I've serviced many many amps in my days and I can tell you that he's correct that these aren't made to service easily. These amps are a great design on paper. The problem has always been the construction. It's made with production costs right up front. The thing to remember is that most manufacturers are working entirely for profitability. If one was to build this like an eyelet board construction like vintage Fenders, very few could afford it.
Overall these were good amps. They were made to be a Rock amp, a lot of people at the time wanted more gain than that (Boogie or 5150 etc), and these just couldn't keep up. I did have the Red one (Sammy Hagar version 100 watt) for a while at one point. I liked it, but not as much as my 5150s and sold it probably 2 years after I got it. Cool demo though, enjoy it! I hope you have fun with it! That intro had me cracking up by the way! :)
I have the last model Black Voodoo 120. Try eq pedal in the fx loop. Remove some of the shrill highs. It transforms the whole structure. You'll be surprised. Check it out! 👍
Crate made some great amps. One of my favorite amps I've owned was a Crate 2×10 combo amp. Used it on a lot of recordings back in the early-mid 2000s with 2 of my bands.
This was my gigging rig back around 2005. Been 20 years but I felt the cleans were decent but I hated the gain channel it didn’t cut through the band mix very well so I just used pedals or sometimes a Boss GE-7 with mids pushed. I traded a Ruger Red Label over-under 12 gauge for it and probably got taken for a ride as used at that time this half stack was about $600 and i was 19 trading a $900 hunting “instrument”
I bought one of the 60watt heads new when they came out. I had been playing metal with Marshall Jcm800 2210 for years which was pretty low gain so always left wanting more.This amp was great because it had a boat load of gain. I gigged it for a few years until I started to get more into gear and my taste in tone matured I bought a Fortin modded Marshall and then a Splawn. I sold the Blue Voodoo for like 300 but it was a great amp but not that loud. I ran it close to max volume at rehearsals and gigs for years and it never let me down.
You definitely show off this amp's best qualities. I think the downfall when it was new was, like you said, people were looking for a higher gain sound. It was voiced differently and you couldnt scoop mids and get a good sound, so it got written off. The people I knew who had one bought it because it was affordable, but what they really wanted was a dual rectifier. I always liked it, including that sweet glow. The real garbage amp at the time was the Peavey XXX.
XXX are goated slam metal amps Devourment used it. The Butcher is also amazing. Back in those days everyone wanted that Kill Switch Engage metal core l sound but Dual Rec is not filthy enough for extreme nasty metal.
I remember those amps when they came out new lol. I was really watching your SG more, because I'm thinking about getting one, but all I hear is, "Neck dive! Neck dive!" Yours didn't seem to have it that bad - unless you have a trick up your sleeve, like weights in the volume/tone area - which I've heard some have done. Or it's the strap....
I have a BV 120 half stack and I think it rocks. But I will admit I don't have a plethora of amps to compare it to. If it works for you to make music, who gives a crap? I got the half stack for $750 in good condition, I'll take it thank you very much.
This was the Sammy Hagar signature amp around the time that Mas Tequila song came out. I believe there is a very rare red variant on this amp as well, but I’m not 100% sure on that. As far as gear goes, the older you get and the better you get at playing the more you realize the stuff everybody hates isn’t that bad and the stuff everyone loves aren’t that magical. Most differences can be fixed by an eq pedal and not listening to 90% of RUclipsrs who are just salesmen in disguise or people who fall for hype. With some tinkering on the settings, quality speakers and eq pedal that line 6 spider can sound as good as anything else. Old USA peaveys make up most of my amp collection for this very reason. They last forever and if you don’t like the sound just throw in a new speaker and you’re good to go. Hype is for losers looking to waste money so they can prance around looking “cool” cuz they got the new hyped up shyt. Look at me look at me I need your validation nonsense.
It’s the dooh dooh poo poo gastro string trough 😂😂ok now let’s get honest. I looks like a Hughs and kettner, they are blue too . And well they are shit in imoh. I’d play a crate transistor over a kettner anytime. Especially the model that crowbar and cannibal corpse played…🤘🏻💯
Wait a minute this isnt Samurai Guitarist
this has quickly become my favorite guitar youtube channel 🔥 pro-level rant videos 💀 great acting btw :)
I've serviced many many amps in my days and I can tell you that he's correct that these aren't made to service easily. These amps are a great design on paper. The problem has always been the construction. It's made with production costs right up front. The thing to remember is that most manufacturers are working entirely for profitability. If one was to build this like an eyelet board construction like vintage Fenders, very few could afford it.
The intro skit was hilarious 😂
This is a great demo of this Crate Blue Voodoo!!! And YES I wish everything else that was a American idea was made in America.
Overall these were good amps. They were made to be a Rock amp, a lot of people at the time wanted more gain than that (Boogie or 5150 etc), and these just couldn't keep up. I did have the Red one (Sammy Hagar version 100 watt) for a while at one point. I liked it, but not as much as my 5150s and sold it probably 2 years after I got it. Cool demo though, enjoy it! I hope you have fun with it! That intro had me cracking up by the way! :)
I have the last model Black Voodoo 120. Try eq pedal in the fx loop. Remove some of the shrill highs. It transforms the whole structure. You'll be surprised. Check it out! 👍
Crate made some great amps. One of my favorite amps I've owned was a Crate 2×10 combo amp. Used it on a lot of recordings back in the early-mid 2000s with 2 of my bands.
This was my gigging rig back around 2005. Been 20 years but I felt the cleans were decent but I hated the gain channel it didn’t cut through the band mix very well so I just used pedals or sometimes a Boss GE-7 with mids pushed.
I traded a Ruger Red Label over-under 12 gauge for it and probably got taken for a ride as used at that time this half stack was about $600 and i was 19 trading a $900 hunting “instrument”
Had one back in the day, for about 5 mins.
I bought one of the 60watt heads new when they came out. I had been playing metal with Marshall Jcm800 2210 for years which was pretty low gain so always left wanting more.This amp was great because it had a boat load of gain. I gigged it for a few years until I started to get more into gear and my taste in tone matured I bought a Fortin modded Marshall and then a Splawn. I sold the Blue Voodoo for like 300 but it was a great amp but not that loud. I ran it close to max volume at rehearsals and gigs for years and it never let me down.
You definitely show off this amp's best qualities. I think the downfall when it was new was, like you said, people were looking for a higher gain sound. It was voiced differently and you couldnt scoop mids and get a good sound, so it got written off. The people I knew who had one bought it because it was affordable, but what they really wanted was a dual rectifier.
I always liked it, including that sweet glow.
The real garbage amp at the time was the Peavey XXX.
XXX are goated slam metal amps Devourment used it. The Butcher is also amazing. Back in those days everyone wanted that Kill Switch Engage metal core l sound but Dual Rec is not filthy enough for extreme nasty metal.
Mod it they are amazing
Marty Freidman played one back in the day
didn't rickenbacker own them for awhile?
I think this amp is killer 90 soundings, if I ever cross one in my pawnshop I pulled on it❤❤❤
I think Marty Friedman endorsed this amp for awhile in his Megadeth days. Not sure if he actually used them much though.
I remember those amps when they came out new lol. I was really watching your SG more, because I'm thinking about getting one, but all I hear is, "Neck dive! Neck dive!" Yours didn't seem to have it that bad - unless you have a trick up your sleeve, like weights in the volume/tone area - which I've heard some have done. Or it's the strap....
Good video. I think Marty Friedman (Megadeth) used these amps in the 90's.
he did endorse them for a brief time
I have a BV 120 half stack and I think it rocks. But I will admit I don't have a plethora of amps to compare it to. If it works for you to make music, who gives a crap? I got the half stack for $750 in good condition, I'll take it thank you very much.
This was the Sammy Hagar signature amp around the time that Mas Tequila song came out. I believe there is a very rare red variant on this amp as well, but I’m not 100% sure on that.
As far as gear goes, the older you get and the better you get at playing the more you realize the stuff everybody hates isn’t that bad and the stuff everyone loves aren’t that magical. Most differences can be fixed by an eq pedal and not listening to 90% of RUclipsrs who are just salesmen in disguise or people who fall for hype. With some tinkering on the settings, quality speakers and eq pedal that line 6 spider can sound as good as anything else. Old USA peaveys make up most of my amp collection for this very reason. They last forever and if you don’t like the sound just throw in a new speaker and you’re good to go. Hype is for losers looking to waste money so they can prance around looking “cool” cuz they got the new hyped up shyt. Look at me look at me I need your validation nonsense.
You're right. I briefly owned the 100 watt Hagar version. It was a cool amp but was limiting compared to other amps at the time.
It’s the dooh dooh poo poo gastro string trough 😂😂ok now let’s get honest. I looks like a Hughs and kettner, they are blue too . And well they are shit in imoh. I’d play a crate transistor over a kettner anytime. Especially the model that crowbar and cannibal corpse played…🤘🏻💯
It’s the dooh dooh poo poo gastro string trough 😂😂