# Blackstar HT 60 Stage help on the tone



## CrownofWorms (Jun 18, 2011)

I just got my Blackstar HT 60, but I'm not getting a good metal tone at all. Every time I'm changing the settings its either a twangy tone with distortion or some fuzzy tone. It's not really my taste at all. I'm not really a fan of really treble tones. 

I'm trying to get something in the lines of this when it comes to rhythm and leads


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## Strobe (Jun 18, 2011)

What effects / pedals are you using in our signal chain? Also, what would you say is not to your liking about your tone? I know you described it a bit, but more might help. Not enough gain? Not enough articulation? What are your settings at (I know your tried several, but give an example)?

Maybe say, "I use ____ pedals plugged into front/effects loop and setting it to _____ and the sound is fuzzy."

Also, did it ever sound better - did it change? I currently suspect tube problem, but I think more info would help folks help you out.


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## CrownofWorms (Jun 18, 2011)

Strobe said:


> What effects / pedals are you using in our signal chain? Also, what would you say is not to your liking about your tone? I know you described it a bit, but more might help. Not enough gain? Not enough articulation? What are your settings at (I know your tried several, but give an example)?
> 
> Maybe say, "I use ____ pedals plugged into front/effects loop and setting it to _____ and the sound is fuzzy."
> 
> Also, did it ever sound better - did it change? I currently suspect tube problem, but I think more info would help folks help you out.



I already got the gain cranked. Also tell me about Tube Problems. I used no pedals to get that fizzy sound. When I did plug in my MXR Fullbore Metal the fizzyness just increased


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## Strobe (Jun 18, 2011)

Did it ever sound good? Is it new? Fizzy is a term that I might use to describe an amp with too much treble dialed in, more details helps because it means I do not have to write paragraphs on everything that could possibly go wrong with a tube amp.

In any case, my top guess is that the bias is set too low and you're getting too much crossover distortion. My second guess would be a faulty tube(s). Fizzy/Fuzzy descriptions do not necessarily get me close enough to the cause of the problem. I can't tell whether we are dealing with a technical problem or just a tone preference problem (although it's likely technical).


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## Strobe (Jun 18, 2011)

An amp biased too cold will tend to sound sterile and thin with a decrease in available gain. A bad tube can do a lot of different things, from becoming microphonic, to snap/crackle/pop noises, to glowing unnatural colors.

If it turns out it's just a tone thing - it might just be a matter of boosting / using a noise gate / decent pickups.


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## jeremyb (Jun 18, 2011)

Sounds faulty, time to take it back to the shop!!


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## CrownofWorms (Jun 18, 2011)

Strobe said:


> Did it ever sound good? Is it new? Fizzy is a term that I might use to describe an amp with too much treble dialed in, more details helps because it means I do not have to write paragraphs on everything that could possibly go wrong with a tube amp.
> 
> In any case, my top guess is that the bias is set too low and you're getting too much crossover distortion. My second guess would be a faulty tube(s). Fizzy/Fuzzy descriptions do not necessarily get me close enough to the cause of the problem. I can't tell whether we are dealing with a technical problem or just a tone preference problem (although it's likely technical).


The settings are pretty much scooped. I don't have much treble. To be honest I'm defiantly planning on returning it for something better. I might just go ahead and get a head and cab that is worth about 900 all together(any suggestions). The amp is new not used

The amp has a good tone for classic rock and rock, but metal(especially death). It's just really not my style. Hell I can't even get a high pitched smooth, warm lead( ala Chris Broderick ), instead I get a Jimmy Page like sound. The treble is pretty low, but when I turn it up it just sounds so fizzy. The same goes for the mids and presence, and ISF. I don't wan't to put on a lot of gain since that would cause noise and I told you about it being cranked.

My Ltd has a Seymor JB and a Seymor Jazz. My Line 6 spider 3 75 ironically produces a better distortion(I actually was glad but it won't produce enough power when played live nor clarity when doing technical stuff) with the addition of my MXR FM pedal. My 7 has stock RG7321 pickups that sound really deep, but not much clarity on the notes like my Ltd 6 string.


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## CrownofWorms (Jun 18, 2011)

Strobe said:


> An amp biased too cold will tend to sound sterile and thin with a decrease in available gain. A bad tube can do a lot of different things, from becoming microphonic, to snap/crackle/pop noises, to glowing unnatural colors.
> 
> If it turns out it's just a tone thing - it might just be a matter of boosting / using a noise gate / decent pickups.



What do you mean biased( I am new to tubes). How would I make it not to cold. or explain bias. The amp does get hot when played with

A bad tube might be a case but I just got it yesterday. Also what are unnatural colors. It usually glows from yellow, bright orangish color. Sorta like a dimmed light bulb. But I am also getting some blue in it.

I am getting a ton of feedback noise(buzzing) on the Blackstar. I got that when I played with my old line 6 and Ltd. But that was because of the guitar's pickups . The trick was the built in noise gate and lowering of the pedals volume( the amp was still on the insane setting). The noise gate was enough, but lowering the volume helped accent most of the notes I was playing(it wasn't necrophagist/Spawn of Possession clean, but enough to be passable).


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## pantera95 (Jun 19, 2011)

The second guitarist in my band has a HT100. This thing a monster!
I run a framus cobra and the blackstar can hold it's own.

It's got a huge amount of gain. try bringing a bit more bass into your eq. My buddy has his bass set pretty high, and it sounds really great.

Could be a fault in yours, like the other posts say.


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## Strobe (Jun 19, 2011)

CrownofWorms said:


> What do you mean biased( I am new to tubes). How would I make it not to cold. or explain bias. The amp does get hot when played with.



So, a tube is basically a hot wire a distance away from a charged plate. Electrons want to go from the wire to the plate. Around this hot wire, there is another wire coiled around it (but not touching it). The function of this wire is to affect how the electrons go to the plate. Your guitar signal feeds into this wire coil. When you are not sending any signal from your guitar, some current still flows through that coil. The amount of current that flows through is referred to as the bias current. Too much current and you will run hotter than you need to - this makes the tubes go bad faster without any significant benefit. Too little current and it just doesn't work right (technical explanation would take a few paragraphs). Adjusting the bias is not difficult, but I would recommend anyone who does not know exactly what they are doing go to a pro for this - simply because it is dangerous if you do not know what you are doing.

Fixing a bad tube means changing it, and that usually means re-biasing, so it looks like it would take an amp tech to fix the problem either way.

I am guessing it is bad tubes still - but even with good tubes this might not get exactly the tone you are looking for. I would defer to others for how to zero in on the tone in those videos. I think I know what to do, but it is different than the tones I shoot for (but I agree they sound pretty brutal )


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## robotsatemygma (Jun 19, 2011)

I really don't think the Blackstar HT combo amps are voiced for insane metal tones. I could be wrong though. 

Power tubes seem fine from what you're saying. I've had blue pop up before in some 5881's I had, I think they said it was just fillament being burned. If there's a lot of blue, it means oxygen is leaking in and the tube is doa. 

Check you're preamp tubes and make sure they aren't some cheapo Chinese 7025's or Chinese 12AX7's. Cheap tubes will ruin your tone and make the amp sound thin. Also make sure they are not loose. 

You can possibly replace all the tubes with some Electro Harmonix EL34's, JJ 12AX7's and a Tung Sol 12AX7 in V1. Or whatever else sounds good. 

Or you can simply return it for a replacement or exchange it. 

Either way... good luck.


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