ht20 combo with htv112 cabinet? is it worth it?

[TBRO]

I will do some reading.. Sounds like the tube swap is worth it.. Glad to know I don't need to bias the amp because I have never messed with anything like that.. My bro has a mulitmeter and we were going to give it a try and hope we did not blow ourselves up or fry ourselves.. Does not look like Blackstar has relesed too much information on this topic either.. Thanks for the help.. TBRO

[Ardge]

I say go for it. I did and it is awesome! I've never heard such a full sound before. I'm just in love with it.

Here's a few pictures. I posted one in the rig section the other day. I had an impromptu photo session the other morning. My wife was not pleased. She thought there was an early AM thunderstorm.





You can totally see the size ratio between the amp and cab in these pictures. It looks BRUTAL when stacked.



The only problem I have with my cabinet is that the back is wide open and very inviting to a curious cat... like mine. There's been more than a few times in the short time I've owned this cabinet that he's been in the bottom sleeping. I am a drummer first and foremost, and I had to swap out my black DW front bass drum head for a clear one. He makes himself very at home in the pillow-lined drum. I'm gonna have to get ahold of some screening and staple it on the inside of the cab. I can see this furry menace of mine chewing the wiring or something.



As far as swapping out the speakers, I really don't know why it's such a common suggestion here. I mean no disrespect to those who have done it, but I don't see why. The sound of the amp is the reason why I bought it. I looked long and hard before deciding to spend my money on Blackstar. I'll put this amp and cab up against any, even those costing 3x as much. This amp is brutal, even without any of the effects I run.

RAWK!
RJ

[Ardge]

Notice the fur on the bottom of the back of the cabinet in that last picture up there. Man... my cat loves me and the amp's warmth. He's always around me, no matter what. He's like my shadow. You'd think the loud sound would drive him to go hide somewhere, but I rarely open it up to it's LOUD levels. The heat (and smell) of the tubes attracts him.

This is the evening I became a Blackstar owner.


I've never taken an actual picture of him INSIDE the cabinet, but if he does it tomorrow, I'm on it like TMZ.


Dude, go get the HTV-112 if you haven't already. Paired with the HT Studio 20, it's God-like.

RJ

[TBRO]

Thanks Ardge.. My B-day is Wed May11.. My wife already told me she ordered it for me.. I am now even pumped further.. I appreciate the pics.. Stacked that thing looks monster.. I love my 20 so much...I am interested in adding a distortion pedal to the mix and have been eyeing the ts9 for sometime.. Pretty familiar with it and actaully hit on a horse this weekend so was going to pick one up today.. You have any experience with disrtortion pedals and your 20? Again thanks for the information and the pics.. Awesome!! The cat on top of the combo was an awesome pic.. Does he hang out there when you gig? LOL.. TBRO

[Ardge]

TBRO, happy birthday! Mine is 13 days later!

2 things - First, make sure you have a speaker cable on hand. There isn't one supplied in the cab box. I bought a 3-foot, Performer 500 high-quality Monster Cable for $25. 3 feet works perfectly in side by side and stacking, but there is very little wiggle room if you wanted to space them out a bit. I like knowing there's not a mess of unneeded cabling behind my setup. 3 feet provides a clean, custom looking fit.

Secondly, make sure you connect the correct ohmage in both the extension cab, as well as the Studio 20's speaker. Just plug the internal speaker cable of the Studio 20 into the 1x8ohm speaker input on the back of the amp and then plug the extension cab into the 2x16ohm speaker input.

Good luck man! Post up some pictures when you get it.

RJ

[TBRO]

Thanks for all the info ardge.. I appreciate all of it bro.. Happy b-day in advance to you.. Nice lookin Ibanez you got there.. Some people say they are cheap but they are the dumb ones.. I have almost loved any Ibanez guitar I have ever played.. I had the artcore as 73 series semi hollow in cherry red... Traded it in for some loot to get my 20.. Got a black fender mexi standard and one of those Gibson LP studio 60's when they were on sale last year.. Vintage burst.. No bindings but I love it man.. My LP growls through anything.. IT makes crappy little solid state amps sound good..I want the Ibanez semi hollow back but it's too late..It was a fantastic sounding guitar.. Loved pinch harmonics and had plent y of bite.. I been eyeing the flat black semi Hollow that Ibanez makes and I have played it.. It is a sweet axe.. Just meant for rockin.. Those new Ibanez with the zero radius necks are just friggin awesome.. Ibanez are just awesome axes man.. So back to the hookup thing.. Nothing more than 1/4 standard cable and no other wires are needed.? I know what you mean by the internal speaker wire in the combo I saw it back there.. You don't need to buy another wire to run from the combo to the cab? Or do they supply it with the cab? I hope I made sense..
Thanks again for all the help man.. The pics were just awesome. It looks gnarly when it's stacked... I am looking to add more volume and depth to the sound which others on this forum already told me I would get.. Hopefully it will arrive tomorrow.. It will be sometime this week when it arrives and I will post pics of it with all my ladies lined up next to it..

TBRO

[Ardge]

Thanks for digging my guitar. It's an RGR421EXFM with a Transparent Lavender Burst finish. Thats one of the few RGs without a trem. It was in their lineup for three years before they discontinued it last year. Ibanez sure does make some awesome rock guitars and this one is brutal good. I upgraded the pickups to DiMarzio PAF Pros and it does nothing but rage. So awesome

As for the speaker cable, you're gonna have to supply your own. There's none supplied in the box, but then again, my box looked like it was sent from Chernobyl via Afghanistan's outdoor UPS with a layover in some motocross track in Tennessee. It was ripped and taped and filthy. (My Studio 20 box was all messed up too.)

Be safe and buy a good speaker cable today. Return it if there's one supplied in the box. Nothing would suck more than having the cab stare at you without the cord needed to power it up. And yes, that's the only cord you need. One 1/4" to 1/4" speaker cable, 3' minimum.

ROCK!!!!
RJ

[TBRO]

Beautiful bro.. I again really appreciate the help.. I bet with the pickup upgrade that baby growls.. Total fan of Ibanez man..The stock pickups in my artcore were awesome.. My buddy had the same model only in vintage burst and his pickups sucked.. So weird, maybe something at the factory who knows.. I purchased my 20 from the local music shop.. It was new in the box but the box did not look like it spent a week with the Libyan rebels! The cab is coming from Musicians friend via the mail.. So we will see.. I am hitting the old Guitar center up today for a cable and maybe the ts9 pedal.. Ardge, stay frosty and rock often bro! Thanks for all the help..

TBRO

[Ardge]

Here's hoping Musician's Friend takes good care of their stock. I have a good feeling you're not gonna have any problems. The cab is crazy heavy though. I'll say a prayer that the UPS guy has a cart or something.

Where are you located? I know you're not here with me in Chicago. Guitar Centers around here don't stock ANY Blackstar on their floor. Both my Amp and Cab were bought from GC, but online. I'm a frisbee toss away from a store too.

As for the distortion pedal, I have a Boss Mega Distortion and an Ibanez Tube Screamer, but neither are in my chain. The Studio 20's gain is brutal enough for me. I think I have the crunch at 80% even. I've never heard live or tried a Blackstar distortion pedal. I have however seen that Gus G. dual distortion pedal he has on YouTube. That's unreal.

HORNS UP! ~~ \m/ \m/

RJ

[TBRO]

Rockin it out in Ohio bro.. Chicago sounds real swell.. I been there and it is awesome.. Best Italian food ever...My 20 came from a little local shop in Mansfield called Metronome.. Real nice store family ran.. Good people.. They did not have the cab or I woudl have bought it from them.. Yeah the distortion on the 2o sounds great.. Band I am in plays a lot of different music.. Need something a little beefier for some of the stuff we play.. I traded an 80 watt line 6 in with that Ibanez.. Tons of effects and all that but every guitar sounded the same and I like so many different kinds of music.. I actually got rid of the 80 because it was best for heavy black nasty metal.. Could do other things but not as well as that.. Just not that much character.. The 20 has opened the doors on a lot of different genres of music for me and my band.. We have been playing lots of Foo Fighters and grunge stuff lately and it handles just fine.. I also love the clean channel on this amp.I have noticed on a lot of the heavier stuff we play though the 20 just does not quite get that saturated death tone I am looking for.. Also looking to boost the solos a little as well..We dont play too much of this but when I want that 6th gear I feel like I don't have it right now..I am hoping the cab gives me a little more beef too on the bottom end too.. I am still foolign with the eq on the 20.. Minor knob turns can lead to many different tones with this amp.. I have not had a tube amp in 12 years and i will never own anything other than tube again.. That line 6 casio I traded in is not missed...Peice of trash...Loud but no depth or character.. Like a cheap hooker...