Hmm.. Blackstar HT-Stage 100 or Series One?

[odgeuk]

Hi all!

New to the Forum and looking for some advice!

I'm a gigging Rock Covers guitarist and own a few amps. I have two Marshall JMP 4-holer's which I love but which just aren't versatile enough for the jumps I sometimes need to make between David Bowie / ACDC and then Ozzy / Guns and Roses!

For the last year I've been running a Blackstar HT-Dual into a Peavey Classic 50w Combo and been pretty happy with the results. It's also been nice to just take a combo to a gig and not a 4x12 and Head. However, as I am currently playing as second guitarist where the other guy has a JSX and 4x12, I need something that's just maybe got a little more oommph. And I'm missing my Marshall sound.

I really didn't want to go back to a Head and Cab setup, or be running a 100W amp in venues which really don't need much more than 30w, but the Blackstar Series One and HT-Venue Stage 100 both seem, from reviews, like they will be magic boxes which will do everything I need right off the bat.

The HT-Venue 60 looks an option but it's very heavy from what I understand and I'll lose the flexibility of changing from 4x12 to 2x12 cabs depending on venue etc. I do find too that a 2x12 combo just can't quite compete against another amp being belted out through a 4x12.

What I'm looking for is an amp which has two sorts of clean. The clean of my Peavey is beautifully warm, especially with the spring reverb. It immediately inspires you to play jazzy chords and pretty finger-picked arpegiated things. Example at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYHYgB1l ... re=related (2:13). But the other sort of clean I love from my Marshalls, which is that raw, unforgiving clean where you can really hear all the wood and strings. Example here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-DzO5GIbbE

Then I need two OD channels. One for a warm, crunch, like an old JMP or plexi. From Black Crowes to Guns and Roses / Hot Rodded Marshall. The other for a lead boost, or a thick Van Halen Brown Sound.

The HT-Venue 100 seems to fit the bill in spec. Although I'm concerned that the demo's I've heard, the Overdriven sounds are a little thin in the mids when cranked, especially on OD1. I'm really fussy about my OD sound and it's early Marshall JMP all the way for me when it comes to crunch. Example Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jxwnjgQ ... re=related

But then, the Blackstar Series One (£300 more expensive) is said to have more of a vintage Marshall character.

Help!

[guitarnoize]

I think the series one (at least the combo I reviewed) had a little more of it's own unique character but the HT 100 is a real workhorse that covers all the ground you mentioned. I think with a little experimentation and some suggest a tube change, which inhaling tried yet, you'll get the tones you want. I have the cheap 2x12 which is mdf I believe but I'm going to replace the speakers to give it a bit more character even though as you'll hear in my demos it sounds great out of the box.

Check out YouTube.com/guitarnoize for a few blackstar demos

[odgeuk]

I think the series one (at least the combo I reviewed) had a little more of it's own unique character but the HT 100 is a real workhorse that covers all the ground you mentioned. I think with a little experimentation and some suggest a tube change, which inhaling tried yet, you'll get the tones you want. I have the cheap 2x12 which is mdf I believe but I'm going to replace the speakers to give it a bit more character even though as you'll hear in my demos it sounds great out of the box.

Check out YouTube.com/guitarnoize for a few blackstar demos

Great Stuff. Thanks for your reply, and for the link to the review vids that you did.

I have to say that I think maybe the OD1 sounded a little too stiff for my liking, on your review video. It didn't seem to 'bloom' in the lower mids. I'm guessing it's just the way you prefer to dial your crunch in on that amp (or the speakers as you said) as it sounds like it can get a little 'browner' in this vid demo at 4:30:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29esAeMC ... re=related

[guitarnoize]

Yeah it is very very tweakable and I had the resonance up a little high for a real brown classic VH tone in my medium gain vid, also remember I currently don't have a attenuator so I'm playing at very low volume, maybe 2 - 2.5 Master volume which means it's not get that nice saturated power tube overdrive warmth, that's next on my list

[odgeuk]

Yeah it is very very tweakable and I had the resonance up a little high for a real brown classic VH tone in my medium gain vid, also remember I currently don't have a attenuator so I'm playing at very low volume, maybe 2 - 2.5 Master volume which means it's not get that nice saturated power tube overdrive warmth, that's next on my list

Good Call. I use a 16ohm THD Hotplate and have no trouble with it. Some guys get really into attenuators and say the Hotplate 'suck tone' and then spend silly money on something which is already an expensive piece of gear. But if it's good enough for Joe Bonamassa and Paul Gilbert......