Painting a distortion pedal orange is a pretty gutsy move on the part of Blackstar. It’s a bold statement – an unapologetic shot over the bow of another pedal company that has been pumping out their own orange pedal for nearly 25 years. That said, if you are going to take aim, you better have the goods to back it up. Thankfully, the LT Dist delivers huge range of crushing rock tones that are jaw-droppingly stunning and downright convincing.
Most distortion pedals run a pretty limited gamut of sounds and applications; think of the Boss DS-1 or the ProCo Rat as prime examples. They’re classics for sure, but hardly known for their expansive ranges. They can even fall under the realm of being very stifling and one-dimensional without additional aftermarket mods. Well, not so with the LT Dist! With the company’s unique ISF (Infinite Shape Feature), you’ll find everything from a hint of crunch to full-blown metallic blasts.
Balancing between a great overdrive and heavy distortion is not easy, but Blackstar have really nailed it. At sensible settings, you are in complete control of the dynamics and drive hitting the amp. Think of the great power pop tones of Fountains of Wayne, Rick Springfield, The Cars or Weezer and you get the picture. It’s a few “toughness” notches above a Tube Screamer, but with the same kind of definition and focus. Raw power chords definitely stand out here.
Taking things into higher Drive settings, you will be in ‘70s heavy metal territory where Kiss, Judas Priest and Deep Purple collide. Super fat saturation with a hint of pleasing sizzle in the upper frequencies, but balanced on the low end by massive amounts of chunk. This is where the ISF and the tone knob know start working their magic. Adjustments to both really bring out the character of chords and all manner of detail in your lead work. The left side of the ISF will get you the clarity of American amps while the right side will draw out the filtered darkness of British-flavored varieties. I found the American side of the ISF a little more suitable for my setup but the full sweep of options is super fun to play with.
With a tad more drive and top end added, it’s not hard to make nostalgic excursions into the ‘80s metal world of the Scorpions, Poison or Motley Crue. Palm-muting brings out the lows, which are tight and never fall apart – brutal. You won’t find extreme modern metal sounds here, but it’s pretty close. When paired with a powerful tube amp, the LT Dist will also have no problem pulling off the drive-heavy damage found in bands like the Pixies, Muse and Green Day. With less drive applied, it’s even possible to hearken back to the ‘70s punk rock savagery of the Ramones, the Stooges and the MC5 – or the edgy early ‘80s Marshall sounds of Joan Jett. That’s quite a range – with no dead spots as you move through settings.
Most tone-shaping circuits to date have been nothing more than cheap gimmicks to grab a few bucks from unsuspecting teens taking their first venture into the wide world of FX pedals. Blackstar’s ISF circuit is flat-out impressive – and it works as promised. Whether you need to add that extra last bit of elusive tone from an already amazing sounding pro rig, or to add much needed sonics to a less than desirable practice amp set-up, you’ll find loads of options with the LT Dist.