BlackHeart "Little Giant"

[jackthehack]

Saw this "bedroom" amp on another thread, decided I couldn't afford not to buy one and play with it, maybe do some mods. Should be here by Tues. or Wed., full report to follow....

# 5W Single-Ended, Class A
# 4-, 8-, and 16-ohm Speaker Outs
# Solid State Rectifier
# Volume with 3-Band EQ
# Pentode (5W)/Triode (3W) Switch

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Blackheart-BH5H-Little-Giant-5W-120V-Tube-Guitar-Amp-Head?sku=483077

 

[guitlouie]

I would love to hear that actual user review.  I saw it in a magazine review and it supposedly knocked their socks off for the price, but; and you can call me jaded and skeptical for this. but I sometimes get the feeling the guitar mags are a little too "in bed" with the manufacturers that they review.  It was designed by Pytor Belov, whose high end stuff pretty much kicks major butt.  If it's really as great as they made it sound I think I may not be able to pass one up as well!

 

[Music Man 91]

i'm considering adding it to my rig. i've heard soundclips and seen many reviews. a great amp for next to nothing. before i first saw it, i was thinking of getting a vlave junior and modding it. the same gut who designed the VJ is head of blackheart amps and the little giant is basically a modded VJ for $20 more. i think it will compliment my triple rectifier nicely. plus, i can plug it into my 412 with celestion vintage 30s :toothy10: it will make cranking up an amp a bit more achievable--seeing as i have never dimed my recto since i goet it two months ago. the neighbors would kill me

check out their website too, they have a one watt VJ copy called the killer ant. http://www.blackhearteng.com/bh1h.htmlif the little giant is only $150, imagine how cheap this puppy will be!

 

[m4rk0]

Very interesting!
aren't they really Crate's though?

 

[Music Man 91]

the company is owned by crate---sort of in a real big amp conglomerate or something. i'm sure they sound better than crates if they are generating this much buzz. although i think the crate v series was designed by the same guy who didi the blackhearts and those amps seem to be well recieved.

 

[guitlouie]

Designed by Pytor Belov, manufactured by a division of Crate amplifiers.

 

[Shmoopie]

i played one at a music store recently, it sounded great, but i was distracted by the gibson double cut with 2 p90s for only $500!

i want it, the amp to.

 

[jackthehack]

I've got a Fender Blues Deluxe and an old Fender 75, but after modding them and adding high efficiency speakers, you can't turn them up high enough in the house; like everything I've heard about the BlackHeart, and for $149 if I don't like it, it seems like a good platform to mod on.

 

[Music Man 91]

grab one.  mod it. tell me what ya think  :icon_biggrin:

 

[Shmoopie]

btw its really loud, i didn't make it sound like a distorted grease monkey, i was being beckoned by the fender bass man.

 

[jackthehack]

There's already a turrent board mod kit with tube rectifier upgrade from Mojo, pics on the link below:

http://www.mojomusicalsupply.com/item.asp?pid=577299&pg=44991&id=5550100

 

[RLW]

There's already a turrent board mod kit with tube rectifier upgrade from Mojo, pics on the link below:

http://www.mojomusicalsupply.com/item.asp?pid=577299&pg=44991&id=5550100

Which gets you into the $300 range, that's silverface Champ territory. Which are fun to mod, too.

 

[jackthehack]

There's already a turrent board mod kit with tube rectifier upgrade from Mojo, pics on the link below:

http://www.mojomusicalsupply.com/item.asp?pid=577299&pg=44991&id=5550100

Which gets you into the $300 range, that's silverface Champ territory. Which are fun to mod, too.

Not if you buy one, dupe it and resell the kit

 

[RLW]

I like the way you think.

 

[Music Man 91]

btw its really loud

i doubt, even with the logrhythmic properties of vloume that it is even close to as loud as my 150 watt halfstack. i don't mind kranking it up once and a while either. i'm sure it isn't that loud. probably just louder thatn you'd think for an amp its size. unless, or course, i am completey wrong and it is really f****n' loud.

 

[Shmoopie]

its really F$%kin loud for its size.

 

[jackthehack]

Maxed out through a highly efficient speaker (100-103dB @ 1w/meter) it could put out as much as 108-112dB max theoretically, that's fairly loud...

 

[dudesweet157]

The head through my open back, 212 cab (Vintage 30 and G12H30) was loud enough on 5 to get the owners of the shop to tell me to turn it down, lol.  Never thought I'd hear that while playing 5 watts. 

 

[Music Man 91]

The head through my open back, 212 cab (Vintage 30 and G12H30) was loud enough on 5 to get the owners of the shop to tell me to turn it down, lol.  Never thought I'd hear that while playing 5 watts. 

wow!

 

[jackthehack]

Just came in the door from UPS, will have to find excuse to leave work early.....