Blackstar Artist 30 - views, opinions, etc

THE NEW CLASSIC. Artist Series amplifiers.
jonnybeal
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2016 3:08 pm
Location: Bournemouth, UK

Tue Mar 15, 2016 3:14 pm

Hi guys,

Recently tried out the Blackstar Artist 30 at Absolute Music... I bought it.

Brilliant 2x12 combo - although 'low gain', there's a lovely syrupy distortion that has a unique quality to it according to the ISF you've set.

Really love it. However, I can't seem to find much about it anywhere, apart from a Chappers and The Captain review online, and a somewhat short (for Guitarist's standards), review on Music Radar.

Anyhow, I saw that the amp wasn't on the products part of the forum - can someone set this up?

Would like to see more about the amp, people's experiences etc.

Jon

jonnybeal
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2016 3:08 pm
Location: Bournemouth, UK

Sun Mar 27, 2016 10:31 pm

I can't believe more than 150 people have seen my post but not one has an Artist 30?

I can't find many others with the amp, but if there is anyone else out there, be good to have a catch up on it.

So far as I can hear, I'm playing with ISF at full most if not all of the time, and it's sounding brilliant.

It's a bit of a hench sound - I'm not past quarter on the volume at the loudest... This is a loud amp.

I've had many 30 watt amps, including a Peavey Classic 30, and a 100 watt Line 6, and this tops the lot in terms of sheer volume of sound.

Both strats and les pauls sound really full through the Artist, with channel 2 being the most versatile (I've not really used channel 1..)

I'm running into this a BSM Treble Booster, and it takes it so well. Clearing up the OD by rolling back the volume pots. The 6l6's are a curious choice for an amp from ex-Marshall employees, but they sound great, and seem to work well for a more British sound with the ISF on full. With ISF low, the bottom end has more spring to it, and treble I'd say.

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thephantum
Posts: 1160
Joined: Wed Jan 29, 2014 7:42 pm
Location: Virginia, United States

Sun Mar 27, 2016 11:26 pm

Based on what I've read and heard, it's a great sounding amp that responds to pedals really well. I would love to try one out with my pedal rig but, I won't even consider an amp it if it's not available in a head version...much less a 2x12 combo.

jonnybeal
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2016 3:08 pm
Location: Bournemouth, UK

Sun Mar 27, 2016 11:52 pm

That's good to hear... There is so little about the amp online which is odd considering it came out in November.

It does take pedals a hell of a lot better than other combos I've used. What blackstar are you using?

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thephantum
Posts: 1160
Joined: Wed Jan 29, 2014 7:42 pm
Location: Virginia, United States

Mon Mar 28, 2016 12:38 am

I have other heads and cabs, but these are the Blackstar's...

B* Heads:
HT-5RH - stock with w/Genelex B759 & 1957 TungSol 12BH7A
HT-20H - upgraded transformers w/TungSol 12AX7's and winged C EL34's
HT-50 - same mods as HT-20H

B* Cabs:
HTV-212 w/ Eminence Patriots (Texas Heats)
HT-408 w/ Eminence 820H's and converted to open back

Rugbygirlsdad
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2016 11:37 am
Location: Dorset

Fri Jul 01, 2016 5:55 pm

I have one, bought it from Nevada in Portsmouth just after Christmas.
I play rhythm in a big band with an Ibanez hollow body for the swing and jazz stuff and s Washburn Idol for the rockier stuff. I've had a problem with the clean channel since I bought it and it's currently being fixed under warranty. Loud crackling and popping.
I've waited this long because the second channel is also so good clean with the gain turned down that I haven't needed the Clean channel.
It's also loud and quite luggable. Certainly compared to the Vox ad100 it replaced.

cpthitop
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2016 8:58 pm

Tue Aug 16, 2016 9:08 pm

Rugbygirlsdad wrote:I have one, bought it from Nevada in Portsmouth just after Christmas.
I play rhythm in a big band with an Ibanez hollow body for the swing and jazz stuff and s Washburn Idol for the rockier stuff. I've had a problem with the clean channel since I bought it and it's currently being fixed under warranty. Loud crackling and popping.
I've waited this long because the second channel is also so good clean with the gain turned down that I haven't needed the Clean channel.
It's also loud and quite luggable. Certainly compared to the Vox ad100 it replaced.
I just bought the Artist 15 and have the same problem, otherwise loving the amp so far. Do you know what the problem is/was? Bad tube? Mine is just a couple of days old, so I'm gonna send it in to get it fixed or replaced, but since apparently I'm not the only one experiencing this I'd still like to know if this is some kind of fault with the series or just an issue with bad handling during shipment.

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thephantum
Posts: 1160
Joined: Wed Jan 29, 2014 7:42 pm
Location: Virginia, United States

Wed Aug 17, 2016 1:07 am

Cracking and popping is usually caused by electricity finding a path to ground that it should not have. 99% of the time, it's a bad tube. However, it could also be a loose component or a bad ground....especially in an amp that's brand new.

If you literally just got it, call the retailer you got it from and see if they will help you out. Many retailers will just swap it out for you if you've had it less than 30 days. Otherwise you are looking at a warranty repair.

Good luck.

cpthitop
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2016 8:58 pm

Tue Sep 06, 2016 12:13 am

Thanks, I got it replaced by the store and everything's working now.

jonnybeal
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2016 3:08 pm
Location: Bournemouth, UK

Sun Jan 15, 2017 12:29 am

Hey guys,

Thought I'd check in to see how people were finding their Artist 30's.

Ten months on, still loving mine. Haven't truly cranked much past half way - really rich tone, much prefer it to my old Peavey Classic, which was a super little amp.

Tone with the Classic is quite deep and intricate. It also takes pedals really, really well!

The reverb is really workable and the effects loop works very well. I've not really used the first channel, and usually have the ISF at fully American or nearer halfway, as I think that the 6l6s are more geared to it. To be fair, this is the first amp I've come across that both a strat and a Les Paul can sound equally brilliant - sometimes on stage, I just hit the ISF to moderate the tone and leave all other tone pots at 12 o clock.

Let me know how you're finding yours,

Jon

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