Crate G130CXL

Extremely versatile amp. Solid state, 2 switchable channels with separate EQs, stereo chorus w/ depth & rate controls, reverb, effects loop, stereo & mono line outs, low & hi inputs, bright switch on clean channel, "shape' (midrange contour) on dirty channel, 2 x 12 speakers, 65 x 65 watts stereo, 130 mono (RMS), 190 through an extension cab. Power up the wazoo.

Very quiet overall, but gets a little noisy on high gain settings. Clean channel is clear, gorgeous & transparent, with LOADS of deep, deep lows, if you want'em. Has a gain control for adding just a touch of grit, but isn't much use for crunch rhythms. Sounds angelic with the lush, rich stereo chorus & the decent spring reverb. Dirty channel can get very "tubey" for a SS amp. Low gain & high volume gets a fat Albert King vibe. High gain, distorted sounds retain a lot of clarity, although without the harmonic complexity of good tube amps (this is, however, a workin' man's amp, built more for the road than the studio. Doubtful you can get much better distortion from any other SS amp, however). "Shape" control is useful for grungers & headbangers. Moving it clockwise will scoop out those mids, and with the gain dimed and a stomp box set low, you're in deathtone heaven. I play classic-type rock, so I've got the shape turned to the other end for a fat, uncompressed, wide-open sound. Mine won't hang with a Marshall as far as punch and low-end growl, but this IS a combo. Crate makes a head version, too.

I've been bouncing mine around in the backs of trucks & trailers for 4 years now, and nary a problem. Some consider Crates to be assembly-line junk, but so was the Model T. Cheap doesn't have to be crappy. I never have a backup, and, of course, it never goes into tube-amp meltdown. 5-year transferable warranty, 2 years on speakers.

I'm told by my repair shop that Crate backs their stuff 100%, and that most of the repairs they make on Crates have to do with assembly-line soldering. No big deal45. The guys at the shop much prefer to work on point-to-point tube stuff, but that's their lookout. Guess I dealt with the warranty above.

You bet I'd buy it again. I A-B'ed it against SS Fenders, SS Marshalls, SS Peaveys. Price vs. performance, the Crate sold me. I would like to see separate reverb & chorus controls for each channel, plus an additional crunch channel would be cool. However, this stuff would only boost the price of an already features-laden amp. I've been playing for 30 years, and I've owned everything from tweeds to thunderstacks. For a working-class club slogger, you can't beat this one.