Blackstar LT Dist review

Distortion that's not to be Dist

  • £69
  • €76
  • $99.99
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The ISF control allows you to tweak your sound between British and American tones

MusicRadar Verdict

There are bountiful tones to be uncovered here, from mid-heavy British crunch to smooth American distortion, with plenty of sweet spots in between.

Pros

  • +

    Build quality. Superb value. ISF control means it's hugely flexible, but…

Cons

  • -

    It makes dialling it in tricky.

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The Blackstar HT line sold like hot-rodded dirt cakes, but ever dedicated, the firm set out to deliver a new range of pedals that did away with the HT series' bulky enclosures and finicky power requirements: enter the LT Pedals.

"The LT Dist has the honour of being the lowest priced product to feature Blackstar's patented Infinite Shape Feature (ISF) control"

The LT Dist has the honour of being the lowest priced product to feature Blackstar's patented Infinite Shape Feature (ISF) control, which the company reckons will let you find "the sound in your head".

Certainly, there are bountiful tones to be uncovered here, from mid-heavy British crunch to smooth American distortion, with plenty of sweet spots in between.

All this control can make the Dist a little tricky to dial in: we found that each tweak of the ISF control required another adjustment of the tone control, which means your ideal tone can take a little time to find. It's worth it for the huge distortion sounds on offer, though.

Michael Brown
Michael Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.

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