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Description
The Crate CR-1 is a 1x12 Solid-State Guitar Amp manufactured by St. Louis Music in the late 1970s.
"Legend has it that Gene Kornblum was in a Crate & Barrel store and was inspired to build a guitar amp by the wooden crates that held the retail chain’s products. In 1978, the Crate CR-1 (the very same model you own) was introduced. And it was indeed housed in a wooden crate similar to a military footlocker.
The 20-watt CR-1 fit the definition of an entry level/practice amp to a T. Utilizing ponderosa pine for the cabinet, it featured a solid-state chassis, a single 12" speaker, dual inputs, and gain, bass, treble, and master volume controls. The CR-1 was instantly popular, and several variations soon followed including the CR-1D Deluxe with a distortion channel and footswitch, the CR-1R Reverb, and the CR-1RD Deluxe Reverb that featured both distortion and reverb. Larger 60-watt models with more controls and features called the CR-II and CR-65 series were also available, as well as some higher-end models with oak cabinets. And by 1980, there was a Crate amp for everyone—including bassists!"
Premier Guitar: "Trash or Treasure: Crate CR-1"
Videos
ayhcult
Crate CR-1R / Series 10 LP Copy ....SLM Extravaganza
Crate CR-1R / Series 10 LP Copy ....SLM Extravaganza
ayhcult
Reviews
Critic Reviews
4.5 out of 5
Based on 3 Reviews and 4 Ratings
36
My first ever amp, bought new from All Star Guitars in Napa CA
5 stars purely for nostalgia sake. It was a kickin little amp that got me started and got the cops called quite a few times. I wish I had not sold it. So here I am... 46 years later???? and I just bought a beater off Reverb. I'ma refurbish it, get it fully functional and gig it. Why not? Recapture the only positively-spent aspect of my juvenile deliquency years. 🤘🏻🎸🎵😎👍🏼
2065
Don't Knock it 'Til You Try it
I found one of these underneath a couch that was buried under a pile of junk in my great grandmother's garage. I took it home, cleaned it up, and decided it wasn't cool.
Flash forward three years, it's my gigging amp. This thing has an overdrive tone sweeter than any pedal I've had on my board, and I wish I had a pedal to capture it. It's warm without being too dark, and has the capability of getting very bright if boosted. On top of that, Crate built these to be daisy-chained together. So what did I do? I found another. Most recent, I acquired a CR-1D with the distortion unit. It's a hell of stack and has the ability to get real loud, which is great for stage use and not getting buried in the mix.
They look radical, and they look even better stacked. Three CR-1s is quite an eye-catching stack, and I'm proud to use them. Very underrated amps.
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