Blackstar HT-40 Club Guitar Combo Amplifier (40 Watts, 1x12")

Two channels, four modes, and an EQ section -- that's all the Blackstar HT-40 Club needs to produce an impressive range of classic and modern tube sounds.

Overall User Ratings (based on 39 ratings)
  • Overall:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(39) (see rating details)
Submitted May 3, 2014 by John M in Beach Park, IL

"You will love the quality."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
First off, I traded a few items at a local Kenosha music store to acquire this amp. I have been a long time Zzounds customer and feel compelled to advise you to buy this item from Zzounds. They have saved my music equipment life by allowing me to purchase quality equipment with their pay and play option. As far as amps, I have owned a Fender DeVille, a Fender Showman, several Crate tube amps, and a Traynor YC80, which was my fav until this one. The pedals I use are a small clone chorus, a Jet City "Flood" analogue delay pedal, a TS-9 tube screamer, and a Morley wah. Along with the overdrive/distortion pedal included with this electronic work of art, I get anything I want tonewise. It is the ever-elusive tone which I could never achieve, even with my Mesa boogie subway rocket which I used for years-and at the price of $700, it was only $50 more than that little beauty. Through multi-effects pedals, great sounding rooms, and great guitars, it is only fair to say that in my own little world of pop, blues, rock, and country, this amp really does it all. Not because I traded two amps for it, but because it is a pro quality top flight tool for producing the sounds I had only heard in my mind. I play "light" on my Epi Les Paul and my Fender Classic Player Strat, so I'll take all the amp-help I can get. The cleans are very nice, not "Fendery" at all, more like a Peavey counterpart, but it sounds great soft or loud; I recently jammed with a bunch who had Marshalls and another amp which I'd never seen-when asked to turn it up and kick in the OD, this amp did not even blink, it just kicked out the tones for which it was made. Amazing, try it, you'll buy it, if you buy from Zzounds, they will not disappoint.

Musical Background:

45 years, 8 different instruments, mainly a singer, compose, record, and basically enjoy.

Musical Style:

Christian originals, vintage pop, blues, country, or anything I think I can play.
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Submitted June 2, 2015 by Patrick Floyd in Palm Coast, FL

"Ummm...WOW"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I wanted an amp that was a bit smaller than my 212 combo...I admit I'm getting a bit older and the weight (75lbs) is getting a bit much to wrestle around at 2am. I looked at several amps and narrowed it down to the DSL 40C Marshall and the HT Club 40 by Blackstar. I've heard about Blackstar but didn't know that much, so I went to my local music store and tried them out side by side. For my tastes, the choice was almost immediate. The Blackstar had a much nicer, smoother, almost creamier (if you will) warmth and tone than the Marshall. I spent almost an hour playing with each amp, dialing in tones and comparing sounds. The Blackstar just seemed to get better as I went along, the Marshall kinda just stayed the same, gritty distortion with some nice bite to it. Not a bad sound, but not what I was looking for. zZounds "Pay as you Play" program cemented the deal for me. I love this amp. It is incredibly versatile, and though I only saved about 16 pounds in weight, it is easier to handle. Don't be fooled, though...this thing is a tank. Solid construction through and through. I got it 5 months ago and it has 35-40 gigs on it and it still makes me smile every time I hit the first chord. Every guitar I own sounds amazing through this thing, from my mid 80's Strat, my Gibson Explorer, my EVH Wolfgang (purchased through zZounds), or my Epiphone ES 335 Dot Special (also purchased through zZounds).I could not be more satisfied with the excellent customer service from zZounds and the overall quality of this amp from Blackstar.

Musical Background:

Musician for the past 38 years

Musical Style:

Rock, Dance Rock, and PopRock
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Submitted November 18, 2015 by Ross K in Linden, TX

"Blackstar ht 40 new owner"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I ordered my Blackstar ht 40 on a Saturday, it shipped Monday afternoon, received it Thursday early today!! I have messed around with one of these amps before so even though I just got mine today, it sounds awesome out of the box!! Nice cleans and excellent distortion. .turning the knobs even very little brings out noticeable changes, very touch sensitive. .For me I like the rich distortion tones, and I like the reverb as well..going to crank it up tomorrow, but I an already tell it will handle it well..I have an AMT Electronics D2 - Diezel pedal, but I feel my amp has plenty of gain on tap..waiting to see how the Celestion 70/80 speaker sounds after breaking in some more..I have had many amps over my 30+years of guitar playing, and I truly feel this is my favorite overall. .This is my 3rd purchase from ZZOUNDS on the "Pay as you play" payment plans, and I am grateful for being able to make monthly payments. .for me Zzounds is the music company that will be getting my business from here on out!! Purchase one of these fantastic Blackstar ht 40 amps from ZZOUNDS, you will not regret it! ! I have had 2 other Blackstar amps from ZZOUNDS, and I have never had any problems with my amps so I can't rate the service, but I did email Blackstar directly to let them know how much I loved my amps and they answered me back quickly, and told me Thank you, and if I need anything let them know, they will take care of my needs!!

Musical Background:

4 years violin when I was very young, then switched to electric guitar. .30+ yrs experience

Musical Style:

Rock, hard rock, metal and 80's so called "Hair Metal"..blues and blues rock..classic rock
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Submitted July 17, 2012 by Scotty V in Reisterstown, MD

"Blackstar HT40"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I own this amp, and I only have 2 words BUY IT!! I have had many combo amps in my 30+ years playing and it is for sure one of the best!!! I play in a 5 piece CR Band and I have no problem keeping up with the half stack on the other side of the stage. I did replace the stock speaker(eminence wizard) and tubes( JJ's) and OMG!!! It took this amp to a new level!!!! It takes pedals very well to!! I hope this helps someone!!

Musical Background:

R/L guitar, lead vocals 30+ years 15 professionally

Musical Style:

Classic Rock, Blues, Funk
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Submitted April 7, 2013 by john b in deptford, NJ

"Blown away by this amp"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Let me start by saying I have owned quite a few Marshalls, JCM 800, 900 and DSL 2000 100 watt stack. Ive owned a Fender HRD, DR, and BJ. Two Mesas. This amp by far (for me anyway) just hands down beats every one of them. Not to mention its price tag is sweet.It incredibly easy to find the sweet spot on this amp. The clean channel responds remarkably to how hard you hit the strings, and you dont have to have it cranked to 7, thanks to the master volume.I bought the 5h on a whim because it had the nicest lead sound I'd ever heard, so naturally I bought this because I HAD to play this beast out. BYW ZZOUNDS rocks for getting gear. Best price match, easy, and I had it in 2 days...

Musical Background:

been playing 15 years. Guitars, piano. Play in a band

Musical Style:

mostly rock...Foo, Zep....the good stuff
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Submitted November 3, 2013 by Willie P in Ladera Ranch, CA

"Amazing Tone"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I read about this combo amp thru the experiences of other guitarists and I was intrigue by the excellent reviews. I made a trip to Guitar Center to check it out. I used Mesa Boogie, Fender Twin, Fender Deville and Marshall before. I had a chance to compare them all side by side. To be honest, Blackstar brand is new to me, but after spending more than an hour with it, I was so amaze with the tone and the unique features that's not available to other amps and most of all it's a bit lighter than most of them in the 40 watts range. I've been using it in our gigs now and every bandmates are totally impressed with the tone. I will highly recommend this amp to anyone looking for an excellent amp.

Musical Background:

I play professionally for over 20 years as a Lead guitarist with different bands but recently for 13 years with the same band.

Musical Style:

I play a mixture of everything from classic rock, R&B, standard, light jazz, pop, blues and ballroom music including a bit of La
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Submitted January 13, 2015 by Steve T

"Great sounding amp that can do most styles."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
This is a 40 watt 2 channel combo from Blackstar. It has 2 ECC83 pre-amp tubes and 2 EL34 power-amp tubes. The clean channel gives me anything from a fairly clean tone(not perfect, but with some a compressor this thing sounds crystal clear) to some ballsy heavy distortion. I like the fact it has two channel so I can switch from my clean tones or over driven bluesy tones to my metal rhythm and lead settings. It very pedal friendly and easy the figure out. It has a Celestion 70/80 12 speaker for those of you that want to know what model speak they are using(it's not stated on here). It's not the noisiest amp ever and even my Behringer noise suppressor does the job of getting rid of the little back ground noise produced. It has an effects loop which is great for setting up a pedal board. Extension speaker out for another cab and an emulated out for recording or other things. Here's the cons. Nothing big, but someone had mentioned that it's not a true tubes amp. I'd say yes and no to that. The power section is 100% tube so that's a good thing. The pre-amp section uses one tube as a inverter and the other one for the overdrive so they do use some solid state technology to produce to extra gain. Since I use an EQ pedal as a signal boost I'm not pushing to pre-amp tube at a high level, instead I'm just boosting the signal and even it being one legitimate pre-amp tube used I get a killer overdrive tone rather than the "Can of bees" effect from maxing out the pre-amp level so this isn't a major con for me. It's a little heavy, but nothing I can't manage, compared to my Peavey 5150 2x12 this is almost half the weight and still has enough punch to gig with.All in all a very worth while amp that I don't regret.
Sound
Great
Features
A lot.
Ease of Use
No problems figuring out how to use it. If you do have problem go to YT and watch some run through videos and you should be good to go.
Quality
Seems very sturdy and came with a amp stand which was a pleasant surprise and a definite plus.
Value
Compare to Marshall amp(and these guys are ex Marshall employees) to me they sound better, have more options and are more inexpensive than Marshall amp for what you get. I think this amp is a far better value than the HT-20. Come on for $100 more you get a lot more :).
Manufacturer Support
Can't say, didn't have to contact them and I hope I don't have to.
The Wow Factor
Only gave this four stars on the wow feature because I hear so many amp nothing really amazes me these day. Regardless a great amp :).

Musical Background:

Metal musician, jam seessions, recreation, light gigging, recording and 29 years of playing.

Musical Style:

Metal, Hard Rock, Blues, Neo-Classical, Shred leads and anything for fun.
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Submitted May 7, 2010 by a customer from gmail.com

Blackstar HT-40 Club Amp Customer Review

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
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I will be using this one until it dies. It's the kind of amp that will grow with you as you lean all the things it can do. And this amp can do LOTS of things.
Sound
This is a VERY high-gain amplifier. If you play any kind of rock from classic to heavy metal, this amp will allow you to do it with no pedals. Even though it has the "American to British" switch, it's very hard to get a loose type breakup like a Fender Blues Deluxe, for example. The distortion is very smooth and clean. The word boutique gets thrown around a lot. the cleans are amazing and boutique-like, but this amp does not have the crystalline clear high end and overtones of a Boogie. If it is lacking anything, it's the loose trebly distortion that some people like. For so few knobs however, it makes a LOT of sounds. The digital reverb is the missing link. It's just very poor sounding.
Features
Well built, easy to use, very solid. Gave it an eight because it has digital reverb that sticks as opposed to a real reverb tank.
Ease of Use
It is a very easy amp to use, but the voicing switches give it a lot of versatility. It's going to take a few days to dial in. Not like a Fender where you set your two tones and forget it. There's a lot to learn here and it's a new way of looking at tone stacks.
Quality
Exceptionally well made. No issues here whatsoever.
Value
Great value. It takes a triple rec at 4x the price to get these sounds normally.
Manufacturer Support
Don't know yet. I haven't needed any support. But I'm going to call this week to get some info on setting up more treble in the tone stack.
The Wow Factor
It's a sexy amp. And the downright affordable extension speaker doesn't hurt.

Musical Background:

Semi-professional

Musical Style:

punk blues
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Submitted December 21, 2016 by Kenny P in Columbus, OH

"Stands up to Fender and Screams in its face!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I bought this amp as a smaller alternative to my DeVille 410. I played them side by side and have now opted to put my DeVille up for sale. This things is gritty in the right spots, crystal clear if you want it to be and has power to burn. Pairing this with my AC30 should be a beautiful marriage when I need more than one amp on stage. But for single cab needs - THIS is my new go-to. I only wish it had two-stage gain on the drive channel... doesn't honestly matter much because a booster pedal does the trick just fine. I do plan to order the matching external cab for extra flex. I had one issue with a bad preamp tube when I got my first unit, however zZounds supplied me a whole amp as replacement and had it here next day. I was able to keep playing without missing any shows with my new favorite amp. If you're on the fence... Hop off and buy this freakin amp!!!

Musical Background:

Playing for 14 years. Multi-instrumental.

Musical Style:

Country, blues, rock, soul
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Submitted April 28, 2016 by Anthony P in Muscle Shoals, AL

"Very nice combo!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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This amp was really good out of the box for the money. Nice clean channel with a little more headroom than I expected, and the OD channel can be dialed in nicely with a little patience. It came with Ruby 12ax7 and EL34 tubes. I could have enjoyed it as is but I made a couple of tweaks that really brought it to life. Replaced the Ruby tubes with Tungsram 12ax7s and SED Winged C EL34s. Also replaced the stock Celestion Seventy 80 speaker with a WGS Invader 50. It's now my 2nd favorite amp ever. My Orange AD30 head will probably always be my favorite, but I really like this amp now! I wanted a combo to grab and go, but this one has some beef to it. It's not light by any means and the Reaper speaker is heavier than the stock Celestion. Maybe a separate EQ for the clean channel would be nice, but the tone control is adequate. The ISF control also actually works as advertised. You can definitely get British and American tones by adjusting the ISF. I'm not looking for someone else's tone in particular. I'm looking for MY tone. Again it's a great amp out of the box, but if you like chasing your own individual tone, this amp has a lot of possibilities. Well worth the price!

Musical Background:

Played guitar for 40+ years

Musical Style:

Rock and Blues
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Submitted December 5, 2013 by Tim C in Belle Fourche, SD

"Great Amp !"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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This is the perfect amp for the smaller gigs we play. Still can't believe how loud,and perfect the tone is compared to the Marshall. That's because they're both designed by the same Tech. people ! This thing is built like a tank,I have no worries about damage on the road-it can take it ! The controls are pretty much straight foreword,but I'd recommend reading the manual when in question. As far as adding petals,no problem,the sky is the limit. In other words, It's very expandable. The best part is that the volume doesn't have to be at concert level to sound great. I just adjust the gain,and volumes, and playing in my house is no problem. GET THIS AMP !!! From day one,you'll be thanking yourself you did .

Musical Background:

Playing since I was 11, Active professional, Guitar-lead and rythem

Musical Style:

Rock,80's metal,Metal
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Submitted March 16, 2011 by a customer from hotmail.com

"Best sounding and simplest to use rock amp for the money on the market"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This should be my main amp for a long time to come
Sound
The clean sound is really good does not take much tweaking to get what you want if you keep it simple. The distortion is the best I have heard from any amp I have owned. You do not even need a pedal, You can get blues, classic rock and metal sounds with ease in my opinion.
Features
For me I rate it a 10, comes with a switch to go between the clean and distortion channels. I love the distortion mode when you push the button in to enhance the mids gives it the best natural distortion I have ever heard from an amp alone. I like to keep things simple so the less features the higher rating for me. The only thing that would have been nice would be to have delay and chorus built in to it.
Ease of Use
The simpler the better for me and this amp fits the bill. All I had to do to get a killer distortion sound is push one button in and adjust the eq to my liking , it does not get any easier than that.
Quality
I have not owned the amp too long and just use it for practice right now so I donot really know how durable it is. But with all the other reviews I have read it rates pretty good.
Value
It is the best value for the price of a guitar amp at this price that I have seen.
Manufacturer Support
I have not had to use support so I really donot know how good of support they provide. A better question is how good of support is from the store you purchase it from like zzounds which have excellent support.
The Wow Factor
The black color and white Blackstar lettering make it a nice looking amp. I am not that picky about that though.

Musical Background:

hobbyist

Musical Style:

rock
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Submitted November 25, 2012 by a customer from bhsu.edu

"Excellent small club amp"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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I received the HT-40 a month ago, so this review was written after I've had some experience with this product. Excellent amp for small clubs, rehearsal, and even bedroom playing, if you keep the volume down a bit. Even at quieter volumes the bass response is good. (My experience with amps is that, the quieter you get, the more the bass response drops out.) Great clean sounds and distorted sounds. Very Marshall sounding, which isn't surprising given former Marshall employees started Blackstar. Nothing special about volume/tone controls; standard eq and gain stages. What I didn't realize is that the volume on the clean channel is separate from overall volume, and if you want a little bit of grit you can turn up the clean volume and keep the overall volume down. You get a little bit of breakup that way, especially with hot pickups, so it's another way to shape your sound. The ISF feature is simply another way to dial in your sound. I can't tell you if it sounds more "American" or more "British"; to me it's just another sound-shaping feature and nice to have for that. Vietnamese build seems just fine. I've never cared much about buying American. If it's put together nicely and works well, that's fine with me. It seems to be built tough. The price was the deciding factor for me. I couldn't find any other amp with the sound and features this amp has at anywhere near the price of this amp. Good amp for straight up rock and roll, old school style. If you want to tweak it for more modern sounds, use pedals. But if you want a heavy metal amp you might look elsewhere, and prepare to drop more cash. Nice amp, nice features.

Musical Background:

20 years, bass and guitar

Musical Style:

rock, punk rock, americana, blues
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Submitted December 13, 2016 by Roscoe Peterson in okeechobee, FL

"Great Freakin Amp"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Got this yesterday. Right out of the box, I got killer clean and overdriven sounds in about 2 minutes. Very natural distortion without any "fizz". Outstanding cleanup with the guitars volume knob. Amazing clean channel. Nothing not to love about this amp AT 600 bucks, its a steal.

Musical Background:

Pro

Musical Style:

Rock, Blues, Polkas
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Submitted December 8, 2011 by a customer from patriotsamerica.com

"Blackstar Club HT-40 is one of the best amps I've owned!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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If it was stolen, I'd buy another, yeah, absolutely. All of my effects are in my GT-10 so no need to go looking for the latest and greatest in amps anymore. I don't have a use for anything larger and am too old to worry about how cool a stack would look lol. This amp does it's job and it does it well! Better than you'd expect for $700!
Sound
This amp sounds terrific on it's own. The clean channel is clean and the distortion ranges from barely breaking up to the dirtiest metal and pretty much everything in between. Very small tweaks of the distortion make a lot of difference and with the different voicings you get extra gain as well. Some people are less than pleased with the clean channel, but remember that most of us are using pickups that shy away from perfectly clean, and no amp can take away from a distorted input from the pickups. For the money and the sound quality, you should be jumping on this amp.
Features
The reverb leaves a lot to be desired but since I'm using a BOSS GT-10, I just shut the amp's reverb off and it's no longer an issue. The amp's voicings are good and the bypass is terrific. If you're using pedals for modulated effects, set your tone on the amp, run your pedals through the bypass and add whatever you like. The patches in my GT-10 have their distortion and overdrive shut off...the OD and distortion in this amp is more than good enough! Really, if you're using effects pedals or a full-on modeling floorboard, this amp is for you. It's got plenty of volume for most users.
Ease of Use
There's really no learning curve for this amp, so just a few suggestions: Turn the power on at least a few minutes before you play it. I go a full hour with the amp in standby then at least 15 minutes with the tubes hot and my GT-10 in tuner mode so there's no output from the amp. When you first use the amp, set your clean and drive channels so their volume is equal, set your tone, EQ, etc and use the master volume to control it all. You can turn the master volume full up and control the volume with your pedal setup as well, getting the most out of your tubes.
Quality
Cosmetically the amp is terrific. It has a classy look to it, it's definitely sturdy and like most amps, the covering is durable. I'm especially happy with the grill cloth. It's obviously heavy duty and it looks good too. I was surprised by the weight, a mere 20 pounds less than my old 5150 II! I've only had the amp a month, so no way to gauge reliability over time yet. I've seen no warning signs of anything that might be a problem down the road though. If I had the money, I'd get another!
Value
I was going to buy the Marshall 50 but found this one and did a lot of research as well as reading on it in online forums. I saved about $400 and am glad I picked the Blackstar. Face it, I wasn't going to get JCM mojo from their 50 watt amp and I'd put this amp up against that one any day. I honestly did not expect to get a tube amp this good for a mere $700! I almost went with a used 5150 II but ya never know about that used stuff. The 5150 II was THE best amp I ever owned. It's a shame they aren't made any more and no, the 6250 isn't the same!
Manufacturer Support
It comes with a 3 year warranty with 90 days on the tubes but there is an oddity you should be aware of. US warranty services are supplied by Korg, not Blackstar. When I contacted Korg about getting the registration to them, I was told that they don't know when the page for registering Blackstar amps will be online again, but that with my original receipt, warranty service will be vailable for 3 years from the date of purchase. I'm sure they are right but I prefer to have my ducks in a row, like to know that my stuff is properly documented with those that may have to service it some day. I sent in a registration card that came with the amp, but I'd rather do it online. Be aware too that the serial number is really really small and very long. Rather than try to read the sticker, I photographed it and then read from the photo. Those numbers are way too small!
The Wow Factor
The looks, price and sound of this amp really says it all. Since I can't actually use a Marshall JCMxxxxx, why cry about it? This is 40 watts of amazing sounding amplifier. It sounds best when cranked but is more than respectable when used inside the house as well.

Musical Background:

Playing guitar since ~1972

Musical Style:

Rock n roll, baby!
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Submitted March 31, 2015 by Bill F in Florida city, FL

"Amazing amp for the price! And this review is for the home recording enthusiast! "

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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OK, so I've had this amp for about a month now, and all I honestly have to say is, WOW. This thing is versatile! I play a little bit of everything. From pure clean to pure overdriven metal. And this amp can do it ALL, and then some. I love this amp. I also have a peavey 5150 mk1 and you know how it is trying to get cleanes out of that.. This amp does cleans superbly and then some. When I first started playing it, I feared it wouldn't handle metal or hard rock like I would want. Boy, was I wrong. The distortion is a tight creamy overdriven goodness, that sounds great live, and lays down on tracks amazingly. I've used an sm57 and 58 to do some recording with it. And it has a perfect sound. Oh and I almost forgot about the "ISF" feature... If you spin the Knob to the right you get a midddy tone (British) it's a full tone and sounds awesome, you just need to mess with the EQ a little to get what you want. Then, you can spin the knob to the left, and now you get the great (American) metal sound! You will also need to mess with the EQ to dial it in. It's a brighter more modern metal tone. But you can make this amp sound like whatever you want. Like I said before the amp is a versatile beast, for the money. I even have it in my room, so I can just plug up and play ANYTHING I want. It also does have voicing buttons that switch the tone even more differently on the Clean, and Distorted side of the channels. So you even have more room to play around with the tone, to dial it in perfectly for what you use it for. OK, so now that's all out of the way.. The amp is built like a tank! It has a little weight but it's not troublesome, (to me alteast) It's perfect build makes this amp sound so tight and perfect. It honestly amazes me I only paid this amount for it. It has digital reverb as well, a button on the back of the amp, to get a darker or lighter reverb. It also has a Line out for recording, but I honestly haven't tried that yet. (I will be truthfull here) I've never had too many great sounds coming out of a high gain amp directly, that's why I haven't tried it. It comes with a foot switch with two buttons. One is for switching channels, and the other is for reverb. The reverb is ok for the amp. It's not the greatest but it gets the job done.. OK. So, the only gripe I have with this amp is some type of ring I get when I do a palm mute with the OD turned all the way up. I've asked other people that have this amp and none other say they use the amp that way so I don't know if it's my amp or just the speaker. The tubes are not microphonic. There's nothing loose in the amp, so maybe the speaer needs to be broken in some more? It's not a good thing when you try to record heavey parts with tight palm mutes, and you have a ring at the end. So I tried the amp on other cabs I have, and figured out, it is the speaker in my case. I have another celestion creamback 65w 16ohm on it's way. So that'll take care of that. Like I said I don't know if it's only mine or the speaker just naturally does that.. I looked online and found nothing. Please don't get me wrong. If you intend to play this amp at lower level, you will have NO problems whatsoever. It may only be my speaker. All in all I feel I made the best desicion buying this amp. I am truly blown away, and i'm also a Blackstar amplifier fan, for life. Thanks for reading, and I hope I helped.

Musical Background:

Guitar, bass, and drums for a little over 20 years. Jam at home.

Musical Style:

Rock, blues, metal.
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Submitted November 17, 2013 by Larry Oster in Ypsilanti, MI

"Blackstar HT-40 - exceeds expectations"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Truly, "the sound in your head." This amp has an all tube power section, a tube/hybrid pre-amp and modern features that will leave you in jaw dislocating awe. The rectifier & phase inverter are solid state, and there are also some FETs incorporated for voicing, etc. It doesn't bother me in the least that it's "technically" not "all tube" - you'd never know it by the sound, and I think the solid state PI is a brilliant idea (you can adjust it to be "matched" when biasing for new power tubes, but keep in mind that Blackstaf considers this type of thing as warranty voiding if not done by a certified tech. It's easy to do - search the web for instructions). With the voicing switches on both clean and dirty channels, and their patented ISF (infinite shape) control, you can dial in a sound all your own - fender clean + marshall crunch, HiWatt/Vox clean/chime + Mesa chug and anything in-between. The boutique voice on the clean channel is out of this world. With the tone around noon, ISF on British, it is very Gilmourish/hiwatt'ish. Dial the tone closer to 3oclock and it's a Vox. Flip the voicing switch and ISF towards the American side, and it's blackface or silverface depending on where you set the tone. Plays nice with drive pedals if you want to stick with that channel for your base tone. The tone knob is very functional - so much so that I don't miss having a full eq section on the clean channel. This channel breaks up nicely when driven. Similarly, the dirty channel offers marshall to Mesa crunch/grind/chuggachugga if that's what you're after depending on its own voicing switch and your eq preference. Extremely versatile! There's a full eq sections on this channel. You don't really need dirt pedals with this amp - a clean boost will suffice for soloing, but it's very responsive to your guitar volume/tone controls, so you don't even need a boost if you're used to controlling your sound that way. Cleans up beautifully when you roll down the volume on your guitar. Construction is top-notch - solid cabinet (vented closed-back), and quality components. The only things I found disappointing (at first, I'm over it now): made in China, not Korea, and as usual for almost all amp makers, lesser tone quality tubes (but very reliable/sturdy tubes nevertheless). Sovtech 12ax7-WA's in the pre, and ruby el-34bht's in the power section). The rubys are fine for the power section, but per my preference, the sovtech WA's in the preamp had to go. Replaced with GT-12AX7-C's and I'm content for now, but I'll probably put a 5751 & Tungsol 12ax7 in at some point. An amazing amp that I plan on keeping until it, (or I) is no longer serviceable :)

Musical Background:

Lead guitar, 36 years playing, pro/semi-pro most of that time

Musical Style:

Blues/classic rock/modern worship (Lincoln Brewster, st al).
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Submitted October 18, 2013 by Rick S in Dixon, CA

"Blackstar HT-40 Club Combo Guitar Amp"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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This amp rocks. At my first rehearsal after purchasing it the band all said it sounds great. I was able to run through our entire set list with no added effects pedals. I was able to get great loud cleans, a touch of grit and a great Marshally grind out of it. The reverb is ok, its not a spring tank so not going to give that super springy fender reverb but it is more than adequate for me. My recent previous amps have been Peavey Delta Blues 115 and a Hand wired fender Deluxe ClonE 5E3. Each good in their own right, but the Black star is very flexible. Love it and it is now my number one.

Musical Background:

Playing guitar on and off for 30+ Years. Have been in various rock bands.

Musical Style:

Rock, Blues a touch of Country
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Submitted November 30, 2017 by Ramon I in Howard Beach, NY

"Umm... Awesomeness!!!"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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Wow!! Is all I can say...this amp melted my face off!! I was in the market for a small combo amp for bedroom practice and gigging and this was a great purchase. This amp will shake the walls, but can be played at bedroom levels thanks to its master knob, by pushing the preamp you can still maintain the juiciness of an overdriven or melt your face distortion with out waking up the town. Strong rugged chassis and it has a great classic look to it. I got this amp as a packaged deal from the zZounds with an Epiphone classic plus top pro limited edition and it was a marriage in heaven. The Epi sounds great through this amp and I am able to pull off classics from Zeppelin to Perl Jam, to Iron Maiden and even black metal. Extremely versatile amp due to its tone switch on both channels. Get it, you won't be disappointed!

Musical Background:

14yrs guitar and keyboards

Musical Style:

Rock/Heavy Metal
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Submitted June 28, 2017 by Jerry Flemming in Berea, OH

"GREAT PRODUCT"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Ive always been a fan of Blackstar Tube Amps. This one has a way for me to connect it to my audio interface so I can record. Awesome feature. Oh any by the way. I ALWAYS order from zZounds. They are the best on the net. You wanna know why? Buy from them and you will see.

Musical Background:

Guitarist

Musical Style:

Rock/Metal
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Submitted April 25, 2015 by Les D in Omaha, NE

"Veteran guitarist gives the Blackstar club ht40 highest rating!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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35 year guitar veteran. This amp is THE BEST AMP I have ever played through. I got the club 40 Special Edition model with the vintage trim design and celestion vintage 30 speaker upgrade.So versital, I can get all the sounds I want. From the clear fender to the vintage marshall to the Mesa to vox. Best of all I can get the sound I like! This amp has such a great chunck, it's full rich and perfectly powered. Any more and it gets hard to manage on stage while trying to get your sound. I know I used to have a 130 watt music man 2x12 tube amp and was way to powerful even at the 65 watt half power setting. This is the sweet spot. What a great amp! Don't listen to those marshal snobs trying to justify the $$ they uselessy spent when they give this amp poor marks. I'd take this amp over any marshal or fender or mesa because it's so much more flexible. Hope you find this review helpful!
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Submitted November 23, 2015 by Martin C in Ocean Gate, NJ

"Excellent Versatile Amplifier"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I have to say I was not familiar with Blackstar before I purchased this amp but after playing it for a few months now I'm hooked. It has a sturdy build quality, more than enough volume, and with the ability to dial in the sounds of Marshall, mesa boogie, and plenty in between without the use of a digital amp emulator is incredible. Even the clean channel has multiple EQ options, giving additional brightness or warmth depending on your preference. Blackstar really knows how to build a quality amplifier.

Musical Background:

Playing Guitar for 20yrs. Bar and club gigs, both originals and cover bands

Musical Style:

Rock
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Submitted November 29, 2011 by a customer from live.com

"Beautiful amp...like i said, I play ska/punk, so it handles well; and i'm sure with the right player, guitar, and pedal; you cou"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I will not replace this amp. Period..if lost or stolen i'd prolly buy the same amp with higher wattage (ht-60 or stage-100 head).
Sound
Just received the amp today so i'm waiting for the break-in period to end...played my blacktop tele, am. stan. tele, and epiphone les paul standard plus top through it...no pedals...straight into the amp and it sounds fantastic!!! I play in a ska/punk band and the only amp i'd ever pick over this would be a dual recto...excellent for the price.
Features
Very basic...wish the reverb was either gone or from a tank rather than digi. No real complaints though...if you like reverb use a pedal.
Ease of Use
Turn the knobs...unless you like peavey style metal gain...which you can attain from this amp with a pedal...it does it all...and the clean channel is beautiful. Love the voicing options on both channels.
Quality
Can't comment on reliability...looks as though it was built for war...very rugged solid construction.
Value
you have the tone options of marshall and mesa/boogie; in a very affordable product...use the play while you pay plan, and the deal is sealed.
The Wow Factor
after owning several digital amps, solid state amps, and one marshall tuber...this is the best i've come across...if you invest with a few pedals, or like to keep it simple like me...this is the only amp you'll need...if you need more volume add a cab or mic it to a p.a.

Musical Background:

10 years guitar, 8 singing. Not professional but do gig with a ska band...I also jam at home.

Musical Style:

Rock, Punk, Reggae, Ska, Early Hardcore
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Submitted April 2, 2014 by Michael S in Peoria, AZ

"Blackstar HT-40 Club Guitar Combo Amp"

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
great sound amplifier for the money good for home, bars, clubs, small venues 150-200 people

Musical Background:

since 7 years old 57 now

Musical Style:

rockabilly, blues hair metal
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Submitted August 24, 2015 by Diego Urquizo in Plantation, FL

"Great tone, great value, overall great amp"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I just purchased this amp form zZounds and i cannot be any happier. Easy to control and to set the tone as you wish. I got the amp a few days ago and i cannot wait to keep getting the best outta this amp and to continue exploring all its tonal capabilities. Big credit to zZounds for their great work to deliver products, shipping, payment plans, you name it. By now this is my third purchase from them and i look forward to keep shopping with them.

Musical Background:

Been playing music for 14 years, i get my best outta of guitar though i started with piano and played bass eventually.

Musical Style:

Rock, blues, jazz, grunge, pop, nu-metal
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Submitted September 10, 2015 by Diego Urquizo in Plantation, FL

"Blackstar HT-40 Club, Great Tube Combo"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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After doing a lot of research and reading reviews and stuff i was able to convince myself that this amp is good for the type of music i play without having to break my back. (don't get me wrong, the amp is still heavy!). Just like Blackstar's slogan, "The Sound In Your Head", the HT Venue Series does it all and more. The ISF feature works phenomenal in the OD channel and while working with the EQ you have a very versatile amp altogether. I play an Affinity Series Squier Strat, PRS SE Custom 24, and a recently purchased Limited Edition Fender Telecaster HH (10 for 15' series) and i can guarantee that the amp works great with both single coils as wells as humbuckers. This is my first tube amp and i can say i'm more of a EL34s (found in the amp) guy than 6L6s but who knows eventually what can happen.

Musical Background:

Been playing instruments since age 10 but actively playing since age 16. First instrument was piano at age 9, guitar at age 10.

Musical Style:

Rock (classic, hard, grunge, alternative, pop), Blues, Jazz.
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Submitted March 26, 2011 by a customer from aol.com

"If you are in the market for a new Tube Amp you will not be dissappointed with the Blackstar line. "

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I expect this to be my last amp. This was an upgrade for me from a Vox Modeling amp. I had been saving for a tube anmp since I bought the Vox to hold me over. The other amps I was looking at were the Marshall JVM and Mesa Roadster series. At more than twice the price (and the same tone) I couldn't justify any of those.
Sound
This amp is a beast. I put it through the paces and with a few tweaks here and there I can get all the sounds I needs. I play in a rock,hard rock, alternative cover band and need a good variety of tones since we play everything from Tom Petty to Godsmack. This amp covers all these different tones easily. I use this amp with a Boss DD3 and an MXR 6 band EQ in the loop. Out from I have a Morley Wah and tuner. They all sound great together. I haven't recorded with it yet but played in during band practice and I'll have no trouble being herd.
Features
This ISF switch you hear about is the real deal. It works in conjunction with the treble, bass and mids and really can make a difference in the variety of sounds. I found sweet spots for different songs pretty easily. I love the 2 types of reverb, dark and light they both sound really nice to my ears. The only thing I could wish for was another channel on this amp and it would be a 10++++
Ease of Use
This amp is really easy to tweak, and fun to play.
Quality
For the price you can't find an amp made this well. Its tough and made for the working musician so I can tell it will hold up to the rigors of the road. You have to spend more than twice this much to get an amp built any better.
Value
Best Tube amp hands down in this catergory.
Manufacturer Support
N/A ...yet
The Wow Factor
This is a really nice looking product.

Musical Background:

Active

Musical Style:

Rock, Hard Rock, Alt
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