ilikekicks Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 A Distributer in my area called me late last night and asked if I would like to ' try ' one of their amps out. Ive read some reviews online and everyone said they were ' awesome '. The problem is : Marshall Amps are also supposed to be ' awesome ' and I absolutely dont care for them. The rumors are that the people whom build Blackstar Amps used to work at Marshall and they quit, formed their own company. I dont know if the rumors are true or not. heres an article about it.. http://thetoneking.com/wp/blackstar-amps-the-new-marshall/ The drive to pick up this amp is 2 hours each way and I dont know if a ' former marshall ' type product is really worth the day and the cost of fuel to ' check out ' this amp and see if its anything I would be interested in. Have any of you heard one live? Thanks! REPEATEDLY ARGUMENTATIVE, INSULTING AND RUDE. BANNED FOR LIFE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heelster Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I've got feelers out to a few guys I know, but Marshal seems to be a favorite. I personally can't tell you, but if I hear something that implies "It ain't Marshall" I'll let you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shafted Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 As a person who is heavily into audio, speakers have a much bigger influence over sound than do amplifiers. Shafted, the boots that is! View my gallery here http://www.hhplace.o...afteds-gallery/ or view my heeling thread here http://www.hhplace.org/topic/3850-new-pair-of-boots-starts-me-serious-street-heeling/ - Pm me if you want fashion advice or just need someone to talk to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilikekicks Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 I've got feelers out to a few guys I know, but Marshal seems to be a favorite. I personally can't tell you, but if I hear something that implies "It ain't Marshall" I'll let you know. Ive owned over 30 Marshalls in my life. Out of them, maybe 3 were road-worthy? Everytime I moved the things they changed sound. People whom rave about Marshall ampsii its like people in politics.. They drank the kool-aid and its all they really know ( for the most part ). They are ( Marshall ) a ' good ' amplifier and held the title of ' best ' for quite a while ( 3 decades or so ), but the name of ' Mesa Boogie, Hand made in the U.S.A. ' scares the living shit out of all those marshall owners. I presently have 2 Boogies that I use. I also have a Laney ( another name that *should* scare Marshall owners ) and an older VOX AC20 ( no, its not for sale! ). Marshall DID dominate at one time but.. its like all their amps have only one sound. Newer features and ideas arent incorporated into their designs. Its just a ' Marshall '. As a person who is heavily into audio, speakers have a much bigger influence over sound than do amplifiers. With guitars though, its about establishing a tone BEFORE it even hits the speakers. If theres no tone to saturate the speakers, it will sound very stale. For speakers, I usually go with EV's for ' full range ' and with guitars its sometimes Eminence or Celestians. Depends what type of sound Im looking for. Most of the P.A.'s I work with are JBL based or Carvin. I didnt have much on my plate today so I took the ride. Pictures coming.. need to open the box still.. EDIT : I opened the box Opened the box, its very similar to the one I was beating on at that store. Its not as heavy as I thought it would be for an all-tube amp. Its 60WRMS A/B type power. has (2) ECC83's and (1) ECC82 in the pre-amp and a pair of EL34's in the power section. Its designed and the sockets/pcb's are done in the U.K. . The finally assembly and packaging is in Korea though. I dunno if that qualifies as being ' British ' or not. Maybe the folks from the U.K. whom read here could lend a thought to such a thing. I know how Americans are about saying whats ' American ' or ' domestic ' and what isnt. The overall quality of finish.. Im going to say ' not so much ' BUT that is in comparison to what I have here which is already road beaten and gig'ed upon. This thing may have been a store demo for all I know. The box didnt have its original packing tape sealing it. Its in a lot better shape then whats here but its not pristine. In ' Standby ' its VERY quiet. No hummmmm or 60cycle at all. Its absolutely silent. Taking it out of standby is another story altogether. as soon as the switch hits, here comes the sound. *if* Im allowed to keep this thing, a remote switch with a relay is going to be put in so I can switch it in/out on a foot controller. Cant use my hands . The sound? Clean channel is very bright. The Reverb is digital ( No springs ). For a digital reverb, its quiet nice. Better then any other ' digital verb ' including a vintage alesis multi-verb or dsp128/256. First gain channel/overdriven channel.. Pretty loud. It has a lot of play in its sound. The second gain channel is the same as the first channel so a person can set 2 different sounds and switch between them. So.. it has 3 channels total. The problem though.. theres only one effects loop. ANYTHING connected to this amp goes through all 3 channels. theres no way to have it just go into the clean area or the dirty area.. its through everything. A drill, soldering iron and a couple quarter inch female jacks and I can fix that The basic deal is.. The guy found out I have a studio and heard some of the recordings done here. he also knows my brother and what he does for a living so.. Hes trying to make in-roads with the ' locals ' I would ( on first impression only ) put this product well above a LOT of whats out there. I'll have more time to goof with this thing later tonight/tomorrow. I might do a recording with it tonight just to see how it works out compared to what I presently use for recording ( Mostly Boogie Rectos and Laney GH series ). For a small club amp though, Im thinking this might be a meal ticket. I just dont know if its mine or if I have to buy it or anything yet.. I dunno if I even want it yet ( Im starting to run out of room! ). REPEATEDLY ARGUMENTATIVE, INSULTING AND RUDE. BANNED FOR LIFE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meganiwish Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 That was enjoyably incomprehensible. I used to go out with some chaps who liked bikes, and I couldn't understand them either, but poetry lives where words and meaning part. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Thanks Meg for the image of you running up and down dodging little waves at low tide along the word-meaning interface like a wee sandpiper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilikekicks Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 That was enjoyably incomprehensible. I used to go out with some chaps who liked bikes, and I couldn't understand them either, but poetry lives where words and meaning part. Thank you. Thanks Meg for the image of you running up and down dodging little waves at low tide along the word-meaning interface like a wee sandpiper. I need the ladies opinions. If the parts for something are made in England but sent elsewhere to be assembled, is it still a ' British ' product? REPEATEDLY ARGUMENTATIVE, INSULTING AND RUDE. BANNED FOR LIFE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I need the ladies opinions. If the parts for something are made in England but sent elsewhere to be assembled, is it still a ' British ' product?An interesting question Ilik. in this case I think you have to consider whether or not it sounds or feels English.By the way, I hope you don't intend to solder any of those "female jacks" into any "dirty areas"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meganiwish Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 An interesting question Ilik. in this case I think you have to consider whether or not it sounds or feels English.By the way, I hope you don't intend to solder any of those "female jacks" into any "dirty areas"?My, what a naval turn this has taken! I suppose it would still be British made if it were made in a country that's pink on the map. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 For your information Ilik: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/The_British_Empire.png Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meganiwish Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I didn't know they were assembling amps on Pitcairn these days. But you see, you can call it British made almost anywhere in the World. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 The word Derailed is actually British you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meganiwish Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 So are Toublesome Trucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilikekicks Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 An interesting question Ilik. in this case I think you have to consider whether or not it sounds or feels English. By the way, I hope you don't intend to solder any of those "female jacks" into any "dirty areas"? You are NAUGHTY! REPEATEDLY ARGUMENTATIVE, INSULTING AND RUDE. BANNED FOR LIFE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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