Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
- Thread starter DTrane
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youngthrasher9
New member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
What are you playing? What guitar? What genre? I own a blackstar HT-20 head.
What are you playing? What guitar? What genre? I own a blackstar HT-20 head.
misterwhizzy
Well-known member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
I could not gel in the slightest with the Rebel, and I bought a Blackstar. My Blackstar is an HT-5, but it's got a lot in common with the HT-20. I think it's vastly superior for distortion tones.
I could not gel in the slightest with the Rebel, and I bought a Blackstar. My Blackstar is an HT-5, but it's got a lot in common with the HT-20. I think it's vastly superior for distortion tones.
youngthrasher9
New member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
If the rebel is anything like the tweaker, whizzy is 100% right. I've used the HT-20 for rock, metal, and blues for almost three years.
Do you have any pedals or are you just a cable and amp kinda player?
If the rebel is anything like the tweaker, whizzy is 100% right. I've used the HT-20 for rock, metal, and blues for almost three years.
Do you have any pedals or are you just a cable and amp kinda player?
DTrane
New member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
I don't have any pedals right now but I want to try them in the future. The BlackStar has an effects loop right?
My main effect is running 2 different amplifiers. One for the bridge humbucker and another for the 2 single coils, wired like a tele with 3 way switch.
I tried the Tweaker and didn't really like it. Sounded sterile to me, but it gets rave reviews.
Theres a local guy selling the BS on CL. How much are they worth in mint condition? $300?
I don't have any pedals right now but I want to try them in the future. The BlackStar has an effects loop right?
My main effect is running 2 different amplifiers. One for the bridge humbucker and another for the 2 single coils, wired like a tele with 3 way switch.
I tried the Tweaker and didn't really like it. Sounded sterile to me, but it gets rave reviews.
Theres a local guy selling the BS on CL. How much are they worth in mint condition? $300?
youngthrasher9
New member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
Yeah, it has an fx loop. Another thing to note: it has surprisingly good digital reverb. I didn't expect much before I got the amp, but I swear you can make it sound like the notes are coming from the depths of the abyss.
Yeah, it has an fx loop. Another thing to note: it has surprisingly good digital reverb. I didn't expect much before I got the amp, but I swear you can make it sound like the notes are coming from the depths of the abyss.
FuseG4
Our Neighbor Totoro
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
I didn't find much use on the rebel for anything in between el84 and 6v6, only sounded good to me dialed completely one way or the other.
Also, there is a certain "egnater" voicing in the mids and always the feeling of some compression. I ended up owning a Tweaker 15 later and it had that compressed feeling too, but a little less.
I didn't find much use on the rebel for anything in between el84 and 6v6, only sounded good to me dialed completely one way or the other.
Also, there is a certain "egnater" voicing in the mids and always the feeling of some compression. I ended up owning a Tweaker 15 later and it had that compressed feeling too, but a little less.
DTrane
New member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
from what Ive read, the tube blend works best with the volume maxed out.
With the BlackStar using a pair of EL34's does it sound normal at 20watts? Usually theyre run at 50watts. I like playing with powertube distortion, does running lower watts affect this?
from what Ive read, the tube blend works best with the volume maxed out.
With the BlackStar using a pair of EL34's does it sound normal at 20watts? Usually theyre run at 50watts. I like playing with powertube distortion, does running lower watts affect this?
youngthrasher9
New member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
I can't really comment on the power tube thing, but I do know that it sounds a hell of a lot more alive at half volume and above. You could say the subtleties come out more at those volumes.
I can't really comment on the power tube thing, but I do know that it sounds a hell of a lot more alive at half volume and above. You could say the subtleties come out more at those volumes.
Red_Label
New member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
I've had a Rebel 20 for a year and a half. I run it just like my Marshall 2203X. Gain about halfway up, hit the front end with an OCD (set at low gain, high volume, low tone) to tighten things up. As much as I love the 2203, the Rebel 20 makes a great backup to it and I could easily and happily finish a gig using it (besides being bummed about breaking my Marshall). In the time since I bought the Rebel 20, I've seen a Marshall DSL50, Aiken Sabre, Engl Powerball 2, Lickliter Rage and Bogner XTC 101b come and go. Doesn't mean that I think the Rebel 20 is a better amp than those amps, cause it's not. But for the money, for a JCM800 type of amp... the Rebel is hard to beat. Just needs a bit more bottom-end thump and headroom (it's got PLENTY of volume). But that's what 50 and 100 watt amps are for.
I've had a Rebel 20 for a year and a half. I run it just like my Marshall 2203X. Gain about halfway up, hit the front end with an OCD (set at low gain, high volume, low tone) to tighten things up. As much as I love the 2203, the Rebel 20 makes a great backup to it and I could easily and happily finish a gig using it (besides being bummed about breaking my Marshall). In the time since I bought the Rebel 20, I've seen a Marshall DSL50, Aiken Sabre, Engl Powerball 2, Lickliter Rage and Bogner XTC 101b come and go. Doesn't mean that I think the Rebel 20 is a better amp than those amps, cause it's not. But for the money, for a JCM800 type of amp... the Rebel is hard to beat. Just needs a bit more bottom-end thump and headroom (it's got PLENTY of volume). But that's what 50 and 100 watt amps are for.
UberMetalDood
New member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
Here's the thing. Egnater amps sound very good, and seem more reliable than Bugera amps, but I prefer Blackstar all the way. They're more reliable than Egnater in my experience. The combos typically come with a Celestion 70/80 which isn't the best speaker, so a speaker upgrade would probably be in order. Aside from that, however, you can't improve much on a Blackstar. They have a really good rock sound and a nice, tight response to your playing. The HT20 has one of the best sounds you can get in an EL84 amp. I know that's not agreeable to some people, but I have owned and played most of the best amps there are because I'm a total gear whore (thanks to internet musician forums). If Egnater has an edge on the HT series, it might in totally clean sounds, but in my opinion, that's because 6L6/6V6 type tubes lend themselves better to clean tones. Egnaters are pretty fun and I have mostly positive things to say about their amps, but you can sit and play that HT20 all freaking day and night, wake up the next day with sore finger tips and still want to play. It's that much fun. It has a nice chimey driven sound that doesn't get harsh (although the 70/80 speakers can be harsh). One of the things that turns me off about EL84 amps is the low end. I had a Mesa Mini Rect which was awesome, but something about the low end and treble didn't sit quite right with me. I had an HK Tubemeister which also has a great sound, but I still prefer the HT20 over both of them. For an EL84 amp, it has a fantastic low end. Not necessarily that it has a lot of bass, but the bass never gets flabby and with a 2x12 I was able to get a fairly significant low end chunk.
Now, will you get the kind of tone you can get from a Bogner Ecstasy, Mark V or some other high end amp - or even the Blackstar Series One? Nope. It's just that the HT20 is so much fun to play and practice on. It gives you everything you want at home, band practice, small gigs, and it has a speaker emulated output which lets you do direct recording. If I didn't have an Ecstasy 101B, I would have an HT20. The XTC is one of the few amps that I find more fun to play because it has a very special midrange, punch, and feel that fits me perfectly for my personal technique (alternate picking, legato, sweep picking, etc...).
Don't buy an HT20 if you expect to take it to a big outdoor bar and cut through and get enough low end thump because it ain't going to do that. You can manage in small venues fairly well, but the Club 50 is much more suited to that kind of thing.
Here's the thing. Egnater amps sound very good, and seem more reliable than Bugera amps, but I prefer Blackstar all the way. They're more reliable than Egnater in my experience. The combos typically come with a Celestion 70/80 which isn't the best speaker, so a speaker upgrade would probably be in order. Aside from that, however, you can't improve much on a Blackstar. They have a really good rock sound and a nice, tight response to your playing. The HT20 has one of the best sounds you can get in an EL84 amp. I know that's not agreeable to some people, but I have owned and played most of the best amps there are because I'm a total gear whore (thanks to internet musician forums). If Egnater has an edge on the HT series, it might in totally clean sounds, but in my opinion, that's because 6L6/6V6 type tubes lend themselves better to clean tones. Egnaters are pretty fun and I have mostly positive things to say about their amps, but you can sit and play that HT20 all freaking day and night, wake up the next day with sore finger tips and still want to play. It's that much fun. It has a nice chimey driven sound that doesn't get harsh (although the 70/80 speakers can be harsh). One of the things that turns me off about EL84 amps is the low end. I had a Mesa Mini Rect which was awesome, but something about the low end and treble didn't sit quite right with me. I had an HK Tubemeister which also has a great sound, but I still prefer the HT20 over both of them. For an EL84 amp, it has a fantastic low end. Not necessarily that it has a lot of bass, but the bass never gets flabby and with a 2x12 I was able to get a fairly significant low end chunk.
Now, will you get the kind of tone you can get from a Bogner Ecstasy, Mark V or some other high end amp - or even the Blackstar Series One? Nope. It's just that the HT20 is so much fun to play and practice on. It gives you everything you want at home, band practice, small gigs, and it has a speaker emulated output which lets you do direct recording. If I didn't have an Ecstasy 101B, I would have an HT20. The XTC is one of the few amps that I find more fun to play because it has a very special midrange, punch, and feel that fits me perfectly for my personal technique (alternate picking, legato, sweep picking, etc...).
Don't buy an HT20 if you expect to take it to a big outdoor bar and cut through and get enough low end thump because it ain't going to do that. You can manage in small venues fairly well, but the Club 50 is much more suited to that kind of thing.
misterwhizzy
Well-known member
youngthrasher9
New member
UberMetalDood
New member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
You never played an HT-20 so it seems to be your fail. I'll make it obvious since you didn't notice - I was talking about it in the context of a hard rock amp. The OP stated that he played heavy rock and uses a Tone Zone pickup. You make stupid comments like that, but you fail to contribute a helpful suggestion to the thread. Therefore, you're just trolling.
You never played an HT-20 so it seems to be your fail. I'll make it obvious since you didn't notice - I was talking about it in the context of a hard rock amp. The OP stated that he played heavy rock and uses a Tone Zone pickup. You make stupid comments like that, but you fail to contribute a helpful suggestion to the thread. Therefore, you're just trolling.
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misterwhizzy
Well-known member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
You said EL84, when it runs EL34s. Like I said. Fail.
You said EL84, when it runs EL34s. Like I said. Fail.
rotting casket
New member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
Reagan vs Gorbachev?
deja vu
Reagan vs Gorbachev?
deja vu
youngthrasher9
New member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
Seriously, misterwhizzy is right.
EL34 tubes are in the HT-20.
I promise. I may be replacing some soon.
Seriously, misterwhizzy is right.
EL34 tubes are in the HT-20.
I promise. I may be replacing some soon.
UberMetalDood
New member
Re: Looking For Input on BlackStar 20 head or Rebel 20 Head
Ok so you still have done nothing to contribute useful information to the OP. So you pointed out an oversight, so what? You're just trolling if that's all you had to offer. I was trying to help out the OP, and I usually provide good information so FAIL on your part loser.
And who are you?
Ok so it's an oversight. Big deal. Is that all you can do is jump on the bandwagon with mrwhizzy?
Ok so you still have done nothing to contribute useful information to the OP. So you pointed out an oversight, so what? You're just trolling if that's all you had to offer. I was trying to help out the OP, and I usually provide good information so FAIL on your part loser.
And who are you?
Ok so it's an oversight. Big deal. Is that all you can do is jump on the bandwagon with mrwhizzy?
