Reviewed by:
jmodum90, on april 23, 2007
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 150
Purchased from: A friend.
Features: I bought this amp used from a friend of mine because I needed a bigger amp to perform. The Crate has 2 footswitchable channels with the onboard effects footswitchable as well. The 2 channels share a 3 band EQ and have 2 seperate volume controls. There are 2 gain settings along with a "shape" control that affects the overall tone of the distortion. Effects include 3 types of reverb, 3 types of delay, 2 flangers, 2 choruses, retry (a sort of vibrato), octave, 2 auto wahs, and a doubler. All effects can be activated with the footswitch. This may be a solid state amp but it provides a very good distortion without the hassle of tube replacement. The amp has 2 12" speakers (thus the moniker 212) that get loud. // 8
Sound: I use an Ibanez GAX70 (otherwise known as a piece of crap) but I've run a Schecter C-1 Hellraiser and an American Fender Strat through it. All made beautiful music with this amp. The clean channel is pretty warm with minimal breakup at high volumes. The amp has two types of gain but only one can be used in conjunction with the footswitch (to use a different gain you have to Switch the cables going from the amp to the pedal). Gain 1 is a medium gain and sounds good when playing classic rock or some modern alternative. Gain 2 is one bad mutha and is what I use most of the time. It's perfect for hard rock and metal. Both gains are affected by a "shape" control that produces warm distortion that can get too loud when turned fully to the left and a thick crunchy distortion that's my favorite when it's turned all the way to the right. As, mentioned earlier, this amp can put up some serious amounts of volume. I can't be in the same room with this amp when the volume is turned past 4 and the upper digits can inflict some serious pain on your eardrums if you're not careful. // 8
Reliability & Durability: This amp is pretty reliable. My buddy had it for two years before I did and I've been using it for about 6 months now. Neither HIM nor I have had a problem with it. I don't know many people that can afford a backup amp but I definitely wouldn't worry about this one, it's a tank. // 9
Impression: I mostly play hard rock, metal, and some alternative and this amp does all very well. I've dabbled in blues and this amp can do that pretty well but it's clear that it's meant for heavier stuff. I've been playing for over two years and this is much better than the first amp I had (Fender bullet 15). I love the sheer power this amp has and it's versatility. I hate having to unplug the footswitch to use the other gain (a rarity, but still a hassle) and it's weight (but that's a sacrifice you have to make to get this volume). I had thought about getting a Peavey Transtube Envoy 110 but chose this one because it was cheaper, more powerful, and I had experience playing on it. Overall, I love this amp and there isn't much I would change about it. A great buy. // 8
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