Some new toys (Matt couldn't help himself!!!)

[Cpt Matt Sparrow]

On Tuesday, after much delay (fingers crossed) we have a new amp coming... a Blackstar HT-5. It has gotten such good reviews and is very reaonsably priced for what it is I will be sure to post some sound clips..

Also bought a Squier 1983 JV Strat for the bargain price of £475 and have a couple of hundred quids worth of new teaching books coming.

I can't wait for Tuesday! (also having another guitar lesson that day!!)



Matt

[rice_pudding]

Hey Matt, hope you are well! I feel like a stranger here, its been so long since i've been on these boards LOL

The Blackstar HT-5

very familiar with that one, it is my no.1 amp after all

I take it you will be using it for home practice, being as its a cute 5 watter? This is a damn good amp though, its a bit fiddly IMO, takes quite a bit of care and attention to get a great tone. But it has stacks of versatility.

Good luck with it

I should be getting some new toys soon myself, or rather a new guitar, but i still cant decide

Rob

[Cpt Matt Sparrow]

Hi Rob

HOW ARE YOU

Before you judge and think "Squier...yuk they are cheap" I want a proper Fender etc etc

I would definitely recommend the early 80's JV series Squiers. They were made not with the idea of being a cheap guitar but a Fender for the Japanese market. They are highly colletable now and secondhand go anything between £500 and £1000.

The pick ups are fender USA and the bodies Alder or Ash. They have a kind of mystique about them and are used by people including David Gilmore and famously the late Jeff Healey favoured them as his main axe choice!

Ritchie (who knows loads about this kind of stufff) sent me this link. Worth a read...
http://www.21frets.com/

Matt

[Cpt Matt Sparrow]

pt 2

Yes waiting on the Blackstar still. They screwed up and sent it to the wrong depot so next day delivery has turned into 8 days with the Easter weekend. Suzie managhed to actually get compensation as she said it was misleading saying it was to be delivered next working day (she is good at that kind of stuff!)

Yes I can't wait to have it!! You sound VERY happy with it!. Yes a downstairs practice amp and mic'd up gigging amp is what I want it for. My Laney VC-15 has just died which is a huge loss ):

Everyone says the same about the all valve VC-15; amazing tone but prone to breakdown.
The distortion sounds rich and the clean on the Blsckstar I can't wait to get stuck into!!! ha ha

Rob don't be a stranger here anymore!!!

Matt

[rice_pudding]

Hi Rob

HOW ARE YOU

Before you judge and think "Squier...yuk they are cheap" I want a proper Fender etc etc

I would definitely recommend the early 80's JV series Squiers. They were made not with the idea of being a cheap guitar but a Fender for the Japanese market. They are highly colletable now and secondhand go anything between £500 and £1000.

The pick ups are fender USA and the bodies Alder or Ash. They have a kind of mystique about them and are used by people including David Gilmore and famously the late Jeff Healey favoured them as his main axe choice!

Ritchie (who knows loads about this kind of stufff) sent me this link. Worth a read...
http://www.21frets.com/

pt 2

Yes waiting on the Blackstar still. They screwed up and sent it to the wrong depot so next day delivery has turned into 8 days with the Easter weekend. Suzie managhed to actually get compensation as she said it was misleading saying it was to be delivered next working day (she is good at that kind of stuff!)

Yes I can't wait to have it!! You sound VERY happy with it!. Yes a downstairs practice amp and mic'd up gigging amp is what I want it for. My Laney VC-15 has just died which is a huge loss ):

Everyone says the same about the all valve VC-15; amazing tone but prone to breakdown.
The distortion sounds rich and the clean on the Blsckstar I can't wait to get stuck into!!! ha ha

Rob don't be a stranger here anymore!!!

Matt

Matt,

Don't worry you are speaking to the converted! early 80s squire's are quite something, i'll be interested to hear how it stacks up to your other guitars.

Im thinking of getting one of the new Fender Deluxe strats
http://www.fender.com/products/search.p ... 0119002720
Wide range of pickup configurations, flat fingerboard, should be good... but im not sure about the pickups

What happened to the Laney VC-15 surely its not completely dead!!! That really sucks, if i ever need a gig amp, ill probably buy a laney or not... LOL

Yes im happy with the blackstar, but for a long time i was dissapointed, but i am anal about tone. I've heard people say that it is very modern in design and you have to be carefull with adjusting settings, thats probably true. I still need to modify it to get a good sound from a strat, time that i just dont have. But it sounds immense with my Les Paul

Sorry for being a stranger, but i've been working... a lot. Between January and April i've been working 7 days a week, 16 hours a day. Isn't film-making great.

I've just got some essays to do, then im done!

BTW: are you still thinking of studying at uni next year?

Rob

[Cpt Matt Sparrow]

Hi Rob

The story changes again!!!!!; after 4 (yes 4!!) promises of deliveries and waiting in between 9 and 6 nothing...endless phone calls back and forth; endless apologies and an amp that allegedly went to the wrong depot TWICE... Actually before I continue the company were...

ANDERTONS MUSIC GUILDFORD...NEVER AGAIN!!

Anyway, we have cancelled the order and for a multitude of reaons I have ordered the Fender Blues Junior from a different company that uses a different courier!
I know it is illogical and me going off on one; but for what ever reason I was not meant to own the Blackstar.

Re- Univeristy, well not next year now as Suzie is still finishing her course. I am studying privately with Carlos Bonell (from the RCM) for a fellowship exam. That is keeling me very busy!!

Anyway 16 hours isn't too bad. Have 5 hours sleep that leave you 3 hours a day to geek on UR

Take care

Matt

[tedeeoo]

Sorry about the amp Matt, I've got a new toy on the way myself, an Outlaw Supply Co. "Man's Ruin" overdrive pedal, it's like a modded TS808 but at not nearly the cost. Sandy builds them to order and he does impeccable work, I've got one of his Bluebird tremolo pedals and it is just fantastic, can't wait for this one to get here.

p.s. you'll probably like the Blues Junior alot, I bet it would love this overdrive pedal

[Cpt Matt Sparrow]

Hi Ted

Is Sandy the maker? A private builder? sounds good! Please post some sound clips.

Last night I played in a rock/blues duo at a beer festival. I played through a mic'd up epi 5 watt valve junior and ran my pedal board through it.
Distortion was just a Boss MD-2 and the boost through my Boss GE7 EQ Pedal and it was just beautiful!

Yes, very excited about the blues junior!!

Matt

[BIG_P]

Nice find Matthew!! Japanese Squiers are highly collectable and sound awesome as you already know. Don't worry about the "Squier doubters". My little $99 dollar deal is one of the funnest guitars to play I've ever owned...

[Cpt Matt Sparrow]

Hi Ralph

Song time no see! I suppose I quite like the Squier logo as it makes it even more shocking when people hear it. It sounds gorgeous!

Watch this space Ralph baby! I have just finished recording my version of Jerry Reed's and Chet Atkins' Jerry's Breakdown on the JV!

Matt

[rice_pudding]

Hi Rob

The story changes again!!!!!; after 4 (yes 4!!) promises of deliveries and waiting in between 9 and 6 nothing...endless phone calls back and forth; endless apologies and an amp that allegedly went to the wrong depot TWICE... Actually before I continue the company were...

ANDERTONS MUSIC GUILDFORD...NEVER AGAIN!!

Anyway, we have cancelled the order and for a multitude of reaons I have ordered the Fender Blues Junior from a different company that uses a different courier!
I know it is illogical and me going off on one; but for what ever reason I was not meant to own the Blackstar.

Re- Univeristy, well not next year now as Suzie is still finishing her course. I am studying privately with Carlos Bonell (from the RCM) for a fellowship exam. That is keeling me very busy!!

Anyway 16 hours isn't too bad. Have 5 hours sleep that leave you 3 hours a day to geek on UR

Take care

Matt

Heeeeeesh

They obviously have lots of money and dont want to make a sale

The blues junior is a good'un! I was thinking of getting one in the past, probably one of the most popular small amps on the planet

Rob

[tedeeoo]

Hey Matt,

Sandy is the maker/owner of the company, his last name escapes me at the moment. There is a clip of this pedal on youtube, just search for "Man's Ruin Overdrive" and it should come up, that same search on goggle will get you to the web-site. I can't wait for it to get here, i think it will complement my Majik Box Doug Aldrich Rocket Fuel ( the best pedal ever made) perfectly, as well as the rest of my rig. I will let everyone know.

[David Denson]

My Laney VC-15 has just died which is a huge loss ):

Everyone says the same about the all valve VC-15; amazing tone but prone to breakdown.
The distortion sounds rich and the clean on the Blsckstar I can't wait to get stuck into!!! ha ha

Matt, that's weird to hear about the Laney VC-15 man!!

I have 2 Laney amps myself....1) a 100 watt Laney Pro Tube Lead head (made in the 1980s)...killer head, awsome tone/sound...no need for a distortion pedal AT ALL! Suckers got all the distortion you will ever need as is.

and 2) a Laney LC-30 II combo amp

oh, and a Laney 4x12 cabinet with Celestions on board.

I haven't a problem at all with the reliability of my Laneys....and the tone is freakin killer...absolutely killer. The 1980s head is still going strong man....it sounds sooooo good...makes you want to almost wet yourself.

A pic of the half stack and Epi LP Custom:

[chasmcneal]

David:

is that one of the AOR's with the push pull boost on the bass and (i think) mid?


if it is, could you tell me what tubes it uses? my dad and i picked up a broken one that had 6L6s in it, and when it we fixed it modded it to use EL34's but both of us thought that the old laney AORs always used EL34's, anyway. cool amps for sure!

[David Denson]

Yeah, it is one of the AOR Laney Pro Tube Leads. And pull boost pots are on the EQ knobs...nice feature! Even though these amps were made in the 80s, they are great for players who like the drop tuning stuff...the tone and bass are plenty.


They did come from the factory with EL-34s. I use EL-34 Groove Tubes in mine, and others say JJs sound good in them too.

You are right, nice sounding amps...beasts.