Stevetemp

powerblock is the best crate label'd amp out there. The Stealth was/is a pretty decent amp for the price. Not 'block convenient....but traditional all tube format. Very good cleans and a nice hard rock lead channel. Great poweramp section. I consider it the best Crate label amplifier. The block was indeed a stroke of genius. A gig bag amp head? I know G-K made a small head, and Pearce? Make a few after-release tweaks...a 'block II if you will...and the shizz. Coulda been a real contender. I have a soft spot for Crate. I did have one of the mid-level wooden crate amps....one of the few games in town. Put an overdrive and chorus in front and rocked it out. Had a few Crates since..the G130c was a lot of fun. Crate's "Shape" control was revolutionary...they put a modern modded gain structure right in the hands of of bedroom and street players. I guess you had to be there to appreciate it. Crate and Peavey....boorah!

Anyone recommending he not look for a better amp and instead just buying pedals, smoke and mirrors, isn't giving good advice. The reason I did is because he said he liked the clean tone...and Fenders take pedals well. It's been proven for decades. Sound advice, sorry to say you are wrong. I do admit I do not have experience with the Frontman...so maybe there lies your beef. Although I have had experience with other SS Fenders, and my reasoning still stands. To completely disregard the option is foolish.

Get a REAL tube overdrive pedal for the Frontman if you like the clean sound. Sometimes I use a friends solid state & use my EHX English Muff'n tube overdrive. It brings the amp to life. I'm not sure why it took so long to present this option, but it's an excellent suggestion. If you like the clean sound...that is (for me) the foundation of all my sound (yes there are people who never hit the "clean channel" button- fine). There are some very nice pedals that give you amp-like distortion- and most Fenders take pedals like a long lost lover. I like the dual pedals that will instantly make your amp a cool 3 channels. When you do decide you want to go tube, you still have the option to keep the pedal. I'm not saying you have to do this....just consider it. One other thing I'd like to tell ya, is that I currently have 5 amps. 2 are hybrid (tube preamp/solid state poweramp), one is all solid state, one a modeler, and one is a full tube amp- it's a real 1964 Fender Twin Reverb. . But the other amps sound just fine for what they do as well. They have their place and use. Guess which amp has been in the shop a lot and which amps have never seen one?