BobC
Firstly, Happy New Year to All & Best Wishes for 2012
Now, I have been thinking of getting a small valve amp for home use / practice and these little Blackstars seem to have the most features of all the 'little' valve amps -
- Headphone/line-out with 2 choices of cabinet emulation (1X12 or 4X12)
- Line-in for backing tracks
- Effects loop
- Reverb - Digital reverb, yes, but most other small amps I have been able to find don't have any kind of reverb at all, and most don't even have an effects loop which I believe is kind of important for effects pedals such as reverb (I could be wrong about this but online discussions I have read have indicated this).
- Footswitchable overdrive channel (footswitch included)
I have checked out the other small valve amps on offer from Fender, Vox, Marshall, Ibanez & Peavey and the Blackstar seems to beat them hands down when it comes to the amount of features in one little valve amp which would make them attractive as a home/practice amp, on paper that is. The others I have found had varying combinations of the above features but none except the Blackstar had all of these features mentioned above contained in one amp.
I am awaiting feedback from MusicMate and Marshall Music (listed as Blackstar's SA distributor) on the availability of the HT-5R (Combo) or HT-5RH(Head & Cab), but does anybody on the forum know of any other stores which may stock them?
Also if anyone on the forum has used one or is in any position to give some feeback/pros/cons, please advise. Also, If there are any other brands which anyone can suggest I check out, let me know as well.
There are some reviews of the Blackstar HT-5R/H on YouTube and so far I'm pretty impressed, but I'm no expert by any means, especially when it comes to little valve amps.
Cheers
Bob
Johnny-B
The Blackstar agency has recently moved to Marshall from The Music Shop in Melville, Johannesburg so you might still find some stock there. I bought an HT-5 combo second hand last year from the classifeds on this forum and have been really pleased with it. I find it to be a great bedroom practice amp but also use it in the band at church. I use the amp as a monitor in front of me facing up from the floor and mic it through the house system. I've never managed to turn it past 5 on the clean channel!
Regarding reverb I use a Build Your Own Clone Reverb pedal which utilises a Beltron brick in the circuit.
I should just qualify my opinion by saying that this is the only valve amp I have owned so I don't have a lot of experience to compare it with other amps, but I did do my research and play a number of low-wattage amps in shops before deciding that I wanted the HT-5.
There was an HT-5 combo for sale in the classifed on this forum before Christmas but I haven't seen it since so it may have been sold.
BobC
Thanks JohnnyB, much appreciated.
'The Music Shop in Melville' it is, then. I'll be visiting them once I'm back in SA.
Cheers
Bob
BMU
Played one at Marshall, very dry and lacking excitement imo. Not the type of focused bottom / searing highs I'm looking for. Seems pointless to buy a R9k practice amp that still needs a R1k pedal to sound good. Probably excellent for rock players but can't do metal 'as-is'. (Then again I represent about 1% of this forum's demographic so that probably means it's a great amp for everyone else haha.)
PS - I should add I prefer my Mesa .22 caliber, but that too needs a little added help (a serious amount of EQ) before it sounds good to my ears.
BobC
Thanks BMU
9K seems a bit cheeky when they go for around 450USD / 350GBP in USA/UK. I'll get hold of The Music Shop tomorrow and see what they are selling them for, but if that's the going rate, I'll be having second thoughts.
Appreciate the honest feedback. It's good to hear the 'cons' as well as the 'pros'. I'm looking to play mainly clean / very slightly driven stuff so it may still be what I'm looking for, but if that's the price, I'll probably probably pass.
Cheers
Bob
MikeM
If you are looking for something with good cleans to light drive, I'd recommend you look elsewhere, was massively unimpressed by the cleans, really cool drive tone though.
BobC
MikeM wrote:
If you are looking for something with good cleans to light drive, I'd recommend you look elsewhere, was massively unimpressed by the cleans, really cool drive tone though.
That is becoming apparent, the more reviews I read. It does seem like it's more of a high-gain screamin' / squealin' type amp, which is fair enough if that's its niche.
Pity it's the only one I've found so far which has all of the features I am looking for in one amp - effects loop, line-in, headphone/line-out, reverb, footswitchable overdrive......
I'll still check it out but the feedback is much appreciated.
Cheers
Bob
Wizard
Do a search around the forum. There is plenty of commentary on the pro's and con's of the HT-5.
There are some ardent supporters (hello EZ!) and some who have tried it and moved on elsewhere.
To reinforce what MikeM has said, this amp is magic if you like playing with lots of gain; but IMHO not too exciting for sparkling clean sounds.
Wizard
BobC wrote:
... but if that's the going rate, I'll be having second thoughts.
Also consider second hand!
Providing you don't get GAS panic, a patient wait will probably find you something wonderful at quite a lot less than new.
(which you may be able to sell for little or no loss if you don't like it)
You needed to be around a while back while Keira was trying to rotate out her Laney Cub 10.
?
BobC
Wizard wrote:
Do a search around the forum. There is plenty of commentary on the pro's and con's of the HT-5.
There are some ardent supporters (hello EZ!) and some who have tried it and moved on elsewhere.
To reinforce what MikeM has said, this amp is magic if you like playing with lots of gain; but IMHO not too exciting for sparkling clean sounds.
I searched the forum and found stuff on the 'old' HT-5 and other Blackstar models but nothing much on the newer HT-5R.
Wizard wrote:
BobC wrote:
... but if that's the going rate, I'll be having second thoughts.
Also consider second hand!
Providing you don't get GAS panic, a patient wait will probably find you something wonderful at quite a lot less than new.
(which you may be able to sell for little or no loss if you don't like it)
You needed to be around a while back while Keira was trying to rotate out her Laney Cub 10.
?
I'm willing to wait it out until I find something that will give me what I'm looking for, and I'm definitely open to second-hand, or even custom stuff (within a certain budget). Until then I'll just keep mucking about on Logic Studio, which although it's not the real thing, is close enough for my hobbyist needs.
Thanks Wizard!!
Keira-WitherKay
Well if you looking for a small valve amp that has great clean's with a hint of breakup think laney cub's i bought a 2nd hand cub 10 to use at my pro jazz gigs and it stayed clean almost full as it had an input level gain control plus master volume so easier to stay clean and the 10w was loud enough for jazz gigs in a casino and clean enough to sound awesome but only down side is no reverb but i just used a pedal in front of the amp and it was sorted but the cub 12 has reverb built in and a 15 w output and 1 or 5 w option and they sell new after discount for about 3 k or maybe 4 k if i recall, but it has 12 inch speaker and best value for money tube amp out there also consider ibanez ts 15 they pretty cool too and also cheap . But yes the cub even the small 10 is great for cleans and unbelievably small in size but drive it hard and it's loud beyond what you expect at that size and rating
BobC
Thanks Keira
Those Laneys sound more like what I'm looking for if the videos I just watched are anything to go by.
I may change my strategy and keep the headphone playing for the computer (I have a feeling the variety and quality of emulations I'll get from Logic are better than those from the Blackstar) and I'll use the valve amp how it's meant to be used, out loud whenever the opportunity arises.
I'll definitely check out the Laneys. The Cub12R sounds like all the amp I'd need.
Thanks again for the tip
Cheers
Bob
Danny-B
Keira, I stop breathing when I read your posts due to lack of full stops.
But yes, I dig the cub series. Very nice clean tone, seeing as that is what you're after.
TomCat
Alternatively look at the Ibanez TS15 Tubescreamer amp......
Nice cleans with a lowish gain OD channel. Also goes for a steal at about R4k or so....There is a lot of comment about it elsewhere in the forum...
BobC
TomCat wrote:
Alternatively look at the Ibanez TS15 Tubescreamer amp......
Nice cleans with a lowish gain OD channel. Also goes for a steal at about R4k or so....There is a lot of comment about it elsewhere in the forum...
That Ibanez is pretty high on my list as well. Thanks TomCat.
BMU
Wizard wrote:
To reinforce what MikeM has said, this amp is magic if you like playing with lots of gain
Nope. Maybe if you like "medium" lots of gain but certainly not if you want "lots" of gain. Personally I just found it a really dry and uninspiring sound, both rhythm and lead.
Re. the price, remember there's substantial import duty on amps, unlike guitars. Tends to apply to all amps not just these.
guidothepimmp
BobC wrote:
MikeM wrote:
If you are looking for something with good cleans to light drive, I'd recommend you look elsewhere, was massively unimpressed by the cleans, really cool drive tone though.
That is becoming apparent, the more reviews I read. It does seem like it's more of a high-gain screamin' / squealin' type amp, which is fair enough if that's its niche.
Pity it's the only one I've found so far which has all of the features I am looking for in one amp - effects loop, line-in, headphone/line-out, reverb, footswitchable overdrive......
I'll still check it out but the feedback is much appreciated.
Cheers
Bob
I certainly would not call it a high gain screamer... far from it, I would place it in themoderate gain, perfect for classic rock type sound.
I only ever played one whn they first came out and was put off because they didnt have reverb then.
I believe they now do have a reverb, allbeit digital.
My experience with it was that with a guitar sraight into the amp, it did lack a bit of life... seemed a touch dry, sterile.. Sounded a different ampwith pedals, but I dont do pedals much... I do enjoy the drive sound though... AC/DC on tap easily.
ezietsman
The original HT5 is high gain. It may not be enough for some but it has as much and more than Metallica style thrash. Its not a classic sounding amp imo, very much in the vein of Mesa express, Peavey Valveking and the like. (Maybe im weird but Plexis, tweeds and vox is in my mind the classc rock sound)
HT5 doesnt do sparkling cleans, doesnt do the slightly overdrven bluesy thing well but its drive sound is great and should have more than enough gain for most. It also cleans up surprisingly well for such a high gain beastie.
They are great but dont do ALL sounds convincingly. IF you want beano or zep, look elsewhere. Acdc can be done with the gain rolled way back to 2 or so.
The ISF knob works as they say and is a great feature. The new one also has a tone control for the clean channel and seperate eq for drive channel. The bigger 12" speaker also will likely be nicer than the 10" on mine.
If you live in cape town you can come play mine to see.
IceCreamMan
BobC wrote:
TomCat wrote:
Alternatively look at the Ibanez TS15 Tubescreamer amp......
Nice cleans with a lowish gain OD channel. Also goes for a steal at about R4k or so....There is a lot of comment about it elsewhere in the forum...
That Ibanez is pretty high on my list as well. Thanks TomCat.
BobC , bring yr tele to my house and come play my ibanez anytime. I did not take it to CLarens cos my car was full already so brought a smaller Vox which ended up being just fine anyway but feel free to come round play the ibanez. the ibanez has a 5watt setting too but its still failrly loud. for the money its well worthy of a decent look.
did not realise the blackstar was 9 clip ....my gracious thats a load of moola....
also tkae a hard look at the marshall class 5 amp , while i never got to actualyl play one ...yet .. the net is full of good reviews and i think it can be had for around 4.500
BobC
IceCreamMan wrote:
[BobC , bring yr tele to my house and come play my ibanez anytime. I did not take it to CLarens cos my car was full already so brought a smaller Vox which ended up being just fine anyway but feel free to come round play the ibanez. the ibanez has a 5watt setting too but its still failrly loud. for the money its well worthy of a decent look.
did not realise the blackstar was 9 clip ....my gracious thats a load of moola....
also tkae a hard look at the marshall class 5 amp , while i never got to actualyl play one ...yet .. the net is full of good reviews and i think it can be had for around 4.500
PM'd you
Cheers
Bob
