I gotta find me one of these! I was raised on this sound back in the early 90s (my last couple years of high school) - almost every band I was listening to was using these or Marshall VS!
Watch this head go up in price in a few years. People are finally catching up and seeing that these crate heads can be extremely solid for little to no money !! I collect crate amps and having these heads are just awesome to have, ultimately can be someone’s backup rig or just a head to mess around with !! Also it’s a better alternative from the gx130x model too 👀 !!
@@voxterh.6166I do actually, it was my very first head I’ve ever owned !! Honest opinions, for death metal, it’s insanely brutal!! I honestly prefer my Excalibur over my GX130C because of how it sounded !! Also it’s not a very common amp and is deadly underrated !! If it’s priced right and not far away, I deeply recommend it and picking it up. You will not regret it :)
Awesome playing dude! Sounds really great. I picked up a GX600 and a G130C XL recently and am cleaning them up to pick which I like best and sell the other to some Goregrind friends.
Thanks! Sounds like a good time. You should record some samples on both with the line out. I'm curious how different the preamps are. There's only one comparison I could find on youtube but he had them micd from different cabs, so it's not a fair comparison. The line out makes it super easy to just throw and IR on afterwards
I LOVE the sound of the Crate distortion. My GLX65 is my go-to amp for distortion sound. My ONLY (personal) disappointment was that the HM-2 sounded "flat" in the video.Bbut that can be fixed to a persons liking
It's a very scooped pedal, so I always try to flatten it out some so it doesn't get lost in a mix, mainly adding back in some of the ~150-500hz that gets cut by it. In the mix, I reamped the guitars both with the HM-2 and the Klon boost and blended them together, the Klon boosted track being dominant.
@@NickLeonard try letting the guitar with the HM2 stay scooped and EQ you bass guitar with more "honky" 60s/70s style mids and set it slightly higher in the mix than the guitars. They will all play together much more happily since the fundamental frequencies of the bass will be present and the way the human ear works it will help the guitar stand on its feet as well.
I hate to say it…. but I agree with you (as much as that pains me since BT is one of my favorite bands 🤘🏽) I’m choosing to attribute that to Nicks playing over the sound quality of this Crate- (my first amp head was a 92’ GX-130C w/ matching 4x12 - SLM driver loaded…. was pretty ratchet!)
Does the gx 600 head have a serial number on the back. If so. Send me the code and I can tell you exactly what country, year, and month and the model number.
So hey. I just got a GX600 in the mail today. Its in fair condition i guess. Anyway. The distortion is weak sauce. Way less than what l was expecting. Not the fire breathing monster i was expecting. It sounds mega awesome with my Amptweaker Pro in the clean channel. Where my expectations over expected with the distortion?
@@thephoenixcycle8854 it is certainly a different distortion quality than a tube amp. It's more thin and precise, tight, but not a super thick saturated beast. Does it sound similar to what I showed here?
Great tone man! I've been rocking the gx2200 for years with an amptweaker tight metal pro!! Don't need anything else! Question: what pickups on your axe?? Cheers from upstate NY!!
Amp sounds all right. Have had a few Crates in my time, I think I always ditch them because they sound too much like a Mesa and Mesas are the dingleberries of guitar amps, IMO. side bar: Honestly, the only reason the HM2 sounds bad here is because the Waza version is a total failure in how the controls respond compared to the original along with some other points that Boss really dropped the ball on when they redesigned it. That and you backed the gain off on the pedal which kinda defeats the point.
I don't know how close they sound to Mesa's, but for the price, I'd take it! haha It does get very scooped like a dual rec can be, but it's also super tight, and I think recs are particularly flubby. The waza is slightly different to the og, but much cheaper than a vintage MIJ and less noisy, so I'm okay with that. I will disagree on the gain, since it really doesn't add a lot of chunk past 25%, mostly more noise, and I'm running into some gain on the amp which I think is the real "secret", but to each their own!
@@NickLeonard the MIJ v MIT thing is all bs honestly. Even HM2s made in the same year in the same country will have tonal discrepancies. You can also find either for peanuts with enough patience. Both of mine were only $100 each and that was very recently. Also, the TC Electronic Eyemaster and Behringer HM300 are incredibly cheap and sound way closer to the OG than even the Waza by a significant margin. Yes, a dirty amp is definitely a key ingredient. The type of amp is mildly important as well. Mesas I have found to be the least usable with it, but still okayish. You aren't looking to add chunk so much as you are trying to add grind with the extreme amounts of gain. Engineers will tell you this is bad but it's really the only way to play with a chainsaw. Otherwise it always will sound undercooked, but you do you.
@@riffsnoleads I do have a video comparing the waza to the HM300, I've done a lot with that one, and it is a great cheap clone. Still different from the HM-2, but damn close for the price. I do prefer the waza to the HM300 still
Crates were designed to be "American" sounding (like a hot-rodded Fender black-panel), so it makes sense that the tone would be similar to Mesa, Peavey, etc., since those are Fenders with an extra gain stage or two.
HM2 just sounds so nasty with SS preamps. I have an 80's Peavy SS preamp that sounds amazing with an HM2. Just can't get that sound on a Tube amp. Tubes are just too smooth. HM2 is the greatest pedal. How can you not like it. Rock is supposed to be dangerous not John Mayer trying to get laid. Why can't we get amps that sound like an HM2? Every amp is just clone of a clone of a clone.
just gonna let you know that ANY amp with at least some amount of gain will work with an HM2. Solid state, tube, modeler, it doesn't matter so long as the amp is slightly dirty and EQed just right. I would know, I use one with about 10 different amps of varying quality.
@@riffsnoleads Yeah agreed any amp with gain does work. Trying to develop the best pickup for it also. I think overwound pickups sound better. Something with a low resonant peak at around 2-2.5 Hz.
@@AmerikkkaGuitars I have found that any old pickup at 8.5kohms or under works fine. I've used P90s and Strat style single coils even. Overwound or really hot pickups hit the HM2 with too much signal causing it to fart out too early. Like when you run a very high output signal into a Rat. At least in my experience
The GX line lunched in mid 1992. I bought my GX130C in 92 and still have it.
Реально?
That has a classic raw 90s sound!
Very cool video once again!
I gotta find me one of these! I was raised on this sound back in the early 90s (my last couple years of high school) - almost every band I was listening to was using these or Marshall VS!
Watch this head go up in price in a few years. People are finally catching up and seeing that these crate heads can be extremely solid for little to no money !! I collect crate amps and having these heads are just awesome to have, ultimately can be someone’s backup rig or just a head to mess around with !! Also it’s a better alternative from the gx130x model too 👀 !!
Do you have the Crate gx-2200h excalibur? How does it sound?
@@voxterh.6166I do actually, it was my very first head I’ve ever owned !! Honest opinions, for death metal, it’s insanely brutal!! I honestly prefer my Excalibur over my GX130C because of how it sounded !! Also it’s not a very common amp and is deadly underrated !! If it’s priced right and not far away, I deeply recommend it and picking it up. You will not regret it :)
@@peepkindoesstuff4066 I actually did get one a few months ago for around $120! It's a pretty sick amp
@@voxterh.6166I have the 90 watt version and let me tell you… ITS FUCKING BRUTAL
Awesome playing dude! Sounds really great. I picked up a GX600 and a G130C XL recently and am cleaning them up to pick which I like best and sell the other to some Goregrind friends.
Thanks! Sounds like a good time. You should record some samples on both with the line out. I'm curious how different the preamps are. There's only one comparison I could find on youtube but he had them micd from different cabs, so it's not a fair comparison. The line out makes it super easy to just throw and IR on afterwards
Which did you keep?
Better than being covered in carpet. I did the same thing with my cab. Covered it in rhino liner. It sounds good at least lol
I doubt I'll bother to refinish it, but it wouldn't be hard. Could easily fit in a smaller cabinet too
I LOVE the sound of the Crate distortion. My GLX65 is my go-to amp for distortion sound.
My ONLY (personal) disappointment was that the HM-2 sounded "flat" in the video.Bbut that can be fixed to a persons liking
It's a very scooped pedal, so I always try to flatten it out some so it doesn't get lost in a mix, mainly adding back in some of the ~150-500hz that gets cut by it. In the mix, I reamped the guitars both with the HM-2 and the Klon boost and blended them together, the Klon boosted track being dominant.
@@NickLeonard try letting the guitar with the HM2 stay scooped and EQ you bass guitar with more "honky" 60s/70s style mids and set it slightly higher in the mix than the guitars. They will all play together much more happily since the fundamental frequencies of the bass will be present and the way the human ear works it will help the guitar stand on its feet as well.
I have this amp and I really like it. but I have to be careful with the volume knob, it tends to feed back very easily
It can, yeah. I had it very quiet during the playthrough, you can hear my picking lol. Should've had it louder, but it doesn't change the tone much
feedback is good. fuck FOH
Holy fuck. Can't wait til mine comes. Scored for $250
Right of the bat sound like boltrower realm of chaos
I hate to say it…. but I agree with you (as much as that pains me since BT is one of my favorite bands 🤘🏽)
I’m choosing to attribute that to Nicks playing over the sound quality of this Crate- (my first amp head was a 92’ GX-130C w/ matching 4x12 - SLM driver loaded…. was pretty ratchet!)
Does the gx 600 head have a serial number on the back. If so. Send me the code and I can tell you exactly what country, year, and month and the model number.
G6HDG40273
Yours made for US, 1994, APRIL, SERIAL MAKE NUMBER # 0273
th-cam.com/video/J1fY2JRbWro/w-d-xo.html here is a link to my video on how to read your crate serial number.
@@kawvika1984ify Cheers, thanks!
@@kawvika1984ify Dude that’s awesome would you tell me what mine is? It’s a GX-600H # G6HDF40237
So hey. I just got a GX600 in the mail today. Its in fair condition i guess. Anyway. The distortion is weak sauce. Way less than what l was expecting. Not the fire breathing monster i was expecting. It sounds mega awesome with my Amptweaker Pro in the clean channel. Where my expectations over expected with the distortion?
@@thephoenixcycle8854 it is certainly a different distortion quality than a tube amp. It's more thin and precise, tight, but not a super thick saturated beast. Does it sound similar to what I showed here?
Looking at one of these heads currently. What ohm is the cabinet you're running it through?
This is a 16 ohm Carvin Legacy with V30's. 8 ohm is probably best for it, but 16 works fine and it's quite loud.
Great tone man! I've been rocking the gx2200 for years with an amptweaker tight metal pro!! Don't need anything else! Question: what pickups on your axe?? Cheers from upstate NY!!
Thanks! These are just the stock pickups. It's a schecter omen 7 extreme
Got my GX600 wrapped with red and a white face
If i remember crate amps had grey carped or alot did in the late 80s
It might have been carpet lined instead of tolex
yes, my G60 GT combo has black carpet
Am looking at crate g1600xl would that be cool for old death metal
Yes
is gx900 something like the gx600?
the GX-900H seems to be a later series, not sure how different they sound, but it's not exactly the same
@@NickLeonard thanks!
Amp sounds all right. Have had a few Crates in my time, I think I always ditch them because they sound too much like a Mesa and Mesas are the dingleberries of guitar amps, IMO.
side bar: Honestly, the only reason the HM2 sounds bad here is because the Waza version is a total failure in how the controls respond compared to the original along with some other points that Boss really dropped the ball on when they redesigned it. That and you backed the gain off on the pedal which kinda defeats the point.
I don't know how close they sound to Mesa's, but for the price, I'd take it! haha
It does get very scooped like a dual rec can be, but it's also super tight, and I think recs are particularly flubby.
The waza is slightly different to the og, but much cheaper than a vintage MIJ and less noisy, so I'm okay with that. I will disagree on the gain, since it really doesn't add a lot of chunk past 25%, mostly more noise, and I'm running into some gain on the amp which I think is the real "secret", but to each their own!
@@NickLeonard the MIJ v MIT thing is all bs honestly. Even HM2s made in the same year in the same country will have tonal discrepancies. You can also find either for peanuts with enough patience. Both of mine were only $100 each and that was very recently. Also, the TC Electronic Eyemaster and Behringer HM300 are incredibly cheap and sound way closer to the OG than even the Waza by a significant margin.
Yes, a dirty amp is definitely a key ingredient. The type of amp is mildly important as well. Mesas I have found to be the least usable with it, but still okayish.
You aren't looking to add chunk so much as you are trying to add grind with the extreme amounts of gain. Engineers will tell you this is bad but it's really the only way to play with a chainsaw. Otherwise it always will sound undercooked, but you do you.
@@riffsnoleads I do have a video comparing the waza to the HM300, I've done a lot with that one, and it is a great cheap clone. Still different from the HM-2, but damn close for the price. I do prefer the waza to the HM300 still
Crates were designed to be "American" sounding (like a hot-rodded Fender black-panel), so it makes sense that the tone would be similar to Mesa, Peavey, etc., since those are Fenders with an extra gain stage or two.
There's no tolex it was that carpet shit
Hm2 sounds terrible always. Sounds like crap on this especially.
That's the point!
That fizzy high end is your V30's. Try a better speaker instead of those bargain basement garden variety junk speakers.
HM2 just sounds so nasty with SS preamps. I have an 80's Peavy SS preamp that sounds amazing with an HM2. Just can't get that sound on a Tube amp. Tubes are just too smooth. HM2 is the greatest pedal. How can you not like it. Rock is supposed to be dangerous not John Mayer trying to get laid. Why can't we get amps that sound like an HM2? Every amp is just clone of a clone of a clone.
just gonna let you know that ANY amp with at least some amount of gain will work with an HM2. Solid state, tube, modeler, it doesn't matter so long as the amp is slightly dirty and EQed just right. I would know, I use one with about 10 different amps of varying quality.
@@riffsnoleads Yeah agreed any amp with gain does work. Trying to develop the best pickup for it also. I think overwound pickups sound better. Something with a low resonant peak at around 2-2.5 Hz.
@@AmerikkkaGuitars I have found that any old pickup at 8.5kohms or under works fine. I've used P90s and Strat style single coils even. Overwound or really hot pickups hit the HM2 with too much signal causing it to fart out too early. Like when you run a very high output signal into a Rat. At least in my experience