Almost sold my Palomino 50 today..

[Bob Zaod]

I almost put my Palomino 50 up for sale today. Pulled 7 amps out of storage to hit the chopping block. Wiped it down and hit all the pots and jacks with Deoxit.

Fired it up and fuck me man. I almost forgot how glorious this thing sounds. I'd put it up against ANY 50 watt amp out there. The one "problem" with this amp though is its gotta be screaming loud to sound its best. Ive had amps that cost me 3500 bucks that cant hang with this thing.

Got it from an Indian guy in in Marlboro MA for 180 bucks about 10 years ago. Needed some work but after about 6 dollars in parts and reflowing a bunch of cold solder joints, this thing has been rock solid. I gigged the shit out of it for a few years.

Yeah it's a Crate. An all tube special run Crate designed by boutique amp maker Obeid Kahn.

Dirt channel goes from jumped Plexi to all out hot rodded JCM 800 and the clean channel is Vox chime into bright channel on a 2204. It does have its own thing going on but those are pretty close descriptions.

I dont GAF about logos and badges. I will probably take this one to my grave. Got a perfect gig coming up in a couple weeks where I can use it properly. Also because of the Crate name I'll never get close to what it's worth to me.

 

[la szum]

I had the V32 head and cab and man those suckers run hot. I think that is part of the appeal
of how great they can sound, but also what puts them in the danger zone if used too much.

 

[la szum]

I still own 2 Crate tube heads.

 

[Bob Zaod]

I had the V32 head and cab and man those suckers run hot. I think that is part of the appeal
of how great they can sound, but also what puts them in the danger zone if used too much.

Yeah this one does too but I can't say I have ever had any heat related issues and I have run it for long hours many times. The 32 and the 16 are the really popular ones. I have never played through either but I have read they sound fantastic.

 

[la szum]

They do sound great. Kind of have that hot-rodded Vox thing.... similar to a Bad Cat, in my experience.

And yes, the chime on the Clean channel is

 

[RaceU4her]

the palaminos were actually always pretty highly regarded, id keep it too

 

[Bob Zaod]

My 3+ hour session with this amp yesterday forced me to set up 4 cable to it with my Helix LT. OMFG. Here I go again with the "But it's worth the extra set up time" mentality.

 

[EOengineer]

I still own 2 Crate tube heads.

Just curious, what’s the second one? Blue Voodoo maybe? There are only 3 all tube crate amps that I can recall.

 

[FuzzyAce]

My first real tube amp was a Crate Vintage Club 50 Combo, 1X15. I had just turned 19 and was so proud because I bought it myself, along with an Ibanez Talman TV650 guitar. Wonderful amp. It was so thick and jangly in the cleans but could also do a fat distortion thing. Some years later I traded it and the guitar for PA gear. Wish I still had both!

 

[la szum]

Just curious, what’s the second one? Blue Voodoo maybe? There are only 3 all tube crate amps that I can recall.

That Lee Jackson designed Stealth they put out for a hot minute.

 

[Bob Zaod]

That Lee Jackson designed Stealth they put out for a hot minute.

I'd love to have a Stealth. I played through a combo a few times that a buddy of mine had. The dirt can hang with any high gain amp.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

I'd love to have a Stealth. I played through a combo a few times that a buddy of mine had. The dirt can hang with any high gain amp.

Definitely a fire breather. I rehoused my combo into a head.
The picture makes it look more red but it's closer to a coral pink. Kind of fits that whole '80's hair metal vibe.