Okay, obviously this is an OLD post, "BUT", in case anyone is also trying to find out why Crate has such a low end name, here's why;
In 1978 St.Louis Music Inc released Crate Amps, and St. Louis Music Inc ALSO owned Ampeg (bought out of Bankruptcy) Crate amps were built around the platform of Ampegs electronics, but never really sold well to the "professional consumer" because by the early 80's Fender, Marshall, Peavey, and Randall for Metal.
Crate is an EXCELLENT BRAND, now since Loud technologies bought out St. Louis in 2007 the brand Crate lost even more notoriety and remains to be an entry level amp to the general population of musicians. I myself have owned, and will continue to own USA Crate Amps because the tone, I have found, stands alone. I have a 212T DSP Combo amp. The effects are genuinely Crate and sound great, even though I do use a rack mount effects/pre-amp processor, and I cannot complain.
I have owned MANY Solid State Amps; such as Peavey, Line 6, Marshall, Fender, VOX, Hughs & Ketner, Randall, Ibanez, Ampeg (Bass) Roland, and a few others. I have bought and sold a Crate 21T DSP 3 times, and the fourth ne I bought I have now had for 4 years, and will not part with it! It is USA made of course, and that there is the major difference with Crate. All of their import products are less than favorable, and unreliable. This has been Crates MAJOR Problem. If Loud Technologies would reverse the Import production with USA Production (over 90% of Crate products are imported, not USA made) and were to promo USA made products to new talents, and change a few minds of other metal bands from the past 20 years, they would see a better professional market share.
Another thing I would like to see Loud Tech do is buy out the Washburn Name and sell guitars in sync with Crate Amplification! Washburn is one of the oldest names in Guitars. Yes, older than both Fender, and Gibson. Owned now by U.S. Music Corp, and in my opinion has destroyed the Washburn Name. A phenomenal Instrument for shredders, blues, and rock that needs to be returned to its glory and rise even further.
Go play a $700 Washburn and you'll put down that $2,500 Fender or Les Paul if you're into shredding/metal. No real shredder will ever admit it in fear of being made fun of! Grow a pair and let it rip!! I own several MG series (one Chicago, and one import from the early 90's) and a parallaxe series from 2010. They waste my ESP KH 602, my U.S. Masters Super Strat, along with my Ibanez RG1570 Prestige. None of which are beginner guitars at all.
So, to wrap this up, if you're looking for a Crate (2-12) amp or half stack set up, look to the back of the amp before even trying it out to make sure it is indeed U.S.A. made, pick up a $400-$700 Washburn if available at your music store and see for yourself! I highly recommend any shredder to buy!!