NAD: Crate GX130C

[KnightBrolaire]

So I was drunk, bored and cruising on goodwill's online auction section, and happened across this. I bought it obviously
I was halfheartedly looking for one since I saw Taylor Danley's video (and some others) on the GX130C and how it's basically the poor man's VH140C, which is an amp I've always been intrigued by, largely because Dying Fetus used them forever. I know Cannibal Corpse have used VH140s before as well.

Cleans are surprisingly good. The chorus and reverb both work on this amp, but the chorus is very subtle comparatively. CH2 is where all the fun happens for me. It's kind of unruly, thick and with a surprising amount of gain on tap. It will do modern metal tones with a boost in front of it with no real problem. It obviously does the classic 90s CC and Dying Fetus tones with no issue, but also works for sludgier, doomier stuff as well.

The amp is in surprisingly good shape, minus one of the speakers flopping around in the combo. The stock Crate speakers are kind of ass tbh, but the GX130C sounds pretty sick through my VHT 4x12 and works well with my Torpedo Reload.

I've got a walkthrough/quick demo of the amp below:

 

[Roadsterjosh]

Congratulations dude!! These amps rip. I had an old GX40c when I was a kid that I absolutely loved. I may have to see if I can find another.

 

[Jon Pearson]

I had one that I turned into a head. Fun little bit of death metal history, and not a bad sound. As you mentioned, those speakers are horribad. I've played a lot of cheap speakers, none so gross as those.

 

[crushingpetal]

So I was drunk, bored and cruising on goodwill's online auction section, and happened across this. I bought it obviously
I was halfheartedly looking for one since I saw Taylor Danley's video (and some others) on the GX130C and how it's basically the poor man's VH140C, which is an amp I've always been intrigued by, largely because Dying Fetus used them forever. I know Cannibal Corpse have used VH140s before as well.

Cleans are surprisingly good. The chorus and reverb both work on this amp, but the chorus is very subtle comparatively. CH2 is where all the fun happens for me. It's kind of unruly, thick and with a surprising amount of gain on tap. It will do modern metal tones with a boost in front of it with no real problem. It obviously does the classic 90s CC and Dying Fetus tones with no issue, but also works for sludgier, doomier stuff as well.

The amp is in surprisingly good shape, minus one of the speakers flopping around in the combo. The stock Crate speakers are kind of ass tbh, but the GX130C sounds pretty sick through my VHT 4x12 and works well with my Torpedo Reload.

I've got a walkthrough/quick demo of the amp below:

Happy old amp day! I totally remember those from back in the day.

Aw crap: now I know about the goodwil site and it's probably gonna get me into trouble.

 

[Grindspine]

I still have a GX212+ that I have had since 1994. I replaced the speakers with Celestion G12H-80s. Keeping the bass level low on the lead channel is key. It is really easy to flub these out on the bass frequencies. I pretty much use mine as a pedal platform nowadays since my Mesa setups sound epic. The Crate is nice for some of that nineties grit from time to time though.

 

[USMarine75]

I think I had the head version of that amp back in like 1993.

 

[Dumple Stilzkin]

I love my head version of this, I like it for that Morris sound studio type tone. Think Sepultura, and Death (of course Corpse). Happy new amp day.

 

[Yul Brynner]

Crate gets too much hate. Like the Line 6 Spider of the 1990s or metal zone pedals. My first amp was a GX30 1x12 with chorus and a spring reverb tank. It sounded good to me. My cousin got a later GFX30 that was basically my amp updated with digital effects knob and it sounded like ass no matter what. Every guitar and different pickups. It was so god damn honky and impossible to scoop. He later got a 120w 212 version that sounds great though.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Congratulations dude!! These amps rip. I had an old GX40c when I was a kid that I absolutely loved. I may have to see if I can find another.

Thanks. The amp definitely rips

I had one that I turned into a head. Fun little bit of death metal history, and not a bad sound. As you mentioned, those speakers are horribad. I've played a lot of cheap speakers, none so gross as those.

Yeah the speakers are awful. I don't think I've heard a worse stock speaker before.

Happy old amp day! I totally remember those from back in the day.

Aw crap: now I know about the goodwil site and it's probably gonna get me into trouble.

goodwill's site occasionally has some cool guitar stuff

I still have a GX212+ that I have had since 1994. I replaced the speakers with Celestion G12H-80s. Keeping the bass level low on the lead channel is key. It is really easy to flub these out on the bass frequencies. I pretty much use mine as a pedal platform nowadays since my Mesa setups sound epic. The Crate is nice for some of that nineties grit from time to time though.

Yeah it has a ton of lows and low mids past 10 oclock. I'm running a modded metalzone in front of it right now to get CC esque tones.

 

[Dumple Stilzkin]

Thanks. The amp definitely rips

Yeah the speakers are awful. I don't think I've heard a worse stock speaker before.

goodwill's site occasionally has some cool guitar stuff

Yeah it has a ton of lows and low mids past 10 oclock. I'm running a modded metalzone in front of it right now to get CC esque tones.

Dude try yer swollen pickle, it makes for some interesting tones.

 

[GunpointMetal]

I tried to buy one of these for like 3 years back around 2010 and could not get a fully functioning one from anywhere. Had 2-3 from GC, couple from craigslist, all with bad output, damaged controls, cabinets falling apart. Cool amp.

 

[Guitarmiester]

Never thought I'd see one of these ever again or remember they once existed. I had one of these GX combo amps when I was younger and hated every second the amp was on. No matter what pedals I threw in front it sounded like a wet cardboard box.

It was loud and could hold its own with a drummer. I'll give it that.

 

[Necky379]

Cool sounding amp to have around congrats

I’ve got the XLP preamp, it’s the same circuit afaik. They’re great for grimey death metal tones and I’ve never tried dialing in anything else.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

I tried to buy one of these for like 3 years back around 2010 and could not get a fully functioning one from anywhere. Had 2-3 from GC, couple from craigslist, all with bad output, damaged controls, cabinets falling apart. Cool amp.

I found a carpeted head a few months ago on craigslist but it was beat to shit compared to this one.

 

[Kosthrash]

A speaker upgrade to some decent Celestion and these amps are stellar!

 

[Kosthrash]

You may try this metal zone as a booster in front of the Crate's ch2

 

[Bram576]

Hell yeah, nothing like some old school DM tones.

 

[RaceU4her]

my cat unfortunately likes mine as much as me, so i had to get the rack version as well

 

[Dumple Stilzkin]

my cat unfortunately likes mine as much as me, so i had to get the rack version as well

Hahahah. That is hideous, but I love the way they sound.