Guest HRB853370 Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 lilliku does 8 or 16 ohms mean you can hook up a 4-10, or 2-12 speaker cab to it? See my reply before this one Katie. I want to try a heavier gauge speaker cable to see if the sound quality in the clean channel gets thicker. It could be my cabinet, I am not sure, but I was expecting more low end from that Eminence 12" speaker in the Jet City cabinet.
JeffB Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 Agreed. I'm not too crazy about the feel of the amp including the knobs. It feels kind of cheap, but I have 2 yrs warranty on it. On the 5w (Im thinking of snagging one if I find one cheap). I really don't know why either. I surely don't need it. Anyway, can I run it through a 2x10 cab? The speakers are Eminence Legends. I assume they are 75w since it's a 50w amp. The spec sheet says 8 or 16 ohms. I know nothing about that. All I saw on the amp was a 1x12 or 2x12 (maybe it was 4x12) cab input. The wobbly knobs puts me off everytime I start playing an HT or Series one Black Star. Reminds me of the JVM Marshall. Dont know why it bothers me though, it doesnt seem to detract from the sounds. It was a deal breaker for me though with both the JVM and Series One Black Star. I subconsciously ruled them out because of the wobbly controls even though I couldve been happy with the sounds of either. Im just too use to the feel of older Marshalls, Fenders and Mesa's. Same kind of difference as a cheap socket set or adjustable spanner/wrench/shifter and a good quality one. I have the Black Star HT-Dual pedal that they pretty much based the HT series amps on. The controls are rock solid. It makes any amp I run it through sound like a Blackstar amp. Sometimes thats a good thing, other times it seems like a terrible thing to do.
Guest HRB853370 Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 Well here it goes, tested with my 2000 H-150 with Schaller pups through my Jet City cabinet loaded with an Eminence Legend 12" speaker. The clean channel breaks up but only at almost wide open. I have read reviews that attest to that. It is also not as loud as I thought it would be. I guess I am used to high wattage amps, as I have never owned a tube amp with less than 30 watts before I bought my Deluxe which is 22 w and very loud. The overdrive channel is a completely different story! Fairly loud when wide open and the gain control has lots of latitude from a fuzzy tone to full blown crunch. The infinite shape feature is subtle and is supposed to vary the sound from a full British, woody type tone, to a more piercing USA tone, and everything in between. This amp immediately got me into Black Sabbath/Ozzy mode, playing lots of those types of riffs and power chords. The amp runs nice and cool too, which I like. The construction of this baby is first rate with a leather handle and it looks very solid. Great practice amp and great recording amp, just need some nice digital recording gear now! All and all, I think $220 well spent. Finally shot a photo in the man cave, of the Blackstar and my 150 along with the GA-40 and my 555!
lilkuku Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 Dont get me wrong, the quality and feel of that little amp is first rate. I was just wondering why they had the chrome metal knobs on the 5 watter and the cheaper looking plastic knobs on the 20 watter. What you are referring to is that the the amp has speaker outs for a 16 ohm cabinet, or an 8 ohm cabinet or two 4 ohm cabinets, on that back. I like that versitality. On the front side of the amp, the settings for 1x12 or 4x12 are for the emulated speaker output with headphones, or directly to a board or recording device. In other words, say you are listening with headphones instead of a speake cabinet. You can choose to have the amps output emulate a 1x12 speaker cabinet or a 4x12 cabinet. Not sure why they left off a 2x12 option! Hope that helps. Oh, that's a cool feature. I had a headphone jack on my custom amp. It's a great feature to have on any amp.
FredZepp Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 The discussion of small tube amps reminds me of reading recently of when Clapton went into the studio to record the Layla album. The producer,Tom Dowd , warned everyone before that when he had recorded Cream they had brought in huge amps and it was crazy loud. But then Eric showed up with just a Tweed Champ.... a much different recording environment that Dowd appreciated.
Guest HRB853370 Posted March 20, 2011 Posted March 20, 2011 The discussion of small tube amps reminds me of reading recently of when Clapton went into the studio to record the Layla album. The producer,Tom Dowd , warned everyone before that when he had recorded Cream they had brought in huge amps and it was crazy loud. But then Eric showed up with just a Tweed Champ.... a much different recording environment that Dowd appreciated. Except Duane, he still played loudly through his Fender twin!
DetroitBlues Posted March 21, 2011 Posted March 21, 2011 Hey Detroit - that's a hot tip - I'd like it if it came w/a 12" speaker Since its a head amp, you can get their 1x12 (which I belive that's what's in their combo verison). I heard the 4x8 was really cool though. Unfortunately, I've only seen in for sale in the UK at Andertons. I haven't seen it here in the states....
H Posted March 21, 2011 Posted March 21, 2011 jjkrause84, how many watts is your amp? Hi Katy, that's either an Artisan 15 or an Artisan 30. Hand-wired British gorgeousness in a box! Try one if you ever get the chance.
koula901 Posted March 21, 2011 Posted March 21, 2011 So that brings to mind where the Blackstars are made - it appears that th Artisan series is made in Britan and the HT's made in China? Not that it's a big deal to me, I love my Epi V. Jr and it was made in China.
H Posted March 21, 2011 Posted March 21, 2011 So that brings to mind where the Blackstars are made - it appears that th Artisan series is made in Britan and the HT's made in China? Not that it's a big deal to me, I love my Epi V. Jr and it was made in China. We all want to encourage and promote industry/manufacturing in our own countries, even if we're Vietnamese or Chinese... Just took a look and the Artisans appear to be made in Korea. Designed blah blah blah in the UK.
DetroitBlues Posted March 21, 2011 Posted March 21, 2011 So that brings to mind where the Blackstars are made - it appears that th Artisan series is made in Britan and the HT's made in China? Not that it's a big deal to me, I love my Epi V. Jr and it was made in China. My Peavey VK and JCA 2112 are both made in China, great amps regardless...
koula901 Posted March 21, 2011 Posted March 21, 2011 I had a Peavey Valveking 212 in the '70s - great amp.
Guest tomdread Posted March 22, 2011 Posted March 22, 2011 Blackstar Artisan made in Korea.My link Blackstar Series One and HT Made in China.
jjkrause84 Posted March 22, 2011 Posted March 22, 2011 jjkrause84, how many watts is your amp? The amp is 15 watts (if yo usquint, you can see that it's an Artisan 15). Bascially, it's a Marshall 1974x but with two channels, a 'normal' 12AX7 and a thicker, gainier EF86. The thing is fantastic, easily has the best cleans I've ever heard, but very quiet owing to the Heritage Greenback (only 96 dB!). Last time I played it at rehearsal (months ago...been bandlees and busy recently!) I have to nearly crank it to keep up with an AC15 (with a G12H30) that was barely breathing. There's no way it'd do clean in a full band situation without sound reinforcement or an extention cab. Still, the Artisan 15 is, in mnay ways, more highly praised than the Artisan 30 which is considered a little convoluted and "doesn't know what it's trying to be". Here's a pic of the deliciously handwired (in Korea, one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world)) innards.
Guest HRB853370 Posted March 22, 2011 Posted March 22, 2011 Blackstar Artisan made in Korea.My link Blackstar Series One and HT Made in China. Not that it matters, but my Blackstar HT-5H says in the back, "Designed and Engineered in the U.K. and made in Korea" which is a very technologically advanced country, as one HOC member pointed out.
H Posted March 22, 2011 Posted March 22, 2011 Not that it matters, but my Blackstar HT-5H says in the back, "Designed and Engineered in the U.K. and made in Korea" which is a very technologically advanced country, as one HOC member pointed out. Yep, the top guys at Blackstar are former Marshall employees. They certainly know how to put an amp together and they're very good value in the UK.
SCF Posted March 22, 2011 Posted March 22, 2011 I have the HT-5, great amp wonderful tones. If you haven't discovered it yet, the secret to the ISF and getting a distinct difference in the amp voicing (American - British) is to keep the Mid knob between 0-3. I have found the line out excellent for recording, have not used any amp simulation software since purchasing the HT-5.
JeffB Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 Not that it matters, but my Blackstar HT-5H says in the back, "Designed and Engineered in the U.K. and made in Korea" which is a very technologically advanced country, as one HOC member pointed out. My bad youre right. Ive got no problems with products manufactured anywhere.
DetroitBlues Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 Just saw this on my local C.L. http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/msg/2279514682.html
Guest HRB853370 Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 I have the HT-5, great amp wonderful tones. If you haven't discovered it yet, the secret to the ISF and getting a distinct difference in the amp voicing (American - British) is to keep the Mid knob between 0-3. I have found the line out excellent for recording, have not used any amp simulation software since purchasing the HT-5. Thank you Mr. Goodman, er I mean SCF!!! I will give that a try!
Guest HRB853370 Posted March 23, 2011 Posted March 23, 2011 Just saw this on my local C.L. http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/msg/2279514682.html Read the ad, he is somewhat right, its for a small space primarily. To get that crunch without loud volumes. Great for an apartment. I have the luxury of being able to crank my Fender Twin Reverb way up if I want without disturbing anyone (but my eardrums).
DetroitBlues Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 Read the ad, he is somewhat right, its for a small space primarily. To get that crunch without loud volumes. Great for an apartment. I have the luxury of being able to crank my Fender Twin Reverb way up if I want without disturbing anyone (but my eardrums). The only time I can let my amps "breathe" is when the kids are outside and the wife is gone. Even then, its maybe 1/2 before something comes up.... I fear my KBP810 RD amp may never be heard at its full potential. I might even have to go back to a solid state or hybrid combo amp just to get the saturated tone I like...
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