Crate Vintage Club?

[jazzems5150]

Anyone have anything to offer about these amps? I just got an offer to trade my Peavey Valveking for a 15 year old USA 30 watt one. Seems interesting but I'm pretty skeptical about Crate.

[karpathion]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

I have the GT500H. It's the same amp, just different name. I've only had a week to play with it, but it's kinda cool.

It's not gonna give you the modern metal, big bottom end and high gain, but it does do a few things very well.

Channel A/Clean, leaves nothing behind. I have no problems with this side of it at all. It takes pedals very well, and does a very good Vox/Fender thing very well. It's better than what you would expect for the price these amps go for these days. No complaints at all.

Channel B/Overdrive, is where it's fun yet aggravating. The controls are very touch sensitive. Just a little turn will give you a lot.
There is really more gain on tap than you need, so keep that gain knob somewhere below 2 oclock, or it gets pretty buzzy.

The best way I can describe the dirty side is this.... If you want metal, don't bother. If you want Skynard, Zeppelin, AC/DC, ZZ top, or older style tones, go for it. It does old school very well. If you want modern rock from about 2000 and up, buy something else.

Hope that helps!

[glassman]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

If the Vintage Club series had been Crate's first offering to the musical world, they would have a much different (far better) reputation today. They do go through EL84s like a Vox so you might want to budget for annual or semi-annual power tube repacement if you pull the trigger on this trade.

[saladin]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

They sound great...when they work. I've seen too many with major problems.

[RealtyViking]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

Great amps! I have gone through four of them and have done some minor repairs and cleanup. I have picked them up cheap and sold them for a return that covered my time. People, especially players, are usually astonished when hearing them after some basic maintenance. I still have a 50 watt 15" combo.

The biggest problems with these amps are dirty/ corroded pots which effect all amps at some point. That is easy to fix with a little deoxit. Next is the cab mounted channel switch. Again, easy to fix with an inexpensive foot switch as it bypasses the chassis mounted switch. There were some production issues with cold solder joints. A tech would be required to redress the joints if that was still a problem, but most were repaired under original warranty.

The differences between the 30 and 50 watt versions are cathode bias and a smaller OT on the 30. That makes the 30 watt version sound a little more vintage. As far as sound character goes I would say that the clean channel is best described as very similar to a Fender Bassman. So the cleans are not chimey like a Vox or glassey like a twin, but a little more attitude. The drive channel would best match something like a JTM45. It has a nice crunch. Nothing too heavy, but if classic rock or blues are in your set list it will nail those. The original reverb unit being a long three spring is also very nice. The reverb is not as thick as a Fender, but close. The stock speakers were Crate labeled Eminence Legends.

If you have any specific questions let me know.

[Spudman]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

I still have my VC5212 that I bought new in 1994. Great sounding amp. Clean channel sounds like a Bassman and the dirty channel a hotroded Marshall. Speakers are really good in it too. I've let several well known players use it for their backline and everyone of them liked it.

The 30 watt version would be a good one to have. I was always told to turn down with the 50 watt...but then again I like to play loud.

[hotlayout]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

I have a Crate Vintage 30 and it is a beast. Very loud. The Cleans warm up a lot with increased volume.
Doesn't not have a pronounced gain stage, so not great for high gain stuff. Sounds like a driven Marshall on the gain channel.
Heavy, this thing has to weigh 90 pounds. Will fill a moderate club gig with sound. I like it. It is distinctive and the speaker is killer. Definitely has a bit of a vintage "Bluesbreaker" tone. I also have Fender 1980 Deluxe and a Egnater TOL 50. Egnater is the most versatile Fender best for sparkling cleans. Paid a bit over $250 for it at Music Go Round. Well worth the price!

[Jdld8586]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

I just bought a Crate Vintage Club 50 head and 4-10 cab The cab is black and that's OK but, the damn head is blue! Is that normal or is this thing infected. If it has been recovered it had to have been years ago. It's very worn but looks factory to me. Been looking all over the net and haven't seen another one yet. Input would great. Thanx!

[jtougas]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

I've never seen one done in blue.

I have one of the V18s... I actually dig it, after some light modding (tweaked the tube selection, swapped out for a longer reverb tank, different speaker).

[RealtyViking]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

Post pictures and we can see if it is a stock head or a converted combo. The only color I have seen is the blond, but I think there were some of the later Vintage Clubs came in black.

Bigger question....

How does it sound?

[jpistolas]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

Tried out a VC5212 at my friends shop about a year ago. He said the previous owner had no issues with it and he never mentioned any issues while he had it at the shop either. RealityViking's post was very similar to my impression. Clean was very Fender Bassman like & drive was decent classic rock at best. If you use much gain on the Valveking which has quite a bit you'll be let down with the Vintage Club. It also weighed a ton so gigging wouldn't be too fun. This one had blonde tolex also. Great looking amp.

Billy Gibbons used the V3112 on some TV appearances I've seen and may still be using them. Needless to say he sounded good. These are different than the VC amps. IMO they have a better drive channel. Still nothing compared to your Valveking.

There is a mod for the V18 that makes it sound very close to a Soldano SLO. Several youtube examples. Always wanted a V18 just for that reason.

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

I just bought a Crate Vintage Club 50 head and 4-10 cab The cab is black and that's OK but, the damn head is blue! Is that normal or is this thing infected. If it has been recovered it had to have been years ago. It's very worn but looks factory to me. Been looking all over the net and haven't seen another one yet. Input would great. Thanx!

Actually the blue is factory... After they did the blonde ones they went to blue for a year or 2 then to black. My best friend has gigged with a blue one for about 15 years now. Its gone through tubes and fuses and the occasional other odd bit but its still thumping a long.

[thespricket]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

I'm quite positive the VC will sound much better than a VK. I had a VC30 for a while and I remember the cleans always sounded great and it took pedals really well. They're supposed to be really solid amps, they'll be around forever like the silverface fenders.


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[Wattage]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

Owned a couple of them, great amps but fragile input jacks and flakey pots. Nothing more than an occasional pass with the solder gun and tuner cleaner.

[DottJ]

Re: Crate Vintage Club?

Great amps! I have gone through four of them and have done some minor repairs and cleanup. I have picked them up cheap and sold them for a return that covered my time. People, especially players, are usually astonished when hearing them after some basic maintenance. I still have a 50 watt 15" combo.

The biggest problems with these amps are dirty/ corroded pots which effect all amps at some point. That is easy to fix with a little deoxit. Next is the cab mounted channel switch. Again, easy to fix with an inexpensive foot switch as it bypasses the chassis mounted switch. There were some production issues with cold solder joints. A tech would be required to redress the joints if that was still a problem, but most were repaired under original warranty.

The differences between the 30 and 50 watt versions are cathode bias and a smaller OT on the 30. That makes the 30 watt version sound a little more vintage. As far as sound character goes I would say that the clean channel is best described as very similar to a Fender Bassman. So the cleans are not chimey like a Vox or glassey like a twin, but a little more attitude. The drive channel would best match something like a JTM45. It has a nice crunch. Nothing too heavy, but if classic rock or blues are in your set list it will nail those. The original reverb unit being a long three spring is also very nice. The reverb is not as thick as a Fender, but close. The stock speakers were Crate labeled Eminence Legends.

If you have any specific questions let me know.

Hi all, i'm new of this forum.
Yesterday my brother give me his old ampli; it's Crate vintage club 50w 5115. I have an engl savage with a mesa boogie 4x12 cab but i want to change my configuration. I want to know if with some mod i can use the crate for my purpose.
I want to buy a 2x12 cab and use the crate like a mono chanel head with 4 or 5 pedal. i play in a cover band some Black stone cherry, Metallica, alterbridge, alice cooper, but also joe bonamassa, hendrix songs.

do you think i can mod my crate and use a cab? what kind of mod do you suggest? clean tone- hard-metal tone? wich pedal do you suggest?
thanks for you help!
and sorry for my poor english