My theory about the Blackstar's is that they were too smooth. There's a sweet spot for barrel surface finish. It's not a "smoother is better" situation.
That's true; also having dealt with electropolishing, it's simply impossible to maintain the machined tolerances on a barrel during electropolishing; whatever those tolerances were & whatever the variation was, it will increase with electropolishing. Just the nature of the beast.
Same with chrome plating, especially if not lapped after plating, & even it it is, the variability & tolerances will be great than as machined, assuming the machining was done to a high level in the 1st place.
MM
