Blackstar HT-5RH Guitar Amplifier Head, 5 Watts

Product Review:

If you are thinking of buying this without hearing it first, don't. It is almost impossible to find one in stock somewhere to check them out but, they get such great reviews that I figured, what the heck, I'll take the risk. Now, I wished I would have saved some money and bought the jet city head or spent more on a Krank. It's not terrible but I sure can't hear where the almost cult like following comes from. The ISF feature is ok but I have owened several Marshalls over the years, tube and solid state, and the "British" side does not sound like one to me and I even have it running through a Marshall cab. The only position I can stand the ISF knob in, is all the way to the "American" side. The treble and bass eq controls respond pretty well but, the mid control is down right annoying. If you are into 80s-90s metal and like to get that guilty pleasure that is the scooped mid, you will not find it. Likewise if you try to go the other way and hump the mids, it turns to total mud. I am hoping a EQ pedal or two will fix this but I have not had a chance to try yet. On the plus side, the 5 watt power rating seems like complete fiction, this thing is every bit as loud or louder than my 40 watt Peavey TripleXXX tube combo and keeps up with my little 200watt PA. This amp also seems to really like pedals and responds VERY differently to different guitars/pickups. The build quality is some of the best I have ever seen, on par with Peaveys American made stuff, do not let the fact that it comes from Asia fool you. I was disapointed with this amp but, not enough to send it back. My advice, don't buy it till you have played it.