Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This little amp is really appropriate for buskers. Plug in an acoustic (with pickup) or an electric guitar, and a mic at the same time. Mic input is XLR (low Z) or standard 1/4" (hi Z)- the flexibility is great. Website says that the tone controls (4 band) are for both channels. On mine, now about four years old, the tone controls only apply to channel two. Channel one is "straight" into the amp. They may have changed the specs since mine was made.
Overall the amp is great for the money. Good little practice amp and good for small solo/duo gigs. I've also used it as a mini-monitor if I can get an output from the bands board/mixer. I take it on vacation and play at the beach or on my tailgate. Great for taking in the backyard and plugging in an mp3 player or DVD player (using an input adapter).
PROS:
-Relatively inexpensive
-Runs on battery OR AC power
-Dual inputs
-Good tone controls
-Fairly rugged construction (good cabinet, handle, grille and fasteners, etc)
CONS
-RCA/phono inputs for a CD player are slightly out of date. A 3.5 mm phone input for mp3 player would be much more useful. Also the RCA inputs have absolutely no volume control (and no tone control) so you are dependent on the CD player (or mp3 player) to control the volume.
-Pretty flat tone. No distortion or effects. If you want any grit/breakup or reverb you'll need a pedal(s).
-Reports that SLM Electronics has sold the Crate lineup and parts are now much more difficult to get.
Update 2011-03-28:
Battery needed replacing. (it's a sealed lead-acid unit) Just occasional use around home/on the road so that was surprising. Available online from battery vendors for around $60 as I remember.
Note: the Channel one input is a combination XLR and 1/4" jack. Quite clever space-saving feature; I've never seen this before. Plug in either an XLR or 1/4". Wish it had 3.5 mm input aux and some sort of mild distortion effect onboard. The Roland Micro-Cube does a nice job in this respect but does not have the power of the Taxi. I would imagine for buskers that occasionally you are going to run out of juice. Addition of a battery pack that used D-cells would be a nice extra.
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Crate TX15 Battery Powered Guitar Amp Combo, 15WOur original portable, battery-powered series lets you become the guitar troubadour you've always wanted to be, whether you're jammin' in Texas or Timbuktu. If you're the type of performer who requires the ultimate in portability, but refuse to sacrifice tone for mobility, the Crate TX15 was made for you.
With up to eight hours of battery power, Taxi lets you leave the wall outlets far behind. Dual channels allow you to control two instruments, or plug in your guitar and use the handy 1/4" & XLR combo input jack for a high-quality vocal mic. The specially designed 8" woofer and tweeter ensure clean, loud, full-range performance that will astound you. Perfect for solo performers who want to play and sing, or use a CD player/drum machine in remote areas, the TX15 includes a 120V charger/adapter for standard operation and recharging the battery.
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