# Blackstar HT-20 - WoW



## jcmjmp

I received a Blackstar HT-20 this week. I've had a lot of amps before this one as a backup or portable amp for when I don't want to lug round a full size head. The size and features of this amp are exactly what I was looking for.

The first time I plugged it in was at band rehearsal. What I found out, is that the thing sounds good without having to twiddle the knobs too much. The one thing I was disappointed in was that there is no 4 ohm output. The cab I had at rehearsal was 4 ohm so I had to use only 1/2 of the cab, using only one 8Ω speaker. The cab is a custom made cab loaded with V30s, which sound good with most "boutique" amps.

*The Clean Channel. *
This is where most amps fail. This one however, has a marvellous clean channel with the right amount of attack and dynamics. The EQing on this channel is right. With a Strat, you can really get the funk out. On a Les Paul, I can get smooth, jazzy tones or more modern 80's metal type cleans with a few turns of the tone and ISF knobs. 
When compared to the clean channel of my DSL, I would say that this little amp does a great job. The DSL has a great clean channel and I've always been dissapointed in the other amps clean channels. This amp really delivers on this front. 

*The OD Channel.*
Right off the bat, I noticed two things: First, the amp has a very nice vocal character to it that seems to be like a cross between a Marshall and a Vox. The upper mids are very throaty. The amp just makes the guitar sing and going into controlled feedback is a breeze. Second is the gain - The amp has more than enough and there is no need for extra boost or OD pedals, especially if you have high output pickups. This is the kind of tone that I've been looking for. It has a strong British flavor to it without sounding like a Marshall or a Vox. 
The bass response is tight and controlled. With the bass maxed out, you will not get as much bass as most amps but really, unless you're trying to cover bass territory, that not really an issue. In saying that, I think that Blackstar HT-20 could have added a little more low end for those guitar players that would like that. 
With the amp running through a 4x12 cab with greenbacks, the sound is still very throaty, but a little more relaxed compared to a V30 cab. The Greenbacks and G12H-30s also lend to a warmer sounding tone, as do a cab loaded with G12-65s (my favorite combination). The amp is bright at high volumes, as are Marshalls. Playing around with the treble and ISF controls can help with this.

The ISF control is a neat feature. It allows the user to re-voice the amp on the fly to get a more American or British flavor to the final tone. The effect is nice. I tend to like the setting set at 12:00 O'clock. For some things, I bring it up to maybe 2:00 O'clock or down to 10:00 O'clock. 

I haven't opened the amp up but it seems to be very well built. It comes with TAD tubes. I should check to see how its biased.

Overall, I'm very happy with the amp. It just sounds great. The Egnater Rebel 30 that this amp replaces was completely dull and lifeless in comparison, not to mention more expensive. I think that I'm going to have to check out the HT-100 amp


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## gunboatstudio

Congrats on the purchase!

Being a big fan of my HT-Dual distortion pedal, I checked out the HT-100 at a guitar-store nearby. I was shopping for a new head, and it was between that and the JVM210. In the end, I went with Marshall.

I remember liking the cleans. Nothing speacial... they were bright. But I don't play much clean stuff anyway.

I agree that it was super easy to get a great overdrive sound with these amps. Very Marshall-esque roaring sound... but with a bite. Palm-mute heaven. 

My only complaint was that the gain knob wasn't very responsive. There was a ton of good distortion at 10 o'clock. And there was a ton of good distortion at 5 o'clock. Not much of a difference between them, though. It might as well have been an on-off button.

But aside from that, I consider myself a fan of Blackstar HT series. I'm gassing for the 1x12 HT-40.


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## paul-e-mann

jcmjmp said:


> I received a Blackstar HT-20 this week. I've had a lot of amps before this one as a backup or portable amp for when I don't want to lug round a full size head. The size and features of this amp are exactly what I was looking for.



Nice review! I was wondering about the HT-20. My local GC didnt have one so I played the HT-5 but thought the overdrive sounded a bit too modern for my liking (for a lack of a better description); maybe its the Blackstar cab I played through? I dont know. I dont want to prejudge the 20 before I ever get a chance to try it, but does it sound different than the 5? More of a vintage sounding overdrive? Paul


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## manicguitarist

I've got an HT-5 mini stack for home usage. It is still *Way* loud though!

If you put the HT-5 through a proper 4x12, they sound awesome. Not enough headroom for a clean sound...but hey, this is rock and roll!


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## MartyStrat54

Great review, JCMJMP. I was wondering when you would give one of the HT's a shot. The HT-20 is a really nice amp and yes, it blows the Egnater away. Some say the sound of a HT-20 is comparable to a 20 watt Jet City amp. If so, nice company.


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## thetragichero

might have to exchange the picovalve for the ht-5


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## jcmjmp

So I was a little curious about this amp's design. As I said in my original post, I think that the amp could use a little more bass. I'm not sure which part of the circuit is limiting it but I assume that it is semi intentional as not to overwhelm a single speaker cabinet, which is how most would use the amp. 

I'd like a little more bass for some of the music I play, so I opened her up. Here's what I found:













As you can see, there a LOT of surface mount components in there 

Without a schematic, it will be very hard to mod the amp for a little more low end oomph. 

I did find that the OT was tiny. Perhaps that is one of the limiting factors? I could spec out a better OT, like I did for the DSL transformers but without the schems, there's no point in looking at the OT. Still, I do see an OT upgrade in the future  My DSL's choke is the same size as that OT.


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## jcmjmp

Another opinion from the forum:
http://www.marshallforum.com/other-amps/14289-nad-blackstar-ht-studio-20h.html


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## diesect20022000

jcmjmp said:


> I received a Blackstar HT-20 this week. I've had a lot of amps before this one as a backup or portable amp for when I don't want to lug round a full size head. The size and features of this amp are exactly what I was looking for.
> 
> The first time I plugged it in was at band rehearsal. What I found out, is that the thing sounds good without having to twiddle the knobs too much. The one thing I was disappointed in was that there is no 4 ohm output. The cab I had at rehearsal was 4 ohm so I had to use only 1/2 of the cab, using only one 8Ω speaker. The cab is a custom made cab loaded with V30s, which sound good with most "boutique" amps.
> 
> *The Clean Channel. *
> This is where most amps fail. This one however, has a marvellous clean channel with the right amount of attack and dynamics. The EQing on this channel is right. With a Strat, you can really get the funk out. On a Les Paul, I can get smooth, jazzy tones or more modern 80's metal type cleans with a few turns of the tone and ISF knobs.
> When compared to the clean channel of my DSL, I would say that this little amp does a great job. The DSL has a great clean channel and I've always been dissapointed in the other amps clean channels. This amp really delivers on this front.
> 
> *The OD Channel.*
> Right off the bat, I noticed two things: First, the amp has a very nice vocal character to it that seems to be like a cross between a Marshall and a Vox. The upper mids are very throaty. The amp just makes the guitar sing and going into controlled feedback is a breeze. Second is the gain - The amp has more than enough and there is no need for extra boost or OD pedals, especially if you have high output pickups. This is the kind of tone that I've been looking for. It has a strong British flavor to it without sounding like a Marshall or a Vox.
> The bass response is tight and controlled. With the bass maxed out, you will not get as much bass as most amps but really, unless you're trying to cover bass territory, that not really an issue. In saying that, I think that Blackstar HT-20 could have added a little more low end for those guitar players that would like that.
> With the amp running through a 4x12 cab with greenbacks, the sound is still very throaty, but a little more relaxed compared to a V30 cab. The Greenbacks and G12H-30s also lend to a warmer sounding tone, as do a cab loaded with G12-65s (my favorite combination). The amp is bright at high volumes, as are Marshalls. Playing around with the treble and ISF controls can help with this.
> 
> The ISF control is a neat feature. It allows the user to re-voice the amp on the fly to get a more American or British flavor to the final tone. The effect is nice. I tend to like the setting set at 12:00 O'clock. For some things, I bring it up to maybe 2:00 O'clock or down to 10:00 O'clock.
> 
> I haven't opened the amp up but it seems to be very well built. It comes with TAD tubes. I should check to see how its biased.
> 
> Overall, I'm very happy with the amp. It just sounds great. The Egnater Rebel 30 that this amp replaces was completely dull and lifeless in comparison, not to mention more expensive. I think that I'm going to have to check out the HT-100 amp



It makes sense your mid point description of the tone as marshall and vox are from my gathering now one and the same owned and the engineers at Blackstar are all supposedly from Marshall originaly. Glad it sounds goo man. You know, i thought the SAME THING with the rebel and tourmaster amps...very dark,dull and stiff....not tube tone machines at all imo which is disapointing because Bruce does good on his handwired stuff.


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## paul-e-mann

jcmjmp said:


> Another opinion from the forum:
> http://www.marshallforum.com/other-amps/14289-nad-blackstar-ht-studio-20h.html



I checked out this post which lead me to a harmony-central post with ht-20 soundclips NAD: Blackstar HT-20 head (+V30 cab and samples) - Harmony Central Forums
All I can say is Wow! I was really digging the tone on those clips. I cant find one to try in person, that would definitely help me out. I tried the ht-5 but it just didnt sound right to my ears, maybe a bit too compressed or something; too modern for me. These ht-20 clips dont sound so much like that, more open mids, nice lows, classic tones. I'd like hear a ht-20 through greenbacks since thats what I have.


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## jcmjmp

I have to admit though - the OD channel does seem to have a solid state-y feel to it. Not sure what it is. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that there is some amount of solid state in the tone shaping circuitry. Still, for the money, its a great little amp. 

I tried the emulated line out last week and I didn't like it, like most emulated outs. You really need to run it through guitar speakers to get decent tone.


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## chuckmehh

For what it's worth, when I went to guitar center, I was testing guitars and amp-wise they had a DSL100, Blackstar HT-5, Vox night train, Egnater Rebel, Line 6 Spider Valve MKII, and Marshall Haze in the "glass room (whatever they call that room) and I ended up using the Blackstar to test all the guitars through. It just sounded better to me. You guys know I play the heavy modern metal too, so I'm sure the HT-20 can do that sound as well. It was a pleasantly surprising little amp.


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## jcmjmp

chuckmehh said:


> For what it's worth, when I went to guitar center, I was testing guitars and amp-wise they had a DSL100, Blackstar HT-5, Vox night train, Egnater Rebel, Line 6 Spider Valve MKII, and Marshall Haze in the "glass room (whatever they call that room) and I ended up using the Blackstar to test all the guitars through. It just sounded better to me. You guys know I play the heavy modern metal too, so I'm sure the HT-20 can do that sound as well. It was a pleasantly surprising little amp.



I still think that the DSL is better sounding overall vs the HT-20. I think I'll try an HT-100 someday though... just for kicks.


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## Strateuphoria

a cross between a Vox and a Marshall, pretty much sums it up.


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## topcat 70

Ive got a ht5.Brilliant practice amp but very modern sounding overdrive.I would rather use my MK2 or 800 for band practice.Im guessing the ht20 has a similar sound which to me is more like a 900!


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## 6550

Holy crap, look at those micro components!!! Never seen those in an amp before. Actually the only other time i have seen those was in a behringer distortion pedal that a guy smashed open and things like cell phones. Nightmare!!!


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## diesect20022000

how's the amp hanging now? I'm still interested in checking them out. I'm such a whore..


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## 357mag

I've got an HT-H head with a Greenback loaded 1 x 10 cab. It's the first amp I've had that actually sounds good at low volumes. It was built that way from the ground up. Most amps fail at this. I don't hear the cross between a Vox and a Marshall though. I hear Marshall but to me Vox amps are bright and jangly. A cross between a Marshall and something else perhaps.

I recommend it.


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## jcmjmp

diesect20022000 said:


> how's the amp hanging now? I'm still interested in checking them out. I'm such a whore..



I still like it. I've been playing through it a lot lately and got used to the high end response of it. It definitely has a high mid cut that adds a Vox'y flavour to it. 

I'm seriously thinking of putting a better OT in there though. I'm under the impression that the OT that's in there might be limiting.


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## thrawn86

6550 said:


> Holy crap, look at those micro components!!!



After seeing the tranny, that's the next thing I thought of. JJ, what's your take on the Blackstar's lifespan with those components?


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## jcmjmp

thrawn86 said:


> After seeing the tranny, that's the next thing I thought of. JJ, what's your take on the Blackstar's lifespan with those components?



You know, there's nothing wrong with surface mount technology. Its proven, works well and been known to be fairly trouble free. 

The components themselves aren't really smaller and this is a common misconception. They often look smaller because they don't have leads coming out of them. Additionally, they can also be made smaller because they don't need the extra hardware, support and spacing to mount on a through hole PCB. 

If the solder joints are solid, there should be no issues but we all know that the new RoHs compliance is a problem in terms of reliability. Is it really good for the environment to be producing product that is less reliable, causing people to simply buy, trash, replace faster? ... but I digress.

The only thing that I'm not too thrilled about is the maintainability/tweakability of this amp. Surface mount components makes for slightly more time when on the bench as you have to be more precise and careful.


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## jcmjmp

I played the amp in a heavy metal band context yesterday with loud drums and this was the first time I ran it this loud.

I used my 1987 Ibanez Jem equipped with low output PAF Pro pickups and ran the OD channel volume 3/4 of the way and the gain knob was dimed. The clean channel was also run 3/4 of the way up.

There was no lack of OD from the amp. I never turned on a pedal to get more drive out of the amp, which I thought was nice. Also, the bass response was substantial (I use 10 gauge strings, tuned 1/2 step down) . There's a huge difference in low end response from this amp at bedroom/home practice levels vs the volumes used with a loud drummer. Usually, at home, I set the bass at 3 O'clock whereas when run with the bad, I had to turn it down to around 10 O'clock. It sounded real chunky and heavy while remaining very tight. Overall, I was impressed with the overall tone of the amp and I think that there's definitely something to work with here. 

One thing I noticed is that the amp didn't cut though the mix as well as something like a JCM800 2204. I was using a greenback loaded cab and the guitar I used has tons of high mids. I had the mids at 3 o'clock, perhaps I should have maxed it out. There's also the ISF feature that I could have tweaked but this was a short practice so I didn't want to waste everyone's time while I was fiddling with the knobs. I'll definitely try different eq settings next time and report back.


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## lucidspoon

I haven't been on in a while, so this is the first I've noticed this thread, but I love my HT-20 head too! I definitely think it's a good complimentary amp for someone who has a Marshall as their primary amp. I don't think I ever use any extra overdrive on it either, where I usually do with my DSL to push it over the edge a bit. With the Blackstar, you can get it pretty saturated without getting too muddled.

Now that I've added a Vox to my line-up, I can run the gamut of British sounds depending on my taste at the time.


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## tresmarshallz

> One thing I noticed is that the amp didn't cut though the mix as well as something like a JCM800 2204



from my personal experience 20W amps could never be enough for a heavy metal context band with drums/bass etc. It is el84's right? IMO two of those tubes just don't stand a chance in a heavy band.

You are much more technically savy than I, so I'm not telling you anything you don't know....I'm kind of confused that you would think 2 el84's would cut through anything close to two el34's like in the 2204 amp.

thanks for the in depth review on the amp jcmjmp, very useful.


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## jcmjmp

drdowell said:


> from my personal experience 20W amps could never be enough for a heavy metal context band with drums/bass etc. It is el84's right? IMO two of those tubes just don't stand a chance in a heavy band.
> 
> You are much more technically savy than I, so I'm not telling you anything you don't know....I'm kind of confused that you would think 2 el84's would cut through anything close to two el34's like in the 2204 amp.
> 
> thanks for the in depth review on the amp jcmjmp, very useful.



The HT-20 is EL34 based and I was asked to turn down my guitar when I first started playing, with live, maple drums & a heavy hitting durmmer. Plenty loud and the bass really kicks in when the amp is turned up. I was surprised at the amount of thump the amp has at band levels vs home pratice levels.

The HT-20 definitely has more balls than the EL84 based Mesa 20/20 amp I had, even with the deep mod (removed the input high pass filtering - See post #1 on the mesa forum - that's my amp and how I documented the deep mod for this amp: http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=31723 )


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## racersteen68

i love my HT5, similar amp great tones
heres my dodgy videos!
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvZXwyfU7fA]YouTube - solo Blackstar HT5[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yblaYAge3Ik]YouTube - Blackstar HT5 combo[/ame]
i love the ISF
great amps


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## mike_pittsburgh

Dude, your so going to hell now.
Say 20 Hail Marshalls, go buy a plexi and repent before it's too late!
(btw, your clips sound damn good.)
Oh, now see! Your dragging me down with you!

fuk meeee....

No muzak stores in my neck-o-the-woods carry blackstar ampage. Oh wait, guitar center does.

oh, fuk meeee.


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## Moose Lewis

racersteen68 said:


> i love my HT5, similar amp great tones



Been looking to try one of these and the Jet City equivalent. Can you crank it in a small room without taking your head off? Can it do a 'Marshally' crunch, and clean up with the guitar volume?

My studio is mainly designed for mastering, and is small. I can tolerate the JCM 800 at volume, but the sound pressure overpowers all of my studio mics. The Haze 40 does beautiful recording pure clean and lead work, but I like the crunch rhythms of a straight JCM 800 cranked.

Your lead tone sounds great, btw!
 Cheers


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## racersteen68

Thanks guys!
You can crank it fine, that clip was at loud tv volume!
Clean channel very good and gain variable, i had it at about 6


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## musicman

The HT-20 & HT-5 give very different tones.

The HT-5 is loud enough to use at rehearsals if you don't need any clean headroom.

The HT-20 is too loud to give power tube overdrive without using an attenuator.


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## racersteen68

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SufKMRHZCn8]YouTube - Blackstar HT5 solo **rooms racerxified[/ame]
more tone , louder volume (family all out !)


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## Rozman62

Got a HT-20 Studio due in later next week. I have heard/read all good things about these amps. The other guitar player in my band has approx. 12 Marshalls/Fender amps so he is selling it to me.


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## jcmjmp

So I tested the amp at a venue yesterday, just before soundcheck. The venue was fairly large, larger than your typical bar. I set up the HT-20 through my Marshall 4x12 loaded with Celestion Century and vintage G12T-75s.

Again, the amp doesn't cut through the mix as well as the Marshalls I have but even then, there's definitely some good tones in this amp, especially with the ISF cranked towards the "brit" side for live work.

One of the things that I noticed was that when really cranked up, the low end really starts to fart out. When I look at the output transformer, I have no questions as to why that would be. Still, I was surprised at how the amp kinda lost its definition with the master set to about 4. I had the channel volumes set to approx 9 with the gain dimed.I ended up using the old trusty 1997 Marshall DSL 50. 

The HT-20 sounds nice at lower volumes though. When I compare this to the tiny terror I used to have, the Tiny Terror sounded great with the volume cranked and cut through very well. 

This is more of a small venue/home practice amp. 

The reason why I sold the TT was the lack of an effects loop and clean channel. I might just have to try the dual terror out.


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## Rozman62

Tried my HT-20 Combo for the first time last night at band practice. I was very pleased with the tone on the clean ch with a Maxon 808 OD and the overdrive channel. I had to jack up the mids and bass and role off the treble to get the darker sound I was after. The ISF positioned around 10:00 sounded great. For the overdrive channel I had the master and channel volume on 8 and the gain on 3. I had controlled feedback at my finger tips with my LP. Overall I am very impressed. I bought this amp for home use but may reconsider gigging with it.


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## johnnyeggz

what do ya think would be a great ot upgrade?


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## Rozman62

I find it odd that the HT-20 combo has no standby switch. Would anybody know why this is? 

In the combo version I have read that alot of people are swapping out the stock Celestion (Rocket 50) for something else. I am thinking a greenback swap might work out as I play classic rock.


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## jcmjmp

johnnyeggz said:


> what do ya think would be a great ot upgrade?



I might just spec one out and have my own OT, like I did with the DSL OT.



Rozman62 said:


> I find it odd that the HT-20 combo has no standby switch. Would anybody know why this is?



A standby switch isn't really needed IMO. There are some people that think they are a must though. I think that they are pratical but not essential. On a low budget amp like this, every cost cutting measure counts.


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## johnnyeggz

jcmjmp said:


> I might just spec one out and have my own OT, like I did with the DSL OT.



go for it,id buy one,i think a beefier OT would cure the fart outs and enrich the tone too boot...


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## lucidspoon

Rozman62 said:


> I find it odd that the HT-20 combo has no standby switch. Would anybody know why this is?


I don't know why other than the cost cutting that was already mentioned, but having nothing in the input is the same as having it in standby. So, they recommend you turn it on without anything plugged in, wait the normal 30 seconds or so, and then plug in.


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## fretfire6

What can I expect to pay for an HT-20? I'm pretty impressed with the OD tones. It's worth picking up if the price is right.


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## baiff

Just ordered a HT20 head and the 2x12 Artisan cab with the Celestian v30's!!! Can't wait for it to get here, hopefully by the end of the week. I used a 15% coupon at MF and it was about $950 for both. I will give a review once it arrives and I dial it in. I have been looking for a new practice/Small gig amp and this is it. I tried about 6 different Marshalls but I wasn't in love with any of them (and I am a marshall fan). Then I tried the 40 and 60 combos at Sam Ash and was really impressed with the tones.


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## GIANS3

Hello everybody! i am new in this forum.
It's very interesting your report on this amp, thanks a lot.
I would like to ask you what cab is the best one to match with this HT 20 head to play music like Led Zep,AcDc,Black Sabbath,Accept..even if these bands have very different sounds. I was thinking about the VOX V112NT with a GREENBACK . ( I am in an apartment) 
What do you suggest me? 
Thank you very much!
Gians3


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## Snakeface

I'm sold on Blackstar....I just recieved yesterday the HT5 head and after I changed the stock preamp tube for a JJ....man, killer tones out of that small head...I was so amazed by the tone/features that I went out and tried the HT Stage 100....I was blown away and the price of the head was only 930$....I found one on the used market going for 500$...wtf !!! I need to add more blackstar in my line of amps


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## 2203xman

I have a ht-20 combo in like new condition.Thinking of cutting it loose to cover some winter debt.It would have to be an in person deal.I live right on the Maryland -Wva line,can be in Pa in 20 min.,or DC area in about an hour and a half...Could save someone some bucks here,cool amp.Pm me if interested..


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## Söulcaster

Triesd a HT20 combo recently, to be fair it was in a shop trying out guitars and was only on it for about half an hour and didnt like it at all. Had some cool features, and prolly be better through a 4x12. Overall not impressed.

Maybe if I'd of had more time with it I could of dialed it in a lil better.


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## 2203xman

If Blackstar would have put a presence control on this amp the old school folks could relate to it more...It would cut more like our Marshalls,solid amp though,leans toward harder music styles..ala slipknot..etc..the clean can be used with effects to get an older style vibe.


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## Ed Hunter

Rozman62 said:


> I find it odd that the HT-20 combo has no standby switch. Would anybody know why this is?


because when you pull out the guitar cord from the input it goes into auto standby
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW4HlT-ZOPo&feature=list_other&playnext=1&list=SP6CA77E363214FDF8[/ame]


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## Ed Hunter

topcat 70 said:


> Ive got a ht5.Brilliant practice amp but very modern sounding overdrive.
> Im guessing the ht20 has a similar sound which to me is more like a 900!


 Is there any truth to this comment cause i love the 900!


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## Söulcaster

Ed Hunter said:


> Is there any truth to this comment cause i love the 900!



IMO not even close....purely subjective though.

The HT20 I tried out sounded nothing like my old 4500.


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## Ed Hunter

Söulcaster said:


> IMO not even close....purely subjective though.
> 
> The HT20 I tried out sounded nothing like my old 4500.



thanks, i wish i could demo the HT20 and H5R but there are none in the stores where i shop. so i am dealing with a online buy,and need to find out as much as i can before i order. I do like the features of the HT20 head, 2x12ax7/ecc83's and two EL34 OP tubes but i guess at a low vol that doesnt matter anyway right?


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## Söulcaster

Ed Hunter said:


> thanks, i wish i could demo the HT20 and H5R but there are none in the stores where i shop. so i am dealing with a online buy,and need to find out as much as i can before i order. I do like the features of the HT20 head, 2x12ax7/ecc83's and two EL34 OP tubes but i guess at a low vol that doesnt matter anyway right?



If it's just for practice I can't see you having a problem with the Blackstar....,,,

Have you had a look at amps like the Vox Nightrain? 15watts of Vox goodness...


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## Ed Hunter

Söulcaster said:


> If it's just for practice I can't see you having a problem with the Blackstar....,,,
> 
> Have you had a look at amps like the Vox Nightrain? 15watts of Vox goodness...



I am really into the look of the full mini stack,i was going to buy a 1 watt JMP or JCM but they are $800 and i would still need two 1x12 cabs.


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## woodddj

Ed Hunter said:


> Is there any truth to this comment cause i love the 900!



the HT5 sounds close to the 900. i called my HT5 a little 900 on acid. lol


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## Guitar-Rocker

When at Brians last week, we tried out a HT 20 that he had purchased. I really liked the clean with a touch of reverb in it, and that was after listening to the 10W go it's paces that I had built, so kudos to the HT20 for cleans. In overdrive I thought it sounded flat, one diminsional, much like a Crate Blue Voodoo, sorry that overdrive wouldn't fit if I was the builder of that amp. I thought it lacking.


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## paul-e-mann

I liked the gain channel except I had to keep the gain at like 1-1.5 to get a good crunch, anything higher was just way too saturated for anything I would use. Ultimately that makes 9/10's of that gain useless to me. The clean channel is a Fender clean if you like that kind of thing, not my cup of tea. Overall I thought it a good amp, just not one I would invest in. Theres many other amps in that price range to choose from.


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## Rozman62

pedecamp said:


> I liked the gain channel except I had to keep the gain at like 1-1.5 to get a good crunch, anything higher was just way too saturated for anything I would use. Ultimately that makes 9/10's of that gain useless to me. The clean channel is a Fender clean if you like that kind of thing, not my cup of tea. Overall I thought it a good amp, just not one I would invest in. Theres many other amps in that price range to choose from.



100% agree on your take. Especially the gain setting. A good OD with the drive jacked up in the clean channel can give out that light gain crunch that cuts through the mix pretty well.


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## DWK302

I've tried to like Blackstars, but I haven't been able to get a sound I like from any model. The cleans are generally nice, though nothing special. Dirt sounds harsh and brittle. Best way I could describe it is imagine the sound of a hundred pages of paper being scrunched up simultaneously. The ISP is a good idea but doesn't have a meaningful affect on tone. Just MHO.


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## TheMightyBastendorf

I put together a demo vid of the HT20 head, with the matching 212 cab.

Hope this gives some insight!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp3bvpnMOns


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