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Blackstar Bass Fly 3 - any experience?

bass.slinger

bass.slinger

Gold Supporting Member
Aug 15, 2015
1,447
2,101
Santa Fe, NM
bass-slinger.com
#1
Worth it for a small around the house practice amp (batteries a plus)? The online reviews look really good but would like to get a more honest opinion from someone who actually owns one (and I take online customer reviews with a grain of salt on Amazon, Musiciansfriend, etc.).

Or, better going with something like a Fender Rumble 15 or 25? I only need to small practice amp and do not need something with enough volume to perform with (I already have an amp for that). However, I do want something I can hear over another family member watching the tv, etc.
 
#3
I played a nice size room with a guitarist and we both were using the battery operated fly3. It was actually heard quite well throughout the room.
That said, I would say if you are going to be carrying it around, practicing out on the porch/deck, campfires, etc, then it is nice to have. If you are going to only be using in a bedroom where you do have power, then a nice amp with a speaker gives a much bigger tone. I use a 12" speaker with a 800w amp as my small amp for the house and may soon change for a 350 watt amp and a 10" speaker just to downsize the footprint. Anything from 6.5 to 12 in a speaker can be nice. And then I use the battery operated amp when I want to play on the porch or outside.
 
#4
I read some decent reviews/comments on the Blackstar Fly 3 Bass Pack with the extra speaker and AC plug.
I'm a total newb so surely it should fine for me. Plus, what can you expect for $100?
I raced home from work today very excited and unboxed it and tried it. First impression was a real let down but I figured I just had to mess with the knobs on it and on my bass. I mucked around for a bit but I can't seem to get it to not sound like a toy. I'm really a rank beginner and just want a simple soft sound like you'd play for someone like Patsy Cline.
This Fly seems to have bad distortion/buzz even with the OD off and gain really low. Maybe it's because my bass has active pickups? Could you suggest my settings on both bass and amp.? (Ibanez SR370)
Help? I really don't want to return it but as of now I have no use for this amp.
I didn't expect it to compete with my little Fender Rumble 25 but I hoped it could sound similar just with less volume/air movement.
 
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#5
Does it distort even at lowest gain settings?
What happens if you turn down a notch from your bass?

With my Fender Ps it works fine (more on that below) but if nothing happens then I guess you might either have a faulty one or it's just not alright for your bass or needs. Try contacting Blackstar first.

It's fine for me, obviously taking into account all the limitations and its place in the amp market.
I found two things:

- bass-wise, it's really worthwhile to connect the second speaker as headroom and deeper frequencies work way better, so I do recommend the pack, which you have anyway.

- the compressor brings out a lot more in terms of perceived volume and presence, but has a somehow funny gate-like behaviour even at very low settings, it probably has a rather drastic volume enhancer or a high threshold where it suddenly kicks in, so you might get very quiet notes or fast decay if your playing is dynamic. I find it's fine up to 8 o'clock position (or 2/10)
 
#6
Thanks for the reply.
I get zero volume with the gain off. It seems to control the volume more than the volume knob does. Maybe that's normal? I'm a total newb.
In order to get any volume I have to turn the gain up and it gets into distortion mode pretty much right away.
Are your pups active, like mine? I've been wondering if that's a factor.
 
#7
The volume pot from your bass should be enough to compensate any possible overload, so it seems a bit strange that you can't back down from your bass until you get a cleaner tone. I can keep the gain pretty much half way (and slightly beyond) with my passive Precisions before it starts breaking up. Did you keep the sub-harmonics control down to minimum? Is your bass notorious for having a massive low-end and being boomy?

Sounds strange to me, as long as you're not expecting the same headroom and push you'd get from amps 20 or 40 times more powerful, but I guess it's not the case. Thinking of it, even if you have the extra 3W from the second speaker with a... whopping (lol) total of 6W, you still end up having 1/20th of the power a smallish 120W bass amp delivers. I think it's a nice little tool, but keeping all things in perspective.

I still think the best thing to do is to contact Blackstar directly, perhaps you might have issues in the preamp stage.
 
#8
I've haven't played other basses so I don't know if it's "boomy" (Ibanez SR370).
The only amp. I've played is my Fender Rumble 25 through speaker and headphones.
I'll give Blackstar/Korg a call. Their site says they don't give "tone" advice so I came here 1st.
I guess I need to ask them how I can determine if I have a legit problem or I'm just expecting too much of it. I really don't think I am. I realize it's a 3w/6w practice amp. but I can't even stand to listen to it at any settings.
It reminds me of the sound from an old AM transistor radio.
 
#10
Headphones do sound better.
I just hooked it up again. Guitar volume low and Sub turned off. Much cleaner, thanks.
I still don't think it's for me.
I'm back to, "Hey. What do you expect for $100?".
 
#12
I tried it again with my reference headphones this morning. Being my headphones themselves more expensive than the whole set, you do get a fuller and more detailed sound across all range, but that was expected. Btw, the pre itself doesn't sound bad at all through headphones, I like the way it sounds when it slightly breaks up in the clean channel. Those speakers obviously have a pronounced midrange presence compared to linear monitors, but you can sort of balance it out fairly decently with the eq scoop or an eq before the input.

My Precision sounds decent enough for practice with both cabs on, drive around midway, eq around 3 o'clock or full on (less for more midrange bite or when using headphones), comp on 8 o'clock or off and volume to taste.
 
#16
Funnily enough I created a thread on this too. I have the stereo pack and I've noticed there is a swirling hiss on the unit that decays like a flanger in the clean channel while the note decays. Ive only seen 1 or 2 people say they have the same problem, and I sent a unit back because of the problem and got it replaced, only to find it has the problem still.
 
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#17
Just tried one out for a week or so with my tapewound eb0. Looking for low watt living room amp when i dont want to use my rumble and annoy the family or wear headphones . :)

Sometimes i use my vox headphone amp plugged into a random external usb charged speaker when dont want to drag out my rumble or when staying at inlaws. Tried the vox speaker that fits amplug but it didnt work at all just barkfarts no actual sound (have older amplug not the newer one).

So got the fly3bass and was impressed it worked. Not a lot of tone variety but liked the sound with gain and vol at 12, 9 or no eq and compression. Juse a basic normal tone but audible vs playing no amp. Battery life seemed good with more than a weeks worth of almost daily play. Fun having right by lap as i played while sitting in bed or on couch. Was going to try the extension but got bad unit or my fl3 had bad port.

In the end though sending it back. Finally found a vox pathfinder locally and like it for my low watt and compact needs. And the fly3 + extension while small is 2 pieces to carry around and same cost. Still a fun little micro amp that works.
 
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#19
jcerio said:
I have the same question. I need a small practice amp for the house. Should I get the Black star or a 1x8 combo amp?
Click to expand...
I have both. I'd go with the 1x8 combo. The original Fly 3 for guitar is a nice little unit, but I was never happy with the sound from the Bass Fly. I love Rumble's, but I bought the Ampeg BA-108 (under $100) because it has a separate volume control for the AUX input (for backing tracks). And the tilt-back case is a nice plus for such a small driver.

preview.jpg
 
#20
TheIndieKid said:
Funnily enough I created a thread on this too. I have the stereo pack and I've noticed there is a swirling hiss on the unit that decays like a flanger in the clean channel while the note decays. Ive only seen 1 or 2 people say they have the same problem, and I sent a unit back because of the problem and got it replaced, only to find it has the problem still.
Click to expand...

I just unboxed my Fly 3 Bass stereo pack and noticed that flange-like sound too. It seems to get more exaggerated with the compression and/or sub turned up, but it's there even with them at zero. Only seems to diminish at lowest volume/gain. I also notice some overall distortion/fuzz/grit in the tone. At first I was wondering if something's wrong with the amp, especially since I bought used (in-box, like new, $100). But after playing around with it for a while, I'm ready to accept the possibility that, at this price and portability, I'm simply not going to get a top-notch tone. It's still good for practice, and probably will be fine for playing in small jam sessions too. Anything beyond that and it'll be time to get a nice 1x10 combo or something.

Also, I need to test this further, but it seems like this sound quality issue is only with the instrument input, and music played through the 3.5mm aux input has a truly clean tone.

All this tone stuff is regardless of whether using the speaker or headphones.

I’m playing a new Short Scale Music Man Sterling Stingray (passive). I’m hoping a switch to flatwound strings will diminish some of the noise (thru this amp, and in general – I’ve never used flats but excited to get less finger noise as I move around the fretboard!).
 

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