Blackstar HT Club 50 $399 ... worth it?

[cliffenstein]

Am I gonna be happy about this purchase or disappointed and end up sending it back?

Blowout pricing of $399 brand new (extra $100 from normal blowout pricing of $499 because of a tiny dent on the lower front that I can't even see in the photos MF provided).

I'm guessing Blackstar is discontinuing these?

My tonal needs are generally pretty easy to get with most gear...Angus Young meets Johnny Ramone...mid gain and I like to hear note articulation. Mostly a rhythm player and riff writer, but I do leads, too.

[IM4Tone]

Re: Blackstar HT Club 50 $399 ... worth it?

Good deal on a very decent amp.

[mi_canuck]

Re: Blackstar HT Club 50 $399 ... worth it?

Incredible deal. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

[MkIII Renegade]

Re: Blackstar HT Club 50 $399 ... worth it?

That's a smokin' deal! Great sounding amp, too, although they are more well known for their sound at mega-distortion.

[IM4Tone]

Re: Blackstar HT Club 50 $399 ... worth it?

That's a smokin' deal! Great sounding amp, too, although they are more well known for their sound at mega-distortion.

True, but if you want to 'tame' the gain, a 5751 in V1 works well.

[Lampy H]

Re: Blackstar HT Club 50 $399 ... worth it?

You could probably recoup the cost down the road.

[mwalluk]

Re: Blackstar HT Club 50 $399 ... worth it?

going by your signature, i actually prefered the ht50 over the dsl. blackstar had more useable cleans and a solid rock overdrive. 400 is a steal. could very well make it back via used market

[cliffenstein]

Re: Blackstar HT Club 50 $399 ... worth it?

Thanks everyone. It arrives sometime this week (most likely Wednesday. I'll put it through its paces and report back. I don't need another amp, as I am more than satisfied with my 2 hundred watters. The price was so crazy cheap for brand new that I just couldn't stop myself from buying it! This will be my first 50 watter since my 2204 JMP was stolen a decade ago.

[cliffenstein]

Re: Blackstar HT Club 50 $399 ... worth it?

Okay...it arrived today...I can't believe this thing was listed as level 2 damaged due to some dent on the front...I can't find the dent at all...it looks brand new...like really brand new...not a scratch on it.

I plugged it in, got it all set with my cab and started playing it. Set it up like I do Marshalls. It wasn't difficult to get my tone at all. However...it didn't sound like a tube amp. Someone who isn't used to tube amps would be uber happy with this, but someone like me who's been playing tube amps for over 20 years, this doesn't do it for me. It sounded great super low volume, but turn it up and you can hear the solid state part of the amp shining loud and clear.

It is a well made head, though, and there's nothing cheap looking or feeling about it...not the knobs, not even the sound...it's just not really tube enough sounding for me.

I would not recommend this head to people familiar with tube amps and who love the tube amp sound. The 50 is going back to MF tomorrow.

I think I'm good with the two 100 watters I've got.

[BluesGuyJ2]

Re: Blackstar HT Club 50 $399 ... worth it?

I've got an HT5R and use it for practice at home. The cleans are good at high and low volume, but I think the OD channel gets a little too solid statey at higher volumes. I mean, it's like having a distortion pedal built into an amp, so it's only going to sound so organic. Have you tried cranking the clean channel and running pedals through it?

[cliffenstein]

Re: Blackstar HT Club 50 $399 ... worth it?

I've got an HT5R and use it for practice at home. The cleans are good at high and low volume, but I think the OD channel gets a little too solid statey at higher volumes. I mean, it's like having a distortion pedal built into an amp, so it's only going to sound so organic. Have you tried cranking the clean channel and running pedals through it?

I don't do pedals at all...none. If an amp can't give me what I want by itself then it's the wrong amp for me.