I disagree in one thing. The AA-batteries. They are actually the good thing. You can buy them almost everywhere and if you want, you can buy rechargeable ones. The amp is great and batteries last long.
I'm very surprised at the output, like you I was expecting something like the tiny battery amps with raspy papery cones. That works out well, and with the USB out, this is good.
I like the amp and your review, but I disagree with the integral rechargeable battery. If it goes dead you have to wait to recharge it instead of just popping new batteries in it. I use rechargeable AA batteries instead. As always, fantastic guitar playing!
Had mine over a year with B cab connected. Can't say enough good things about it. I love this thing!! Portable rock box. Amazingly loud too for its size.
They are really good. One of my grandsons used one for busking and has taken it, plus the extension cabinet, away to University with him. They are really impressive for their size and sound extremely loud.
I went to by a cheap mini amp to practice on mainly for a bit of distortion ! I was gonna get a mini Marshall but the guy in the shop said the blackstar was pretty good !!? Persuaded I paid £60 quid ?! But was very pleased the delay is worth it alone !
This amp is great practice amp. And that AA battery option is just great! They last very long time , you can buy them almost everywhere and you can buy rechargeable version of AA's if you want. I own two of these amps. One guitar and one bass version and they are just great. And both of them is with that external speakers. They costs about 100 euros/ kit when I bought them.
Hello John, as usual you made a very informative demo. I have a Blackstar Fly that I bought for a long travel in a foreign country. Non rechargeable batteries were the good choice for me because no place in my luggage for charger or power supply ( also ridiculous to sell a power supply non compatible with all other apparatus! ). I enjoyed a lot the Fly sound in my hotel room. Of course it misses some lows, but mid and highs pleased me. I know we can add a 2nd speaker same size of the Fly, wandering whether it really improve the sound? About your demo, I prefered the mic'd sound better than DI'd sound, may be because my Ipad sound is better adapted ? By the way, I did appreciate your play at end of demo, some jazzy blues that made me think of Carlos Santana. 👍😀
I have owned one of these for 2 years now and have to say it has held up well. Also it has been one of the best practical purchases I have ever made. I have got my money’s worth out of it for sure. I kind of wish Celestion made a 3 inch speaker because I would think it would be crazy cool to see how that would sound. Seriously though this is a amp I think every guitarist needs to own. I can’t think of any reason to not have one at all.
Good review mate...yeah one could do some recording with it, it has a pretty decent sound for a little'un. Afterall, Frank Zappa was known to record with one of those 5W Pignose amps, and they were nothing flash LOL.
Thanks! I think I saw a mini Marshall on a shelf in some of your videos - I was wondering what you thought of it; I'm glad to hear your take on this mini.
I have to agree, but with DI'd then it is based on how it is set up either via a mixing desk, soundcard, DAW etc. With a mic then it will depend on the quality of the mic and how it reacts throughout the range
hi John. are there no chapesses who watch your show hahaha. i used to busk with a Marshall MS4 micro stack and that thing was loud. it would handle a Vox wah no problem and could be heard 1.5 miles away on a still night. peace man
I bought mine expressly for buying/selling guitars... these days you don't necessarily get to "try before you buy" so this is a little aid to doing transactions in unusual places while still proving functionality. The good tone is a bonus! Rechargeable batteries only go in when I go out lol.
Hey, the "go to www.blackstaramps.com" site for the "complete user handbook" is down. No phone number anywhere. Anyone know what's up? or how to get in touch with them? Thank you!
Hi john laney make a much better one. 2x3w rms.better build quality with delay and twin 3in speakers.again 6 aa batteries or adaptor.buy a pack of recharge batteries.
I liked the mic’d up sound. Good demo. The micro cube is also totally excellent for the money. I’m a big def leppard fan and they do a def leppard fly 3 ,so I see one in my future some time. I have katana 50 and a gt1 at moment, used to use Marshall valvestates but the 2x12 was a colossal weight
from the "EM OUT & PHONES" to your "Line In" of your audio interface(soundcard). Depending on the interface you might need a 3.5mm to 6.3mm jack adapter.
Great review John, really good sound, worthy just to sit on a shelf for practice and the like with the benefit of emulated recording output always a plus. impressive sounds but is it you or is it magic ha ha.
I missed this review 1st round, any chance of more amp reviews as I am in the market for one that will suit electric and acoustic your doing a great job as always
Great review, John. The benefit of AA batteries - you can buy them pretty much anywhere. Good luck finding a replacement if your proprietary battery craps out while you're out and about.
Great review John. I’ve got the extension cab with mine which gives you 6 wattts. Haven’t figured out the emulated output for recording yet. I use a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 so do I need a mini jack to guitar jack cable (3.5mm to 1/4”) to connect to the Scarlett?
Rowland Buckland Wanted the PSU too & all the UK retailers either didn't have listed on their site, or if it was, it was out of stock. Shipping from Thomann is only €10, which is cheaper than a lot of UK suppliers, and I trust Thomann. I"ve used them many times & found them reliable, honest & great for after sales service... Unlike a certain site which specialises in Guitar Amp Keyboard sales.
I've had mine for a couple years, I bought the kit with the AC adapter and the external cabinet which connects with supplied cable. You can then use them as stereo speakers which sound pretty good.
Actualy I like it's use of AA batteries, so you don't have to throw away the amp when the internal batteries die like most of external speakers. Also, this way it can reliably be used from the external DC cable even when batteries are dead. As a traveler it's also great to transport it that way with a minimum of weight. That's what it's made for after all, messing around the world. Thanks for your good demo 😋
sounds no better than the laney mini . in fact i think the laney sounds better ,more natural and that looks like a real amp scaled down wheras the fly is so plastic and cheap toy looking . the isf feature with blackstar is a joke its just a flamin tone control . i had a blackstar 1 watter sounded nice , but hummed like a bitch , and blackstars attitude when i complained was tough titty ,wont go anywhere near blackstar now .
On these types of amps as a catagory , AA batteries are an advantage . Good battery life , available everywhere , dirt cheap in multi packs , and my favorite , rechargeable AA's . You missed an opportunity by not having the extension cab, purchased as a combo pack very reasonable , and still competitive priced to similar amps . A while back , we did a side by side comparison between my ( non GX) Micro Cube , and a Fly. With the extension cab , the Fly could hold its own , without it noticeably was weaker . Meanwhile , at present , my daughter has appropriated my latest Steel and my Micro Cube . Luckily , I just picked up a Fly ( in a special edition with our State Flag printed on the speaker grill ) , which will now become my default portable mini amp .
And here (as promised) is the eBay listing: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/123126081063?ssPageName=STRK:MESCX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1554.l2649
Add the "extension speaker" with the extra 3 watts .. It's even better ..!! And louder in Stereo ... With alot more bite ..!!!
I disagree in one thing. The AA-batteries. They are actually the good thing. You can buy them almost everywhere and if you want, you can buy rechargeable ones. The amp is great and batteries last long.
I'm very surprised at the output, like you I was expecting something like the tiny battery amps with raspy papery cones. That works out well, and with the USB out, this is good.
I like the amp and your review, but I disagree with the integral rechargeable battery. If it goes dead you have to wait to recharge it instead of just popping new batteries in it. I use rechargeable AA batteries instead. As always, fantastic guitar playing!
Had mine over a year with B cab connected. Can't say enough good things about it. I love this thing!! Portable rock box. Amazingly loud too for its size.
They are really good. One of my grandsons used one for busking and has taken it, plus the extension cabinet, away to University with him. They are really impressive for their size and sound extremely loud.
I went to by a cheap mini amp to practice on mainly for a bit of distortion ! I was gonna get a mini Marshall but the guy in the shop said the blackstar was pretty good !!? Persuaded I paid £60 quid ?! But was very pleased the delay is worth it alone !
This amp is great practice amp. And that AA battery option is just great! They last very long time , you can buy them almost everywhere and you can buy rechargeable version of AA's if you want. I own two of these amps. One guitar and one bass version and they are just great. And both of them is with that external speakers. They costs about 100 euros/ kit when I bought them.
I use mine all the time and after a year I’m on same original batteries!!
Hello John, as usual you made a very informative demo. I have a Blackstar Fly that I bought for a long travel in a foreign country. Non rechargeable batteries were the good choice for me because no place in my luggage for charger or power supply ( also ridiculous to sell a power supply non compatible with all other apparatus! ). I enjoyed a lot the Fly sound in my hotel room. Of course it misses some lows, but mid and highs pleased me. I know we can add a 2nd speaker same size of the Fly, wandering whether it really improve the sound? About your demo, I prefered the mic'd sound better than DI'd sound, may be because my Ipad sound is better adapted ? By the way, I did appreciate your play at end of demo, some jazzy blues that made me think of Carlos Santana. 👍😀
I have owned one of these for 2 years now and have to say it has held up well. Also it has been one of the best practical purchases I have ever made. I have got my money’s worth out of it for sure. I kind of wish Celestion made a 3 inch speaker because I would think it would be crazy cool to see how that would sound. Seriously though this is a amp I think every guitarist needs to own. I can’t think of any reason to not have one at all.
This amp is really a great asset to a traveler or a busker.The Bluetooth version is even better.
Your little track you recorded at the end was awesome, really tasty 😀
Love mine I got back in 2016 with cab ($102 US). With external cab you get 6 watts. Good review and demo.
Good review mate...yeah one could do some recording with it, it has a pretty decent sound for a little'un. Afterall, Frank Zappa was known to record with one of those 5W Pignose amps, and they were nothing flash LOL.
Zapa even played a song on a tv show playing through his Pig nose.
m.ua-cam.com/video/_q0nImsfMvE/v-deo.html
Wow! That little thing sounds great.
Great review! Have you tried it with headphones/ear buds? Does the speaker cut out when they are plugged in?
Thanks! I think I saw a mini Marshall on a shelf in some of your videos - I was wondering what you thought of it; I'm glad to hear your take on this mini.
I love that track you recorded at the end. Really cool.
Great review John ,loved the jam at end sounded like santana . I own one of these there brill
Will the AA batteries drain if i use the amp with the power supply plugged in? Or will they be fine?
erik_ Should be fine 😀
To be honest I thought the miked up high gain sounded better than the the DI'd. Impressive little box though. Lovely playing by the way!
I have to agree, but with DI'd then it is based on how it is set up either via a mixing desk, soundcard, DAW etc. With a mic then it will depend on the quality of the mic and how it reacts throughout the range
Awesome review thank you.
Thank you John , cheers
Absolutely excellent review!
Nice play and review 👍
hi John. are there no chapesses who watch your show hahaha. i used to busk with a Marshall MS4 micro stack and that thing was loud. it would handle a Vox wah no problem and could be heard 1.5 miles away on a still night. peace man
I bought mine expressly for buying/selling guitars... these days you don't necessarily get to "try before you buy" so this is a little aid to doing transactions in unusual places while still proving functionality. The good tone is a bonus! Rechargeable batteries only go in when I go out lol.
Hey, the "go to www.blackstaramps.com" site for the "complete user handbook" is down. No phone number anywhere. Anyone know what's up? or how to get in touch with them? Thank you!
Love its portability, sound and battery life. Apparently Delay uses a lot less juice than Reverb.
Thanks for a great review!
Wow...you sure made the little giant look good...GREAT DEMO !!
Hi john laney make a much better one. 2x3w rms.better build quality with delay and twin 3in speakers.again 6 aa batteries or adaptor.buy a pack of recharge batteries.
My Blackstar fly 3 mini amp sounds bad, so what might be a problem with it?
The DI is pretty bad, same way on my Micro Dark which I don't think even has speaker emulation
Great little amp, at the moment I'm using it as a computer speaker for my new apple mac mini m1, lol
I don't like mic'd reviews or anything other than the vanilla amp.
Interesting! Just not sure what I would do with it.
I liked the mic’d up sound. Good demo. The micro cube is also totally excellent for the money. I’m a big def leppard fan and they do a def leppard fly 3 ,so I see one in my future some time. I have katana 50 and a gt1 at moment, used to use Marshall valvestates but the 2x12 was a colossal weight
i think for a fair demonstration would be worth having had an excellent mic to get the real sound of this amp.
some top notch playing 🎸😎💥👍
you think it beats the roland micro cube?
Vappo Riesat Next on my list to try, mate 😀
John Robson Guitarist nice :) you will be impressed ;)
Considering the roland is a 100 bucks more, hell yeah the blackstar beats it foe the price
Can you pls pls review the Harley benton-HB 10G? If not thats ok, great vid! Keep it up John. Il stick around. :)
how do you connect the DI? can you please tell/show the diagram? THANKS!!
from the "EM OUT & PHONES" to your "Line In" of your audio interface(soundcard). Depending on the interface you might need a 3.5mm to 6.3mm jack adapter.
Great review John, really good sound, worthy just to sit on a shelf for practice and the like with the benefit of emulated recording output always a plus. impressive sounds but is it you or is it magic ha ha.
Excellent Review John Great Price , Being able to Record Direct is a Massive Plus....
I missed this review 1st round, any chance of more amp reviews as I am in the market for one that will suit electric and acoustic your doing a great job as always
The mic'd up sound gets a bit worse as you go to higher gain, but on the clean it is really good and still decent on crunch.
Lovely stuff John
Great review, John. The benefit of AA batteries - you can buy them pretty much anywhere. Good luck finding a replacement if your proprietary battery craps out while you're out and about.
eggy68 Fair point, mate 😀
worth?
Your voice is extremely cool. You sound deadly. You sound like you have lethal magical powers.
Ha ha! I can make a pint of beer disappear! Does that count as a superpower? 😀👍
@@JRobsonGuitar Yes.
I love your videos, John.
Sound is good,
Great review John. I’ve got the extension cab with mine which gives you 6 wattts. Haven’t figured out the emulated output for recording yet. I use a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 so do I need a mini jack to guitar jack cable (3.5mm to 1/4”) to connect to the Scarlett?
Steve Duggan Precisely, mate. Then you'll have a great "core" set of sounds to record with. Just add any FX you like in your DAW.
John Robson Guitarist Thanks John. Keep up the good work & your work for Zoe’s Place is a wonderful idea. Good on you!
Dieser Verstärker ist SUPER !
Good review, surprised you did not support a British supplier where it would have been cheaper.
Rowland Buckland Wanted the PSU too & all the UK retailers either didn't have listed on their site, or if it was, it was out of stock. Shipping from Thomann is only €10, which is cheaper than a lot of UK suppliers, and I trust Thomann. I"ve used them many times & found them reliable, honest & great for after sales service... Unlike a certain site which specialises in Guitar Amp Keyboard sales.
You should not give them free publicity. Support your local dealer!
Great review! :D
How would it go supporting a bass guitar?
Not really designed for that... Might make the speaker fart a bit.
@@JRobsonGuitar have you tried?
I've had mine for a couple years, I bought the kit with the AC adapter and the external cabinet which connects with supplied cable. You can then use them as stereo speakers which sound pretty good.
Actualy I like it's use of AA batteries, so you don't have to throw away the amp when the internal batteries die like most of external speakers. Also, this way it can reliably be used from the external DC cable even when batteries are dead. As a traveler it's also great to transport it that way with a minimum of weight. That's what it's made for after all, messing around the world. Thanks for your good demo 😋
sounds no better than the laney mini . in fact i think the laney sounds better ,more natural and that looks like a real amp scaled down wheras the fly is so plastic and cheap toy looking . the isf feature with blackstar is a joke its just a flamin tone control . i had a blackstar 1 watter sounded nice , but hummed like a bitch , and blackstars attitude when i complained was tough titty ,wont go anywhere near blackstar now .
I suggest you don't buy one, because then you'd have to eat your words. :=)
dat I feel like sharing why cause imindmore nMind sharing why
On these types of amps as a catagory , AA batteries are an advantage . Good battery life , available everywhere , dirt cheap in multi packs , and my favorite , rechargeable AA's .
You missed an opportunity by not having the extension cab, purchased as a combo pack very reasonable , and still competitive priced to similar amps .
A while back , we did a side by side comparison between my ( non GX) Micro Cube , and a Fly. With the extension cab , the Fly could hold its own , without it noticeably was weaker .
Meanwhile , at present , my daughter has appropriated my latest Steel and my Micro Cube . Luckily , I just picked up a Fly ( in a special edition with our State Flag printed on the speaker grill ) , which will now become my default portable mini amp .
they all sound great with mic going through a computer..when you take it out of the box you will capture the real sound tinny AF
Awesome detail. It also says no effects on that listing it does have delay