5 Stars for Blackstar

I just purchased this amp and it is an incredible piece of equipment. Clean channel is CLEAN but flexible. The boutique setting is touch sensitive and very expressive. Then there is the straight clean setting very "American" with a tight bottom end. The OD channel is the prize winner here. So many options and sounds and sweet singing sustain. None of that cheap buzzy OD you usually find in this price range. Great design, but a bit heavy for a combo. I also own a Mesa Express 5:25 and this amp's quality is definitely comparable. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Phenomenal Amp

Holy Smokes Batman, this amp is incredible, fantastic tones and its range of ISF dial in sweetness is outstanding. Blackstar, a new company on the scene has given us a real winner. It’s a 1x12 amp 60 watt combo with an unbelievable must be heard mojo bar none. I've played them all people and I'm here to tell yall nothing can compare to this beauty. Superb detail in build quality, looks, and components, and what really amazes me is the price point. Usually, decent gear could require mortgaging the house, but not this amp it’s got a great price point. I'm telling yall, get this bad boy and go out and get your gaga on man! Thank you Sweetwater, and never not have this amp in your line of gear.

Great buy for the $...but

I've gigged 4 times live and 10 rehearsals with it. My 2 cents:

The amp takes pedals great, but the overall tone is somewhat sterile. The reverb especially is average at best, and the ISP was OK but not revolutionary as some have suggested.

The footswitch is great, but don't know why manufacturers don't consider using CAT5 Ethernet to control their footswitches. Blackstar uses a VGA monitor DB cable...really?

The overdrive channel was the biggest disappointment; got some tones out of it that were decent, but overall I got better overdrive and distortion tones with pedals in the clean channel. Channel 2's tones didn't translate in a live situation with my band.

The boost feature is cool, and the clean channel was better than I thought.

The value you get for the $ is where this amp shines; can't beat it. Does it sound like a boutique tube amp? Not to me. But, how many people in the audience will actually notice?