Unexpected & Obscure New Amp Day.

Drano Max

New member
I found one of those Lee Jackson designed, Crate Stealth, 50w heads, on craigslist for $125. I drove 30 miles to check it out, and the input jack is all kinds of crazy. You have to move the cable around for a minute to find a sweet spot to get any sound. "He left that part out."

I told him that I just didn't have the $50 to take it to a tech right now, and that I would pass. He immediately threw out $75, since I had to have it fixed. I just couldn't pass it up. I brought her home.

As long as you have that input jack in the right spot, this thing screams!

The Clean is actually pretty good. It's no Fender, mind you, but it is very usable. The gain channel is where it shines though. Gain for days, wide sweeps in the controls, and a very 80's and early 90's gain structure. If I can find a footswitch for it, it has another stage, that I haven't even heard yet.

It has a presence control, but no resonance. Built in reverb, for both channels, series FX loop, and master volume controls.

The damn thing can go from Zep, to Sabbath,and Motley Crue , to all of the big 4, and even up to earlier Pantera. It really likes those Lynch tones too.

As it is a 4x6v6 power section, it doesn't quite bring the bottom end that you would expect in a high gain, modern amp, but an EQ in the loop seems to have fixed that.

It doesn't really care for OD pedals, as there is obviously some diode clipping going on. I mean, it only has 2 preamp tubes, and a PI. What do you expect?

The sick part is, I have close to 100 switchcraft jacks, and a pretty good knowledge of amp related repairs. It'll take me about 10 minute to install the new jack, about $60 to retube it, and $15 for a footswitch.

For the $150 I'll have in. I'll just keep this one as a practice amp. It's impossible to beat this thing for what I'll have in it.

If I can figure out how to post pictures in here, I'll show it to you. In all of it's Felt covered glory!
 
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Re: Unexpected & Obscure New Amp Day.

Happy NAD. If you really want a resonance control, they're easy enough to add it. All you have to do is add a potentiometer and capacitor to the negative feedback loop circuit, and you'll have a proper resonance control. It's similar to a proper presence control (same idea within the negative feedback loop - different frequencies). However, some manufacturers have different meanings of presence controls for different amps - some keep true to the NFB loop design, others just make it an EQ band in the preamp for the very highest frequencies etc. Not sure if your amp is either, but that doesn't really matter.
 
Re: Unexpected & Obscure New Amp Day.

If The EQ in he loop didn't boost the bottom end, and stay tight in the process, I would have considered a mod. As easy of a mod as it is, it's just not needed.

I was able to turn it up a bit this morning, and all I can say is, "Damn!" For a cheaply build Crate tube amp, from the 90's, this thing ain't bad. The bottom end fills out a bit more as you turn it up, and the power tube breakup from those 6v6's is pretty impressive. I'm not complaining at all for $75.

I'm about o fix that input jack, right now.
 
Re: Unexpected & Obscure New Amp Day.

Back in the day I almost bot one with the 2 x 12" cab. I should have just gotten it....
 
Re: Unexpected & Obscure New Amp Day.

Sometimes those diode amps just need to find the right boost/OD. You could have 4 similar type ODs and one will seem to work with the thing.
 
Re: Unexpected & Obscure New Amp Day.

I recently sold my Crate Stealth 50 for over 300 on ebay. The input issue on yours is minor, so you got a great deal.

The Crate Stealth was all mids, and I could not get a big bangin' low mid thump out of it, but the mids were legitimate Marshall modded mids, and were very good. The stock speaker in the combo is aweful. Either run it into a 4x12, or replace the speaker, which isn't easy, casuse the speaker is is front mounted under the grillcloth, and for me, the bolts started spinning and wouldnt /couldnt be removed, so I had to mess up the grillcloth to get them out.[/I].
 
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Re: Unexpected & Obscure New Amp Day.

Owned several of those amps over the years they are real sleepers. GREAT tones and not that badly built as all of mine were rock solid reliable.
Congrats great score for $75!!!
 
Re: Unexpected & Obscure New Amp Day.

I recently sold my Crate Stealth 50 for over 300 on ebay. The input issue on yours is minor, so you got a great deal.

The Crate Stealth was all mids, and I could not get a big bangin' low mid thump out of it, but the mids were legitimate Marshall modded mids, and were very good. The stock speaker in the combo is aweful. Either run it into a 4x12, or replace the speaker, which isn't easy, casuse the speaker is is front mounted under the grillcloth, and for me, the bolts started spinning and wouldnt /couldnt be removed, so I had to mess up the grillcloth to get them out.[/I].

Luckily, I have the head version, but it's not easy to work on either. Not only do you have to remove every single nut from the front and rear panel, it has a ton of screws to removes, to get the board up. I hope I never have to take thing apart again.
 
Re: Unexpected & Obscure New Amp Day.

Owned several of those amps over the years they are real sleepers. GREAT tones and not that badly built as all of mine were rock solid reliable.
Congrats great score for $75!!!

Sleeper for sure. I've always had a thing for Lee Jackson's amps. Those Metaltronix amps where the ****!
 
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