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gibsonguy09
New member
I found a crate 120 watt tube amp from about 1990. Is it worth 100 dollars? Everything works on it. Does any one have an old crate tube amp?
Farview
Well-known member
If it works, it's worth $100. I don't remember these things sounding very good. Like anything Crate, if you want a clean sound, you're doing all right. Distortion? Nope.
FALKEN
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i love my crate vintage club 50. is there any reason you can't play it first?
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jonnyc
New member
Buy it, at the very worst I'll give you $125 for it, so you'll get your money back.
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gibsonguy09
New member
i played it with my church band last sunday adn i liked it and it had pretty good distortion. it would be a upgrade fmo my crate gx-15.
Easto
New member
FALKEN said:
I got me one of those too! Pulled 2 of the power tubes and changed the preamp tube in V1 to a 12AY7 and put 2 older 12AX7GTs in V2&V3 with another 12AY7 in the driver position. Since I pulled 2 of the power tubes I had to detach on of the speakers in order to match the output impedance. It's great! I now have a 25watt amp with an incredible clean channel and when I want to use the distorted channel it will really crank. Although I do have to admit that the distorted channel is not my favorite and I don't think it's that much of a quality sound. But believe me... for my bedroom playing it's freakin' great. Cheap too! $210.00
Farview
Well-known member
The power tubes have nothing to do with the impedance. The output transformer is what determines the impedance. You can hook the speaker back up, or change the impedance to match the one speaker.Easto said:
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gusfinley
New member
no....
Not True!! The impendence of the transformer is really the impedence of the power tubes as seen through the transformer. The transformer is there to transform the high impedence of the tubes into a low impedence needed for the speakers. Since the tubes were operating in parallel, when he pulled half of the tubes the impedence doubled (8 ohms to 16 ohms for example). He WAS correct in disconnecting one of the speakers because when he did this the equivalent impedence of the speaker load was doubled also (8 ohms to 16 ohms) - assuming that they were wired in parallel. Now the impedence of the power tubes (as reflected through the output transformer) is matched to the impedence of the speaker load.
Farview said:
Not True!! The impendence of the transformer is really the impedence of the power tubes as seen through the transformer. The transformer is there to transform the high impedence of the tubes into a low impedence needed for the speakers. Since the tubes were operating in parallel, when he pulled half of the tubes the impedence doubled (8 ohms to 16 ohms for example). He WAS correct in disconnecting one of the speakers because when he did this the equivalent impedence of the speaker load was doubled also (8 ohms to 16 ohms) - assuming that they were wired in parallel. Now the impedence of the power tubes (as reflected through the output transformer) is matched to the impedence of the speaker load.
Farview
Well-known member
I stand corrected. It has been a very long time since I worked on these things, I must be hazy. Maybe alzheimer's?
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metalj
New member
i think these sound pretty good for 80's rock/metal.
I think CC deville from POISON used crate tube amps exclusively.
OK, maybe that is not such a good thing
but at least its a little info, and a 100watt tube head has got to be worth $100 easy, as long as it works and tubes arent all shot.
good luck
I think CC deville from POISON used crate tube amps exclusively.
OK, maybe that is not such a good thing
but at least its a little info, and a 100watt tube head has got to be worth $100 easy, as long as it works and tubes arent all shot.
good luck
Easto
New member
gibsonguy09 said:
If the tube are working fine then it sounds like a good thing. A lot of Crates have had a problem with cold solder joints etc. If it works great, but you may want to have someone who knows what they're doing go through it for good measure. If you're savy enough pull the PCB out of it and see if there's any burning around the tube socket joints The guy I use here charges me $95 to go through any amp I bring him and do a "once over" on it... clean the pots, fix solder joints and any small mods I may want or that he recomends. I consider the $95 insurance.
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