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Im ready to issue a preliminary critique of the innovative new Crate Power
Block 150 amp, played through two 16-ohm Jensen 100 Watt 12 speakers using the
new super lightweight neodymium magnets. First, in this posting, the Crate,
then, in a soon-to-follow posting, the Crate with the new Jensen speakers.
While this amp is laden with back-panel features, I won't go into that stuff
because I was only concerned with one major issue - How does it sound? There are
several reviews that do go into this area on Harmony Central, for those who are
interested.
Resistance to new technology is common to every generation. In the past century,
traditionalists have bucked just about every new technology since the
development of the horseless carriage.
The surf music community was not unanimous by any means in accepting the new
Fender Reverb Unit when Leo introduced it back in 1962. Sure, Dick Dale, Jim
Masoner and others took to it almost instantly, but there were traditionalists
back then, who resisted this new piece of technology.
Most notable in resisting Reverb, was Paul Johnson, of the Bel Airs. The
bitterness of his arguments with Eddie Bertrand, who very much wanted to
incorporate heavy reverb into the Bel Airs music, caused the breakup of one of
the most important pioneering First Generation Surf Bands! Today, with 43 years
hindsight, we scratch our heads and wonder just WHAT PJ was thinking! PJ
himself, over the years, has embraced reverb in much of the surf music hes
created and performed, but in the early days, he was dead-set against the use of
Reverb in Surf Music!
In my own case, having graduated from cheap Teisco guitar and equally cheap
Silvertone solid state amp, to Strats, Jazzmasters, and Wilson Bros. guitars,
and for the last 20+ years, swearing by tube amps, Fender in particular, Ive
also been something of a traditionalist regarding the gear I use in playing Surf
guitar.
In a fairly recent posting on SG101, I said that I wouldnt consider using
anything other than my Fender tube amps for playing Surf Music. Having suffered
from near-crippling sciatica in the first year of Longboard Ranch, and having
gone through months of expensive Chiropractic treatment and physical therapy to
feel OK again, Im a bit apprehensive about lugging 80 lbs of amp and 100 lbs of
speaker cab to our gigs. Still, it seemed to me there was no other way Id get
the sound I wanted.
Consequently, I was purdy darned surprised to see Marty Tippens posting about 3
weeks ago, in which he sang the praises of this new ultra-light, micro-size
Crate amp. At 5 lbs, it cranks 150 Watts RMS, versus the 85-100 watts of the
Twin Reverb head that Ive been using for the last 3 years. A weight
difference of about 75 lbs!!!!! This posting got my attention!! I emailed Marty
two weeks ago for an update of his initial reaction to the Crate Power Block.
Marty replied that hed only used it the one time, but was quite pleased with
the sound it made, and it is now his official backup amp. He went on however,
to tell me that at the Detonators gigs of August 13 and 14 at the LA Zoo, Rob
Woolsey, their lead guitarist, left his vintage Showman head in his car, and
played 3 hours each day, exclusively using the new Crate Power Block amp! Rob
was an original founding member of Longboard Ranch, and having the opportunity
to play with him in the band for about a year, I got to know him as being
extremely conscientious and hard-to-please when it comes to the quality of his
sound. Hes got an uncanny ability to make his guitar sound just like the
original records, when playing covers, and he insists on near-perfection in the
sound coming out of the speakers. When I'd read Martys email message, I knew
this Crate must be a definite cut above the typical solid state amp. Thursday,
August 18 I bought one at Guitar Center. $236.48 including
Sales Tax and 2-year Money-Back Warranty extension from Crate. Such a deal!
August 20 and 21 Longboard Ranch played the LA Zoo, for 3 hours each day. I
brought my 80 lb Twin Reverb amp head and my 100 lb Bandmaster cab with 2 12
EVs in it. Just for shock value, I also brought the new Crate amp, (at 5 lbs,
its real easy!)
My intention was just to let the guys see it, and not use it until our
rehearsal, on Sunday, the 27th. But Loyd wouldnt stop bugging me to play
through the new amp!
Those up on Surf Music history, know that Loyd Davis was a founding member of
The Surf Raiders, a famous Second-Wave band that started up in 1980. As a
teenager, Loyd took the bus from Downey, to see Dick Dale and the Deltones at
the Rendezvous Ballroom, when Lets Go Trippin was charting on Southern
California radio. To say Loyd has a very authentic standard of what a surf
guitar should sound like, is making a serious understatement - hes almost as
demanding that way, as Rob Woolsey!
Saturday, after playing the first two sets, I caved in, and plugged in the Crate
amp, to my 4-ohm EV-loaded Bandmaster cab, plugged in my Strat/Jazzmaster
hybrid, though my Fender Reverb Unit, and stayed with that rig for our 3rd set.
The way the Crate is designed, the output is 75 Watts RMS per channel, going
into 4 ohms each side. A mono setting combines the two channels into one
channel at 150 Watts, but this requires an 8 ohm load, or the warranty is void.
(How would Crate know, I wonder?)
So, for our 3rd set on Saturday, August 20, I played out the left channel, at
ONE-HALF the amps rated wattage. No problem! Everyone could hear my lead guitar
loud and clear, and CLEAN. My muted reverb notes sounded every bit as wet and
splashy as they do on the Twin Reverb, and at the end of the set, Loyd said he
couldnt tell the difference between my sound on the Crate versus my sound on
the Twin Reverb!!!!
At our rehearsal, yesterday, I played several guitars through the Crate, through
Jensen ultra-light-weight neodymium speakers. (Ill post regarding the speakers
later) The guys couldnt get over how well-suited this amp is for trad-surf
music!!!
I feel the same. To my surf-fanatic ears, this micro Crate solid state amp is
absolutely incredible! Tone quite close, (NOT identical, but definitely close)
to amps costing 6 times its retail price of just $200!!
In past posts, I was slammed by another surf guitarist because I said that when
you play a Strat on the bridge/neck pickups together, you get a very
Jaguar-like sound. This guy said that "he couldnt respect me if I honestly
believed that a Strat could sound the same as a Jaguar". (!) "Like" and "the
same" are NOT synonymous!
So, with my closing of this review/critique, please everyone, understand, I am
NOT saying that the Crate sounds the same as a Twin Reverb, or any other
Fender amp for that matter! Similar, but not the same. Some people go beyond
reverence for the original gear played by First Gen surf bands, and take it to a
point of near-obsession. Many of these people remind me of an old Creedence
Clearwater Revival song that goes, 99 and a half just wont do!
While Im not obsessed, I AM highly respectful and reverent of the vintage Surf
Bands of the 1960s. Ive been listening to original vintage Surf Music records
for over 40 years, and to my ear, THATS the sound Im determined and dedicated
to make with my band. The rest of the band members are in total 100% agreement
with me on this key aspect of the bands agenda.
This new Crate Power Block 150 comes closer than any other solid state amp Ive
ever heard, to producing a tube-like sound. To all the members of Longboard
Ranch, we did not hear a material difference in the sound of my Jazzmaster, or
my Strat going through a Fender Reverb unit, into EITHER the Twin Reverb OR the
new Crate.
Will everyone out there agree with us? Most probably NOT. Am I telling anyone
else out there to buy one of these? NO. However, if you have an open mind, do
a lot of outdoor gigs, and would like to have a more compact, light-weight rig
to carry, I believe this new Crate amp is quite worthy of your consideration.
Best Regards to all
Bruce D
Theres no such thing as too much Reverb!
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great review! Thanks for taking the time to write it up!
"In past posts, I was slammed by another surf guitarist because I
said that when
you play a Strat on the bridge/neck pickups together, you get a "very
Jaguar-like" sound. This guy said that "he couldn't respect me if I
honestly
believed that a Strat could sound the "same" as a Jaguar".
(!) "Like" and "the
same" are NOT synonymous!"
I to feel/hear that a strat when rewired to bridge/Neck together
does sound like a Jag/JM. I think that is one of the main reasons
why many surf players rewire their strats to get the "brigde+neck
sound", this seams to add something "extra" to the reverb sound imo.
And I also like a rewired strat more, but that's just me
I also feel that many amps, no mather what brand, can produce a
decent surf sound as well. I mean, there is a point, since most amp
designers copied Leo's work in the first place. And as much as I
like the tube sound, there are actually some very good solid state
amps out there as well.
I for instance do not like a 2x15 JBL cab, even though it does sound
fabulous, it's just not my sound. I also like the new RI Jensens,
since they have proven to be rugged desings to me (and don't cost an
arm or a leg)
In the few years I have used Fender gear, tube amps and reverbs, I
have learned not to always believe the hype.
trust your own ears. And if it sounds good, then it sounds good!!
--- In , "wipeoutboy63"
<jerry.soetewey@b...> wrote:
> "In past posts, I was slammed by another surf guitarist because I
> said that when
> you play a Strat on the bridge/neck pickups together, you get
a "very
> Jaguar-like" sound. This guy said that "he couldn't respect me if I
> honestly
> believed that a Strat could sound the "same" as a Jaguar".
> (!) "Like" and "the
> same" are NOT synonymous!"
>
> I to feel/hear that a strat when rewired to bridge/Neck together
> does sound like a Jag/JM. I think that is one of the main reasons
> why many surf players rewire their strats to get the "brigde+neck
> sound", this seams to add something "extra" to the reverb sound imo.
> And I also like a rewired strat more, but that's just me
well, there might be a point to the comparison ('like' and not 'same
as') in some cases. but consider that there are about three different
jag pups out there (US fender, Jap fender, seymour duncan, or just
MAYBE a few more) - and even the jap jag pups get into jag sound
territory at least. rather consistent sound we're talking about.
on the other hand, there must be thousands of 'strat' pups out there
on even more strat type guitars. and, a vast lot of these DON'T SOUND
LIKE A STRAT in the first place. and esp since rewiring a strat is a
budget option. (no one is going to get a $1500 strat and then rewire
it to get a 'jag sound')
so, the notion of "a" rewired strat sounds so and so (in a good way)
has as much meaning as claiming that "an" undressed woman looks so
and so (in a good way). Cause really, just like I'd need to know
which woman we're talking about befor I 'concur, I'd need to know
what strat it is we're talking about.
evaluating my own experiences on plenty budget strat configurations:
- two jap jag pups in the outer positions sounds jag-ish, but not
jag. more like a maple neck trad strat sound with some extra
metallicish bite, added drip on the tank, and a bit less mid-tone.
- two seymour duncan vintage staggered ssl-1 in the outer positions
doesn't sound anything like a jag (not even close) but DOES provide
more drip.
- two old tokai stratpups in the outer position don't sound near jag
and don't give extra drip. sound useless actually.
and my estimate is that that covers about 0.001% of the possible
pickups - so ther eyou go. says zilch about what marty or anyone else
has heard.
btw, I still mostly use the sound of one seymour duncan in the centre
position - but this particular one measures exactly 6.66k - with that
and the favorite tank setting combined, it has to get sorta mean ...
WR
WR,
Your comments are all valid and duly noted, but not applicable to my earlier
posting, in which I made very specific recommendations for the ultimate
"Surf-Strat" guitar, for the musician on a tight budget.
I'm aware of three guitars that fit the bill, it's really a matter of personal
taste which one you'd use for the modifications and upgrades. (If you can do
all the work yourself, you'll save about $150-$200 in guitar-tech labor)
1. Wilson Bros, Ventures Model VM10 (Strat Copy) $149.00 through most
Internet sellers;
2. Mexican Fender Strat Standard $250-350 used on ebay;
3. Wesley San Diego, $260 shipped from UK
Items 1 & 2 need no further description, they are both traditional
Stratocaster-type guitars. The Wesley San Diego, uses a Jazzmaster-style
off-set body, with a Jazzmaster-style cream M.O.P. pickguard, with 3 Strat-style
pickups, a Strat-style tremolo bridge assembly, one volume and one tone, and a
5-position pickup selector switch. The mods I recommend apply to #1 and #2,
with the exception that on #2 I wouldn't bother replacing the tuning machines, I
think they're of sufficient quality to do the job.
Mod 1: Bridge: A Mexican Strat Standard bridge fits either of these guitars,
with the correct string and mounting-screw spacing. To that bridge, substitute
a Calaham forged steel inertia block for the crappy cast zinc block that comes
with all 3 of these guitars from their respective factories. Improved
ballsiness of sound, more note separation, and greater sustain. Some additional
routing of the wood under the bridge plate is needed to provide clearance for
the new Trem block to be able to move back and forth, so you have a workable
whammy. My Dremel came in mighty handy here!
Cost: Mexi Standard Bridge: $35 - $50; Calaham block $55.00
Mod 2: Pickups: The Wesley San Diego uses Strat-like pickups which are just
a tiny bit smaller than the pickups listed here. I used my Dremel to slightly
enlarge the pickup cutouts, and the new pickups went in without a hitch. There
are 3 pickup types I've used with excellent results. Seymour Duncan Antiquity
II Surf Pickups run about $250 per set of 3, and are wonderful. Fender produces
a Dick Dale Surfer pickup at about $200 owe set of 3, and I've not used these,
but have heard very positive things about them. Fender also produces the "Fat
50's" Strat pickups that many players have raved about on Harmony Central, about
$150.00 per set of 3. On my Wesley San Diego, I used a $50.00 set of Fender US
57 R/I Strat pickups, and the guys in my band all agree this guitar is one of
the sweetest sounding surf guitars they've ever heard.
Mod 3. Wiring: The Wesley comes with only two control pots, but 3 are needed.
I used my Dremel, and channeled the holes for the outer two pots, to create
little more distance between them, and added the 3rd pot right in between them.
The 5-position switch needs to be replaced with a 3-position switch, and the
ultimate change is that you can now get all standard pickup positions plus
neck/bridge and all-3. Additionally, the tone control is now Master tone for
ALL 3 pickups, another big improvement.
Cost: pot and 3-position switch About $20-$25
Mod 4: Tuning Stability: First, althought they look like "dead ringers", the
tuning machines on the Wesley are NOT Klusons, nor are they Gotoh copies. They
need to be replaced with a better tuner. I chose to use a $37 set of Fender
"Kluson" Reissue Tuners. The holes already drilled in the headstock are not
large enough to accomodate the real Klusons or Fender versions, so they need to
be reamed by approximately another 1mm diameter. Second, the nut, like all the
above, is a cheap generic plastic nut. I much prefer the slightly more
bone-like hardness and the self-lubricating qualities of the Graph-Tech "Tusq"
nut, so you need to pop the old nut out, and set the new Tusq nut in place, with
just a small dab of white or carpenters glue. Tusq nuts, pre-notched with
correct string-spacing are available from Stewart MacDonalds (www.stewmac.com)
at about $9.00 a pop. Buy 2 or 3 just in case you blow it with the first one.
Costs: About $64.00 ( with 3 Tusq nuts purchased)
Cost of each guitar with recommended mods:
Wilson Bros VM-10 $380.00 (plus guitar-tech labor if applicable)
Mexi-Strat $475.00 (No-tuner replacement; plus guitar-tech
labor, if applicable)
Wesley $500.00 (plus guitar tech labor, if applicable)
Of the above 3, any of these will become an excellent surf-axe with the
suggested mods. My favorite though, is the Wesley, with it's Jazzmaster style,
and Stratocaster guts. I've been playing one modded exactly as I recommend
above, for about 10 weeks, and it is now my primary gigging guitar and the one
the rest of the band prefers to hear me playing.
In fact, our 3rd guitarist, (who's been playing a '64 Jaguar for the last 15
years) gave me the $500.00, and told me to deliver him a clone of my Wesley
ASAP, he's THAT impressed with how much BETTER my guitar sounds, vs his vintage
Jag!
Regards,
Bruce D
mono_tones_1 <> wrote:
--- In , "wipeoutboy63"
<jerry.soetewey@b...> wrote:
> "In past posts, I was slammed by another surf guitarist because I
> said that when
> you play a Strat on the bridge/neck pickups together, you get
a "very
> Jaguar-like" sound. This guy said that "he couldn't respect me if I
> honestly
> believed that a Strat could sound the "same" as a Jaguar".
> (!) "Like" and "the
> same" are NOT synonymous!"
>
> I to feel/hear that a strat when rewired to bridge/Neck together
> does sound like a Jag/JM. I think that is one of the main reasons
> why many surf players rewire their strats to get the "brigde+neck
> sound", this seams to add something "extra" to the reverb sound imo.
> And I also like a rewired strat more, but that's just me
well, there might be a point to the comparison ('like' and not 'same
as') in some cases. but consider that there are about three different
jag pups out there (US fender, Jap fender, seymour duncan, or just
MAYBE a few more) - and even the jap jag pups get into jag sound
territory at least. rather consistent sound we're talking about.
on the other hand, there must be thousands of 'strat' pups out there
on even more strat type guitars. and, a vast lot of these DON'T SOUND
LIKE A STRAT in the first place. and esp since rewiring a strat is a
budget option. (no one is going to get a $1500 strat and then rewire
it to get a 'jag sound')
so, the notion of "a" rewired strat sounds so and so (in a good way)
has as much meaning as claiming that "an" undressed woman looks so
and so (in a good way). Cause really, just like I'd need to know
which woman we're talking about befor I 'concur, I'd need to know
what strat it is we're talking about.
evaluating my own experiences on plenty budget strat configurations:
- two jap jag pups in the outer positions sounds jag-ish, but not
jag. more like a maple neck trad strat sound with some extra
metallicish bite, added drip on the tank, and a bit less mid-tone.
- two seymour duncan vintage staggered ssl-1 in the outer positions
doesn't sound anything like a jag (not even close) but DOES provide
more drip.
- two old tokai stratpups in the outer position don't sound near jag
and don't give extra drip. sound useless actually.
and my estimate is that that covers about 0.001% of the possible
pickups - so ther eyou go. says zilch about what marty or anyone else
has heard.
btw, I still mostly use the sound of one seymour duncan in the centre
position - but this particular one measures exactly 6.66k - with that
and the favorite tank setting combined, it has to get sorta mean ...
WR
.
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