Spooky Blackstar Guitar Amp Repair

Mark opens up a Blackstar HT-1R guitar amp, with a no-sound fault. The fault is a bit of a mystery, and maybe it's haunted? Also featuring a bonus Hondo Les Paul replica, rescued from a skip!

[@Jesselovespinball]

Am I the only one that gets excited like a little kid when a new Mend it Mark video gets posted ? Always makes me smile ! Thanks Mark !

[@generaldisarray]

ditto, always excellent and interesting content

[@andrewwturner]

You're not alone. I've been looking forward to sitting down and watching it all day! 👍

[@roadmantop3769]

Me too 😂

[@Ivesh1000]

Makes my day each time :-)

[@Pistoletjes]

Same here!

[@patrickjmorgan]

There’s no end to your talents, Mark!

[@maxvorshev500]

Engineer, musician, handyman and a distinguished gentleman - when it comes to checkin out my perfect man's list, Mark leaves no box unchecked!

[@TechGorilla1987]

An amp with no sound is no fun at all. A Mend It Mark video, however, is fantastic entertainment.

[@Barbarapape]

Unless you live next door, then silence is golden!

[@jkashai]

@Barbarapape The grinch spoke😂

[@Vincent_Sullivan]

In my opinion as an electronics engineer who has repaired a ton of kit in my time an amp with no sounds is better than an amp with sound only when it feels like it. Mark didn't mention it much, but I am sure he feels uneasy about whether he actually repaired the clearly present initial fault or not.

[@kurthansen570]

The man can play the guitar! So many skills. Can't believe it. Great video too. Love it.

[@kristiandawe85]

That’s so awesome seeing you playing the stones on that old guitar, great work as always

[@MrPnew1]

Mick called, he wants you in The Stones Mark. Nice repair

[@generaldisarray]

Great fix. Ah yes, Ernie Ball Super Slinkys, my favourite. To rebuild the nut, the bit by the tuning pegs, you can use the old superglue and baking soda trick. Wrap the neck and headstock, either side of the nut, with cling film, clean the old slots in the nut with a bit of sandpaper or a small file, put on superglue followed by some baking soda, then add some more superglue until the baking soda is completely wetted. Once set refile slots to required depth.

[@matthewpower3062]

I was going to mention this, but he likely knows since he referred to his fix as a bodge lol

[@generaldisarray]

@@matthewpower3062 true, however, others may not, so if they have this issue, and read my comment they'll know how to fix it. Share the knowledge I say.

[@Ry_Valz]

You're right! Shoe glue + baking soda is the common solution. Even just shoe glue is fine for temporary fix but the best fix would be replacing it for a new bone nut replacement.

[@generaldisarray]

@@Ry_Valz or even better a roller nut.

[@H0lyman01]

I don't know guys... The toughest part of a nut replacement is re-stringing the guitar.

[@nasicher6773]

Was für ein schöner Anblick,wenn sich moderne SMD Technik mit alten Röhren verbindet. Klasse !!

[@AnalogueGround]

As a fellow brit, we need to keep the term ‘valve’ alive. I’ve noticed more and more brits and fellow europeans now using the American ‘tube’ term. I know it’s because the internet is dominated by American articles and videos but we don’t have to automatically conform to that.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

Mark, you're a BEAST! Who knew you're also a kitchen table guitar tech? That clipped-strings-in-the-nut bodge is a first-seen for me

[@goodun2974]

It's a terrible badge to be sure. You can fill in the nut-slots somewhat with baking soda and superglue (it cures almost instantly, harder than most plastics) and then file the slots to fit the string more snugly, which will improve tuning and intonation.

[@slaphead2965]

Mend it Mark ... Guitar Hero! 👍🇬🇧😎🎸

[@mikeh6876]

One of the best fixit channels on KZbin - thanks..............

[@GraemeSPa]

I am 68 and I have been playing guitar since I was 14. I must have changed hundreds of sets of strings and yet I still wince when taking the top E up to pitch for the first time. I even found myself wincing when you tuned up the top E in this video. Weird. I have had two Blackstars in my time - the HT 5 and the HT 60, which takes IMO top prize for the best amp I have ever played through - had to sell it as I was getting too old to pick it up and chuck it in the back of the car. It's ironic that when I was a kid, I yearned for a dual Marshall or Orange stack, but could never afford one - now I could buy one, I wouldn't be able to carry it.

[@FindLiberty]

Yea, keep hands and face clear while winding it up 1st time and wait for settling time after.

[@guitarstitch]

I'm a regular gigging musician, playing just about every weekend. I change strings every two weeks. I still wince while tensioning high E, even while playing .010. I don't think one ever overcomes that. As for the Blackstars, I never cared for them. They seemed a bit too sterile on the clean channel. There is a lot to be said for the weight advantage, though. That's why I moved to a modeler. :)

[@GraemeSPa]

​@@guitarstitch Before I had the Blackstar 60 watt, I had a Marshall DSL 40watt valve amp - it was great for the crunchy stuff, but the clean channel wasn't clean enough. The valve Blackstar could be clean enough for acoustic guitar while having the three channels plus additional voicing that could sound like ACDC, but it weighed a ton and I'm not famous enough for a roadie. I thought about taking out one 12'' speaker and filling the inside with helium balloons, but realised that wasn't practical. I now use a Katana 50 which has all sorts of digital gubbins controllable by computer - the problem I find with that is with the distortion/overdrive settings - set it up for a crunch with full volume on the guitar, and then back off the guitar volume and the crunch stays, it just gets quieter. In a true valve amp, the crunch would slowly fade into almost clean sounding guitar. I am getting around this by using a pedal board with a germanium transistor overdrive pedal and discrete boss pedals for delay and chorus - and my old homemade wah pedal. The katana is set as clean and green - in fact it could be left at home and I just plug into the PA. When I started gigging in 1972, all I had was a Japanese Les Paul copy and a WEM ER40 and it sounded great - our PA was a 50watt Selmer TB50 and now we have 2x 1500 watts - the world has gone mad.

[@tedmich]

A classic Hondo! My first bass was a Hondo! Great work as usual Mark.

[@gadewttk2210]

A pesar de no saber inglés es entretenido viendo como reparas, y la alegría y entusiasmo que le pones, Saludos desde Perú 👍

[@TechGorilla1987]

@1:19 - I have to admit, I expected some kind of tat, but that interior looks very clean and well done.

[@searchiemusic]

blackstar are super serious about their amps, even the teeny ones, yeah they are hybrid but they do it in all the places you can get away with to make it still sound like a tube amp, excellent little devices

[@puciohenzap891]

Yeah, also good Nover electrolytics, TAD tubes...

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

@20:00 - haha nice - believe it or not Keith played all those songs with 5 strings , he removed the E string during that period and maybe to this very day and dropped tuned the guitar so he could play mostly open. That's why so many cover versions of late 60s stones songs sound odd.. they play with too many notes.

[@admiralhipowa7158]

Yes he’s back, cool!

[@javierboughton5386]

great to see you back mark!! thanks

[@quantumleap359]

A delightful little repair video. Thanks Mark

[@PilotInCommand777]

Not only are you good at what you do but you are always smiling and have a jovial attitude! I really enjoy watching you. Thanks. By the way, I subscribed to you at least 4 times. Today again I was unsubscribed and it was not me unsubscribing.

[@jolierouge8332]

Love these videos! The Mend It Mark channel has become my favorite!

[@freeelectron8261]

That was a fun ride and some Stones at the end - impressive!

[@rayofcreation3996]

Sheer joy watching Mark work. Absolutely delightful indeed. Thanks a lot for sharing these with us Mark. Good luck and best wishes to you and yours. 🎉. Cheers!

[@billkath]

Loved how you pretended not to know much about guitars then rocked out The Rolling Stones! Great jobs, mate❤

[@michaelcarey]

Great repair video Mark! I must say the sound of the wound strings (E, A, D) being threaded gives me shivers up my spine. Not sure why, but that sound just sets me off 🙂

[@cobisegev]

I was impressed that you are a very experienced technician, so thorough, professional and very knowledgeable. A pleasure, well done to you, always keep smiling

[@jrumiano]

Nice recovery of that old guitar, as well as some nice playing. Well done!

[@proudvadad]

Unchained? Yet another great video Mark, thank you for your time and demonstrating a commitment to excellence.

[@tedmich]

Brown Sugar!

[@xerejuneseve6333]

Great bonus with the guitar, you are multi-talented.I am subscriber now !

[@Micjoh]

Looking forward to the next video Mark. You have inspired me to rediscover my love of electronics. It's wonderful to see the great British tradition of genius blokes in sheds running businesses and doing incredible stuff isn't dead. Thanks largely to watching you I've got my old student hi fi amp back to life and am basking in 80's nostalgia. ❤

[@jjakes5589]

Thank you very much for making a new video, I was starting to panic after a few weeks. I understand quite a bit of work is involved making a video for the needy watchers.

[@felixthecleaner8843]

Awesome - and a good guitar player too - super stuff Mark!

[@1MeatBattery]

Bravo Mark. Best repair channel on KZbin. Cheers Mate!

[@billlaporte8255]

I LOVE this guy's videos... I can watch them all day long!

[@tonedriverss8629]

A true master ! Bonus .... The man plays decent guitar as well ... Yay ! Really enjoy all your vids . My all time favorite tech channel .

[@koraypekericli]

Fantastic work as usual! Enjoyed it, Mark. :-)

[@jamesianwheeler]

A man of far too many talents! Now can you fix the game in my Nintendo cocktail table?

[@Rudi-Mhz]

Mark....the electric rolling Guitarstone.....! Well done and a pretty good performance on the Strings ! You are the Man ! Kind regards from Germany, Rudi👍

[@paulmichaelfreedman8334]

If you ever want a name change, No Nonsense Mark would be another good one.

[@stumeek6825]

Another top video mark , fantastic ⚡️⚡️

[@tbonky]

Nice quick cleanup and setup on the Les Paul copy! Good undoable nut fix for extra light strings.

[@Paul-wc7lv]

I see your a man of many talents Mark. I love your videos.

[@itrema]

fantastic, great play at the end of video !

[@UnCoolDad]

I love your old school HP diagnostic kit 👍🏻

[@janwesten1317]

What I often do when the solder joints look good is to breathe on them for a moment; they then become dull, and sometimes you can see small circles where the solder is interrupted.

[@FindLiberty]

Yes, the condensation after a little Freon "cold-spray" can help spot that. And a new resistor.

[@outfield1988]

Love the guitar and your playing.

[@dryroasted5599]

Multi-talented Mark!

[@Barbarapape]

I am always nervous when you can't find a definate fault. Fingers crossed that this amp stays fixed.

[@ncooper8438]

Mark suspected a faulty resistor but was it replaced?

[@Barbarapape]

Mark pointed it out but did not mention replacing it. Hence my feeling that this amp will be back. Nothing is more embarrasing than when a customer returns a previous repair.@@ncooper8438

[@FindLiberty]

Yea, you're forced to play the odds - it may be coming back for round two.

[@Barbarapape]

After 50 years of repairing electronics i have had my share of jobs that come back to haunt you just when you think you have seen them for the last time. The trade call them boomerang jobs for a good reason.@@FindLiberty

[@alfsmith4936]

The definite fault with these amps, as with a lot of other modern tube amps is, they put tubes on the board without adequate heatsinks, or ventilation and everything around them gets too hot, causing the problems found here. Most of them can be fixed by reflowing everything

[@Trucam2020]

Wow, you are a master!!!! Thanks for sharing this repair video.

[@philwalters1848]

I don't think Keith could repair an amp, so very impressed.

[@Ry_Valz]

I'm amazed that you even know how to maintain/fix an electric guitar! I'M A HUGE FAN right now! About the nut slots, you can just add shoe glue and baking soda there to fill the depth of each slots. It works like a charm!

[@andyb7813]

Lovely video Mark, thank you.

[@mattsan70]

I think you were on to something when you said cracked component - I've seen a few resistors where the leg has detached from the carbon and makes intermittent contact , especially when running hot - you might have this one back in sooner than you think!

[@jdekong3945]

You’re full of surprises Mark! 😹great vid, thanks

[@ianinvancouverbc]

Many thanks for showing me so many things I never learned at Wigan Tech Audio & TV course in 1981. I recently did some component replacement on a Peavey Valvestate 20, I believe one of the EL84 caused a short and blew 2 fuses one glass the other that looked like a small capacitor that basically exploded.

[@cypherLabs]

This genius needs more subscribers. Great efforts.

[@bilbp41]

I like the way Mark works he’s very intelligent, works things out extremely well and I’m thinking of sending him something if he doesn’t mind trying to repair it

[@stephenyoud6125]

Oh dear, that nut was defuinitely a bodge. StewMac channel with Dan Erlewine shows a trick to fix a broken nut using Baking Soda and super glue... so you could have done that if the Nut slots realy did need filling and recutting and filing. but don't do anything till its fully strung and you try to set the string height and action and check for string buzz. I had one of those as my first amp but gave it to my son with a parts built Telecaster i built for his 17th birthday. grea little practice amp with good vavle sound. I replaced it with a VOX AC4TV into which I fitted a Celestion Greenback. great upgrade

[@theoldbigmoose]

Impressive Mark, nice little rife on your axe!

[@russtill403]

nice to see you back mark.pitty about youtube adds .

[@mohammedisaa9952]

Ad blocker in your browser ?.....

[@MrAdopado]

Brilliant skills ... though surprisingly I think I can add another one to your armoury! I have seen that on this and other projects you resort to levering off control knobs. You do take reasonable care but the levering can potentially cause damage to the surrounding finish and sometimes to the knobs themselves (this is one reason why the knob separated from its internals and had to be re-glued). The easy and safe way is to take a soft cloth (e.g. a duster) and feed its edge under the pot then using the rest of the cloth bunched in your hand just pull the knob ... even stuck ones come off relatively easily because you are able to pull in a straight line rather than the sideways forces when levering sideways ... and there's no risk of causing damage.

[@onopalaver872]

You are a very great and amazing guy! Thanks for your content ❤

[@superkev]

great video mark i love your work it is outstanding and you are so thorough thank you and keep up the good work 😁😁

[@johnmorgan6724]

nice refurb and repair assembly operation movement . . . you've got the technique!

[@smokinvalves]

OMG! A Hondo Les Paul, made in Japan - my first guitar! Nice jam, but support that neck please on the bench please 🙂

[@texasmopar5557]

This video made my Sunday.

[@svrs]

Love your content! Ohy, bend those little string ends down. They’ll draw blood sticking out.

[@diggerman3377]

Oh well done, your a man of many talents 👏

[@patprop74]

Lovely surprise to see a preamp and output tube in that little thing.

[@thejamrule]

Thanks for sorting my amp out. Much appreciated 👍another great video

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

I'm so happy to see repeatedly by many 'experts'.... the THUMP BANG AND PROD method of finding problems !!! LOL 😅 seriously how I have found most issues with board components in much faster fashion than breaking out the other special tools.

[@garywilkinson8476]

hi mark always enjoy your vids thanks

[@s.j.armstrong]

I haven't seen a Hondo guitar since I was a kid. A friend of mine had a Hondo strat copy growing up, I totally forgot about that until now haha. Loving your videos!

[@ElwinWay]

My first electric guitar was a Hondo strat. God it was terrible! But that's what you get for $300 new.

[@pickholder6189]

If you want to come to my workshop to get the guitar sorted I am in Brum.Happy to do a video with you.

[@chatrkat]

That appears to be a nicely built little practice amplifier. ~ I know little about guitars but I enjoyed watching you repair and then play this one. Excellent video.

[@mikecumbo7531]

The issue with those amps and others in that price range is that the repair cost could be more than the used amp is worth.

[@chatrkat]

@@mikecumbo7531 agree 100%. It’s sad so many things are disposable today.

[@mohammedisaa9952]

We live in a "disposable society" nowadays where the thinking has become, "if it dont work, bin it and buy another"....... nobody bothers learning skills or apprenticeships anymore,..... ☹️

[@Derkiesmefpipe]

You're the man Mark!

[@o0Donuts0o]

Ah my favorite guitar shape. The Gibson Less Parts.

[@marktubeie07]

Nice one Mark - and a musical interlude as well mate ! _"The Stones Rule!"_

[@johnbowyer6902]

Incredible work and Brown Sugar to boot. WOW!😊

[@blenderbuch]

That was a nice Twist 🎉

[@SCOTTYD2031]

I love the Mend It Mark show

[@fullwaverecked]

Down an dirty, Super Slinky! Awesome video!

[@kthwkr]

That glue was put on those electrolytic caps because of a required shake test. For cars it makes sense. For an amp that only gets carried around it is unlikely to break those caps loose.

[@AfternoonPlay]

Large through-hole electrolytic capacitors are only glued by the manufacture to prevent vibration in global shipping. It’s six or seven weeks journey time from Korea to the UK and… the cargo-hold of a container-ship can vibrate a lot, 24/7. There is no “shake test” lol

[@thijsvdakker1615]

Let’s like marks videos people, the are more comments than likes, I think it would help him forward.. Great repair again Mark!

[@mohammedisaa9952]

I do with all that i watch, pity he cant make a play list, with all the videow in so we can "binge watch" them to get his view count up.....

[@dianeramakers3368]

Great fix again Mark. You can use the baking soda and superglue trick also on a guitar bridge.

[@christopherkingston9601]

A valve amp build article once mentioned to never have both hands on unit at same time to avoid cross the heart shocks.

[@zbaby82]

More guitar amp repair videos please! 😎

[@Alexelectricalengineering]

Great work! 👍

[@luigicirelli2583]

did not expect the two-parter kudos

[@markpirateuk]

What a strange choice for output valves? Apparently rated at 1 watt! Must use a very efficient speaker, I have 1960's practice amp using a single EL84, that is pretty loud for a 5 watt output 😁

[@cymaz100]

Welcome back🎉

[@hw4527]

Thank you for posting 👍👍

[@jeffhansman2829]

Every guitar (even the worst) wants to be played. Nice job on both!

[@robertjames1306]

Love Mend it Mark video clips , Yes a big smile for sure

[@sleepyash5730]

I swear he's the master of all things audio 😮

[@hans-joachimschroder5469]

Very nice. I enjoyed it !

[@kerrygleeson4409]

Always very interesting Mark thanks for sharing more videos please 🦘

[@gervasiogurgel5231]

E o cara ainda tira um som na guitarra. Mark é um dos melhores do KZbin!