Crate CA125D

You can read all the tech stuff in the other reviews.

I played my friends CA 125 D last week at an acoustic gig using it for my mandolin.

I wanted something to help add Shape & Size to my mandolin when plugged in. Of course I would like to play it without my Fishman bridge pickup but sometimes we must all ?plug in?.

This amp adds everything I could ever want. I really liked the ?Room Size? as this takes out some of the harshness and presence that can come from a mandolin. Add a little chorus and there you have it?

I just bought a newer version of this amp "The CA 125 DG" yesterday and have yet to play it and I don?t know the difference from the D to the DG but I am confident that this is the amp for my mandolin. In addition the Guitar Center miss marked it and I walked out with a new / in the box 125 DG paying $329 plus tax !!! I figure I saved over $250!!

Sounds Great!!!

I guess the ont thing I can add to this forum is the fact that I am primarily using it for Mandolin...

I play a Collings MT2 with a Fishman Bridge Pick-up.

Great sound, effects and lots of variety.

I ma glad I could afford this size amp as I am confident a smaller amp would eventually need to be replaced. This amp will work for me in all settings.

Line out is great! Effects "Top Notch"

Good quality & craftsmanship.

Good Features. I like the on board chorus and delay/rev. Haven't plugged anything into the aux or mike plugs yet, but may come in handy

ALOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAIGN ABOUT THE HISS - REMOVE THE FRONT SPEAKER GRATE (pop from behind by pushing it with a ruler or something - only held with velcro) If you disconnect the tweater, the hiss is eliminated. I disconnected one of the tweater wires and the is no longer an issue. I can't really tell a difference with the tweater. What ever I'm missing now, definately makes up for in no more hissing.

I have a blown speaker, and will be replacing both of them with Eminence Alpha 8 in a week or so. This will probably really help the sound as a whole.

So far so good. A friend gave me this amp because it was "broken" and he didn't want it anymore. THe power switch was broken and I got a new one from Crate and installed it (disconnect 3 wires, and reconnect on new switch - not a big deal. A speaker is blown, so replacing speakers and might replace tweater if a new tweeter eliminates the hiss, otherwise no tweeter will be used at all. Electronically, no problems

Ordered a power switch (through Guitar Center) without a problem

Once I get new speakers, and figured out I can eliminate that hiss - I'll be all set and ready to play

I'm a singer-songwriter, and I use this amp mostly for solo acoustic gigs playing original and cover tunes in dinner clubs and small concert venues. This is by far the most versatile acoustic amp on the market, allowing you to play guitar, sing and play a drum machine or tape in each case with separate control over volume, tone and effects. I have even used this amp with a second guitar player, and it all sounds natural and as loud as you wanna get for these kinds of gigs. I can walk into these gigs with a guitar case in one hand and a "PA" in the other. You can't beat that. The only feature missing is phantom power for the mic channel (more on that later).

I'm mostly a finger-picker and occasionally a pick for up-tempo stuff. My main guitar is a Yairi DY-90 with the Alavrez 500 system. I usually run the controls on the amp and guitar straight down the middle, and so I don't experience the "hum" some people complain about with this amp. I suspect a lot of that hum may be from cheap pick-ups or preamps -- the Crate is pretty quiet. The ability to separate chorus from other effects is a big plus, and I use only one effect seetting otherwise, mostly for vocals. But the others are there with a twist of the wrist if you need them.

I bought thihs amp used and have owned it for more than seven years. It has never failed me on a gig. Time has caught up with the main instrument input and the contact has gotten intermittent -- this is one of the few reliability problems I know of with this amp. The input is enclosed and soldered into the mainboard, so this is not an easy fix. For the time being, I hang a weight on my guitar cord jack and that solves the problem. If it ever gets worse, I can always plug my guitar into the aux channel and get by just fine. That third channel is sort of like having built-in back-up.

I've never contacted Crate for repairs, but I emailed Crate once about adding phantom power to this amp. They replied promptly and were helpful explaining that newer versions of this amp do have phantom power but that a retrofit was not practical.

I've been playing over 40 years in spite of the fact that I haven't gotten much better in the last 20. I also own a Line-6 Spider and a Crate Vintage Club 30 I use for electric guitar. I have a Shiro LP copy (great guitar!) and a 67 Guild Starfire. I also play bass with an ancient Peavey bass head thru a Yamaha PA cabinet. My bass is an 80s Ibanez FP copy (better than the Precision I use to own). If it were lost or stolen, I'd replace this amp with the newer version with phantom power

The features on this amp are very overwhelming. The most useful feature on the amp, and what I think makes the entire Crate series worth while is the Parametric EQ. They are the only amp company in the world that I have found that has one this good. The 30 db cut is great. I have searched every place imaginable with the idea that money was no option, and I needed the best amp made. I found it in the Crate CA112d. I only wish Crate would add one more Parametric EQ for the first channel so when instruments, such as a banjo (which is played electric in my band- and is also ran through a CA112D) could cut down two frequencies. Banjos seem to need that. I never ever used the mic channel, or the second instrument channel. I have no need for them. The effects and Chorus are great. I use them all the time.

I use several Ovation guitars. In my opinion they are the worlds best acoustic stage guitar. I run direct through a monster cable into the input, then use the DI to the house board. I use the amp as my guitar monitor, only vocals go through our floor wedges. So the amp really has to compete with the other electric guitar and bass amps and drums, as well as the banjo. It stands its ground, sometimes even overpowering a Mesa Boogie tube amp.

I have read the other reviews and saw that many people have had problems with hissing. I have never had such a problem. The amp has always sounded just like my guitar, only louder. Which is what I want in an acoutsic amp.

I used to own several Taylor Guitars (600 series and up) and found I did not even have to adjust anything on the amp or the guitar, and the guitars sounded like a million bucks. But I found ovations to be more stage worthy, and cooler looking so I made the big switch. Not adjusting anything on an acoustic amp says a lot.

I had a Crate CA125D the day it hit the market. I traded that for a CA112D because I prefered the 12 inch speaker over the two 8's. Since then I ahve had several of them (see overall review) and every one has held very well. I have though purchased a skb amp utility vehicle, which is freakin awesome. But while i was just touring with the amp, it held up wonderfully.

I've never had anything go wrong with one. If I did not have this amp for a gig, I would have to cancel the gig. They are that great.

I have dealt with Crate, but just to ask them technical questions. I found them to be very helpful.

My repair center, Expert Electronics, in Cincinnati was already a Crate authorized repair center when I fell in love with Crate amps, so if anythignever went wrong I already knew where to go.

The warranty is the standard Crate 5 yeat transferable warranty.

I owned one of the first Crates. Since then I have owned a Trace Elliot, sold it. Bought a new Crate. Owned a SWR, sold it, and bought a new Crate again. I had two of the Pevey's acoustic amps because i did not find them powerful enough. Sold them and went out and bought a new Crate. I even ahd an endorsement deal with Ultrasound Amplifiers, gave it up because the Crate were better.

I would recommend this amp to anyone ever wanting to make an Acoustic guitar sound like itself, and not some wierd proccessed thing.

My CA125D is a 2001. This amp has everything but the kitchen sink.
The chorus, reverb, and effects are all top notch(rival any BOSS stomp box). I dont care how bad ass and loud you think your marshall amp is, if your playing in a large area its going to have to be miced. I play this amp at practice with drums, and a low volume setting is plenat to get over the drums. In a meduim size club or small club or coffe house this amp can stand alone easy. In a large club or central park for that matter, the amp can be used as a nice monitor and effects box.

I play an ovation Legend through this amp. The sound is amazing. This amp does have the annoying hiss when you have the high frenquency turned up all the way. I wish crate would have fixed this. But Lets face it, every amp makes sounds that are unwanted. The first insturment i played through my crate was a cheaper takimine. It was hard to make the amp sound good, without having the hiss staying. As soon as I plugged my Legend into the amp I could turn everythign down and still get a completely astonishing tone. If your planning on getting a sweet amp to fix the sound of your crappy guitar your going to be out of luck. This is a professional quality amp As soon as i plugged in my professional quality guitar the hiss was gone. I could not get the amp to distort, the wattage was too high and I was affraid of hurting my hearing. I'm sure if you wanted to you could get the crate to distort if you cranked it up-I have not got past 1/4 on the master volume.

I have not owned it long enough, but it seems pretty tough.

I have been playing seriously for 11 years. I have an Takimine, and an 2001 ovation Legend super shallow bowl. I also own a american standard strat, and a 73 fender bassman 10. When I bought this amp I was looking for the best of the best. I am very picky about my insturments. If your like me you dont want your buddies to have better stuff than you. When i started looking for an acoustic amp I went fot the upper level stuff, like the big fender SFX, the Trace Eliot100, Marshall As80R As50R AS100D, and the SWR California. There was a big Peavey i tried out too. These are the big dogs (acoustic wise). I'm a huge fender fan (fender tubes amps rock!!!!), and I was sory to say that the fender acoustic solid state was a piece of crap. The fender sound was muddy and bland. I have heard from other people that fender solid state was junk also. I heard alot of buzz about the SWR so i tried it-the sound was also very bland. Marshall, Trace Eliot (of course) and Crate all ha amazing sound. I was going to get a Marshall AS80R because the Trace Eliots were more expensive, and I scoffed whenever I saw a "cheap crate" but then i realized that the crated sounded just as good-had more wattage and more features. IF you play clean electric-get a fender tuble amp. If you play hardcore rocknroll get a marshall, or even berrer an orange. If you play punkrock-it does not matter what you have-as long as its loud(dont flatter yourself guys- its all drop D fuzz and mindless niose-but its fun) . But if you need a good acoustic amp get a Crate, marshall or trace elliot.

Same features as below - solid state, DSP effects, effects loop, all kinds of i/o jacks - so I'll give you other details! The control knobs are small but rubberized for easy gripping. The grill panel is easy to remove and replace. Good long power cord (on this one at any rate.) Big thick rubber feet - four on the bottom and two on the rear bevel for angling the amp on stage - and they dont slip. All three speakers (two 8" and one piezo tweeter) are isolated from the amp in a sealed lower compartment.

This particular amp is covered in what appears to be hand tooled leather - pretty sure it's embossed tolex - unlike any other 125D I've seen. Nice thick leather carrying handle and gold plated corner protectors round out the 'countryfied' look. Judging from the fit and finish of the covering, it looks like a factory job if I ever saw one. But I have no idea when it was made and can find no info about a custom 125D model on the web.

I give it a 6 for technical features and a 9 for looks - 7.5 overall.

I've only played it for an hour so far so these are my very first impressions...

Overall - The sound is exceptionally nice and very true to your guitars output. I played both my Takamine EG334BC and Epiphone AJ200 (jumbo acoustic. The Tak has a powered preamp, and onboard eq. The Epi has a Dean Markley Sweet Spot. Through the amp, the Tak has a more civilized, even, almost woody sound, not too bright and not too bassy. The Epi is totally different - bright, dynamic, and loud. Thank goodness for the amps on board eq and contour controls. (I'll put a plug in here for the DM Sweet Spot. Amazing acoustic sound from your guitar for under $50 on eBay. Buy one. Install it CORRECTLY. And you'll be amazed.) For grins, I played a mexican telecaster through it at the pawn shop, and heard a surprisingly warm, smooth, almost jazzy sound. Not what I expected from a tele.

Effects - the chorus is okay, nothing to write home about but it does sweeten up the sound. The only other effect is the reverb/delay selection. You've got about 10 presets to choose from. All sound nice, but with only send/return control. No control for the depth of the hall or the length of delay.

Hiss - Below, you'll read all about the 'hiss' these amps are prone to. I had the good fortune of finding a pawn shop with two of these amps on the floor. This fancy job and a regular brown one. Side by side, the fancy one did hiss noticeably more, but it also sounded a little brighter. And I'm a sucker for good looks (you should see my wife...okay, scratch that ;-) Anyhoo, once I got it home, cleaned up and snuggled safely in my bedroom, I can here very little hiss at normal practice volume levels. But pump up the gain or high eq and you get hiss.

Feedback - Play close to the amp at any 'fun' volume level and you will get low/mid feedback. Close up, both my guitars droned heavily on the D string, especially on an E note. But feedback dropped off quickly with distance and almost entirely over 5-6 feet from the amp.

Volume - yes the amp is surprisingly loud for it's size and speaker configuration, but it looses character when pushed hard. At least to my ear. Good for coffee shops or small church sanctuaries. Anything more requires a mic or the line out to a PA. Personally, I intend to use this amp as a live monitor, and use the line out to the board for the house mix.

Rating - I give it an 8. I've never played a Fender SFX or a SWB, which this amp is usually compared to. But to me it sounds GREAT and much better than playing acoustic through my Fender Super Reverb, or a SansAmp into a board mix.

Still working after five, no make that six, hours now. But I did buy the 15 day pawn shop warranty for $16.

N/A but I will say again - there is precious little info online about this guitar. If you know of a good message board, please email me!!!

I've played well over 20 years now and should be better than I am. Se la vie. The only sonic comparison I made was onsite at the pawn shop with another 125D. Otherwise, I've leaned on harmony-central reviews to help me decide. I've seen plain models go for less than mine cost, but I dug the covering. Overall, I give it a 7.5. It's really a nice little amp.

I play mainly a Taylor 410CE through this amp, although for smaller, cozier gigs I run a Beta 58 mic through it. I've used it on the road for the past 3 years. You guys know what it has. Wish the delay was more adjustable for speed.

Sounds great-love the tone. I understand the high frequency problems with it, but you can dial in a good tone if you have good equipment.

This amp worked great for almost 2 years, and then it got jacked! I had problems with the digital effects (pot went bad) and when I got it back from Wizard Electronics in Atlanta, they had reattached the effects setting switch wrong (the effect didn't match what the knob said). It still was shady. And then it started popping really bad during gigs at random intervals. So I had a new input jack put in the main instrument channel. Finally, it kept randomly hissing and putting out this really loud static when playing (cutting out the instrument sound almost completely). It's been at Crate getting fixed twice for that-still haven't fixed it. They've had my amp for 3 months now this year total. I'm not a fan of that.

Company is slow in repairs and doesn't keep me informed of any type of timetable. All repairs have been done under warranty so far.

I know it's Crate, but I love it. If they'd make it reliable and work well, it'd be a 10. I've babied this thing on the road, with a HQ road case and always protecting it. The XLR out (post EQ) on the back is great-ensuring me a good sound no matter how goofy the house engineer is. Too bad it's not reliable.

As mentioned in earlier posts.

I've been playing acoustic guitar since 1970. This amp. was the best on the market until Fender put out it's line. (See Reliability) Three other guitar player friends of mine have purchased this amp. by just hearing me play mine.

NEVER use an electic amp for an acoustic guitar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A funny sidelight on this statement is that virtually everyone that that plays an acoustic guitar through an electric amp and then through this one will say; "Geeee, I can hear my guitar now" or "Boy, I was sure playing in a box before this"



If you can't afford this amp, then find a decent acoustic preamp and plug direct into the PA.

The major drawback to this amp, which the Fender line beats, is the high frequency hiss. I've tried many differnt 125D and they all hiss when you push the high ends. This is very irritating to me and should not be tolerated in a highly engineered piece of equipment such as this. CRATE are you listening?????

I've had this one since '93 when they first came out. I've never had to call the factory.

Excellent piece of work! (minus the hiss)

I recently purchased the CA125D. Im primarily playing a Taylor 814ce Grand Auditorium, as well as various other guitars through it, and am playing live indoor and outdoor venues. After comparing it to the Fender Acoustasonic SFX, and the Strawberry Blonde by SWB, this amp in my opinion outperforms the other two by a mile, with respect to features. Although Fender had a larger number of effects settings (32) the 16 provided by Crate really should be sufficiant enough for anyone. By the way it is a three channell device as opposed to SWB's one channel and Fenders two channel model. The noise/humm issue is minimal, and can be adjusted by EQ and rotary controls.

This amp beats (hands down) any other acoustic amp on the market at this price range in the sound category, regardless of what type of music style you play and where you play it.. End of discussion...

Like I said, I just purchased the thing, so its a wait and see deal at this point. What I can say is that I've had it for several months now and I play every week-end and practice three nights during the week. This amp has not given me a bit of trouble yet... But of course now that I've said this... you know the drill..

I have not tried customer support directly, but will hold my dealership accountable to support me in the short term

Tried them all. I get pretty anal with this kind of stuff, and admit
there is a bit of subjectivity when picking out equipment. On the
other hand there is a lot of objectivity as well and loud is loud, and features are features.

I wont repeat the list of features. They're available in other reviews here. All the basics are there and easily available although somewhat difficult to differentiate by the cryptic labelling (LAR, SPR settings for reverb). The line outs at the back of the unit are particularly handy for sending to an external effects device and a separate output that I can send to multitrack for recording or to the PA system. I've used it mainly for reinforcing sound during recording and occaisionally for gigs. It works well in both settings. I play Celtic, bluegrass, folk, and soft-rock through it on a mandolin and acoustic guitar. I'm very pleased with it.

I bought the amp as a floor demo and did not get a manual. So, I've had to figure out how to use the EQ and effects by trial and error. Mostly error. I'm still not sure if I'm using the Contour controls correctly. Crate does not have an email facility and finding a manual has proved elusive, to date.

I've used a mandolin with a Fishman piezo bridge and could not eliminate an annoying buzz/hum through the amp. Higher treble settings on the EQ made it worse. Lower treble killed the volume. I've tried it both with and without a preamp with equal results. I have a Fishman piezo under the saddle on my Guild D35 and it plays fine with or without preamp. I have a McIntyre transducer installed in my other mandolin and this combination works the best. Very little hum or buzz when plugged direct into the amp or through a preamp. Electric guitar also sounds very good. You can select between an active or passive pickup on the main instrument channel. However, there always seems to be a bit of noise no matter what I play through it. It's most noticeable at low volumes.

Conclusion: the sound is great. Faithful reproduction of the acoustic instruments and it is LOUD. I don't think I've cranked it up beyond 5 or 6 on the master volume to get above drums, etc on stage.

My first gigs with this amp were filled with problems. Mainly because I didn't understand how to use all the features (no manual). I couldn't seem to control feedback and eliminate a loud and ever present hum. I ended up setting the amp aside and just pluging direct into the PA to finish the gig. As I've used it more, I like it more. I've managed to find the right settings to get the sound I want without feedback and minimized the hum problem to where it's acceptable. However, I don't really understand what I've done. I've just magically found a combination that works.

I haven't had the need for repairs or parts so I can't comment on that. However, I've tried in vain to get someone at Crate to respond to my requests for a manual so I can understand how to use all the effects.

I've been playing guitar, mandolin, and banjo for 25+ years. Mostly acoustic. Until the last year or so I've either just mic'd the instruments, plugged into the PA either directly or through a preamp or pedal, or some combination of a mic and direct line to the PA.

I bought the CA125D used about a year ago over the internet. I viewed several detail photos and had a guarantee that I could return it if everything didn't work or if it was not as represented. It had very minor scratches/tears in the tolex and I concluded I could find a manual or figure out how to operate it.

I use it on gigs occaisionally only because it's yet another piece of gear to carry (it is heavy at ~40 lbs) and stage space is sometimes limited. I tend to leave it home when playing the smaller venues when we don't need to push a lot of volume. We put 3 voices and 3 instruments through a 300 watt Yamaha PA/mixer and the sound gets pretty muddy at higher volumes. The CA125D gets used the most in my studio for practice and recording. I mic the speaker and also take a signal from the line out channel at the back of the unit for two separate tracks in addition to micing the acoustic instrument itself on its own track. Each has its own unique color that I can combine or blend in and out of the song. I also have a Crate GX120 that performs like a champ. Nice clean sound and plenty of volume (120 watts through one 12 inch). I use the GX120 in the studio with electric guitar and keyboard.

Would I get another one? Probably. I haven't played the Fender acoustic series so I'd want to check them out. I'm very pleased with this unit. Great acoustic sound reproduction, plenty of volume, and the basic effects you might use with acoustic instruments.

The Crate CA125D is a solid state acoustic guitar amplifier with built in digital effects. I bought it brand new. This amp has two 8 inch speakers at 50 watts each and a tweeter with 25 watts, for a total of 125 watts. It offers a 5 band graphic EQ on the master and three channels: on channel one (the instrument channel)there's a 3 band rotary EQ, feedback eliminator, and chorus; on channel two, Hi and Low impedance inputs with separate gain and effect levels; on channel three, a Hi impedance input with separate gain and effect levels. The back panel sports an effects loop, an input for a footswitch that activates the chorus and effects (footswitch not included), and a line out. The effects included are okay; they are mostly different flavors of reverb and some delay effects. There are a total of sixteen settings on a rotary dial. This is pretty weak. I wish this amp had footswitchable effects like the Acoustasonic Pro. The on-amp descriptions are very cryptic (SPR , LAR, SAR?) and it is pretty easy to switch to the wrong effect. They do sound pretty good, though. I definitely like the fact that the stereo chorus is separate from the other effects. On the other amps I looked at, the chorus was wrapped up on the effects channel.

I play a Martin 000C1E with a Fishman pickup with three band EQ. For the occasional slide work, I use a Celebrity Ovation Super Shallow with the standard bridge pickup. The band I'm in now plays mainly modern rock with a good helping of some classic rock thrown in; I am trying to push a few blues tunes onto the set. The CA125D has a great sound with plenty of power. So far, I have only had to crank the amp up to a tad under 5 to be heard over the bass, drums, keyboard, vocals, and electric guitar. It has plenty of volume with no distortion. The amp offers a lot of control over the sound. In addition to the 5 band master EQ and three band rotary EQ on channel one, the midrange (which is critical to getting an acoustic to sound well amplified) has a 'Contour' control that you set close to the sound you want; this becomes the midpoint setting for midrange frequencies. Then the Mid control fine tunes the sound around that midpoint. This is very cool and provides an extra layer of control over the sound. I am extremely pleased with the sound of this amp.

I just recently purchased this amp, so it hasn't had much of a chance to break down. I will probably bring a backup to gigs until I get more confidence in it.

No contact with customer support. The warranty is five years transferrable

When I began my acoustic amp quest, I had every intention of buying a Fender, either the Acoustasonic SFX or their latest offering, the Acoustasonic Pro. I own a Vibrosonic Reverb from the mid-70s that I played blues through; that amp is awesome. The Fender blinders were on and my heart was set. But while playing through the Pro at the local guitar shop, another customer asked if I had played the Crate. I then set the Pro and the CA125D side by side and was stunned that the Crate was the better amp for me. Although it apparently has less power than the Acoustasonic SFX and Pro (both boasting 160 total watts compared to 125 for the Crate), the CA125D was louder than both those amps. The CA125D also more faithfully reproduced the sound of the unamplified guitar than either the Pro or the SFX and had a warmer tone. If it were lost or stolen, I'd definitely buy it again.

Stereo, 50w x 2 for 8" speakers, 25w for tweeter On-board DSP (Digital Signal Processing) and stereo chorus 3 channels, 5 band EQ, effects loop
I wish it had a headphone jack. I use it for small gigs and some recording, even though it is a bit noisy at low levels. Very Loud!

I play a Martin D-16 with an LR Baggs Dual Source. I play folk, eclectic acoustic jazz and unusual covers (eighties, disco, fun stuff) It is perfect for my playing style, but the chorus is a tad noisy at low to medium levels. Sounds great loud, and it can get very loud! It has several reverb and delays, as well as combinations of both. I can't get the thing to distort, which is good. Interestingly, my electric sounds great through it, very clean. Great low end, unlike the CA-60. All things considered, a lot is packed in.

Rock solid so far (6 months), but I haven't had it long enough to really comment.

Since I have had no problems, I don't know about customer support.

I have been playing 12 years, and I play a lot of different styles. This amp is great if you need everything in one package and you like to experiment with effects. For purists that just need a little reverb, go with the Peavey Ecoustic. I really love the variety I can pull from this amp. It does many things pretty good, but they need to work on the noise level.