Crate V3112

I bought this amp for about $450 from American Music here in Seattle. It was a demo model, thus, the better than usual price, as these go for roughly $500-$600 new. I had a chance on a few occasions to try this amp out and was really impressed by the tonal flexability, which included glassy to decent breaking up clean sounds, and moderate to chuncky crunch ( please note, it's powered by 3 12ax7's and 4 el84's, so the crunch isn't insane, but covers alt rock to old-school metal just fine ).

Well, it covers just about every sound I need, as my band is playing kind of in the styles of the Foo Fighters, QOTSA, and add some Oasis. It looks great style wise ( cool V30 logo & all black w/ silver pin stripes ). It has a good celestion 80w speaker, & it's quite portable, which is great as I didn't want to lug around a 1/2 stack everywhere I needed to play. It also has a 8/16 speaker extension and sounds great through either a 2x12 or 4x12 for clubs, even though it's plenty loud enough by it's self at 30 watts. One feature that really sold me on this amp was the foot switchable boost ( footswitch was included ), this is almost like have another channel or two as it works for both clean and crunch and pushes the mids up by 10db's for solos or just different variations on the sound ya already have dialed in. I haven't recorded with it yet, but I'm looking forward to it, as I can get my sound without having to drive the engineer nuts by being too loud, even though that's sometimes fun, as my drummer is the one who records the band at his home studio! Oh, I almost forgot, it has a nice deep and un-boingy reverb that's a real inprovement over the old vintage club series that these V-Series amps replaced.


Ok, there are only a couple drawbacks to this amp that I have to list, even though it's the best one I've ever owned. First, there's a slight drop-out in sound when switching from crunch to clean that bugs me a little sometimes, though it's only about a 1/2 second, so not too bad, and I'm thinking I can get that fixed somehow, as I've had plenty of other amps that make that switch cleanly. Second, the knobs are all chrome and only have indentations for the indication of where they're dialed into, so on a dark stage that's a slight disadvantage, but no big whoop.

It's built pretty sturdy like, & made of relatively thick plywood not particle board, with attractive tolex covering and Fender like controls on top towards the back.

I love this amp, period. I recommend it to just about anyone for just about any style short of needing extreme distortion. It sounds good with single coils, P90's, and humbuckers, and has decent headroom on both channels, great highs, mids, and great lows for this small of an amp. I've seen that there's a new head version w/ a matching 2x12 cab (V30H & V212T ) that's just come out, so that'd be interesting to hear, and who knows, maybe get that an use an ABY pedal for the two amps! Also, I'm not sure if it's just an exclusive deal at Guitar Center, but an almost identical amp is being carried by them now, except it's got a V32 logo in gold on the front and is a light tan color, but sounds pretty much the same as mine, boost and all. Also, I think they may be stocking these with tone tubbys, so the celestion might be phased out.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

30W combo amplifier with pure Class A series of EL84 (x4) for power and 12AX7A (x3) for the preamp stage. Caution is LOUD LOUD home! Clear Channel shares his equalizer - treble, mid, bass - with the drive. The latter has a gain control and volume-independent clean. A equalizer ready, we have two channels. Side connections are available: an effects loop, an output HP 8 ohms (which is connected to the combo of HP), a connection for the footswitch (supplied). Mine is a model V3112T. The "T" indicates that it is fitted with an HP-Tone Tubby ceramic 12''(http://www.tonetubby.com/specs12c8.htm). Excellent HP significantly enhancing the quality / price of this combo. The build quality is decent. It's not the point-to-point handwired but for the price it's perfect. on the other hand, in terms of access to lamps ... must block out all the electronics. Not top that! Finally, the vintage look that is both sober and class does not leave indifferent.

UTILIZATION

The amp is actually very good, it's easy to get great clean sounds ... as long as there is at least a quarter of the volume. Below is not very musical. The clean channel produces sounds warm, bright with incredible momentum. I love it. This amp also has a Drive Type "British" really exploitable. Very credible. For my part, I use - out of habit - the clean channel which j'adjoins of OD (Fulltone OCD, Carl Martin Plexitone). I'll have found time to operate the drive - including a slight crunch. The manual is brief but clear. Not really need more saw the simplicity of configuration. In my case, I leave a EQ "every 12 hours" and then I adjust slightly depending on the guitar.

SOUNDS

I use this amp with my three guitars: Tele, Start and 335. It also works well with single coils with the double. In fact, I was stuck listening to the sound I get with the 335. The amp accepts many effects. My OCD does wonders. Ditto for the Plexitone. I'm not really describe the type of sounds I like. on the other hand I know perfectly well what I hate: sounds harsh, dry, like an ice pick in your ears (as some recent Fender). This amp is the opposite: a warm, slightly compressed, full and rich in harmonics.

OVERALL OPINION

I own this amp for 2 months and I did three concerts. I am fully satisfied. His only fault: power. It really is (but then really) strong. At 20 watts it would be perfect. In terms of reliability, time will tell. RAS currently. In conclusion, a purchase that I would do without hesitation for its price / quality ratio amazing.

Amplifier class A 30 watts lamp, a single channel with overdrive is to say that there is one Tage pramplification with a single equalization possible for the clear, saturated sound. Dbracher can connect the HP and a firm place, but I
possde APRS and not a single BPS, I do not feel the need.

Mine is the quip Tone Tubby speaker.

I put 9 because the overdrive is not the floor of legalization.

UTILIZATION

Configuration super easy to use and fast so you get a good sound trs. Moreover, it is rather the opposite of bcp possd amp I find her rotting is very difficult.

The V3112 is so simple that the manual is useless.

SOUNDS

Is that the bully is a marvel. The 30 watts of power are bb insulation: I have 5 mins to deaf my drummer and my bass player and one minute to convince them when the amp does not look and is trs small (the smallest I have had my Ross 15 watts qand I beginners) While the amp is not to make mtal, albeit one pedals, everything is possible but given the behavior of the amplifier in a group situation, I find that buying a bigger amp is useless.

Marshall compares a base because I jou especially on:

1. the sound is much better Dfine.
2. the amp is more dynamic.
3. It dlivre sound much more beautiful, the overall texture is largely over.
4. No need to put the amp hard to give body to the sound.
5. And in addition it is compact and lightweight: I just hte face of even the guys who will see me come up with a concert, as most guys playing the same style music we use almost exclusively Marshall (Power pop).

All styles are available: smooth jazz blues and gritty rock hard, and as I play more, at least try, these styles, it's just gnial. And each time, the sound is superb. it is the sr typ vintage, but with all the qualities of a modern amp: DEFINITIONS beautiful sound!

Frankly, the amp is a marvel. Branch with my Les Paul Standard is total nirvana. From the time I was looking for an amp that sounds!

IL no 11 as the Spinal Tap amp, so I put 10.

Edit: I have the amp has now been ending for a year and a half and I ulises xclusive in BPS o stock is in its holster in a room. I first change the power tubes to GT and the Tesla lamps premap a reissue Mullard New Sensor from home and a NOS Sylvania. There were more than bcp potato but no bass and treble tros and medium, and too much gain. And then he walked on three power tubes without my knew it! I reinstalled a Quad rcemment new JJ Tesla and I put a JJ Tesla Gold V1 and especially in a JJ Tesla Gold 12AY7 in V3 (PI) in keeping the Sylvania V2. First, to be awarded the Groove Tube between time (Sovtek basic fact), there is no photo, the JJ Tesla (27 grad, so relatively powerful) give the amp more breath , more "headroom", a more friendly, more open, more bass and the amp is really aig transfigured. As for the preamp lamps, they give a fuller and more flexible, "smooth", and especially the 12AY7 can push the amp further dgueule without the amp, its a quiet ct "chouilla a too powerful." In BPS, the sound becomes more Submitted and clear, without being aggressive or nasal. For now, it's my best combination.

OVERALL OPINION

The amp only two default me: class A amps heat much more than the amp Class A / B (note, may be used in winter!) And is poorly distributed in France trs . But you can not order it hsitation on the Net. It is a value sr and I do not see how it can dcevoir! The report price is unbeatable quality and price in its class, it gives me the best. I had in my life as a guitarist classic Hiwatt 100, a Crate Vintage Club, a Marshall TSL 602, a Mesa studio preamp + a Mesa 20/20 and I often jou with JCM 900 in the studio. This amp is for me above the rest and hands down and if I were buying an amp tomorrow, I Do not hesitate one second!

Edit: for the price and the possibility of optimizing, there is still no equivalent. Too bad it is now manufactured in Asia for Crate reliability issue seems to have lost much.

Amp 30 w tube full, possdant an effects loop, two equa compltes a boost knob on the Distortion channel.

The amp is well built and solid, small dtails Intgr are suggesting that the concept does search.

I have yet to test if the machine is silent MIDI driver. 2 channels is a standard, but the boost, the footswitch and the two are equalos compltes dj good arguments.

(8) no problem

UTILIZATION

The potentiomtres are logical in their course, the grip is more comfortable than on MODELS competitors, but still fine architecture of the beast requires. I do not know if there was a manual.

The overall solidity is reassuring and will use in runs without problem. The 30w grow enough good scne.

(10) with no problem

SOUNDS

Yeah ... l. .. I think that has to be a matter of taste.

First the clean channel ... it super silent, without any implied. It could adopt correct and silent DIFFERENT behavior depending on the qualisation and cladding. C'tait really a good surprise. The sound rings with Dfine rsonance matrise. The fever may sound a bit hard as the guitar or the method used to legalization.

In crunch / distortion ... I found the amp the bad. A sound and fshhhhhouuuu pshiiiiiit in all directions with a crsshhhh makes the foundation of the signal. Can not apprcier full grain guitars used. Rponse frquence in the silent hard, but the harmonic well transcribed. In fact, more gain more silent lev c'tait mess when we left in a clean or a lightweight crunch c'tait plutt good. To give you an ide, the foundation of this amp is scratching and the sound is built on an artificial kind of fuzz, you have to like, I dtest.

(3) not mieu

OVERALL OPINION

Amp reliable and convenient but I was not packaged in sound level.

(4) As you can see below, everybody is happy trs, a must be a matter of gots the end.