I've been playing a Crate GFX-65T for about 4 years now. It's been a good amp - just about all I need. It's all SS - 3 channels - 1 clean and 2 overdrive - with 3 separate FX programs - with an onboard chromatic tuner.
I've been out of country for a couple of weeks - so I haven't played the amp for about a month.
Yesterday, I finished installing my new SD JB/Jazz pickups into my Washburn and was anxious to try them out - I plugged the amp in and started to tune the guitar using the onboard tuner.
Everything went well until about the 4th string and then 80% of the volume just died and the sound got real trebley (I was in the clean channel). I went to the rhythm O/D channels - same thing. I went to the lead O/D channel and it sounded okay.
I turned the amp off - let go completely down - fired it back up - played one note in the clean channel - it sounded the first part of the note then with a "pop" died down again to 20%.
I suspected my new pickups - so I tried another guitar - the same thing. Then my son said he had the same problem earlier with his SG in my amp - he thought there was something wrong with his guitar.
What happened?
I'm assuming my amp is dead... I'm also assuming that since it is SS it can't be fixed (easily)... I am therefore assuming that I need a new amp.
I told my wife I would get some advice here - so first I need someone to tell me what happened to my amp and if 4 years is the expected life span of a Crate amp. It wasn't a really expensive amp - but we don't have a lot of descrecionary funds for stuff like this.
But I need an amp. So second - I need to know - should I stay away from Crate? What other amps should I be looking at?
Something between 50 and 100 watts seems enough for me - where I play, we are mic'ed and the sound guy likes to take control of my levels and gives me all I want through a monitor. I play mostly rhythm - but occasionally lead - so I need to have foot switchable channels.
Any suggestions?
And please, someone answer the first question, I don't want my wife to think I am buying a new amp just because I have GAS (I do, but that's not a good reason here).
Thanks for any help here,
Rick
I've been out of country for a couple of weeks - so I haven't played the amp for about a month.
Yesterday, I finished installing my new SD JB/Jazz pickups into my Washburn and was anxious to try them out - I plugged the amp in and started to tune the guitar using the onboard tuner.
Everything went well until about the 4th string and then 80% of the volume just died and the sound got real trebley (I was in the clean channel). I went to the rhythm O/D channels - same thing. I went to the lead O/D channel and it sounded okay.
I turned the amp off - let go completely down - fired it back up - played one note in the clean channel - it sounded the first part of the note then with a "pop" died down again to 20%.
I suspected my new pickups - so I tried another guitar - the same thing. Then my son said he had the same problem earlier with his SG in my amp - he thought there was something wrong with his guitar.
What happened?
I'm assuming my amp is dead... I'm also assuming that since it is SS it can't be fixed (easily)... I am therefore assuming that I need a new amp.
I told my wife I would get some advice here - so first I need someone to tell me what happened to my amp and if 4 years is the expected life span of a Crate amp. It wasn't a really expensive amp - but we don't have a lot of descrecionary funds for stuff like this.
But I need an amp. So second - I need to know - should I stay away from Crate? What other amps should I be looking at?
Something between 50 and 100 watts seems enough for me - where I play, we are mic'ed and the sound guy likes to take control of my levels and gives me all I want through a monitor. I play mostly rhythm - but occasionally lead - so I need to have foot switchable channels.
Any suggestions?
And please, someone answer the first question, I don't want my wife to think I am buying a new amp just because I have GAS (I do, but that's not a good reason here).
Thanks for any help here,
Rick
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