OK this has to be the most modern Marshall sounding amp that does not wear the logo. Probably why I like it. It has a tighter, smoother gain than the Peavey, and it seems more player/guitar freindly than the Peavey. The Peavey reveals instantly that I'm playing a different guitar. GET THIS what pup position I'm in. I knocked the switch of the LP in the middle, and did NOT know it thru the BS. When I plugged into the Peavey, I was getting flustered and thinking..don't tell me The Peavey sound this different, and not in a good way.

I started to fuck with the Peavey's knobs..which I never do. Still something was wrong...WTF!!! Then I look and discovered my pups were both on. Geeeez..I put it at bridge and it was just peachy. Hey that happends when screwing around with a new ..stuff.

It's like the Blackstar kinda sounds somewhere between a JVM combo and a Freyette/VHT. Very warm, gainy Marshal-ish. I like the Crunch on the Peavey better..think A Whole Lotta Love..with Reverb up. I think I like the cleans better on the Peavey..it sounds more tubish.

Both are equally tube amps. This has more in common with my beloved Marshall Rackage..4 modes and all. But I would have NEVER not know both pups were on with the Marshall

I'm in a Tizzy. I'm not selling the Peavey. I'll get 'em LOUD today. My kid is off and we'll go nuts. I'll get 'em as close as could be. I don't think it'll be close because they sound like two total different amps. I wouldn't buy anything new, I wouldn't consider keeping.

Oh, The BS has more Noise than the Peavey to get where I like it. I'll use whatever on tap as long as it stays tight, with little noise as possible. All I want to use is a cable. I do back off The Peavey's gain, but it's all usable..unlike the old 5150s that mush just before 7. But the 5150 wern't that noisy to me prolly because I always kept in the cool zone.

Remember I'm a shredaholic. I do dabble in squeaky cleans these days for this and thats. Odd thing is no matter what amp I play...it sounds just like me.

Well, can it do Black Metal? Sure if I play Black Metal. Can it do Van Halen..all my amps can do Van Halen.

NO, I LOVE them both. This sounds more like my Marshall than the JVM 410?? That don't make sense. But my ears and playing don't lie.

The Peavey is THICKER. It has a Heavier low mid growl I always loved. The Blackstar is smooth and voiced like my Marshall Rack w JMP-1/9200. It's a tad heavier than the Peavey combo. The tone retains it's voice when turned up. Very warm upper mids that cut like a Marshall. If this is the case. I'm keeping both amps. Blackstar is Crunchier..Peavey is Chuggier.

This is the best days ever for metal guitarists. I remember having to dick around with EQs and POOP. Now it's plug and go..like sex!

No I'm not an AXE FX kinda person. I have OCD. You have know idea. I never learned how to play with my Gmagor..that thing can blow me. The Bogner sounds best with that thing out of the loop.

The only thing I can't get over is why there isn't a Marshall logo on the Blackstar. I think they're better bang for buck than a Marshall. Bucks still matter, even when it doesn't.

Reminds me of Carvin VS Ampegs cost when I was playing bass.

Is this the 6505 Chinese combo? If so, I had one a while ago that I got for cheap. It was a good amp, but you mentioned the pups. That amp did NOT like the EVH Frank pup I was using. It had a nasty honk you couldn't get rid of. I'm sure it's a good-sounding amp with most other pups, but I never got a chance to try it myself.

Yes.. Chinese Peavey..Korea Blackstar..Mexican EVH head ?...JVM..britain ?..are they still ?..don't know anymore these days.

No, the Peavey loves ALL my pickups I use. Mostly various Dimazios, GREAT sounding Jackson pups in my Son's import Dinky. My LP w/ Classic 57's. A couple "duncan desgned" in my Jackson DR-7, there's Duncan JBs in my RR-1, but that's a trophy, not a player. I HATE playing V's while sitting. But look great tho.

I try a guitar out thru any tried & true amp, dialed to my liking. Either it works or not. The only guitar I really did not like was a Charvel silver sparkle 750XL . It was a real MINT beuaty but it was a real dud sounding guitar. I don't like parting/gutting anything. I traded that for a Mesa Mrk III around '90..? wow..

MY playing is MY tone...not so much pickups really, picks, strings, ect. I hear you on the midrange HONK. My Uberschall had that exact thing with stock Ruby 12AX7's. One went bad, and it was a blessing. Because I discovered I only like Tung Sol or Sovtek tubes in that. I ordered 6 matching Tun Sols and remedied that. I don't like Rubys at all. They're very midrangey to me. Some works with that for cutting thru mix.

Sovtek in the Blackstar to my suprise. There's GTs in the Peavey. I was never a GT fan, but I have various match tubes. So if the Peavey poweramp tube takes a dump. I'll throw in my old Sylvanias from 1990, 5150 or a pair of Sovteks. If it's not broke I don't fix it. I can set up any guitar/bass to play itself, but I don't gut anything. I never learned because I don't want to.

I'm way into playing and hearing tone than caring for what gizmos takes me there. Unless I didn't try out something and bought it. Then learn to make it work. That usually more bother than it's worth. I'd rather sell or keep it, and keep stuff original as possible.

I think the pup in that EVH guitar is nailed to Ed's Frakenstein which hardly works? Heavly damaged but but sounds divine when Ed plays it. We can own the VERY amp/guitar rig of our favorite players and it prolly won't sound like them.

I was listening to Live Dio 2001 w/ Doug Aldritch in the car in rush hour traffic. He rules with his Marshall DSL. I bought one and it truly sucked for me. I really wanted to like it..I kept the cab tho. I have Three full Marshall stacks now. and my Peavey and Blackstar combos. I have 2 30wt Line 6 spiders up stairs for late night jams with son They work great for bedroom jammin '!!

Hell during the Tuarid Meteor Showers..the wife and I were baptised by fire. I brought the angels down and made them evil!! Best sound and show in my life. Right on our back balcony. Better than playing before 1000 people..which I've done. before. Well my neighbors loved it...I taped that!! I blew out 2+hrs worth of solos..while bombarded by smoking flames and sulpher. Odd that nobody mentioned it. Just proves that nobody looks at the sky..WTF?? Once you see that stuff..it's my obsession. I'm very similair to guys like Dio..even my house looks like a church.

I'm going to put the Peavet in my living room..it's 27ft high. You know a room will change your tone more than anything. Even where it is in the room. That HONK may be different in another spot in the room. Just moving inches, at angles can make LOADS of difference.

True, that amp was only played in a big empty house for a short while. The EVH frank is in my Charvel M3 and it sounds to me like a typical Gibson HB. It sounds great, which surprised me when I got that odd tone with the Peavey. But I can see why so many people like it - it's a lot of high quality amp for the money.

I'm Keeping the Blackstar I think. I'd prolly be sorry if I didn't. Unless I get the HT 100 head, but then what's the point.

I was never into combos. But they're designing better sounding amps these days! I play solos better with this amp than I do the 6505. I love 'em both, but this one picks up all my crazy playing dynamics, tricks and whatnots without a fight.

The Peavey and Blackstar is kinda like a smaller 'grab n' go verion' of my Bogner and Marshall. They sound amazingly huge together! I'd use The Peavey for all the heavy rythms, The Blackstar for all the crazy solos..especially lively solos.

Again both amazing amps for any kind of metal/hard rock. Best bang for the buck combos I've discovered to date. They certainly deserve my approval!! Apple to Oranges really..two great amps to check out for anyone looking for most bang for buck!! approx 500 new w/ warranty..that rocks!!

Respectfully

BillZ

I feel the same way with my 6505+ 1 x 12 combo. It sounds great but I play and sound better using my Rivera or my Marshalls. My 6505+ is pretty dark sounding. I think it may be due for a tube change. Its kind of dull sounding but the amount of gain on tap is absolutely massive.

John, I changed all my preconcieve LOUD amp settings to more flat across the board. I was too concerned about "Chug" and losing alot of the natural dynamics, harmonics in the process. It kinda changed the way I play these days. I can hear every note with "crunch" with Gain around 3 O clock..on the Peavey. The Blackstar is just a great sounding Marshall. All it's missing is the Logo, and insane price.

The ONLY thing I insist are light gauge Ernie Ball Slinkys. I was never loyal to a string brand. But these are the only one that hold up to my abuse, and stay bright. I change them when they go dead. I use 9s, or 8s in E standard 8s or flat 9s. That REALLY brightens things up alot. It's ALIVE !!!

John, ..Uli Roth told me this, and plays 53-1/2 frets. So this came from the mouth of God.

I've learned to play guitar in my absence..I'm happy now!

Happy Halloweenie!!

So Facebook is THAT addicting??

I'm trying to breath life into the nostrils of a dead forum. ??

Zuckerland. Isn't that German for Suckerland..???

You guys are grounded..gimme your Apple watches.

Hail Zuckerberg. More powerful than all things divine.

Try the cobalt hybrid slinky set Bill. The unwound strings are from a 9 set and the wound strings are from a 10 set. It gives you a good chunk on the wound strings with the slight extra brightness and juice from the cobalt windings and the unwound are nice and sproingy.

Bill,

Blackstar are making the best amps on the market today. If you can't find a distortion voicing to your liking with one of their heads, then it doesn't exist. I settled on one of the HT-5 Metal heads after jamming on a few different amps and comparing it to various other "high gain" amps.

It out crunches a JVM, and it can chug along with a 5150 if you set the ISF around 10 o clock. I run mine through 2 Vintage 30s and it's fucking savage. I'm going to pick up one of the 2x12 combos for jamming with my friends, but in my apartment, the little 5w head is the bees knees.

I don't know why I avoided Blackstar amps for so long. I can finally get the tone I've wanted without having to run an OD pedal and post-EQ. Love this little amp.

And Super Slinky's in standard E have been my go-to on 25.5" scale guitars since I first picked one up.

In E-flat, I like the Hybrid Slinky's. D-standard the Regular Slinky's. Drop C, Skinny Top Heavy Bottom.

Maybe it's because I grew up playing with Ernie Ball strings, but I don't like any other brand's tone when I try to experiment. Everything else just sounds flat in comparison.

I have been meaning to try out a Blackstar amp. I will have to see if I can track down any local-ish dealers.

Drew, those Hybrid Colblts are the exact strings on my LP. My son like to Drop D..and those sound and work perfectly! Genius minds think alike. We always did !! Spoingy...Yes, Spoing sums it up perfectly . I love that. I'm gonna use spoing for everything..

Dave, you found the holy grail of all new amps. Yes, the Blackstar is now KING for the best bang for the buck. It's impossible to make it sound bad. You're right it sounds better than the JVM...which Marshall did right. JS model model added the much needed Noise Gate. But the price is fuggin' insane!! But I already have that exact sound via Marshall Rack. The Blackstar sounds more like that than the JVM did...

I said price doesn't matter when it comes to the best tones possible. But $$$ aside I have exactly that covered. Especially now with the Blackstar HT 60 !! This would be my recording amp, as well as a grab n' go' firebreather.

Frigo. I know your taste. You will love the Blackstar. I can't praise them enough. I got this for 500 OTD. Cash.. Try Guitar Center. I know they seem dumb sometimes. But, they give me so much respect, and nice to me. They give me allan wrenchs for lockings, wammy bars, picks..you name it. Some of their geets are so outta wack. So it's a win/win/ really. They asked if I can fix 'em all. They have a cool tech, but he helps customer with their issues. They come set up to your liking. We tweak 'em at home..slight changes depending on guitar/weather. Bridge Height ..mostly.

Billz