# Blackstar Amplification



## Geeetar (Oct 25, 2015)

Are there any owners of blackstar amps here?

I was specifically looking at the blackstar ht club 40. Would you guys reccomend these amps? Im not planning on playing any major gigs or anything. Just small time playing with friends and at home practice.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

They're decent for what they are, nice clean and lots of gain on tap. Just don't get fooled into thinking you are buying a tube amp...yes, there are a couple of preamp tubes but the HT stands for Hybrid Technology, ie., solid state power.

I'd rather a Marshall 40 combo personally, and by far.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

keto said:


> They're decent for what they are, nice clean and lots of gain on tap. Just don't get fooled into thinking you are buying a tube amp...yes, there are a couple of preamp tubes but the HT stands for Hybrid Technology, ie., solid state power.
> 
> I'd rather a Marshall 40 combo personally, and by far.


I think it has two EL34s for power output.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

keto said:


> They're decent for what they are, nice clean and lots of gain on tap. Just don't get fooled into thinking you are buying a tube amp...yes, there are a couple of preamp tubes but the HT stands for Hybrid Technology, ie., solid state power.
> 
> I'd rather a Marshall 40 combo personally, and by far.



all tube, homeslice 

https://www.blackstaramps.com/products/ht-club-40

I have minimal experience with blackstar amps, but I liked the one I played. I think it may have been an HT series but I can't recall as it was over a year ago.


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

Budda said:


> all tube, homeslice


Don't want to get too picky, but I guess it depends on your definition of "all tube".
When the JCM900's came out, there were guys who didn't like them and said they were not "all tube" because there were IC's in the signal path. So it depends where you draw the line I guess.
From what I've seen, the blackstar HT's have even more solid-state sections, so I would agree with the "hybrid" label.
I haven't seen a schematic for the club40, but have seen one for the studio 20 which is from the same HT sereies. Yes, they have power tubes, but they also have lots of IC's in the signal path and use a solid-state phase inverter/driver for the power tubes.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Yeah, I forget how it goes exactly but hybrid they are. *I think/iirc* you can remove the preamp tubes and still play the clean channel. Say, what?


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

People here say something different.

https://www.blackstaramps.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=2955

One is for the clean channel and one is for the dirty channel. Not saying these are not hybrid amps but I've played several Blackstars. They sound and react like tube amps to me. I'm sure they have ICs and other digital circuitry but many "tube" amps do. FWIW I'm in the market for a Blackstar 40 or 50 watt head if anyone has one for sale.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

If tubes are in the signal path for both preamp and power amp, how exactly is it a hybrid? Honest question because I am stumped (and tired).


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## SG-Rocker (Dec 30, 2007)

It was my understanding (no hands on experience) that the HT series are tube preamp and power amp but solid state phase inverter.

For example, the 50 watt head has 2 12ax7 and 2 EL34.....


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

Budda said:


> If tubes are in the signal path for both preamp and power amp, how exactly is it a hybrid? Honest question because I am stumped (and tired).


Hybrid generally means a combination of solid-state and tube technologies in the signal path.
It doesn't have to be a strict mix of SS pre and tube power, or tube pre and SS power. In the example of the Blackstar Studio 20, the signal from the input goes through a chip, then a tube, then a chip, then a FET (SS) phase inverter, then the power tubes.
So some people will consider it close enough to being a "tube amp". I won't argue that, but it's not what I'd consider an "all-tube" amp, and it's definitely a hybrid.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Thanks guys


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## corailz (May 1, 2008)

jb welder said:


> Hybrid generally means a combination of solid-state and tube technologies in the signal path.
> It doesn't have to be a strict mix of SS pre and tube power, or tube pre and SS power. In the example of the Blackstar Studio 20, the signal from the input goes through a chip, then a tube, then a chip, then a FET (SS) phase inverter, then the power tubes.
> So some people will consider it close enough to being a "tube amp". I won't argue that, but it's not what I'd consider an "all-tube" amp, and it's definitely a hybrid.


It's probably the best sounding "hybrid" amp tought!
I've had one ht20 studio(head) and i was blown about the tone that 
i could get from this amp. It was feeling really natural as i could get 
alot of clean headroom and a really nice light crunch when dimed on the clean channel...What to say about the drive channel, it was really marshall'esque with more than enough gain on tap for my needs with warm and thick tones!
Sometimes, i have regrets for having sold this amp!


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## rockinbluesfan (Mar 3, 2008)

At the end of the day it is in the ears of the beholder!


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## Poweredbysoul (Jul 29, 2015)

It's a cool amp as is 
I had the 20 and 40 watt combo, as well as the 50 watt head and series one head.
They got their own thing going on.
Again if your after Marshall this isn't it.
Ended up selling all of hem in the end


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## surlybastard (Feb 20, 2011)

I've got an HT-5 that I use as a basement practice amp. It does everything I need, sounds great at really low volumes, good cleans and overdrive. The only thing I would recommend upgrading is the speaker. All the high end Blackstar stuff uses Vintage 30's, I got one for my cab and although the amp sounded great before it's pretty clear that was the speaker it was designed to be played with.


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## faracaster (Mar 9, 2006)

This is not the model that is being discussed here but I've had a Blackstar Artisan 15 for a few years and it is KILLER !!!!
Probably the loudest 15 watt amp I've ever heard. But it's a beautiful tone. One channel has a 12ax7 as it's preamp and the other channel has a ef86 as the pre.
Hand-wired all tube design. Also switchable to 5 watts.


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## Stonehead (Nov 12, 2013)

I had the HT 60 i took on a trade and it was an ok amp. Neither good or bad. I really don't know how to articulate the tone other than it sounded bland. got rid of it pretty quick.


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