Crate Tops Off V-Series With V100H And V412A/B Cabinets

Feb 08, 2008

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Delivering classic tones in a thoroughly flexible amp format, Crate's V100H head ($499.99 U.S. street price) puts a hefty amount of power and tonal options into guitarists' hands while still keeping the price point within their means.

Using four 12AX7 preamp tubes and four EL34 power tubes to deliver 100 watts (RMS) of Class AB power, the V100H can switch from 100W to 50W with no more than a flick of the finger. The V100H also uses two separate headroom palettes to lay the foundation for its equally thoughtful Vintage or Flat voiced boost function. Throw in separate three-band EQ for each of the Clean and Overdrive channels and guitar slingers have a variety of tasty tones that dial in easily.

Spring reverb with level control and two inputs — Bright and Normal (which can be Y'ed) — round out the new head's simple, effective feature set. An optional fooswitch is also available to control channel select, boost and reverb. Equipped with four-, eight- and 16-ohm speaker outputs, the V100H is ideal for live use, allowing guitar players to set distinct voices that can be accessed on the fly and where massive power is needed.

Two V-Series loudspeaker cabinets are also now making their debut — the slanted V412A and straight V412B (each $399.99 street price). Clean, stylish and powerful, these two cabs each feature four 12-inch, custom designed, stamp-framed ceramic magnet speakers voiced specifically for closed-back cabinets and specifically designed to pair with the V100H all-tube head. With peak handling rated at 240W (RMS), the Crate enclosures sound great, look stunning, and offer truly rugged and roadworthy performance for less than many would expect.

"The redesigned Crate V-Series features all the tone and performance one would want from all-tube, classic circuit design with the added benefit of Crate's innovative switching power supply design," says Paul Meisenzahl, Crate director of product marketing. "Without an ounce of sacrifice to touch, responsiveness and subtle-yet-critical performance nuances like the 'sag' of a quality tube power section, Crate's design team worked closely with Mackie to remove 20 to 40 percent of the unnecessary weight while creating the most durable all-tube amp range in existence. This unique power design also allows for on-the-fly voltage switching nearly anywhere in the world, saving performing musicians time and money on the global road to stardom."

For more information, visit their web site at www.crateamps.com.