I have the Blackstar ID:CORE 10, a little $99 tabletop amp that I keep upstairs in my bedroom. Sitting next to it is my modified Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus. When I’m upstairs and I need to play a stereotypical 70’s blues rock lick, I’m in good shape. I like my little ID:CORE 10 – it’s loud enough to sing and play at the same time, and it has some small-sounding but neat tones. I would never stick a mic on it and record it, but it’s neat for casual messing around.
The problem with the ID:CORE 100 is that I wouldn’t want to stick a mic in front of it, either. I spent some time with one, recently, and my favorite feature was the built-in tuner. Even with the bass cranked all the way up, there was no real substance to the sound. It sounded thin and harsh, even on the “warm clean” setting. This is an amp that looks good on a spec sheet, but then you hear it and say “Eww.”
Any time I give my opinion on a product, I’m bound to make people who agree with me happy and piss off people who disagree with me. They Google “id: core 100 review” and click on this one and hope that I will tell them what a great amp the 100 is, because they just bought one, or are about to buy one. And they don’t want to read about how someone things it sucks. Or in the case of people who agree with me, they’re happy because I’ve validated their opinion. But ultimately I’m just a guy on the web giving an opinion. Based on 30 years experience.
Here’s the dirty little secret – amp makers make 100 watt solid state amps like this one to impress the rubes. Junior got a Squier Bullet Strat and tiny practice amp for Christmas last year, and a year later he wants to start a band with his buddies. And everyone knows you need a loud amp to compete with a real drum set. So what’s available in the $300 to $400 range that is loud? Here’s the ID:CORE 100 with a “scorching” 100 watts of power, which is more than enough to be heard. You know what else can be heard over a live drum set? An airhorn. Which is similar in tone to something like the ID:CORE 100. Harsh and annoying.
What to do? Buy a used 15 watt tube amp. Heck, I’ve seen Peavey Valveking amps sell used for around this price range. You can get a used Fender Blues Junior in this range sometimes. I’m not a huge fan of the Blues Junior, but it sounds a million times better than this thing. 15 watts is loud enough to be heard over a drum set.
There are also better non-tube amps out there. Orange has some decent sounding non-tube amps. The Fender Mustang III is not terrible. High praise, I know. I saw one used yesterday for $199. That’d be a better choice. This amp is a swing and a miss by Blackstar.
