Blackstar amps

[chubs]

Anyone have any experience with an HT-5R combo? I've read a few reviews and they all seem positive, does anyone have anything bad to say about them? I just want a practice amp and at the price these seem like a good thing.

 

[dmraco]

I like their tones.  Very Marshall like hi gain amps.  Cleans up well too.  Some purists dis them because they are not 100% valve driven.

Good amp IMHO.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

A friend has one, he likes to record with it.  Something about cranking it way up and not dealing with thermonuclear volumes...
Patrick

 

[chubs]

It is decided then.

 

[DangerousR6]

Blackstar's are excellent amps, founded by ex marshall engineer's. I have an HT-60 twin, and it's rock solid.

 

[Perry Combover]

I know this is 3 months down, but what the hey...

I have the HT-5 head and it as excellent. No on in the band ever tells me to turn down during practices and it cuts through just fine.  I have even played a few gigs with it.  Believe it or not, it pushes my Marshall 1960 cab just fine.

So, did you end up grabbing one?

 

[aarontunes]

Interesting. I've been seriously considering an HT-5 as a gigging back up. Anyone compared it directly to a Vox Nighttrain or an Egnater Rebel?

 

[chubs]

So, did you end up grabbing one?

Not yet, still on the wish list.

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

Interesting. I've been seriously considering an HT-5 as a gigging back up. Anyone compared it directly to a Vox Nighttrain or an Egnater Rebel?

I think the HT-5 is a 5W amplifier, isn't it?  I'm almost positive I read somewhere about the HT-5 and it's only 5W.  What good is a 5W amplifier?

Anyway, that aside, I've sat down with a few Blackstar amps and I can't say anything bad about them.  While they're not my favorite, they're not the worst I've ever played through...

 

[Nightclub Dwight]

I think the HT-5 is a 5W amplifier, isn't it?  I'm almost positive I read somewhere about the HT-5 and it's only 5W.  What good is a 5W amplifier?

Low wattage amps are useful for getting power tube distortion by cranking the amp at maximum volume that is still suitable for bedroom use without going deaf or having the neighbors call the cops. 

This is most helpful with non-master volume amps.  If you have an amp that uses a master volume you can dial the gain way up high while setting the master volume low, but this yields preamp tube distortion.  Many people prefer power tube distortion over preamp tube distortion.  Having a low wattage amp lets you dime the volume to get the power tube distortion.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Even 5W is too loud for me to use dimed at home.

But there's nothing wrong with small amps. Jeff Beck uses a Fender Pro Jr as his main live "rig", and it's 15W with a 1x10 speaker in it. Sounds utterly fantastic.

The only reasons you might need a big loud amp are:

1. They're fun. BIG reason right there.
2. No PA at the gigs you play.
3. Seriously, they are REALLY fun.

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

I think the HT-5 is a 5W amplifier, isn't it?  I'm almost positive I read somewhere about the HT-5 and it's only 5W.  What good is a 5W amplifier?

Low wattage amps are useful for getting power tube distortion by cranking the amp at maximum volume that is still suitable for bedroom use without going deaf or having the neighbors call the cops. 

This is most helpful with non-master volume amps.  If you have an amp that uses a master volume you can dial the gain way up high while setting the master volume low, but this yields preamp tube distortion.  Many people prefer power tube distortion over preamp tube distortion.  Having a low wattage amp lets you dime the volume to get the power tube distortion.

Ah, gotcha.

I have a head with both, Master Volume and separate "channel volume" dials.  How would I get the power tube distortion instead of the preamp distortion in this case?  Do I just crank the Master Volume up while leaving the "channel volume" low?

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

Even 5W is too loud for me to use dimed at home.

But there's nothing wrong with small amps. Jeff Beck uses a Fender Pro Jr as his main live "rig", and it's 15W with a 1x10 speaker in it. Sounds utterly fantastic.

The only reasons you might need a big loud amp are:

1. They're fun. BIG reason right there.
2. No PA at the gigs you play.
3. Seriously, they are REALLY fun.

Yes, I think I fall into this category, save for the part about PA systems, as I don't play out.  I had a solid state Crate G212 (60w) which was okay, but once I turned the volume up to about "3.5," things just fell apart.  I could have gotten a 50w head but instead, I wound up going with a 120w head.  Yes, it's VERY overkill, but I haven't any regrets!  :headbang1:

 

[bagman67]

I have a head with both, Master Volume and separate "channel volume" dials.  How would I get the power tube distortion instead of the preamp distortion in this case?  Do I just crank the Master Volume up while leaving the "channel volume" low?

To get the power tube distortion, yes, boost the Master Volume - but what you do with the individual channel volume will color what happens at the power amp stage.  Leaving the channel volume low will give you less gain-y disortion, generally (depending on the characteristics of the preamp for that channel), but if you want that full-bore roaring metal sound, you'll run both the channel volume and the master volume pretty high.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I had a 100W Marshall head and a 4x12. Had to sell it though, there's just no time in the forseeable future that I'll be able to use an amp like that properly. As soon as a time does come, I will definitely get another 4x12 - not sure yet what I'd plug into it though, would have to see about that. Obviously it would need to be very loud.

 

[Cagey]

I had a 100W Marshall head and a 4x12. Had to sell it though, there's just no time in the forseeable future that I'll be able to use an amp like that properly. As soon as a time does come, I will definitely get another 4x12 - not sure yet what I'd plug into it though, would have to see about that. Obviously it would need to be very loud.

Not necessarily. 4x12 bottoms have a characteristic sound to them that seems to improve anything you plug into them. Problem with them is they're big and heavy. I had one several years ago that I bought on a whim, and no matter what I plugged into it, it was improved. Even a little 5W Bugera. But, I couldn't move the thing and it ate up a lotta real estate. So, it went bye-bye.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I agree with everything you've said there. Perhaps I should rephrase:

Obviously, I would need it to be very loud.

 

[Cagey]

Yabbut... what about the volume?

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

I had a 100W Marshall head and a 4x12. Had to sell it though, there's just no time in the forseeable future that I'll be able to use an amp like that properly. As soon as a time does come, I will definitely get another 4x12 - not sure yet what I'd plug into it though, would have to see about that. Obviously it would need to be very loud.

Sometimes it's not about whether you can use it properly, sometimes it's about owning it because you can! :headbang1:

I'd own a Lamborghini, yet I wouldn't drive one at 217mph...  :toothy10:

I have a head with both, Master Volume and separate "channel volume" dials.  How would I get the power tube distortion instead of the preamp distortion in this case?  Do I just crank the Master Volume up while leaving the "channel volume" low?

To get the power tube distortion, yes, boost the Master Volume - but what you do with the individual channel volume will color what happens at the power amp stage.  Leaving the channel volume low will give you less gain-y disortion, generally (depending on the characteristics of the preamp for that channel), but if you want that full-bore roaring metal sound, you'll run both the channel volume and the master volume pretty high.

Would running the Master Volume high and the Channel Volume low really put a strain on the head?  I've heard this really burns things out quickly. 

 

[bagman67]

One of our local electrical engineers would have to weigh in more authoritatively than I can, but it seems to me if you're running the power stage really hard, whether it's receiving a higher or lower gain signal to amplify won't make that huge a difference in the life of the power tubes.  I could of course be hopelessly wrong.


Cagey?  Mayfly?  Patrick from Davis?  Anyone?  Bueller?