Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

[Mr.Speed]

Hey guys, (yes i know, first poster here), i'd like your input on this if you'd be so kind:

I'm beginning to look solely for a small home/practise amp after selling my Marshall AVT150 half stack this past summer. I'm between the blackstar ht-1r (combo or head i'm not sure) and some other options like the Vox AC4TV stack or Fender Mustang I which has reviewed well.
I like the distortion of the blackstar but heard the small extension cabs aren't the best (so leaning towards the combo). And the headphone out and cabinets between 4 and 16 ohm makes it versitile in that way. BUT I may have to order it sight-unseen in my area...this is making me look at other options.

I also hear that the speaker in the vox could do with a change and it may be to loud for home use when cranked for breakup. I'm up for some mods down the road but i'm looking for something to fit the bill nicely and the heaphone jack is a big plus.

I play a MIM strat with Duncan SSL-1's and i noodle around on anything from RHCP to Black Keys to old Sabbath to Clapton (i know they all won't have the same tone but in the relative ballpark would be nice). I have an old Peavey Blazer w/reverb and it's not doing the trick.

So my main questions are: 1) Is the blackstar a good fit for my 'classic' sounding strat? 2) What may be better for a bedroom amp?

Thank you in advance for blessing me with your wisdom.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

Dunno about blackstar, never tried it.

I will, however, recommend that you try a Blackheart Killer Ant. No bells or whistles, just a volume knob and 1watt of pure tube tone.

Sounds really really good through my 1x12 and 2x12.

They're also worth much less than many pedals when new...

Can't go wrong IMHO.

 

[Mr.Speed]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

Thanks for that input; I'll have to see if there is a dealer in my area!

 

[LonePhantom]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

The HT-1 is a fantastic little amp, and it even sounds good with the little speaker in the combo. What's even cooler though is the HT -1 head with the matching 4x8 for an awesome mini bedroom half stack!

 

[Mr.Speed]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

I've read more about that Blackheart, Surgeon. It's so simple and that's great, but it may be too simple for what i'm looking for currently. I don't think one channel w/no distortion (i could get a pedal i know) is better than the blackstar.

LonePhantom, does the blackstar play well with strats? Are the cleans on the american side of the ISF really 'American' sounding?

 

[indie folk guy]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

The Blackstar is a very cool little amp, not the best I've played but certainly not the worst especially at the pricepoint. The ISF definitely works as advertised.

My gripe with the HT1 and HT5 is that there isn't a lot of clean headroom, but what do you execpt from a 1/5 watt amp?

They work great with single coils and humbuckers. I almost bought one of the Blackstars for my apartment but had a car repair come up so I held off for now. I tried the Blackstar amp with the following pickups and thought the amp made each guitar sound good. Lollar P90, Fralin Nashville Tele Set *2% overwound neck, vintage hot middle, 5% overwound bridge*, Fralin Pure PAF humbucker set, Wilkinson Mini Humbuckers.

You can get cleanish sounds that are ample for practicing just keep in mind it's not going to have the headroom of a bigger amp (such as a Fender Twin). You will not be able to keep up with other musicians on either amp in a clean sound.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

I've read more about that Blackheart, Surgeon. It's so simple and that's great, but it may be too simple for what i'm looking for currently. I don't think one channel w/no distortion (i could get a pedal i know) is better than the blackstar.

«
Well, with that amp the whole point is the distortion. You have pretty much no headroom (except at wisper volumes) which makes getting a very nice tube distortion easy. You won't need a distortion pedal unless you dislike it's natural distortion.

It is dead-simple but to me that was the whole point. Won't work for everyone but at this price-point it's a winner IMHO.

 

[indie folk guy]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

I'd agree with surgeon, sometimes the best solution is to go as simple as possible a lot of these amps are pedal friendly you like british crunch pickup a DMB Lexi drive or Blackstar tube pedal (ht drive or ht dist).

I just don't think any of these low wattage amps will give you a true clean sound because they simply aren't designed with headroom in mind.

 

[LonePhantom]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

All you gotta do is roll your guitars volume knobs back to get a clean.

 

[indie folk guy]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

I know how to use a volume knob but 1 watt clean is not very loud there is a volume drop on those amps it's not like playing a 40-100 watt amp that has a loud clean sound. 1 watt distorted can be loud enough to compete with some drummers especially if you are miked but it doesn't work for clean sounds. It doesn't take much to breakup these amps is my point.

When you play even an AC30 you will realize how different a big and small amp respond to your playing.

This is the reason for home practice I use solid state instead of tube amps. Solid state sounds better at household/practice volumes than tubes. Tubes sound better at gigging volumes.

I have tried a lot of the popular small tube amps and I have yet to find one that I like for practice use at home.

Vox, Marshall, Fender, Blackstar, etc.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

I know how to use a volume knob but 1 watt clean is not very loud there is a volume drop on those amps it's not like playing a 40-100 watt amp that has a loud clean sound. 1 watt distorted can be loud enough to compete with some drummers especially if you are miked but it doesn't work for clean sounds. It doesn't take much to breakup these amps is my point.

When you play even an AC30 you will realize how different a big and small amp respond to your playing.

This is the reason for home practice I use solid state instead of tube amps. Solid state sounds better at household/practice volumes than tubes. Tubes sound better at gigging volumes.

I have tried a lot of the popular small tube amps and I have yet to find one that I like for practice use at home.

Vox, Marshall, Fender, Blackstar, etc.

No kiddin'? A VOX Ac30 won't react the same as my lil' killer ant??? You gotta be kidding me...

Ok, I'll turn off the sarcasm but still: you're hoping that a 1watt amp will be loud enough to play with a drummer?

No way. 5watts maybe but 1? You're dreaming.

 

[indie folk guy]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

I'm just trying to show you guys that 1-5 watt amps are not designed for quality clean tones. They are barely useful for practice that is my point. I'm not expecting a 5 watt amp to keep up in a live concert setting.

Depending on the pickups you use many of these amps will not get clean. If you are expecting clean volume to be the same as overdriven you are going to be disappointed.

If you can name a small tube amp under 5 watts that delivers pristine cleans I'd like to know what it is because I haven't found it yet.

I've gone through 5 different small tube amps trying to find the one and I have yet to find one, I've played through even more trying to find the one. I find that small solid states are better for practice applications. They sound better and have a bigger variety of tones at lower volumes than tube amps.

Most small tube amps are too loud for my apartment / bedroom. The difference between a 5 watt amp and a 30 watt isn't so much volume as it is headroom. They will both be within db's of each other but the 30 watt will get a much better clean tone because it takes more to push the amp into distortion.

I don't know how to convey my message on here you are misinterpreting my post.

 

[Mr.Speed]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

Thanks for all the input gang.
I definately need to plan a trip to the store and try out both the Blackstar HT-1 combo as well as that Killer Ant half stack (thanks for that tip Surgeon)...they're about the same price at my local shop.
I'm not looking for a lot of clean head room, and having lower output PUs a...would a lower wattage one channel amp like the Killer Ant break up at reasonable volumes?

What solid state amp(s) do you use for practise Indie Folk Guy? (out of curiousity)

 

[indie folk guy]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

I like the Vox Pathfinder and the Fender Mustang I depending on how loud you want to practice you may be able to step up.

If you don't mind the lack of clean headroom than the Killer Ant or Blackstar might be the ticket I just like to forewarn people because I do use a lot of clean tones and those amps didn't do it for me. Of course the dirty tones they provide are great.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Amp Advise: Blackstar HT-1R and others...

I have moderate GAS for an HT-1R