Cheap Giggable Amp?

darthed1981

Andertons "Epic Deal" on this...

I probably don't need a gig-capable valve amp, but always happy to GAS after one, what are everyone's thoughts.

I'll save time and tag @ICBM to come in and say it sucks

ICBM

lol

I haven’t actually tried those yet, but I do have to admit that my experience with Blackstar is not promising .

Most of them are built well enough, they are just very much NOT ‘the sound in my head’...

pintspiller

Are they looking to clear stock to make room for a new version?

Sorry. I'm always cynical of huge discounts.

kennedydream1980

I had the Artist 15 for a while. It was okay but was very bright. The EQ was good enough to tame it. I had to roll back the treble to 9 o’clock. The 15 was also incredibly loud. 

They are designed as pedal amps so the most you will get out of it on channel 2 is a light crunch. 

Teyeplayer

Now this is just conjecture from what I’ve seen at festivals over the summer that have had a blackstar backline and a couple of folks I know that were endorsed by them back a while -but don’t they always blow up at really inopportune times? It’s like part of their branding or something?

darthed1981

Teyeplayer said:

Now this is just conjecture from what I’ve seen at festivals over the summer that have had a blackstar backline and a couple of folks I know that were endorsed by them back a while -but don’t they always blow up at really inopportune times? It’s like part of their branding or something?

Thats not great...

Andertons just did a video with their MD who looked a bit unhappy!

ICBM

kennedydream1980 said:

I had the Artist 15 for a while. It was okay but was very bright. The EQ was good enough to tame it. I had to roll back the treble to 9 o’clock. The 15 was also incredibly loud. 

They are designed as pedal amps so the most you will get out of it on channel 2 is a light crunch. 

That sounds like I should try one - I normally find Blackstars very dark and muddy and with far too much gain. I only ever use an amp for clean and crunch, anything more and it's a pedal.

I really don't like top-mounted controls though.

Teyeplayer said:

Now this is just conjecture from what I’ve seen at festivals over the summer that have had a blackstar backline and a couple of folks I know that were endorsed by them back a while -but don’t they always blow up at really inopportune times? It’s like part of their branding or something?

That's Ashdown. That's why you always see two Ashdown heads on top of every cabinet, one turned off. And usually two complete stacks of the same...

darthed1981

I did think the consensus on the artists were that they were the best thing Blackstar made?

ICBM

darthed1981 said:

I did think the consensus on the artists were that they were the best thing Blackstar made?

You may be confusing them with the Artisans, which are the more vintage-style hand-wired ones. I personally don't like those either, they're still too stiff and dark despite being derived from a Vox-type circuit.

The Artists are mid-range hybrid amps derived from the HT series.

darthed1981

I think what I REALLY want is the new one-speaker AC30.

Did anyone else think that just sounds superb in Andertons' video on it?

longjaw

ICBM said:

darthed1981 said:

I did think the consensus on the artists were that they were the best thing Blackstar made?

You may be confusing them with the Artisans, which are the more vintage-style hand-wired ones. I personally don't like those either, they're still too stiff and dark despite being derived from a Vox-type circuit.

The Artists are mid-range hybrid amps derived from the HT series.

My Artisan 15W is definitely not dark, in fact I have to tame the highs on it, especially when using single coils - it sounds great to my ears!

PinstripePhil

 Secondhand PV Classic 30. 

Snags

@darthed1981 if you want something loud and valvey I believe there's a Laney LC30II in classifieds (certainly there was).  They're stupidly cheap secondhand (£150-£200) and have plenty of grunt.

Took mine to the Herts jam thinking it would be a chance to finally use it properly (it's spent the last few years just sat under a desk at home, as it's too loud for everywhere I play).  Still didn't manage to get it above 2.5 before it was anti-social to the other amps present ...

darthed1981

Snags said:

Still didn't manage to get it above 2.5 before it was anti-social to the other amps present ...

That's the problem.  Playing at almost always home volume means as much as I'd like a lovely, lively growly valve amp, my Katana 50 is probably all the amp I need.... well, ever!

One day though...

Snags

darthed1981 said:

Snags said:

Still didn't manage to get it above 2.5 before it was anti-social to the other amps present ...

That's the problem.  Playing at almost always home volume means as much as I'd like a lovely, lively growly valve amp, my Katana 50 is probably all the amp I need.... well, ever!

One day though...

I've had the LC30 up at about 8 on the gain channel, with the gain almost maxed, in a 6'x9' front bedroom before.  Got some filthy looks from passers-by, even through the double-glazing, and I couldn't hear anything for quite a while afterwards, but it was worth it