Will blackheart be enough?

  • Thread starter Thread starter elenore19
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elenore19

elenore19

Slowing becoming un-noob.
I really want tube sound. I've had the opportunity to try it out, and it's just amazing. So I'm looking into the blackheart head.

If I hooked it up to a 2x10 with Vintage 30's, would it be enough power to over power a drumset with a drummer who plays loud?


Thanks!

-Elliot


If you have any other cheap suggestions for the same type of deal, let me know.

EDIT:
Should I buy this head, and then trade my line 6 spider two for the speaker cab? Giving up the power of my line 6? Is it worth it? The line 6 sounds like absolute crap.
 
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No it wouldn't if we're talking about that 5 watt head.
I have an Epi Valve jr. which is also 5 watts although it doesn't have the tone controls like the Blackheart.
But it comes nowhere close to being loud enough to compete with a loud drumber. Even my 15watt Tiny Terror runs out of gas sometimes.

However ....... you can always mic it. If you have a passable PA ..... just stick a mic on it.
 
Lt. Bob said:
No it wouldn't if we're talking about that 5 watt head.
I have an Epi Valve jr. which is also 5 watts although it doesn't have the tone controls like the Blackheart.
But it comes nowhere close to being loud enough to compete with a loud drumber. Even my 15watt Tiny Terror runs out of gas sometimes.

However ....... you can always mic it. If you have a passable PA ..... just stick a mic on it.
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Yeah. I've heard that this head gets a lot louder than the epi. And I've heard testimonials saying that it works for small gigging, and that's through one speaker. So I was just wondering, if it might be possible.

Mic'ing isn't always a possibility where I play.
 
elenore19 said:
Yeah. I've heard that this head gets a lot louder than the epi. And I've heard testimonials saying that it works for small gigging, and that's through one speaker. So I was just wondering, if it might be possible.

Mic'ing isn't always a possibility where I play.
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Sounds like you feel like you already know the answer so why ask?
It's a nice amp so you won't have lost anything by buying one ...... I wouldn't mind having one. And, as I mentioned, I have used the Epi for small gigs which it does ok.
But loud drumber (your description) and small gigs are different things. At a proper small gig a decent drummer won't play loud and in that case the Blackheart should work fine. It won't be heard over a loud drummer.
Testimonials or not, I've gigged 5-7 nights a week for the last 40 years ..... still playing that much right now and I currently own 13 nice tube amps from the Epi to Marshalls .... I use what works properly on which gig. I like all my amps but you have to be realistic.
First ...... no way it gets a lot louder than the Epi .......... 5 watts is 5 watts. It may have a greater perceived volume because with tone controls you can dial up some brightness to the thing. But that still won't make it loud enough to keep up with a loud drumber.
Also ..... having two speakers instead of one won't make a lot of difference in how much volume you'll get out of 5 watts becuase with one speaker you're getting 5 watts thru it ..... with two speakers you're getting 2 1/2 watts thru each so it ends up being a wash.

Once again ...... nice amp .... worth getting ...... believe as you wish about the loudness thing.
 
Lt. Bob said:
Sounds like you feel like you already know the answer so why ask?
It's a nice amp so you won't have lost anything by buying one ...... I wouldn't mind having one. And, as I mentioned, I have used the Epi for small gigs which it does ok.
But loud drumber ...
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You said "drumber". As in "Drumb and Drumber"? heh heh
 
5 watts is fine for practicing as long as your drummer isn't a really loud drummer. 5 watts is 50% as loud as 50 watts, and I can never get my 50 watts anywhere near 12 o'clock at practice.
 
Guitarer said:
5 watts is fine for practicing as long as your drummer isn't a really loud drummer. 5 watts is 50% as loud as 50 watts, and I can never get my 50 watts anywhere near 12 o'clock at practice.
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Watts alone can't tell you. There are more variables, i.e., what speakers you are driving (how many and how efficient), how loud it will be when it's producing the tone you want, how the wattage rating by the manufacturer was done, etc. As an example, I have a 50 watt Marshall and a 44 watt Super Reverb. Just looking at the wattage ratings of the amps, they should be virtually indistinguishable with respect to volume. Not so; the Marshall is much louder.
 
Lt. Bob said:
Sounds like you feel like you already know the answer so why ask?
It's a nice amp so you won't have lost anything by buying one ...... I wouldn't mind having one. And, as I mentioned, I have used the Epi for small gigs which it does ok.
But loud drumber (your description) and small gigs are different things. At a proper small gig a decent drummer won't play loud and in that case the Blackheart should work fine. It won't be heard over a loud drummer.
Testimonials or not, I've gigged 5-7 nights a week for the last 40 years ..... still playing that much right now and I currently own 13 nice tube amps from the Epi to Marshalls .... I use what works properly on which gig. I like all my amps but you have to be realistic.
First ...... no way it gets a lot louder than the Epi .......... 5 watts is 5 watts. It may have a greater perceived volume because with tone controls you can dial up some brightness to the thing. But that still won't make it loud enough to keep up with a loud drumber.
Also ..... having two speakers instead of one won't make a lot of difference in how much volume you'll get out of 5 watts becuase with one speaker you're getting 5 watts thru it ..... with two speakers you're getting 2 1/2 watts thru each so it ends up being a wash.

Once again ...... nice amp .... worth getting ...... believe as you wish about the loudness thing.
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Yeah, I sort of knew the answer. But the whole two speaker thing I didn't know much about, and I was really hopeful that maybe this could keep up with my drummer.
 
I know this acou guit player, he can't play lead or electric, but he is a most excellent strumber.:D

...and he is dummer than dirt.

Just having fun, no offense to no one.:)
 
Should I buy this head, and then trade my line 6 spider two for the speaker cab? Giving up the power of my line 6? Is it worth it? The line 6 sounds like absolute crap.

Thanks for all the help. You guys are great.
 
I would wait till the 15 watter comes out if you want the headroom. Should be sometime in April I think.
 
Actually 5W may work for smaller clubs. The most important things are the output xfmr and speaker efficiency (including the cabinet design ). A few minor mods will make it more than useable.

On the other hand you could find a Galaxie 10 or 25 on Ebay and that should cover you. Assuming you want to keep costs down.
 
And Lt. Bob, it's not as simple as "watts are watts" when it comes to volume. As ggunn mentioned, there are many more variables than that, especially if the amp is designed to work with different tubes. The power and volume you'll get from EL84's versus 6L6's is very different.
 
Hey if one ain't enough, buy more. You could have, like, ten little half-stacks,....THAT'S 50 WATTS!
 
One little, two little, three little Blackhearts.........somebody STOP ME!!!! ARRGGGHHHH!!!!!
 
famous beagle said:
And Lt. Bob, it's not as simple as "watts are watts" when it comes to volume. As ggunn mentioned, there are many more variables than that, especially if the amp is designed to work with different tubes. The power and volume you'll get from EL84's versus 6L6's is very different.
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yeah but the two amps I compared are both EL84 amps ..... they both put out 5 watts Class A. There may be some small difference in volume level between them but it's not gonna be the difference great enough for one to be loud enough and one to not be. They are fairly similar amps.
Also, I said in several posts that it would be loud enough for small gigs because "I have gigged with it" and, in fact, use the 5 watt Valve Jr. quite a bit.
But I have also tried desperately to hear it over a loudish drumber and, for that matter, my Orange Tiny Terror which is 15 watts Class A and much louder than either of those two amps has trouble keeping up with loud drumbers.
I'm not a recordist primarily, I'm a live player and I'm just trying to relate what my experiences have been based on gigging out virtually every single day and night. I have used those amps in gigging situations a LOT because I gig a LOT and thought it might be useful to relay what I have experienced.
I don't gig out 2 or 3 times a month ....... I gig out 2 and even 3 times a day during busy times and almost never less than 5 gigs a week even when it's slow. That's a lot of actual hands-on experience in the field under actual gigging situations.

I don't care at all what someone might buy and besides, that's a nice little amp (which I also said several times) but it will not be loud enough to gig with a loud drumber (once again that's subjective but it was his description) without micing it. Even if he can manage to hear it ..... it's not gonna get very far out front.
That's my opinion based on quite a few gigs with a similar amp.
 
ok, i am no tube am expert, but may i recommend: fender Super Champ XD! Street price $299, but I got mine as a blem for $229. I've also seen it as "open box" for $270. It has a 12ax7 and 2 6V6's in the power section and a digital "modeling" preamp with 16 "voices", which are supposed to emulate various different amps. It has 2 channels, digital effects and a 10" speaker, easily upgradable, but stock sounds good too. footswitch sold separately.

it's 15 watt and at fairly loud volume feels like a real tube amp (which it is).

also has a speaker out (8 ohm) in case you want to drive a cabinet.

this amp is amazing. i totally love mine, esp. for the price. it gets the amazing tube cleans, at loud volumes, also the "barely" break up above cleans and really nice, different "crunch" (on corresponding channels).

read up on it, like on Harmony Central, i have yet to see a negative review for it.

And there's also a mod some people do, a "line in", which totally bypasses the digital preamp section and allows them to use their POD or VAMP or other modeler directly into the tube power section (like the "atomic reactor" amps).

i think you'll find this amp a true "winner" - trade your Line 6 in for the SCXD :)
 
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