If you want to have fun with that little Crate, use it as a preamp. Plug a 1/4" stereo into the insert jack, one side will be the preamp out. Slave it to any other amp's power section with a decent cab behind it. You'll be surprised how good it sounds through a proper cab. Still the best $30 I ever spent.
I used the first gen version of the blue voodoo in a thrash metal band and was constantly complimented on my tone. Many laughed as I set up but NONE did after our set. Never failed me either... 10/10 for me..
@@cristianrivera3892 Yes? Many (if not all) of the original Blue Voodoo cabinets were loaded with Celestion Vintage 30's. Even people who didn't like the amp still seek out the cabinets because they're usually cheaper than any other v30 cab you can find. Anyway, if the original cab has the Celestion v30's in it the speakers are probably worth more than $200
Crate in general is a very slept on brand. They always had killer tones for affordable prices. Definitely would love to see a shoot out of this amp with the Marshall jcm and maybe a set up on a kemper/modular system of some kind
@@TaylorDanley that's sick, love the shoot out vids you do. Hell tbh your shoot out of the joyo amps is what led me to getting a zombie 2 before I got my genz and now my iconic
That's the amp I was thinking of! Someone else mentioned CC using crates in the comments, and I said it was probably this amp. Yeah, those things sound brootz.
I much prefer the ss g130s and g120s to the voodoos. I worked at two crate dealers in late 90s early 2000s. Played s lot of crates. Prefered the ss amps more so than their tube amps.
I've just learned that if I'm going to like something, there's a much higher chance I'll like it if I use it through my favorite cab lol. Every now and then though there are amps that I think benefit from a much more mid focused cab, but that's few and far between.
That Mesa Cab is basically the sound of metal you hear on most records so thats no surprise. If the amp is not a complete turd it will sound good through this haha.
I started playing guitar in 1988, starting on electric a year later. That Blue Voodoo 120, with that blue and gold color scheme, was the first amp I ever lusted after, purely based on looks. One day the little store, where I took my lessons, got one in, and I got to turn it up to 2 in the little amp demo room. Blue my young mind, as it wqs the first half stack I ever tried. To this day, some 30 years later, I still wish I had one, and yours is a stunner! Looks like it's in AMAZING condition! I'm so envious. Congrats on living your teenage years dream. Ha!
im subbing you JUST for making a blue voodoo video. one of the MOST UNDER RATED amps in existence. I rocked the 60 watt head with the matching cab loaded with its original eminence speakers for YEARS till i got my Archon 100 and made the mistake of selling my bv. should have kept it for a second amp.
The Crate tube head you really want is called a Stealth GT50 (they also made 100w versions), designed by Lee Jackson in the early 90's... total fire, all you need is the head, no extra gain or distortion. I did all of my deathmetal gigging with one and it was solid every night.
I have the Crate Blue Voodoo 60 and I adore it. I bought it to use with an Orange cab, but have recently paired it with a Jackson J412. The cab is cool and it sounds just as good as my Orange Cab. Jackson never made a cab fun fact, they were made by Laney for Jackson.
I'm glad to see someone actually NOT ragging on these amps...like you, I have several other "Desirable tube amps" but my two Crate BV120's still kick A** after all these years!
As a teen in early 2000's i always wanted a crate amp, the only thing my dad can afford by that time was a Yamaha GA10 (i remember that the only thing my dad told me was to keep my grades above the average) that amp is still in good shape and i use it in DI recording and pairing it with the Ownhammer's IR and GOD that amp sounds very good in my home recordings.
Hey Taylor! I was working at a guitar store when those were released and the Blue voodoo was marketed by St Louis Music CoRP as the poor man's JCM 900. My boss swore by them as a great amp, but anybody talented as him made anything sound good.
I actually have both amps. BV and JCM 900. There is very little difference between them. I also have a Bugera 1990. Can't really tell the difference between the 3 of them.
Yeah, the downside of Blue Voodoos wasn't the tone - it was the costs associated with it if it was being gigged regularly. Tube amps in general are great because of the way they compress and create a warm distortion when cranked up. But I think that Solid State amps win out because these companies perfected distortion tones that are hard to distinguish between Solid and Tube. They might need some capacitors to be change every 20 years - but overall cost of ownership is less. And I maintain that most of the sound is coming from the musician - and then it is the kind of speaker that is being used in the cabinets. There are some differences, but they are so minor - unless being pointed out - no one would notice.
It really was pretty much the poor man's JCM900 - and almost everyone I knew saw it that way. The other guitarist in a band I was in had one, and it sounded perfectly fine, but he took a load of guff everywhere he went with it. "Oh, can't afford a Marshall, huh?" Nonsense like that. People are often pretty damn dumb. Most of them put wayyyy too much emphasis on status symbol foolishness like what brand of this or that you have. If it sounds good to you, it's good. Screw everyone else.
@@jeffthompson1869 I got compliments from other players -mostly MESA and Marshall owners - on my tone all the time back then. "Sounds good man, that real tube rock sound. What tubes are you running?" I was playing an Ampeg VH140C. Nary a tube in it. One guy got pissed off at me for lying when I told him it was solid state, and actually went and looked in the back of the head to "prove me wrong" LOL. (BTW that amp is mostly known for being good for death metal only, but if you realized the gain has a setting other than ten, you could get all sorts of really good overdrive and distortion tones out of it. The clean channel was kind of "blah," though. But definitely usable.)
Just found the channel and these vids are bringing back some fuzzy warm memories. I'd love to see what you could do with one of the old Peavey blue line ultra amps.
I started 6 months ago. So many options out there for amps, cabs, pedals, etc. I started with a Marshall mgfx30 combo. Already stepped up to peavey xxx head and 2x12 mesa.
When we were young a step like that would be impossible for anyone but ri h people. Its still an expensive set up for a noob. But having great equipment makes it much more fun to play so I think its great.
My first amp was a Crate in the early 90s. It had a "transtube" or hybrid tube button which I never used. I don't miss it at all. I have had the opportunity to buy Blue Voodoo heads in pawn shops for $100 multiple times in the past. The Baltic Birch Blue Voodoo cabs with V30's are awesome, I have 4 of them and paid around $50 each!
In the early 90s I briefly had a Crate solid state 1x12 combo that was frankly not very good. At that time they apparently saved the good solid state stuff to sell under the Ampeg name. But later I played with a cat who had a Blue Voodoo and it sounded great. Without needing an overdrive or distortion in front of it.
@@dogslobbergardens6606 The Crate and Ampeg solid states of that era were identical except for the tone stack. The Crate is a bit darker but with the highs focused 'too high'.
@@dogslobbergardens6606 All I can say is that I've compared the schematics while researching this fanatically a few years ago before ordering a VH preamp clone as a companion to my GX. I mean, perhaps you've got better sources than I was able to locate, but I doubt there's a better source than the factory schematics.
I remember even in the early 2000s this amp was desirable. I kind of wanted one when I was like 15. Does anybody know what riff he's playing at 5:32? I know that riff just can't put my finger on it.
Saw this just bought one for 410$ bucks absolutely a beast of an amp clean and dirty I'm putting it threw a marshall cab and it sounds amazing love it thanks for the video totally forgot about these amps !!!!!
Okay, Taylor, this is probably the strangest series of coincidences I've come across: In the video for an amp named Blue Voodoo, you mention that you started with a Peavey Predator and a Crate amp, and when I tell you that I started with the exact same setup 25 years ago... just glad that I eventually learned that it wasn't just that I sucked, but that combination is the epitome of disappointing sounding tone.
I had a translucent green Stratocaster style Samick guitar with a Crate 30 watt amp that I thought sounded amazing with the limited Danelectro pedals I had. Still have it all and just actually handed it all down to my 16 year old son 👍
The reason I was asking is a friend of mine got a Randall RG 737 from a pawn shop for like 25 bucks and I swapped the speaker out for a Jensen Italian speaker and it brought it to life. It is a one channel amp with just a gain knob and an EQ and a master volume and it's actually pretty versatile with a better speaker.
@@Curtismyguitarworks, I never knew the model number or anything. It was just a beginner amp that the guy at the music store suggested. This was back in 1985.
I almost got the 300 watt version recently, and it was very affordably priced by the seller. Unfortunately, I also had another amp that had to be acquired, so ended up passing on the opportunity to get the Crate BV300.
@@TaylorDanley the 300/150 had a completely different structure the 'ultra' or lead channel is brutality but they are extremely rare and limited in numbers
@@TaylorDanley It was marketed with a matching bass cab but, most people still just used it for guitar. And there is a 600 Watt Blue Voodoo floating around... somewhere!
@@wrathsinful6389 sadly the 600 watt was made for "event" purposes as it would need a fork truck to move it hahaha. I even reached out to Loud technologies "as they own crate now" and they wouldn't even build one, even when I told them no matter the cost haha
Man! Your playing + the Blue Voodoo sound pretty damn amazing IMO. I've always seen these for dirt cheap but also always hear how "bad" they are but you make this amp sound pretty damn amazing to my ears.
Ya man you had a lot of people back in the day that didn't understand that this was a high gain amp for metal. And yes you can make it a little buzzy if you turn everything up. But I love this amp and to me it keeps up with modern high gain amps. The only thing I don't like about it is that theres a big jump from clean to distortion. They didn't get the levels quit right but its nothing you cant overcome. Amazing amp I recommend you get one.
Man...what a throwback. I have the BV120H in a trad/thrash metal band and it's stayed with me for nearly 30 years now. I can appreciate the whole Crate lineup as well, I had the GFX212 with all the built-in effects. I genuinely miss that brand, and while I've got Katana's, a 5150, and a JCM now, I still keep the BV120H on hand with 4x12 cab! Thanks for putting this vid together man, love the channel but this one hit me in the feels!
Thanks for the review!!! I've owned a Crate BV120 for almost 20 years and i absolutely love it!! It's everything you said it is and more. Sure, like all amps, there are a few shortcomings (and yes, they ALL have them), but overall if you're into hard rock and metal, this is an excellent choice. I don't use it for gigging a lot these days because I am getting older and that amp head is a MOTHER, but I will never get rid of it and I still use it for gigs from time to time.
I started playing in '91 with a MIJ Fender Stratocaster, a Fender Champ 12, and a DOD Death Metal pedal. Been through a LOT of equipment since then.... Always wanted a BV 120, but have never gotten one. I've had several crate amps over the years, and I've learned that gear snobbery is laughable and for those with more money than sense. If you can play, it's easy to find useable tones in just about anything. For example, I recently picked up a $40 Joyo pedal that just kicks ass and adds new flavors to my tonal pallette. It's definitely the golden age of Guitar and there are so many affordable options available! Love your work Taylor!
Thanks man! Yeah, I had a death metal pedal a long time ago, and re-purchased it about a year ago for nostalgia just to realize that I actually really like it lol.
I always hated when everyone would say this amp is fizzy or a buzz saw. It's a metal amp not a classic rock amp. So all of us that were in to metal loved this amp. Oh and your leads would push right through the rest of the band. Great fucking amp. I know why Marty Friedman used it.
I never liked the Blue Voodoo, but Crate knocked it out of the park with the BV150 and BV300. They were designed by Stone from Mesa. I had 2 of them just in case one went down. Just absolutely insanely awesome and they’re so cheap now.
You really should try the 150 and 300 watt Blue VooDoos. I have both and they were my main & backup amps for many years. They make the 120 sound wimpy. Both the 150 & 300 have 3 channels instead of 2 and have a few extra tone shaping options. If you happen to get a 300 be prepared for some heavy lifting. It weighs almost 90 lbs!!
I started with that same Crate practice amp. Eventually I sold it to my friend who was starting on guitar for like $40 or something around there. But, he insisted the deal come with one of my gold tipped 8' guitar cables from Sam Ash; I think everyone had one of those at one point. I eventually caved, but that cable alone was worth 1/4 of amp lulz. That same friend worked with someone who had a Blue Voodoo that he showed us. That was the first real tube amp I heard IRL. 15 year old me was blown away.
Similar thing with me, maybe I was a bit younger... But I didn't know what a tube was, let alone how people got tone from them and how people could play with loud drummers 😂
@@ivankrushensky yeahhhh I played with a dude who was always chasing stuff like that. Monster cables for everything, the most expensive amps he could get, changed guitars every couple weeks, etc. Trouble was, he was a lot more into buying gear than he was into practicing, so he always sounded like ass no matter what LOL
My guitarist toured with one in the early 2000's and it was killer, a little fizzy, but didn't really need to be boosted and I believe he still has it as his backup! Great video dude. Loved the playing.
These things are wildly underrated. I had one of the big combos when they first came out. This was after SLM took the company back over and tried to save it. They started making really good stuff, but the damage in the marketplace was done. That thing screamed, and it took a fuzz pedal in a really unique way.
Nice video! I like how you've gotten your tone dialed in. I have a Blue Voodoo 60H head with two Electro-Harmonix 6L6GC power tubes and a mixture of Ruby High Gain, Tung Sol and Sovtek 12AX7s in the pre amp. The combo of 12AX7s was a re-tube special from Doug's Tubes, IIRC. That change of tubes in the pre-amp made a HUGE difference. I replaced the stock Crate speakers in a 2x12 cab (salvaged the speakers from the matching water damaged Crate BV 4x12) with Eminence GB128 and Man O War speakers and that took it over the top. This amp rips, dude. I'm glad you're enjoying your BV120!
I still have my Blue Voodoo from the mid 90s, I'm not the biggest fan of its distortion, nowadays I'll just use the pod go into the effects loop of it and the power section is just beast like.
That's what these amps are good at pedal platforms I have a 65 watt gfx combo I run my vox tonelab thru the effects loop. My bandmate does the same with his gx65 he rund his laptop thru it loud as hell
My intro to the Crate Blue Voodoo was Marty Friedman. I didn't know about the combo until i bought one a few months ago. I like the Crate amps. I own a GLX65 and LOVE the distortion from it. I learnef on a Westone guitar and Peavey Rage 108.
Awesome video man! I had the tiny crate amp and got the voodoo halfstack in high school when I convinced my dad that it would pay for itself with all the shows my band was gonna play lmao. I have never had a problem with it, I love that amp. I have a JVM410h and a 5150 and big blue holds up nicely to them. The highs can get a little hairy if you over do them and the gain but it’s easy to dial out and it takes pedals and EQ very well. Some justice for the Blue Voodoo!
I had a Blue VooDoo once and regret selling it. I liked it cause of Marty Friedman but sold it to chase Dimebag’s sound. I didn’t realize back then sound is also in your fingers. I have finally found my setup with a PRS MT15 w/ Maxon 808 and ISP Decimator in the front and a Sonic Stomp and Noise Gate in the loop. I suggest guitarist find their sound and not chase other peoples as they will struggle to find it.
In my first band we entered a studio where the producer had 5 of these along with a few mesas. I played through two of them and really liked it. So here I go looking for one on reverb.
Yeah I want to pull it apart and see what tubes are in it, or if it's been modded. Seems way to good for all the horror stories I've heard of these amps.
Had a ton of amps. Believe it or not back in the 90's i was looking for my next amp and the Red Voodoo was what i was aiming for but walked away with a Peavey 5150 mk 1 which i had for more than 17 years.
Ive been knida lucky over the yrs. I still have my gen1 5150,Randall rg100es,USA gen1 hotrod,jcm800 and a few other amps l bought new back in the day. I have sold some nice amps l wish l hadnt like alot of players. I sold two Marshall Jubilee stacks and my 64 Fender bassman and cabs. I miss these two amps the most, and lm still kicking myself. Live and learn l guess.
@@TaylorDanley it's funny how things always seem to come back full circle. Marshall and modded Marshall style amps were all the rage in the 80s and early 90s until the 5150 and dual rectifier came to prominence, especially in the 2000s when the mesa oversized cab really became the standard. Now we're moving away from that sound, as it has kind of become the village bicycle of tone.
@@Ronny1031 and if you're into tones other than full-bore death metal, remember the gain knob has settings other than 10 ;) My buddy would sometimes dial his gain way back and get SRV-like tones out of it.
I had a Crate Blue Voodoo head and I liked it! It was a great beginner amp if your getting into to Tube Amp World the only down side you had to crank it up to get it sound good.
I remember reading the magazines from guitar shops, and I remember seeing John 5, with white hair beside a blue voodoo amp, and I was like.. holy shit! I want to be him! he looked so cool, and the riffing in Marilyn Mansons songs were so awesome! So cool you did this!
My first gear was a spall marshall and a zoom pedal.. later I got the line 6 spider .. everyone says they suck but I always loved playing with the line 6 amp .. XD
I still own my first amp. 1978 Fender Super Reverb. I've been the 2nd owner since 1982. It doesn't really suit my style, but it likes pedals and I've had it so long I don't have the heart to sell it.
You're probably correct. I know in the early days they used the Ampeg vh140c, and there is a Crate amp that is almost identical (gx130 or something..). Wouldn't be surprised if that was what he was using.
Underappreciated amp. I had one and have since sold it, but it was a very solid option, never had any problems with mine and got some good tones out of it. I preferred to keep the presence pretty low. Haha and you just pointed out the same thing at 5:36 nice!
Back here in Denmark in the early 90 it was all about Marshall, so my first setup was a Marshall JCM 900, with matching cab and running it with BOSS HM-2, GE-7 and NS-2 (and my old Charvel)
I started on a Samick Strat with H-S-S configuration and also a little Samick combo amp that was covered in carpet. After that died I got an Ibanez RG270 and a Laney GC30.
I still have my 60 watt 2x12 Blue Voodoo, love seeing Blue Voodoos showing back up on TH-cam! It was my 1st and only tube amp. The combo can auto bias and you can switch between 6L6s and EL34s, I'm running EL34s and I swear it got rid of the can o' bees high treble. I've thought about changing out the Eminence speakers for a V30 & creamback, but all in good time. I upgraded my pedalboard to run with a power supply and not wall warts and my noise floor is so low now, before I thought there was an issue with my tubes or effects loop but I'm good now. I think a JCM 800 is 4 gain stages, the Blue Voodoo is 6 or 7? Definitely more gain on tap. I run gain at 1 or 2 o'clock, that's JCM 800 level, and recently put a Boss SD-1 in front of it. Oh and the clean channel... I get like 0 break up even with volume at noon, so much headroom! Bought used late 90's for $350, I think? 2x12 full tube, 2 channels with internal boost (essentially 3 channels), full EQ for both channels, presence, effects loop, and spring reverb. If I wanted a new amp today that would cost me around $1,500, I'll keep my amp, hehe!
To be easier on your wallet, consider changing just one speaker at a time. Sometimes it's surprising how much difference it makes. And if you're mic'ing the cab onstage, you're only mic'ing one of them anyway...
Instead of boosting bass on the booster (8:20), you could first increase Low on the amp - then eventually also add a bit before the distortion. This way you'd get not only heavier, but also tighter tone. Maybe though, that much "chug" is not your game for Death Metal riffs.
i played in a band for many years where one of the guitarists had one, it was a beast. the other guitarist had a tsl and they complemented each other very well, different enough tonally to separate well, especially for harmony stuff but similar enough to really thicken up the rhythm sections, both fit very well with my all swr rig, good times.
I had a crate half- stack 120 w I believe. It sounded great. I paid 500 or 600? And when I sold it 5 years later for the same price. Crazy right. This was in the late 90s to 2000s. Those were the days.
So I got the 60, and though I don't care much for the dirty channel by itself, It takes to pedals really well. I like that the effects loop can be boosted. The clean channel is a sleeper. It's obnoxiously loud and takes to pedals very well. I love that amp head!
My very first amp was a Crate 2 channel 50 watt. My guitar teach sold it to me and an electric guitar for my birthday. The electric guitar was a Westone XL, candy apple red. It was a Humbucker - Single - Humbucker pickup configuration. It had a whammy bar but it wasn't exactly a floating bridge. Then after I saw a guy with a Crate half stack, I bought a Crate GX-130C head and cabinet brand new. I loved the thing! Years later, the cabinet got stolen. I sold the head at Guitar Center about a year ago. I used Neural DSP plugins now. The Westone electric guitar got stolen at the same time.
I used one in the early 00's in a metal/hardcore band and absolutely loved it. I was shocked to learn in later life that people hated these. I absolutely loved it
Its right up there with the Crate VC120 tube head. I've had a Red Voodoo and a Blue Voodoo come through my shop for repair and both sounded amazing. I've had my VC120 since 2001 and don't plan on selling it anytime soon.
My first "real" amp, was a Crate G-60 (some kind of special edition, i forget), and I thought it screamed. It was 1988, and pro gear back then was horrifically expensive, so I was happy before it started crapping out. Would love to find one nowadays, and see what it sounds like, to more experienced ears.
My first amp head was a Crate Flexwave 120h I got from a friend. It stopped working completely after 2 years and I ended up upgrading to a Randall rx120d. Now I predominantly rock a little Joyo Zombie. I still have that Crate amp but I never bothered to fix it because I absolutely need an effects loop (which the flexwave doesn't have)
Haha I remember the hype those Blue VooDoo amps had in the late 90s namely due to Megadeth using them. Cool video! It actually sounds pretty good! Good playing! My first real live rig I had was a DigiTech 2120 rack w a Marshall VS100 power amp through two Crate Excalibur series 4 x 12" cabs way back in ze day! Moved onto tubes quickly afterwards and never looked back.
First rig: G&L Climax XL with a Crate GX-65. Then a Crate GFX-212 that I still have. And several other G&L Climaxes and a G&L Legacy. And a Crate GX-1200H. Sold my Bogner. There's only room for G&L guitars and Crate amps.
I had a Shafer & son's strat copy and a peavey bandit 65 had to run a dod overdrive distortion pedal through it to get in metal range I wanted the blue voodoo very badly just could never get my hands on one. Great video. Sounds very sick with your licks
I had a yamaha amp and a vantage sg copy and a boss ds2. I think the vantage was wired out of phase so i traded it for an explorer copy made of plywood 😀
Awesome demo! The BV was a coveted amp in my neighborhood for sure! Lol I had that same Crate combo as my first amp as well, this really took me back, you got yourself a new subscriber, keep it up!!
You make that BV-120 sound great too! Man you're bringing back the memories I started with a Ibanez EX (HSH pickups) & Crate GX-80, similar to your 15wt. Within a year my father picked up a JCM 900 cab and 50 Wt JCM 800 head for my birthday. He bought my black Gibson Les Paul Studio and my Charvel shredder the next year. I still have the guitars but good riddance to my 1st setup GX 80 & Ibanhad.
I used to own one of these, and sold it for next to nothing. The reverb is a spring reverb. The box with the springs is mounted to the top of the chassis on the inside.
It does sound good I still have my old GX160 Crate bought in 1992 brand new boosted sounds sick for solid state loud amp,but I have always wanted the blue voodoo saw it in magazines in the 90,s,would love to find one.Great video man awesome channel 🤘😈🍻
I've had 3 Crate BV120's. I liked them all. I can say the black ones with the block plate logo sound slightly different and a little more angry for some reason. I took them in once a year to get the solder joints reflowed as they were prone to cracking but other than that, it was a great amp. A bit heavy to carry around but awesome for a lot of things. Great memories for sure. Thanks!
I had one back in the day. Ran it through a standard Marshall 4x12. The problem I had was the gain channel constantly died. Not sure what the deal was. I had it fixed twice. After the third time, I couldn't really afford to keep getting it fixed. But, what they don't talk about that often is, this amp had an amazing clean channel. It had tons of headroom. I continued to use my Blue Voodoo just without the gain channel. I ran pedals into the clean channel and it worked great like that for a few more years.
Also that tiny little 15 why is pretty close to what they use down bullet with butterfly wings so try mixing that in with some tones. Billy Corgan liked it 🥸
My first guitar was an acoustic Alvarez back in 1999 when I was 16. My first electric and amp was an Austin strat and a 15 watt crate that looks like yours in the video back in 2000 at 17.
Get yourself the BEST strings and help out the channel! stringjoy.com/partner/Taylor%20Danley/
If you want to have fun with that little Crate, use it as a preamp. Plug a 1/4" stereo into the insert jack, one side will be the preamp out. Slave it to any other amp's power section with a decent cab behind it. You'll be surprised how good it sounds through a proper cab. Still the best $30 I ever spent.
check out INDOMINION
Review a crate stealth 50
Use the blue voodoo and Mesa 4×12 with a boss metal zone through the pre Amp in. Or Maxon 808 through the pre Amp in
@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 I WAS GETTING ON HERE TO SAY THE SAME THING. I USED TO RUN A 4 12 MARSHAL MG OFF OF A CRATE PRACTICE AMP.
Im still rocking creates. Had one over 20 years zero issues.🍻
I used the first gen version of the blue voodoo in a thrash metal band and was constantly complimented on my tone. Many laughed as I set up but NONE did after our set. Never failed me either... 10/10 for me..
Same. Everyone commented on my tone.
Should I buy one for 200$ there is one available down the block with original 4x12 cab
@@cristianrivera3892 definitely...
@@cristianrivera3892 Yes? Many (if not all) of the original Blue Voodoo cabinets were loaded with Celestion Vintage 30's. Even people who didn't like the amp still seek out the cabinets because they're usually cheaper than any other v30 cab you can find. Anyway, if the original cab has the Celestion v30's in it the speakers are probably worth more than $200
@@cristianrivera3892yes buy it up. I just purchased one for $300 at my local pawn shop. I’m blown away
I do hear the fizz, it's noticeable, but nothing a little EQ won't fix.
Crate in general is a very slept on brand. They always had killer tones for affordable prices. Definitely would love to see a shoot out of this amp with the Marshall jcm and maybe a set up on a kemper/modular system of some kind
I might be able to make that happen actually, I have a friend with a JCM900 he said I could borrow
@@TaylorDanley that's sick, love the shoot out vids you do. Hell tbh your shoot out of the joyo amps is what led me to getting a zombie 2 before I got my genz and now my iconic
@@TaylorDanley Crate Vs. Marshall yes please!
@@TaylorDanley I'd be into seeing that comparison.
@@billyedkin4837 awesome! I just bought an iconic as well. Lotsa stuff coming with that in the future!
Crates ruled. Love the Blue Voodoo. Early Cannibal Corpse Crate GX-130C is still one of the most brutal guitar tones ever recorded.
That's the amp I was thinking of! Someone else mentioned CC using crates in the comments, and I said it was probably this amp. Yeah, those things sound brootz.
I much prefer the ss g130s and g120s to the voodoos. I worked at two crate dealers in late 90s early 2000s. Played s lot of crates. Prefered the ss amps more so than their tube amps.
@@TaylorDanley Metal Zone boosting solid state crate 130 + emg 81.
Marty Friedman used one for a short time with Megadeth. I actually like it with the Mesa cab you are using. Much better than the Crate cabs.
I've just learned that if I'm going to like something, there's a much higher chance I'll like it if I use it through my favorite cab lol. Every now and then though there are amps that I think benefit from a much more mid focused cab, but that's few and far between.
As I understand used it for its power section, he used rack preamps into it.
That Mesa Cab is basically the sound of metal you hear on most records so thats no surprise. If the amp is not a complete turd it will sound good through this haha.
The Crate BV cabinets are amazing and very heavy.
@@noself7889 same
I started playing guitar in 1988, starting on electric a year later. That Blue Voodoo 120, with that blue and gold color scheme, was the first amp I ever lusted after, purely based on looks. One day the little store, where I took my lessons, got one in, and I got to turn it up to 2 in the little amp demo room. Blue my young mind, as it wqs the first half stack I ever tried. To this day, some 30 years later, I still wish I had one, and yours is a stunner! Looks like it's in AMAZING condition! I'm so envious. Congrats on living your teenage years dream. Ha!
I started in 1998 with a Peavey 120 Ultra Plus & the logo lights up. The 4x12 cab that came w it was crap.
im subbing you JUST for making a blue voodoo video. one of the MOST UNDER RATED amps in existence. I rocked the 60 watt head with the matching cab loaded with its original eminence speakers for YEARS till i got my Archon 100 and made the mistake of selling my bv. should have kept it for a second amp.
The Crate tube head you really want is called a Stealth GT50 (they also made 100w versions), designed by Lee Jackson in the early 90's... total fire, all you need is the head, no extra gain or distortion. I did all of my deathmetal gigging with one and it was solid every night.
blue used by megadeth
I have the Crate Blue Voodoo 60 and I adore it. I bought it to use with an Orange cab, but have recently paired it with a Jackson J412. The cab is cool and it sounds just as good as my Orange Cab. Jackson never made a cab fun fact, they were made by Laney for Jackson.
The Crate Blue Voodoo Sounds Awesome! Certainly is Underrated.
I'm glad to see someone actually NOT ragging on these amps...like you, I have several other "Desirable tube amps" but my two Crate BV120's still kick A** after all these years!
As a teen in early 2000's i always wanted a crate amp, the only thing my dad can afford by that time was a Yamaha GA10 (i remember that the only thing my dad told me was to keep my grades above the average) that amp is still in good shape and i use it in DI recording and pairing it with the Ownhammer's IR and GOD that amp sounds very good in my home recordings.
Hey Taylor! I was working at a guitar store when those were released and the Blue voodoo was marketed by St Louis Music CoRP as the poor man's JCM 900. My boss swore by them as a great amp, but anybody talented as him made anything sound good.
I actually have both amps. BV and JCM 900. There is very little difference between them. I also have a Bugera 1990. Can't really tell the difference between
the 3 of them.
Yeah, the downside of Blue Voodoos wasn't the tone - it was the costs associated with it if it was being gigged regularly. Tube amps in general are great because of the way they compress and create a warm distortion when cranked up. But I think that Solid State amps win out because these companies perfected distortion tones that are hard to distinguish between Solid and Tube. They might need some capacitors to be change every 20 years - but overall cost of ownership is less. And I maintain that most of the sound is coming from the musician - and then it is the kind of speaker that is being used in the cabinets. There are some differences, but they are so minor - unless being pointed out - no one would notice.
Thats pretty much what he said in the video
It really was pretty much the poor man's JCM900 - and almost everyone I knew saw it that way. The other guitarist in a band I was in had one, and it sounded perfectly fine, but he took a load of guff everywhere he went with it. "Oh, can't afford a Marshall, huh?" Nonsense like that. People are often pretty damn dumb. Most of them put wayyyy too much emphasis on status symbol foolishness like what brand of this or that you have.
If it sounds good to you, it's good. Screw everyone else.
@@jeffthompson1869 I got compliments from other players -mostly MESA and Marshall owners - on my tone all the time back then. "Sounds good man, that real tube rock sound. What tubes are you running?"
I was playing an Ampeg VH140C. Nary a tube in it.
One guy got pissed off at me for lying when I told him it was solid state, and actually went and looked in the back of the head to "prove me wrong" LOL.
(BTW that amp is mostly known for being good for death metal only, but if you realized the gain has a setting other than ten, you could get all sorts of really good overdrive and distortion tones out of it. The clean channel was kind of "blah," though. But definitely usable.)
Just found the channel and these vids are bringing back some fuzzy warm memories. I'd love to see what you could do with one of the old Peavey blue line ultra amps.
I started 6 months ago. So many options out there for amps, cabs, pedals, etc. I started with a Marshall mgfx30 combo. Already stepped up to peavey xxx head and 2x12 mesa.
Big step up!
That Triple X and the Mesa 2X12 is a killer combo! 🔥 AF choice man
@@Epochstudios yea it's a keeper
When we were young a step like that would be impossible for anyone but ri h people. Its still an expensive set up for a noob. But having great equipment makes it much more fun to play so I think its great.
@@merqury5 totally agree man.
My first amp was a Crate in the early 90s. It had a "transtube" or hybrid tube button which I never used. I don't miss it at all. I have had the opportunity to buy Blue Voodoo heads in pawn shops for $100 multiple times in the past. The Baltic Birch Blue Voodoo cabs with V30's are awesome, I have 4 of them and paid around $50 each!
In the early 90s I briefly had a Crate solid state 1x12 combo that was frankly not very good. At that time they apparently saved the good solid state stuff to sell under the Ampeg name.
But later I played with a cat who had a Blue Voodoo and it sounded great. Without needing an overdrive or distortion in front of it.
I'm actually jealous.
@@dogslobbergardens6606
The Crate and Ampeg solid states of that era were identical except for the tone stack.
The Crate is a bit darker but with the highs focused 'too high'.
@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 I've read that about specific Crate models, yes. The cheap one I had was definitely not the same preamp.
@@dogslobbergardens6606
All I can say is that I've compared the schematics while researching this fanatically a few years ago before ordering a VH preamp clone as a companion to my GX.
I mean, perhaps you've got better sources than I was able to locate, but I doubt there's a better source than the factory schematics.
I remember even in the early 2000s this amp was desirable. I kind of wanted one when I was like 15. Does anybody know what riff he's playing at 5:32? I know that riff just can't put my finger on it.
Saw this just bought one for 410$ bucks absolutely a beast of an amp clean and dirty I'm putting it threw a marshall cab and it sounds amazing love it thanks for the video totally forgot about these amps !!!!!
Okay, Taylor, this is probably the strangest series of coincidences I've come across: In the video for an amp named Blue Voodoo, you mention that you started with a Peavey Predator and a Crate amp, and when I tell you that I started with the exact same setup 25 years ago... just glad that I eventually learned that it wasn't just that I sucked, but that combination is the epitome of disappointing sounding tone.
We definitely fit into a demographic 😂
Hell Yes Taylor! It Sounds great. I love my Crate blue voodoo it’s a metal monster!
I had a translucent green Stratocaster style Samick guitar with a Crate 30 watt amp that I thought sounded amazing with the limited Danelectro pedals I had. Still have it all and just actually handed it all down to my 16 year old son 👍
That's awesome. I had a valley art studios Samick and a 25w ibanez ss amp with a zoom multi effect pedal in the late 90s
And I remember those danelectro pedals very well. Looked like barber clippers or something lol. Had 50s diner menu names like Surf n Turf...
Crate amps are heavily underappreciated. As far as my first amp, I had a Randall amp with a 10" speaker, and very few tone options.
Was your first amp the RG 737 by chance?
The reason I was asking is a friend of mine got a Randall RG 737 from a pawn shop for like 25 bucks and I swapped the speaker out for a Jensen Italian speaker and it brought it to life. It is a one channel amp with just a gain knob and an EQ and a master volume and it's actually pretty versatile with a better speaker.
@@Curtismyguitarworks, I never knew the model number or anything. It was just a beginner amp that the guy at the music store suggested. This was back in 1985.
I almost got the 300 watt version recently, and it was very affordably priced by the seller. Unfortunately, I also had another amp that had to be acquired, so ended up passing on the opportunity to get the Crate BV300.
Bummer! I'm really curious about those now. Like 300 watts? Why? That's so many watts!
@@TaylorDanley the 300/150 had a completely different structure the 'ultra' or lead channel is brutality but they are extremely rare and limited in numbers
The 150 had a slightly different tonestack with more options as well as the 300 however the 300 the power section is a SVT power section
@@TaylorDanley It was marketed with a matching bass cab but, most people still just used it for guitar. And there is a 600 Watt Blue Voodoo floating around... somewhere!
@@wrathsinful6389 sadly the 600 watt was made for "event" purposes as it would need a fork truck to move it hahaha.
I even reached out to Loud technologies "as they own crate now" and they wouldn't even build one, even when I told them no matter the cost haha
Had mine for 20 years I love it !
Awesome! I wish I had one 20 years ago would have saved me some ear piercing mini combo tones..
There was one of those in the practice room we used to go! It was really cool have such a good metal amp there
Man! Your playing + the Blue Voodoo sound pretty damn amazing IMO.
I've always seen these for dirt cheap but also always hear how "bad" they are but you make this amp sound pretty damn amazing to my ears.
Ya man you had a lot of people back in the day that didn't understand that this was a high gain amp for metal. And yes you can make it a little buzzy if you turn everything up. But I love this amp and to me it keeps up with modern high gain amps. The only thing I don't like about it is that theres a big jump from clean to distortion. They didn't get the levels quit right but its nothing you cant overcome. Amazing amp I recommend you get one.
Man...what a throwback. I have the BV120H in a trad/thrash metal band and it's stayed with me for nearly 30 years now. I can appreciate the whole Crate lineup as well, I had the GFX212 with all the built-in effects. I genuinely miss that brand, and while I've got Katana's, a 5150, and a JCM now, I still keep the BV120H on hand with 4x12 cab!
Thanks for putting this vid together man, love the channel but this one hit me in the feels!
My first electric setup was a Peavey Special 112 with a Yamaha RGX 612 with active pickups. I think that Crate sounds awesome.
Thanks for the review!!! I've owned a Crate BV120 for almost 20 years and i absolutely love it!! It's everything you said it is and more. Sure, like all amps, there are a few shortcomings (and yes, they ALL have them), but overall if you're into hard rock and metal, this is an excellent choice. I don't use it for gigging a lot these days because I am getting older and that amp head is a MOTHER, but I will never get rid of it and I still use it for gigs from time to time.
I started playing in '91 with a MIJ Fender Stratocaster, a Fender Champ 12, and a DOD Death Metal pedal. Been through a LOT of equipment since then.... Always wanted a BV 120, but have never gotten one. I've had several crate amps over the years, and I've learned that gear snobbery is laughable and for those with more money than sense. If you can play, it's easy to find useable tones in just about anything. For example, I recently picked up a $40 Joyo pedal that just kicks ass and adds new flavors to my tonal pallette. It's definitely the golden age of Guitar and there are so many affordable options available! Love your work Taylor!
Thanks man! Yeah, I had a death metal pedal a long time ago, and re-purchased it about a year ago for nostalgia just to realize that I actually really like it lol.
I always hated when everyone would say this amp is fizzy or a buzz saw. It's a metal amp not a classic rock amp. So all of us that were in to metal loved this amp. Oh and your leads would push right through the rest of the band. Great fucking amp. I know why Marty Friedman used it.
I never liked the Blue Voodoo, but Crate knocked it out of the park with the BV150 and BV300. They were designed by Stone from Mesa. I had 2 of them just in case one went down. Just absolutely insanely awesome and they’re so cheap now.
I have a 120, but it is the newer one that looks like the bv150 and bv300. Even uses the same knobs as my Mesa Triple Rectifier.
Please tell me how you got that bass tone, oh my god
The Mammoth plugin by Aurora DSP
You really should try the 150 and 300 watt Blue VooDoos. I have both and they were my main & backup amps for many years. They make the 120 sound wimpy. Both the 150 & 300 have 3 channels instead of 2 and have a few extra tone shaping options. If you happen to get a 300 be prepared for some heavy lifting. It weighs almost 90 lbs!!
90lbs! 🤯 That’s heavier than the OG Peavey 5150 combo - by 5 lbs.
Great brand!, a lot of guitar players don't give too much to this amp, but it is so cool. Thanks for sharing
Sick! I’ve always admired these but only ever heard them played in dad bands lol. Amazed at how much low end you were able to conjure! 🤘💀🤘
Yeah I don't think I would have been stoked if I couldn't get the low end I wanted!
It depends a lot on the cab, too. A good 4x12 will make an amp that only sounds OK through poor speakers or in a combo, sound like a monster.
I'm running the same 1st gen Blue Voodoo 120 into an Orange 4x12 and its killer!
I started with that same Crate practice amp. Eventually I sold it to my friend who was starting on guitar for like $40 or something around there. But, he insisted the deal come with one of my gold tipped 8' guitar cables from Sam Ash; I think everyone had one of those at one point. I eventually caved, but that cable alone was worth 1/4 of amp lulz. That same friend worked with someone who had a Blue Voodoo that he showed us. That was the first real tube amp I heard IRL. 15 year old me was blown away.
I had a Monster cable lol
Similar thing with me, maybe I was a bit younger... But I didn't know what a tube was, let alone how people got tone from them and how people could play with loud drummers 😂
@@ivankrushensky yeahhhh I played with a dude who was always chasing stuff like that. Monster cables for everything, the most expensive amps he could get, changed guitars every couple weeks, etc.
Trouble was, he was a lot more into buying gear than he was into practicing, so he always sounded like ass no matter what LOL
@@dogslobbergardens6606 I know exactly the type. Best gear out there still sounds like trash if you don't know how to use it.
Me too 🤘
My guitarist toured with one in the early 2000's and it was killer, a little fizzy, but didn't really need to be boosted and I believe he still has it as his backup! Great video dude. Loved the playing.
These things are wildly underrated. I had one of the big combos when they first came out. This was after SLM took the company back over and tried to save it. They started making really good stuff, but the damage in the marketplace was done. That thing screamed, and it took a fuzz pedal in a really unique way.
Nice video! I like how you've gotten your tone dialed in. I have a Blue Voodoo 60H head with two Electro-Harmonix 6L6GC power tubes and a mixture of Ruby High Gain, Tung Sol and Sovtek 12AX7s in the pre amp. The combo of 12AX7s was a re-tube special from Doug's Tubes, IIRC. That change of tubes in the pre-amp made a HUGE difference. I replaced the stock Crate speakers in a 2x12 cab (salvaged the speakers from the matching water damaged Crate BV 4x12) with Eminence GB128 and Man O War speakers and that took it over the top. This amp rips, dude. I'm glad you're enjoying your BV120!
I still have my Blue Voodoo from the mid 90s, I'm not the biggest fan of its distortion, nowadays I'll just use the pod go into the effects loop of it and the power section is just beast like.
That's what these amps are good at pedal platforms I have a 65 watt gfx combo I run my vox tonelab thru the effects loop. My bandmate does the same with his gx65 he rund his laptop thru it loud as hell
My intro to the Crate Blue Voodoo was Marty Friedman. I didn't know about the combo until i bought one a few months ago. I like the Crate amps. I own a GLX65 and LOVE the distortion from it.
I learnef on a Westone guitar and Peavey Rage 108.
Sick tones. This is one of my bucketlist amps
EDIT: I miss Crate :(
Oh I remember firing one up in the music store and I definitely would turn everyone's head and grab their attention. Great fn amp.
Awesome video man! I had the tiny crate amp and got the voodoo halfstack in high school when I convinced my dad that it would pay for itself with all the shows my band was gonna play lmao. I have never had a problem with it, I love that amp. I have a JVM410h and a 5150 and big blue holds up nicely to them. The highs can get a little hairy if you over do them and the gain but it’s easy to dial out and it takes pedals and EQ very well. Some justice for the Blue Voodoo!
I had a Blue VooDoo once and regret selling it. I liked it cause of Marty Friedman but sold it to chase Dimebag’s sound. I didn’t realize back then sound is also in your fingers. I have finally found my setup with a PRS MT15 w/ Maxon 808 and ISP Decimator in the front and a Sonic Stomp and Noise Gate in the loop. I suggest guitarist find their sound and not chase other peoples as they will struggle to find it.
Absolutely right. SO many people spend so much money chasing gear to get somebody else's tone. It's kind of bizarre.
In my first band we entered a studio where the producer had 5 of these along with a few mesas. I played through two of them and really liked it. So here I go looking for one on reverb.
Dude, that thing owns! Your specific one has some extra sauce 🤘
Yeah I want to pull it apart and see what tubes are in it, or if it's been modded. Seems way to good for all the horror stories I've heard of these amps.
@@TaylorDanley Definitely. Check those transformers too. I feel like it has seen the inside of a repair shop and the tech knew their DooDoo :P
Definitely sounds grittier. Modded 🤔
Had a ton of amps. Believe it or not back in the 90's i was looking for my next amp and the Red Voodoo was what i was aiming for but walked away with a Peavey 5150 mk 1 which i had for more than 17 years.
Ive been knida lucky over the yrs. I still have my gen1 5150,Randall rg100es,USA gen1 hotrod,jcm800 and a few other amps l bought new back in the day. I have sold some nice amps l wish l hadnt like alot of players. I sold two Marshall Jubilee stacks and my 64 Fender bassman and cabs. I miss these two amps the most, and lm still kicking myself. Live and learn l guess.
@@mikeholmed7029 oh yes, totally same feeling. i'm playing ampless these days just with pedals through FOH. Can't afford anything else anymore lol
The Blue Voodoo seems sort of like a sleeper amp, particularly for that 90s death metal sort of sound
It is. And that 90's DM sound is becoming more popular again... so it's a good amp for modern DM sounds? 😂
@@TaylorDanley it's funny how things always seem to come back full circle. Marshall and modded Marshall style amps were all the rage in the 80s and early 90s until the 5150 and dual rectifier came to prominence, especially in the 2000s when the mesa oversized cab really became the standard. Now we're moving away from that sound, as it has kind of become the village bicycle of tone.
@@Ronny1031 and if you're into tones other than full-bore death metal, remember the gain knob has settings other than 10 ;) My buddy would sometimes dial his gain way back and get SRV-like tones out of it.
I had a Crate Blue Voodoo head and I liked it! It was a great beginner amp if your getting into to Tube Amp World the only down side you had to crank it up to get it sound good.
I've owned 3 of these things. Every time i get rid of one for something "BETTER", I end up going back to the BV. Great amps.
I remember reading the magazines from guitar shops, and I remember seeing John 5, with white hair beside a blue voodoo amp, and I was like.. holy shit! I want to be him! he looked so cool, and the riffing in Marilyn Mansons songs were so awesome! So cool you did this!
My first gear was a spall marshall and a zoom pedal.. later I got the line 6 spider .. everyone says they suck but I always loved playing with the line 6 amp .. XD
Oh yes! Looking catalogs when i was a kid , this was one of my fave amps!
I still own my first amp. 1978 Fender Super Reverb. I've been the 2nd owner since 1982. It doesn't really suit my style, but it likes pedals and I've had it so long I don't have the heart to sell it.
Jack Owen of Cannibal Corpse used Crate amps if I remember correctly, he always got a nice chunky rhythm tones.
You're probably correct. I know in the early days they used the Ampeg vh140c, and there is a Crate amp that is almost identical (gx130 or something..). Wouldn't be surprised if that was what he was using.
HA!! Played with a Kelly, too. Nice XD
I've been using these for years.
Excellent demo! Thanks for sharing this with us!
I always dug those back in the day. I’ve always wanted one of the red ones.
I used one for 10 years in my cover band. I put new tubes it, and the distortion was amazing
Underappreciated amp. I had one and have since sold it, but it was a very solid option, never had any problems with mine and got some good tones out of it. I preferred to keep the presence pretty low. Haha and you just pointed out the same thing at 5:36 nice!
Yeah, that presence gets pretty nasally real quick!
I had a really baaaaaaaad DOD Grunge combo amp (for reference check out fluffs video)
That thing had 2 modes: no gain or too much gain
Back here in Denmark in the early 90 it was all about Marshall, so my first setup was a Marshall JCM 900, with matching cab and running it with BOSS HM-2, GE-7 and NS-2 (and my old Charvel)
Awesome man! Great video. Love the amp, and how you present it. Well done! =)
I started on a Samick Strat with H-S-S configuration and also a little Samick combo amp that was covered in carpet. After that died I got an Ibanez RG270 and a Laney GC30.
I still have my 60 watt 2x12 Blue Voodoo, love seeing Blue Voodoos showing back up on TH-cam! It was my 1st and only tube amp.
The combo can auto bias and you can switch between 6L6s and EL34s, I'm running EL34s and I swear it got rid of the can o' bees high treble. I've thought about changing out the Eminence speakers for a V30 & creamback, but all in good time.
I upgraded my pedalboard to run with a power supply and not wall warts and my noise floor is so low now, before I thought there was an issue with my tubes or effects loop but I'm good now.
I think a JCM 800 is 4 gain stages, the Blue Voodoo is 6 or 7? Definitely more gain on tap. I run gain at 1 or 2 o'clock, that's JCM 800 level, and recently put a Boss SD-1 in front of it.
Oh and the clean channel... I get like 0 break up even with volume at noon, so much headroom!
Bought used late 90's for $350, I think? 2x12 full tube, 2 channels with internal boost (essentially 3 channels), full EQ for both channels, presence, effects loop, and spring reverb. If I wanted a new amp today that would cost me around $1,500, I'll keep my amp, hehe!
To be easier on your wallet, consider changing just one speaker at a time. Sometimes it's surprising how much difference it makes. And if you're mic'ing the cab onstage, you're only mic'ing one of them anyway...
I love you for checking this out thank you man!
🥳💪🤘
Instead of boosting bass on the booster (8:20), you could first increase Low on the amp - then eventually also add a bit before the distortion. This way you'd get not only heavier, but also tighter tone. Maybe though, that much "chug" is not your game for Death Metal riffs.
i played in a band for many years where one of the guitarists had one, it was a beast.
the other guitarist had a tsl and they complemented each other very well, different enough tonally to separate well, especially for harmony stuff but similar enough to really thicken up the rhythm sections, both fit very well with my all swr rig, good times.
I had a crate half- stack 120 w I believe. It sounded great. I paid 500 or 600? And when I sold it 5 years later for the same price. Crazy right. This was in the late 90s to 2000s. Those were the days.
So I got the 60, and though I don't care much for the dirty channel by itself, It takes to pedals really well. I like that the effects loop can be boosted. The clean channel is a sleeper. It's obnoxiously loud and takes to pedals very well. I love that amp head!
My very first amp was a Crate 2 channel 50 watt. My guitar teach sold it to me and an electric guitar for my birthday. The electric guitar was a Westone XL, candy apple red. It was a Humbucker - Single - Humbucker pickup configuration. It had a whammy bar but it wasn't exactly a floating bridge. Then after I saw a guy with a Crate half stack, I bought a Crate GX-130C head and cabinet brand new. I loved the thing! Years later, the cabinet got stolen. I sold the head at Guitar Center about a year ago. I used Neural DSP plugins now. The Westone electric guitar got stolen at the same time.
I had one of them in highschool and loved it. I sold it before I went to college and sort of want to get it again.
Do it!
I used one in the early 00's in a metal/hardcore band and absolutely loved it. I was shocked to learn in later life that people hated these. I absolutely loved it
Dude!! I also started out with the same 15W Crate. Early '90s
Its right up there with the Crate VC120 tube head. I've had a Red Voodoo and a Blue Voodoo come through my shop for repair and both sounded amazing. I've had my VC120 since 2001 and don't plan on selling it anytime soon.
My first "real" amp, was a Crate G-60 (some kind of special edition, i forget), and I thought it screamed.
It was 1988, and pro gear back then was horrifically expensive, so I was happy before it started crapping out.
Would love to find one nowadays, and see what it sounds like, to more experienced ears.
My 1st amp was a Fender Quad Reverb, 4x12 combo, Gibson SG Special with P90’s and a Big Muff Tone -Bypass model, loud and mean
One of the first guitar players I played with had one as well. We used to cover Bush songs in my Grandmas garage 😂
My first amp head was a Crate Flexwave 120h I got from a friend. It stopped working completely after 2 years and I ended up upgrading to a Randall rx120d. Now I predominantly rock a little Joyo Zombie. I still have that Crate amp but I never bothered to fix it because I absolutely need an effects loop (which the flexwave doesn't have)
Haha I remember the hype those Blue VooDoo amps had in the late 90s namely due to Megadeth using them. Cool video! It actually sounds pretty good! Good playing! My first real live rig I had was a DigiTech 2120 rack w a Marshall VS100 power amp through two Crate Excalibur series 4 x 12" cabs way back in ze day! Moved onto tubes quickly afterwards and never looked back.
First rig: G&L Climax XL with a Crate GX-65. Then a Crate GFX-212 that I still have. And several other G&L Climaxes and a G&L Legacy. And a Crate GX-1200H. Sold my Bogner. There's only room for G&L guitars and Crate amps.
I had a Shafer & son's strat copy and a peavey bandit 65 had to run a dod overdrive distortion pedal through it to get in metal range I wanted the blue voodoo very badly just could never get my hands on one. Great video. Sounds very sick with your licks
My first was the DOD Grunge combo amp . Cheap and sweet wish I still had it
I had a yamaha amp and a vantage sg copy and a boss ds2. I think the vantage was wired out of phase so i traded it for an explorer copy made of plywood 😀
Awesome demo! The BV was a coveted amp in my neighborhood for sure! Lol I had that same Crate combo as my first amp as well, this really took me back, you got yourself a new subscriber, keep it up!!
You make that BV-120 sound great too! Man you're bringing back the memories I started with a Ibanez EX (HSH pickups) & Crate GX-80, similar to your 15wt. Within a year my father picked up a JCM 900 cab and 50 Wt JCM 800 head for my birthday. He bought my black Gibson Les Paul Studio and my Charvel shredder the next year. I still have the guitars but good riddance to my 1st setup GX 80 & Ibanhad.
BTW forgot my dad hooked me up with an old friend of his and I bought the JCM 800 head for $150!
REUBEN! What's up dude? That's an insane deal on an amp. You can't even sneeze on them for less than 1500 now lol
I used to own one of these, and sold it for next to nothing. The reverb is a spring reverb. The box with the springs is mounted to the top of the chassis on the inside.
It does sound good I still have my old GX160 Crate bought in 1992 brand new boosted sounds sick for solid state loud amp,but I have always wanted the blue voodoo saw it in magazines in the 90,s,would love to find one.Great video man awesome channel 🤘😈🍻
I've had 3 Crate BV120's. I liked them all. I can say the black ones with the block plate logo sound slightly different and a little more angry for some reason. I took them in once a year to get the solder joints reflowed as they were prone to cracking but other than that, it was a great amp. A bit heavy to carry around but awesome for a lot of things. Great memories for sure. Thanks!
I had one back in the day. Ran it through a standard Marshall 4x12. The problem I had was the gain channel constantly died. Not sure what the deal was. I had it fixed twice. After the third time, I couldn't really afford to keep getting it fixed. But, what they don't talk about that often is, this amp had an amazing clean channel. It had tons of headroom. I continued to use my Blue Voodoo just without the gain channel. I ran pedals into the clean channel and it worked great like that for a few more years.
That thing is surprisingly nice. Riffs were really coming thru clean.
Also that tiny little 15 why is pretty close to what they use down bullet with butterfly wings so try mixing that in with some tones. Billy Corgan liked it 🥸
My first guitar was an acoustic Alvarez back in 1999 when I was 16. My first electric and amp was an Austin strat and a 15 watt crate that looks like yours in the video back in 2000 at 17.
Team crate! 🙌
I had one with red tolex. I think it was a Sammy Hagar model no different than the blue though. No issues but commandeered a Ampeg Vl 1002 instead.
Wao, this raw riffing is a breeze! Glad to the algorithm!
Aand the amp..... a must have :)
subscribed
I always wondered about this amp, I would hear mix things. But I never heard it myself. Cool vid, man.