Audio recorded with a Gibson Les Paul
Back in the mid-2000s, Marshall R&D
employees Ian Robinson and Bruce
Keir founded Blackstar Amplification as a
vehicle for their own design notions. Since
then, the company has enjoyed an admirable
run of success. Thanks to a line that ranges
from the HT stompbox series to Artisan
series handwired amps and the thunderous
Series One amps, Blackstar quickly found
fans among everyday guitarists and marquee
players like Ozzy Osbourne axeman Gus
G., Neal Schon, and such Britpop and New
Wave stalwarts as Echo and the Bunnymen’s
Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, and
Paul Weller sidekick Steve Craddock.
Though the company’s highest-profile
amps to date have primarily been mid- to
high-power amps with a distinctly British
flavor, Blackstar has more recently ventured
into small-amp territory to give low-watt-loving
studio artists and bedroom players
access to Blackstar tones. The HT-5R combo
is among the newest of these smaller offerings.
Featuring a very cool stereo digital
reverb, the amp uses a single ECC83 tube to
produce 5 watts of output power.
Compact But Capable
The HT-5R’s main controls are mounted
on the top panel. Its two channels, which
are selectable via the footswitch or the
overdrive switch on the control panel, give
you the ability to conjure everything from
snappy cleans to churning growls. The
Clean channel has just one Tone knob that
gives you everything from mellow warm
tones to a brighter sparkle when cranked in
the clockwise direction.
The Overdrive channel has a Gain and
Volume knob. The latter acts as a master
volume, adjusting the overall output of
the amplifier. The Gain knob increases the
crunch of the overdrive, which is capable
of everything from near-breakup to a wild,
hairy distortion. The Overdrive channel has
an expanded EQ with Bass, Middle, and
Treble knobs. There’s also Blackstar’s signature
ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) control,
which is also found on select HT pedals
and on most Blackstar amps. ISF lets you
blend characteristics typical of American
and English amplifiers. A counterclockwise
turn emphasizes American-flavored rock
tones—bass-heavy with exaggerated mids. A
clockwise turn summons a more Brit-hued
jangle. The reverb, meanwhile, ranges from
the subtlest color to dramatic washes.
The rear panel of the HT-5R is home to
some unexpected surprises. Aside from an
Effects Loop, Blackstar includes a Cabinet
Select feature, which can toggle between
the 12" Blackbird 50 speaker in the amp’s
open-back cabinet, or an emulattion of a
4x12 closed-back cabinet. Engaging the
4x12 gives a tighter response to the output,
which does sound remarkably close to the
character of a larger cabinet, albeit on a
much smaller scale.
You’ll also find a 1/4" MP3/Line Input
that allows you to hook up a portable audio
device (CD player, iPod, etc.) to jam along
with. The Emulated Output & Headphone
jack is another blessing for bedroom enthusiasts.
This output will give you the sonic
qualities of a guitar cabinet at noiseless
levels—perfect for recording or practice
without rousing the neighbors.
With its handsome black vinyl and
chrome knobs, the Blackstar HT-5R will
be comfortable at both black-tie events
and roadhouse saloons. Weighing in at 27
pounds and burnished with some hefty corner
brackets, this little beast looks and feels
rugged. But the sturdiness is more than skin
deep—the ECC83 and 12BH7 tubes, as well
as the rear panel controls, are all well recessed
and secure from jostling onstage or in transit.
You get the feeling that a lot of experienced
players had a hand in designing this amp.
Multiple Personalities
I gave the Blackstar HT-5R a workout with
my Fender Stratocaster, and started out on
the more aggressive end of the amp’s tonal
spectrum. After dialing up some medium-high
gain, adding a slight boost to the
Treble and ISF controls, and engaging the
4x12 cabinet emulation, I was treated to
a whiplash tone with a nasty bite that was
more than a little reminiscent of an early
Marshall. The meaty tube crunch remained
true and intact, even at lower volume levels,
thanks in no small part to the push-pull
design Blackstar implemented for the power
section. And even the quietest levels, my
Strat’s single-coils breathed with life I sometimes
don’t hear from much larger heads.
Turning off the 4x12 cabinet emulation
guided the tone into a rich and darker
zone. A counterclockwise tweak of the
ISF knob and drop in the gain yielded the
smoky sounds of Americana and Chess-style
electric blues. There’s real weight to
the low end that doesn’t suffer from the
amp’s small size, and the very responsive
EQ knobs are more than capable of adding
midrange heft and genuinely cutting
trebles when you need them.
With a Les Paul in hand, the Overdrive
channel off, and the Volume knob cranked
to maximum, the channel exhibited a sweet
combination of break-up and bark. The
darker humbuckers sounded a bit loose and
rubbery with the amp’s Tone knob set lower,
but higher settings brought out the Gibson’s
capacity for beautiful and crisp harmonics.
The Blackstar’s reverb is responsive and
lends a lot of flexibility to this amp. It has a
wide arc and a basic character that is brighter
than, say, a classic Fender reverb. But it’s
not at all harsh or “digital.” At the highest
settings, there’s a slightly aggressive slapback
quality in the echo that may be too much
for anyone other than experimentalists or
surf and psychobilly pickers. But in general,
the reverb is perfectly suited to the entire
range of the amp’s voices.
The Verdict
The Blackstar HT-5R is a uniquely crafted
amplifier that’s at home onstage, in studios
of every type and—provided you don’t
work with an aspiring Led Zeppelin rhythm
section—the practice space, as well. With
a responsive EQ, a wide range of clean-to-high-gain voices, and a booming reverb,
this little black box is well suited for recording
artists and bedroom pickers who are
looking for more refinement and warmth
than you get from a budget practice amp.
At about $450, this little guy may be more
than the average picker can justify for an
amp that probably isn’t powerful enough
for many gigging situations. But for home
pickers who consider tone paramount, this
little Blackstar does a lot for the price.
Buy if...
you’re looking for genuine valve
tone in a small package.
Skip if...
you need super-sharp cleans
at higher volume or the horsepower
to gig with a rock combo.
Rating...
