Crate Amps & C.C. DeVille

[andrewsrea]

I saw an interview with the guitarist from Warrant (80's hair band) and then followed up with and interview with Poison's (another hairband) CC. DeVille and sure enough, he is perceived to be a Marshall user, but primarily uses solid state Crate amplifiers.

Having spent a decade or two being a STL Music repair guy, I never knew this.

[toomanycats]

I have a vivid recollection of being at a general admission show at the Utica Memorial Auditorium around 1987 on a stop of Poison’s "Look What the Cat Dragged In Tour." They may have been opening for David Lee Roth on the Eat Em'and Smile Tour. I was right at the very front, pressed against the barricade with hundreds of sweaty bodies pushing behind me. C.C. had those stacks of cabinets with the band member's faces on them, just like on the album cover. He was loud, his tone was rude, and he was as animated as a cartoon character. I mean all of that in the most complimentary way. Those guys were hungry and climbing the hill, giving it everything they had. It was an awesome rock and roll spectacle I'll never forget.

[dabbler]

I saw an interview with the guitarist from Warrant (80's hair band) and then followed up with and interview with Poison's (another hairband) CC. DeVille and sure enough, he is perceived to be a Marshall user, but primarily uses solid state Crate amplifiers.

Having spent a decade or two being a STL Music repair guy, I never knew this.

Hmmm. So:

1. Your closing statement helps me better understand your mad electronics skillz.

2. To what do you attribute, then, the Marshal user perception?

[Rollin Hand]

My understanding was that he used Crates as a kind of high-end "accentuator" -- something to make it all a little more obnoxious.

I always liked the guy.

[andrewsrea]

1. Your closing statement helps me better understand your mad electronics skillz.

2. To what do you attribute, then, the Marshal user perception?

1.) Thank you for the compliment. Pretty much from 1985 to 2000, I was program management & finance aerospace guy by day, repairman / session player by night (I only slept about 5 hours a night) and giging musician on the weekends. Any skills I have are by making a lot of mistakes and vowing not to repeat them, by discovering the right way.

2.) Interesting question. 1970's Marshalls were loud, tight and bright (chainsaw-ish). It wasn't until the JCM800's did the distortion start getting a little compressed. CC's tone wasn't too far off from Warren DiMartini, the Scorpions and others who employed the very forward 70's Marshalls. Like @Rollin Hand said, Poison's studio recordings likely employed many amp brands and Crate came along when they garnered some fame. I personally know a few musicians who had endorsements, who only played their 'brand' as contractually necessary and would return to their preferred gear after that.

[dabbler]

1. Your closing statement helps me better understand your mad electronics skillz.

2. To what do you attribute, then, the Marshal user perception?

1.) Thank you for the compliment. Pretty much from 1985 to 2000, I was program management & finance aerospace guy by day, repairman / session player by night (I only slept about 5 hours a night) and giging musician on the weekends. Any skills I have are by making a lot of mistakes and vowing not to repeat them, by discovering the right way.

2.) Interesting question. 1970's Marshalls were loud, tight and bright (chainsaw-ish). It wasn't until the JCM800's did the distortion start getting a little compressed. CC's tone wasn't too far off from Warren DiMartini, the Scorpions and others who employed the very forward 70's Marshalls. Like @Rollin Hand said, Poison's studio recordings likely employed many amp brands and Crate came along when they garnered some fame. I personally know a few musicians who had endorsements, who only played their 'brand' as contractually necessary and would return to their preferred gear after that.

Thanks for the info!

[andrewsrea]

I have a vivid recollection of being at a general admission show at the Utica Memorial Auditorium around 1987 on a stop of Poison’s "Look What the Cat Dragged In Tour." They may have been opening for David Lee Roth on the Eat Em'and Smile Tour. I was right at the very front, pressed against the barricade with hundreds of sweaty bodies pushing behind me. C.C. had those stacks of cabinets with the band member's faces on them, just like on the album cover. He was loud, his tone was rude, and he was as animated as a cartoon character. I mean all of that in the most complimentary way. Those guys were hungry and climbing the hill, giving it everything they had. It was an awesome rock and roll spectacle I'll never forget.


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I ran into them twice somewhere around 1982 to 1984. I was in a band that was booking the Hershey / Harrisburg area and I met their guitar player (Mike?). They were pretty awful musicians but destined to be great entertainers. Brett Michaels consistently sang sharp and pitchy, the drummer tempo was all over the place (with some extra beats in the fills) but they dressed to the nines and carried themselves like stars when then entered the club. The certainly were hungry to make it.

[Rollin Hand]

1. Your closing statement helps me better understand your mad electronics skillz.

2. To what do you attribute, then, the Marshal user perception?

1.) Thank you for the compliment. Pretty much from 1985 to 2000, I was program management & finance aerospace guy by day, repairman / session player by night (I only slept about 5 hours a night) and giging musician on the weekends. Any skills I have are by making a lot of mistakes and vowing not to repeat them, by discovering the right way.

2.) Interesting question. 1970's Marshalls were loud, tight and bright (chainsaw-ish). It wasn't until the JCM800's did the distortion start getting a little compressed. CC's tone wasn't too far off from Warren DiMartini, the Scorpions and others who employed the very forward 70's Marshalls. Like @Rollin Hand said, Poison's studio recordings likely employed many amp brands and Crate came along when they garnered some fame. I personally know a few musicians who had endorsements, who only played their 'brand' as contractually necessary and would return to their preferred gear after that.

Like the story RLP told on the old forum of how George Lynch showed up to a gig with a Marshall head and proceeded to velcro a Randall logo to the front to satisfy his endorsement? I liked that one.

If you ever get a chance to listen to the full in bloom interviews with Ric Browde, he has some great Poison stories. The starting point for it all is he thought they stunk, and had no chance of getting anywhere. Oops.