Amp Deal

[JD01]

Might get one of these in the morning
https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/blackstar-h ... 17EALw_wcB
Guy at work might buy my combo off me for the same sort of money.
While its not a great amp, it works, does what it says on the tin and at £270 quid seems like a really good deal.

[Greg_L]

Might get one of these in the morning
https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/blackstar-h ... 17EALw_wcB
Guy at work might buy my combo off me for the same sort of money.
While its not a great amp, it works, does what it says on the tin and at £270 quid seems like a really good deal.

Isn't that what you already have?

[JD01]

Might get one of these in the morning
https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/blackstar-h ... 17EALw_wcB
Guy at work might buy my combo off me for the same sort of money.
While its not a great amp, it works, does what it says on the tin and at £270 quid seems like a really good deal.

Isn't that what you already have?

Yeah. But a guy in work might buy my combo off me for 250 quid.
Now I have a cab, it seems like a cheap way of me replacing my combo with a head and getting rid of the combo while still having a warranty!

[Minerman]

Jdude, looking at the specs of that amp (your combo too), it should deliver the goods man, clean/gain channel, EL34 power tubes, & designed by former Marshall employees, at a decent price...I just don't get why Blackstar amps aren't just really great amps, maybe they are, but my experience with the HT-5 wasn't anything special...

I've looked at that amp (the head version) lots of times, but just couldn't convince myself to pull the trigger on one...

Do what you gotta man, the new cab is the foundation for a whole new rig eventually...If the head you're basically gonna get in a trade ain't no better than your combo, you'll know it ain't your cab, but I think we all know the Blackstar is what you're not happy with...

I get it that you can't be loud, but where there's a will there's a way man...Buy 2 sheets of plywood, 2 sheets of drywall/sheetrock, a bundle of rockwool, 2-3 tubes of green glue, a couple 2"x2" studs & build yourself a fuckin' ISO cab man...

Or instead of that, add a little $$$ to what you get for your combo & buy something other than a Blackstar...

[Greg_L]

Yeah. But a guy in work might buy my combo off me for 250 quid.
Now I have a cab, it seems like a cheap way of me replacing my combo with a head and getting rid of the combo while still having a warranty!

So you're actually losing on the deal because you put a V30 in your combo. If you can keep your V30 and put the stock speaker back in the combo, then go for it.

[JD01]

Yeah. But a guy in work might buy my combo off me for 250 quid.
Now I have a cab, it seems like a cheap way of me replacing my combo with a head and getting rid of the combo while still having a warranty!

So you're actually losing on the deal because you put a V30 in your combo. If you can keep your V30 and put the stock speaker back in the combo, then go for it.

I've got two V30s in the cab though so its not like I need an extra one floating around. I don't know what used V30s go for on eBay but I can't imagine its worth the hassle.

[Greg_L]

I've got two V30s in the cab though so its not like I need an extra one floating around. I don't know what used V30s go for on eBay but I can't imagine its worth the hassle.

That's all up to you, but think about what you're actually getting - the exact same amp minus a very good speaker that you bought. You're already using your amp now as just a head, right? So what do you gain from this?

[JD01]

I've got two V30s in the cab though so its not like I need an extra one floating around. I don't know what used V30s go for on eBay but I can't imagine its worth the hassle.

That's all up to you, but think about what you're actually getting - the exact same amp minus a very good speaker that you bought. You're already using your amp now as just a head, right? So what do you gain from this?

I get rid of a combo that doesn't fit under the shelf in my recording room, so is standing out on the floor and doing my fucking head in.

Or... I might just keep the combo and have the combo in my place in Bristol where I usually use my Peavey and have my head and cab in my place in Wales.

[Greg_L]

I get rid of a combo that doesn't fit under the shelf in my recording room, so is standing out on the floor and doing my fucking head in.

Or... I might just keep the combo and have the combo in my place in Bristol where I usually use my Peavey and have my head and cab in my place in Wales.

Ah so save a little space. Okay. What about the Victory heads? Are you over hose things now?

[JD01]

Jdude, looking at the specs of that amp (your combo too), it should deliver the goods man, clean/gain channel, EL34 power tubes, & designed by former Marshall employees, at a decent price...I just don't get why Blackstar amps aren't just really great amps, maybe they are, but my experience with the HT-5 wasn't anything special...

I've looked at that amp (the head version) lots of times, but just couldn't convince myself to pull the trigger on one...

Do what you gotta man, the new cab is the foundation for a whole new rig eventually...If the head you're basically gonna get in a trade ain't no better than your combo, you'll know it ain't your cab, but I think we all know the Blackstar is what you're not happy with...

I get it that you can't be loud, but where there's a will there's a way man...Buy 2 sheets of plywood, 2 sheets of drywall/sheetrock, a bundle of rockwool, 2-3 tubes of green glue, a couple 2"x2" studs & build yourself a fuckin' ISO cab man...

Or instead of that, add a little $$$ to what you get for your combo & buy something other than a Blackstar...

Yeah, its basically just a stop-gap until I decide what I want to do. I was super keen on a Hughes & Ketner a few months ago but I'm not so sure now. The Blackstar is alright, but like you say, nothing special. I've got it pretty well dialled in now, was quite pleased with the rhythm tone on that Motorhead cover I did on the weekend... Its good enough for what I need, but not quite what I want.

[JD01]

Ah so save a little space.

Mainly yeah, and there's a guy who sits in the same office as me wants a valve amp and can't quite stretch to a bassbreaker, so its a convenient way of getting rid of it. Swapping my used combo for a new head with nothing coming out of my gear-fund right now.

Okay. What about the Victory heads? Are you over hose things now?

Kind of - I was torn between the Victory V30 and the Hughes & Kettner. I liked them both. The V30 was very, simple. clean gain, clean master, crunch gain, crunch master and a shared 3 band EQ. The H&K had about a million knobs on it.

Depends what I end up doing in the next 6 months really. If I start playing live, I'll probably get another guitar, sell the Ibanez or PRS. If I make a decision to soley record I'll probably get a new amp.

[Greg_L]

I think you should save your money and get what you actually want instead of settling and trying to make things just work. I've been on both sides of that scenario. Just getting what you actually want is way better.

[JD01]

Decided that I'm gonna sell the Ibanez anyway. I went to sell it last year and had some weird emotional attachment to it so decided not to sell it at the last minute. Think I'm over that now and I should be able to get £350 for it. (I got 300 quid for the Washburn in the end after the shop had taken their commission).

I have a stag weekend coming up and me and the Mrs are off to Berlin in December. But I hope to have a £1000 quid pot saved up for gear by Jan to either go on an amp or guitar.

[liv_rong]

Good decision IMHO dude. Save your monies and get something awesome. You’ll be much happier this way.

[ido1957]

Whatever you decide, I think my JCM900 runs on EL34's and it sounds great (not the high gain channel which is fizzy as CocaCola - clean channel with pedals)

[Greg_L]

Whatever you decide, I think my JCM900 runs on EL34's and it sounds great (not the high gain channel which is fizzy as CocaCola - clean channel with pedals)

Your 900 is not a 5881 amp?

[Lt. Bob]

why have you cooled on Hughes and Kettner?

[ido1957]

Whatever you decide, I think my JCM900 runs on EL34's and it sounds great (not the high gain channel which is fizzy as CocaCola - clean channel with pedals)

Your 900 is not a 5881 amp?

Pretty sure but let me see if I can find an old repair receipt - I've had a couple of Power Tubes replaced over the 30 years I've owned it.

[JD01]

why have you cooled on Hughes and Kettner?

Mainly the complexity of it and its kind of like an amp with a built in distortion pedal. I need to spend more time with one and really work the whole thing out.

[Greg_L]

Mainly the complexity of it and its kind of like an amp with a built in distortion pedal. I need to spend more time with one and really work the whole thing out.

Yeah you do. They're not complex. The Mark V or JVM is complex. The H&K is pretty simple.