Agreed, I have the HT20R mk2, you can find almost any tone with more drive than you will ever need, the clean channel is pretty limited but takes pedals perfectly, had it 3 years and no chance it will get replaced
One of the great things I love about these Blackstars is even without pedals you can get a wide array of tones without a pedal board. I've gigged many times without pedals and got all the tones I needed to get it done.
Captain you’re playing great but it warms my 56 year old 2 yr newbie heart when you get thrown for a loop as Pete is dialing in extreme settings showing off the full range of each knob’s setting.
I got the Blackstar ht club 40 Black and Blue edition 6l6 with the celestion vintage 30 about 2 years ago knowing there is a possibility of when it goes, it goes. But love the sound, love the look! I play it with isf all the way left for the fender sounds, all the way to the right more the marshally sounds. It leaves people surprised while playing👍 great tube amp for Under a grand imo
I had a couple blackstars - ht5 and an ID head. Surprisingly I never loved them playing by myself but they both sounded very good live with my full band. I found it a little odd but they cut really well in a live mix and the rest of the band took away any harshness. I thought they were some of my best sounding gig amps for a rock punk bar cover band.
I've always been very impressed with Blackstar's stuff. Sounds great and it's not too expensive. Win win! To hear something I've done with one of their little 5W HT heads, head over to the cloud of sound, find my name and listen to "GohMaster". That was a Blackstar HT5 into a Two Notes Torpedo Live!!
Good vid guys. Personally I couldn't be arsed with software. I just want to plug it in and twiddle the knobs for it to sound good. Maybe I'm very old-fashioned.
Pete finally discovered something I've commented on multiple Andertons videos. The ISF is not a simple EQ. It changes the character of the amp including the gain structure. That's why it is accurately described as a UK-US knob. To get the most out of these amps you need to understand how to ideally set the EQ for different ISF settings. The reason Lee likes ISF at 11-1 is because that is where it best suits his 12 oclock approach but it is also where the Blackstars are the most boring. When you understand how to use the ISF and EQ, you can really unlock the TVP/Silverline range and understand those amps can actually do an accurate imitation of pretty much any other amp on the market.
@@Gearslayer92 A contour knob/button changes the midrange, that's what Marshall describes it and that's how it is in an ENGL. But the Blackstar ISF does more than just a EQ change ultimately. The Blackstar ISF also changes the midrange and a bit more, all the way to the US side it boosts bass and scoops mids and then as you rotate it it first reduces the bass until you get a typical smile then it starts to increase the mids until first you get flat and then eventually a big hump. What I will say is the end result is not just an EQ change. The frequency response change is measurable and has been measured and is as I described above. But like I said the ISF control also changes the character of the gain structure so the character of the amp changes. Now for all I knob the ISF could just be an EQ knob before the gain stack or it could be more, it could be an EQ before and after for all I know. The reality is I learned long ago that you can completely change the character of a amp by using an EQ before and after the preamp because by using an EQ before the preamp you can cut frequencies and boost other frequencies in a way that changes the gain structure and by doing this you can take one amp and make it sound and feel like a another amp. Then when you make dramaric EQ changes before the preamp you might need an EQ after the preamp to shape the tone. You know so you can boost a frequency to get hair on it and cut another so it is clean but then bring back that frequency that now has hair on it and boost that frequency that is clean, so the hair remains the same coloured by the pristine frequencies but the EQ curve stays true. SO what I'm saying is Blackstar could just be using an EQ circuit or two EQ circuits controlled by a single knob to achieve what they are achieving but I'm also not going to presume this is all that knob does because I don't know. BTW I suspect this is also how the BluGuitar amp works and achieves the versatility it does.
I still love my tiny ID Core stereo stereo 40 that I bought just before covids hit and the commercial laundry plant I worked was shut down when all the hotels we serciced suto down because of covid, just a little back ground there I bought the amp to re-amp my phome to I could hear my music over all the alundry equipmwnt in the plant. were weren't alowed to use ear buds at work so there were a number of P>A> speakers in use all around the place. a year ;ater I gor a Starcaster Strat electric guitar By: Fender. ( siad thet on the head stock. I did an extreme mod/upgrade to it which is why I bought the guitar anyway. the stars and planets space theme paint on the body and headstock as well as the hand made custom Brushed Stainless pick guard is liaded with 3 quad rail/coil humbuckers and I wired it like a classic '50's Les paul (3P/P 500K volume pots for coil splits and 3 500K tone pots with the bridge tone pot a P/P to activate the bridge and neck P/U's together regardless of the 5-way switch position. chrome Tele style knobs adorn the pots and a chrome tip on the 5way switch as well. even with 3 humms it still works like any strat but for the extras mentioned. Imagine all the tones I can get with all the tricks in this guitar, add to that all i can get from the ID Core stereo 40 amp. so many tone variations there are too many to count, so I didn't botherr to count then. but I just have fun exploring as many tones as I can dream up with all the switches and P/P pots and playing with the controls on the amp as well.. Wanna Play???
When I'm on the road...I stop by the local pawn shops of that particular gig.. And I buy every Blackstar HT 20 I can find especially the original ones...I prefer the heads over the combo's... I play Blackstars live and I couldn't be happier.. I have Marshall plexi Amps as well as an all original black panel 64 vibrolux.. and Egnater Amps as well... All my Amps sound phenomenal... However...When on the road...I play Blackstars...no worries about them getting banged up or lifted. And if so It's relatively cheap to repair..or replace..an all original vibrolux...not so easy...to replace...so yes get yourself an Blackstar amp...and enjoy...👏👏👏👏
Must admit it's been a few years since I tried any Blackstar amps. They always had a really weird top end fizz to my ears, and all the models had it other then the ID Core budget ones funny enough. But since those st James things and now these I think it would be worth a revisit EDIT- after getting to the end, I guess not lol.
I have the Blackstar HT Club II and I love it! The only thing I'll knock Blackstar on is they put trash speakers in their amps. Mine came with a Celestion 70/80. Bleh! So fizzy and lifeless - probably just good for metal. But, I got mine used for $539 like 4 years ago, so I swapped out the stock speaker for a Warehouse 12" Retro 30 and now the amp is amazing! Very true that the reverb is just OK, too. But overall a great amp if you pair it with a good speaker.
You know, for some reason, I always find Blackstar amps wanting in some way. There is just something lacking in fullness in the tone. I find I much prefer Victory amps or Supro amps.
It’s interesting because with this video it sort of confirms the reason I hold my HT40 mk 1. It sounded good, but the EQ really did nothing. It didn’t do anything particularly well, just good enough.
Different price bracket though, but yeah Blackstar have a kind of soft midrange and a lot of bass. The EQ seems to be post everything, so the drive characteristics don't change like on a Marshall. They do feel good to play though, and are great with single coils and Spanky guitars in general.
Ive been gigging with supro amps for a while now and that is like what they are made for, they sound a little dark in normal volumes but on stage its super nice and full in all frequencies. I couldnt imagine turning these up as loud because those frequencies would be super harsh
I love you captain but I watched this and sorta thought it sounded okay then I played one today and it blew me away then thought well that wasn’t one of the best demo vids by the captain and DP 😂
I saw someone else mention it already in these comments but these had a real issue with serviceability, my friend found out the hard way. Unless there are significant internal improvements for reliability and serviceability I wouldn't buy one. Really need to mention these things because I don't want to knock blackstar but if it's not talked about manufacturers don't do anything about it and nothing changes for the better.
with all the built in effects in mytiny ID Core stereo 40 amp I don't really need any Pedals but it wouldn't hert to have a few that have effects not already in the amp. I can crank the amp to annoy the nosy neighbors or go stealth mode with a good pair of headphones. ,,, or... I can hook the amp into my full surround sound system for a lot more of everything from tones and lots of volume to really but the neighb bors... LOL ... My rig only cost me $100USD for the amp and with all the mods and upgrades on the the Strat were just under $500 USD total I have around $600 in my rig.. If I had ordered the guitar like I made it myself the Fender Custom Shop would have sharged me over 10 times what I have in it now ,, I saved a lot of money and learned so much by going so indeatth with the controls and features in my guitar build to get exactly what I wanted. I want to add bigger speaker cabs to the tiny amp to use it as a 40 watt head by adding a pair of 14 switched external speaker jacks recessed into the bottom of the amp wham laid face down on top for the pair of 4X12" tower cabs I get esssentially a Full Stack. Wanna PLAY???
Those 70/80s aren't doing these amps any favors. At this price point, they should have at least a Vintage 30 or G12(m)-65. I thought the DI sounded better than the mic'ed speakers because it warmed up the tone overall and helped that brittle top end fizz/sizzle. The cleans are decent but through those speakers, the drive sound is harsh and generally not good
Look ,,I know y'all ain't UNICEF but I need a tube Amp....Any suggestions... before any negative comment.... Times is hard for Scotty.... I could enlighten one on the subject but..... That was a cool Segway...and that purple 💜 tele....
I've owned several and while I haven't had any issues, the main thing that keeps me from keeping them long is that I've heard from several amp techs that they're super hard to work on.(from both a design and parts availability standpoint) So they're not going to be amps you keep for decades.
Hardly anyone will be playing valve Amps in decades time. Can't fight the inevitable. We're already at the stage where the only reason to buy a "real" amp over a top line Kemper is old fashioned prejudice.
@@sillysausage4549 if you can’t tell a difference between a tube amp and a kemper when playing them I don’t know what to tell you. It isn’t prejudice. There IS a difference. That’s not to say one is better than the other but personal PREFERENCE matters. Just like how vinyl does sound different (not better) than digital and some people like each for different reasons.
@@wraith1977and yet, in every single blind test, people can't tell the difference at all. In a mix, I doubt most people could tell a Fender Frontman from a £5k tube amp. You're hearing with your eyes - that's why it sounds different. No one is buying these amps because they'll last decades either, any more than I expect my fridge to last decades.
@@robinr22 your expectations are too low. There are vintage tube amps still working today just like how I have appliances that last 10 years. Last thing we need is more e-waste and disposable tech where the company's business model is for you to just trash your Blackstar MKI when it dies, and buy a MKIII, and then a MKIV and so on. How long before the Kemper MK2 comes out? (I'm acutally impressed how long the current one has lasted). Or, the Line 6 whatever? You're buying into obsolescence. DOn't get me wrong I've owned all this stuff at one time or another, and they DO NOT sound the same in the room. Mic'd and mixed through studio monitors, sure. But I'm not makinng an album or playing in a coffee shop. I'm having fun in my music room.
Can you clear this up. You said it will run in standby with no speaker, does that mean no speaker attached or just you don't get sound because it's in standby but you need a speaker still attached to the amp.
Did I hear correctly that this amp can use the XLR out to plug into a venue's PA system? I'm new to gigging and am looking for an amp that gives me the flexibility to work either through a micc'd up cab, or straight into a PA system.
I know, right? But in defense of the HT line, it's mk2 amps, of which I own a couple 12 years on and still no issues, are exceptionally voiced, wonderful and reliable tube amps.
I bet you it's the celetion speaker, listen to a comparison between celetion and jensen speakers, the celetion sound muffled and two dimensional for lack of better word; speakers make a huge difference to the signature sound. Even a Boss katana sounded worse with a celetion speaker lol, they are perhaps over built for very loud volume
Accept the 80s Peavey amps were bullet proof- I still have one and it works great. Whereas I bought a Blackstar Club 40 about a year ago- it lasted about 6 months and then tore up. Sounded light years better than the peavey- I'll give it that, but it's a delicate flower and a Peavey is an old gnarly stump that refuses to die.
I am about to buy 40 or 60 combo. I still dont know the difference between them other than 20 watts. The price difference is meaningless as far as the prices i have seen. I am sure the 40 watts would be just great but 60 sounds better as it is a bigger number🙂
These amps come with emulated digital output complete w/ cab sim and yet it is a full tube amp- not a hybrid- show me another amp on the market that does that for half this price. Yes, they are expensive- but there is a reason for that, relative to the competition they're actually priced reasonably. They also have on board reverb, on board over drive, built in attenuation, and multiple clean and dirty channels. This is not a Blues Junior- but that's the way ppl like you look at it- you don't even understand what you're turning your nose up at.
It's not the amps, it's the state of the world economy, look what's happening, good business is where you find it, price matters more today than ever, good luck,
I bought a HT Club 40 MKII used, and it lasted about 6 months- not impressed. The person who sold it to me did so because the little switch that let you set the fx loop for + or - 6 dbs was acting up. If you left it alone it was fine but- if you tried to mess with it, it would cause static, and the amp would cut out- like it had a short or something. But since all I was running into the fx loop were pedals and it was already set at default for pedals- I didn't need to engage that switch. So, I bought it- it lasted about 6 months- then it wouldn't make a peep no matter what output you try and use. When you turn it on the red light lights up- but that's it, nothing else works. Not even the digital, emulated out put on the rear works. I thought maybe it was a tube but- I wouldn't think it would need a tube for the digital output to work. Maybe I'm wrong about that though- Idk. But since it's digital- that suggests to me the signal is not running through the tubes at all when using this output. But maybe that' incorrect- maybe the signal is running through the tubes like normal, and the digital part is just the cab sim that gets applied once it's routed to the digital output. If so, then I would say I have a bad power tube. But if that were the case, I should be able to come out of the fx send and into a powered cab- and it should work huh? Or would the preamp push too much juice into a powered cab? Is this what that switch for cutting or adding 6dbs is for?
Then that's probably what it is, I wish there was some way I could remove it and test it before buying a new one. I could try the tap test I guess- haven't tried it yet.
@@flyingrat492 Not really an option- I live in a very rural area with no shops for hours in any direction- and those shops don't have techs who work on amps. They have a guy who taught himself to work on guitars, but he barely suffices in that department- and he's totally lost on an amp. I generally do all my own work on my guitars because I grew up working in my dad's luthier shop- but he built acoustics- no amps involved- so I only know the basics when it comes to them.
Putting in the budget celestions really cheapens the sound of these amps. I hate the high end of those speakers (if they are seventy 80s) they are harsh and poky. Black star amps are already aggressive in the high end. Even v30s would be much less harsh and creamback 65s would be lovely. How the hell does the DI work in standby? Is it before the power section and or is it not really standby at all.
If I had that kind of money to spend on an amp, I really don't think it would be spent on a blackstar. They just don't seem to sit in that price bracket with enough confidence
I have an ht40 mk1 and its really good for high gain sounds and sparkly cleans. It doesn't react to single coils well or serve as a clean pedal platform all that well. the real problem though is that it's not made to be serviced. tube amps have some inherent issues we all know and when they invariably fail getting a tech to look at them can be difficult. they just aren't the best value because of this.
Yep- an d mine tore up and now needs service- which really sux. I'm hoping it's a preamp tube- the digital output doesn't even work so- can't just be a power tube. The signal shouldn't run through the power tube if you're using the digital output. It just goes through the preamp tube then gets routed to the digital output where a cab sim is applied. But who knows- may be something else, not a tube- and if so, I'm screwed. Because I think replacing the tubes is about all you can do. I wonder if I could send it back to Blackstar and get them to fix it?
I bought the Artist 30 a few years ago cheaply. 2x12 Celestion V-Type. As a lower price valve amp it's fine. If I changed it would have to be for a big upgrade, otherwise it does the business. A lot depends on what people are using them for.
I think my HT club 40 MkII and my HT20 mkII sound just as good and look better than these new models, sorry Blackstar.... I love Blackstar but wish they would of added more improvements rather than just changing th color of the badge.
I want to like Blackstar, but I’m sorry ISF is terrible. It’s just a sweepable EQ on top of the standard EQ. Problem is, it doesn’t change the character of the tone the way 6L6 and EL type tubes would, so the “American / British” sound idea is just a joke. Furthermore, ISF as a secondary EQ that you can’t get rid of, no matter where you put it, it always crates a frequency push that you can’t dial out with the regular EQ. No matter what, something will be off that you can’t correct. Blackstar amps would be 100x better if they would just drop such a useless feature.
man at fist I though aaw cool a new HT series amp, shame these guys are blues players so we won't get to hear if these amps chug... and then Lee goes straight humbucker chugga chugga lol
