Any Experience with the Crown D-75A Power Amp?

[unnbrokenchain]

I just came across this power amp today. I'm not sure if it is new, but I have never seen it around before. It've been searching around for a SS power amp, and this caught my eye. Small size (1U) and it's rated at 40 watts if I want to drive two JBl's (40 watts going to each speaker) or 110 watts going to one speaker in bridged-mono mode. Right now I play a 45 watt fender bandmaster with two JBL E120's. I can get out of the clean zone at about have volume, but I usually blend in a volume booster at the front of the amp input for some added dirt and clipping. I know I can only answer if it is right for me. So, all I'm asking is will this give me the expected response I'm looking for? Solid State power amp clipping at a decent volume level?

Link: http://www.crownaudio.com/pdf/amps/125243.pdf

[JonnyBoy]

What are you trying to do with the amp? get more head room? are you preamping the fender to use this as a power section?

Using the Crown alone, I dont think you will be happy with it as a "guitar amp" without a preamp of some sort. I think 40 watts is great, I do the usual gig with no more than 50 watts.

The solid state is going to change the dynamics some, it is considered more "harsh" or less forgiving type of amp. Some are not very Warm sounding either. It also lacks the natural compression you would have at those higher volumes, that compression is something many guitarists see as a desirable trait of tube amps. High pick attacks will not compress, rather go on through like a bull. Depending on what I play, I use a compressor with my rig, not often, but it helps restore that balance to a degree. As for clipping the crown, they have all these limiters and such to avoid it in their PA gear, it may not be very musical clipping. I would find a transistor or mosfet guitar amp like a Mosvalve or Rocktron that are made to give you this tone. Just my 2cents. A Mcintosh is also a very musical SS amp as long as there are no limiters, and crap that hinder its clipping. The amps without all that technology would be an MC50 MC100 MC250 MC2100 MC2150 etc....

Hope that helps.... JB

[unnbrokenchain]

Thanks Johnnyboy

Yes, I forgot to mention. I would be using the preamp section of the fender for now. I am gradually converting to a full rack rig. I have several preamps in mind for the rack, along with a lexicon unit and a compression unit. The power amp section is the only part of the equation I am swaying back and forth on. My other options would be a rocktron velocity 300, but I'm not sure if that would give me the "Mac" sound. Mosvalve power amps I have heard are great, but I'm cautious about buying a twenty plus year old amp.