Crate BV120H (Blue Voodoo) 2002-2003 model
Specs:
120w
2 channel stereo all tube amplifier
effects loop
Review (opinion) : click here for conclusion
Quality:
Let's face it, the crate Blue VooDoo is not a boutique amplifier. It is a mass produced 100% tube amplifier made with cheap parts somewhere in an Asian country. That said, which of the most popular name brand tube amps aren't mass produced and made of cheap parts somewhere in an Asian country? My only major complaint so far is that I had to have it serviced once already, within two years of owning it. Luckily mine was still under the 5 year warranty since I bought it new. After doing a little research I found out these amps had a history of cold solder joints on the tube sockets, mine was no exception. Be prepared for this possibility if you buy this amp. Hopefully they've worked this problem out of future generations of BV's.
The main reasons I chose this amplifier were three-fold:
1. The BV120H is a pretty good all around tube amplifier.
2 and 3. The 5 year warranty and the price tag that reads half that of a Marshall DSL2000 with similar tone.
Overview
Great sound can be easily dialed in and doesn't require much to take it that extra step for an even better, more dynamic and richer tone. The clean channel is squeaky bleached and detergent-scrubbed clean and the dirty channel is deliciously dirty with a tightly compressed low end without going to mud. I used to own an Ampeg Gemini 6 and the clean channel on this crate reminds me of that amplifier; It comes as no surprise to me since the same company who makes Crate, St. Lois Music, also makes the new Ampegs. The high gain channel is just that; it can be dialed in slightly dirty or balls out buzz-saw filthy. The gain tends to be a bit on the Mesa Boogie-style fizzy side but some people like that. With that in mind the voice of this amp is also very stiff or "percussive". Maybe "focused" is a good adjective as well. It holds firm under any circumstances; at times she's a leather clad dominatrix with a kink for handcuffs. I've managed to loosen her up a bit with different tubes (I review the tubes below) but there are times when I wish she wasn't so...abrupt. Palm mutes can easily resemble a horror film heartbeat. The gain on this amp is ideal for basic rock, metal and industrial music however it can be easily tamed to accommodate a more laid-back or loose sound. However, that fizzy breakup that is characteristic of the BV still remains in the breakup of the gain stages regardless of the tube swap, it's just the nature of this amp. Although, I would comfortably recommend this amp for some Jazz players because of it's hi-fi sounding, bubbly, clean channel.
Sound Comparisons
This amp is not a Dual Rectifier clone and it won't go near that Mesa Boogie sound without an EQ and a tube swap (and then it's only kind of like the Mesa sound). The BV120H tends to be forward sounding and lacking a bit in the lows compared to a Dual Rectifier. The bass response on this amp is similar to that of the Marshall amps, which I find to be a bit thin sounding at times; then again I tend to like more bass than the average guitarist and guitars are primarily midrange instruments anyway, once again, this is my opinion. I'm sure the bass wil suffice for most guitarists. Compared to the Peavey 5150 the BV is extremely tight, focused and percussive sounding. The 5150 tends to sound more open, with wider dynamics and is far less percussive or focused sounding than the BV. This is not to say the 5150 is a better amp…just different. I think the BV sounds very similar to the Peavy xxx if anything.
Presence
The presence knob is completely unnecessary on the BV. I can't imagine anyone needing to go beyond 2 on the presence knob, unless you want more focus and sharper, more pronounced, fizz. I tend to not use the presence much anyway, it seems to over-emphasize the fizz in the distortion and sharpens the treble too much for me. This amp already has treble and presence to spare and is very forward sounding to boot, so, the presence knob seems to be there almost as a joke. But then again someone else may enjoy the full-on fizzy, in-your-face, skin crawling presence that this amp is capable of producing. My treble knob stays around 4-6 on this amp and my presence knob is set from 0-2 at most.
Reverb
As for the reverb...it's not a surf swelling Fender style reverb, even though it is a spring reverb and sounds fine, IMHO. Although, while the reverb will suffice for most applications it may fall short of the Dick Dale experience for those verb frenzy die-hards. The BV's short-spring reverb unit could be switched out for a long-spring retrofit but I haven't tried that yet, it's on my list of easy swap mods (only a screwdriver is needed). If you want Fender deep reverb then you will have to mod the BV or rely on an external reverb.
Tolex
Besides the cold solder joints in the tube sockets, another minor gripe I have is that the tolex on these amps is pretty much shit! It's not only thin and stiff but mine started bubbling up after the first year of owning it. My only disclaimer on this fact is that I played it in a hot, arid, garage in Arizona for a year. Regardless, this seems to be another common complaint for these amps.
Conclusion
So, to conclude my thoughts on this amp: It's a good sounding, inexpensive, all around amp for most styles and any level of playing (with a few tube swaps). I recommend this amp for rock, metal, industrial, punk and jazz due to it's percussive high gain tendencies and super focused cleans. Although some rock and blues players may prefer more of a loose or open dynamic character from their amp; in this instance you may do well to consider a different amp. It is possible to have a looser more, dynamic, less focused blues or rock tone by using a THD hot plate and jacking the clean channel to the point of breaking up, but this can be a bit harder on the tubes. Also, while tube swaps can change some aspects of this amps tone the changes are more subtle and less drastic than with some tube amps.
The BV120H is a modern high-gain amp with a firmly percussive, present (or focused), Marshall-esque, hi-fi voice. It's not the most "dynamic" or "open" sounding amp on the market but not everyone wants an open, airy, "plucky" sound and the BV120H won't put you in debt for years to come. This amp has it's own unique voice that most likely will not suit tube amp traditionalists. I think a lot of tube amp players are used to the loosey goosey dynamics of traditional amps that tend to hide sloppy playing a bit more. The BV120H doesn't hide mistakes very well due to it's present and percussive nature.
If you're worried that the Blue Voodoo (or Blue Doodoo as gear snobs like to call it) will somehow tarnish your street cred with those who think they are the last and only word in everyones amp taste, then buy an old Peavey 5150 or a tired Marshall and join the old school crowd. Otherwise save up for what you really really want more than any amp in the world (insert dream amp here), build one yourself, or , if you can't imagine saving a single penny, let alone what's in your bank account right now, then buy the BV120H and it will suffice until you can afford what you really want. In the meantime, if you actually come to appreciate it as it's own unique animal (don't be surprised if you end up liking it a lot) but can't stand the whining and crying from the crate haters then try one or some of the following soft-mods to shut them up:
a. Buy a cheap BV120H (because you like the sound and the price is right)
b. Re-tolex the BV120H in another color, like...snakeskin pattern or vintage Marshall green.
c.
Switch out the short plate spring reverb for a long plate spring reverb box. (or use an external unit)
d. Put good tubes in it (Swap tubes according to taste) try some good JJ's - see below.
e. Take off the crate emblem and replace it with a chrome emblem from some old car (Coronette, Dart, Cooper...)
f. Replace the knobs with some other style of knob.
g.
Black out any reference to crate or St. Lois Music Co. with black stove paint. You might have to sand it off with 400 grit.
h. Remove the lights behind the power tubes or replace with another color.
i. Buy a good EQ (you should do this anyway no matter what amp you buy, IMHO)
j. Turn the Chassis around so it looks like a vintage Marshall
k. Replace the front grill with diamond plate or some other style of metal mesh
l. Tell the gear snobs it's "X" new amp (prototype) and it's not on the market yet. No one will know the difference;)
What I recommend for this amp
1. A good EQ in the effects loop. I have the Boss 7 band EQ and it's a good one.
2. A THD Hot Plate. I have the 16ohm (blue) and I love it! I can saturate the power tubes for a bit more oomph and set the volume where I want it. It also has the ability to add more bass or treble into the mix at lower volumes.
3. Good cables. This keeps the signal strong. I use monster cables and they suffice but there are better ones out there.
4. A tube swap. If you buy this amp new it comes with shitty tubes. Find better ones, I did. So far I've used the following tubes in this amp (See below).
While I'm sure there are better tube combo's
for this amp I just haven't found them yet. My goal is to describe the differences I hear with tube swaps in this amp by comparing the tubes against each other and against the stock set that the BV120H comes with. I don't profess to be a tube expert and the following reviews are only my opinions based on what I hear from this particular amplifier. If there is one thing I can say for sure about this amp, in regard to tubes, it's that it DOES benefit from tube swapping. Don't listen to anyone trying to tell you otherwise.
If you have BV tube reviews of your own feel free to submit them and I will post!
Power: JJ-6L6-GC > Nice, even, breakup, good depth, deep bass response, firm and great over-all tonal character. Could be richer in the mids but that's what EL34's and KT66's are for. This tube has a great heavy to classic rock sound and breaks up right where I want it without the flub. This 6L6 makes for a great, all-around, rich, rock tube. You won't be dissapointed. I buy mine from www.eurotubes.com he has good prices and he seems like a nice guy to boot.
Power: JJ-E34-L > This is a really tight sounding and percussive tube. Really nice round EL34 sound but missing a lttle depth of character and dimensionality. This tube sounds somewhat sterile or flat to me, hi-fi might be another good description. I love the Deeper and fuller than the average EL34 bass response and rich, tight resounding, mids. Although, it could be a bit less ...percussive, and... relentless, IMHO.
If you're trying to make an amp more percussive I'd recommend this tube without hesitation. It makes a palm mute sound like a horror film heart beat. If you want skull crushing deathmetal palm mutes, with goat-bray evil mids, then combine it with a balanced ECC83S in the 1st position and you're there with a flick of that little red switch! I really like this tube in an integrated quad with the JJ-6L6-GC (Yes, it is possible). This combo really rounds it out for the best of both worlds and makes for a really sweet sounding and uber-versatile heavy rock tone.
Power: GT-6L6-B > Yuck. If I could recommend one thing it's that this tube never makes it's way back into the BV. I don't know why they come stock with this shitty tube but it doesn't do the amp any justice whatsoever. It's craggy, fizzy, flat and lacks depth. This tube has no character and no redeeming value as far as the BV120 is concerned.
Pre Amp: JJ-ECC83-S Matched > High gain, strong response, well defined. A bit too much gain in this amp but still a good sounding tube. The gain of this amp doesn't need any help. If you use these I'd recommend toning the fizz with a lower gain tube in the first position for a bit more versatility. The matched tube makes the gain distortion sound very smooth and strong. Very violin like. I also tried the unmatched version and it sounds a bit rougher and notes don't seem to sustain as long...maybe it's my imagination but the balanced tube evens things out a bit and increases sustain. If you're into chain saw distortion and gut-wrenching breakup then this ECC83 combo is good for you. It's flesh shredding and merciless in it's attack. If you want a bit more versatillity from this amp then read on. With a matched ECC83 in the first position this amp sounds almost synthesized; very industrial sounding.
Pre Amp: GT-12AX7-WA > Scratchy. Too fizzy and flat for my taste. Not enough depth. Good freq response but the notes seem to fall away in a sea of white noise. Not a tube I'll be using again in this amp. Don't waste your time.
Pre Amp: GT-12AX7-M > GT Mullard copy. Me likey-likey. Nice fuzz tamer for this amp. Great depth and freq response. This tube seems to be more dimensional than the ECC83's and helps to loosen things up a bit. Nice tube. I tried this tube in all four positions and it definitely has it's place in the BV. At first I put it in the position closest to the power transformer and it sufficed for a while. I decided to play around with it a bit and found it offered more versatillity in the socket next to the output transformer; that's where it has remained since. I combined this with one ECC832S and two ECC83S's for a really rich and versatile sound. Use this preamp tube combo with a good eq and you'll get pretty much any tone you want. Replace the ECC83S's in this combo with some good 12AX7's and a 12AT7 and the tone will be sweeter and more loose for a more jangly or bluesy feel.
Pre Amp: JJ-ECC832-S > Nice clean sound. Good depth and response...way too clean for me in the first position but not a bad tamer in positions 2-4. Cuts the gain of this amp in half when placed in the 1st position. I like to have some headroom to spare but not this much. This tube makes the BV sound like a low gain amplifier. This tube would be ideal for jazz or blues.
Combination Notes:
I've tried the JJ6L6GC and JJE34L as an "integrated quad" in this amp (matched by www.eurotubes.com) and it was really nice! You may question the practice of having 2 6L6's and 2 E34L's, simultaneously, in a 100W amp but it is possible and does no harm when the tubes are matched properly, just ask Bob at Eurotubes. While I like percussive I also prefer the sound a bit looser in character...not so thumpy...I like bassy but not as "thumpy" as the E34L, by itself, produces. The 6L6 really opens up the tone and rounds it out, right where it needs to be.
The JJ6L6GC is a good, strong tube with a nice balanced sound, deep and tight bottom end, strong mids and well defined highs. I could even stand it to be a bit more dimensional in character but I'm pretty all-around satisfied with their tone nonetheless.
As for the preamp tubes I like the JJECC83S. I'm pretty satisfied with them because they tend to be somewhat dark sounding tubes and this amp can use a bit less in the high end. I've got JJECC83S's in positions 3-4, JJECC832S in the second position and the GT12AX7M in the 1st position. The GT12AX7M tames the gain and fizz and adds a bit of depth or dimensionality to the sound. Over all, this combo works to my satisfaction.
For my next swaps I'll try a good NOS 12AT7 and a few12AX7's.
Cab:
Crate BV412S slant cab
Specs:
4x12" crate speakers
Switchable from 4-16 ohms
Reinforced Birch plywood cabinet
Heavy duty casters
Metal corners
Tolex
I think this cab is one of the best deals running! If you buy the model with the celestion V30's then you're all the way there. Even if you don't like V30's you could sell them or trade them for something you do like because they hold their value pretty well. Otherwise, the crate brand speakers could be a lot better and the tolex sucks ass. Honestly, from a used-to-be cabinetmakers perspective this cab is solidly built from quality materials. Even if I get rid of the amp and speakers I'll always have this cab around. Put some tone tubbies or celestions in it and this cab will be invaluable.
