Crate V5 "MODS" will commence!

[cheapgtrs]

I've been thinking of picking up one of the v5s so I'd love to see how this turns out. I'm a newb when it comes to amp modding but I'm about ready to get my toes wet. Good luck and keep us posted.

[cebreez]

Hey cheapgtrs! Yea I love the amp itself less the obvious tonal insufficiencies and the inability to get decent overdrive without getting too loud. Everybody talks about putting a couple of pedals in front of it but that negates the portability of it. I've yet to crack it back open but I have been working on some of the circuitry. I built a copy of the Sonic Maximizer called the "Bloviator" from http://www.madbeanpedals.com which I will install into the amp just behind the input jack the controls of which will occupy the input jacks current position and the tone controls position. Since the bloviator is basically a bass and treble booster and filter it will take the place of the tone control. Already experimented with this and it sounds phenomenal. Taking my cue from jimp I will be removing the opamp section and installing a 68K resistor at the input of the tube section. Then I will move the volume control to its correct place in the circuit.

All of this sounds great right up until I realized that I still would not have a gain control. Just a volume.... soooooo...... rework the stages or just add a rheostat on the speaker so I can overdrive the tubes naturally "one knob style" and still be able to turn the volume down.

Last but not least will be a much better 16ohm speaker...... probably a "Eminence Rajun Cajun"

Tayda Electronics... Placed my first order from them 2 weeks ago. They are in Bangkok THAILAND so I was a little nervous about ordering from them. But let me say!! Ordering was easy, the parts are CHEAP "monetarily", shipping is CHEAP, and I got my parts in 5 days. I'm hooked. Just placed another order and got almost 4000 parts for under $20 and $8 shipping.

[stanley serrao]

I just bought myself a v5. All I did was change the tubes to Mesa Boogie tubes and put in a vintage jensen speaker with alnico magnet and I love it. The cleans are clean and warm and the overdrive drives. You don't have to do all that other stuff to get it sounding sweet!