Crate BV6212 Blue Voodoo

This Crate amp is basically the grown up version of the Fender Blues Jr. Yea I know the manufactuers are different. The Crate has true two channels, clean and down and dirty. The BJr is what I rehearse with and use at small venues because it's only 31 lbs. The BV comes out for larger venues and outdoors, in my rig I use a Fender Highway one strat and a custom tricked '62 re-issue strat with Texas Specials, Keeley Compressor, Boss super over drive, digidelay and a crybaby wah. I am telling you this BV is awesome and when you can find one for $350.00 or less what a steal. Bought mine on ebay and retubed with JJ El 34's and JJ 12ax7's. Anyone want a good deal on a Mesa Boogie Nomad 45? The Crate rips it's ass! I play Blue's, and Southern Rock and both of the mentioned amps are tone monsters. I probably would not recomend for metal but I haven't tried to dial that in.

You can go to ice pick piercing clean to down right dirty with the the puch of a button. It has no hums or buzzes.

I had my nieces over and ran a vocal mic through it for them to play with, I came back and it was not working at all. Lights came on but zero noise. Removed the head to check internal fuses and bingo, have had no more problems.

Crate had the manual on line so I down loaded and have never had any other issues.

I have been playing professionaly for 2 years and owned a guitar for over thirty years. I would replace if I could find another one if it were ever stolen. If you are a Blues player, I definitely reccomend you check it out. You'll be pleasantly surprised and then when you throw out those B.S. groove tubes and retube with some JJ's you'll be a believer and still have some cash in your pocket.

My amp ws made in 96. I play alot of 80's style metal with alot of artificial harmonics. Sounds awesome!! Two channels with footswitch. Wished it had more of a tube sound. Not alot of bottom end. Use this amp at home and it has more than enough for me.

Very sharp and sizzling distortion. Clean is ok.I have a Squier Pro Tone Fat Strat and an Ibanez I built with a screamin deamon pickup. Have heard some input noise but not bad yet. I turn up to abt 3 and it sounds really good.

I just bought it and had to retube ASAP. Didn't get a chance to play before I bought it and something was blown. I spent $100 on tubes and its cool now. It was 11 years old so it was due.

None

Been playing on and off for 30 years. Have a GNX 3 I run through the clean and it bakes. I would buy something else if I lost this one. I really like the distortion on this amp. I was really wanting a Randall G3 but couldn't find one. I wish it had some onboard effects. Chorus or flange would be great.

Mine was made in '95 or '96
This amp is flexible enough for my playing styles (blues /rock/metal)
Standard features
Crystal clean clean channel, Killer OD channel.
Plenty of power (hair parting)!
Mostly play small clubs

I spent a while dialing the amp in to get the sounds that I was after. I was a bit dissapointed until I realized that the "sweet spot" is where the OD channel gain is at max and the master volume is at about 2-3 o'clock. I use a THD hot plate to allow high master volume settings withoput earsplitting volume in a small club. with this setup, the OD channel sings!
I play a vintage LP, an ES 335, a Strat or a Jackson
No hum or noise. I recently retubed with groove tubes, and replaced the 12au7 phase inverter with a 12ax7.

I had a problem with hum when I purchased it (used) but retubing corrected it. I always bring a backup (Marshall) amp to a gig, and have never had to use it.

My only contact with SLM was to order the schematic, which arrived in a week. So, I have received excellent customer service.

I have been playing for 35 years. I use a variety of pedals, in addition to playing straight into the amp. If it were lost / stolen I would buy another. In fact, I'm looking for another as a backup
Buy a hot plate and realize the real potential of this amp!

its a very versitile amp, the single reverb control is fine for what i do becuase i would have it the same on both channels anyway. i put it right around 5 and its perfect my reverb just hums alot

i play it on a PRS Tremonti SE, the overdrive is great, very very heavy for a tube amp especialy when the volume is turned over 1/2 way up, it will make your ears ring in a smaller room, its dirty tones are very thick and i can dial it down to 60's mild crunch if i want to, the clean sounds good too, it can go from vintage tele twang to thick GNR clean tones

it is realtivly relyable, i just retubed it and resolderd alot of bad joints, and replaced a resistor, ths was due to a rather large fall it took, i didnt strap it down in the bed of my truck and it fell quite hard when i was stopping, but the solder joint is the only thing that hold many extrnal componants onto the board, now i stap it down no matter how far im going.

the guy i talked to at customer support knew what he was talking about, the only probelem was when i ordered the schematic it took several weekes for them to get it to me and im in south east ohio, thats too long even by mail from ST Louis.

its a great amp i especialy like the XLR out on the back i you cant cant spare a mic for it, but the vintage club speakers soung good, for the price i paid it was muck better than the Drive CD200R i had, the effects in it worked for a couple weeks and then the never have worked right. But with my Tremonti SE this sounds great i couldnt ask for much more from an amp that i do this much with, i mainly just play at home or at church.

Features already listed elsewhere. Mine was used and came without footswitches, but I tend to stay on one or two tones and don't mind changing manually between songs. Really wish it had separate reverb controls per channel, but I gather they fixed this problem with later versions. I would also love a headphone jack, specifically with a speaker bypass-- I live in an apartment, and playing at night isn't always an option. On that note, WELL more than enough power for me. I'm primarily a sound engineer, and I really don't subscribe to the "turn it up to 11" school of guitar. I find the tone I like, set it at a reasonable volume not to annoy neighbors or get to much mic bleed on stage, and let FOH deal with volume.

I have finally upgraded from my BC Rich POS to a Fender '73 Tele Custom, and I'm loving life. I play blues-rock to grunge and some rockabilly/western swing, and this amp can totally cover me. The distortion seems a little mid-heavy, which makes it suck for metal, but it's great for what I'm playing. And with the neck humbucker on the Tele, I can still get a fat, driving sound without eq'ing the heck out of it. Unmistakably tube-y and warm, I think it has a distinctive presence-- thicker than a Marshall, less piercing high end than most of the Fenders that pierce my ears. I don't know what kind of reverb other reviewers are used to, but mine has some rediculous reverb. A little dark and long for my taste, but plenty of it. I generally use it as presence, unless I'm doing rockabilly and want that Duane Eddy/Carl Perkins sound and crank it up. For my money, it gets plenty wet. And as everyone has said, the clean channel rocks. Hella volume, and solid, faithful tone.

Again, I got it used, and considering I cleaned a pair of chopsticks, three picks, and two Heineken caps out of the bottom of it when I bought it, I can only guess how the previous owner treated it... Working fine when I got it, and I haven't really driven it that loud or that long. I'm getting a lot of distortion on the clean channel after 10-15 min of playing, and I think it's just time to replace the preamp tubes. Incidentally, it's actually a great sound, a sloppy, rubber-band distortion with some tremelo. I think I might record some of it before I fix the problem... Other than that, it's held up well, and I think the case construction is stellar.

Just downloaded a manual to see about tubes, but that's all the contact I've had with Crate.

Once I get it tweaked back into shape, I'm convinced I'll be loving it. I'm primarily an acoustic player when I play, and I think this is probably going to be the only electric amp I own for a good long while. I'd probably buy another one if this one crapped out-- good tone and more style than others I've seen and tested. It is a bit of a beast, though. Hasn't Crate ever heard of casters? :)

Features are covered. It's an older mid-90's one with the bright blue tolex, seems in good shape.

I have played an Ibanez GRX20 and a BC Rich JR-V with DiMarzio Evolutions through this. I have the 212 sitting on the 2x12 cab of my old Vintage Club 50 (minus the VC50 amp, it died). The speakers in the BV are the same ones as the VC, so all 4 are matched. The sound: The OD channel is fizzy and doesn't sound tubey really at all. Damn the transistor. It doesn't even come close to matching my old Crate Vintage Club 50's distortion. I'll never understand why Crate went with "transistor-assisted" distortion in a tube amp. Why does it need an assist? But here's the good part: I use the clean channel with a Boss MT-2 MetalZone (I know what you're thinking, but listen). I set the eqs on the amp as such: Low: 4:00, mid: flat, and high: 1:00, and I set the EQ flat on the MT2 except the lows which I set at 3:00, and I set the Gain at 2:00. This is a really awesome sound, especially with the power tubes cooking. Perfect for our metal style, articulate and heavy, with enough low end. The clean channel is 40 times as loud as the OD channel, and with the clean volume at 9:00 it drowns out the drums and still maintains clarity of sound. A sick sick setup. Too band the onboard OD and reverb suck.

I dunno, I've read all the horror stories. I have an old 1987 Crate G40c that's still kicking, but it needs cleaning and the pots are scratchy. The BV has a bit of scratch in the poys and a small whine when being warmed up that disappears after a while. Plus, it's a tube amp, so all that maintenance is required. We'll see...

HM?

With the Metalzone and a chorus pedal, this thing comes alive. Stack it on a good 212 cab and enjoy the sick volume of the clean channel. Without it, good luck. I couldn't find a good dirty tone in this amp for anything except bad punk. But hey, your experiance may vary. For my purposes, it gets a 9.

Around mid 90's 2 channels tube preamp section with 2 6L6 but also can be changed to EL34 without biasing, It has an effect loop and external speaker jack. very versitile amp with good power and volume, lots of gain.

I have been playin for about 15 years and use a variety of guitars anything from strats to teles to a les paul. I play metal and do some country, this amp suits my needs. I can get some creamy thick grind or chicken pickin on this amp . The clean channel is very clean and the distortion is very good. Now that is just the basic amp but I have added a separate tube preamp from Tube Works that i run into a midiverb III then into a EQ and into a noise gate.. with this set up I have found my tone. And life is good.

The reliability is kinda iffy... I got this amp on Ebay, when it arrived the cabinet was spit open and wood splintered everywhere. I was pissed.. but it fired up and ran, so I reglued the cabinet and retubed it.. I has not let me down. that is pretty tough considering a busted tube amp usually is toast.

None,, never called em.

Like I said I have been playing for about 15 years.. I own to much gear to mention,,(gear head)...But I play though this amp daily and am very pleased.. I have a 5150 and a Traynor guitar mate and this one fits my rig perfect. Just the other night me and a drummer where jammin on Metalica's "Am I Evil" and you should of heard the wicked scooped mids and snarlin grind this amp was spewin,, The drummer was pounding hard and he could not drown me out.

'96 model that provides the versatility to play anything from Blues to Black Metal. It has 2-channels w/boost and reverb, fx loop, balance out, and jack for second cab. The Voodoo been used mainly for rehersal w/ limited time playing gigs. Has enough power for small to medium/small clubs, not the loudest 60W amp on the market. Those who say it's loud haven't played loud amps. No comparison to my 5150 combo or Boogie's that I've played.

Play through Ibanez RG & Jem series w/Duncan pickups. The Voodoo fits my style well, which is metal & prog for the most part. Low noise even with the boost on; I only use my Guitar Silencer for gigs. Great distortion, alot of gain, but reverb is weak; just enough though to compliment the sound. Regarding gain, the Voodoo has as much gain as a Boogie but lacks the bottom end and not as compressed or tight. Great sound/tone for the money. Clean channel is nice, but not a Fender clean if that's what your looking for; almost as good as a Marshall JCM.

Had a few problems with the amp over the past 7-years. Still has a minor problem with the fets when switching from the lead channel to the clean channel. There is a split second were the volume increases by about 20%, then reverts to the set volume. As of today, the input jack is out. Not a big problem. Also, haven't had to change the tubes, 7-years, yet which is very surprising considering the hours it's been used.

Haven't ever used customer support. Do repairs myself or use local people. Sending amps off the the manufacture is always the last resort. Even if they are reliable it takes too long. I know, I work for one.

Played guitar for 20-years and have owned many different amps and the Voodoo compares with any regarding sound; craftmanship could be better though. Actually, looking for another combo just in case this one dies. Always compare amps, never buy without playing as many amps as possible. I've compared this amp agianst VHT, Boogie, Marshall, Bogner, Peavey, Soldano, HK, Rivera, and many others. If you can't afford high-end, then get the Voodoo. Doesn't everybody in rock/metal play Boogie? Get something different if you stay in the $600 to $1K range. I'm A/B between the Voodoo and 5150 for about $500 less than a Boogie Recto. Great all-around amp for the semi-serious muscian.

60-watt tube amp.insane distortion. very warm clean chanel. LOUDEST AMP I HAVE EVER HEARD OR PLAYED THROUGH.

i have been playing for 8-years and this is my first tube amp. it by far surpasses any solid states out there. YOU CAN NAIL TONY IOMMI'S BLACK SABBATH TONE!!!!! KILLER REVERB ON THE CLEAN CHANNEL The only bad things I can say, are that the reverb acts as a gain boost on the overdrive chanel(kinda cool but it might be a defect), and there is way to much bass!

bought it used, made in 1995-still works.

N/A

GREAT AMP. WISH IT HAD ONE REVERB FOR EACH CHANNEL. <<<<WHEN READING THESE REVIEWS,KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE ARE TWO VERSIONS;THOSE MADE BEFORE 95, AND THOSE MADE AFTER-EACH WITH DIFFERENT SPECS. MINE IS THE OLDER VERSION.>>>>

I'd have to say it was made in '95 or '96, as I got it new early in '96. I played a strat through it at guitar Center, and loved it.
The only thing I never liked about it is that the reverb is shared between the two channels. Wouldn't be that big a deal if the head version didn't have seperate reverb controls.

I have a Flying V, a Tele and a Strat with a humbucker in the bridge.
I have never played another amp that was as close to the fender clean, and as close to the marshall crunch as this one. I play Skynyrd, Santana, Megadeth, Guns&Roses, Aerosmith, Metallica, SRV. This amp does it all very well.
No hum except with the strat with lots of gain.
I have only started using pedals with this amp a year ago, and I think it is even better. My favorite pedal now, is the BD-2 by boss. It is an overdrive pedal, which lets me set up my clean SRV sound on the clean channel. Kick in the pedal, and I'm doing Rolling Stones, AC/DC, using the volume control on the guitar. Kick in the dirty channel, and I got Metallica, Megadeth rhythms(I don't do the scooped mids, and it sounds fine) kick in the BD-2, and I have a lead boost, better note definiton, roll back onthe guitars tone, and I'm Santana.
I have had this amp for over six years, I can't think of another amp I'd rather have.

After having the amp for six months, I blew out one of the speakers. I got it repaired, and two months later blew the other one. I replaced both with a pair of eminence legends. About a year later, the amp started to get very shrill on the clean channel only, I replaced the preamp tubes, and that solved that problem. Two months ago it crapped out completely, I took it to be serviced. They swapped out the whole PC board, for $170, the amp sounds just as good now as it ever did. I figured that was normal wear and tear(except for blowing the speakers) I am happy with the amp. I'll buy another in a hurry. Now I cruise pawn shops tyrying to get these 6212 for under $300.

I have only talked to them on the phone, ordered a set of schematics, found a local qualified repair person, they sound like good folks to me.

I have been playing for 12 years now. This is the only tube amnp I have ever owned. I have played others, borrowed others, but nothing has got me wanting to replace this one. If I could get one thing changed, I would make it a 25 or 15 watt amp, with the 2 12's. I am going to be experimenting with a THD hot Plate shortly, and I'll let you know. For what they cost used, I'd definitely find another one if this one came up missing. Fender's don't get crunchy enough, Mesa's don't sparkle enough, and Marshall just doesn't have the Air I'm looking for in the clean channel.