Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

[RedDeansNRice]

I have Googled the amps that VH uses, but I can't afford an EVHIII 6505 or 5150. In my Google searches, I have found that EVH used a Marshall Plexi, with a Variac for his early tones. It says that a Variac reduces the power that the Plexi should get and makes it sound different.

I have also found related articles that say the Blackstar HT-5 can recreate classic Marshall tones. Can a Blackstar HT-5 and another amp be used together to create a VH stereo combination with a pedal that has stereo l/R outputs?

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

If you're budgeted for an HT-5 there really isn't any use discussing Variacs or particular models/settings of Marshalls etc. It's like asking which brand of spark plug will make your Corolla as fast as a Saleen Mustang. That said there is not shame in playing through a small amp either.

Lots of modeling amp claim to do vintage Marshall/EVH tones in particular, so I recommend trying them for yourself along with the small tube amps. You could get in the ballpark with many modern small amps, whether it's by means of some pedal or careful pickup choices etc. No experience with anything stereo, though.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

You are the guy with the Behringer behind the yellow RP-3.

Welcome. I'm guessing you have got bit by the Van Halen bug?

I don't know much about the HT-5, however - any modern amp (meaning since 2010) has enough distortion/saturation to get in the VH ball park. If you are seeking perfect re-creation, that's a disease all its own (pups, amps, fx, era/album, etc...). But - to get something akin to VH say pre-5150, I can do that with my Roland Cube, my Marshall VS100, or especially my Mesa Stiletto. (50 watt mode, Tight gain, gain up, Tube rectifier, Spongy setting - Brown as a turd.). But any amp will do that these days (Maybe not that Behringer)

I dig that RP-3. I bet a little patience and you can get some great effect sounds out of that!

 

[Securb]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

It says that a Variac reduces the power that the Plexi should get and makes it sound different.

The "legendary" Brown Sound. Many Marshalls over the years have been destroyed using a Variac to chase that tone. Like others have said there are many modelers on the market these days that mimic the EVH tone. Eventide's H9 has a few VH presets including a great "Panama" setting. It sounds pretty spot on no matter which amp I am using. I will admit it does sound best through the Marshall.

Search the web there are a ton of pedals that are designed to get the brown sound like the Wampler Pinnacle Standard or the stuff from EVH's own line.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

I had an HT5, with a boost or equal pedal you can get in the front gate of the ballpark.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

For the record, I don’t think the 5150 pedal does the brown sound, more like the way metal guys use the 5150 amp. The Wampler Pinnacle is darn good.

The Blackstar might be a great amp for VH type tones. I know you were referencing the Balanace era tones which is completely different, but Plexi on 10, Humbucker and attitude will get you the first two album tones. Since Blackstar is Marshall inspired it might get you close. Add in some slight detune for the later album tones.

The MOST inportant thing to me is technique though. The whole “tone is in the fingers” gets debated as nauseam by nerds on the Internet, but I think the core of it is true. Give a guy who really has the EVH technique down a guitar they are comfortable with, a Humbucker, a loud Marshall and maybe a Phaser and they’ll sound great.... Point being is that a lot of the EVH tone is how he voices chords, attacks the strings, etc.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

I think that the Blackstar with a couple pedals can get you close. Go for it.

 

[LLL]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

If you listen to some people here they will try to tell you they can get an incredibly close facsimile to the 1st album EVH tone using a SD '78 pickup, SS Crate Amp and a BOSS HM-2 Heavy Metal pedal. (yes, I am exaggerating, but only somewhat) :lol:

If on a budget, a clean amp with a Wampler Pinnacle will get you near the ballpark (but no closer than that).

If you really want to get close, you'll need something that does the old plexi tone to a "T", an SH-5 Custom pickup, a true-to-circuit Echoplex preamp... and a lot of studio magic (panning, EMT 140 plate reverb, echo chamber, EQing, etc).

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

Especially if you run it through a Marshall 1960 4x12.

 

[RedDeansNRice]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

Did you play that? Is that a Blackstar HT-5 combo? What pickups and guitar do you use?

 

[Securb]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

Did you play that? Is that a Blackstar HT-5 combo? What pickups and guitar do you use?

Seeing it is Jolly I am guessing it is one of his Charvels with Black Outs. But his collection is so deep it could be anything.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

Especially if you run it through a Marshall 1960 4x12.

Leave it to Jolly to disprove the hi-tech claims and simply rock out with the gear.

 

[RedDeansNRice]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

I went to the music store today but they didn't have one. After that I stopped at two pawnshops. The first store only had a few amps that were small and had no tubes. The second store had a lot.

When I told the owner, who is a player as well, what I was looking for he showed me a bugera g5 infinity. He told me that it was the same as an Ht5 and has tubes.

When I googled this amp in the parking lot it shows that it is basically the same amp. I have the money to buy this amp but it is just a head unit. I will have to buy a speaker cabinet as well.

Should I go back and get this amp? I could buy a cabinet maybe next week. I really want it.

 

[RedDeansNRice]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

I bought it! I talked to my dad and showed him the video and he went with me. When he found out that I would need a speaker cabinet to go with it, he paid for the one that was used to test the amp for my dad. It has two twelve inch speakers inside of it.

I have read that tube amps need time to warm up so I took a picture while I wait. How do I set the knobs?

[/url]https://imgflip.com/memegenerator[/IMG]

 

[Securb]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

I bought it! I talked to my dad and showed him the video and he went with me. When he found out that I would need a speaker cabinet to go with it, he paid for the one that was used to test the amp for my dad. It has two twelve inch speakers inside of it.

I have read that tube amps need time to warm up so I took a picture while I wait. How do I set the knobs?

This topic has been talked about here ad nauseum. Search the forum for Van Halen tone. Or send Jolly a PM for his settings. He is a great guy he will help you out.

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/sho...The-5150-III&p=3813788&viewfull=1#post3813788

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

Did you play that? Is that a Blackstar HT-5 combo? What pickups and guitar do you use?

Yes, that is me playing that. And after listening to it, because it's been so many years ago, it's taken me a bit to think about what I would have been playing at that time. Securb is correct in thinking that it could have been one of my Charvels with some Blackout pickups in it, but after listening to it, I never used any Floyd Rose. So, if I had to give a good guess upon what I was playing on this, I'm pretty sure I was playing an Epiphone Les Paul with a Custom Custom in the bridge. The only other guess that I would have been playing would have been my Gibson Les Paul Classic Premium Plus with a Duncan Custom in the bridge, but I don't really ever remember playing that guitar through my HT-5's. So, I'm about 95% sure that is my Blue Sparkle Epiphone Les Paul with a Custom Custom in the bridge, and a Pearly Gates in the neck. Also, I was using my TC Electronic for delay, and my MXR Zakk Wylde for chorus.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

^^
The man, the myth, the memory!
Glad to see you still posting around here.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[RedDeansNRice]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

Hello Jolly. After reading the link that Securb replied I set my knobs like this. It sounds like a snake is hissing through the speakers even when I'm not playing. Am I wrong?

Is morph the same as presence? There is also a switch on the back that shows 0.1W-1W-5W Power Attenuator. Which do I use? There is also a button for Emulated Output & Headphones. My speaker cabinet has two twelve inch speakers but the switch has 1x12 and 4x12 next to it.

[url=https://imgflip.com/i/2ezwon]via Imgflip Meme Generator[/URL]

 

[Securb]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

I have to ask are you using a true speaker cable from the head to the cab or are you using a guitar cable? Listen to the head through the headphone jack and see if the hiss is still there.

 

[RedDeansNRice]

Re: Blackstar HT-5 For Van Halen?

Yes, it is a speaker cable. After reading more on the forum I have figured out that the gain was too high. Once it turned down down to below 3-4 o'clock the hiss stops completely. It's like there is a fine little line to when it is not doing to when it does do it. I have read that this is common in high gain amps.

When researching the HT5 and The G5, I found that the preamp tube is just a tube buffer. What does this mean? It is a 12ax7. Can this be changed for a different sound?

I have also found that the power attenuation sounds the best on 5w. It's a lot louder and the distortion sounds thicker higher volumes. The morph knobs also makes the sound clear and brighter when in USA, and gets deeper and thicker when in UK. Is this normal?

For my first tube amp, it is great. I like it a lot. Today I am going to unscrew the back of my speaker cabinet to find out what is inside. My reading has found that speakers make a big difference in sound. When I bought the cabinet I was told it was homemade by someone and he didn't know what speakers were in it. All he said was that is sounded really good and he used it more than any other in the store. I will post pictures when I am done.