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So; I had my heart set on an Orange TH30 paired with an Avatar Contemporary 2x12 with speakers yet to be determined.

I'm realizing that at this point that amp is out of my league as far as funding goes but I will have one eventually.

Currently I'm playing through a Pignose G40V. It's an all tube amp but the more I play it; the more dissatisfied with it I am. It has an upgraded speaker (some Chinese made Celestion that I'm not recalling; got a decent deal on it) and I put different preamp tubes in it,...but it doesn't matter how I EQ the amp; there is just this honky abrasiveness to it that I can't dial out. It's just not very musical sounding. It was a decent pgrade from a solid state practice amp and not a very big investment,...but at this point I feel like I've outgrown this amp. It's not very inspiring; I hate how it sounds and find myself not playing my guitar very often as a result.

So I was investigating the Blackstar HT-5R 1x12 combo. It's under $500 and seems like it would make a good recording song demos/home practice amp, maybe even appropriate for rehearsing. I'm not completely sold on the sound but the amount of gain seems to be what I'm looking for.

This is the Demo that got me a little excited about the amp.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aynUeOnDl60[/youtube]

Of course there is probably a ton of other shit making that amp sound good and the music isn't really my style; I'm looking for more downtuned sludginess.

I've read gripes of these amps being a bit too generic sounding,...but the tone seems serviceable to me and a lot of people love these amps (seemingly vendors who are trying to sell them as well as people who are trying to justify their purchase).

The other possibility is to pick up the head version of the HT-5R and the Avatar that I'm scoping and then; when I've got all my pennies squirreled away, I'm set on a cab and all I have to do is spring for the TH30.

I've looked into other 5 watt amps too (Marshall Classic 5 being the one I looked at the most indepth), but the Blackstar seems to be the most versatile.

So; why shouldn't I buy this amp?

Sounds good. Excane has one. Just sayin.

i've never actually played out of a blackstar amp but i feel like i should
intrigued i am

jwar wrote:Sounds good. Excane has one. Just sayin.

Not anymore, I sold mine last summer.

I had the HT Stage 60 and had mixed feelings about it. I intended to use it as a clean platform for my pedals, but the gain structure even in clean mode didn't sound or feel right.

I really liked using it straight up with no pedals on the distortion channel, ISF definitely favoring the American flavor.

Hoy - From what it sounds like you're wanting, this will fit the bill nicely - I'd go for it.
The HT5 makes a great practice and recording amp.

I have one and use it as a pedal platform. Perfect for house use as the volume doesn't jump up too much too soon like on some amps. Never use the drive channel at all though. I would think it makes quite a good recording amp although yeah, it may not the most individual sounding amp. Makes for a solid workhorse though.

Get a Hovercraft Dwarvenaut 20 and call it a day.

Holy Schnikes wrote:Get a Hovercraft Dwarvenaut 20 and call it a day.

I've been following them and they've had me super interested; aren't there lengthy wait times though?

warwick.hoy wrote:

Holy Schnikes wrote:Get a Hovercraft Dwarvenaut 20 and call it a day.

I've been following them and they've had me super interested; aren't there lengthy wait times though?

He posts em on FB as they're finished and they're up for grabs immediately Think he said he'll have a couple ready today or tomorrow. You can email too if you're after specific specs/features and he'll hook it up. Maybe inquire about the 2-channel and a 1/2 power mode. That way it would be great for at home or live use cuz those sonsabitches get LOUD!

I absolutely LOVE mine, a 1 channel mk-II med gain Model T on thru the high gain Orange/Matamp voice with tons of lows and thickness but very articulate throughout the gain range and pretty volume sensitive. If I had it to do again I'd get a pure clean Model T mode on Channel 1 and the vintage Orange OR/Matamp voicing on Channel 2. Perfection!

If I could get an amp plus a cab for less than a G that would be awesome. I originally budgeted $1500 for the TH30 and a cab but that would take me a while to save up for (we aren't very frugal). The HT-5 I could have in like a month. So being a cheapskate is really what this is boiling down to. Do I expect to play shows with the Blackstar? Nope.

I definitely dig on the idea of recycled/upcycled amps.

warwick.hoy wrote:If I could get an amp plus a cab for less than a G that would be awesome. I originally budgeted $1500 for the TH30 and a cab but that would take me a while to save up for (we aren't very frugal). The HT-5 I could have in like a month. So being a cheapskate is really what this is boiling down to. Do I expect to play shows with the Blackstar? Nope.

I definitely dig on the idea of recycled/upcycled amps.

I got my Dwarvenaut and 2 Emperor 1x12s for just over 1K.

I've been let down by recent Orange build quality in relation to asking price honestly. They just look cheaply built and I had two RV50s shit out on me but they were covered under warranty. I haven't had any issues with the Hovercraft beyond the insane urge to buy another one. The TH-30 does look badass but the now discontinued Rocker 30 is where it's at! WAY overpriced now days if you can track one down though. Saw one at Maker's Music recently for almost $1500, madness! You could get a full rig or dual Dwarvenauts for that price...

Derelict78 wrote:http://www.hovercraftamps.com/amps-currently-for-sale

There ya go. He's even taking requests.

Has anyone seen the guts for these Hovercraft amps yet though?? Have been interested in them for ages, but no way am I buyin an amp if I can't see the guts amd build quality first. I absolutely love what they're doing, but the reluctance and prevention of people posting gut shots really irks me.

I'll get a pic of mine soon, guts are good to go.

And what do you mean by prevention? Is it forbidden??

Yeah, considered the price to features and presumed performance, if i were in US, i'd rather buy a Hovercraft. HTs are to me like... the amp you turn on after work just because it's the only thing you have in your little dingy apartment

it's not the amp you turn on to experience great joy from the sonic experience

and damn, you make me want to want a Hovercraft even though the shipping and the additional import taxes would make me miserable... damn europe..