NAD: Crate VC3112

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t1r12003

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Click image for larger version Name: 1D92A910-6A4F-4DF2-8149-19E53E03E333.jpeg Views: 0 Size: 87.8 KB ID: 6089215 Here it is next to my Classic 30. Had to clean pots and sockets and put some fresh tubes in but sounds great. I’m not loving the gain channel but run volume up and gain around 9 o’clock for low gain crunch and it’s usable. Best tones come with a B Custom Cool OD pedal in the clean channel. Blends well with the C30 which has a much looser gain sound that I always have liked.

I’ve got a couple EH12AY7’s coming to try and tame the gain and put a Sovtek 12AX7LPS in phase inverter. MDF cabinet isn’t great but for now can’t complain for under $200
 
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At that price, no, I wouldn't complain. 30 watts? That's enough to keep up with a decent rhythm section in a small room. Does it have scalable output levels?

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Demanic said:
At that price, no, I wouldn't complain. 30 watts? That's enough to keep up with a decent rhythm section in a small room. Does it have scalable output levels?

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk
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No it’s got a clean channel volume that comes up fast so at 9 o’clock it’s already crazy loud. I’m going to experiment with the lower gain preamp tubes as suggested by others on another forum
 
I feel like I've played a couple of these over the years and never liked the gain channels either. They can sound kinda raspy. Can make the hot rod deluxe drive channel sound good by comparison lol.
But you can go to town with pedals and have a good time for sure.
There is no diode clipping and the circuit is not super complicated so with a couple mods to the tone stack and amount of gain you could potentially have way more than you paid for.
Pretty great that tube amps can be had for so cheap!!
 
Mincer said:
How does it sound compared to the Peavey?
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I’ll preface this with the Classic 30 has a Jensen Mod 12” 110 speaker upgrade that sounds great with extended low end. That being said the C30 gain is looser more splatty in a good way. I run an Xotic EP Booster in front with the dial all the way down and a Sweet Honey OD with a fairly low gain and unity volume setting that really tightens it up and that’s the magic

The Crate clean channel is a bit more scooped, slightly brighter but that may be the speaker and crappy cabinet. The gain channel is tighter and more upper mids to my ears. Not a lot of low end on the Crate gain channel even with the bass on 9 or 10 compared to my Classic 30 at about 1 o’clock.

Plan is a complete tube and cabinet overhaul. My brother is unloading an old Peavey 212 combo shell I sold him with 2 speakers in it a while back. I’m going to take the Crate chassis out, mount it in the 212 can and get a couple of really good speakers
 
Yes, the Classic 30 always had that splatty thing going on. I'd probably like the Crate, too.
 
Just bought used and broken in Eminence Private Jack and Celestion G12T-75 for the 212 combo conversion. Mix of midrange and scooped tones should work well
 
Got matched quad of EH EL84’s
V1 and V2 have EH 12AY7’s
V3 - Mullard 12AX7
V4 - Sovtek 12AX7LPS (phase inverter)

Speakers arriving later this week then I can wire up and sound test
 
jeremy said:
why 12ay7 for v1 & v2? really lowering the gain?
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Yeah I saw on other forums guys were trying lower gain preamp tubes to push the volume and keep it clean. Also trying to smooth out the gain channel. Another suggestion was clipping the bright cap on the clean channel volume pot but I’m going to leave it for now and test it with new tubes, speakers and cabinet
 
right on. a friend had one of these years ago and he got some good sounds out of it with his gibson nighthawk
 
he played straight in, i believe on the gain channel but with the gain set pretty low and used his volume control to get shades of clean to dirty. i like those barber pedals though
 
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