Blackstar HT-5R Guitar Combo Amplifier (5 Watts, 1x12")
Ideal for the studio, this guitar amplifier from Blackstar brings the noise while offering incredible tone control.
Overall User Ratings (based on 19 ratings)
Submitted May 10, 2012 by Barry Dudley in Frederick, MD
"Perfect"
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This amp is exactly what I was looking for. I played several amps before choosing this one. The decision came down to this amp and a Fender super sonic. I love the Fender sound and reverb. the Blackstar gives a sound that is equal to the Fender but the distortion and gain are much better. The clean channel sings as sweet as a bird in spring after a long winter. The overdrive channel is full but overly dirty giving a sweet distortion that never breaks apart. what sold me is the clean channel. It is responsive and clear. I am extremely happy with the amp. I like that I can get a fender sound and then add some more gain to it. That in between settings are a sound all the amps own. If your ears have different moods and can't decide what sound you want from day to day this is your amp. Even if you are a Fender or Marshall guy this is your amp. Sometimes you need/want a little different sound and this amp does it with ease. It is a classic sound with modern function.
Sound
The sound is great. I like that I can tweak the characteristics of the amp and get the singing, clear sound and then twist a few dials and it gets a little dirty without ever going over the top. I have been trying to sound like Clapton for 15 years now and this amp has gotten me closer. Plus I can tune the amp from Sunshine to Layla. The amp is the love child of a Fender and Marshall.
Features
I like the ISF feature. Simple and fun. The reverb is much better than expected for a digital effect. I am a fan of spring reverb and that kept a Fender in the picture for me. However, I am a fan of the stand alone Fender reverb tank so was not a big deal in the decision.
Ease of Use
Easy to use; straight forward design and settings card is a great start for dialing in your sound.
Quality
Well built; cannot find any flaws, rattles; and I bought a blemished model. I see this amp being with me for a long time.
Value
What a great amp for a great price. I got it to play at home. The volume is great for 5 watts and the price is awesome. I got mine less than full price but would have gladly paid $450. The blemished I got for a discount just convinced me to stop waiting and buy the amp.
Manufacturer Support
No need at this time and don't see any in the future
The Wow Factor
Wow, wow, wow. I still want a Fender Super sonic and will justify the purchase due to the higher wattage. However, every time I play the Blackstar I forget that other amps exist. If you want one stop waiting. You are only depriving yourself of happiness. I call it a smile machine because every time I play it I can't stop smiling.
Musical Background:
Playing guitar for fun; 20 years
Musical Style:
Rock; Blues; Jazz
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Submitted September 14, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com
"Even though this amp is only 5 watts, you can still use the great overdrive sound of this Blackstar to get kicked out of your ap"
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I feel this amp is versatile enough that I won't need to replace it anytime soon. I think the only reason to replace this amp would be to get the 1 watt version for a quieter practice.
Sound
Going through the stock speaker, it simply sounds amazing. The only problem I had was with the emulated output. Going through the stock speaker and using the power tubes, you can overdrive to your hearts content and it sounds great, this is not true for the emulated output. If you push the amp too hard while using the emulated output, it gives a digital distortion sound.
I found the ISF feature to be quite nice and works as advertised.
One thing to note is that if you are in an apartment, you may want to go with the 1 watt version because this one can easily get you kicked out on the dirty channel (and probably on the clean channel as well).
Just for fun, I connected my Eden D210T bass cab to this amp and it actually sounded great with my bass.
Features
Features are nice and simple, the reverb adds that little touch that makes you sound a little better than you are.
Has outputs for a single 8 ohm cab, 2x16 ohm cabs, or a single 16 ohm cab (the internal speaker is 16 ohm)
Ease of Use
Turn knobs, doesn't get much easier. The preset suggestions provided sound quite good.
Quality
The quality is pretty good, I have doubts about how long the covering will last, but only time will tell.
I certainly don't think the handle will be breaking anytime soon though.
Value
Quite simply, it does a great job and what it's meant to do and for the sound quality and the price, it's definitely affordable.
Manufacturer Support
I haven't had to contact Blackstar.
The Wow Factor
I love the Blackstar logo for sure. Plus it came with a Blackstar sticker to put on something. The grill cloth is pretty snazzy and the piping around it is a very nice touch.
Musical Background:
Hobbyist
Musical Style:
Rock, Country, Anything and Everything
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Submitted October 11, 2011 by a customer from citcom.net
"Buy this amp at zZounds."
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There are so many amps out there that do one thing or another great, but this amp truly does it all.
Sound
The best clean/dirty tones I've heard in 28 years. You will find your tone with this amp it is that versatile. I use it in the studio and live. I have not played a guitar through I haven't been able to dial in a great tone for.
Features
Loaded with ins and outs. Ohm selector switch for multiple speaker cabinet extensions, mp3 line in, footswitch, speaker emulated line out, and more.
Ease of Use
Very easy to use.
Quality
Sleek, black, cool, black, classic, black, did I mention it's black? And it looks awesome! Built like a tank.
Value
I've owned several amps in 28 years and this one exceeds the best value for the money.
The Wow Factor
Awesome. I have it.
Musical Background:
28 year guitarists, singer, songwriter
Musical Style:
Mostly rock and Christian
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Submitted September 8, 2011 by a customer from yahoo.com
"I have recently purchased the Blackstar HT5 combo, and was totally blown away! The Blackstar team have truly captured all the to"
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
This amp is going to go down in guitar history as a classic. It has a very warm, rich sound with more than enough volume for bedroom use. The tone with the ISF knob on the USA side is reminiscent of a hot rodded Marshall JMP. If you have a LP with Burstbuckers, you're golden. You get a nice, complex, woody crunch. On the British side,but still very ballsy and good for blues and classic rock. It even came with a footswitch. The cabinet is very solid and seems well built. And it has a Celestion! I can't find anything to complain about with this amp. I've had and sold many amps since I started playing, but this one's a keeper!
Sound
The amp's clean channel is warm with a smooth bell-like tone, up to about the half way mark with regards to level. Then the valves start to clip with a beautiful light drive. This is what the drive channel builds on. The overdrive channel starts off with some light valve drive all the way to fire-breathing, face-melting filth! This amp doesn't sound like a small, driven amp, but like a 100w stack going nuclear, but at a usable volume. The ISF feature is extremely effective in sculpting the tone anywhere between UK and USA, providing true versatility. Both channels share tone controls and the ISF feature
Features
This amp has most of the bells and whistles you can think of: Two channels - of course! It allows for headphones, an extended cab, includes a footswitch, a bank of equalizer controls, and the tone shaping feature is something I just don't get tired of playing with, and the sounds you can get from the distortion is just wonderful, and you don't have to blow down the neighbor's house with volume to get it!
Ease of Use
The HT5 is one of the few low-wattage tube amps that has a direct out/headphone input, which is super convenient. Don?t underestimate what 5 tube watts sounds like at full blast ? it?s definitely loud enough to irritate all but the coolest/deafest of neighbors. To that end, the 1/12 and 4/12 cab simulation w/the headphones is nice and works well when playing loud just isn?t an option. Haven?t used the direct out for recording yet, but I?ve heard good things. All in all, there?s a decent amount of competition for the HT5 (Egnater, Orange, etc.), but you simply won?t find this many features and this much tone anywhere NEAR this price elsewhere. If you need something for a small space, for practicing, or for portability without sacrificing KILLER tone, I?d definitely suggest the HT5.
Quality
The amp seems rugged and durable, and the overall feel of it is that it is well built. On the other hand, I have only owned it a few weeks so far - but I don't foresee any problems. The sound quality pretty much classifies this amp as being in the boutique class, and as such is at the bottom range of the boutique scale. To find an amp sound to compare it to, I think you are probably going to have to spend about a thousand dollars, so this is a steal!
Value
I would by another one.
Manufacturer Support
No need for support at this time.
The Wow Factor
Love it.
Musical Background:
Hobbyist
Musical Style:
Blues
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Submitted June 8, 2015 by Jon P in Virginia Beach, VA
"Blackstar ht-5r "
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perfect practice amp! louder than you need, plus it ROCKS pushing my Marshall 4 x 12 cab! the attack is insane and the range of tone is vast. Everything about this amp is well made and exceeds expectations! a multi-effects pedal is awesome to run through the fx loop, the only semi-necessary addition might be an eq pedal to help polish and focus especially with the clean channel (which is beautiful, but lets get real if you are looking at this amp its not for the clean), which only has a tone knob
Musical Background:
15 years, guitar and bass, home studio, semi-professional
Musical Style:
Rock, Contemporary Christian, Metal
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Submitted June 20, 2016 by Jay Cummings in Cincinnati, OH
"Blackstar HT-5R Guitar Combo Amplifier"
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I got this amp about three months ago and I still haven't been able to find tone I didn't like! I sold all my electric gear about five years ago, due to economic situations. So I bought a pretty nice used guitar, and I'd been searching for the right amp. I live in a four unit apartment, so I wanted something that sounded great at lower volumes, but could also be used for some lighter live work. Well here's the problem with this amp. I love it!! I mean I really love it! I think tonewise, it's the best amp I've ever owned, and I've had quite few throughout the years! I did a lot of listening to small combos on Youtube, and decided to go with this one just from the videos and reviews. So I wanted to add my review, because I like it so much! I would've also reviewed if it sucked, or was bland, but I'm very happy to say I'm happy! And If I ever need to step up to a bigger amp, I'm going to get a Blackstar! (I have had no issues with this amp. It came very well packed, and works great!)
Musical Background:
Been playing since I was a kid. Started playing in bands in the early 70's and did that through the early nineties.
Musical Style:
I play acoustic and electric rock. And that means real rock, classic rock my ass! The rock from my era was, and is the best! Mus
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Submitted December 26, 2013 by Wayne Sutton in Monmouth, IL
"Great amp, just needs help in the speaker department"
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A few thoughts...
The Blackbird speaker is great for high gain but it really lacks any clean tone. It just makes the amp lifeless unless you got the gain cranked. I took it out of my HT-5R combo and right now its basically a big square head running into a Vox 112NT cab loaded with a Celestion Greenback.
The Celestion Greenback really makes this amp come alive both clean and dirty. It adds some much needed sparkle to the treble and makes the cleans go from lifeless to amazing. It makes the gain channel just that much more incredible.
I do plan on putting a speaker back in it, I just have not decided what yet. I am trying to decide between a WGS Green Beret and a WGS ET65.
I am also using the stock tubes that came in it. I have no idea if they are cheap chinese tubes or high quality. It sounds good so I am not even going to mess with them.
The price is a bit high for a 5 Watt amp but its still a reasonable value for what you get. I highly recommend this amp to anyone that either wants some killer gain or some killer gain and cleans if willing to change out the speaker. Figure after a speaker this is now close to a $600 5 watt combo.
Musical Background:
Been playing for 15 years, Guitar mostly, home player
Musical Style:
Metal, Rock, Blues, Classical
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Submitted October 29, 2017 by Johnny B in Oak Grove, LA
"Amazing little amp"
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Wow just wow. This little amp is amazing. I had my reservations that it may not meet my expectations since I normally play fender amps. But I must say this little thing is the best sounding amp I own now. It is also very versatile with the different tone options. It may not be the loudest amp around but for what I needed, it is more than perfect. If all Blackstar amps are this good and have this good of quality, it may be time for me to invest in a larger one for gigs as well, and put my other amps on the bench for a while. If you want a clean sounding amp that can go from crystal clear notes all the way to nice and dirty, then this amp is perfect for you. I have been playing this thing non stop since I got it and I am still just scratching the surface of what this amp can do. I foresee many years of use for this little workhorse.
Musical Background:
30 plus years. ex professional.. now just play small gigs and do recordings. Also teach lessons on the side.
Musical Style:
classic rock,rock,blues etc...
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Submitted February 19, 2013 by Steve G in Rochester, NY
"Best Amp for the Money BAR NONE!!!!!!!"
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The amp is fantastic and can go from shimering cleans to eaging distortion witha click of the footswitch. This amp blows away a Blues Jr and anything else comming within hundreds of what this amp cost. You won't find a better more versatile amp anywhere regardless of price. I have been playing for 35 years and I love this amp..
Musical Background:
Been playing over 35 years..now I just play for fun and friends
Musical Style:
Classic rock, smooth jazz, hard rock, whatever I feel like
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Submitted March 9, 2015 by a customer from hotmail.com
"Great sounding tube amp!"
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I love the sound from this amp out of the box. I was surprised to find Ruby tubes in it. I had heard they were Sovtek. So the initial sound was really good with the Ruby tube until you turn the gain on the overdrive channel. It got really over done and loss of clarity. when gain was about 7 to 10. I read some of the forums, tested a few different brand tubes in the preamp tube, changed to a JJ long plate Gold pin ECC803/12AX& and the sound went into a heavenly smooth distortion, great breakup at all levels. It is not a high gain sound but great distorted tone over all. Love this Amp.
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Submitted October 15, 2013 by DON S in WEED, NM
"great little amp"
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this amp has a TON of features. just read the specs. but more than that, it SOUND great. the tube "feel" is there also. very responsive to pick attack also. you can be screaming on the od channel, back off the volume and go almost to clean. the clean channel feels and sound just fine to me. it also compresses well anywhere past "5" . i have two gripes.....the gain channel seems to be more "open" than my marshalls. i havent given up, but i havent dialed in that thick, syrupy lead tone that i get with all my marshalls. there's tons of gain there, the eq is powerfull, but i just havent got my lead tone yet. gripe 2.....mine does not do "crunch" tones at all. just od+. even with the gain wayy down, its od, not crunch. the verb is very useable. now, i also own the ht dual pedal. everyone says it the same ht circuits. bull. my ht dual does perfect crunch-hot rodded jcm 800 all on the crunch channel. the od channel is instant thick, syrupy leads. my ht dual, into the clean channel of ANY amp sounds and feels more marshall THAN marshall and i own a room full of them. if you need a quality, full featured small amp this is a good one.
Musical Background:
50 + years gigging
Musical Style:
blues/rock, hard rock, 80's hair bands
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Submitted February 21, 2016 by Brandon D in Buckhannon, WV
"Great little amp"
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Amazing tone out of this amp for any genre or sound. I have several tube amps i use for recording but the blackstar has retired many of them since i got it. i use it for practice studio and live as a monitor utilizing the emulated out to run signal to a PA system.
Musical Background:
jazz blues rock country bluegrass jam electronica for 15 years
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Submitted February 14, 2017 by Leon L in Mary Esther, FL
"Great amp"
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The amp sounds killer. But this is after i put a different speaker in. Celestion greenback. Original speaker very fizzy and hard to get good crunch out of. Dont let this put you off a great amp though.
Musical Background:
40 yrs at home now
Musical Style:
Rock
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Submitted September 16, 2011 by a customer from citcom.net
"Your tone awaits!"
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Sound
I HEAR IT! The tone in my head! I should say "tones" because this amp is versatile. I am amazed at the tonal capabilities of this amp. I am able to get great tone from this amp with all my guitars. Not just one or two that sound the best, but great tone from all my guitars. I have used it in a live rehearsal setting mic'd through the church PA system and it is gigantic. At my home studio it is now my main amp. It is fully compatible with my style. I do rock based contemporary worship music and I have a 80's hard rock edge to my playing. I really don't know if there was a style it couldn't handle. I am really impressed with Blackstar.
Features
All kinds of features whether you use them or not, 16 and 8 ohm outs, mp3/line in, speaker emulated outs for direct recording, 112 and 412 selector switch, on and on. They thought of everything.
Ease of Use
Very easy to tweak. It's standard stuff, volume, gain, treb, mid, bass, etc. But this does have a unique ISF control which allows you to get a full American 6L6ish tone all the way to a British EL34 growl or anywhere in between. Nice touch. No learning curves, just adjust this beauty to taste using simple analog knobs.
Quality
Very impressive build quality. Classic yet contemporary. This amp packs massive tone in it's smaller than expected package. I wouldn't have it any other way. It's slightly more compact size makes it lighter and easier to tote around.
Value
This is is as good as it gets today. In fact, in is one of the best values in a long time. Great, keep up the good work Blackstar!
Manufacturer Support
I hear this. I never used them. I have two Blackstar products, the great HT Dual pedal (or should I say amp in a pedal), and the crazy awesome Blackstar HT5R 112 which awes me.
The Wow Factor
Major tone sex appeal.
Musical Background:
playing 25 years
Musical Style:
all
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Submitted November 11, 2012 by Jason L in Peyton, CO
"Blackstar HT-5"
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It is a good amp at a great price. For the price, I dont thinky ou can beat it. This thing is a gain monster. The gain is very nice, but it keeps the clarity. The clean channel is a bit thin at times, but useable. From Blues to Metal and eve rything between, it is pretty darn good. Get one, you WILL NOT BE DISAPOINTED!
Sound
I play everything from Blues, to Metal. This amp will get you most anywhere you want to go. If there is one thing I dont like, I wish it had an EQ built-in for the clean side rather than a TONE knob. The clean sound can sound a bit thin at times, but nothing I cant work with. I love the ISF knob. I usually leave it on the brit side, but I do like to throw some US in there every now and then. The ranges you can get out of this.....it is great. From Marshall to Mesa on the gain side. The clean side really isnt anything. It sure isnt a Fender clean sound, but it isnt too bad.
Features
I love the features. Foot controller, the ability to use headphones without hurting the amp (cant do this with most all tube amps). The ISF sound shaping is nice.
My problem with the features. 1) Only a tone knob for the clean channel. 2) ISF does not change anything on the clean channel.
I can get the clean channel to break up a bit, others are better, but overall, it is very good.
Ease of Use
Simple to use....if you have ever used an amp. The instructions for using the headphones and the speaker emulator leave a little to be desired, but not hard to figure out.
Quality
I cant say. Had it 3 weeks and it is still working fine.
Value
A pretty good price for an all tube amp.
Manufacturer Support
Never had to deal with them.
The Wow Factor
It is not a Marshall JCM or a Mesa....or a Fender, but it is nice. It sounds very good. The gain is the best part of the amp.
Musical Background:
Small band.....open jam
Musical Style:
Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Blues, Classic
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Submitted August 28, 2011 by a customer from prestoweb.com
"Great sound!!"
I would definatly buy another one if lost or stolen
Sound
This is a very versatile amp. It goes from clean to crunch to heavy distortion. I am blown away by the quality of sound. I can't imagine that you would be disappointed with this amp unless you required more volume. The high gain channel is very loud for 5 watts. If you are looking for a great tube amp that responds well to your playing, look no further. I really did my homework on this one.
Features
Great that it comes with a pedal to switch channels.
Ease of Use
Very easy to get the sound that you want
Quality
Fit and finish were great
Value
A little pricey for 5 watts but worth it.
Manufacturer Support
Have not had an issue
The Wow Factor
Built very solid
Musical Background:
Experienced musician for over 40 years.
Musical Style:
Rock, pop and blues
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Submitted September 26, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com
"The sound in your head, yep!"
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Blackstar is doing it right.
Sound
I gave it an 8 because im being realistic, a 9 or 10 is much much more expensive. In it's price range it's a 10. Blackstars logo (the sound in your head)...it's true! Takes some time but once you find your sweet spot your in like flint. No boxy sound, good bottom end. The clean channel is very nice with the volume 1/2 way. If you dime it you can start to get some crunch! Responds to pick attack very well and works great with pedals. The overdrive is a little more tricky, gonna need a soundgate, volume past 3/4 and you get some hum and feedback that's with the gain at 10. Back volume off to 1/2 and gain at 3/4 and it's glorious! That's the sweetspot for your effects too. You can use your overdrive to push the amp into the sound in your head. Buy this amp.
Features
It's all here!
Ease of Use
A little tricky, takes time but that's part of the fun.
Quality
Nice!
Value
This is the #1 best value out there, thank you very much Blackstar and the dirt poor dude that put the thing together. Nice.
Manufacturer Support
To soon, hope for the best.
The Wow Factor
It looks really good in my little area my wife allows me, sharpe looks.
Musical Background:
Hobby, 3 years
Musical Style:
Rock & Blues
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Submitted January 17, 2012 by Kyle B in Clarkston, GA
"Great Amp, Unmatched Versitility"
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When I first plugged in I was a little unsure whether I had made the right decision by buying this amp over the Marshall Class 5, but after splitting up my pedalboard correctly through the effects loop I am sold. I also have a Fender Vibrolux Reverb and a small traynor solid state. I wanted a small tube amp to take place of the Traynor. Also, my roommate has a Fender Blues Jr and this thing rivals that in tone, and offers so much more. I did a lot of homework on small tube amps, and this is in my opinion the best value. I chose the reverb version because I love reverb and read good reviews, the reverb is ok but does not match my vibrolux.
Sound
I was playing through it with my Schecter (active EMGS) all night and it sounds awesome. After dialing in the right tone I am in love. Don't assume that because I play active EMGs that I am a metalhead. I love the way active pups sound for any style of playing, just my preference.
Features
Very versatile, has two channels, has reverb, enough said. Not sure that I can hear much difference with the 4x12 emulater vs the 1x12 standard setting. I have not messed it much though.
Ease of Use
Like I said, I was not sold on this amp out of the box, but after some research I got it dialed in and it sounds great.
Quality
The material cover the front is stretched around the middle, like it was leaning on it or something. Not very noticeable though.
Value
Comparable price to other quality 5-15w amps, with more features
Manufacturer Support
NA
Musical Background:
Hobbyist, 15+yrs playing guitar
Musical Style:
Rock,Classic Rock, Metal, Jam, Electronic
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