Name: Blackstar LT Dual
Brand: Blackstar

MusicRadar Verdict

All the LT Pedals are impressive, but the Dual's range of tones makes it worth the extra cash.

Pros

+
Impressive range - from blues to high gain tones. Great build.

Cons

-
Switching seems confusing initially.

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Meet the big daddy of the new Blackstar LT range: a dual-channel overdrive that takes you from light break-up to all kinds of raunchy dirt.

"Channel 1 offers transparent drive that progresses to a smooth, compressed distortion"

Channel 1 offers transparent drive that progresses to a smooth, compressed distortion, while Channel 2 picks up where 1 leaves off, from hot bluesy solos to high-gain dirt for monster riffs and solos.

Having shared tone and ISF (Infinite Shape Feature - which allows you to get both British and American tones at the turn of a dial) controls across both channels initially rang alarm bells for us, but the highly focused tone control ensures this isn't a problem.

And while the switching can be a little confusing at first (you have to hit the active channel's switch in order to bypass the pedal), you soon get used to it. All the LT Pedals are impressive, but the Dual's range of tones makes it worth the extra cash.

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.