• Awesome Mid Range Amp

  
  As reviewed by Diego Ferrandiz on 4/5/2012

  I have 25 years playing guitar, I have been playing guitar through a lot of different amps (Fender Rad, Fender Twin Reverb, Roland JC-120, Fender FM212, Marshal Valvestate 8080, JCM-800, JCM-900, Mesa 1986 Mark III, VOX AC-30, etc) and I have the sensation that this amp have a really new configuration in the tone and features, is the feeling of state-of-the-art in the amps world. When the amplifier arrived, the first thing that I did was take my fender stratocaster 1992 American Standard and I plugged the guitar directly to amp, I noticed a very quiet amp whithout noise. I played some rifs in the clean channel and I perceived a great response of the pickups in my chest but at the same time a great sparkle response and a very clear high end into the short sustain of an stratocaster. I switched to the OD channel and I tested the ISF control getting a versatile feeling, remembering my old Valvestate 8080 and all fender amps that I had many years ago, but with the ability to combine all of them in a box and the posibility to change from one to other just moving the potenciometer and the equalization controls. I really feel that this amp has his own character and tone. The dimensions of the cabinet, the weight and rugged construction makes this amp a war horse for musicians. The only cons this amp has, from my point of view and according to my preferences is the gain control. When the gain is set in a minimal position the distortion is hard and when the gain is full the distortion is very hard, the amp doest have a crunch sound in the OD channel like many other amps with similar characteristics. If the user want to get a crunch sound in the clean channel this is very crispy and brighter, almost saturated. In general I'm very satisfied with this amp, looks like an amp for many years of experimentation.

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• Quite Good

  
  As reviewed by Ryan Schlenger on 12/14/2011

  I bought this amp because I needed a versatile amp for recording. This amp really is loaded with a wide pallet of useful tones. The clean channel is...clean. It's a bit punchy and compressed, especially on single coils, but in a really nice dynamic way that responds to your picking. The gain channel is extremely versatile...you can get anything from a gritty clean with subtle brake up, to a very aggressive distorted tone. Metal guys will mainly want to use humbuckers as they really bring out the amp's bad natured goodness. For me, my pedals are as much a part of my tone as the amp I choose and the HT Studio takes them quite well. The gain channel doesn't respond friendly to overdrive pedals, even with the gain backed way down, but gain channels don't. The effects loop works as it should...I admit that I rarely use it, but I like having the option. The amp is built well and feels quite solid. No odd buzzing or ringing that plague cheaper amps. Reliability hasn't been an issue in the least. 20 watts get quite loud...you've been warned.

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• Boutique cleans...check, subtle OD...check, metal gains...check

  
  As reviewed by Lance on 7/4/2011

  The cleans on this amp are great. I describe them as natural sounding. Not as gangly as a Vox AC15 and cleaner than a Fender blues deluxe. Very organic sounding cleans. I play through a Gibson Traditional Pro and this is an unbeatable match up. I was nervous when I found out the amp was made in Korea (under Blackstar UK license), but this thing sounds sooo good, who cares where it's made. Crank up the volume knob and there is sweet tube OD for blues soul. Switch the channel to the overdrive channel and shape your sound either USA or Brit. I am USA sound guy and this nails it, however, I love the Brit side of this as well. Marshall, and Vox this is the amp line you need to worry about. Not Fender, not Orange, and not Mesa, and yes I mean that statement. Fender has no drive, Mesa only has ok cleans and Orange...Not my favorite. You want some thing versitile? You want massive overdrive with boutique cleans? One word....Blackstar

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