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previous: Scott Question...a couple of people here ... -- 4/18/2000 11:35 PM view thread

Re: Have I lost my mind?!

4/19/2000 8:08 PM
RMS
Re: Have I lost my mind?!
quote:
"Question...a couple of people here have stated that they've lost tone at higher volumes with the Crate. Does that seems a little backwards to anyone other than me?. Usually I find that once you begin to open a tube amp up volume wise, "tone" begins to really show through. Any thoughts?"
 
 
I've never played one of these Crates outside of a store, so I'll just comment in general. My experience is that there are 3 different type of sounds I look for from a guitar amp. The first is room or practice volume. Second is loud solo volume (ie. turned up, but without other instruments). Finally, the third (most important IMO) is loud in the mix with other instruments.  
 
In the second two cases, the amp doesn't really sound any different, but its apparent sound is different. Some amps sound great at high volumes by themselves but still tend to get lost in the mix with other instruments. I'm a long time Marshall user. Whenever I play one by itself, I always think it's too bright. As soon as I get a bass and drums there, it sounds perfect to me. It just mixes better with other instruments than some other amps that sound better if you A/B'd them in a sound room by yourself.  
 
That's how I read the statement. The Crate may actually sound better opened up than at low volume (may not too, due to the output transformer), but it doesn't cut throw well with the rest of the band. YMMV of course and I don't have an opinion on the particular amp from personal experience. It's just how I read the statement from my own experience.  
 
Ross