I gave the Blackstar Series One 100 another bash today...

[Mattayus]

I tried it about a year ago, really hated it. I tried it with a boost, without a boost, 6 and 7 strings, played with the settings for a good 20 mins, at all manor of volumes, and I just couldn't get it to play nice. It was "good" but not anything that made me think I could use it for heavy music. I just couldn't get that 'push' out of it.

However, I had some spare time today and was in the shop again where they stock them, and bumped into my other guitarist. We hung out for a bit and tried out some guitars/amps, he's currently looking for a rig. He said he wanted to try out the Blackstar and I told him not to bother. He figured fuck it, I'll try it anyway...

At the time we were jammin on an old Yamaha Blues Saraceno sig (fucking AMAAAZING guitar, love this thing!). We plugged it in, and after some tweaking I nearly shit myself.

I don't know what I'd done wrong before, or if I was having a bad-ear day or something but I was really really blown away by it this time around. It was smooth, clear, dynamic, punchy... It's not the sort of amp you could imagine cranking out some Decapitated on, or anything that aggressive/saturated/pushed, but for a crystal clear modern metal/metalcore amp it was an absolute winner. Very articulate, and clear, I urge anyone to try one if you can!

[/coolstorybro]

 

[GPDUSA]

I tried it about a year ago, really hated it. I tried it with a boost, without a boost, 6 and 7 strings, played with the settings for a good 20 mins, at all manor of volumes, and I just couldn't get it to play nice. It was "good" but not anything that made me think I could use it for heavy music. I just couldn't get that 'push' out of it.

However, I had some spare time today and was in the shop again where they stock them, and bumped into my other guitarist. We hung out for a bit and tried out some guitars/amps, he's currently looking for a rig. He said he wanted to try out the Blackstar and I told him not to bother. He figured fuck it, I'll try it anyway...

At the time we were jammin on an old Yamaha Blues Saraceno sig (fucking AMAAAZING guitar, love this thing!). We plugged it in, and after some tweaking I nearly shit myself.

I don't know what I'd done wrong before, or if I was having a bad-ear day or something but I was really really blown away by it this time around. It was smooth, clear, dynamic, punchy... It's not the sort of amp you could imagine cranking out some Decapitated on, or anything that aggressive/saturated/pushed, but for a crystal clear modern metal/metalcore amp it was an absolute winner. Very articulate, and clear, I urge anyone to try one if you can!

[/coolstorybro]

We put a pair of PM Russian KT88's in ours at the shop, pushed it more towards that Decapitated sound, louder too...

 

[Rook]

That's pretty much what I've always thought of out, very much a plug 'n' play amp.

It'll do lots of things but it isn't any particular genre of amp. I also have always thought they can sound flat and weak sometimes, and full and rich others.

I'm yet to figure out where the inconsistencies lie.

 

[Mattayus]

Yeah man that was exactly it ^
Like, it was a great sounding amp, but it just didn't have its own character really. I find that with a lot of modern amps though tbh, you have to default back to the classics to get something recognisable, and something that really stands out.

Saying that, I wouldn't turn one down at the right price. I can imagine it being a great studio amp with all its versatility and smooth tone

 

[Cheesebuiscut]

Does it djent

Smooth / clear / dynamic / punchy all make it sound like it would do it great, and are all characteristics I like.

Now I'm curious to try more blackstar

 

[Rook]

I wouldn't rate it as a djent amp. It sounds loosely like a Marshall superlead but without that real forcefulness that you get from the old 80's Marshalls, it's much flatter.

I'm sure if you put some super hot pickups and a booster/EQ in front of it it'll get all metal, but any 100W all tube amp will, lets be honest.

The cabs are good, lol.

 

[signalgrey]

Try the 200
it fucking blew me away.

 

[Rook]

YEah we have a 200 too, they sound pretty similar, the 200 is just a little 'bigger' sounding.

Both cool heads, just not for me

 

[Thrashmanzac]

i've got a ht-5 and love it
i have heard only good things about blackstar amps in general

 

[budda]

maybe they put it on a different cab this time around?

I've never played a blackstar, I'd like to

 

[Thrashmanzac]

my old guitar teacher just finished his album, so anyone wanting to hear a blackstar do metal go here: The Departed | The Departed

 

[Mattayus]

Sounds pretty sweet actually. I can imagine it suiting hard rock stuff quite well, like Alter Bridge and Chevelle etc, but maybe not uber aggressive riffy stuff