Blackstar HT-5 problem!

[AnnunakiMassacr]

I've just bought a Blackstar HT-5 (stack) and I'm playing through an Ibanez S, with stock pickups for the time being, and whilst I find the amp great by the way it feels and responds to my playing, I find it way too harsh and way too bassy. I find myself cranking the mids and putting the bass and treble to more or less zero. With that I can achieve a great thick tone, but I can't help feeling there's something I'm missing.

Does anybody have some good advice?

[AnnunakiMassacr]

BUMP!

[WeAreNotGentlemen]

Sounds like a dud.

[AnnunakiMassacr]

Could it be the valves?

[witeter]

Maybe try the Blackstar forum for more specific info?

[Hammerheart]

Is it the speaker that's letting you down? Have you tried it in a different cab?

[JimmyMoorby]

I've just bought a Blackstar HT-5 (stack) and I'm playing through an Ibanez S, with stock pickups for the time being, and whilst I find the amp great by the way it feels and responds to my playing, I find it way too harsh and way too bassy. I find myself cranking the mids and putting the bass and treble to more or less zero. With that I can achieve a great thick tone, but I can't help feeling there's something I'm missing.

Does anybody have some good advice?

It's a trait of the blackstar ht-5 I tend to turn the bass down to 3 or 4 and crank the mids and treble which is daft as im a metal player.  It doesnt saturate nicely either.  Any road I can put up with mine and I use a wampler overdrive and an Xotic EP booster with it AND I just use it for practisin at home.  Still decent value I reckon for price etc i guess......it is a combo tho i should add.
If you want my advice either tolerate it, use some pedals i.e eq's, boosters, drives, disortions etc etc or trade it, it dont seem gig worthy to me unless you want to specialize in sounding like a dirty fart ;) You cant really sort the problem with eq, I had a guy come around to try a guitar of mine, a very good value esp viper.  He tried it and said it was too bassy, I tried to tell him it was the amp and he agreed in fairness.  Clean aint too bad.

[richard]

I think if you're going for small home amp I'd go for a little modeller. I really don't think valves come into their own until they're relatively loud. I've thought about the bigger Blackstars but there's way too many folks reporting problems on their forum.