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Post subject: Crate Palomino V16
Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 12:03 pm
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All the talk here seems to be Fender :wink:

Just wondering if there's any Happy Crate owners... I know the name makes you cringe :lol: but wondering if yous done anything to your happy Crate Amp(s) to make them more Fender sounding.

To date:

Crate Palomino v16 (15 watt)
i. New JJ Tubes with 12au7 in V3 (2xEL84 / 3 12ax7) cept I replaced one with 12au7
ii. I've installed a Full size Accutronics Type 4 Spring Reverb Tank (4EB3C1B)

To-do
iii. Eminence The Wizard (16 ohm) speaker
iiii. Thinking about (OT) Transformer upgrade, but, is it worth it :P

Clean without Gain is not really satisfying (nothing like the spongy compressed feel of a good Fender Amp). Amp sounds really good with Gain, but still lacks the punchy in your face feel. Reverb is incredible now, even on ten. Tubes, not sure if I like them, (maybe its just the amp). Speaker hasn't arrived yet (I missed them at the door so i have to pick it up on Dec 29th 2010) :mrgreen:

Any thoughts or any of you done any good mods or anything you can think of on the subject is appreciated. Rants aren't needed, I know its a Crate with no hand wiring...just a circuit board. :D I'm just looking for other idea's on how yous improved yours and maybe I can help yous as well. Thanks.

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Post subject: Re: Crate Palomino V16
Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 12:44 pm
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I have the V1512 (same amp I believe), it's actually not a bad sounding amp, better sounding than the Blues Jr IMO. It doesn't get much play though, it's a nice grab and go amp... was thinking about replacing the tubes to clean it up a bit, how you like the JJs?


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Post subject: Re: Crate Palomino V16
Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 1:41 pm
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Yeah, yours is basically the same, (probably better). I think yours came with the better speaker...Tone Tubby? Mine uses a Celestion Seventy/80 speaker (garbage). I believe yours is a little older than mine too...which is always better :), maybe 2005. Mines a 2007 from St. Louis.

The JJ's are supposedly a matched Blues Jr. set, I purchased new off eBay... They sound better than when I first received the Amp (again, purchased from eBay) since one or more of the original Tubes were bad...cutting in and out...but I hoped it would have a more increased SAG-like (compressed) feel after re-tubing...but it dont..still quite hard sounding on Clean...pretty unusable to me...but adding some Gain is when it warms up and becomes usable...around 12 o'clock. Some say to just use JJ's for the power section and most say to use anything else for pre-amp.

I know its hard to mod these Amps...but I'm thinking about adding a ToneClone VXO-15A-LM..OT, same as they used in old VOX AC15 Amps, (only we would maybe have to hook up an impedance selector switch) since this OT has 4, 8 and 16 ohm taps built-in. Its a little pricey, but if it gives it that extra britsh tone and punch I'm looking for, it might turn out to be a good investment.

Thanks for LQQking :)

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J. Hendrix / S.R.V. / E. Clapton / R. Hansen / F. Marino / B.B. King (now that's a neat six-pack) :)
Eminence The Wizard vs Stock Mustang II Speaker Shootout http://arttux.com/Fender-Mustang-II-Eminence-Wizard-Speaker-Swap/


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Post subject: Re: Crate Palomino V16
Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 5:41 pm
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Mine has the same Celestion... I don't think it sounds too bad, but the amp does need some new tubes. One of them is microphonic and there's some rattling going on in there.


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Post subject: Re: Crate Palomino V16
Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:05 am
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Not sure whats rattling...mine don't...but a couple brands of Tubes I'm going to try later-on are Mullard and Tung-Sol...both these brands offer reissue (NOS). If you ever want to tame the Gain in the v1512...just throw a 12au7 in V1 (closest to volume) position.

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J. Hendrix / S.R.V. / E. Clapton / R. Hansen / F. Marino / B.B. King (now that's a neat six-pack) :)
Eminence The Wizard vs Stock Mustang II Speaker Shootout http://arttux.com/Fender-Mustang-II-Eminence-Wizard-Speaker-Swap/


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Post subject: Re: Crate Palomino V16
Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 7:43 pm
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I tried various 12ax7s and el84s tubes but it did not make much of a change in sound. However, this amp did pretty well with the Tung-Sol high gain 12ax7. Overall, it sounded more like a Epi valve jr with more clean headroom. But with the gain stage I was able to get some good distortion.

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Post subject: Re: Crate Palomino V16
Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:48 pm
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I have had three or four v-16 palomino's and just talked my neighbor into getting one from craigs list.
Really nice overdrive sounds after a little tube swapping.
try the new Tung-Sol RI 12AX7's you'll love the sound !

The v-16 and v-32 made in the USA cream with gold trim are great little blues boxes for sure.

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Post subject: Re: Crate Palomino V16
Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 10:26 pm
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Nice Palomino V8 ... I like the looks of these Amps probably more than they sound :mrgreen:

Wow 3-4 V16s... It was hard enough just getting this Amp into Canada, I've had it over year but haven't paid much attention to it. Looks like I'll grab some Tung-sol valves. Thanks guys. And nice Amps btw, Bassman, etc... :D

_________________
J. Hendrix / S.R.V. / E. Clapton / R. Hansen / F. Marino / B.B. King (now that's a neat six-pack) :)
Eminence The Wizard vs Stock Mustang II Speaker Shootout http://arttux.com/Fender-Mustang-II-Eminence-Wizard-Speaker-Swap/


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Post subject: Re: Crate Palomino V16
Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 8:18 am
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alinux I was a bail bondsman for eight years and hung out in a lot of pawn shops, my side job was buying up every tube amp i could grab and tweaking them a bit and flipping them.
I bought and sold literally over a thousand amps in eight years.
I had everything from a 1940's princeton tweed to cybertwins, marshalls, peavey's ect....
Now I'm back to a 9 to 5 type job with half the pay and have to save up to buy a set of tubes.

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Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


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Post subject: Re: Crate Palomino V16
Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 4:14 pm
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Hi Jeff, nice Amp. Lots of power there and that sounds like a perfectly matched speaker for that Amp: American voiced Patriot series: Eminence Swamp Thang with full and huge bottom end. Should handle the 65 crate watts. I was originally thinking about getting one of them as well, cause my Amp lacks bottom. You can also fit in a full sized reverb in
your Amp as well, if you use much reverb, that is. I finally got around to picking up the Wizard speaker...just have to pop it in one of these days. Hope it makes a better difference as well.

Blues Bondsman... that must of been some wild ride!! I would almost die for some of those Amps you mentioned. I never even knew Fender went that far back. Imagine
playing a '40s Princeton...it'd be priceless, all in tweed!! Well least you have some
sweet Gear now...and I know what you mean.

Cheers guys...Have a Happy Safe New Years

_________________
J. Hendrix / S.R.V. / E. Clapton / R. Hansen / F. Marino / B.B. King (now that's a neat six-pack) :)
Eminence The Wizard vs Stock Mustang II Speaker Shootout http://arttux.com/Fender-Mustang-II-Eminence-Wizard-Speaker-Swap/


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Post subject: Re: Crate Palomino V16
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:48 am
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+1
A linux

I agree, the Crate Palaminos are some very cool looking amps, and they do look better than they sound. And for the price, it is a great deal. Perhaps, I can find a used V16 cabinet and chassis and rig a 5e3 in it. Then it will look as good as it sounds.


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Post subject: Re: Crate Palomino V16
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:28 pm
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I found that the v-16 sounded great with P-90's or Humbuckers, not so much with single coils.
for crunchy overdriven tones with a hot P-90 or a good H/B pickup, not too bad ! in fact pretty sweet.

_________________
Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive


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Post subject: Re: Crate Palomino V16
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:56 pm
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TTSC - good idea .............. lol That would def. make it more than ideal :o) My dad has an old bassman, showman and bandmaster head(s) collecting dust... but they're
front loaded control dials...(damn, that is good idea though) 5E3 would work tho :lol: but I'd leave it orig. :mrgreen:

Blues bondsman - I haven't tried with humbuckers yet, but I really am thinking about
getting this SG copy with whammy bar I seen... So maybe soon! Good tip! thnx

_________________
J. Hendrix / S.R.V. / E. Clapton / R. Hansen / F. Marino / B.B. King (now that's a neat six-pack) :)
Eminence The Wizard vs Stock Mustang II Speaker Shootout http://arttux.com/Fender-Mustang-II-Eminence-Wizard-Speaker-Swap/


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