Lets talk Blackstar amps

B

BloodRose

Professional Scapegoat
Although they are still not real common here yet, it seems they are good and seem to be growing rapidly. Popping up more than Krank amps. (they still in biz?)
The reviews seem good and my experience with the HT5 was impressive.

The new Guitar World reviews the Series one 100 104EL34 head and of course gave it a platinum rating. The mention that it'll cop an early EVH brown tone and that it sounds like mid 80s modded amps. Truth to these statements?
Also they mentioned and Id heard before that the EEs are formal Marshall engineers and ees. Was there a falling out a big M? Any dirt here?

Im just fishing for info on the origins of the company and what the bigger amps are really like. The utoob vids are impressive and I know lots that are happy with the smaller amps.
thanks
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

Some good info here.

http://www.blackstaramps.co.uk/background/meetyourmaker.html

Any more they seem to be pretty common depending where you go. I know my local store carries the HT series 5, 20 40 etc. Selection is pretty thin or non-exhistant at guitar center, but sam ash usually has quite a few of them also. Last time I was at SA, I played through the ht-1 and ht-5. They also had an ht-60 2x12 anda series one head/cab, not sure which veriety.

Ive been impressed every time ive played through one and I dont think Ive heard a demo yet I didnt like, so when I end up in the market, they will be high on my list of serious contenders.
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

Jolly played the **** out of his HT-5 while I was on the phone last night to show me what it's like.

The damn thing sounded amazing.

Of course, you really can't judge tone through a phone call, but it had the right feel.
 
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Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

I tried a Series One 45w combo. There are 4 switchable options and a whole boatload of EQ and volume/gain controls but you're stuck with one EQ setting for all 4 modes which struck me as plain silly. I didn't really form an impression of the sounds because I got fed up messing with so many largely pointless controls.

I have the HT drive pedal and it's very good into the front end of an all valve amp but I did take issue with their marketing. Their pedals are described as 'pure valve' which is a very long way from the truth. They use a lot of solid state circuitry to pump up the gain so I consider their marketing to be downright dishonest.

As ex-Marshall people I believe they were largely responsible for the Valvestate range which is certainly reflected in their pedals if not their amps.
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

Blackstar amps are awesome, I have the HT-40 & 1x12 cab and its a very versatile amp and cuts great in a band mix! There Series One amps seem to be getting used by a lot of Pro's these days!

here is a shot of mine!
BlackStar_LP_PRS.jpg
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

HT-5s that I have tried in GC and Daddy's stores were fantastic little amps. Quality/Tone/Pricing top notch IMO
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

I used to think Egnater was the best value you could get in tone/quality/price, but I found that Blackstar blows them away. They definitely have a Marshall DSL type quality to them but have better cleans and more tonal options.

I have an HT-100 head. I got it brand new for only $699 around the same time the Jet City amps came out. It sat there for a while because I was without a cab for a couple of months. I dropped it from on top of a shelf and cracked the headshell all the way across the bottom. A couple of preamp tubes went out but other than that, it powered on and worked perfectly after that.

One time when I was fooling around with the bias to swap tubes, I accidentally touched something and it caused a spark then blew up my multimeter. It continued working fine after that.

I had it in my trunk and got caught in a meeting all day just recently. The Texas head here had gotten up to 101 degrees. It sat there frying in the sun. I forgot I had it in the trunk and ran over a big speed bump that crashed it all over my trunk. That afternoon at a friends house I powered it on and it worked perfectly!

There's no telling what I must do to destroy this amp! It's very well built and after having had it for over a year it's still kicking. It started out as kind of a beater amp, which got beat to hell, but now it's very much an amp I know I can rely on. Even though I don't gig or make any money playing, it's great to have an affordable amp that I can depend on. In fact, it's been so good to me that I want to buy a new headshell for it.

Blackstars also sound better at low volumes than Marshalls do. The clean channel is freaking amazing. The digital reverb is better than what they put on the JVM series, plus it has a different types of reverbs.

I get a lot of DSL/JCM800 tones out of it. It sounds subtly different from a Marshall and the only way I can describe it at this point is that it's kind of between a DSL and JCM800. It doesn't have that nasally treble hiss that you get from a DSL. It gets real heavy, but there are so many tones between clean and OD2 that you can spend a whole week just exploring the tonal possibilities. Man the kind of tone you can get from a neck humbucker is amazing.

So far it has proven reliability and incredible tone. This one unit doesn't prove anything about the quality of every amp they manufacture, but I've definitely eased up a lot on the made in Korea thing.

The combos come with Celestion Seventy 80's and not a good choice for them in my opinion, however, they sound pretty good out of the box and it keeps the price down. I have not yet hooked it up to my new Genz-Benz 2x12 with Eminence Alnico speakers, but I'm going to and I'll post a sound sample of that if this thread is still around.
 
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Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

My HT-100 is great. It does go from an AC/DC sound where the sound is big but not much gain to that Van Halen/80s thick, heavy, rich distortion. I haven't really tried to get a Pantera or Megadeth type tone out of it, so I don't know how it does for anything heavier than 80s hair metal (VH, Crue, Gn'R) and 90s rock (Alice in Chains). Since I can't turn the master vol. up that much, I use the Crunch Box which really helps the Blackstar shine. The clean channel is excellent too. It really is very clean and I love doing some soft blues/jazz kind of stuff on it. Then, still on the clean channel, I turn on the Crunch Box and if I dial it in right, it gets a great Hendrix/Cream/SRV tone.
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

The HT5 has intrigued me for my study/bedroom amp. It is a bit pricey though for the head and mini cabs. ($500ish I think?) At least more than I'm willing to pay for a small amp.
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

I really dig my HT5 and HT dual. I would expect the 10' speaker ht5s to drop in price now that they have a 12' speaker version with a digital reverb.

I tried my HT5 with a bass through a 2x10 bass cab and was impressed. I used the ISF set fully counter clockwise. What I really want them to do is make a smallish valve bass amp.
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

UberMetalDood said:
I used to think Egnater was the best value you could get in tone/quality/price, but I found that Blackstar blows them away. They definitely have a Marshall DSL type quality to them but have better cleans and more tonal options.

I have an HT-100 head. I got it brand new for only $699 around the same time the Jet City amps came out. It sat there for a while because I was without a cab for a couple of months. I dropped it from on top of a shelf and cracked the headshell all the way across the bottom. A couple of preamp tubes went out but other than that, it powered on and worked perfectly after that.

One time when I was fooling around with the bias to swap tubes, I accidentally touched something and it caused a spark then blew up my multimeter. It continued working fine after that.

I had it in my trunk and got caught in a meeting all day just recently. The Texas head here had gotten up to 101 degrees. It sat there frying in the sun. I forgot I had it in the trunk and ran over a big speed bump that crashed it all over my trunk. That afternoon at a friends house I powered it on and it worked perfectly!

There's no telling what I must do to destroy this amp! It's very well built and after having had it for over a year it's still kicking. It started out as kind of a beater amp, which got beat to hell, but now it's very much an amp I know I can rely on. Even though I don't gig or make any money playing, it's great to have an affordable amp that I can depend on. In fact, it's been so good to me that I want to buy a new headshell for it.

Blackstars also sound better at low volumes than Marshalls do. The clean channel is freaking amazing. The digital reverb is better than what they put on the JVM series, plus it has a different types of reverbs.

I get a lot of DSL/JCM800 tones out of it. It sounds subtly different from a Marshall and the only way I can describe it at this point is that it's kind of between a DSL and JCM800. It doesn't have that nasally treble hiss that you get from a DSL. It gets real heavy, but there are so many tones between clean and OD2 that you can spend a whole week just exploring the tonal possibilities. Man the kind of tone you can get from a neck humbucker is amazing.

So far it has proven reliability and incredible tone. This one unit doesn't prove anything about the quality of every amp they manufacture, but I've definitely eased up a lot on the made in Korea thing.

The combos come with Celestion Seventy 80's and not a good choice for them in my opinion, however, they sound pretty good out of the box and it keeps the price down. I have not yet hooked it up to my new Genz-Benz 2x12 with Eminence Alnico speakers, but I'm going to and I'll post a sound sample of that if this thread is still around.
Click to expand...


Pretty good endorsement for the quality!!
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

I had bought a few different amps over the last year and none of them I was ever completely satisfied with, I liked them but I could never get "The Tone" out of them that I had in my head and so I was always looking at and trying out many other amps. Well I bought the Blackstar HT Club 40 a little over a month ago and I haven't looked at another amp since! I love it!! It has a great crunchy Marshall-y gain channel that is just great and the cleans were exactly what I was looking for! And with the two different voicings on each channel and the ISF knob, it is a very versatile amp. I'm well over the honey-moon period and I'm still in love with this amp! Its the tone I have been searching after for a long time. I might swap out the 70/80 for a V30 and maybe try out some different tubes down the road, but this thing just sounds great!!! I'll be keeping it for a very long time.
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

I really like them, not a huge fan of the stock speakers in the combos (Celestion 70/80s). I bought a HT40, then picked up a used HT5 head, really liked both of them, but ended up selling both and picking up a HT20 head, perfect size for me, sounds great through my Freda cab, and I can run it direct without a cabinet plugged in, going to try that at church sometime. The HT series have alot of SS stuff going on in them, they are pretty much based on the HT Dual pedal, but the end result is that they sound really good. They are also made in Korea, not China FWIW.
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

I know I've not even had it a week yet, but I love my HT-5.
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

I wish I could thank the youtube guy who rocked "Feel Your Love Tonight" and "Children of the Sea" on one: that first put the hook in me. Last year I almost got the Ht5, but i wanted more powertubes to crank
so I got a v22 Bugera. This year, I stumbled into the head&stack for $300 used, perfect- at a GC- traded in by a guy who bought a Marshall.

I dont compare to Marshalls since no stores around me really sell the good stuff nor let you crank em instore. I can only hazard a comp. to ones ive heard onstage/ on vinyl. But generally, if you use anything with more beef than a strat, then no tube amp Ive ever tried under 50watts has a usable distortion channel (ooh! hiss!) ... until I tried a Blackstar. And no matter how many life changing pedals are to be found- plugging in straight in, naked- is the way to get KLASSIK klarity. If theyre not Marshally, then theyre at least PeaveyMacey... Mine has a sweeter spot when close to full on-which is my only crit cuz its loud for at home. And of course, if u crank the clean, its a nice grit. I cant wait to try it thru a 4x12,... Ive also tried the 40 and 60 when testin guitars- again, not instant Mayhem metal, but, if you get a min. of 2 power tubes- singing- its good up to hair metal, def.
If you need mega-metal, Id bet that the Blackstar pedal in front of at least two power tubes get close to dimed will deliver Valhalla.

2 other caveats- lot of folks seem to change out a tube, then find out Blackstar has kinda kept some specs less than out there, so I consider the stock sound if u get to try one. If theyre still going strong one more year, id say BINGO, theyre the one to beat for sound/visavis chunk of change. Ill prob be buried with mine- ive played an Antiquity on epi paul=bingo! a Charvette/Sh6= good, very middy. epi Sg w/Dmarz suprD.. good yet challenge. Evh Frank on a
Squire- good, but the squire too thin, mebbe better body.
Axis stock =awesome, even better on full ministack. Gretsch=good. i havent tried a Schecter w Emgs, but yeah it is an A- amp at an B+/A- price. Once you have it, you will only replace it with megajackpot finds i bet.
hope this helps..... If not ill sell u one of my logos to put on yr gear, see how it feels,...
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

i forgot i also tried a Schecter DuncDes. hmbkr push/ pull =awesome for classic rock like Heart

also JetCity heads are also good w out pedals. but i
thumbs down on fender hotrod dist channel, bugera dist channel, peavey classic 30 dist channel, tho thats passable. i wd have to use pedals in front of clean channel, master tubes getting really goosed on those models.

But Blackstar is really good distortion as is- kinda middy, the Sovtek preamp gets kinda papery in the highs which i dont mind depending the ax. Ive actually tried alot of Blackstars at many locations- really really impressed.
 
Re: Lets talk Blackstar amps

I recently played through the HT-20 and HT-40 and really dug the tones out of them. I think I'm in the market for the HT-20 H because I'm looking for a smallish head that will transport easily and still be heard in a rehearsal. It's either that or a Peavey Classic 30 head.

I'd likely put it through my 1x12 Veteran 30 speaker.
 
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