Customer Reviews

Blackstar HT Series HT-5H 5W Tube Guitar Amp Head Black

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Played one of these at Guitar Center. It was the Blackstar HT-5 Head hooked up to 2 10" Blackstar cabs. Used a PRS Singlecut SE with it. They also had an Egnater Rebel Head. The Blackstar HT-5 sounded way better than the Egnater IMO and was able to get decent high gain tones at lower volume. The ISF knob makes a big difference in the voicing of the mids of the amp and really changes its character. I also tried to max the gain, Bass @ 10, Mids @ 0, Treble @ 10 and it sounded like mud however that is an extreme metal setting. Cleans are good but not outstanding. Overall this amp has its own sound to it but I would say its closer to a high gain Marshall than it is to a Mesa Rectifier. I believe the power tube it uses isn't a common size but you can find replacements which is something to consider as well. There are also a lot of youtube videos of this amp and I can say it sounds better and more full in person as youtube tends to add a lot of compression.

I had the opportunity to play this amp extensively, before I purchased it. Amazon had the best price, so I ordered it through them, and I was not disappointed in the timely manner in which my amp arrived. Great job again, Amazon!

First, let me say that the Blackstar HT-5 is an amazing value for your money. Don't let the fact that this amp is only 5 watts fool you; it gets LOUD, especially when used with a 4x12. It's probably not loud enough to use in conjunction with a percussionist(or at a live gig), but it's definitely an ideal practice or studio amp. The tone is incredible, and you won't be disappointed in that regard. I've heard a lot of rumors that this amp's clean tone isn't all that great, but with proper tweaking and maybe an equalizer pedal, you can get an insanely appealing clean tone. This amp also includes an effects loops, which is something you won't find on amps in this price range. Having said that, there is one major flaw that you will hear people complain about. This amp does not have built in reverb. It's not really surprising, given the price of this amp, and that's a problem easily remedied anyway. My reverb pedal of choice is the Digitech Digiverb (the Holy Grail is an overrated piece of junk), and that pedal ran me under $50.00 on Ebay. Substitute your favorite reverb pedal, and drop that into your effects loop. Done. Even without built in reverb, this amp is an incredible value for your money. Don't be afraid to throw in a pedal here and there; you have an effects loop now. Enjoy it for all it's splendor!

I don't gig live anymore; my work is all in my personal studio. This amp is perfect for me, but if you're going to gig, you might want to think about upgrading to one or Blackstar's more powerful amps. Even so, you won't be disappointed with any Blackstar product. This is a great company, and I will be buying more of their products again in the future. I could not be happier with my purchase!

First let me say that I received this from Austin Bazaar through Amazon.

From the good reviews I thought it would be worth the money! Be prepared you get what you pay for.

Good thing I own GuitarPCB website and I am very handy with my hands. I had to get the C Clamps and re-glue both braces.
The Amp cover also was distorted and bent.(Not Fixable short of making a new one!). This I blame on Blackstar for Super Cheap Flake-board all around.

The item was shipped in it's own packaging and not Double Boxed and looked like it was thrown off the truck.
I of course blame that on Austin Bazaar for not Double Boxing and Fedex for the poor handling during shipping!

The Good News. Despite all of this I got the amp back together reasonable enough to satisfy me. (Most people would be asking for a Refund immediately!)
I plugged it in and it all works. The tone is truly as good as I expected. I hooked it up to a nice 1x12 Celestion Loaded Avatar Cab and it rocked good for the money.

Once again though let me stress that if I were not an experienced builder of pedals and amps this deal would have been folly!
Major repairs before I could even think of plugging it in. Cheap Quality Flake-board.
Next time I am going to be more choosy as to where I order from as well as the means of shipping. Cheap built amps should be Double Boxed! It was not.
So if you are like me and do not live anywhere near a Music Store then be warned.