Blackstar HT5M- Volume going very low and cutting in and out.

  • Thread starter Thread starter conanthewarrior
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PDC said:
I always keep a known 'good' set of power and pre-amp tubes on the shelf. That way, I can roll known good glass through all the pre and power positions to trouble shoot. Once a set of glass is shot, I replace with my known good set, and then get another set of fresh tubes for the shelf.

Definitely check the FX loop - they are notorious for being the culprit in noise and signal loss and frequently clear up with a shot of deoxit.

Don't overlook every cord and cable between the guitar and amp if you have stomps in front and for anything in the loop. I recently chased a low volume / low signal issue in one of my more valuable amps and I was convinced it needed to go to the shop. But I discovered that more than one of the patch cables on my pedal board were pure crap. They were the 'push fit' cables from Lava - which came with the board - but I never had a lot of confidence in. I was SO relieved when I found my signal loss was due to those the sh*tty cables. I then spent a decent amount of $$ on brand new custom length Mogami cables for all the connections on my board, and the rig has never sounded better.

Be sure to follow up and post whatever the problem was - simple or not so simple. Knowing what the culprit was in these trouble shooting threads helps make the threads more informative and valuable for members in the future using the search function to chase down a gremlin. It can be super frustrating / discouraging to find a thread that matches your symptoms to the 'T' only to get to the end of the thread and see that the OP never followed up with what the problem and the solution was!!! But good luck tracking this one down.
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I should have done what you do and also bought a spare power tube for my amp. I only changed the preamp as I heard the Tung-sol could make the amp sound better- with the Sovtek I found the amp sounded a bit too muddy, kind of like someone had thrown a duvet over the cabinet making it muffled.

OK, I have electrical contact cleaner so will try the FX loop today, especially with the rust problem in my studio area. It could be possible one of the input jacks has rusted slightly causing a problem.

I plug directly into the amp and have a good guitar cable, I do need a spare though so will also get one of these. I am glad you worked out the issue down to your patch cables, and upgrading to a good brand sorted all the issues.

I must say, and I don't know if this could be related, on my guitar (ESP LTD MH1000) the 5 way blade switch is a little cranky- say I change to the neck pickup, when I switch back to the bridge pickup I have to wiggle the switch a little until I get sound. Unfortunately the blade switch does have a little rust on it, so would cleaning this with contact cleaner also be a good idea?

I will definitely update here when I find out what the problem was, as you say it may well help a member in the future if their amp is doing the same thing. having no response to a thread that could solve it must be super annoying!
 
Hope you get it resolved new guy. Yes, always have spare tubes on hand. Electronic contact cleaner, like Dioxit, is a must. I don't know much about your gear but do yourself a favor and upgrade when you can. Don't take that wrong. I used to be in your shoes. Hell, my first amp was a Fender Frontman - which is about the worst amp you can buy (for crunchy hard rock and metal).

But....why do you have so much rust going on? Humid location? Consider a dehumidifier for your space.

Good luck :cheers:
 
When my Twin Sister failed, it acted just as you describe.
Dave Friedman set me a compliment of tubes hoping that was the issue, but it wasn’t.

Bad/cold solder joint caused a short.
 
311splawndude said:
Hope you get it resolved new guy. Yes, always have spare tubes on hand. Electronic contact cleaner, like Dioxit, is a must. I don't know much about your gear but do yourself a favor and upgrade when you can. Don't take that wrong. I used to be in your shoes. Hell, my first amp was a Fender Frontman - which is about the worst amp you can buy (for crunchy hard rock and metal).

But....why do you have so much rust going on? Humid location? Consider a dehumidifier for your space.

Good luck :cheers:
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Thank you! Genuine question, what is wrong with the blackstar? I payed a lot of money for it when it was released due to people really praising the company and the amps, and when I tried it I liked it.
I would love a Peavey 5150/6505, but would have the volume very low. Would I still get a good tone from it for metal if I can't crank it?

The rust- I actually have no idea! I live in Essex, about a 40 minute drive to the east of London. It is a seaside town called Canvey Island, so maybe having the sea air around us causes the rust? Just guessing.
 
dcburn mk.ii said:
When my Twin Sister failed, it acted just as you describe.
Dave Friedman set me a compliment of tubes hoping that was the issue, but it wasn’t.

Bad/cold solder joint caused a short.
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Oh no, I really hope it isn't that happening. So a short could cause the volume to randomly go down?

I understand with the blackstars it is pretty much a PCB, so would this be fixable or not worth it and I would need a new amp?
 
conanthewarrior said:
Thank you! Genuine question, what is wrong with the blackstar? I payed a lot of money for it when it was released due to people really praising the company and the amps, and when I tried it I liked it.
I would love a Peavey 5150/6505, but would have the volume very low. Would I still get a good tone from it for metal if I can't crank it?

The rust- I actually have no idea! I live in Essex, about a 40 minute drive to the east of London. It is a seaside town called Canvey Island, so maybe having the sea air around us causes the rust? Just guessing.
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5150's need some volume to get rid of that preamp fizz. They're not a bedroom amp. Atleast not the old-school Peaveys. The EVH 50 watt is great at lower volumes.
 
Someone on ultimate guitar mentioned this issue, something to do with two FET power transistors that overheat and cause this issue?

I am hoping the new valve sorts it like it did in the first example in the video, changing the 12BH7 power valve bought it back to life. Both my power and preamp valve however are glowing as they should, whereas in the first example they were not even warming so no glow.

If it is the FET power transistors is this a costly repair? @napalmdeath you said the EVH 50 watt is good at low volumes, is this the 5150III 50W? As its a lot of money for me but I could probably try and find one used for less if it is a significant improvement over my blackstar?

Also my 4x8 cab is rated for 60W, so running the 50 at low volumes would not be an issue would it?

And when I say low volumes, I mean loud enough to hear the amp, kind of like a stereo turned up mid way (for the new amp, not the blackstar with the problem)
 
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conanthewarrior said:
Someone on ultimate guitar mentioned this issue, something to do with two FET power transistors that overheat and cause this issue?

I am hoping the new valve sorts it like it did in the first example in the video, changing the 12BH7 power valve bought it back to life. Both my power and preamp valve however are glowing as they should, whereas in the first example they were not even warming so no glow.

If it is the FET power transistors is this a costly repair? @napalmdeath you said the EVH 50 watt is good at low volumes, is this the 5150III 50W? As its a lot of money for me but I could probably try and find one used for less if it is a significant improvement over my blackstar?

Also my 4x8 cab is rated for 60W, so running the 50 at low volumes would not be an issue would it?

And when I say low volumes, I mean loud enough to hear the amp, kind of like a stereo turned up mid way (for the new amp, not the blackstar with the problem)
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I am gonna need to see a pic of the 4x8 cab. That sounds kinda cool
 
@Smash Here is the amp head and 4x8 cab underneath
 

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Hey there. Sorry you are still having problems. I am assuming you do not have your new 12BH7 power tube?

You asked, why I don't care for these amps. The reasons are right here in this thread. Yes, they have had issues with their FET power transistors. For me, this is a big reason why I would move on and get yourself a proper tube amp. You have a transistor (solid state) amp (mostly) with a few tubes to make you feel warm and fuzzy, pun intended. I've had similar amps including my current Blackheart Killer Ant and my Peavey Vypyr 'tube' 60 combo. The Blackheart has 2 12AX7 preamp tubes and 1-12BH7 power tube I believe. So fairly similar. I rarely play though as I've moved on to proper amps. My Vypyr 60 has the Peavey Transtube software and transistor based preamp, but married to an actual proper power tube section. So a hybrid. But the internals of these 2 amps are far less packed and complex then your HT amp.

In that video he mentioned several times about how he doesn't like working on these amps. That is the reason. Tube amps are generally much less complex to work on and a lot easier to troubleshoot. The transistors being referenced in your amp are replacing actual tubes for the most part. In my tubes amps, 90% of the issues that pop up are tube related so I just swap tubes.

Yes a 50w amp into a 60w cab is fine. Even a 60w amp into a 50w cab would be fine (in most all cases). Now, a 100w amp into a 50w cab is probably not a good idea, but the other way around would be fine. Yes, he was probably referring to the EVHIII 50w. There are plenty of all tube amps that can work for you, especially on the used market. All of my proper tube amps I bought used. No issues. And I can play my 100w Mesa Dual Rectifier into my 240w Mesa cab at TV volumes no problem. Won't sound its best but decent tones to be had and I can hear my guitar strings being attacked. It sounds miles better than a Blackstar HT amp.

I got to 5 min in that video and Stuart said the power amp resistor was warm. Shouldn't be. That's a problem for the amp he is working on.


PS: that looks like a 4x12 speaker cabinet to me. 4 speakers X 12" (each). Where do you get the 8?
 
311splawndude said:
Hey there. Sorry you are still having problems. I am assuming you do not have your new 12BH7 power tube?

You asked, why I don't care for these amps. The reasons are right here in this thread. Yes, they have had issues with their FET power transistors. For me, this is a big reason why I would move on and get yourself a proper tube amp. You have a transistor (solid state) amp (mostly) with a few tubes to make you feel warm and fuzzy, pun intended. I've had similar amps including my current Blackheart Killer Ant and my Peavey Vypyr 'tube' 60 combo. The Blackheart has 2 12AX7 preamp tubes and 1-12BH7 power tube I believe. So fairly similar. I rarely play though as I've moved on to proper amps. My Vypyr 60 has the Peavey Transtube software and transistor based preamp, but married to an actual proper power tube section. So a hybrid. But the internals of these 2 amps are far less packed and complex then your HT amp.

In that video he mentioned several times about how he doesn't like working on these amps. That is the reason. Tube amps are generally much less complex to work on and a lot easier to troubleshoot. The transistors being referenced in your amp are replacing actual tubes for the most part. In my tubes amps, 90% of the issues that pop up are tube related so I just swap tubes.

Yes a 50w amp into a 60w cab is fine. Even a 60w amp into a 50w cab would be fine (in most all cases). Now, a 100w amp into a 50w cab is probably not a good idea, but the other way around would be fine. Yes, he was probably referring to the EVHIII 50w. There are plenty of all tube amps that can work for you, especially on the used market. All of my proper tube amps I bought used. No issues. And I can play my 100w Mesa Dual Rectifier into my 240w Mesa cab at TV volumes no problem. Won't sound its best but decent tones to be had and I can hear my guitar strings being attacked. It sounds miles better than a Blackstar HT amp.

I got to 5 min in that video and Stuart said the power amp resistor was warm. Shouldn't be. That's a problem for the amp he is working on.


PS: that looks like a 4x12 speaker cabinet to me. 4 speakers X 12" (each). Where do you get the 8?
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No I don't have the new power tube yet unfortunately.

I understand the HT5 is mostly solid state with a few tubes, I didn't know this when I bought it - I should have done more research before buying it.

I would love to have amps like yours where if there is an issue you know it is the tubes, and also them being easier to repair.

Thank you for letting me know the amp into the cab would be fine, and clarifying which amp was meant. Could you recommend a nice tube amp for metal (80's thrash, melodic death metal mainly)?

Oh I see, there was another issue with the amp then.

It is honestly a 4x8 cab, the 4x12 cabs are a lot bigger than that cabinet. The amp head and speaker cabinet comfortably fit under my desk for my macbook and studio monitors, a 4x12 would definitely not fit.

Maybe where it is a small amp head itself it makes the cab look bigger?
 
Is see bro. I saw 4x8 and my brain processed something else. OK, so generally speaking, 8" speakers are not geared for guitar - particularly rock and metal. You need 12" speakers. That will give you the frequency range you need. Yes, that little 4x8 was designed to fit under the smaller HT head and still look cool, but honestly - it is pretty gimmicky. Having 4 of the 8" speakers doesn't really affect much.

We all start somewhere. I knew absolutely nothing about guitar or amplification when I started my journey. If I had, there is no way in hell I'd waste money on a Fender FM212. It was a 100 watts of a shitty practice amp. I would have been better off getting a slightly cheaper guitar, save up more, and practice scales and riffs until I could afford a proper tube amp.

These days are a little different as the modeling and even the solid state stuff has come a long way. Lots of love for the Orange Crush or Katana etc. Or hell even a floor board FX into proper FRFR speakers (which are not guitar speakers they are more like monitors).

What is your max budget and where do you live roughly. And how much do you think you could get for your HT mini stack?
 
311splawndude said:
Is see bro. I saw 4x8 and my brain processed something else. OK, so generally speaking, 8" speakers are not geared for guitar - particularly rock and metal. You need 12" speakers. That will give you the frequency range you need. Yes, that little 4x8 was designed to fit under the smaller HT head and still look cool, but honestly - it is pretty gimmicky. Having 4 of the 8" speakers doesn't really affect much.

We all start somewhere. I knew absolutely nothing about guitar or amplification when I started my journey. If I had, there is no way in hell I'd waste money on a Fender FM212. It was a 100 watts of a shitty practice amp. I would have been better off getting a slightly cheaper guitar, save up more, and practice scales and riffs until I could afford a proper tube amp.

These days are a little different as the modeling and even the solid state stuff has come a long way. Lots of love for the Orange Crush or Katana etc. Or hell even a floor board FX into proper FRFR speakers (which are not guitar speakers they are more like monitors).

What is your max budget and where do you live roughly. And how much do you think you could get for your HT mini stack?
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OK I understand- I did demo the 1x12 cab against the 4x8 when I bought it, and the 4x8 sounded better in the shop, but I could well have made the wrong decision. I hear that Harley Benton make cabs with 12" speakers using V30's that are basically just the price of the speakers and have heard good reviews on them, could this be an option if I change my rig?

I see, that makes me feel a little better as I bought the Blackstar due to youtube reviews around the time praising it and calling it a tube amp, where I don't know much about amplification where it had tubes I gathered it was. I was torn between the Blackstar and an orange tiny terror or dark terror.

Yes I am quite interested in modeling, I have been using Neural amp modeler a fair bit, the free and open source one. I can sometimes get pretty good tones using my audio interface and studio monitors. A FRFR cab would work for something like a quad cortex wouldn't it? Again I am not really up with the technology but if something like that could give me good tone at a reasonable price I would be willing to use one for my rig.

My max budget for everything would be £800, and that is pushing it as I don't have much money. I am in the UK, Canvey Island in Essex, about a 40 minute drive to the East of London.

Well, regarding the mini stack in its current state I don't think I would get much at all unfortunately due to the issue it has. I would never sell something without disclosing its problems so imagine no one would want to take a risk on something that could be destined for junk if it is a big issue.

Also, thank you for helping me out.

EDIT: Also, I would need an amp I don't need to really crank to get a OK metal tone. I don't know if this means I would need a lower power amp head, say upto 15-20 Watts, or if I can get away with a more powerful amp head and run it at low volumes?
 
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Well, I thought I would try reseating the power valve a few times while I am waiting on a new one.

This actually made the problem worse- the volume stayed at the level it should, but it was completely cutting out then cutting back in. Does this likely mean it is just the tube as messing with the power tube did this?
 
  1. Yes, I would take that V30 loaded Harley Benton over any 8" speaker option.
  2. I would take a Dark Terror over the HT.
  3. The HT's are not technically bad sounding amps, just hard to work on and prone to issues.
  4. I can't see why a FRFR cab wouldn't work with a Quad Cortex.
  5. I didn't realize you were in UK, sorry if I missed that. Do you have used DSL's around you?
  6. Yeah, I wouldn't sell a piece of broken gear to anyone either, assuming you will have an easy fix.
  7. The wattage thing is another misnomer.
  8. Lower watts does not necessarily equate to lower volume.
  9. Watts is more about headroom - which is how much you can crank up the power tubes before they start to distort.
  10. That distortion is great for say Classic Rock and below - but not necessarily metal.
  11. If you are more of a metal player, like me, then you are mostly using the preamp part and clean headroom is important.
  12. Higher the watts, the more clean headroom generally.
  13. Most 15-20w amps are not geared for metal. There are some great exceptions. Randall MTS20 or Dark Terror for example.

Hope that helps. Feel free to start a 'what amp' thread and more ideas. Include budget, genres and location.
:cheers:
 
conanthewarrior said:
Well, I thought I would try reseating the power valve a few times while I am waiting on a new one.

This actually made the problem worse- the volume stayed at the level it should, but it was completely cutting out then cutting back in. Does this likely mean it is just the tube as messing with the power tube did this?
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No, unfortunately that feels more like a PCB or connection problem. Did you say you have electrical contact cleaner - are you using that? Does this amp have a warranty?
 
311splawndude said:
No, unfortunately that feels more like a PCB or connection problem. Did you say you have electrical contact cleaner - are you using that? Does this amp have a warranty?
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Thank you for your advice, I might look into getting a dark terror then.

Yes I have used electrical contact cleaner. Unfortunately I bought it around 10 years ago if my memory is correct, so it is well out of warranty now.
 
Did you spray the pins of the tube and work it in and out of the socket? That's the first thing I do when I have an issue, only I'm using a known good tube to find my culprit. Best of luck. My guess, and I have limited experience with the Dark Terror is that that amp with a V30 speaker should sound pretty awesome - but it will be more on the dark sludge doom side of metal me thinks. That's what Orange's are known for anyway. A used 5153 or DSL or Engel should blow your doors off and still sound decent at lower volumes. I play my Dual Rectifier into a 4x12 cab all the time and never wake up the wife :D
 
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