Blackstar Fly3 Stereo Pack - 6 Watt 2 x 3" Black Combo Amp with Extension Speaker

I have been playing Guitar for all of 10 days, so this is not going to be a super in-depth review about all the advanced features of this amp.What it is though, is the thoughts of someone who lives in an apartment block and wanted something small to be able to practice his new guitar with...and for that it is brilliant!I looked at a few different options when considering this (Marshall MS2, Orange Micro Crush etc.) but this thing kept on coming out the favourite in all the comparisons so I took the plunge and ordered one.So, first things first. The amp is tiny! So much so that I was a little concerned that it wouldn't be able to perform particularly well in anything other than the smallest of rooms.This was very quickly negated when I plugged it into the guitar for the first time. The sound was big, it was clean and it was all coming from this tiny little box sat on my bookshelf.Being entirely new to the guitar scene I haven't had a chance to test out the extra features as much as I would like to be able to, but it comes with a clean and overdrive channel, tape delay, headphone out and a 3.5mm in.The latter two of these have been incredibly useful for me as I am able to use my headphones when my neighbours are in and being able to play the "learn to play" backing tracks through the amp as well makes practicing very convenient!It comes with 6 AA batteries and has the option of including a separate charger (sold separately). The batteries supposedly last a good long while and will be replaced with rechargeables once they eventually die.I recently took this with me on a weekend away where one of my friends, who has played guitar for over 30 years, was left utterly speechless by how impressive this device was.I originally thought that a micro-amp would be a short-lived purchase and that I would be upgrading to something larger fairly quickly. However, after listening to this thing in action, I don't think this will be getting replaced for a LONG while. And even when I do want to up the performance, I only need to purchase the cab extension for it to double the wattage.If you are just starting out with electric guitar or if you live in a place that doesn't lend itself well to ridiculous amounts of noise, then this little amp is a must-buy.

I wasn't aware of the form that gets you a 3 year extended warranty for free (definitely do this if you buy, it's on the Blackstar website), and 2 years after purchasing my Fly has developed some issues. The amp now buzzes like crazy, and if I play low notes, the battery door rattles. I've tried gaffa taping the door tightly, but to no avail. I've had to remove the battery door completely to stop it rattling. This thing also guzzles batteries, so I've had to chuck an extra £25 on the official adaptor (not included), though I'm sure I could have got a cheaper 3rd party one. The official adaptor also gets very hot, so there's that. Sound-wise, I adore this amp however. It sounds fantastic and it's so useful to have something so small that sounds so good, it's just a shame that it developed faults outside my warranty. I tweeted Blackstar support and they just ghosted me. Nice. By all means buy it, but definitely get that extended warranty or you'll regret it.

I was always a bit skeptical about micro amps, based on my past experiences with them. So I took a chance and purchased the Blackstar Fly 3 based on the reviews I read online, and the results have been impressive. The build quality is surprisingly good. Sound wise It doesn't sound fake compare to other micro amps in its category. You can dial in a pretty decent tone and the built in digital delay is excellent. And with only 3 watts it's still loud enough to disturb the neighbours (okay maybe not that loud) but you get the picture. Honestly it's one of the best purchases I've made in a while. Highly recommended if you're looking for something small, portable to take around with you.

This is a small battery powered desk top amp, so don't expect to be using this for anything other than home practice, but having said that, the quality of the sound is amazing. It sounds like a cranked big amp, just at a much lower volume. The built-in delay is a brilliant little touch, this makes it much more fun to use. I have a 100 watt Marshall stack and in their intended environment they are comparable in terms of tone quality.

Great little amp for practice. The clean channel is excellent and with the delay you can can some good clean and crunch tones going. The overdrive channel is a bit harsh, but roll of the high end on your guitar and it’s ok for rock and blues stuff. It doesn’t really cut it for high gain metal tones. The ISF EQ6 isn’t much good. You get very bright to bright but can’t really get a warmer sound. Use your guitars controls for this and you’ll be fine. Volume wise it packs some grunt for a plastic box that’s about the size of a packet of crispbreads. Great for small jam sessions with your mates and practicing in small rooms. Responds well to your playing. Dig in on the clean channel for a nice Bluesy crunch. I’m really impressed and might even add the extension cab you can get which doubles the output to 6 watts. I’ve iwned quite a few amps over the years for practice but this is brilliant for its size. Give one a go if you need a small portable amp that can run on batteries and sounds pretty good. Only gripe is that you don’t f=get a power supply. I’d have happily paid an extra fiver to have one in the box.