The Failure of Crate Amps

[RW James]

Crate Amps tend to fail first at the input jack. At least that is what I've always heard. So when my favorite amp a Crate MX65 began to fail this way - to the point where it really wouldn't play, I threw the amp into the trash (after salvaging the speaker and all the knobs).

I also had a used Crate bass amp - and sure enough it began to fail the same way. I really didn't want to toss it. So I talked with my local music store owner - he used to work for Crate in their tube amp division. He thought it might be a simple fix - and it was. He said that three of the solder joints holding the input jack to the pc board were cracked. He just heated them up, and $20 later it works!

So now I really miss my old guitar amp. I replaced it with a Spider II (which is where the knobs went) and I've really grown to dislike that amp. (I have others I play instead. I let guests play my Spider)

Anyway - let that be a lesson to you - don't give up too soon on an amp that just might need a little solder work or some nut-tightening (referring to a Blackheart thread.)

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

I bet this would be a GREAT topic for Amplifier Central!

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

What's the Blackheart failure in question? I am looking at getting one and I'd like to know what went wrong (assumedly the input jack :laugh2: )

 

[GoldenVulture]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

So when my favorite amp a Crate MX65 began to fail this way - to the point where it really wouldn't play, I threw the amp into the trash (after salvaging the speaker and all the knobs).

That was impulsive behaviour.:scratchch

What's the Blackheart failure in question? I am looking at getting one and I'd like to know what went wrong (assumedly the input jack :laugh2:

A pot not tightened up properly and not connecting properly ,apparently.

PS: this belongs in the AMP section ,doesn't it?

 

[jeremy]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

cheap jacks soldered to the board are a cheap easy way to make an amp but suck in just about every other way. i usually replace them with a normal switchcraft jack and rum wires to the board. do it the first time the jack craps out and youll never have input jack issues again.

 

[RW James]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

I thought I DID put it in the Amp section. But if I didn't - sorry - and thanks to whoever moved it.

As for replacing it with a Switchcraft jack - I considered that, but there were way too many joints. I couldn't tell which ones went where, and what to do with the rest of them.

 

[RW James]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

What's the Blackheart failure in question? I am looking at getting one and I'd like to know what went wrong (assumedly the input jack :laugh2: )

Blackheart thread here - not an input jack problem, but along the same idea

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

A few years ago I got a Rockman guitar EQ real cheap because the iinputs were hosed up. All that was wrong was the solder connections to the circuit board had cracked. Easy fix. I did it myself.

A bad connection is one of the easiest things to fix. Never throw gear out just because of a little crackle or cutting out. It's often easily fixable.

Of course if it's a high end tube guitar amp, it's hopeless, just sell it cheap, to me!

 

[Zerberus]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

The old Fender M-80 bass amps had teh same problem, I eventually floated the entire input jack off the board after repairing it twice.

And then teh power section gave out 2 years later :laugh2:

 

[Sanford]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

In addition to the pressure exerted on board-mounted input jacks being a failure point, the plastic housing usually cracks and causes the internal connections to fail. Many brands use these things and are a headache waiting to happen. As Jeremy said: replace it with a properly constructed jack and run wires to the PC board. A few minutes figuring out the connections is a small price to pay to keep this problem from happening.

 

[exnihilo]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

My Crate failed at the transformer, not long after I bought it. Thankfully, I still had the Warranty and Crate got it back to me fairly quickly.

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

So when my favorite amp a Crate MX65 began to fail this way - to the point where it really wouldn't play, I threw the amp into the trash (after salvaging the speaker and all the knobs).

That's funny... that's the same amp I've been using for the past few years. Thanks for the heads-up fix.

We probably don't play the same kinda music, but that amp (and other Crate's ftm) can cover different basic musical sounds.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

you get what you pay for....

Still.... one reason why I don't really want an AC15 anymore is this made in china type of construction. Not that the Chinese aren't capable of doing good work, but you wouldn't outsource overseas unless your sole goal was cutting costs.

I really like my blackheart and honestly believe that he good majority of them work fine OOB and stay that way for while.... but you do gamble on getting a good one or a bad one.

I have a lil more faith in American operations, and even MIM Fender stuff. seems like since it's right over the border it's not such a pain to monitor quality. Crate prolly gets their stuff done by a different company in China, like how Squier often uses Cort guitar plants and such.

 

[RW James]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

That's funny... that's the same amp I've been using for the past few years. Thanks for the heads-up fix.

We probably don't play the same kinda music, but that amp (and other Crate's ftm) can cover different basic musical sounds.

I absolutely loved that amp. I liked the variety of models it offered and the way you could program the three channels. Some of the things it could do that the Spider couldn't included adding pedal effects, and programming the wet/dry mix.

you get what you pay for...

Of course, you're right. But for those of us with limited finances, Crate offers a pretty good bang for your buck. When I picked up the amp I asked him if it was a manufacturing defect and he felt that it wasn't - just the effects of aging.

 

[soundgardener75]

Re: The Failure of Crate Amps

Why does a company like Crate has crappy components?

I've gotten my ex-bandmate onto Lee Jackson designed amps, that he bought a GT-50 Stealth on eBay. All of the jacks were faulty, but whenever we got to get it to work, it's the best Crate amp that we've ever heard.

The only thing Crate about it is the box itself.