Before I get into the details about this amp, here’s a quick background on Blackstar, in case you’re new to the name.

Blackstar was founded by Ian Robinson and Bruce Keir around 4 years ago. They were both part of Marshall’s R&D department, and when they left to start the company, they took several other Marshall employees with them. Blackstar still remains strongly independent, and that attitude is reflected in all of the amps and pedals they create.  They believe that their products will allow musicians to find the ‘sound in their head’ because they possess a level of tonal flexibility that other equipment cannot match.

Now, onto the amp…

The Blackstar HT-60 produces 60 watts of all tube power using 2 EL34s, and pushes it through 2 12 inch Celestion speakers. If you’re wondering if this amp is loud, the answer is a definite ‘Yes’.

The clean channel on this amp is really versatile. It has 2 available modes which are ‘boutique’ and ‘modern’, and its own dedicated Tone controls which provide an even wider range of available clean sounds. The Voice switch on this channel is a feature that really makes it stand out. It reconfigures the preamp voicing, gain structure and the power amp’s damping to produce either ringing Class A tones, or clean and tight Class AB tones.

Like most guitarists, my favorite channel on an amp is the Overdrive channel, and this one does not disappoint. It has its own dedicated EQ section and Voice switch that provides similar tonal flexibility as the clean channel. The tone is high in gain, and will sound just as good if you’re playing it on 2, or cranking the volume to 11. The amp’s standout pre amp and shaping techniques allow for your tone to always remain natural sounding, no matter what extreme you are playing at.

The ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) is one of the biggest things that set Blackstar amps apart from the others out there. This control actually shifts the tone from a US-Style response on one end, to a UK-Type at the other. Combined with the 2 existing Overdrive channels, this feature provides a near infinite amount of tone variations unavailable in most, if not all amps.

The only thing digital on this amp is the Reverb. Even though it is digital, it still sounds completely natural and beautiful on both the clean and overdrive channels. To give this amp even more tone options, even the reverb has a Bright/Dark switch so a player can select one that best fits their different playing styles.

The last thing, and probably one of the characteristics impossible to overlook, is just how cool this amp looks:

Words are great and all, but what is really important is sound. Below is a video that showcases just how great this amp really is:

SPECS

Model: HT Stage 60

Power (RMS): 60 watts

Tubes: 2 x EL34, 2 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82

Weight: 67lb.

Dimensions: 28-1/4″H x 23″W x 11″D

Footswitch: FS-7 included, optional FS-4 for Overdrive 2 Voice

Price: $800-900

Find Blackstar Amps available on sale at EBay.com

No guitarist’s setup is complete without a quality delay pedal like the BOSS DD-3 Digital Delay. It adds depth and warmth to your guitar’s tone while also being very to use.  The DD-3 is capable of providing simple slap backs to limitless echoes. It offers 3 distinct delay modes that can create delays ranging from 12.5 to 800 milliseconds. The BOSS DD-3 has been a part of my personal setup for many years now, and it is still one of my favorite pedals.

The controls on this pedal allow you to really dial in the perfect amount of delay for any type of playing style. The amount of delay combinations is nearly limitless when using the DD-3; it can go from adding a slight ambiance to your tone, to an impressive doubling effect with a few simple adjustments.

A stand out feature on the BOSS DD-3 delay is its Hold function. The Hold function will repeat a segment of what you play over, and over again as long as the pedal is being held down. It works like this; you can play a G chord for example and at the end of your strum, press down on the pedal. The pedal will now repeatedly produce the strum as long as the pedal is being held down. This allows you to solo, or add other playing techniques over top of the strummed G chord, providing a really cool effect.

One downside in comparison to other guitar delay pedals is its lack of additional features, such as a reverse effect. The DD-3 makes up for this though with its very affordable price tag, while still providing the essential modes of delay that a guitarist will need. Just like all other BOSS pedals, the DD-3 is built like a tank and guaranteed to last.

Find great deals on the BOSS DD-3 at EBay.com

Check out the video below that demonstrates a few modes of delay that the DD-3 can produce. Like I mentioned above, this effect pedal can produce a ton of different sounds, so this video is really just a taste of what it can do.

With the holidays approaching, you may find yourself searching for the perfect gift for a friend, family member or significant other. If they happen to play the guitar then your search just got a whole lot easier because there are plenty of affordable guitar related products that make fantastic gifts.

As a guitarist, the following list of 10 guitar player gift ideas comes from personal experience. They are all products that I have either received, or would like to receive. I’ve also made personal product recommendations for each item on the list, so even if you are not familiar with guitar accessories, you can buy one with confidence knowing it is of high quality.

1. Guitar Strings

Guitar strings are almost as important as the guitar itself, and it is important to change strings often to maintain your guitar’s tone. This on-going process though requires buying quite a few packs of strings throughout the year, which guitar strings such a great gift idea.

I have the mindset that you can never have enough packs of backup strings. I’ll often take 3-4 sets with me when I play a show in case strings break during my performance.

Sites like Musicians Friend offer great deals on buying strings in bulk that save you money in the long run and are definitely worth checking out.

For acoustic guitars, I recommend the Martin SP Acoustic medium gauge strings. These strings are bright sounding, and do not break very often.

For electric guitars, I recommend Ernie Balls which are great strings that have been played by the pros for decades.

It’s important to mention that string gauge is usually a player preference, but you can’t go wrong with buying “medium” gauge strings in my opinion. In my experience, they’ve offered the best sound and playability.

Shop for Guitar Strings at EBay.com

2. String Cutter/Winder

This is probably one of my favorite guitar accessories, and it doesn’t even have anything to do with my guitar’s sound or playability.  It is a tool that makes re-stringing your guitar a breeze.

It has a winding feature, cutting tool and a slot that can easily remove bridge pins on an acoustic guitar. These are all aspects of the string changing process that can prove to be quite difficult at times, especially when you are in a hurry.

With this tool, I never have to go looking for wire cutters, pliers, etc. Everything I need is right at my finger tips.

My recommended product is Planet Waves Pro-Winder String Winder/Cutter. It is the same one I use, and could not imagine being without it.

Find guitar string winders at EBay.com

3. Guitar Picks

I find myself always losing picks, and struggling to find one no matter how many I buy at a time. This is why I’m sure any guitarist would appreciate getting a pack or two so they’ll always have one nearby.

Like strings, picks have different gauges as well that are based on their thickness. The common types of guitar picks are light, medium and heavy.

The gauge of a pick is commonly a player’s own personal preference, but if I was to make a recommendation I would  consider the following:

For acoustic guitar playing, I like using light gauge picks. I think it provides a softer sound and lets the guitar sing more. It also helps to prevent string breaks.

For electric guitar playing, I’ll use medium gauge picks, because they add a more bite and control to my playing.

My favorite brand of picks are Dunlop Tortex Standard picks. They have a texture that feels great in your hands and helps to keep them from slipping out while playing.

Search for Dunlop Guitar Picks at EBay.com

4. Guitar Stand/Holder

It is important to help protect your guitar when you are not playing it, and a guitar stand is the perfect solution to this problem. They hold and support a guitar, helping to prevent any possible accidents.

There are two types of guitar stands to consider, wall mounted and floor stands.

I’ve personally only ever used floor stands, but if I had a proper wall to hang my guitar from, I would definitely use a wall holder.

Find great guitar stands at EBay.com

5. Guitar Polish Kit

All guitar players love keeping their guitars looking good and protected, which is what makes a guitar polishing kit such a great gift idea.

These kits contain waxes and cleaners specifically designed for guitar finishes. They also normally include a cloth to use for waxing and a string cleaner solution.

A polish/cleaning kit is a must have for any guitarist, and I recommend buying a Dunlop brand kit for best results.

Find guitar polish kits at EBay.com

6. Capo

A capo is a cool guitar accessory that is used to change the key of the guitar by simply “clamping” it onto the strings at any point on the fret board.

Applying a capo can really change the mood and feel of a song or chord which is why musicians have used them for so many years.

I recommend the G7th 405 Performance Guitar Capo (Pictured Above) which is available at Musicians Friend. Any guitar player would be lucky to have a capo like this.

Find quality guitar capos at EBay.com

7. Guitar Stool

A guitar stool is a great gift idea because most chairs simply aren’t designed with the guitar player in mind. A guitar stool offers a comfortable, sturdy place to sit and practice the guitar.

There are several different styles of chairs that can be purchased, but I prefer the simple steel legs and black seat design. You can even get customized guitar stools, which can make the gift that much more special.

Find awesome guitar stools at EBay.com

8. Tabulature/Music Book of Favorite Group

I received a gift like this last year, and it is still something I use at least once a week. The book I received was a complete Beatles’s collection of song tabs and sheet music. I love it because I can literally sit down and figure out any Beatles’s song I can think of.

There are music books for almost all popular musicians and groups starting from the ’60s to the current day.

I recommend looking for a book with a hard cover, because it will stand the test of time better and become something treasured for many years.

9. Pedal Board

If the guitarist you know plays with a variety of effect pedals, then a pedal board will make a great addition to his/her setup. It will keep all of the pedals organized and powered, making it easy to set them up and transport them.

You can read more about pedal boards in this previous post.

I recommend looking at pedal board made by the brand Gator. They offer high quality products, at a very affordable price. I have owned one of their basic models for quite some time now and have never had a problem.

10. Multi-Track Recorder

Now for what I refer to as the “dream” gift. For around $200-400 dollars you can get a great multi-track recording station (I recommend Fostex brand). These units will do everything from recording multiple tracks of audio at once to mixing down the audio and burning the final CDs.

These recorders allow for the guitarist in your life to record himself, as well as other instruments and vocal tracks, ultimately making complete, great sounding songs.

I’ve always loved recording my own music, it can really make you feel like you’re living the “rock ‘n roll dream” even though you are just in your bedroom.

All of the items mentioned in this post can be found directly at:

If you have any more suggestions for great gifts for guitar players, or if you would like to recommend a different brand or product I mentioned above, please feel free to leave a comment.

Dunlop boasts this pedal as being a classic fuzz stomp box with modern versatility. Players who use the M-173 now have options for AC power and tone buffering, which is a great feature to have with any pedal, especially when placed on a board.

The M-173 buffer switch can be used to clean up your tone when playing at a high “crunch” level. It is a great option to this pedal that really makes it stand out.

Features:

• Designed to fit easily onto a pedal board
• AC Adapter connection
• True Bypass
• LED Light
• Solid Construction
• Unique hammer-tone finish

Controls:

• Volume
• Fuzz
• Buffer – The optional Buffer switch allows you to clean up the crunch, and muddiness that sometimes occurs when using a fuzz pedal.

Sound:
This really is a great sounding fuzz pedal. It achieves warm, thick distortion with a lot of harmonic resonance. I also really like the buffer on the M-173, which adds a nice amount of extra highs and mids to your sound as well as cleaning up your tone.

Overall,  this pedal really delivers. It gives you that great vintage fuzz tone, full of the sustain and crunch that the original Fuzz Face was famous for. The M-173 by MXR is a fantastic, versatile fuzz pedal.

Find great deals on the M-173 by checking out the latest listings on EBay below:

Controls:

The MXR could not have a simpler interface. It has only one control for Gain, and that is really all that you need from this pedal.

Performance:

This pedal does a great job of boosting your signal while also preserving the original tone of your guitar/amp setup. This is important for people who put a lot of time and money into their gear to get the perfect sound they are looking for. Even when bypassed, the MXR has no effect on your tone.

It is great for players who are using a Tube Amp and do not want to muddy their sound with an overdrive pedal, just to achieve some extra volume. The MXR acts like a master volume that will kick up your sound, and make you stand out when hitting your leads and solos.

My MXR Micro Amp pedal is a vital part of my effects chain. When you begin linking many different stomp boxes together like I do, the strength of your signal can sometimes degrade. This solves the problem by providing me with the ability to counter act this loss with some extra gain and volume.

The pedal can also provide some overdriven tones when cranking it up all the way, and playing it through the clean channel on your tube amp.

Recommended for: Boosting your guitar’s sound during lead/solo work.

Overall, this is a very simple pedal that is very good at what it does.

View real time listings for MXR Micro Amp on sale at EBay below:

1. Your distortion pedal does not match your style of playing

There are three main types of distortion pedals; Distortion, Fuzz and Overdrive.

Each of these create different guitar tones that may/may not fit into your desired style of playing, and this is why you never want to buy a distortion pedal without either hearing, or playing it first.

• Distortion - A straight distortion pedal will offer increased sustain, gain and attack, and their levels can range from mild distortion to full blown metal. They fit well into almost all rock and metal genres.
• Overdrive - Overdrive pedals are designed to give your guitar a tone similar to that coming out of a quality tube amp with the gain turned up. They are great for adding an edge to your sound while also preserving the nuances of your playing. They do not provide the same level of sustain and gain as distortion pedals do, but are perfect for classic rock and blues. Their tone can be described as “warm”.
• Fuzz – A fuzz pedal allows you to turn up your amp and get some wild tones from your guitar. Jimi Hendrix made these types of pedals famous with his signature sound, and just like his pedals, your fuzz will provide a thick, sustain rich distortion. These types of pedals fit right into hard rock, blues and stoner rock. Guitarists from both the  Black Keys and White Stripes are current examples of rock bands that utilize the fuzz tone.

2. Your distortion pedals settings are not adjust correctly

Even the best pedals might require some tweaking to get their tone just right, and properly adjusting the settings is the preferred way to do this. Most distortion pedals will have, at the least, a volume, tone and distortion setting.

• Volume – This adjusts the output level of the pedal when it is engaged. You want to balance this level with your clean tone, because if both are at completely different levels, then switching between them will make your transitions sound unnatural. It is common though for your distortion pedals volume to be set higher than your clean tone so you get that extra attack of gain.
• Tone – No surprise here with this setting, it will alter your overall tone. It works by adjusting the mix of the highs and lows that are produced. My advice is to set the knob at 12 o’clock and tweak it as you play until it sounds just right.
• Distortion - This will adjust the level of distortion, over drive or fuzz that your pedal pushes out. It is generally a personal preference, so you if you like a lot of gain, turn it up.

3. Your effects pedal chain is not ordered correctly

Overtime, guitarists can accumulate a wide variety of effects pedals, and in order to play them at the same time, they are placed in a effects chain. Effects chains consist of numerous pedals that are are linked together, and the ordering of them can play a big role in your tone because some pedals could effectively zap your distortion pedal’s power/tone.

I wrote an article covering this topic in detail that you can view here.

4. Your distortion pedal’s batteries are weak/dying.

Although some people actually like the tones produced by their pedals when using weak batteries, some of us might not. If you are concerned with your pedal’s tone changing over the life of you battery you may want to consider purchasing an AC Adapter.

5. You are using an old or inferior guitar cable.

A guitar cable is the lifeline to your amp, and if you are not using a quality cable, neither your guitar’s tone, or your pedal’s tone will sound their best.

For detailed information on selecting the proper guitar cable, please read my article covering this topic here.

6. Your amp settings are not adjusted correctly

Just like the settings on your effects pedals, your amp settings also need to be fine tuned to get the perfect sound. This again, is somewhat of a personal preference and I am mentioning it basically as a reminder. If you are not satisfied with your guitar tone, making a few minor adjustments on the amp could make a world of difference.

Rock 'n Roll

He is currently playing in the band, Full Color, with fellow guitarist and friend, TJ Fennel.

You can check out Full Color here:

Now onto the questions:

• How would you describe Full Color’s sound? Watching the documentary, 1991: the Year Punk Broke too many times describes our sound

Sound: The ML-2 offers an extreme amount of distortion and gain. It has a cutting attack that makes it perfect for playing metal riffs. It’s super heavy low end also helps contribute to its unmistakable tone. When using the ML-2 you’ll have no problem standing out among the hardest beats your rhythm section can provide.

In comparison to BOSS’ other metal distortion pedal, the BOSS MT-2, the ML-2 definitely comes out as the heavier sounding one.

Features:

• Heavy and durable construction.
• Controls for: Level, Low End, High End and Distortion.
• Heavy Distortion Tones

Recommended For:

• Nu Metal
• Grind Core
• Industrial
• Hard Core
• Heavy Metal

Overall, this is definitely a top notch distortion pedals in terms of both tone and quality. It will be a perfect addition to any guitarist’s set up who is looking for a crushing amount of distortion. I loved the sharp edge that it gave my solos and riffs while testing it out, and it also produces some great harmonic tones.

The controls are very responsive and allow you to dial in your perfect tone quite easily. After a little bit of experimentation, I guarantee the ML-2 will deliver exactly what you are looking for.

Here is a video demo of the BOSS ML-2 Metalcore pedal that shows the tones that this distortion pedal is capable of achieving.

The BOSS ML-2 usually runs for about 1oo dollars, but you can find brand new ones and slightly used pedals for a much lower price on EBay. To search for the BOSS ML-2 on EBay click here.

Still didn’t find what you’re looking for? Visit our BOSS Pedal store for a complete listing of BOSS Distortion Pedals.

So, what does True Bypass mean?

True bypass is a feature of effects pedals that allows the signal passing through them to completely avoid, or bypass their circuity when not engaged.  This will make the pedal appear completely transparent when not in use.

The main thing that true bypass addresses is signal loss, which can affect your overall tone. You’re tone would sound different passing through a pedal’s circuitry than it would going straight to the amp.

Some guitarists actually appreciate the effects of a pedal that is not true bypass because it allows for some reduction in gain, additional noise and a minor tone modification.

There are three types of bypass in guitar pedals:

• Non-Bypass – This will result in the pedal sucking out a substantial bit of your tone and brightness.
• True Bypass – This will result in no tone loss because the design allows for the signal to avoid the pedal’s circuitry when not in use.
• Buffered Bypass – This bypass design closely follows that of a non-bypass, but solves the problems associated with it by placing a high output impedance buffer at the start and end of the pedal. This usually solves the problem because guitars commonly have a low impedance.

There are always debates about any kind of addition to your setup that affects your guitar’s tone, and true bypass is no different. Some will appreciate the tones that a non-bypass pedal produces over a true bypass, but in the end, its all dependent on your own musical preferences.

I hope that this has cleared up any confusion you may have concerning true bypass, and if you have any further questions, please leave them in the comment section below.

Browse for True Bypass pedals on EBay here:

Click here to find the BOSS TU-2 on sale at EBay.

This is the best guitar tuner in my eyes because of it’s features, accuracy and reliability. You really can’t beat having a stomp-box style tuner like the BOSS TU-2. This design provides easy and quick tuning while on stage, and it allows you to switch to silent bypass mode tuning with just a single press of your foot.

The LED display on the pedal also takes all the guess work out tuning your guitar. It has a meter stream of 11 LED lights that make it very easy to recognize when correct tuning has been achieved. This pedal is very easy to see and read on dark stages which is definitely a plus.

This chromatic tuner also has seven different tuning modes that will accommodate both bass and electric six string guitars.

Tuning Modes:

• Chromatic
• Guitar Regular
• Guitar Flat
• Guitar Double Flat
• Bass Regular
• Bass Flat
• Bass Double Flat

Additional Features:

• Has a tuning range of 8-octaves, which is the widest available in this class of pedal tuners.
• Tuning mode settings and display options are stored in the tuner’s memory
• The BOSS TU-2 can also act as a power source for other 9V effect pedals.

Overall, I think the TU-2 is really the best guitar tuner that you can get for this price. It offers a wide range of tuning modes, and is extremely accurate. It picks up every note instantly, and has a very easy to read LED display. The pedal is also built very well, and has never given me any problems what so ever. I recommend this to any guitarist looking to stay in tune.

Below is a video demonstration of the BOSS TU-2 Chromatic Guitar Tuner:

Find great deals on the BOSS TU-2 Chromatic Guitar Tuner on EBay by clicking here.

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