BLACKSTAR CARRY ON TRAVEL GUITAR - A Travel Guitar that ROCKS

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BLACKSTAR CARRY ON TRAVEL GUITAR - A Travel Guitar that ROCKS
GEAR USED
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DISCLAIMER
Blackstar have not paid me to create this video but they have supplied me with the guitar, however, this does not impact my thoughts or opinions on the product in any way. Please note, other items may appear and be used in the video that were provided to me as part of a previous video or payment. Blackstar, nor any other brand that appears, have influenced my view, thoughts or opinion on the product in any way.
CHECK OUT THE BLACKSTAR CARRY ON TRAVEL GUITAR HERE:
► WHITE - redir.love/tho...
► BLACK - redir.love/tho...
In This Video I am Also Using:
► BLACKSTAR STUDIO 10 6L6 - redir.love/tho...
► SURFYBEAR CLASSIC SPRING REVERB - redir.love/tho...
► RODE GO WIRELESS - redir.love/tho...
► RODE GO MIC - redir.love/tho...
► LEWITT AUDIO LCT440 MIC - redir.love/tho...
► LINE 6 RELAY WIRELESS - redir.love/tho...
► FOCSURITE 18I20 - redir.love/tho...
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Backing Track from Elevated Jam Tracks
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In this video I'll be taking a look at Carry On Guitar from Blackstar.
This is Blackstars first venture into the guitar world, having over 10 years in the business creating amps and pedals, this is a new venture for them as part of their Carry On line.
The Carry On Guitar has been designed in conjunction with Gordon Smith Guitars to give you a high quality, playable and affordable travel guitar. This is the perfect guitar to take with you on hotel trips to keep your practise up when you can't have your full guitar rig on hand.
The guitar itself is a 20.7 inch scale, single cut style guitar made from an Okoume body and neck which are both cut from the same piece of wood. The neck is glued in and it comes loaded with a single mini-humbucker which is coil splittable.
While this guitar doesn't have a neck pickup, you can get into the neck pickup ballpark by rolling back the tone control.
The guitar is plugged into the Blackstar Studio 10 6L6 which is mic'd with a Lewitt Audio LCT440 Condenser Mic. I am also using a Surfy Industries Surfy Bear Classic for Spring Reverb along with some drive pedals on the floor. Throughout the video, the J Rockett Audio Lenny is switched on as a clean boost and the drive in the video comes from the Tate FX Antares and the Analogman King of Tone.
Intro - 00:00
Intro Jam - 00:08
What is the Carry On Travel Guitar? - 01:30
Other Gear Used in the Video - 07:06
Humbucker Clean Tones - 07:39
Coil Split Clean Tones - 08:18
Tone Control Range Clean - 08:54
Humbucker Overdriven Tones - 10:38
Coil Split Overdriven Tones - 12:10
Higher Gain Tones - 13:53
My Thoughts - 15:26
Hope you like it! Don't forget to subscribe and like the video!
Enjoy!
Leigh
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[@jrsoper6524]

I really love mine , it's so convenient to play in smaller places. Right out of the box it blew me away, perfect set up, super low action, and it was almost in tune. They are super nice guitars. Love the wood and tortoise binding matching the pick gard.

[@TheSuperspyk]

Saw one of your black star vids pop up in my feed, found this one as a recommendation - glad I did, you explain things so calmly. Instant subscribe

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

That's awesome, thank you for checking it out! I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the subscribe too, hope you enjoy the other videos on the channel!

[@Dave062YT]

I went for a Hofner Shorty deluxe with its Gibson scale length and 2 humbuckers but have to say the quality of Blackstar is on another level and may have to pick one up too .

[@theJE55]

What really sells it for me is how well it handles all those bends and stays perfectly in tune, and its just that tune-o-matic bridge. I think they made such smart choices with the set neck, higher gauge strings and through body stringing. Dead impressed

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

Yeah they're great guitars, considering the fact they are short scale, all the things you mentioned add up to it feeling really stable. It comes stock with 12s, but you could even throw a set of 13s on it to get it to feel more like a full scale guitar with 11s if that's more your thing too. It feels great. The neck feels like a full size guitar neck, but the frets are closer together, but with the neck being fatter than a regular travel guitar, it doesn't feel like a typical travel instrument.

[@theJE55]

@@LeighFugeGuitar I'm interested to see how the stock 12s feel on it, considering I've always gone for 10s. I have tiny weak baby hands, lol, so I think I'm definitely going to get on v well with the short scale. Also heard you can comfortably drop it to C with no issues so I may well try thicker strings and see what happens 🙃

[@tomaskey6844]

Just ordered one to use in my van. I sit for hours where I have to be ready to go quickly and my ESP is too big for that. I ordered a Katana Artist so my van is gonna ROCK!! The Yamaha THR30II is awesome and I’ll use it primarily with the Blackstar while in the front seat. This is gonna be so fun! Update; had it one day and am sending it back. Must have got a Monday Morning Edition.

[@peterjones4621]

Got a stupid question, in the beginning of the video you were playing what I think is called clean tones but I don't know anything about guitar styles but can you tell me what style of music you were playing, what it's called? I'm a total rookie trying to learn guitar. ???? Also, I see the ST and JB models, the JB is about twice the price of the ST, can you tell me the difference please??? I have spent house searching the web and can't find anyone who describes the difference between the two models. Thank you, great review. New subscriber.

[@adamwarlock3530]

They are probably counting the space from the last fret (wire) to the pickguard a fret.

[@OllieW501]

Quite the Gary Moore vibe, nice :-)

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

Thank you man! Really appreciate you checking out the video!

[@OllieW501]

@@LeighFugeGuitar Update, i just bought one of these in black, it's great. My kids can hold it no problem, so hopefully it will encourage them to pick up. In the meantime, i really like the tone of this with the Fender Mustang Micro, so as a travel option, love it.

[@mattbod]

I am guessing it would go well with a Fly3 as that is an incredibly full sounding guitar for its size. Not sure I can justify one though.

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

Yeah it would work well with that. Blackstar actually sell them together as a pack via some retailers too. You can always justify a new guitar haha

[@mattbod]

@@LeighFugeGuitar I can but my bank manager can’t: Happy New Year!

[@nd_otd]

It would be nice if they just used a standard adjustable bridge

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

You mean like the Strat style with single saddles for each string? I think they were going for the LP/LP Jr vibe on this.

[@nd_otd]

Yeah. But not necessarily going for the looks, I'm just concerned about the intonation

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

This bridge does have adjustable intonation. It's an LP style tune o matic bridge.

[@nd_otd]

Oh, really? That's good then!

[@steverherb]

Adjustable bridge with strings-thru body is a win

[@ZJProductionHK]

Could u give us the backing track link? Thanks man

[@mikebell1980]

I’m thinking this would be great for busking with my Super Fly. I’d be able to carry everything on my bike and avoid using.the car.

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

That could be cool! They actually do a package in some stores where you get this guitar with a Fly amp. It also comes with a small gig bag too!

[@sjazzp]

I’m so tempted to get one, looks amazing and sound pretty good although honestly I’m not convinced of the clean tones, perhaps it was your arrangement as it sounded a bit crunchy. I will try one in store to see how it sounds while plugged directly to an amp.

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

There is a little breakup on the clean because I’m going into a single channel tube amp, and I pick heavy, but it goes as clean as a bridge humbucker goes. It cleans up better in the coil split setting

[@sjazzp]

@@LeighFugeGuitar Got it, thanks. Also, I guess that I’m so used to neck pickup that I didn’t realised that it actually has a bridge pickup only 🤦‍♂️ Anyway, I read that adjusting the tone, it could sound as neck’s, couldn’t it?

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

Yeah thats what I did in the video, I rolled off the tone a few times to get a "fake" neck pickup kinda sound. It doesn't sound exactly like a neck pickup, but it gets you close.

[@OllieW501]

@@sjazzp i have a strat too, and this with the volume and tone rolled off, and the coil tap, it's got a nice clean tone. Then yo can pop it back for a dirty lead sound. So far loving it

[@sjazzp]

@@OllieW501 I got mine, such a nice guitar, it can be small but the sound is amazing, I’m glad I took the decision. I need to play more with the knobs to find that kind of neck tone, however until now, everything had worked for me

[@oscarlizaola]

Could I learn on this guitar? I travel quite a bit so a full size just wouldn’t work for me

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

I don't see why not. It plays and sounds great, there is no reason you couldn't learn on it.

[@oscarlizaola]

@@LeighFugeGuitar thank you 🙏🏽

[@edgargranados8524]

Do you guys know if it has bad neck dive?

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

It's so small that neck dive isn't really a problem. It's very well balanced for the size.

[@edgargranados8524]

@@LeighFugeGuitar awesome thanks!

[@ps164]

DO you think this can double as a Lap Steel when traveling?

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

That’s a good question. I was wondering the same thing. I don’t see why not... just lay it flat and put it in an open tuning and it’s perfect

[@ps164]

Thanks. I just can’t tell if the scale is too short and the fretboard/nut is too tight for making it make sense as a lap steel. I’d love to try it but it’s pretty expensive overall for an experiment. It would be fun. I think if you put a raise nut over the current nut Over the current nut the strings would end up to the right and left of the fretboard. Just not sure about it.

[@vaynonet]

How many cm in total length?

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

I’m not sure of the measurement in cm, but it’s should be listed on the Blackstar website

[@captainmoretokin2172]

yeah, their cool. how much? in american money

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

You'd have to check with your local Blackstar dealer, I assume they'll be more or less the same price range in the US.

[@captainmoretokin2172]

@@LeighFugeGuitar Ok. the closest one is 125miles away but i'll call first to see if they will allow a a chord or three. i want to feel it. thanks buddy.

[@tomaskey6844]

I must have got a lemon. It won’t hold tune, tuners are terrible, G string has a bad buzz, volume pot is loose and scratchy, the tone is dark and tinny. I tried it in a Yamaha THR30II, Katana Artist, and Lunchbox Junior and struggled to get a playable tone. It sure looks nice and I would love to love it but it’s all over now. Got a return label.

[@locadeva]

nice! Where is it made? I hope it's not 'made it china' tho.

[@stanh24]

China

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

I'm not sure where its made to be honest. It doesn't say online. I'd assume it's made in China/Indonesia though based on the price point. But don't let the location its made put you off. The guitar plays great.

[@locadeva]

@@stanh24 my money is not going to that bloody china run by ccp. Thanks for the heads up tho.

[@locadeva]

@@LeighFugeGuitar That's really a bummer. In short : I do not want my money go to those inhumane dictators of ccp in china. NO WAY! meanwhile, Im looking for a good quality guitar for small hands but again, it has to be made anywhere but china. Thanks for your review, Leigh, I appreciate it!

[@FabioLovaglio]

It sounds great, a bit concerning the intonation, you were either out of tune the whole time or the intonation is quite off.

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

There’s a few moments where I heard myself fretting too hard, the string tension is a bit light for me cause I’m a heavy fretter, but it doesn’t sound out to me for the whole thing. Just one or two small instances where I knew it was my fault. I find that short scale guitars never quite spins perfectly in, but close enough is good enough for me.

[@FabioLovaglio]

@@LeighFugeGuitar The short scale topic interests me quite a bit, do you find all short scale particularly troubling or just few kinds? Cause there's 25, 24.75, 24 (like fender off-set stuff). I do have to agree that all the shortest scale that I've tried seems to be troubling intonation-wise.

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

All the short scales I’ve tried I’ve felt the same. Even though the pitch on the tuner reads in tune, there is something that doesn’t sound the same to my ears. I also have an Ibanez short scale Paul Gilbert model which I’ll be doing a video on soon and that has the same thing to me. I’m not sure exactly why, but I’ve always heard shorter scales as being slightly out. It’s not terribly out... but slightly. I’m convinced it’s a tension thing. I play quite hard and I think between fretting hard and picking hard, and the lower string tension that might be the problem ... perhaps if I was a gentle player it might work easier. It’s definitely an interesting topic.

[@GregRickard]

Sounded out to me too.

[@MrBownze]

"I'm not getting paid for this video, but I was sent the item for free". Please explain how this doesn't add bias to your review. Asking for a friend...

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

Because brands don’t get a say in how in make my videos or what I say in videos. I only make Videos about products I think are cool and of a brand pays me or not, my opinions stay the same. If I like it, then I say, if I don’t like it, then I say.

[@pauleckett6713]

Maybe you should think about playing professionally 😉

[@LeighFugeGuitar]

Haha, maybe I'll consider it 😀