Blackstar Amplification

I bought this small amp alone as it was enough for me, since I wanted a small nomad amp (it can also be associated to an additional speaker to get a small stereo system). I wanting something versatile, light and good-sounding. The animal seems sturdy in spite of its small size, the 3" speaker is protected behind a metal grid, knob-wise there's 1 Gain, 1 Volume, 1 EQ, 1 Delay, 1 mini-knob for delay mix, 1 OD switch, 1 on/off switch, 1 mp3/line in, 1 headphone/speaker out. It works with 6 AA batteries or an (non-included) external power supply (CAUTION, IT WORKS WITH A 6.5V EXTERNAL SUPPLY). It provides 3W of output power. I plug a Godin Session or Ibanez Artcore and a well-equipped pedalboard on it. AND THEN! I'm completely amazed, it sounds great in both clean and crunch! So, I get: - For crunch sounds, the guitar plugged straight in it, a little included delay... Wow, really punchy! - In clean sound with the pedalboard, all playing nuances are clearly heard. Granted, I wouldn't go as far as to perform live with it (even if well mic'ed into a good PA it could work), but for having fun at home, going on holidays or jamming with friends without having to take a large combo with you, it's perfect. Also, regarding the EQ, I thought I'd get a classic tone... Well, not at all, it allows to get from a UK sound to a US-type sound with the twist of a knob and with all possible nuances in-between (they call it the ISF system, and even if it can't be disconnected it really works wonder!). It's light (approximately 2 lbs), controls are efficient, sounds are convincing (that is if you don't push the gain and volume too high!), power is limited but credible, one can easily forget this is only a sugarbox-sized sound box. I have tried many other mini-amps, but this one is AWESOME! And now here we are, I couldn't resist, it won't be alone anymore! I bought the additional speaker. OK, you can't really call it "stereo" and that's not what it's here for anyway, but you're getting a way better sound ambiance and it sounds bigger, clean sounds are more airy and the crunch fill the room better. It's not meant to be used as a sound system for a venue of any size, but to try being smart with friends or familyit's great and the additional expansion you (not necessarily your audience)'ll get twice the enjoyment!

Hi, After having owned it for several years, I think I'm qualified to write a review about this great amp. The review by Pucelle_Dabidjan pushed me to write a review of the Artisan 30, because I don't think his review is objective, having tested it in a store (at least that's what he wrote). In order to do that, I think you need to have used a product, at least, several months, in different situations, at home, for gigs, etc. This amp has a magical side to it. The sensations and sound this amp provides are absolutely magical. I use this amp to play from funk to rock. The Artisan 30 is a rather heavy combo (75lbs), but it's a 2x12 (2x Celestion Vintage 30). Personally, I prefer 2x12 combos to 1x12 models, so it doesn't really matter, any combo will be heavy. :) To get this sound you need to make such compromises. It's a 30 Watt amp with 4x EL84 and it has a switch to choose between 30 Watts or 10 Watts. But be careful: 10 Watts Class A is a lot. And to get a super crunch, remember you need to really crank up the volume. And that's where the Artisan 30 shines. From an amazing clean sound to an amazing crunch, it's all magical. :) The amp has two independent channels with two separate inputs. Channel 1, one HI and LO input. Channel 2 also one HI and LO input. You can also combine the two channels and "jump" them. Which means connecting a cable between the LO input of channel 1 and the HI of channel 2 while you plug your guitar to the HI input of channel 1. Great sound, you will be surprised by the sound you get. :) The Artisan 30 has NO footswitch!!! Personally, I use a Lehle little dual. The Lehle gives me the possibility to choose between channel 1 or 2, but also to use both channels combined. Sweet! I have three different sounds at my feet. It's possible to play hard rock with this amp and pedals to drive the amp. Unfortunately, the amp has no effects loop, but that would've meant losing purity. The Artisan 30 works fine will all sorts of pedals, which surprised me. The amp is very easy to dial in, it's very intuitive. It's impossible to get a bad sound with the Artisan 30. It has its own character, to make yourself an idea it's a mix between a Vox AC30 and a Marshall Plexi. The pros of the Artisan 30: - Solid hand-made amp handwired point-to-point. The inside is really the work of a pro, it's really WOW. Great job and super reliable. - The sound you get with the Artisan 30 is truly magical. From jazz to rock, really excellent. And the feeling you get when playing at quite reasonable volumes, WOW. - The purity of the amp and the fact that it respects the character of the different guitars. - It works really well with effects pedals. The cons of the Artisan 30: - Its 75lbs, which make it really heavy, although it's a reasonable weight for a 2x12 combo . I don't really mind, given the sound I get. P.S.: If I someday decide to sell the Artisan 30 it would only be to return to a 4x12 cab setup. Given the case, I wouldn't hesitate to buy the Artisan 30H with its own cab. ;) But the 2x12 is more compact to transport, otherwise I would have to buy a new car LOL ;) Don't hesitate getting in touch If you have any questions.

All-tube amp In terms of controls it has bass treble middle gain volume and what not for the overdrive channel, while the clean channel only has a tone and a volume control. The amp head also features a reverb. 20W all-tube amp One 8ohms and two 16ohms outputs. UTILIZATION Dialing it in is more or less basic, the pots are really responsive, so you can start having a blast pretty quickly without breaking your head. The manual is a bit "useless" because the amp head is easy to use, I know it for a fact because I "browsed" it...And I put that in quotation marks because It's so easy to use that it takes a whole page to explain how the footswitch or the pots work. Is it easy to get a good sound out of it? I'd say yes, due to its simplicity, but if you want to get your own sound, you'll need to dig further into it. SOUNDS In my opinion, it's good for all styles, certainly due to that famous function called ISF: A small pot that you turn right to get an American sound and left to get a British sound. I find the sound is in itself fat enough, but it is so incredibly versatile and you can get such a vast array of sounds. You need some time to get to know all its functions, though. I love the clean channel as much as the overdrive. With a good responsive neck pickup you'll get a sound worthy of the best current amps, with the overdrive you'll get an incredible sensation of power. The only two snags are that the amp lacks a bit of personality and the reverb, which you should use sparingly because it has a tendency to become nasty... OVERALL OPINION I got it very recently, almost two weeks ago. I tested many amps before this one and, to be honest, this brand didn't really seem to win, but in the end I bought it due to its value for money. What I like the most about this amp, besides its sounds, is the simplicity...It's truly plug-and-play, no bias adjusting or anything of the sort, the pots couldn't be easier to use and they are effective... As I said before, its value for money is simply insane. It's surprising that IMHO an amp like this is more convincing than a jcm amp, and it doesn't even cost $1000. With hindsight, I don't know if I would buy it again, I mean, I chose it because I wanted to change my solid-state sound and I love it...But if I were 40 and had some tours in sight, I think I'd get a Mesa....But until that day comes, I won't regret a thing! LONG LIVE BLACKSTAR!!!

(Originally written by quanticman/translated from Audiofanzine FR) This dual channel tube amp uses two different tubes in each channel. The first channel has a British sound and the second one an American sound with a more compressed response and more gain. Both channels complement each other. You can use both channels simultaneously. The result is a stunning sound with the possibility to adjust the character provided by each channel. The amp offers two operating modes: single-ended or push-pull (with 5 or 15 watts). I personally use the 5-watt mode because the other one is much too loud for the room where I play, even with the whole band. The 15-watt mode is useful for live gigs. No FX loop but I wouldn't use it anyway. Settings: volume and tone controls on each channel. It's perfect for people like me who prefer to play the guitar instead of experimenting with their amp. This amp would be perfect with an integrated reverb. It's a boutique-style amp made in Korea. It doesn't have a PCB, everything has been hand-wired point to point. The amp has a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, cool! UTILIZATION Easy to use: just plug in and play. If you want more crunch simply increase the volume. For another sound character simply change the channel. In spite of this simplicity you can spend hours trying to find a new sound (the tone control depends on the volume). It's a class-A amp so you can also use it as an additional heater in winter... SOUNDS The clean sound is quite amazing... It's your guitar's raw sound. I don't know if you've ever tried to play an unplugged electric guitar putting your ear against the body... With this amp you get that particular sound! It sounds crystal-clear and it blows me away every time I play it. The amp has a huge dynamic response to faithfully replicate your playing. The second channel produces a very nice crunch sound (think The Who Live at Leeds). Nice classic-rock sound. The distortion sound is wonderful but it requires too much output power so I have to use effects pedals to get distortion at lower levels in my room. I own a Blackstar HT-Drive, which has a similar sound. But the distortion of the amp is richer. OVERALL OPINION I've had this amp for over one month and I won't sell it, ever. My quest for the perfect amp has come to an end. The amp is ultra sturdy and I want to keep it my whole life. The value for money is very good for a hand-made boutique amp. People at Blackstar made a good and professional product.

- What styles of music do you intend to play with this amp? Country, Blues, Rock - Given its weight and output power, do you think it's good enough to work, rehearse and play live? I don't know, I only use it in my room. It's perfect for home use. When I sell a guitar (I have sold several ones in recent times, to cure my addiction to collecting them) I'm always VERY surprised by the fact that potential buyers, those who come to my place to test the guitars, having the choice of a Mesa Boogie LoneStar and a Mesa Boogie Mini Rectifier, always choose to try them with my small Blackstar HT1R... No doubt this amp has its charm. As for me, I play at 3 in the morning at home with a single-coil Gibson Victory, overdrive channel, gain at 6, Volume at 2, ISF at 7, Reverb at 4, guitar volume control at 3. I live in a big place and I don't think I can bother anyone, but my wife says she can hear me. - Do the clean, crunch and distortion sounds suit you? Are the controls effective? I think it's perfect for everything, from clean to hard rock. Do note however, that there's a huge volume difference (SPL) when going from the clean channel to the overdrive, which is quite normal. During the day, with the gain and volume cranked up, the clean channel can deliver a nice overdrive all right. (No driving it too hard at night...). During the day I connect it to the 2 x 12 cab of my Laney 20, and it really rocks you off your feet. Why spend more money when you can get such quality for so little? The controls are incredibly effective and the reverb is discreet, which I love. - What are the things that you like most and least about it? To be honest, for the price, I can't complain. 1 watt! But what a watt! If Blackstar reads this (we are allowed to dream, aren't we?), I'd ask them to do the same with a 12" speaker. 1 watt, nothing more.

Blackstar has made some of the best amps in the world and some of these most competitive price amps in the world as well. They have singled handily taken a huge market away from Marshall and Mesa Boogie with their solid sounds amps and their cheap prices. Now they have been putting a lot of focus on their distortion pedals and their effects pedals. May of their pedal almost resemble the look of their amps. They have very similar control knobs and switches that almost makes them like preamps. Those would be more of the distortion boxes than the effects but they have just gotten even stronger as a force with these new lines of products. UTILIZATION * 8 reverb effects * Genuine valve design * Operates at 300V HT * Unique Dwell control * Manual and Short/Long modes * Stereo * Unique switching operation * Silent switching * Power supply included * High integrity buffered bypass SOUND QUALITY This is tube driven reverb pedal that is designed to give its user some of the most authentic and natural sounding reverb on the planet. These tube buffered effects pedlas are very popular due to the demand of the best tone period out of your guitar rig. The best part about it is that you don't have to bias these tubes. The tubes that you have to bias are only power tubes and these pedals are equipped with preamp tubes. So therefore you can switch different kinds in and out to see what flavor of tone you prefer with these units. This is a very cool idea in these pedals. I like to put this pedal at the very end of a signal chain. This means out this pedal as the least pedal before your amp on the pedal board. You want everything to comes through this pedal before it hits your amp. You get a very natural sounding reverb which s makes your tone just feel more brilliant and thick. OVERALL OPINION You can pick these pedals up new for eight at around $299. That is a bit high for a reverb pedal. I am not a fan of the price of this unit. I don't think it gives you the tools to charge people the price they are asking for it. I trust Blackstar and many of their amps give me that good feeling so I wouldn't believe that they would price gouge like many other companies, but I just couldn't pay this much for a reverb pedal. I would suggest getting this pedal on the used market and not paying new prices.

This is one beast of an amp for being only 5 watts. This amp comes with two channels, one being dedicated to a clean tone that give some volume can produce a solid classic rock dirty tone, and a distortion channel that can get very beefy and thick. The interesting thing about this amp is the ISF control knob that acts sort of like a voicing knob. Helps shape the tone in interesting ways. This amp is two channels which is great for the money and convenience. UTILIZATION Blackstar HT-5RH Tube Amplifier Head Features: * 5-watt tube head * 1 x ECC83 and 1 x 12BH7 tubes * Unique push-pull power amp design * HT Pedal preamp * 2 footswitchable channels * Stereo digital reverb * Enhanced tone controls * Patent-applied-for Infinite Shape Feature (ISF) * Fully equipped for studio or practice * Speaker-emulated output with 1 x 12" or 4 x 12" voicing * Effects loop with effects level switch * Footswitch included SOUNDS I like this amp with just about any guitar you decide to throw at it. The tone of this amp is exactly like the combo version but just in a nice little head. I particularly like this amp with a solid Gibson Les Paul. I feel that the two were fit for each other. It seems like perhaps the builder of this amp voicing the amp towards the Les Paul because the tones of it are just flat out amazing! The clean channel is very good and very reminiscent of an old Fender deluxe amp. When You crank up the volume you get a great classic rock tone ala AC/DC or Led Zeppelin. The emulated speaker output is kind of weak in my opinion. It doesn't sound that great compared to speaker that's inside the amp OVERALL OPINION Overall this is a very solid amp for the money. At new these amps come in at around $379, which isn't a bad price for this high quality amplifier. I would recommend this amp to anyone who wants a great sounding tube amp that doesn't want to pay an arm and a leg to get one. This is a great amp to record with and and excellent amp to practice with in the home or office.

This is agreat up and coming amp company. The have successfully taking a huge niche in the market over the last few years. They have made great sounding fantastically priced amps for the masses. Th Blackstar has effectively used a great design as well as superb marketing which has enabled them to produce a great quality and sounding amplifiers. Many touring and professional artists all over the globe are now turning towards Blackstar for their guitar amplifier needs. A 1 watt amp...this is madness,and being in a head form is even more maddening. This is just a crazy amp for being only one watt. This amp has two channels which is another killer feat on its own but giving it a speaker simulated output for live plugging into the house PA system or recording session, this amp has is all, with 99 watts less power. UTILIZATION * Innovative 1 Watt valve combo * 1xECC83 and 1xECC82 * Unique push-pull power amp design * Based on award winning HT-5 * Two channels * External Speaker Output * Reverb * Patent-Applied-For Infinite Shape Feature (ISF) * Perfect for studio or practice * Speaker emulated output * Stereo MP3 / Line input * External speaker output SOUNDS How do they continue to do it? To pump out an amp that has one watt of power and to do it with all of these features is just crazy. This little head has such and unbelievable tone and overall color that it just makes you happy hearing the notes strum out of your guitar. This amp has a the award winning HT-5 preamp design and that tone is just awesome! You can get a great clean tone from the first channel but also click over to the drive channel and this little single watter amp come to life. The clean toe is nice solid fluid tone. The ISF control knob is another cool feature. This depending on how you dial it in gives you better control over the voicing of the amp. So you can get a more blended American tone or a more British flavored tone or a mix of the both. It is a cool little feature that is exclusive to Blackstar amplification. OVERALL OPINION At new these amps come in right at around $250, which is a heck of a price. To get a single watt two channel amp under $300 is very impressive. I would recommend this amp to anyone who need a great sounding practice and amp needs or wants two channels. You can record very efficiently with these amps and practice at very low volumes as well.

This amp is a 5 watt amp that has a push pull power amp section, two switchable channels, and great sounding 12 inch speaker. This amp for being a small little guy has a wallop of tone and drive. This little amp while being one of the best sounding amps you can buy as has a great clean channel to along with its famous distortion tone. This amp and speaker package gets you the tone of the amp and the correctly voiced speaker stack to go with it. It looks like a huge mega amp stack but with just 1 speaker per cabinet it fits much small in spaces. The speakers are not ones that I have heard of. Perhaps it is their own brand of speakers. They match well with the amp though. This amp is such a work of art that it is receiving many people to come to Blackstar as a whole and check out their entire line of amps. They seem to be signing new artists to their endorsement list on a daily basis. The have such a great set of amps that this one first on very nicely on the low watt all tube amp combos. UTILIZATION * Innovative 5 Watt valve head * 1xECC83 and 1x12BH7 valves * Unique push pull power amp design * Award winning HT Pedal preamp * Two footswitchable channels * Two 1x12" speaker cabinets loaded with custom designed Blackbird 50 speakers * Enhanced tone controls * Patent-Applied-For Infinite Shape Feature (ISF) * Digital Stereo Reverb * Fully equipped for studio or practice * Speaker emulated output with 1x12 or 4x12 voicing * Effects loop with effects level switch * Footswitch included * Cool vintage styling SOUNDS This little amp has a fantastic clean tone that chimy and sparkles all the way up the guitar's volume pot. You can roll off the by gain and distortion rolling down you volume and get a nice sparkling clean that rivals any Fender amp that I have ever heard. The clean is a must hear channel but this thing lives in the distortion channel. You get a creamy lush gain that is British in flavor but its ow wonderful color of overdrive. The tone between the speakers and amp are perfectly matched together. You get the tone from the speakers that the amp was voiced with. So essentially this is the optimum setup for this amp in a small setup. If you need to use this amp in a larger set up you can always use the speaker simulated out put going direct int the house PA system of recording session. OVERALL OPINION At new these amps come in right at around $599, which is a steal of a price. You can't get a whole lot for that money but you can get a nice sounding all tube amplifier combo from Blackstar. This is a two channel dream amp for someone wanting to step into the tube amp world. I would recommend this amp to anyone who needs a good practice amp that sounds huge at low volumes. You combine that with the two 12 inch speaker cabinets then you have a recipe for greatness.

Blackstar hais one of the biggest up and coming amp compnaies in the world. They have amps for every size and pretty much every plauyer/ They have all kinds of different voiced amps and many amps that go all the way dwon to 1 watt of power. This amp is a 5 watt amp that has a push pull power amp section, two switchable channels, and great sounding 12 inch speaker. This amp for being a small little guy has a wallop of tone and drive. This little amp while being one of the best sounding amps you can buy as has a great clean channel to along with its famous distortion tone. This is a great little combo. UTILIZATION * Innovative 5 Watt valve combo * 1xECC83 and 1x12BH7 valves * Unique push pull power amp design * Award winning HT Pedal preamp * Two footswitchable channels * 12" Blackbird 50 custom designed speaker * Enhanced tone controls * Patent-Applied-For Infinite Shape Feature (ISF) * Digital Stereo Reverb * Fully equipped for studio or practice * Speaker emulated output with 1x12 or 4x12 voicing * Effects loop with effects level switch * Footswitch included * Cool vintage styling SOUNDS This little amp has a fantastic clean tone that chimy and sparkles all the way up the guitar's volume pot. You can roll off the by gain and distortion rolling down you volume and get a nice sparkling clean that rivals any Fender amp that I have ever heard. The clean is a must hear channel but this thing lives in the distortion channel. You get a creamy lush gain that is British in flavor but its ow wonderful color of overdrive. This amp is such a great workhorse small watt amp. They seem to be signing new artists to their endorsement list on a daily basis. The have such a great set of amps that this one first on very nicely on the low watt all tube amp combos. OVERALL OPINION At new these amps come in right at around $450, which is a steal of a price. You can't get a whole lot for that money but you can get a nice sounding all tube amplifier combo from Blackstar. This is a two channel dream amp for someone wanting to step into the tube amp world. I would recommend this amp to anyone who needs a good practice amp that sounds huge at low volumes.

BLackstar has so many amps for just about every player that plays the guitar. They have small watt amps and they have heavy duty high gain amps. They even have very usable distortion pedals. They have some of the very best distortion and overdrive pedal that are out there on the market. Now they even have some effects pedals as well. Here is where I think Blackstar fails to deliver. UTILIZATION * 8 delay effects * Genuine valve design * Operates at 300V HT * Unique Saturation control * Tap and two loops modes * Stereo * Unique switching operation * Silent switching * Power supply included * High integrity buffered bypass SOUND QUALITY This pedal has a lo of usable options. You have a stereo output for running delays sounds into stereo. This works if you want to have your delays to bounce from amps to amp or speaker to speaker. It is very cool effects if you can execute the technique. It has eight different delays types that most multi effect delay pedals usually have. Nothing new here. The cool thing here is the tube valve driver that pushes the tone of this pedal. In theory it sound great but I just don't care for the sound of this pedal. The delay seem to be a little flat and sterile to me. Not the best sounding delay that I have heard before. One of the coolest things that this pedal has is the saturation control knob. This essentially boosts the tube to give you a little grit and push in the tone. I am pretty sure they are simple pushing the tube in order to get that tone. Very cool and unique feature to have on a delay pedal. OVERALL OPINION At new you can get these pedals new for right at around $290. Not that bad of a price for a delay pedal. I have seen many other ones go for a lot more than this price. If you like the sound of a tube delay then this is the cheapest way to get it. Other are a lot more expensive than this pedal. It is a good pedal for some cool vintage vibes. I realy doesn't do a modern tone or digital but a very vintage sound and vibe.

BLackstar has been steady the last few years building high quality amps as well as very consumer budgeted amps. You can find an amp for every type of player and every time of musical situation. BLackstar has some of the best sounding amplifiers on the market right now. Now they are better equipping guitar players with very useful and effective distortion pedals. Even their ISF control knob and their award winning preamp design has been put it into a pedal. This is a pedal that has dual boosts and distortions. This pedal was design by the the guitarist from Ozzy called Gus G. These two spend time compiling what was needed to get a fire breathing distortion boost. UTILIZATION Limited to just 1,000 pieces worldwide, each pedal includes a certificate of authenticity signed by Gus G. and an exclusive Gus trading card. * Genuine valve design * Operates at 300V HT * Cascaded valve gain stages * Responds like a valve amp * Unique enhanced tone controls * Extreme gain and tone * Exclusive Infinite Shape Feature (ISF) * Fully equipped for stage or studio * Speaker emulated output * High integity buffered bypass * Power supply included * Silent switching * Unique Gus G. cosmetics SOUND QUALITY This is an over the top distortion box. This thing is all that the other dual box is but increased even more. A slightly different voicing but generally the same thing. This box is just a distortion monster. Most of it in my opinion is unusable gain. I know there are guys who think you can never have too much gain, but they are wrong. Unless you greatly increase you midrange then you will not cut through the mix. You must have something in the way of clean gain to cut through without boosting the mids, which for you down tune guys an mega gain and distortion guys you wanna kill the midrange. Tag is why most guitar tone pretty much suck in the metal world tight now. They have so much gain and drop A# tuning is just sounds like someone belching. The tones from many of these bands right now have a guitar tone that sounds like someone belching. It is horrible! OVERALL OPINION At new you can find these pedals for right at around $270. They are hard to get so if you find one and Gus G is your man than you should pick it up. He does have a killer tone on with his last band Firewind. This is a cool pedal nonetheless, but they are a bit more expensive then he other Blackstar pedals. This is a cool pedal but let someone else take the new hit and buy it used and save 40%.