Blackheart BH1H Killer Ant User manual

BH1H Killer Ant
Guitar Amplifier Head
User’s Guide

2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ..........................................................................3
BH1H Special Features ...................................................4
The Front Panel ....................................................................5
The Rear Panel .....................................................................6
Important Information About Tubes and Tube Products ............8
System Block Diagram........................................................11
Technical Specifications.......................................................12
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
•READ, FOLLOW, HEED, AND KEEP ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS.
•DO NOT OPERATE NEAR ANY HEAT SOURCE AND DO NOT BLOCK ANY VENTILATION OPENINGS ON THIS APPARATUS. FOR
PROPER OPERATION, THIS UNIT REQUIRES 3” (75mm) OF WELL VENTILATED SPACE AROUND HEATSINKS AND OTHER AIR
FLOW PROVISIONS IN THE CABINET.
•DO NOT USE THIS APPARATUS NEAR SPLASHING, FALLING, SPRAYING, OR STANDING LIQUIDS.
•CLEAN ONLY WITH LINT-FREE DRY CLOTH AND DO NOT USE CLEANING AGENTS.
•ONLY CONNECT POWER CORD TO A POLARIZED, SAFETY GROUNDED OUTLET WIRED TO CURRENT ELECTRICAL CODES AND
COMPATIBLE WITH VOLTAGE, POWER, AND FREQUENCY REQUIREMENTS STATED ON THE REAR PANEL OF THE APPARATUS.
• WHERE THE MAINS PLUG OR AN APPLIANCE COUPLER IS USED AS THE DISCONNECT DEVICE, THE DISCONNECT DEVICE
SHALL REMAIN READILY OPERABLE.
•PROTECT THE POWER CORD FROM DAMAGE DUE TO BEING WALKED ON, PINCHED, OR STRAINED.
•UNPLUG THE APPARATUS DURING LIGHTNING STORMS OR WHEN UNUSED FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
•ONLY USE ATTACHMENTS, ACCESSORIES, STANDS, OR BRACKETS SPECIFIED BY THE MANUFACTURER FOR SAFE OPERATION
AND TO AVOID INJURY.
•WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK OR FIRE, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS UNIT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
•SERVICE MUST BE PERFORMED BY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
•OUR AMPLIFIERS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HIGH SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS. CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO HIGH SOUND
PRESSURE LEVELS CAN CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING IMPAIRMENT OR LOSS. USER CAUTION IS ADVISED AND EAR
PROTECTION IS RECOMMENDED IF UNIT IS OPERATED AT HIGH VOLUME.
• WARNING: THIS UNIT REQUIRES A SAFETY GROUNDED OUTLET WIRED TO CURRENT ELECTRIC CODES HAVING THE
LINE SUPPLY VOLTAGE, POWER, AND FREQUENCY IDENTIFIED ON THE REAR OF THE UNIT. THE OUTLET MUST REMAIN
ACCESSIBLE TO DISCONNECT THE UNIT IF A FAULT SHOULD ARISE WHILE IN USE. THIS UNIT SHOULD BE UNPLUGGED WHEN
NOT IN USE.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC
SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPARATUS TO RAIN OR
MOISTURE. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO
NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
"IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE USER TO REFER TO THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL"
“ES NECESARIO QUE EL USUARIO SE REFIERA AL MANUAL DE INSTRUCCIONES.”
"REFERREZ-VOUS AU MANUAL D'UTILISATION"
EXPLANATION OF GRAPHICAL SYMBOLS:
EXPLICACION DE SIMBOLOS GRAFICOS:
EXPLICATION DES SYMBÔLES GRAPHIQUES:
"DANGEROUS VOLTAGE"
“VOLTAJE PELIGROSO”
"DANGER HAUTE TENSION"
==
PRECAUCION
RIESGO DE CORRIENTAZO
NO ABRA
PRECAUCION: PARA REDUCIR EL RIESGO DE INCENDIOS O DESCARGAS
ELECTRICAS, NO PERMITA QUE ESTE APARATO QUEDE EXPUESTO A LA
LLUVIA O LA HUMEDAD. PARA DISMINUOIR EL RIESGO DE CORRIENTAZO.
NO ABRA LA CUBIERTA. NO HAY PIEZAS ADENTRO QUE EL USARIO PUEDO
REPARAR DEJE TODO MANTENIMIENTO A LOS TECHNICOS CALIFICADOS.
ATTENTION
RISQUE D'ELECTROCUTION
NE PAS OUVRIR
ATTENTION: PROTÉGEZ CET APPAREIL DE LA PLUIE ET DE L'HUMIDITÉ
AFIN D'ÉVITER TOUT RISQUE D'INCENDIE OU D'ÉLECTROCUTION. POUR
REDUIRE D'ELECTROCUTION NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE. AUCUNE
PIECE INTERNE N'EST REPRABLE PAR L'UTILISATEUR. POUR TOUTE
REPARATION, S'ADRESSER A UN TECHNICIEN QUALIFIE.
Correct disposal of this product: This symbol indicates that this product should not be disposed of with your household waste,
according to the WEEE directive (2002/96/EC) and your national law. This product should be handed over to an authorized
collection site for recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). Improper handling of this type of waste could have
a possible negative impact on the environment and human health due to potentially hazardous substances that are generally
associated with EEE. At the same time, your cooperation in the correct disposal of this product will contribute to the effective
usage of natural resources. For more information about where you can drop off your waste equipment for recycling, please contact
your local city office, waste authority, or your household waste disposal service.

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Introduction
Congratulations! What do you do when a whole watt of sweet, responsive, single-ended,
Class-A goodness is just too much power? You turn to your trusty Blackheart Engineering tone
junkies of course. The result is our BH1H Killer Ant, a fractional watt, all-tube guitar amp that
takes the tone of BHE’s not-quite-legendary-but-getting-there Hothead’s “Loud” channel, and
packs it up nice and neat under manageable volumes for recording and where small space
might otherwise sacrifice tone.
Under the hood is a clever little power block designed by none other than the Daddy of
boutique amp tone, Pyotr Belov. After you’re done staring at its unusually impressive build
quality, showing your buddies how it fits in the palm of your hand, and after you’ve stuck your
complimentary Blackheart stickers on your guitar case, plug it in and enjoy how a great tube
amp sounds. Pluck out a few chimey riffs and then dig in nice and hard so it breaks up and
growls at you a bit. That’s a real amp you’re playing there friend. While you’re at it, plug it
into your favorite 4 x 12 cab. Oh yeah, the Ant can push your best effort through just about
anything you plug it into. Don’t let the size fool you.
And how about that build quality? Just like all Blackheart Engineering gear, the Killer Ant is
a thing of beauty inside and out. 16 gauge steel, ½” radius corners, double-sided PCB with
big, thick, 2 oz. copper traces to keep your tone nice and fat all the way through to the
speaker….you name it, we’re doing it right. That’s because you took the time to find us, to
make us the official supplier of your personal quest for the best tone. There’s no way we’re
lettin’ you down. As always, you put your hard-earned cash on the table to get a piece of
Blackheart gear and we take that as a very personal thing. We’re in it for the long haul, just
like you.
Vous avez notre coeur,
Pyotr Belov Kevin Van Pamel Walter Hsu
Blackheart Engineering

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BH1H Special Features:
• Single-ended Class A circuit
• All tube signal path
• Two 12AX7/ECC83 power preamp and power amp tubes
• DC filament power supply for all tubes
• Volume Control (the rest is up to you)
• 16-gauge (1.5 mm) thick, folded U channel steel chassis
• Double-sided custom color PCB with 2 oz. copper traces
• 15-ply, 18 mm thick, void-free birch plywood construction
• 16 ohm, 8 ohm, and 4 ohm speaker outputs
• Lovely red on light

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The Front Panel
1. ON/OFF SWITCH: Use this switch to
turn the amplifier on and off.
2. INDICATOR LAMP: This illuminates
when the amplifier is turned on (power,
that is).
3. VOLUME: Use this to adjust the output
level.
4. INPUT: Use this jack to connect your
guitar to the amplifier using a high-qual-
ity shielded instrument cable.
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