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Post by Cal-Woody on Feb 15, 2023 15:05:27 GMT -5
I got a phone call yesterday from my Sweetwater rep. and he told me about the new Club 40 with EL34'S and that he had seen that I had been looking at this brand for a while and noted that I have quite a few EL34 amps and that Blackstar had just released this new iteration of the Club 40. It seems like a decent amp but the only thing that puts me off is the speaker choice, Celestion 70/80. I have other speakers to try with it and the price is excellent for this amplifier. $600! I have never tried one of their amps and have always wondered why they only use 2 preamp tubes and not a third for the gain factor?!?! It has some really good features with an adjustable digital reverb (dark/bright) which is nice, but does anyone here own or have played a Blackstar amp? I have seen many of them on stage and they sounded pretty damn good but I really don't care for the 70/80 speaker unless it is mounted in a closed back cabinet, otherwise that speaker sounds really anemic when used in an open back cabinet. Might have to take the plunge and try one out.
I appreciate any thoughts you might have! Woody
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pdf64
Wholenote
Posts: 557
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Post by pdf64 on Feb 15, 2023 20:10:18 GMT -5
Before buying it, consider ringing a few shops posing as an owner trying to get one that’s out of warranty repaired.
It’s a valve amp, any will need repairing sooner or later.
Blackstar however favour complex unusual designs and won’t release technical info.
I recall they might use solid state circuits for the phase splitter and perhaps a early gain stage, keeping the valve stages for being overdriven.
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Post by SteveM on Feb 15, 2023 21:13:56 GMT -5
53 lbs !
Yikes
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Post by Cal-Woody on Feb 16, 2023 11:50:45 GMT -5
To pdf64, I have heard that these amps use a circuit board for their input stages and then use the tubed section for gain structure. I have also heard that Blackstar doesn't share schematics and would be left to only get repairs from a certified shop. By the way, this is a new offering from Blackstar and wouldn't probably have a used one out there yet. The amp to me was a cheaper alternative to buying a Marshall DSL 40 and got excited about the price in comparison! Good advice as usual, Thanks for getting back to me on this, Woody
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Post by SteveM on Feb 22, 2023 7:27:12 GMT -5
OK, the more I looky, the more I likey.
Anyone else thinking of taking the plunge on this amp?
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Post by SteveM on Feb 25, 2023 8:11:42 GMT -5
I did a thing
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Post by Leftee on Feb 25, 2023 8:49:08 GMT -5
Looking forward to your review!
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Post by SteveM on Feb 27, 2023 12:12:31 GMT -5
Wednesday...
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Post by SteveM on Feb 27, 2023 16:46:18 GMT -5
Just happened by my local GC. They had a "floor model" in Black for $939 !!! Talk about clueless.
It is a big bastid, though. Didn't play it.
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Post by Leftee on Apr 1, 2023 11:08:08 GMT -5
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twangmeister
Wholenote
Posts: 349
Formerly Known As: Twangmeister
Age: 72 and fading fast.....
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Post by twangmeister on May 17, 2023 13:49:25 GMT -5
I have a little Blackstar HT-1 that I picked up used at a pawn shop for $75 seven years ago. Two tubes with a ton of SS components; a 12AT7 for output.. It would have been ridiculous to pay $250 street for one. I do use it as my little bedroom amp and with a few pedals; it sounds pretty good for a 1 watt amp with a small speaker. m I ditched my pair of Champion 600s shortly after buying it. Never heard any of the bigger Blackstars.
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Post by reverendrob on May 18, 2023 20:05:07 GMT -5
The price on amps has gone up ridiculously.
I looked up what a replacement DSL1 would cost me these days.
I paid $249 NEW for it.
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Post by rdr on May 29, 2023 11:19:16 GMT -5
Might be good if in warranty. Interesting part 1& 2 videos on this...
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Post by Cal-Woody on Jun 3, 2023 10:33:26 GMT -5
That video was really revealing as to the level of issues one could have with this amp. It sure seems like the life span of their components are questionable and to have it serviced would have to be with a very competent tech!
The original offer I had from Sweetwater sure seemed like an excellent deal but as someone mentioned, the reliability is questionable!
I like an amp that uses 3 preamp tubes and lets the tubes do the work and minimalize having a lot of other components trying to interpret those functions. An example would be having 2 preamp tubes controlling the input section and an 3rd tube for the phase inverter.
All those IC circuits are daunting...
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pdf64
Wholenote
Posts: 557
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Post by pdf64 on Jun 3, 2023 12:24:35 GMT -5
I was surprised to find the Blackstar guy was a Yorkshire lad. He seems to know his stuff. It’s just unfortunate they don’t seem to put importance on the environmental consequences of churning out cheap, basically unrepairable electronic products.
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