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Blackstar Series One 104 6L6


Nerine

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I just wanted to say I had the displeasure of recording one of these the other day. I could not get a good sound out of it for love nor money.

I tried three different cabs.

 

75's

Greenies

V30's

 

All sounded rubbish.

Every mic placement I used sounded rubbish and there was a very harsh top to the sound that just made the amp sound thin. I struggled to get any usable thickness from the low mids without it sounding muddy and the gain was fizzy.

 

What an absolute crock.

 

Bare in mind it was being played loud in a live room with good mics into a high end analogue console with Trident style vintage eq and also a valve preamp into other outboard before hitting PTHD.

 

So it's not like I was just recording with an iPhone or something....

 

But I digress...

 

This was easily one of the worst amps I have had to record.

Most good amps aren't too fussy how they're mic'd and I do tend to judge all this stuff from an engineers standpoint quite often nowadays. A rectifier, 800, Plexi, Twin etc. all record beautifully. Slap a mic on them and they'll always sound good.

 

This....

 

Not so much.

 

Anyone love these amps? I thought it was pony.

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Funny how you and Timmy bash black star amps on a regular basis
:idea:

 

We frequent the same studio often Neil and seeing as I record bands that use Blackstars and Tim tours or does shows with lots of bands that seem to be using them, I think we are allowed an opinion.

 

 

Also, judging by the thread it's not just me and Tim bashing them. :idea:

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We frequent the same studio often Neil and seeing as I record bands that use Blackstars and Tim tours or does shows with lots of bands that seem to be using them, I think we are allowed an opinion.



Also, judging by the thread it's not just me and Tim bashing them.
:idea:

 

 

I have played a lot of gigs myself and also worked as an engineer an so yes I agree you have an opinion, but I guess I don't trust it so much since you said you change some bands drums for samples with out telling them. But that's another story, and I do like the tones you get.

 

But what did you do to get the tones you wanted, did you bring down the gain and boost it with a pedal with a higher midrange or did you use the clean channel (which is very good) an use a distortion pedal? Or how about an eq in the loop?

 

I don't like all blackstar amps but I think they are very usable. And I still love my HT-dual pedal (though I will admit it sounds even better if hit with a midrange strong boost pedal for solo's)

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I've heard better tones from the HT series than the Series one. The HT-5 and HT-20 are the only amps that I'd have any interest in owning.

 

 

This is often what I hear. The pedals are phenomenal..the Series One amps are horrid. All the clips I've ever heard suck too. Which is a shame because I was hoping for big things with the 200 watt one

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I have played a lot of gigs myself and also worked as an engineer an so yes I agree you have an opinion, but I guess I don't trust it so much since you said you change some bands drums for samples with out telling them. But that's another story, and I do like the tones you get.


But what did you do to get the tones you wanted, did you bring down the gain and boost it with a pedal with a higher midrange or did you use the clean channel (which is very good) an use a distortion pedal? Or how about an eq in the loop?


I don't like all blackstar amps but I think they are very usable. And I still love my HT-dual pedal (though I will admit it sounds even better if hit with a midrange strong boost pedal for solo's)

 

 

 

When an amp costs

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I didn't write the review.:)

 

I do own one and agree with it completely. Dude took the words right out of my mouth.

 

MY guess is the Series One amps were initially designed to work with 88's/6550's. I know my 200 smokes with 6550's and I would put up next to anything that Marshall, Mesa, or Orange has to offer now or sometime way back when.

 

It certainly has the best touch responsiveness of ANY hi-gain I amp I have ever played. It was mind-blowing to me because I was not used to such great pick dynamics on those style of amps.

 

I would imagine if someone is a heavy-handed player and has the some attack no matter what they play then it could sound harsh.

 

Can't say anything about the batches with the 6L6's or EL34's in them. No experience.

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The only Blackstar I've tried is the HT-5. What a cheap POS! You get what you pay for. I had high hopes for the series one but now I don't know. I also have a HT-Dual pedal. Never use it - another waste of money - super heavy too. Seems like maybe Blackstar is more about marketing than anything else but that's probably not completely true.

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The only Blackstar I've tried is the HT-5. What a cheap POS! You get what you pay for. I had high hopes for the series one but now I don't know. I also have a HT-Dual pedal. Never use it - another waste of money - super heavy too. Seems like maybe Blackstar is more about marketing than anything else but that's probably not completely true.

 

Looking at your sig you hate everything that is not boutique lol and you like EMG's :facepalm:

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Looking at your sig you hate everything that is not boutique lol and you like EMG's
:facepalm:

 

Incorrect, Nerine is producing my next album, an album thats budgeted and scheduled by a record label and distributed world wide.

 

My hatred of Blackstars is because they sound horrible and lack any sort of character, thats not a personal thing, its a science fact. I also hate 5150's, i dont bash them though because they're actually a decent amp, i just dont jive with them.

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Incorrect, Nerine is
producing
my next album, an album thats budgeted and scheduled by a record label and distributed world wide.


My hatred of Blackstars is because they sound horrible and lack any sort of character, thats not a personal thing, its a science fact. I also hate 5150's, i dont bash them though because they're actually a decent amp, i just dont jive with them.

 

 

Good for nerine but I bet you would hate it if you liked your guitar sound and he tried to change it because it didn't fit in with his idea of good tone.

But blackstars are not {censored}, I call user error.

 

I am not even defending blackstar I am just saying blanket statements are stupid, as is saying a tone is bad when someone else may like it.

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