Please someone give me some info on the crate glx series

I have been looking to get a new amp for soem time now and I only have like 650 or so bucks to spend. I know thats not alot to spend on an amp but I dont have a job( because I just turned 15) and I owe my parents like $500 for my guitar. anyways I have a crate right now and the thing is horrible, I dont even try playing on the clean channel its worthless, but when I went in guitar center the other day and played the glx 212 it sounded great. It has built in effects and I dont really know if thats a good thing or a bad thing. I play alot of thrash metal and I like shredding but I want my distortion to be clear without buzzing and stuff. really what I looking to buy is something with killer distortion that can be cranked up really loud without sounding bad. I plan on playing the battle of the bands at my school in the quad and I dont know if 120 watts is gonna do it. Anyway if someone has played the glx series or has any comments about crate that would be greatly appreciated. By the way does anyone know what kind of amps blind guardian and children of bodem use?

I wouldn't spend 60 bucks on a crate much less 650 bucks. There are just too many other GOOD amps to screw with a crate.

GLX's are a bit overpriced...and most of the effects are pretty useless.I know the lights are cool and all,but you could get such better amp for that price.FYI 120Watts is plenty for gigging.You would need 1000Watts to be able to tell any difference from 100watts.Instead of paying for more Watts and onboard effects your probly not going to use,I suggest more speakers.If you have 300watts running through a 1x12 cab,and 50watts through a 4x12..which one will push more air(resulting in "loudness")?Simply put,more speakers means more air pushed.
Go to avatarspeakers.com and take a look at the 4x12 cabs.
If you dont like those(for some unknown reason)then check out the Behringer 4x12 cabs.I say those simply because there the best for the price..you can get any cab you want.Then get the amp head of your choice...randall rh100,carvin sx200 or 300 and stuff like that.Remember I'm keeping in mind your spending power.I own a Carvin sx200 halfstack and it kills...$650 brand new from carvin.A 2x12 combo isnt bad at all,but for around the same price(give or take $50)you can get the versatility of a stack.You could add another cab in the future if wanted too.

All in all...A 120Watt 2x12 combo will cut it(take a look at the randall rg100 or 200 2x12 combos).If you can live without the glowing red lights and pretty much useless effects(and the often poor sound from crates)then you can save some money and get a great amp.I really urge you to consider a stack though,since it will equip you for much larger louder outdoor gigs where your sound escapes.

I have no idea what amps cob or blind guardian use...sorry.

Later! \m/

thanks for the info man, I cant get a stack because my parents wiould die right when they saw it. I was looking to just get a combo amp. I played some behiringers (dont know how to spell that) and they didn't have the distortion I was looking for. Maybe if I got a pedal. Would you guys recomend any marshall combo amps? If so then what series? would I be better off getting a loud amp with a distortion pedal? I just want a loud amp that wont give feedback.