All user reviews of 4/5 for the Blackstar Amplification HT Club 40

Blackstar has made a huge splash on the amp world in recent years. They have made great sounding fantastically priced amps for the masses. The price is what is so amazing to me. The amp sounds so very good and to keep their prices for a multi-channel combo like this under $1000 is remarkable. 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. The have successfully taking a huge niche in the market over the last few years.

This is one of their more famous amps as the price is consistent with lower competitive priced amps and their tone is just remarkable. The cleans are nice and sparkly and the distortion flavor has a fantastic gain y quality that makes it a joy to spend time with.

UTILIZATION

Features:
40 Watt valve combo
2x ECC83, 2x EL34 tubes
Two footswitchable channels
12” Celestion speaker
Enhanced tone controls
Patent-applied-for Infinite Shape Feature (ISF)
Clean voice switch
Overdrive voice switch
Master volume
Digital reverb with dark/bright switch
Speaker emulated output
Effects loop
2-way footswitch included
Cool vintage styling

SOUNDS

The clean is chimey and vintage feeling in the note separation. If you switch over to the overdrive channel it has a definite British feel and tone characteristics. The overdrive tone is a good tone to fall in love with. It has a nice fantastic feel, grind, and drive to it that makes you want to keep playing. It has the right amount of British sizzle in the voicing and the right amount of saturation too. This isn't a metal players amp by any means but a cover music or country, rock, and pop, players combo amp.

It sound great with a Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster. It also sound great with a Gibson Les Paul. Any guitar that already has a decent tone is going to match well with this amp. This is one of Blackstar's most popular amps and there is a reason for that: is sound awesome and works well under most circumstances.

OVERALL OPINION

At new these amps come in at around $700, which isn't bad for a solid combo 2 channel amp. Blackstar are also know for having great amps for recording. I recommend this amp to anyone who need a great sounding 2 channel amp that is not that expensive to own and at this price it is hard to pass up.

Blackstar has really stepped into the ring with this amp. Having two foot switchable channels that equally sound good and getting it well under $1000 in impressive.

The basic look of this combo amp is just an impressive. It has a clean sleek look that doesn't get to confusing as many other multi channel amps can. It has an easy enough operation with the footswitch and gets better and better the more you crank the tone.

UTILIZATION


Blackstar HT Club 40 Tube Combo Amplifier Features:

* 40 watts
* 2 x ECC83, 2 x EL34
* 2 footswitchable channels
* 12" Celestion speaker
* Enhanced tone controls
* Patent-applied-for Infinite Shape Feature (ISF)
* Clean voice switch
* Overdrive voice switch
* Master volume
* Digital reverb with dark/bright switch
* Speaker emulated output
* Weight: 53-4/5 lb.
* Dimensions: 24-2/5" x 22-1/3" x 11-7/10"
* Footswitch: FS-5 supplied


SOUNDS

I am not sure how they keep their prices so low, but if I were to guess than I would believe they are made in China. If this is true it will be a bit of a let down. But let me keep with the tone of this amp. The clean is chimey and vintage feeling in the note separation. It sound great with a Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster. If you switch over to the overdrive channel it has a definite British feel and tone characteristics. The overdrive tone is a good ton to fall in love with. It has a nice grind and drive to it that makes you want to keep playing. When ever an amp does that you know you have a winner.

OVERALL OPINION

At new these amps come in at around $700, which isn't bad for a solid combo 2 channel amp. Blackstar are also know for having great amps for recording. They sound good going into a sound booth through a mic and sound excellent on stage as well.

I recommend this amp to anyone who need a great sounding 2 channel amp that won't break the bank too much. You can find them on the used market fro around $450. So if you need a good amp that will serve you in multiple purposes ten this is a good one.

All tube combo amp 40w.

Main features:

HP-1 * 12 Celestion.
-2 Channels switchable to splayfooted.
Switchable reverb-foot well.
-Loop effect.
-Switches to "voicing" on each channel.
Knob-ISF (Infinite Sahpe Feature) acting as an equalizer, it scans the frequencies mediums primarily to move from its very British (lump in the upper mids, bass very "airy") to sound more American, more Modern with a grain tighter bass and plump.

The overall quality of the amp is more than satisfactory, everything is finished, the footswitch is very solid, nothing to say. I would have liked a boost treble or volume on the overdrive channel, so be it'll have to add a pedal.

UTILIZATION

Configuration rather easy as long as you have the habit of tube amps. The clean channel lacks a bit of volume compared to the overdrive channel, we must know how to play the master and volume (thankfully separate).
It's still very plug and play if we leave the settings at noon, the rest is qu'affinage.

The ISF, but not revolutionary, truly acting on its type british (knob far left) seems more pronounced than the American type, probably because it is much more easily recognizable.

I advise all the same to put an equalizer in the loop, to enrich the sound but that I would speak a little later.

SOUNDS

The sound of the HT Balckstar Club 40 is generally quite low in charge and mediums. The sound is very rock'n'roll afuté. Without EQ added, the clean is a bit flat, dry, is also a general characteristic of the amplifier. The grain is very fair, very musical but I found something was missing. That said, I think it comes largely from the fact that it's a combo 1 * 12, the sound can be the size of a 2 * 12 or 4 * 12.

Once added egualisation pedal in the loop (MXR 10-band here) the sound becomes richer and more nuanced. The amp retains its grain so charming, his enthusiasm and musicality but expresses it in a much freer, as if they had "unbridled" the beast. The approach really the best we can play almost everything and the ISF is here, its usefulness and its subtleties. Even the clean, rather average at the origin now becomes nasty and full of harmonics on my Tele and round the edge of the crunch on my LP. The overdrive allows the greatest variety from big crunch pumped type quay Orange at disto-type metal Pantera, Metallica .. I'd so plugging in a 4 * 12 one of these four to take me a good slap more.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it as a group for 7 or 8 months. I had a lot of combo lamps before it (Vox AC30, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Marshall JCM2000, JTM45 ..) is clearly the most versatile amp I had. Once egualisation pedal, the amp is really loose, the possibility of sounds are huge and all very believable in their registry. The personality of the guitar is respected. The value for money, unbeatable? Few amplifiers offering such diversity of sound and such quality for this price. The only competition might come from Bogner Alchemy but I have not had a chance to test it.