Crate Palomino V32 drive channel too muddy

[bkguitar]

does anyone have any idea how to brighten this thing up a bit, I like the overall quality of the drive channel but it is just too muddy. I don't want to have to use the bright switch cause it affects both channels and I am fine with the clean channel.

[Satchmoeddie]

You bet! A change of caps will clear things up, and the bright switch can be removed from both channels. There may be other issues. That schematic may not be in my filing cabinet. YET. I have an extensive shop in the southwest US down in Phoenix Az. I have items that span over 80 years of sound reproduction. I don't know why, but I just can't say no to a 30s art deco radio. I have a 1936 Bendix radio I use to test preamp tubes for microphonics. I hate posting my email on Brian's site without permission. I will see what he has to say about it. I have had items shipped in for repairs before. I got a Dynacord amp that way. I repaired one, and kept one as payment for the first. Think Fender Tweed Deluxe with German Wima caps, and better everything else also. The speaker was not original, so I got a Rola Celestion for it, and an Oxford ext cab. I think some new caps, and a change of values here, and there should fix that problem right up. How old is this amp?

My Name is Seth. Thanks for your question. and I shall try to find a schematic some time. I will give another email for me, and hope it is OK. anti-echoic@cox.net  is my second email on cox. If you can find a schematic, and send it to me attached to an email as a PDF I will see what can be done. 

[partsocaster]

I have a V32 head and I've noticed that it compresses a lot once your level is past 4-5, getting smushy and chords lose clarity, etc. I like the sound of the dirty channel but there's no real headroom so I drive the clean channel with pedals. I also swapped out my stock power tubes with some nice JJ EL84s and put in VERY good preamp tubes, Gold Pins, hand selected for matched triodes and low noise. The stock tubes are complete junk, do you have the head or combo?

[brian wampler]

schem: http://www.blueguitar.org/new/schem/misc_amp/crate_v32_palomino.pdf

C49 is why the od tone is so dark. Make the value smaller or remove all together.
If you need more highs still, parallel a 500pf cap alongside r37.
If you STILL need more, parallel a cap along r39, from a .1uf to a 1uf or so, depending on how bright you want it.
bw

[bkguitar]

I have the combo, and thanks Brian, I will try that, I want the od channel to sound the way it does with the bright switch on but I don't like the clean channel that bright so hopefully this will only affect the od channel.

[Jacob]

What component(s) could I change to give the drive channel more gain, and make it smoother (more of a 'liquid' feel)?

Jacob