Blackheart Stack

[q-4000-SG Guy]

Any info on this? (besides what is on the MF Page!)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Blackheart-BH5H-and-BH112-Half-Stack?sku=483078

 

[Zeppelin Rules]

Their website isn't terribly insightful. http://www.blackhearteng.com/bh5h.html

 

[q-4000-SG Guy]

weird site I guess they like when people put a hand wired board in but why not just sell one like that. the mod is 150 for the board wired 90 un wired guess its a good starting place to learn about tube amps with out spending close to a grand for a tube amp "kit" I may have to check them out I wonder if GC carries them too.

 

[Red devil]

Cool

Looks like a VJ with more knobs!!

 

[SG dan]

actually it is! The blackheart amp was designed by the same fellow who made the VJ, but he added more features to the circuit. SEwatt is buzzing. apparently its pretty good, but i havnt heard any clips as of yet. should be backordered for a while i'd imagine.

 

[q-4000-SG Guy]

so anyone got one?

 

[oldrockfan]

I read about them and appartently folks like them but I can't find one for the life of me to test out. Check for them every time I am in a GC or other shop but nobody has any.

 

[Dorian]

I've been looking into this amp, too, but I haven't found one to play myself. Youtube has a lot of different stuff about it of varying quality. Here is one that I like:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kiw1WOMlK0I&feature=related

I particularly liked this comparison with the Epi Valve Junior, a second attempt at a comparison by the author:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=roIqsFF3MZI&feature=related

Here it is clean (with reverb and other pedals):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kYj1_3A5ock&feature=related

I was surprised by this even smaller Blackheart "ant" amplifier:
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=fMBQqv8LJRU

 

[q-4000-SG Guy]

ok birthday here and im getting this amp and im going to do the hand wired mod to it will report soon!

 

[Voxman]

I tried it, the stack, at the Amp Show and it sounded very harsh to my ears while their smaller offerings sounded quite warm and better to my ears

 

[q-4000-SG Guy]

i just noticed that they also have a 100w full sized head out too im about to order the Little Giant from what i can tell the Little Giant and the VJ were designed by the same guy the little giant just has more controls. Im also going to go ahead and order the hand wired board to put in it and may (or i may wait for a bit) order the tranny upgrade eavin with all this it will come in under 700 for a hand wired amp!

 

[Voxman]

Believe nothing that you see and only 1/2 of what you see ... and 100% of what you hear! If you can play it and get that " feelin' " in the pit of your stomach along with actually feeling the amp breathe in you fingers while becoming one with your central nervous shitstem ;D while you play it .... your in! That said best of luck and less of pocket and don't get involved in a money pit based on internet press, iinnuendo, and web hear sasy

 

[q-4000-SG Guy]

its just so cheep!

 

[Voxman]

You just need to hear one first .. Email em or better yet call em, and don't get talked into anything by the British accent .... ask for a " local link " to someone close who has one .. they are cool guys and would love to "point" you in the right direction ;D They do "look right " inside but caps do take about 100 hrs od AC Playing to start to break in and mellow out to the bloom stage

 

[oldrockfan]

sg guy, did you end up getting one? I'd be curious to hear what you think of it if you do. I've thought about ordering one but want to play one first to hear it first hand. Just can't find those darned things anywhere.

 

[q-4000-SG Guy]

ive got the cash im about to order one BUT i have to wait till i get back in town (goin' to fla with the fam. daughters first time, she just turned 1) i will post clips and reviews as soon as i get my hands on it!!!

 

[oldrockfan]

sounds good, I'll watch for your review.

 

[1Way]

I'm waiting in line for a review too. I've played the 5watt combo and found it sounded pretty good. But I was playing a nice 2+grand Heritage (ES335 copy).

I also tried out the Peavey Windsor Studio combo ($400) which has all the right features that I thought I'd like, but when I tested it with a cheapy guitar, found it sounded like plain dull cardboard compared to the juicy Blackheart.

Sometimes with early production models, I wonder if some units sound noticably better than others... That Studio amp's attenuator sounded real good all the way down to very quiet levels. 8)

 

[oasis02]

Maybe I Can Help?

The amp is very capable of producing good clean and distorted tones.
I had the Bitmo Mod installed, and it's worth every cent. It gives you the ability to toggle between "Vox/Fender/Marshall-esque" settings.

My only complaint is that I must use pedals to play at living-room levels. If you let the amp distort naturally (setting the vol to 7) it's a touch too loud for my liking.

The whole modded rig was <$500. Awesome value!

 

[bish]

I've been thinking about getting a second cab so I can have a full Blackheart stack ;D How does having the two cabs sound in comparison to one?

-bish