Anyone try the crate VTX or VFX 5212?

[Steveda]

Does anyone have any experience on the Crate VTX or VFX 5212. I am looking for something different and this seems to look pretty good on paper? Just fishing for some opinions. Thank you.

[btownbobby]

I have a Crate RFX120 it is the best amp I have played in years. The Solo channel is the best sounding distortion out there. the effects are great and the amp really has a tube like growl and sustain that blows me away. I plug that 212 into two 4-12 cabs and it keeps the original 2-12 speakers live. Great amps. The VTX and RFX are based on the same design.

[tzer]

I have the FXT120 2x12 combo with 16 DSP effects and I think it's a sweet amp! You really can't go wrong with a Crate imo. I like it better than my Marshall 50w/combo but thats not really comparing apples to apples if you know what I mean

[bluesgeek]

I love those little powerbricks they do, they make a great backup amp or just as a poweramp for a modelling rig. I recently bought a Crat V30H, its probably the last amp I'll own (for a long time...) its fantastic Class A goodness, with a very useable overdrive channel and it loves pedals

[latinsmoothie]

About a year ago I "discovered" Crate amps. I read about some "hidden gems" in a web site called
http://www.jfrocks3.com/jfrocks/index.html
In this site a guy teaches Van Halen techniques using a Crate GFX212 (solid state combo amp). He says that for recording and low volume the Crate is better than his Marshall. I became a believer and bought a Crate GFX 212 too. I love it. It does great early VH sound. The solo channel is super for VH and 80s rock. The Gain 1 channel is very good for AC/DC and Aerosmith type of sound. The clean sound is the weaker area of this amp. Not awful but not good either.

Many people have commented in web sites that the 212 (2 twelve inch speakers) Crate solid state combos are much better than their single 12 speaker versions. Also a lot of people prefer the overall sound of the versions with digital reverb (versus the ones with the spring reverb). Go figure.

I also tried newer Crate amps at music stores. Solid state with the flexwave preamp 212 combos with digital reverb are excellent. I have not tried the small Crate tube combos so I can not say anything about these.

About a month ago, I saw Billy Gibbons play live using a Crate tube amp (a V-Series) and his sound blew me away. A couple of days ago I found a used V-Series VFX 5212 in a music store. I tried it and loved it. I went back the next day to buy it. I spent most of today playing with it. This amp is amazing (and a great bargain). It has the best clean channel I have ever heard. I could not believe how good it is. The overdriven/distortion channel is excellent too. The distortion is different from the flexwave (whose solo channel can deliver more of a high gain distortion). The VFX 5212 has more of a classic rock distortion (not metal) which suits what I like to play. Needless to say I am in love with this VFX 5212. Check the reviews on www.harmony-central.com for yourself.

So net, you will be able to find a great sound with some selected Crate amps. Make sure you test drive any Crate amp first before you buy. The GFX 212 solo channel delivers a killer early VH sound. The VFX 5212 is an amazing tone machine. I was in heaven playing this amp today. I can't wait to gig with it. If you find one try it, you will not be sorry.

Best luck