Whats up w/ CRATE amps?

[WittyMonikerHere]

They used to make awesome amps. I've played a few old Blue VooDoos that were pretty awesome. And that little Powerblock was way ahead of its time before the "lunchbox" craze (if only it sounded a bit better...). 

 

Anyway, their site looks like it hasn't been updated since 2001. Anyone know what they've been up to? Did they go under? 

[cap'n'crunch]

It looks like they might be going under. Nothing new in the last 10 - 12 years or so. Too bad. Their 80's & 90's USA tube amps are pretty sweet sounding. Their beginner gear reputation got in the way of success for those tube amps. How could they possibly sound good?

I think their biggest mistake were the amps that looked like a wooden crate. That didn't go over very well and everyone considered crate "gimmick" amps and weren't taken seriously. .

I've seen some players using their 90's SS and 2000's flexwave amps and thought they sound really quite well for a SS amp and others I've heard sounded pretty bad. I guess there must be a sweet spot on those that people missed out on. The Powerblock was genious as well as the Palimino V series but, they stopped producing them for some reason. I think they'd still be good sellers today if they kept making them.  

Now we have Jet City, VHT, Bugera tube amps, and a whole slew of low budget Asian amps that sound pretty sweet for the prices. Too much for Crate to compete with I guess.

[VTEC_Dreams]

SLM (St. Louis Music) used to own Crate and Ampeg many years ago.

A few years ago, they sold thier company to LOUD industries, whom also own Mackie, and Samson, maybe? I'm not sure, but it's a huge conglomerate who, as far as I can tell, don't give a **** about Crate. 

Ampeg has a ridiculously rich history, and a product catalog that just about every manufacturer and musician on earth respects, so Loud has decided to make sure they continue to give Ampeg decent products...that aren't as good as Ampeg products used to be. 

Since Crate is seen as a "starter" brand, and since they don't have the "pedigree" that Ampeg does, I think Loud will just phase them out. It's a shame, because they made a bunch of really nice amps. I'm a current and past owner of SLM made Ampeg products, and I think that Crate's line of tube guitar amps are/were at least as good as, if not better, than any tube amps Ampeg made under SLM. Did they make some cheap stuff that sounded crummy? Sure. So has Marshall. And Vox. And Fender. And every other manufacturer of amps. 

SLM Crates--especially the tube amps--will be worth some money in a number of years, I'm sure, because they're fine products. 

[Mr.scary96]

I think they are on their last legs I'm afraid