracks, I need a good clean sound, but this amp repeatedly failed me when I needed it most. To me, the clean channel sounds like it's processed through a computer, almost like Brittany Spear's voice - it seems to lack warmth and depth. I found no trouble in the quality of the amp. It has a strong, sturdy chassis and cabinet. The only real problem I had was in the footswitch. The LED for the effects loop mysteriously stopped working, with no apparent way of repairing it. While not a major concern, it annoyed me quite a bit. Crate is a respectable name in the amplifier industry and this amp certainly has its place in the market. I think that place is for beginner guitarists with an appeal for rock and metal. The overdrive and effects are highly customizable, but i just can't deal with the problems of the clean channel. On the plus side it's CHEAP! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I aquired this amp at the music station in oldenburg/germany for $150. I like especially the clean sound no pops, no crunches, its sounds fu**ing clean, and with the implemented reverb its sounds double genius, it also has distortion and an headphone and speaker output, its so cool for this little price, not just for beginners. sure, its nothing for the stage but at home it can rock. It does a lot of screaming when its distorted and turned loud, also when reverb is turned more than half way, but you can fix it, if its stands away from walls. the distortion sounds a bit like it would be played in the room next to you, too less treble and dryness in it, and zou cant fix it with the treble or bass control on the amp, then it would sound really bad, for this problem i bought the danelectro black coffee pedal, it can fix it real good. its really solid. on my one the skin starts to peel off, altough its just a half year old, maybe thats because i transported it uncovered in wet weather. If you dont search an amp with really good distortion, this is your amp for practising at home or a little jam session, the distortion is not bad, but there are better ones. with the reverb and the distortion, you can reach a sound, very close to santanas samba pa ti. you wont regret this one. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this amp from a friend that thought he wanted to play the guitar and after he got it and played it once he decided that he was going to switch to the drums. He sold it to me for $140 which is a steal considering that it is worth around $300 This is an all around great amp. I mean the distortion on it is great, I can get a very clean sound out of it if I need to, and it can get pretty loud for 60 watts. The fact that it has two plug ins is nice too even though I mostly only use one. There is anything that I don't like about this amp, it is all around great for practice, lessons, and preformance in front of small crowds. This amp is also very sturdy. I was built so that it can handle being dropped and bumped. I think that it will last a very long time. The bottom line is that this is a great amp and I would suggest it to any one who plays the guitar no matter what kind or type of music. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This is a nice guitar amp that was a gift but I think it was bought at around $350 with a 5 year warranty at Victor's House of Music in Paramus, NJ. I was told to share this amp with my brother on keyboard. It works with most low powered keyboards- nothing that will be too loud and blow the speaker. So he uses a Yamaha (but he can't seem to grasp that the keyboard is louder without the amp. I like how this amp is 2 channels. It was originally designed for guitar teachers to plug in and their students to plug in. Well let me tell you, this is not the small Peavey that me and my guitar teacher plug into. When I say two channels, I mean two people can plug into the input jacks and there are seperate controls for each. This in theory I guess, is like two seperate amplifiers. This is a great performance amp-and then some. It is simply because the 50 watt giant can acccomodate two seperate guitars or a guitar and a low powered keyboard for that matter. It is great for anything from a practice amp to a performance amp. Mostly, I like the fact that it doesn't weigh a ton; it balances in at a light 28 lbs. At this point there's nothing that I don't like. 50 Watt sold state. Dual playability. 28 lbs. A built in preamp. What is there not to like? If something did happen to this amp- I would buy another Crate amp, if not this model over any other. And besides, it's a Crate. That name's reputation just explains itself. The quality overall seems good. It is a flawless wonder. The "two in one" feature is an easy alternative to two amps. I recommend getting it unless you don't play with anyone- don’t jam or perform or anything- of course it’s still a 50 watt solid state amp with lots of effects and huge distortion. Otherwise- it’s better than lugging around 2 different amps. Where I bought it, it was brand new and had come in 5 days before. I was amazed to discover that this was the last one in stock. If it can sell out in 5 days, think of what other people thought about it. Like me, other people probably researched it and found how great it was and rushed to buy it. If you can find it, I highly recommend it. In the places I've seen it, mostly it has been under $400. The price may seem a little high for a 50-watt solid state amp- but think of it divided by two (for the dual function) and it doesn't seem so unrealistic. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This amplifiers was a gift from my father who I think paid about $250 for it. He purchased at a local music store. Its a great amp. The distortion is umbeliveable and clearness is out of this world. The dual 8" celestrion speakers pack a hudge punch. It has an excellent reverb. The case is extreamly durable. It is very efficient is also a big plus. Its got external speaker jacks. Its heavy and a pain to pack around but so are most good combos. They are hard to come by. The construction is an open back, but if you like closed just lay it on the floor. It feels like its made of a really dense hard wood about 3/4" thick. There are heavy duty edge protecters to protect from dings. its covered with a thick tought vinal material. Very well built. An excellent garage band amp. And it's worth it, if you can find one. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Crate amplification is pretty well known for their budget friendly and cheap guitar and bass equipment. Much of their stuff is for a beginner guitarists or musician who are looking to get into the world of electric guitar playing. Many of their products are pretty cheaply built and don't really hold up to touring or heavy playing. This is not the type of amplifier that you're going to use for any given amount of time because it just doesn't sound that great either. UTILIZATION Crate FlexWave Series 65/112 65W 1x12 Guitar Combo Amp Features: * 3 channels * 65 watts * 1x12" speaker * Evolution 5 preamp * DSP effects * Onboard tuner SOUNDS The flex wave amp is basically a 65 W amp with a 12 inch speaker install. It's going to feel very narrow and boxy sounding because of the single 12 and speaker . The amp basically has three channels, clean, dirty, and a saturated channel. You have a foot switch to go back and forth between the channels. You also have what's called digital signal processing or like they call it DSP. This adds effects such as delayed, modulation, and reverb to your signal. This is basically an amplifier that has an all-in-one encompassing rig. So you get your amp and your effects in a three channel amplifier all in one convenient combo. OVERALL OPINION At new you can find these amplifiers for right around $300. If you looking for something for your son or daughter who is just learning how to play the guitar or wanting to learn how to play than this is not a bad investment because it doesn't cost a whole lot of money and certainly not is expensive this many other amplifiers. If you need something that's going to be everything built into one amp and not the need for external pedals or a fax spend this is a good option to have.

120 w solid-state amp with 2 12" speakers (excellent) Very comprehensive connections Only one reverb USE Very easy to dial in. 3 channels, one clean, one with overdrive and one solo with other types of distortion. The EQ controls are very effective. You can get the sound you want in a couple of minutes. SOUND Excellent for clean sounds: I realized I have a good guitar!!! For distorted sounds it's okay, but nothing special (with simple-coil pickups). OVERALL OPINION I've had it for a month, it's great for rehearsals, not too heavy and effective, a no-frills amp. It's excellent for the price. What can I say about its value for money? I wont' sell it!

Crate has been known for their very inexpensive and extremely cheap instruments and amplifiers. This is a very cheap amplifier I has a load of the effects and modeling amplifiers built into it. This is basically the same thing is any other line 6 amplifier that has modeling technology and a solid-state amplifier. You get 30 W of power and a 10 inch speaker. It gets pretty loud for a 30 watt amp but the tone of it if you can even call it that is not worth the time. If you are just learning then it will do but if you start getting better and want to jump into a band this isn't going to get you there. UTILIZATION Specifications Output Power Rating: >30W RMS Gain: - Solo Ch 98dB +/-6dB @ 1kHz - Clean Ch 42dB +/-6dB @ 1kHz Internal Speaker: 10 in. Crate Custom Design 4 ohm Tone Controls: - Low 20dB range @ 80Hz - Mid 12dB range @ 900Hz - High 18dB range @ 10kHz Dimensions (H x W x D): 15-1/2 x 16-3/4 x 9-3/4 in. Weight: 20 lbs. SOUNDS The tone of this amplifiers and basically exactly what you expect.... not that great. It doesn't have a full rich tone but it's really just a beginners amplifier in general. This is not to be an amp at a professional or anyone he spent any time with a tube amplifier is going to pick up. It's a simple amp for someone just learning how to play and wants an all-in-one with the facts and everything built into the amp. The tone isn't anything special at all but it will get you a good enough sound to practice with if you are just learning. OVERALL OPINION These amplifiers have been discontinued for little while now so you would have to look on the used section of classifieds to find this amplifier. They're pretty cheap out imagine you can find them for under $100 somewhere. However if you have spent $100 and I suggest picking up one of the Peavey modeling amplifiers that has much more rich tone and usability.