Blackstar

dickystark

Hi everyone
Am about to buy a Blackstar HT60 212 and would love a bit of feedback from anyone. Will be gigging and looking for an Oasis type sound. The reviews look decent but would love to hear back from anyone on here about this amp.
Thanks so much
Rich

bazxkr

Can't help I'm afraid but a while back I had the ht20 combo and thought it sounded great as sid others.Also still have the ht1 mini stack that is well good. So I have a lot of time for blackstar gear 
Sure there will be guys with actual experience of that amp coming along

DiscoStu

I've got an HT Stage 60, the original version. I can get sparkling cleans, some nice indie OD to suit my Radiohead needs and then full blown Mesa type hi gain for teh brutalz.
A really flexible amp, I'm sure you'll find your sweet spot with it! I favour the US style tones but you can tweak it with the ISF knob to sound more British which will be more along the Oasis line.

Musicwolf

The singer / guitarist in my band had one -  It weighed A bloody ton (I think that they are about 35kg?).  He got rid and bought an HT20 (the mk II) and he’s far, far happier.   I think that the amps themselves are fine for the money (I had an HT40), just make sure that you are getting the one that you can live with.

dickystark

Musicwolf said:

The singer / guitarist in my band had one -  It weighed A bloody ton (I think that they are about 35kg?).  He got rid and bought an HT20 (the mk II) and he’s far, far happier.   I think that the amps themselves are fine for the money (I had an HT40), just make sure that you are getting the one that you can live with.

Thanks mate - appreciate that

dickystark

DiscoStu said:

I've got an HT Stage 60, the original version. I can get sparkling cleans, some nice indie OD to suit my Radiohead needs and then full blown Mesa type hi gain for teh brutalz.
A really flexible amp, I'm sure you'll find your sweet spot with it! I favour the US style tones but you can tweak it with the ISF knob to sound more British which will be more along the Oasis line.

Really appreciate that mate, thanks

dickystark

bazxkr said:

Can't help I'm afraid but a while back I had the ht20 combo and thought it sounded great as sid others.Also still have the ht1 mini stack that is well good. So I have a lot of time for blackstar gear 
Sure there will be guys with actual experience of that amp coming along

Thanks mate, appreciate your reply

JCA2550

I had one when they came out, very versatile, very loud and very heavy. Moved it on after a few months at a loss and discovered Martamp and MJWs and Voxs. Finally found the sounds in my head without the bleeding ears and bad back.

ICBM

In my opinion... a massively heavy and bulky amp which does both clean and high gain, but without a single great sound in it - and won't do a light edge-of-breakup valve amp sound at all, it's too tight and too dark. The EQ really isn't that effective and the 'ISF' control is odd and works backwards from how it's described ('Marshall' sounds are anti-clockwise from centre).

Also, although generally reliable, they can be problematic if they do go wrong - they can be difficult to repair for an independent tech, but Blackstar's customer service is very good.

Personally if I wanted an Oasis sound I'd get a Marshall JCM900 - probably a Dual Reverb 50W 2x12".

Just my opinion though.

fretmeister

Local studio had the HT100 head.

I loved the cleans, and the brewtal drives.

Wasn't really a fan of the mid gain tones, but I don't usually use those so it didn't bother me!

BeardyAndy

I just moved on my HT20 because i found it too gainy, cleans were great but the drive channel didn't seem to do 'edge of break up' very well. Most of what I play is pop punk and rock so needed that slightly crunchy but loud sound that I could only get with pedals on the clean channel.

FWIW I just picked up a Laney Lionheart L20h and it does the job very nicely.

dickystark

ICBM said:

In my opinion... a massively heavy and bulky amp which does both clean and high gain, but without a single great sound in it - and won't do a light edge-of-breakup valve amp sound at all, it's too tight and too dark. The EQ really isn't that effective and the 'ISF' control is odd and works backwards from how it's described ('Marshall' sounds are anti-clockwise from centre).

Also, although generally reliable, they can be problematic if they do go wrong - they can be difficult to repair for an independent tech, but Blackstar's customer service is very good.

Personally if I wanted an Oasis sound I'd get a Marshall JCM900 - probably a Dual Reverb 50W 2x12".

Just my opinion though.

thanks mate, appreciate that

TTBZ

My experience is of the HT5 and HT20 and I'm not a fan. They're alright, kinda plain and generic sounding with no real character. Rubbish at guitar volume cleanup too. As others have said I'd be looking at a Marshall or Orange if you want a good British amp drive tone. 

dickystark

JCA2550 said:

I had one when they came out, very versatile, very loud and very heavy. Moved it on after a few months at a loss and discovered Martamp and MJWs and Voxs. Finally found the sounds in my head without the bleeding ears and bad back.

Thanks mate, appreciate the reply. Would you mind telling me why you got rid of it? 
Cheers
Rich

LooseMoose

I’ve never been able to get a sound I LOVE out of a Blackstar, plenty of acceptable tones in there (including a passable Oasis one I would suggest) but the amps just don’t do it for me. It’s almost not the sound, per se, more the ‘feel’ (if that doesn’t sound too w*nkery) - somehow they don’t respond to my playing in the way I want.

JCA2550

dickystark said:

JCA2550 said:

I had one when they came out, very versatile, very loud and very heavy. Moved it on after a few months at a loss and discovered Martamp and MJWs and Voxs. Finally found the sounds in my head without the bleeding ears and bad back.

Thanks mate, appreciate the reply. Would you mind telling me why you got rid of it? 
Cheers
Rich

Pretty much the reasons everyone else has said. I bought it on the strength of a glowing review in Guitarist and wanted something louder and more versatile than the Cornford Roadhouse 30 h and cab I was gigging at the time. For the size and weight it really didn't do it for me and I really missed the Cornford

impmann

Just to say there is a huge difference in sound, features and feel between the Mk1 HT range and the newer Mk2 HT range.
I prefer the Mk2 models personally.

ICBM

LooseMoose said:

I’ve never been able to get a sound I LOVE out of a Blackstar, plenty of acceptable tones in there (including a passable Oasis one I would suggest) but the amps just don’t do it for me. It’s almost not the sound, per se, more the ‘feel’ (if that doesn’t sound too w*nkery) - somehow they don’t respond to my playing in the way I want.

This. It's not just the dark, muddy sound - it's the complete stiffness which prevents any subtle controllability in the response... basically what people find with solid-state amps, and is usually true... although there are some solid-states which are *better* than the Blackstar HTs for this.

impmann said:

Just to say there is a huge difference in sound, features and feel between the Mk1 HT range and the newer Mk2 HT range.
I prefer the Mk2 models personally.

I believe you - I must get around to trying one... and the Studios.

It's annoying that they've moved the controls to the top though - one of my pet hates, and one of the only things I did like about the original HTs.

Grumpyrocker

impmann said:

Just to say there is a huge difference in sound, features and feel between the Mk1 HT range and the newer Mk2 HT range.
I prefer the Mk2 models personally.

Yes I owned a MK1 HT5 back in the day and didn't get on with it. 

However have a MK2 HT5 head now and it a superb amp. Really great sounds and excellent QoL features. 

jdbwales

I love Blackstar and they ended my endless amp hunt. I use a HT50 head through an Artisan 2x12 with Greenback clones and it absolutely nails Oasis when needed. The key for their combos is to change out the speakers - I’d recommend a HT40 (Same as he 50 head but a combo) with a new speaker for the right balance of tone, volume and portability. Nice emulated out for linking to PA (sound guys love it and it sounds huge) and I think it’s the best sounding of the series. 

FWIW I’ve tried the Mk2 of the HT50 and absolutely bloody hated it, sounded like a bad solid state, thuddy indistinct mess through my usual cab and speakers...