Affordable all-valve amplification has only recently become a reality, and the good people at Blackstar evidently feel that lower prices shouldn’t mean a compromise on quality.You would have had to be living in a hole this last year or so to have not encountered the fantastic little HT5 and the whirlwind of excitement that surrounded it in the music press, so when we found out the range was expanding, we waited in anticipation.The HT range was expanded to the HT Studio 20, HT Club 40, HT Soloist 60 and Stage 60 (1×12 and 2×12 respectively) and HT Stage 100 head, which was obviously a joy. Now everyone can get a slice of the valve pie at the right price and size for them. I chose to review the HT40 for my own selfish reasons. I want one.

The first thing to strike me about the HT40 was that it really didn’t look cheap at all, the same care and attention that is put into designing the Series One and Artisan amps has evidently been applied to the HT range too, inside and out. The clean channel on this amp is bright and well rounded with a tight low end, the highs feel very cutting and sparkly without going into the pain threshold, it would be nice to have a full EQ selection rather than just the one tone knob, but that’s just me. When you flick the voice switch in the amp becomes warmer and less pronounced in the highs, which is a nice options to have when using external distortion pedals, although you’ll probably find you wont need to. The overdrive channel in this amp is really something to behold. Reminiscent of the popular Blackstar HT Dual pedal, it encompasses everything from a subtle rasp to full on metal crunch, and thanks to the inclusion of Blackstar’s very own ‘Infinite Shape Function’ you can emulate amp sounds from both sides of the big Atlantic pond all with one simple knob. Rolled fully to the right it gives you a very convincing UK sound reminiscent of Marshall’s deep JCM roar, yet manages to preserve the subtle nuances of you playing style in a similar way to an AC30. On the left lies the USA, this setting’s chiming glassy tones reminded me of a Fender Hot-Rod Deluxe at low gains, and became more and more akin to a searing Mesa Boogie wail as the gain went up. The Blackstar HT40 and indeed the entire HT series of amps are incredibly versatile. The addition of these higher wattage combo’s to their arsenal has provided musicians with every kind of budget the opportunity to get themselves an excellent quality valve amp with enough volume to cater for every gig/studio situation. I’m so impressed that I’ve actually started saving to get myself a HT60.

The HT40 is in stock and available to buy online from us by clicking here http://guitar-base.com/shop/amplifiers/valve-amps/blackstar/blackstar-ht-club-40-combo.html

Just what is it that makes the Epiphone DOT so popular?

Surely it should be a poor mans Casino. After all the Casino has such a rich history and had been played by legendary guitarists such as Johnny Cash and Paul McCartney.

So if this is true then why does the Epiphone DOT sell out faster than any other guitar in our stores? To start with, as with a lot of things these days, price is a big factor. The Epiphone DOT retails at £299.00 and is available in Cherry, Vintage Sunburst and Natural. There is also currently a limited run available called the Epiphone DOT Studio. This model retails at @ £219.00 and is available in Worn Cherry and Worn Vintage Sunburst.

But it can’t just be about price, after all there are plenty of cheaper arch top copies on the market these days.

The Epiphone DOT is, like many other Epiphones, made in China. It has a laminated body and a maple neck. The pickups are 57’ Classics and have alnico magnets. Aesthetically it is very pleasing on the eye and has DOT inlays on the medium sized Fret board. There is the Epiphone E logo on the pick guard, which is different in size to the Gibson ES-335 pick guard is the only instantly noticeable difference.

So armed with all this information I can now see why the DOT is so popular, however I still want to know more so I one of our customers who recently bought a DOT to see what his reasons were for parting with the best part of £300.00.

“ It’s just so easy to play and the standard low action is great. I decided on the Cherry finish and in my opinion it looks just like the Gibson ES-335. From a distance or on stage people can’t seem to tell the difference and people tell me it sounds the same too. It’s got a really meaty sound, which I didn’t expect. I know its not a Gibson but it only cost me £299.00 and as a student it’s the closest im going to get until I graduate and can afford the real thing.”

So to sum up it seems like the Epiphone DOT is a great copy of the Gibson ES-335. If you are on a budget and looking for you’re your first arch top guitar then you can’t go far wrong with a DOT.

Portable valve-tone, the holy-grail for guitarists and now a very affordable reality.
Having often encountered the mammoth Orange stacks belonging to friends bands, and being in awe of their sheer volume, I couldn’t initially imagine an Orange amp without imagining ear-bleeding volume. But I was very pleasantly surprised by this little gem.    
The Orange Tiny-terror packs 15 watts of all-valve power, which doesn’t sound like much at first, but take it out into a 4×12 and your pumping out at a VERY giggable volume. Provided a very-much retro and vintage sound is your bag, the tiny-terror should be a pleasure and joy to your ears. Its unmistakable shimmering clean tones explode into a purring yet cutting drive the harder you play, retaining all the characteristics of its bigger brothers without requiring earth-thundering volume to drive it. Put this together with a gorgeous retro-look and its perfectly portable size, and you have an affordable workhorse for every musician’s budget. A great introduction the world of Orange.  £352 RRP

BBE:
Besides the fantastic artwork adorning them, these pedals have become renowned for being built as solid as they sound.
Crusher:
As the name suggests, this little pedal shifts a lot of weight. The full range EQ is perfect for tailoring chest-compacting distortion for any occasion and a welcome change from the standard 1-knob tone selection on most pedals. At low gain you can expect a warm glow akin to a semi-cranked tube amp, and at high gain, get ready to unleash a real wall of sound!

Two-Timer:
A fantastic two channel delay pedal that any experimental rock aficionado would be proud to have on their pedal-board. The delay is smooth and warm, keeping the subtleties of your tone intact and maintaining chime-like translucency. Hitting the on/off switch simply moves you to true bypass, and when you flick back your last delay will still be ringing. Change the speed knobs during playing to get some really far-out noises!

It’s hard to look at a Jazzmaster these days without it invoking fond memories of the burgeoning 90’s alternative rock scene. Originally conceived (as the name suggests) for the Jazz player, this guitar was also adopted by the surf-rock artists of the 60’s, but lay dormant for quite some time thereafter. Then, with a new breed of music this instrument found its way into the hands of a new-breed of musicians, notably J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine. At first try, this guitar feels deceptively large, but after 10 minutes of playing and a slight action adjustment I found myself unable to put it down. This guitar’s clean sound is simply incredible, ranging from kicking bass tone all the way through to glassy, nasal spasms that Steve Albini would be proud of. Driven, this guitar maintains its tone and has an almost acoustic guitar-like quality, with booming mids and a definition unmatched by any other Fender I’ve played. The stunning good-looks of this instrument helped win me over, our particular model comes in turquoise.

Boss created an industry standard with the TU-2 pedal tuner in 1998 – they’re ubiquitous. Over the ensuing 12 years, however, its +/- 3 cent accuracy and limited display drew questions – though we’ve never had any issues live – as other brands offered better specs. Time for an update…

In Use

First and foremost, accuracy of the new TU-3 is quoted at +/-1 cent over a 23-segment LED display, which means it tunes more accurately. Tested against a 10 year-old TU-2 and a TU-12, the TU-3 outperforms its predecessor; unnoticeable in most live situations, but it does mean that the TU-3 is a better companion for adjusting your intonation. Improved accuracy means landing bang-on in tune is marginally more fiddly live; for example, this reviewer doesn’t wait for the extra half a second or so for the ‘AccuPitch’ confirmation display after the single green LED lights up. Other functions include drop tuning up to six semitones and bass tuning up to three flats.

A new brightness mode means that maximum current draw is up from 55mA (TU-2) to 85mA. Using the recommended BOSS supply and a PCS-20A daisy chain, the TU-3 will supply a total of 200mA to up to seven other BOSS Compacts.

BOSS is resisting true-bypass switching which may be an issue for the tone-obsessed, but the usual BOSS buffered output helps when using long leads and numerous pedals. Also there’s no facility for sweetened tunings but the truth of that matter is that only a tiny proportion of players either know or care about them!

Verdict

Simple: a classic, updated. Success awaits you, TU-3.

The Bottom Line

We like: Improved accuracy; high brightness mode; no-nonsense operation; price

We dislike: Nothing