Blackheart Little Giant head

[Spudman]

Blackheart Little Giant head (http://www.zzounds.com/a--885181/item--BLABH5H)

This is a little more advanced than the Valve Jr. with a lot more features and cool looks. The amp and the new Brent Mason pedal are talked about in this podcast from Indy Guitarist.
http://www.indyguitarist.com/podcasts/11-17-07_podcast_mp3.mp3

Brian is very impressed. It switches between 5 and 3 watts.


Buy the Blackheart Little Giant head (http://www.zzounds.com/a--885181/item--BLABH5H)

Zzounds has reduced the price greatly on these, and if you do get one click this link above so credit comes back to the fret.

http://www.thefret.net/imagehosting/thum_45473ca3ad97bd7.jpg (http://www.thefret.net/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=80)

[Tone2TheBone]

I tried to find sound clips for it but came up with nuffin'. That logo has to go though.

[Spudman]

Blackheart Little Giant: Enrich Your Personal Life By Playing Blackheart

November 13, 2007
http://www.gearwire.com/media/blackheart-littlegiant-interview.jpg (http://www.gearwire.com/blackheart-littlegiant-interview.html) The announcement of Blackheart Engineering's new Little Giant amplifiers intrigued us hear at Gearwire - Blackheart is a new company that we didn't know too much about. LOUD's Kevin Van Pamel, with some contributions from amp designer Pyotr Belov, was happy to fill us in on Blackheart Engineering's exciting plans and further detail about their new Little Giant.
Can you tell us a little bit about Blackheart Engineering and what sets you apart from other amp manufacturers?
The primary differences are the design process and manufacturing approach. We treat every design like a handmade amp: Pyotr Belov designs each model and builds it by hand without worrying about the cost and remaining focused on both the build quality and the quality of the tone. So we essentially prototype a hand-wired, handmade amplifier. From there, Pyotr details every performance and component specification, replacing the hand wired elements with a double-sided PCB. The purity of the signal path is retained by utilizing this extra rugged PCB as well as 2 oz copper traces that are routed point to point. The components that are mounted to the PCB are essentially the quality and “overbuilt” spec that Pyotr built into the bench proto. For example, the Little Giant 5 has 1W carbon film resistors in the signal path and a combination of 2W and 5W resistors in the power section. All critical specifications and design elements remain intact throughout the process with the hand-wired proto used as the benchmark. All material specifications remain intact through manufacturing-16 gauge steel, folded and welded chassis, 18mm thick 15 ply void-free-birch, DC power to the filaments, etc. The final result is a boutique quality amplifier that just needs to be manufactured properly.
At the manufacturing point, Pyotr stays with the design, teaching factory staff how to properly maintain build quality and testing results against the original, hand-wired amp. From hand applied tolex to proper cabinetry joins, he literally educates whichever manufacturing resource is chosen and certifies them to build or not. While we produce a lot more products than a typical boutique builder, we still work with only a couple of select manufacturers and build less than a mass producer of amplifiers. Pyotr also blesses each one in an ancient Russian cleansing ritual, guarding the player against bad luck and promoting hair growth.
The Little Giant series looks like it packs a lot of punch in a nice, compact package. What are some key features on the Little Giant series?
Single ended Class A with Pentode/Triode modes, 3 band EQ, multiple speaker outs, 16 gauge folded and welded chassis, DC power to the filaments, double sided PCB with 2 oz traces, 18mm thick 15 ply void- free cabinetry, guaranteed to get you laid, which we’re pretty sure no one else offers yet.
How would you describe the sound you get out of a Blackheart Little Giant amplifier?
Because it’s Class A, Single Ended, these are very responsive to the player. The most amazing thing about them is their volume and versatility. In 5W mode, the extra headroom gives you an expressional palette that ranges from Page to SRV depending on the attack. Drop it down to 3W and the headroom closes up a bit and you actually have a very grizzly gain at the most aggressive attacks and this “just about to break” into greasy overdrive when you back off and pluck a bit. When you open up every knob and dime it, in 5W mode, it sounds exactly like an angel screaming power chords from the sky while the clouds part and a great, white chariot picks you up and takes you towards eternity. That’s what happened during safety testing anyway so we might not be able to sell them in areas of Belarus.
What kind of uses are ideal for the Little Giant (i.e. gigging amp, practice amp, etc.)?
Recording: If you want to get a true classic tube tone that plucks when you're gentle and gets good and greasy when you jump on it, there’s no model, effect or preamp that’s going to emulate the real thing.
Club: Also more than adequate for a small club. People get confused by 5W. In a single ended amp, that’s a lot of volume.
Can you tell us a bit about Pyotr Belov and the making of the Little Giant?
I think most of this was covered in the first question. To add to that, Pyotr and I (Kevin Van Pamel) met at Gibson a few years back and he introduced the idea of making truly boutique amps anywhere in the world. It took some convincing but his points were completely valid: the right materials, the right designs and a commitment to quality was all it took. Human hands are human hands and everyone else in the amp business was focused on manufacturing overseas as cheap as they could rather than maximizing some of the potential capabilities available offshore. Pyotr applied what he loved about making amps and threw out a lot of assumptions, prejudices and compromises that were, and are, driving other amp builders’ quality. Ever since then, he and I have been dedicated to expanding the concept. Blackheart started as one of my sketches on a cocktail napkin and the desire to get people excited about something again... something other than how cheap they could get a crappy piece of gear. We start with great ideas for uncompromised gear and then we make them as accessible to as many people as possible without sacrificing the results.
What kind of projects, amplifiers, or instruments can we expect to see from Blackheart in the future?
We chose to do amps first because we have a particular passion for stuff that gets hot and screams. In fact, come January, you’ll see quite a few new models and we’ll again get people talking. But we called it Blackheart Engineering for a reason. We want to build anything that brings something cool, useful and inspiring to a musician. If that’s a guitar or a skateboard, we don’t care. Aside from some really neat modeling technology, which, let’s face it, is a recording of other gear at best, instruments have been in an emotional slump for awhile. We’d like to be the guys who get people excited about their instruments again, excited about a brand again. Whatever shape that takes is going to come from what we hear from our Test Animals and from our own inspirations. We’ll see what that is.

Visit Blackheart Engineering's official website here (http://www.blackhearteng.com/).

[tunghaichuan]

I posted a thread about this little amp a while back:

http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=4703

Looks like a cool little amp.

tung

[Spudman]

I posted a thread about this little amp a while back:

http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=4703

Looks like a cool little amp.

tung

Ya. Sorry. I didn't notice your post until after I posted this.

[Tone2TheBone]

Ya. Sorry. I didn't notice your post until after I posted this.

The search function is your friend. Ahh just kidding buddy. :rotflmao: :beer:

[Spudman]

Ya, but I posted a link to someone who has actually had hands on one of them. Listen to the podcast.
http://www.indyguitarist.com/podcasts/11-17-07_podcast_mp3.mp3

Nobody else knows anything about them.

[SuperSwede]

Looks like a really sweet amp... *sniff* I smell g.a.s!
I wish that it had a efx loop and/or reverb.

[oldguy]

Looks like somebody took a ValveJr. head and added some nice EQ, triode/pentode, standby, etc.
Then dressed up the chassis a little.
BTW, Belov designed the Blues Custom 30 and SoCal 50 for Epiphone, I hear.
Maybe he's off to do some improving/moonlighting on the Epi line?

[tunghaichuan]

Ya. Sorry. I didn't notice your post until after I posted this.

No problem, I'm glad you did. I think this might be a cool amp.

It looks like Belov wants to tap into the modding market:

http://www.mojomusicalsupply.com/item.asp?pid=577300&pg=44991&id=5550101

&

http://www.mojomusicalsupply.com/item.asp?pid=577299&pg=44991&id=5550100

You can get an eyelet board to replace the PCB in the stock Blackheart amp.

tung

[Tone2TheBone]

Bout time someone put eq knobs on a Valve Jr.

[Spudman]

If you listen to the podcast Brian Wampler really likes the amph. He's taken it apart and thinks the tranny is better and the whole construction in general than the Valve Jr. He also states that it's much louder than the Valve Jr.

He thinks he might change where the tone stack is placed in the circuitry, and add a master volume (not that it needs it) but not much else right off the bat. You can bet that he'll come up with something useful if it needs it and he'll probably have it figured out before the official release in January 2008.

[Adrian30]

Spud,
you really like this amp, dont you?:)

[Ro3b]

I was really excited about these amps and was thinking I might get one... but I was nosing around Harmony Central just now, and look at this.

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w320/Ro4b/VeryLittleHead.jpg

It's the Killer Ant, a "fractional wattage, Class A head that we've conjured up for the tube tone loving BHE fans that need to cram their sound into smaller spaces or for recording when a 5W is way too loud." According to the guy who posted this on HC, they're also going to make a 10" cab to go with it, and it's going to be available in early 2008. I think it's cool beyond words.

[tunghaichuan]

Found this link posted on another forum I read:

9pB5hV21Y00

tung

[tot_Ou_tard]

Very interesting!

Looks & sounds great!

[oldguy]

Very interesting!

Looks & sounds great!

+1:AOK:

[Spudman]

That is Brian from Indy Guitarist in that video. Watch his site for amp and pedal mods cause he's doing them all the time. He is a nice guy.

I've been playing mine a bit this morning and that video is about how it sounds. I've been using a mostly clean Rat pedal before the amph and I really like that combo. A little push on the front of the amp seems to make it work a little better. I leave the amph volume on 6 and just use the guitar volume to clean things up.

A/Bing it with the Valve Jr. I'll say that the Blackheart sounds more open and less boxy. More like a higher quality amph. The Jr. seems to have a little tighter bottom end at the same setting on the volume knob and sounds boxier than the BH. Next step is to run them at the same time together. I've got the back off and am playing around with some different tubes. It comes with Chinese tubes.

I'll post more as I can about it. I feel like it's certainly worth the price and it's a loud little sucker in the 5 watt mode and not so loud in the 3 watt mode.

[tot_Ou_tard]

From www.blackhearteng.com (http://www.blackhearteng.com):


uqXfowNGYjA

[tot_Ou_tard]

Our Fancy Coporate Press Release


The Blacker The Heart, The Badder The Amp
http://www.blackhearteng.com/blog/half_stack-thumb-250x375.jpg (http://www.blackhearteng.com/blog/half_stack.html)Tone junkies rejoice and prepare to kick out the jams: Blackheart's Little Giant has entered the building

WOODINVILLE, Washington - November 2007 -- Blackheart Engineering may be a new name in musical instruments, but with the rollout of its all-tube, vintage-styled Little Giant models (BH5H head, BH112 cabinet, and BH5-112 combo), Blackheart proves that it's old-school all the way, baby.





Guitar amplifier super-genius Pyotr Belov, whose own hand-built amps have been highly acclaimed by artists and gear freaks worldwide, is the man behind every detail of Blackheart's product line. Pyotr's classic designs begin as hand-wired, point-to-point masterpieces tweaked in his infamous two-car garage until they ooze attitude and sing like little glass and metal cherubs. Every component is hand-picked to create the best possible amplifier tone and performance, and then engineered to be manufactured in quantity, giving guitar players access to a tasty sounding, durable, and sexy little tube amp without the snobby price tag.

Pyotr personally selects a very small number of qualifying offshore manufacturers and stands over their shoulders to make sure that nothing gets lost in translation. He specifies every tube and component, and approves everything one piece at a time, right down to the piping and tolex. It's a very straightforward process that no other manufacturer of high-end tube amps can say they undertake. That's no surprise when considering that Pyotr sometimes spends weeks away from home and out of the country teaching others how to handcraft amplifiers to his expectations.

The crowning jewel of the new line, Blackheart's Little Giant head (BH5H, $149.99 MAP / $229.99 retail), is a five-watt, single-ended Class A design powered by an EL84 and voiced through a 12AX7 preamp tube. With a switchable pentode (5W) / triode (3W) selector and three-band EQ controls (plus volume), guitarists get the only amp in its class to deliver true tonal range from instantaneous punch to deliciously greasy overdrive, and with precise control over output volume. Every feature of the Blackheart Little Giant head represents zealous dedication to true quality in tone, looks, and tank-like ruggedness. Under its ubercool exterior guitarists will find a 16-gauge steel chassis, 1/2-inch corner radiuses and meticulous tolex work ensuring years of reliable performance. Other noteworthy BH5H amenities include: 4, 8 and 16 ohm speaker outs, solid state rectifier, double-sided PCB (for durability and to withstand handling for mods), DC power to filaments for super quiet operation, 2 oz. copper tracers and 1W resistors (carbon film) in signal path, 2W and 5W resistors in power supply, and 15-ply (18mm) thick void-free plywood construction.


Built around a single 12-inch Blackheart by Eminence speaker in an 11-ply (18mm), classically joined, void-free plywood cabinet, the BH112 ($129.99 MAP / $201.99 retail) creates the perfect half stack when paired with the Little Giant head (in fact, the Little Giant half stack, designated as the BH5HS, is offered at an extra nice package price of $249.99 MAP / $431.99 retail). Sporting two parallel 16 Ohm speaker jacks and handling 75 watts (RMS) of power, the 1x12 enclosure can also be used to maximize the tone of other amps in guitarists' arsenals. From its incredibly well crafted construction to its similarly ultra-clean tolex work, the BH112 is a great value in a portable, powerful and boutique-quality extension cabinet. The closed back tuned design and Blackheart by Eminence speaker are the fruit of extensive research involving Crate and Eminence, and the result is a very tight and responsive cabinet. Furthermore, all of the BH112's cabinet joinery is based on classic, proven design for maximum tone and roadworthiness.

For those guitarists who prefer having their electronics and loudspeaker shacked up in the same cabinet, the Blackheart Little Giant combo (BH5-112, $249.99 MAP / $399 retail) offers all of the features and controls of the BH5H head with the addition of a built-in 12-inch Blackheart model 1216A by Eminence speaker. This particular loudspeaker has an American voicing and is specially optimized for the BH5-112's open back tuned cabinet.

To find out how you can best get away from your Crackberry, power mower, or second wife's stupid little accessory dog, plug into the dark side at Blackheart: www.blackhearteng.com (http://www.blackhearteng.com) <http://www.blackhearteng.com> .

About Blackheart
Blackheart Engineering is a new guitar amplifier company benefiting from both the design expertise of Pyotr Belov and manufacturing muscle of Crate/LOUD Technologies Inc. Dedicated to delivering the best old-school, all-tube tone at price points within any guitarist's reach, Blackheart truly embraces the camaraderie, attitude and spirit of irreverence that is rawk! For more information visit: http://www.blackhearteng.com (http://www.blackhearteng.com/). Blackheart Engineering is a trademark of LOUD Technologies Inc. in the United States and all other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

[Spudman]

I did a few clips.

* BE CAREFUL! * I started with the volume down pretty low on the guitar and then bring it up later in each clip. It gets really loud and you probably don't want to damage your speakers.

This is with a Strat and noiseless pickups (http://www.box.net/shared/2nhpvweios).

This is with a humbucker guitar (http://www.box.net/shared/h8q2nqihwg).

This is with a humbucker guitar too (http://www.box.net/shared/pqdj6v4g8w).

[Tone2TheBone]

I guess you and Voo are done with your holiday shopping since you've both managed to record your new amphs geeze just rub it in why dontcha. :D ;) I'm still trying to download Voodoo's clips from home on dial up!

[SuperSwede]

Sounds really good Spud. I think that it sounds best with humbuckers, but SC sounds great too :)
I guess that its a keeper?

[sunvalleylaw]

nice strat tones! Haven't got to the humbucker ones yet. Tomorrow. I like the warmth and depth.

[Guitar Gal]

Nice clips Spud :dude: Sounds like you definitely got your monies worth in sound :beer:

Were you playing the stock tubes or did you switch them out?

GG

[duhvoodooman]

Wow, that little sucker sounds good, esp. overdriven! I can see these Blackhearts are going to have a Valve Jr-like cult following. :dude:

BTW, just curious--how come those clips are so long, with extended silence at the end?? And they're all the same file size--6.7MB. Does this have something to do with how you record?

[Robert]

Yah, lots of good sounding nothing at the end. :messedup:

I like the sound. Sounds very raw and in your face. Sounded like you played some Sheryl Crow on the strat clip?

I liked the humbucker clips better.

[Spudman]

I screwed up. That's why the silence. In Cubase you have to put a right marker at the end of your recording and I just ran it out far enough to handle the clips and forgot to shorten it. Sorry.

Hey people. When the music stops it's oer and you can close the file. There is no secret messages hidden in the silence...just for Tone.;)

[Guitar Gal]

I screwed up. That's why the silence.

Hmmmm......I figured you left the silence in there for dramatic effect....always leave 'em wanting more :dude:

GG

[Justaguyin_nc]

Hmmmm......I figured you left the silence in there for dramatic effect....always leave 'em wanting more :dude:

GG

And it sure was dramatic... I sat on the end of my seat waiting to hear more more more..:master:

Sounds great Spudman... Might just be the new 5 watter to beat...
Ofcourse that guitar player can make anything sound good...

Personally..I think I like fenders.. but you made those Humbuckers sound sweet...

Thanks for the clips... hoping for more in the future!!

Enjoy your present!!! :AOK:

[Adrian30]

One sweet sounding amp! I love them ovrdriven strat tones.

[duhvoodooman]

There is no secret messages hidden in the silence...just for Tone.
Lemme see, since he has dial-up and those 3 files come to about 20MB total, if he has a 56K connection and gets ~90% throughput, he should be able to download the three files is just about an hour!

You're a mean one, Mr. Spuds.... ;) :rotflmao:

[oldguy]

Liked it....alot!:AOK:

[M29]

Sweet Sweet Sweet.:AOK:

M29

[Spudman]

Lemme see, since he has dial-up and those 3 files come to about 20MB total, if he has a 56K conenction and gets ~90% throughput, he should be able to download the three files is just about an hour!

You're a mean one, Mr. Spuds.... ;) :rotflmao:

I haven't gotten any grief for it yet but I know it's coming.:messedup:

[Tone2TheBone]

There's a whole lot of information there during the silence that....oh nevermind ummmm... resume your holiday cheer and whatnot....guys....

killer Spudie killer.....


Oh wait duh the silence was due to the dialup dropping my arse dangit!

[Robert]

So Spudman (and anyone else), how cool is this amp? Are you loving it? Give us some more feedback on it. Can't remember if you compared to the Epi Valve Jr.

[Spudman]

It's my go-to in home recording and general playing amph. I really like it a lot and feel it was a good investment.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Do you suppose Blackheart was named after this Marvel character?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackheart

[mechanic]

Great! Something else to try and convince my wife that I "need". lol.
Nice sound clips BTW. Very nice.
Eric

[tunghaichuan]

So Spudman (and anyone else), how cool is this amp? Are you loving it? Give us some more feedback on it. Can't remember if you compared to the Epi Valve Jr.

Here's my take on it, comparing the BH5-112 combo, the BH5H head and a version 3 unmodded VJ:

http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=5823

My next sound check is to try A/B them with my uber modded ver 2 VJ head.

tung