I play 4 instruments and have been playing for 20+ yrs..

Metal, funk and metal..

For the money and even for twice that amout, you won't find a better sounding amp. I've been playing guitar since I was in jr. high and that was 30 years ago. I've used quite a great number of dfferent amplifiers during the three decades I've practiced, rehearsed, and performed live on stage and on television, and although quite a number of them sounded good and even great and all of them cost from at least twice to six times more than the GT3500h, I cannot say that, despite the differences in their tonal characteristics between both the other high-end boutique amplifiers and the GT3500h, that any of those highly praised and very costly amps actually sounded better, and the GT3500, being solid state, didn't have the sag effect that makes playing up tempo, articulate music a literal drag, a sensation that can be likened to the metaphor, "swimming in jello". I went through a lot of expensive amps looking for that "million dollar sound", and extreme responsiveness and was able to find it in a $3600 amplifier. I found a number of amps with the "sound" and a sluggish feel, and number that were tight enough, but the sounds were mediocre. Now, understand that these were very good amps, the dream amps of every banker/lawyer/accountant/weekend warrior with a wedding band, and you may assume I am talking about amps considered as boutique and highly acclaimed by people considering themselves tone snobs. This amp is just as good sounding as any of them, and although it may not quite feel the same as playing a $3000 tube amp, the sound you hear will make you just as happy, and you'll still be able to pay for your daughter's braces or your mortgage payments, or that guitar you have always wanted but couldn't afford it and the amp you were planning on getting. Now I'm not saying this amp will satisfy the person who thinking it to be a poor man's substitute for some fabulous expensive status symbol of an amp, because it's not a substitute for anything. It is of itself an ideal in it's own right. This amp is the real thing, not a toy, not something to tide one over until you get a better amp. This is a better amp.

3 footswitchable channels,(footswitch incl.), all have 3 band EQ, although rhythm and solo channels share one between them. The solo channel has a shape control to alter it's voicing from the rhythm channel. It has the expected features like an effects loop and multiple speaker outputs, and features reverb that is actually quite excellent, although it's effect is not dramatic like on some other amps, it tactfully embellishes the sound and never washes out the sound of the guitar, and as the clarity of this amp is quite good, a touch of reverb will go a long way. In my way of looking at, speaking from around 3 decades of involvement in playing guitar and even greater time spent recording live music and musical instruments and sounds in general, the GT3500 doesn't have too little reverb. It simply doesn't too much reverb. The amp is solidly made. The feel of the operating controls is one of high quality, and the knobs turn smoothly without friction.

I give it a 9 because you still have to plug it in and turn it on, and adjust the controls to suit your preferences and once that is done, you only need to turn it on and adjust the volume to suit the occasion.

I can't say. The old Crates were diehards, and this one appears of sounder build construction throughout than those. I figure it's good for 20 years of daily abuse and punishment.

The GT3500 is well worth the price it's been offered at. For the aspiring player looking to step into live performance the GT3500 will allow them a first class sound for relatively little cost.

Crate has always been prompt and amiable in all the e-mail and phone communications I have had with them. I've been able to speak to both technical people and customer service reps, as well as the people who were the actual designers of the specific amps with which I was making an inquiry of. I would say that for a company the size of Crate and the high volume of manufacture and commerce they are involved in, that their customer service is an amazing accomplishment. Smaller less busy amp companyies often allow weeks to go by before returning a call a sending a reply e-mail, if ever.

It looks allright. I actually never consider aesthetics as being a criteria or for consideration when choosing an amp. I only care how well it amplifies my playing and how it feels while playing through it. If it sounds wrong and or in anyway hinders my playing processes, then I look for something else to play through..

Studio and stage musician

Rock/Metal/Blues

This amp produces a very musical sound. The cleans are full, deep, and bouyant,and chords sound crisp and clear and alive and fresh. The high gain channels provide the abiltity to find a sound to match any musical application requiring modest to extreme amounts of overdrive and distorton at near whisper like levels to ones which exceed the boundries of sane thinking and common sense and an obscene amount of power can be devoted to the low frequencies, giving arise to think that the possibilty that one may through the exposure to such intense low frequency sound pressures, suffer soft tissue damage. On the othr hand, you'll never have the problem of being drowned out and the dynamic range and clarity of the sound of your chords with the notes being each allowed their own domain to be heard clearly, the harmonics are complex, defined and dynamic, and 3D like.

3 channels/effects loop/reverb and footswithcable, indpendent EQs on clean and OB/SOLO channels. Solo shares EQ w/OD and has an additional shape control specific to the SOLO channel.

Easy enough.

It looked well made and the controls possessed a high quality feel when operated.

I think it's one of the best values, unless you find a DUal Ret for the same price, or something Uber or what, but I am thinling that I'd thrust it based on asking people whp use them and how it acted when I was trying it out.

I had good luck with calls to Crate.

Old and experienced barband veteren

Rock and Hard Rock and Progressive Rock and Heavy Metal and BLues Metal