Crate CR-45

From the early 80's this is a 1x12 open back combo amp with what I believe is 45 transistorized watts (hence the CR-45 moniker). It's made to look like a real crate in the typical fashion of early Crate amps. Clean and drive channels switchable along with the spring reverb, an external two buttoned stomp switcher came with the original product.

This thing has a bright switch, two separate gain controls one for the distortion channel (which has it's own level knob too) and one for the entire amp - which seems to come after everything else as you can control your overall volume with it.

No effects loop, but there's an output for an additional cab as well as a line level out. This is a no frills amp. Aside from reverb and distortion, there's on and off.

I moslty play an Ibanez Roadstar II, my first guitar and still one of my favorites after a mod on the pick-ups and electronics.

The circutry in the CR-45 comes from the beginning stages of Crate's attempts at what they now call Flexwave technology. The result is that sounds expressive beyond what you'd expect from the likes of this.

The clean channel frankly somewhat Vox-like in it's charactor, not chimey or glassy, but crunchier, more articulate and unique - you will hear your guitar's natural tone making a big difference. Don't get me wrong, this thing is no AC-30! On the other hand, it has charactor, even if it is unique to this amp.

The distortion channel is unique as well. There's an obvious attempt to keep the distortion tube-like and warm, but the end result is somewhere between tube and solid state. Again, it's a unique sound, at lower gains probably more like a cross between overdriven Vox /Fender blend, but with a old Peavy practice amp distortion sort of mixed in with it. At higher gains and volumes this thing drives hard and tight, response increases dramatically, the nature of it's drive encourages the use of controlled feedback if you're one who uses and appreciate it.

The secret of this amp at it's best is to run it almost full out. Don't worry about going to ten, after 8 the amp is maxed more of less. I'm not sure if the CR-45 I have is special, I think not, but this thing is LOUD. No, it's not going to compare to a hundred watt head with a full stack. It will however hold it's own on stage, if you can come to terms with this little thing driving your tone all night that is.

Okay, here is the true deep secret of using this amp. One, don't use it for everything. I would not want this as my only amp in any way shape of form - and that has nothing to do with it's age or the way it looks - or that it's a Crate. It's simply not capable in my mind of covering enough sonic territory to be considered a good all around amp for a player. You will want more flavor than it's clean will give, you will want more ball grabbing ooomph and glossy shimmer than it's gain stage and single 12" speaker can deliver, but what it does offer is unique, musical, and useful in many ways. The CR-45 may not be a jack of all tones by a long shot, but has a strong personality just the same.

Actually there is one more secret to this thing which I use in my set-up. I run a Hughs&Kettner Tubeman in front of the CR-45 and through the clean channel. It sounds so good at jam volumes I've surprised just about every player I've worked with. Whatever the solid state is lacking on this amp the Tubeman adds back. The Tubeman contributes some key harmonic content, totals up the string response more towards a true tube amp feel, and helps add the dynamic depth and punchy/crunch the CR-45 falls just short of providing on it's own. On clean settings the Tubeman through the clean channel introduces some of the shimmer and glassiness missing almost totally from the clean channel of the CR-45. With a Tubeman or some similar pre-amp in front of the CR-45, I'd say for certain uses this amp is a 10, but as the stock 20 year old amp it is, I'd have to rate is lower due to it's limited functions and limited range of good tones.

I've had this thing 20 years now, and though it's seen relatively limited use through that time, and up until recently it still works like it always did. I used it the last weekend for a low volume writing session and the volume seemed to cut out a little before it came back, which I fear means it overheated and some heat sensor relay decreased the current to the power transistors. Guess it's time to open it up and see if a spider family or something is choking up the guts.

I've never dealt with St. Louis Music for this amp in particular, but have for other items and they're great. Nothing but good things to say about them.

I've been playing for 20 years and had never been much of a gear head. If lost or stolen I don't think I'd buy another simply because it's not practical with so many tone boxes out there to choose from, spending time trying to hunt a CR-45 down would be silly.

Don't get me wrong, I'd be pissed! I've gotten to love what this amp can do, especially with a Tubeman in front. I wouldn't spend too much energy seeking this out, but if I happened on one and mine was dead or gone - I'd snap it up just because.