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Sound:
Very nice recording amp. I generally just run this in the 5 watt mode and leave all four knobs at noon. Using the right pedals, it's not too hard to make this thing sound like a Marshall 18 watt or a Fender tweed deluxe. Very smooth and responsive amp even at low volumes. That being said, I rely quality effects for most of the eq'ing here. Just using the Little Giant on it's own, I've only been able to dial in two sounds I've fallen in love with: A sparkly clean sound with a strat and some bluesy overdrive using a les paul. Those are pretty much the easiest sounds for me to dial in on any amp tho. If you are looking for warm, tube amp that lets you color it's sound very easily, I can think of no other low wattage amp that can beat this. If you are looking for something that brings it's own distinct voice to the table, you are better off looking at a Vox AC4 or a Fender Blues Jr.
Feature:
The three band eq, for me, just gets in the way most of the time. Would rather it be more like my Epiphone Valve Jr. and just have a volume knob. That being said, the pentode/triode switch is pretty nice to have around. An effects loop would really put this above and beyond everything else in it's class.
Ease of Use:
In 3 watt mode, crank the volume to 4 o'clock, bump the mids to 3 o'clock, cut the bass to 9 o'clock, leave the treble at noon, plug in a Les Paul and you've got a nice, warm overdrive. Raise the bass to noon, cut the treble to 11, plug in a strat and you have a nice, smooth strat overdrive that will clean up with the guitar's volume. That's the litmus test for me. No finding the happy medium between gain and volume. No byzantine trickery with eq knobs that work in reverse. It's about as straightforward as it an amp can get.
Quality:
The amp and cab are built like tanks. Very nicely but together from a durability aspect. There are some fit and finish issues with the little giant.A 6 inch black nylon thread poking out of the stitching on white piping around the face of the amp is pretty hard to miss....
In my mind fit and finish and reliability are two different animals. I'd rather rate them separately. If I have to lump them together, reliability trumps fit and finish, hence the 9 rating. Fit and finish on it's own is about a 4 or 5. Despite the manufacturers claims, this is not a boutique amp.
Value:
Hard to beat the bang for your buck with this.
Manufacturer Support:
Haven't dealt with them.
The Wow Factor:
Since it seems like every manufacturer has gotten into the low wattage amp market this year, it's easy to overlook the little giant. Is it as sexy as the Marshall Class5? No. It's it more versatile amp? Yes. Will it retain it's value like the Marshall? Ummm...probably not.
Don't get me wrong, it's a nice looking product and it sounds great, but the sex appeal of most of these products are either based on how hard something is to obtain (see the Analogman King of Tone) or what this sticker on the headstock says (see the Gibson Flying V). This is a newish line that's mass produced by Crate. Not exactly a pedigree that screams out "sexy".
Overall:
Right now I have three amps "in the rotation": An early 70s/late 60s silverface Fender Twin Reverb, an Epiphone Valve Jr. and the Blackheart Little Giant. I reach for the little giant about 80% of the time. It's solidly in the mix for the time being, but I'd replace it with a Little Giant with an effects loop if such a thing existed.
2 of 2 people
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Sound:
Sound is GREAT !!!! In the 3 watt setting, Guitar sraight into the amp, volume right around 8, SWEEEEEEEET ! Warm,natural overdrive at room volume ! When running my guitar through my RP-80 the Blackheart doesnt thin out at all, every effect sounds great !
Feature:
Only put a 5 here because there isnt much in the way of features, straight forward amp. I would have really liked a master volume, but hey, at this price, Ive already got my moneys worth several times over !!!! Features provided are all Ya need to ROCK !
Ease of Use:
No learning curve here....plug in and ROCK OUT !!!!!!
Quality:
This thing is a tank !!!! Looks fantastic, and is built as well as any high dollar amp I have ever owned !!!!
Value:
I have been playing guitar since 1975, this amp is the best bang for the buck I have ever got when it comes to gear !!!!!!!
Manufacturer Support:
No problems, so cant really comment here. However, I know Blackheart has a support link right on their web site, I know where to go if I ever have a problem.
The Wow Factor:
My Blackheart amp and cab look awesome !!!!!! They are built so well, not one flaw ! Tone is incredible ! If something happened too this amp, I would buy another in a heart beat ! This is the perfect amp for jamming with incredible tone at room volume !
Overall:
This has become my main amp ! I am 110 % happy with my purchase ! Buy one quick, you will never find an amp of this quality, with this sweet of tone (box stock) for $150. I'm sure the price will go up soon, and it will still be a deal !!!!
14 of 15 people
(93.33%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Sound:
This amp has it all. Its clean sounds are great and it has that awesome vintage tone. It is very warm sounding and it loves pedals. Put on an overdrive on it, and it boosts up to an amp 3x as muc in cost.
Feature:
The features on this amp are okay... i would have liked a gain knob, but otherwise the features are great.
Ease of Use:
As soon as I got this bad boy, I plugged it in and immediately started rocking! The instructions are simple and the sound is easy to play around with to get the sound you want.
Quality:
You can rely on this tank any time, anywhere.
Value:
This is the BEST in its price range. Nothing compares. Period.
Overall:
This will be all you need until you cant keep up with the drummer.
3 of 5 people
(60%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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