Opinions on Blackstar amps?

[TRex]

Hey guys, I see Blackstar is making several amps that are competitively priced with much of the smaller names in the amp business

Are they good quality?

I'm looking at getting a HT-5RH amplifier as its not too expensive and has plenty of features I would like like a good cab simulator output, headphone ot, their ISF control, and the two channels with a footswitch.

What are yalls thoughts?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[Lampy H]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

I have an ID 60 head that I love.

 

[TRex]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

I have an ID 60 head that I love.

Well that was fast

Those look super cool btw, too bad 60 watts is about 50 too many. [emoji14]

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

I have two Blackstar HT-5's that I absolutely love, and a Blackstar Series One 104EL34 that is just an absolutely amazing amp that I'll put up against just about anything.

 

[TRex]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

I have two Blackstar HT-5's that I absolutely love, and a Blackstar Series One 104EL34 that is just an absolutely amazing amp that I'll put up against just about anything.

Prefect! Looks like I have struck gold after all

If things go right I'll be joining the blackstar club it seems

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

I have a ht1 combo. I think its awesome. It really loves multi effects pedals too which is great for such a small unit.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

They're like the Honda of tube amps. They're absolutely good enough and you're kind of a snob if you buy anything nicer.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

Well they used to make them in Korea.
Now they did what everybody else is doing, went to China and cranked the price up and the quality down!

Everybody who has a made in Korea amp, stick to it.

The Artisan series was great, now....well I will never get this part of any business.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

I have played a bunch and owned two. like their high end series one amps and their ID modeller series. Not a fan of their HT/Venue amps at all. I hated my HT1, returned it a couple.days after I bought it.

I picked up an ID CORE as a practice amp a couple months ago. Amp tones are good for a 100 dollar amp...... effects useless/pita unless you were plugged into the editor. My son has started playing so I gave it to him. I will pick up a marshall mg 15 or something instead.

Quality seems.good.

 

[Shooter.556]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

I had an HT5 that I just traded and owned it for 3 years, it was nantastic little amp.. I upgraded the preamp tube to a Tung Sol gold pin and it made the amp amazing for the price.
I actually regret selling it and would like to get another one.. It never left the house and I never had any issues with it..
I upgraded to an EVH 5150iii combo is the only reason I sold it.. I say go for it! Good tube tone for not a lot of cash..
Upgrade the preamp tube right away. The stock one is kind fizzy and grainy, $15 on Ebay and 20 minutes of work and it changes the amp and fixes that issue.
There are many topics online about tube upgrades for HT5s depending on what you are looking for..

 

[IM4Tone]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

I've owned an HT20H now for several years. It was a bit higher gain (on the 'drive' channel) than I prefer, but a 5751 in V1 'fixed' that. It had one problem of a cold solder joint causing volume fluctuation and going silent. That was fixed under warranty, and now all is well. I own a number of tube amps, and the Blackstar is very decent, although I tend to be a Fender tone person. I used to get on the B* forum when I first bought the amp, and the highest percentage of the people loved them. Some went on rants that they were deceived by B* because the OD/Distortion was, in part, attained by diode clipping, and the ranters interpreted the B* marketing description as it being an 'all tube amp'. Same people have no aversion to putting solid state pedals in their signal chain.....go figure!!! If it sounds good and is reliable, it IS good. B* IS IMO.

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

I have an HT Studio 20 combo and I absolutely love it.

I did have some issues at the beginning. Either the speaker wasn't broken in or something wasn't making contact, as it sounded VERY dark. I couldn't get any presence out of it in any setting. That has worked itself out and it simply is a beautiful amp. Cleanse are spectacular, Distortion is really great. Best part about it, with the ISF knob, you can find MANY different combinations of tones and stay in the same ballpark. Need a high gain British sound, got it. Need a high gain American sound, got it too. Need something bluesy, got that too.

 

[TRex]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

I have a ht1 combo. I think its awesome. It really loves multi effects pedals too which is great for such a small unit.

Great, so it should take pedals well as well then.

They're like the Honda of tube amps. They're absolutely good enough and you're kind of a snob if you buy anything nicer.

Haha, personally iI think it's really more snobbery when you think you need more than a Honda and make honda drivers feel bad about their car. [emoji14] I get your meaning.

Well they used to make them in Korea.
Now they did what everybody else is doing, went to China and cranked the price up and the quality down!

Everybody who has a made in Korea amp, stick to it.

The Artisan series was great, now....well I will never get this part of any business.

When did they switch over? I have heard people liking the newer HT5R better than the original HT5, as they balenced the gain knob, added a clean tone knob, and a decent reverb.

I have played a bunch and owned two. like their high end series one amps and their ID modeller series. Not a fan of their HT/Venue amps at all. I hated my HT1, returned it a couple.days after I bought it.

I picked up an ID CORE as a practice amp a couple months ago. Amp tones are good for a 100 dollar amp...... effects useless/pita unless you were plugged into the editor. My son has started playing so I gave it to him. I will pick up a marshall mg 15 or something instead.

Quality seems.good.

I'm sure it's hard to go from a $1000 amp to a $400. [emoji14]

I'm personally kind sick of my current modeling amp. It's fun to mess with, it's just so basic sounding when it comes to effects, and it doesnt play well with external effects.

 

[TRex]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

New quick question, is there a way you can run the amp with headphones and no cabnet?

The head is $100 cheaper than the combo, and i would be using the headphone out most of the time anyway so I thought of maybe getting the head and waiting a bit on a cabnet.

Is that ok? I heard something about it working on standby?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[IM4Tone]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

New quick question, is there a way you can run the amp with headphones and no cabnet?

Yes. From the handbook, pages 9&10:
14. Standby
This switch enables the operation of the power amp stage and speaker output.
Always turn this on at least 30 seconds after the Power switch (15). For silent
recording or practise this switch should be put in the standby position. This will
disable the power stage, but the emulated output will continue to work.
3. Speaker Emulated Output & Headphones
This output emulates the tonal characteristics of a guitar speaker cabinet and
provides a natural valve overdrive tone for connection to a recording device or mixing
desk, and for use with headphones. To make full use of the stereo reverb, use a
stereo jack to two mono jacks splitter lead to feed two channels of the recording
device or mixer (see diagram below). The output will also function into a mono guitar
type lead. Always use a good quality screened lead.

 

[TRex]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

Yes. From the handbook, page 10:
3. Speaker Emulated Output & Headphones
This output emulates the tonal characteristics of a guitar speaker cabinet and
provides a natural valve overdrive tone for connection to a recording device or mixing
desk, and for use with headphones. To make full use of the stereo reverb, use a
stereo jack to two mono jacks splitter lead to feed two channels of the recording
device or mixer (see diagram below). The output will also function into a mono guitar
type lead. Always use a good quality screened lead.

So the line out with cab simulator is completely fine on its own? It can take the load?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[Shooter.556]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

So the line out with cab simulator is completely fine on its own? It can take the load?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

Yes, that is one of the things that made the HT5 so cool, it actually has a nice cab sim out..

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

I would also like to add that the HT-5 sounds killer through a Marshall 1960 4x12 cabinet.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

Oh yeah true that my ht1 is incredible through my 5150 cab.

 

[Drunken Bowling]

Re: Opinions on Blackstar amps?

I owned both the 1st generation HT5 combo made in Korea and the newer 12" combo from China. The 10" sounded great for hard rock and some early metal, bit it was a little bitey due to the speaker only being 10". The 12" version sounds okay IF (and I can't stress this enough) you have a medium to high output pickup running through it. I used a LP with a 57n/BB3b and it sounded weak and a bit muffled. My ESP Eclipse with JB/59 sounded a lot better through it.

At this point, I don't really miss either amp. In fact, I miss the ESP more than the amps. There's a new series from Blackstar coming out soon, with 6L6's. They look promising.