Crate Vintage Club 30

[zed32]

is this thing worth checking out? i'm looking to get a decent amp for my studio that i can use for either clean or distortion. something not too huge and not too powerful, but still with a full, and somewhat versatile sound. my price ceiling right now is just about $400. thats for either a head or a combo. i was also thinking of trying a Sovtek Mig-50 or something similar. i'm sure the Crate and Sovtek have different sounds, but for now i just need something better than the crap i have now, so i'm not really looking for a specific sound, just something of decent quality. what about Music Man or Traynor? i've been browsing through ebay and different classifieds, as well as looking at Harmony Central reviews. just wondering if anyone has any comments to add or brands i might want to check out. oh and i'm definitely not a brand name whore, so it doesn't have to say Marshall on it or anything. oh and thanks in advance to apl for telling me to check out carvin amps.

[apl]

Originally Posted by zed32

oh and thanks in advance to apl for telling me to check out carvin amps.

No sweat.

Check out WoodCross.

And here's the Carvin amp that'd probably good.

[tourettes5139]

I've got a Vintage Club 50, and I actually really like it. The cleans are excellent, but the distortion isn't as good as the cleans. Don't get me wrong, the distortion isn't bad, its just that the clean channel is better. Go try one out if you can, although with a discontinued model like this it is hard. I could probably post a song I recorded with the Vintage Club's distortion, if you'd like.

[zed32]

Originally Posted by tourettes5139

I've got a Vintage Club 50, and I actually really like it. The cleans are excellent, but the distortion isn't as good as the cleans. Don't get me wrong, the distortion isn't bad, its just that the clean channel is better. Go try one out if you can, although with a discontinued model like this it is hard. I could probably post a song I recorded with the Vintage Club's distortion, if you'd like.

yeah i've read similar comments about it at Harmony Central, everyone seems to love the clean, and the distortion is just so-so. there's one for sale locally that i might end up taking for a test drive.

apl, about that carvin, that 16W is still pretty loud right? because if i use it just for jamming, i might need to be able to keep up with a drummer. i've used my current amp which is 50W SS and was barely able to keep up. but i'm assuming 16 watts of all tube power probably cranks a little louder than solid state. also, i'm thinking i might like a little more headroom, as in having more volume to crank before the clean starts to break up. either way i'd have to check one out in person, to see how they sound.

how are Rivera combos? i saw a few of those they seem like pretty good amps, just slightly above my price ceiling, but i might be able to swing it if it's worth the cost. i'm looking for something with a pretty smooth distortion channel, as in not muddy or too growly, but still able to play 'power chords' effectively. i've found that for my recordings i keep using less and less amp distortion and just adding layers for a 'heavier' sound. the quality seems better that way.

anyway tourettes if you do have any clips that would be cool just to get an idea of the sound of the Crate. thanks!

[zed32]

OK i think i'm starting to lean more toward spending more end getting a Rivera based on the reviews i've read as far as their sound quality and versatility. where might i find one that i would be able to play? GC doesn't carry them right? i gotta start looking around and maybe get lucky and find a good deal...

anyone care to share their experiences with Rivera amps?

[apl]

Originally Posted by zed32

apl, about that carvin, that 16W is still pretty loud right?

If you're getting an amp for jamming I'd look for more than that.

[cactuseskimo]

Depends on what you're looking for - fender tone, british tone, just a good rock n' roll amp.

The Traynors have a good clean and dirty channel, More american voiced - as is the Rivera I believe.

If you want some british tone, check out the Laney VC-30 and LC-30. 30 watts, class A, under $400.00. They also make some other combo's.

For a good rock n' roll amp with a mix of british and american tones, check out the Peavey Classic 30. Rarely, is anyone dissapointed with that amp. It's a real workhorse.

[zed32]

Originally Posted by apl

If you're getting an amp for jamming I'd look for more than that.

yeah i sorta figured, i know 16watts would be great for recording though. but i might want an amp to do double-duty for jamming and recording.

[tourettes5139]

Here ya go:

http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/file.php?fid=2788

This is the song with the Vintage Club 50 distortion. I believe that I used a DS-1 on the right channel, and just the amp's distortion on the left channel.

I used one SM57 and one Oktava MK-319, each on a different speaker. I really love how the 319 sounds on guitar cabs. I also kind of like the 10" speaker sound as opposed to a 12". Seems tighter to me. Anyway, there ya go.

Oh yeah, beware of the nasty scratch track vocals. I still haven't recorded the real vocals...........Don't say I didn't warn you.

[zed32]

thanks for the sound clip. well i went to a few music stores to check out some amps today. i played on a Traynor 40 watt combo (i forget the model) and a Crate Vintage Club 50 head. the Crate sounded pretty good, but the distortion channel was a little different than what i was looking for. i really liked the sound of the Traynor though, but it was much more expensive. the Crate head was going for $250 used, how's that sound? i believe the Traynor i played was brand new and they wanted $599. so i think i'm starting to lean more toward a modern sound and have decided to raise my price ceiling to about $700. i think i'll keep an eye out for a couple more weeks so i can decide, or else i'll probably just end up buying something on impulse. anyway thanks again for the help everyone.

[tourettes5139]

Originally Posted by zed32

thanks for the sound clip. well i went to a few music stores to check out some amps today. i played on a Traynor 40 watt combo (i forget the model) and a Crate Vintage Club 50 head. the Crate sounded pretty good, but the distortion channel was a little different than what i was looking for. i really liked the sound of the Traynor though, but it was much more expensive. the Crate head was going for $250 used, how's that sound? i believe the Traynor i played was brand new and they wanted $599. so i think i'm starting to lean more toward a modern sound and have decided to raise my price ceiling to about $700. i think i'll keep an eye out for a couple more weeks so i can decide, or else i'll probably just end up buying something on impulse. anyway thanks again for the help everyone.

I got my VC50 3x10 combo for 300, and that was 4 (or was it 5?) years ago, so that wouldn't be too bad of a price, still a little high, I would say. Either way, it seems like you're looking for something else soundwise. Well, good luck.

[stingx]

Try a Peavey Classic 30. Both channels sound great.

[ermghoti]

$700 you say?

[Anfontan]

If you want to jam or gig I'd say 30 watts would be minimum for rythmn guitar and 50 to 60 for lead stuff. Crate amps have a rather gritty sound on the overdrive channel but rather smooth clean tones, from my experience anyway. You mention Music Man amps, I have had a 65 watt 2-12 that is very similar to a downsized Fender twin reverb for 20 some years now, it has a transformer tap that cuts it to 1/2 power, 30 watts or so, it's a heavy amp though, wheels are a good add on. Music Man has been discontinued for some time, but are built like tanks-I'm sure a lot are out there still on Ebay or in Music stores. Hunt one down, it would be a great find!

[flamin-gitaur]

Hi-
I used a Crate stack back in the mid 80's, (I forget the model) and I gotta say it sounded pretty darn good. The ONLY reason I switched to a different set up is because I could not get the power out of the crates that I was looking for. I have not checked into Crates recently, surley thay have come a long way in the last 15 years, but I'm sure it would make for a nice studio amp!

[zed32]

well folks i ended up getting a Traynor YCV80 2x12 combo, used. it's probably gonna make my ears bleed in the studio, but it will be good in case i ever want to jam or play out with it. i'll post my thoughts after i get some time to really play on it. work is a bitch, haha. anyway thanks for all the help and suggestions.

[tourettes5139]

How much did you pay for it?

[zed32]

Originally Posted by tourettes5139

How much did you pay for it?

around $550