Bluguitar Amp1 Iridium.

kennedydream1980

So I picked one of these up last week and I have to say I'm blown away by it.
I initially ordered the Mercury edition and although it sounded good the voicing wasn't quite to my taste. So I sent it back and got the Iridium version instead. I had trawled through Youtube looking at various demos/reviews. But it was the Studio Rats demo that tipped me over the edge.

I'm coming from using various modelers over the past 8 years or so. I owned and gigged the Atomic Amplifire, Line 6 Helix, Fractal AX8 and FM3, Kemper Stage and more recently a Strymon Iridium. It's so nice to be able to play through a real amp again. It sounds as good as anything I've used in the past valve amp wise and a level above any modeler. It's as dynamic as you would want. I'm using the Vintage mode almost exclusively and can go from clean to heavy crunch just from the guitar volume.

I'm playing it through an Egnater Rebel 1x12 closed back cab with a Celestion Elite 80 speaker. I have this mic'd up with a SM57 copy in a make shift isolation cupboard. It sounds superb. I've also ran it through an IR loader pedal for silent playing and it sounds fantastic this way as well. The in built Speaker sim on the unit is the only downside, it sounds dreadful. Luckily on the Iridium version you can turn it off which is what I'm doing, then running into the IR loader.

I'm a very happy chappy with this setup. If I ever get back into gigging I could run into the cab on stage for a bit of stage volume and also via the IR loader pedal direct to the desk for FOH.

Anyone else using a version of the Bluguitar? How are you finding it?

FarleyUK

I've been interested in this for a while; I'm VERY excited about the modeller thing he's bringing out soon as well. THAT is potentially going to be a real game-changer.

TheBigDipper

I've been playing an original edition for 5 years now. It's a great amp for live work and goes well with an HX FX as a multi FX and MIDI controller. I'm a clean-to-crunch player, so use the clean and vintage channels most of the time, and never touch the custom controls now I have them set how I like it. I adjust the tone controls on the top to suit the room I'm in and EQ on the HX for any playing tonal changes that the guitar can't manage. I'm using a FatCab, but considering a change to something more like an open 1x12.  Sits really well in a band mix. My only concern is that it's a "return to base" product if it were ever to go wrong. But so far, so good. 

EDITed 23SEP21 to say I had the amp stop working a few weeks ago and had to “return to base” at JHS for repair. It's so small and light it went out on overnight delivery as a small parcel with Royal Mail and was returned, fixed, the same way 7 days later. Not so bad after all :-) 

TheBigDipper

Oh, and I quite like the emulated speaker output for feeding a PA. It's an analogue emulation, not a sim. The only digital thing is the reverb, I believe. had a BluBox, but didn't think it added anything in a live situation so moved it on. The AMP1 records well, too, I think. 

kennedydream1980

TheBigDipper said:

Oh, and I quite like the emulated speaker output for feeding a PA. It's an analogue emulation, not a sim. The only digital thing is the reverb, I believe. had a BluBox, but didn't think it added anything in a live situation so moved it on. The AMP1 records well, too, I think. 

I had a BluBox briefly as well but didn’t like the Inbuilt IR’s so I returned it. I much prefer something I can load my own preferred IR’s into. I ended up with the NUX NSS-3 Mini Studio.

firepaulmusic

I’ve returned to the Amp1 after a gap of a few years. I bought one when they first came out. Recently I found a used Mercury Edition with a Nano Cab so gave it another try. Really enjoying the immediacy of an amp after using modellers for the last few years. I use mine with my AX8 in 4CM. Also using the BluBox which I actually quite like into the PA. Looking forward to trying an Iridium Edition after seeing the Studio Rats video. When I get a chance I want to dig out my old Marshall 4x12 and see what that sounds like...

portobear_65

I've got the Mercury version and Nano Cab.

Absolutely love them, the amp does pretty much everything I'm looking for tone wise between the Clean and Vintage channels.

All the Plexi type classic rock tones and sparkly cleans I like are achievable at home volume, which is a godsend and it takes pedals well.

I've barely played through any other amp since I bought the Amp 1.

imalrightjack

I just ordered one of these. Having owned the original, which I really liked, I’m much more excited for this. With IRs, it might end up replacing the Kemper…

firepaulmusic

imalrightjack said:

I just ordered one of these. Having owned the original, which I really liked, I’m much more excited for this. With IRs, it might end up replacing the Kemper…

I’ve just found a used Two Notes Captor X to try with mine direct to FOH...I’m also on the fence with my Kemper

professorben

I supported the UK Subs pre covid and Steve their guitarist was using a version 1, absolutely stonking tone 

very tempted to get one, just a little hesitant to move away from my Marshall head. 

maltingsaudio

Love mine, everything on one board https://imgur.com/gallery/i9cjYVm
ps get the remote 1 whole new world 

sjo89

Very confusing it being called the Iridium with no association to Strymon involved no?

I wonder how it would compare to the Hughes and Kettner Black Spirit? I had the Black Spirit for a year and really liked it, thought it sounded killer. 

kennedydream1980

sjo89 said:

Very confusing it being called the Iridium with no association to Strymon involved no?

I think the Bluguitar Iridium was released first.

sjo89

kennedydream1980 said:

sjo89 said:

Very confusing it being called the Iridium with no association to Strymon involved no?

I think the Bluguitar Iridium was released first.

If that's the case he must've been pissed! Surprised he didn't take issue with it as my first thought was that he had partnered with strymon.