DrJustice Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Holy tubestage! I'm a convert! Just wanted to share the joys - I've had my two first days with my tube amp now, a Blackstar HT-5S mini stack. I'm nothing short of blown away! It makes playing so much more fun. Everything seems to come together, as in not only the sound, but even the playing itself seemingly flow beyond my own perceived capability in mysterious ways... almost... It's a great feeling. My last set of tubes was in my old ham radio set, it had a 12AX7 too, if I remember correctly :-)) DJ -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Nice! Another one... those Solid State amps don't stand a chance... Seriously, it's good to hear you are enjoying your new amp and find it to be more than you expected (you havent said that but anyone can tell from your comments). What are you liking better so far, the clean tone or the dirty tones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Arm Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I have the Blackstar stack and I think it is awesome also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJustice Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 Nice! Another one... those Solid State amps don't stand a chance... Seriously' date=' it's good to hear you are enjoying your new amp and find it to be more than you expected (you havent said that but anyone can tell from your comments). What are you liking better so far, the clean tone or the dirty tones?[/quote'] So far I like the clean tones from the SG Standard 3SC best, and the gain cranked with both it and the LP Studio. But I'm all over the place, experimenting with the gain staging and the guitar tone controls. Have barely touched the EQ yet. Of course there's not only the tubes, but also the cabinets that make up the whole experience. I also use modelling/synthesis (VG-99) and normal stereo monitoring and stuff that is cool enough, but this tube and cabinet business is a different beast altogether. And you're right, it's more than I expected - my guitars are reborn! Couldn't be happier at the moment :-) DJ -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Another convert. There's no going back now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJustice Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 That's right, gotta keep me in tubes from here on. I'm discovering more. There are challenges too (I like a challenge), e.g. that only-just-a-little-break-up sound that I find to require pretty good control of dynamics to stay in the sweet zone. This thing must be played. I now fully get the idea that the amp is as much part of the instrument as the guitar itself. I've heard it on records and live all my life, but directly experiencing that fluid connection between your hands and the sound is something else. A very physical and visceral treat that could get addictive... Yeah, I'm raving ha ha! DJ -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmurray Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 The Blackstar looks like a nifty little amp. Does it have very high gain? Or is it more of a crunchy rock sound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJustice Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 It has got plenty gain. No problem getting metal tones out of it. DJ -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Funny enough, I dug out my old Boss Metal Zone for the first time in MANY years yesterday and was pretty impressed by the sound of it. It's not the same as the high gain channel on my Mesa Stiletto but it's still quite good for metal tones with a stomp box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJustice Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 RichCI, thanks for reminding me - that made me dig out an Aria "Distortion DT-10" that I've had since the early 80's! I proceeded to plug it in to the Blackstar, and pure death and destruction ensued :-O Tweaking things a bit got me some really good heavy-duty sounds. BTW, I'm flabbergasted by the loudness of those 5 little watts... there's no way I can sit in front of it on full volume without rsiking hearing damage. DJ -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.