Amplifier Mistake (Blackstar)

ThePrettyDamned

thomasross20;444551" said:

Problem is I'd need an attenuator to get decent sounds out of valve heads at low volumes...

This is not true. Most decent amps sound good at all volumes.

If you want power section drive, maybe, but if you're after a good sounding, reliable valve amp that has great 80s style crunch there are plenty out there, such as the 5153 or 6505. The 5153 is a bit smaller. Sadly most demos focus on the modern metal tones, but the crunch is just the ticket for 80s slash.

It won't do clean and that sort of crunch at the same time though, so still maybe not ideal.

Also, if you set another channel for boost, yes you might not need the boost pedal - that's a good thing! Less to carry, less to fail, sell it for more money. That's all good.

You like the id amp - why not just get the head version and a 2x12 cab? Plenty of volume, spread and easier to haul around.

thomasross20

Voxman said:

thomasross20 said:

Damn, damn, damn. 

I only recently got the Blackstar 260TVP with a cool cover to go and the footswitch... and it sounds amaaaaazing!!

BUT!! It's just too heavy and bulky for me! I had to take it to practice today and just about did my back in! I even bought a little trolley for it but it didn't help all that much. 

I hear you - suffered from a badback (L4/L5 compressed vertebrae) for years.  The 260TVP is actually lighter at 53lbs than my Vox Valvetronix AD120VTX at 58lbs.  Hence why I don't take it out much either anymore.  So, if you like the 260TVP, why not just get the 1x12 60w ID60TVP instead?

I've read some reviews saying the 1x60W isn't loud enough for gigs, but surely not....! 

thomasross20

Just rung guitarguitar and unfortunately they don't do trade-ins for amplifiers as they need to be PAT test etc... Is this common for most guitar shops? Looks like it'd have to be private trade if I wanted to sell this on.

p90fool

thomasross20;444551" said:

Problem is I'd need an attenuator to get decent sounds out of valve heads at low volumes...

Not at all, especially if you're planning on running it clean as a pedal platform anyway - the last thing you want is power amp saturation.

Get a decent single channel valve head and a 1x12 and you'll never look back. It's time you got a proper amp to go with those guitars anyway.

ICBM

thomasross20 said:

Problem is I'd need an attenuator to get decent sounds out of valve heads at low volumes…

No you don't. I get great sounds out of mine at low volumes.

thomasross20 said:

I've read some reviews saying the 1x60W isn't loud enough for gigs, but surely not....! 

I would say it was. The one I tested was almost as loud as a 50W valve Marshall, through the same speakers. (At 4 ohms.)

The 100W head and a decent cab definitely would be.

thomasross20 said:

Just rung guitarguitar and unfortunately they don't do trade-ins for amplifiers as they need to be PAT test etc... Is this common for most guitar shops? Looks like it'd have to be private trade if I wanted to sell this on.

Sounds like avoiding telling you they don't want to take a trade-in. They have an amp repairer, I think.

You'll almost certainly do better to sell it privately anyway - the shop will need to make a profit on it when they sell it.

Voxman

Re the stereo thing, my AD120VTX is stereo - and in a 2x12 combo the speakers are too close together to get proper stereo separation so makes very little difference aurally.  You'll get a much better stereo with a (stereo) head and two cabs (one per channel).  

Voxman

thomasross20 said:

Voxman said:

thomasross20 said:

Damn, damn, damn. 

I only recently got the Blackstar 260TVP with a cool cover to go and the footswitch... and it sounds amaaaaazing!!

BUT!! It's just too heavy and bulky for me! I had to take it to practice today and just about did my back in! I even bought a little trolley for it but it didn't help all that much. 

I hear you - suffered from a badback (L4/L5 compressed vertebrae) for years.  The 260TVP is actually lighter at 53lbs than my Vox Valvetronix AD120VTX at 58lbs.  Hence why I don't take it out much either anymore.  So, if you like the 260TVP, why not just get the 1x12 60w ID60TVP instead?

I've read some reviews saying the 1x60W isn't loud enough for gigs, but surely not....! 

Like anything, depends on how loud you play.  The ID30 might struggle with a very loud drummer, but when I tried the ID60 it could be damned loud so I'd be very surprised if you struggled with it volume wise.  But if in doubt, there's a 100w head too.

noisepolluter

thomasross20 said:

Hot Rod Deluxe is 18kg+? Got to say I still think that's a bit heavy for me. 

I ideally don't want anything weighing too much more than the Cube I had. 

The Deluxe Reverb (65 or 68 reissue) is a couple of kilos lighter and sounds amazing - but you might run into headroom problems depending on the band you're playing with.

Cacofonix

I understand the weight thing.  I carried my rig in one.  Stiletto head, recto cab in one hand each, and guitar and racked fx over shoulder. 

110lb in just the ampage.  I could feel the compression on my back.

The recto cab went for sale the next day.

As to what to replace it with, I went head and cab - kept the stiletto and got a Blackstar 1x12.  I found out recently that it's mdf which was a bit of a downer but it's light enough and sounds ok so hey ho. I have some casters for it for when I get too decrepit, and some stowing straps to secure amp to cab when wheeling it.

thomasross20

Is MDF that big a problem - does it make that much difference?

I assume going through a distorted channel on any amp (even valve) would still render my boost pedal useless. I'm going to do some more research over the Christmas period to see what would suit me best..

thomasross20

How many of you actually use distortion and boost pedals then? Sounds like if I relied solely on the amp channels I could just throw away those pedals..

bingefeller

I'd also suggest the new Blues Cube amps, plus the 80 watt one is 16kg and the Blackstar you have is 24kg so it'll be a good bit lighter.

noisepolluter

thomasross20 said:

Is MDF that big a problem - does it make that much difference?

I assume going through a distorted channel on any amp (even valve) would still render my boost pedal useless. I'm going to do some more research over the Christmas period to see what would suit me best..

Depends what you're after. Do you just want the same amount of drive, but louder?

There are various ways you could do it, but in any case you're looking at something with enough clean headroom to make sure that you're not driving the power section too hard. Any valve amp with that kind of power is going to have bigger transformers and a bigger speaker magnet. 

I honestly can't think of anything lighter than a hotrod deluxe with the same headroom. You could possibly shave off a few pounds with a speaker with a neodymium magnet. The main selling point is that it's a loud, easily portable amp at a modest weight. 

If that's genuinely too heavy (and I honestly don't reckon you'll get the headroom you're after in a valve amp weighing less than 40lbs) then you're looking at a Cube 80XL or a Fender Mustang III. 

EDIT: I forgot about those new Blues Cubes - could definitely be worth a look, in fact that's probably the first non-valve thing I'd try.

thomasross20

Some sites say the 260 is 24kg, others 29kg. I'm sure it's 29kg. 

I'll try a Hot Rod Deluxe and report back - not sure when that'll be, though. Weight looks to be ~20kg.

Honestly, I think from a versatility point of view it's going to be head & cab - it'd just be SO much lighter.

thecolourbox

If it's not been mentioned yet, a Blackstar HT Dual pedal straight to PA would be pretty light, valvey ish, Blackstar sound, and would take pedals reasonably I'd guess, then you'd just need a monitor which should be lighter?

midlifecrisis

another option, find a keen youngster to roadie for you for beer money...serious, a drummer in a previous band I was in did this

Danny1969

HT20 head and 1 x 12 cab should be perfect for you. If your mic'ed up then the HT5 I use is fine. Last Thursday we played an awards show at the Hilton in Mayfair. The load in was via the lift up to the 3rd floor but then we have to trek all the gear about a 1\4 mile through  longest  kitchen I've ever seen. Me an the other guitarist both had HT5's and were very thankful of it. They are really light 

TheCount

Pick up a used HRD and chop it into a head cab. I did it with a Blues Deluxe and it works fine, sounds much better going into an external cab, even a 1 x 12. As a combo they just seem to vibrate plus they're not that light. Failing that get a modeller like a hd500 or eleven rack and put it in of those 2u handbag fabricy type things you can put over your shoulder. Straight to Pa when you can, small active speaker when you can't.. simples

ICBM

thecolourbox said:

If it's not been mentioned yet, a Blackstar HT Dual pedal straight to PA would be pretty light, valvey ish, Blackstar sound, and would take pedals reasonably I'd guess, then you'd just need a monitor which should be lighter?

A powered monitor of the same volume as a valve amp is likely to be heavier - it will need to be at least two to three times the power and will normally have a more solid, closed cabinet.

I never find an emulated sound into a full-range system is quite right either.. something about trying to remove the frequencies which don't sound good through a tweeter by electronic means rather than just not having the tweeter just doesn't work as well.

I would also agree that under 40lbs for something with giggable volme and headroom is a tall order, no matter how you do it. A super-lightweight solid-state head will still need a fairly substantial cabinet or it just won't produce a big sound.

ThePrettyDamned

thomasross20;444634" said:

How many of you actually use distortion and boost pedals then? Sounds like if I relied solely on the amp channels I could just throw away those pedals..

If you can get the sounds and volumes you need on channels alone, lose the pedals. Pedals need to add something to be useful.