Tell me about Blackstar amps

[IMENATOR]

I just found I can actually buy Blackstar amps im Mexico and I a couple of tube combos "HT Club 40" and "HT Soloist 60" caught my attention, however since the brand is kind of new here nobody I know has used them but any of these could be my very first tube amp, last year learned more about amp tone and I liked this kind of brithis tone but also the clean channel seems to be fine. I have liked the demos so far but I would like to have comments from you: Are reliable or get defects often? Is it a good value/tone for the money? Do you even like them? They claim they have celestion speakers but no specific model.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

They are very popular in the USA and are usually one of the first "good" amp someone buys after digital modeling amps or old junkers. They can sound either Fendery or Marshally with their power section switching.

The smaller ones are excellent practice amps or recording amps. I seldom hear about people keeping the larger ones for gigging, but if someone is actively gigging they may be trying to get their "perfect" amp instead of the Blackstar, which seems to be an excellent and huge step up from digital but with a lot of tone shaping abilities, but just not enough volume. The top-end ones like the Series 1 and the Artisans I don't hear much about, but I imagine those are in a lot of venue backlines.

note: I don't own one, I've only played on a couple of the HT series. I personally didn't care for them, but I'm more apt to get a Vox.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

I have the mk1 HT-5 mini stack. It has proven entirely reliable but I have been constantly tweaking with things to alter the tone. (This has included installing a NOS Mullard ECC83 pre-amp valve and an Eminence loudspeaker.)

Many Blackstar amplifiers feature Celestion loudspeakers BUT the name Celestion no longer means what it once did. The stock 'speaker in my Blackstar cabinet was made in China. In my opinion, this unit completely failed to do the amplifier justice. Running the amp head through one of my MESA/Boogie Compact Thiele cabs with Electrovoice EVM10L 'speakers made a world of difference.

 

[Top-L]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

Blackstar amps are good, but IMO they are expensive for where they are made. They charge USA prices for Korean made amps.

They are in the same market as Peavey amps. You can get a USA 3120, XXX2, or 6505, for about 1K. Or a ValveKing chinese tube amp for about $400.

IMO, the problem with Blackstar is they don't have any western made flagship models, everything is Korean or Chinese. Peavey has lots of chinese digital amps and low end tube, but it supports American made products and jobs back home.

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

Blackstar amps are good, but IMO they are expensive for where they are made. They charge USA prices for Korean made amps.

They are in the same market as Peavey amps. You can get a USA 3120, XXX2, or 6505, for about 1K. Or a ValveKing chinese tube amp for about $400.

IMO, the problem with Blackstar is they don't have any western made flagship models, everything is Korean or Chinese. Peavey has lots of chinese digital amps and low end tube, but it supports American made products and jobs back home.

Interesting point about the the Peavey prices, I was not aware how compatitive it is. The 6505 is an impresive superior metal sound at a very good price! However I really liked the versatiliti of the Soloist clean crunch in demos. I will definitly gonna look to try both but it is kind of hard to do that here in Mexico since even big stores do not have all brands and Blackstar has arrived very recently.

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

I own a HT club 40 and it's a great amp in it's stock form. Very flexible in the right hands. Ill be uploading a video of mine soon cause Big Flannel ask for a clip so ill make sure to post it here as well.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

Do you have Carvin amps very much down there?

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

They can sound either Fendery or Marshally with their power section switching.

That is exactly why I liked it. I wonder if the clean channel will work fine with pedals that deliver amp-like-tone rather than push the valves. I would love to use my existing PlimSoul and Metal Core.

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

Do you have Carvin amps very much down there?

In theory you can get them but it can be difficult to find a store with a decent stock to try-before-buy. Some times I think may go simpler and just get an ISP Stealth and a couple of cabs, I can spend almost the same money and get triple amp power, even when boutique pedals are not the real thing some of the they are actually very usable.

 

[dominus]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

In theory you can get them but it can be difficult to find a store with a decent stock to try-before-buy. Some times I think may go simpler and just get an ISP Stealth and a couple of cabs, I can spend almost the same money and get triple amp power, even when boutique pedals are not the real thing some of the they are actually very usable.

Get the ISP Theta pedal and you'll have as much gain as you'd ever need.

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

 

[zzmoore]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

Where is DF.?
Are you near any type of large metropolis...do you have anything like a Craigslist ( http://sfbay.craigslist.org/msa/ ) where you are.?
It may be tempting for a young person to buy a new amp...because of the warranty. But with some effort (and maybe some advice here) you can get much more amp if you buy used.
good luck

 

[~Vintage~]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

The HT Venue are good Korean made amps, I had a HT20 but it didn't give me the br00tz that I needed so I sold it to fund an HT5 Metal and never looked back. I was quite disappointed when I got the HT5Metal and saw 'made in China' on the back but it has been nothing but reliable so far. IDK why the Venue Series was MIK and the new 'Metal' Series is MIC? Kind of a kick in the testes...

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

Hey rockstart, is that 40 watt loud enough for a full band situation like a rehersal with friends or a party ? I have a solid state 40 watt tbut sometimes I need to crank the volume while on the other hand people say tube amps are louder that solid state, I don't know.

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

Tube watts are generally louder than SS watts. Also the vol I had the amp on was at 1 for the Master and at 12:00 for the clean pre amp vol. So yes this amp will hang with most other heads out their.

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

Great, I really wanna try the Club 40 but I may go for the Soloist 60. The specs list them as the same weight plus boost so I can go fro the 60 watt, price difference I can kind of handle it by selling a couple of dist/od pedals I won't need if using any of these amps. mmmm... sounds like a plan for me now, sell the cube, sell some pedals and save some money. My only concern I am spoiled by the lightweight of Cube 40xl, I need to go up and down a few stairs in the building here and my knee is not what it used to be , anyway I think I really need to try one of these with my guitar.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

If it helps, reviewers have pretty universally said that the ID series of Blackstar solid state amps hit as hard as a tube amp with the volume. Those amps are something to seriously look at if you're not into messing with tubes. They have power tube emulation and, like I said, have all the oomph of a tube amp apparently.

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

If the ID series was around when I bought my HT 40 I most likely would of went with the ID series.

 

[dominus]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

I thought the ID sounded *too* much like tubes and sold it.

I'm a solid state guy.

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: Tell me about Blackstar amps

They are wonderful and overpriced.