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Blackstar Amplification HT-5RH
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Blackstar Amplification HT-5RH

Tube Guitar Amp Head from Blackstar Amplification belonging to the HT-5 series

Public price: $479 incl. VAT
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Greg L. Greg L.

«  Really not bad, but ... »

Published on 03/18/14 at 02:10
Small head 5W all-tube, suitable for play at home. I do not return characteristics, they do not vary from one opinion to the other.
The number setting is consistent, and it is a real breath of fresh air in this world full of head equivalent power with only two or three settings. Here we have a true medium setting on the lead channel (two counting ISF) and an effects loop, so what find his sound and not playing only with its imposed by the amp.
The selection of the output impedance is also a definite plus, and the output emulation.

If chipote, it lacks settings on the clean channel and a detachable or reverb assignable to one or other of the channels, or both. A general master would also have been great, but it's starting to run out of space to put knobs on the head already comprehensive in its range.

UTILIZATION

For the clean channel is a breeze: volume and tone. I would have appreciated a little more, but it's coffee, and reverb allows for very usable cleans.

On the Lead channel, I was disappointed too, but really too much gain and impossible to have a rock sound like a good crunch boosted. If you make metal, this is perfect. For others, it is too much.
So I replaced the 12AX7 with a 12AT7, and there ... it gets very interesting! You lose a little precision settings and sound, but it lowers the gain to make it usable on a large part of the race of the potentiometer. Own the blues, rock, metal and everything else!

on the other hand, even if the head is intended for use at home, because she still relatively strong. I was very surprised and in my opinion, the use apartment with fussy neighbors will be problematic.

SOUNDS

With this mind, I found what I was looking for: a versatile, affordable and not too powerful head to play at home. Certainly, it will not replace my usual amp heads, but she is doing very well.
I mostly play with Les Paul-type guitars, but it was also very convincing with a Telecaster that dragged me some time.

OVERALL OPINION

Of course, this is a head which is not suitable for the purists. In the opinion of my technician, it is suitable for use at home, but do not ask him to ensure repeat or live under penalty of having reliability issues ... and that is not what I said request.

It is complete, versatile (if changing the lamp preamp), compact and does not have a design to rot the aesthetics of your living room. That bonus, then!
Competing products have never appealed to me because too incomplete (only one tone control, no gain setting, no effects loop to put an equalizer, fixed impedance, ...). Congratulations Blackstar!