BLACKSTAR HT-60 Guitar Amp Review
Written by admin on September 7, 2010 – 2:00 pm -A member of my band recently purchased a new Blackstar HT-60 guitar amp, and it has definitely blown away each of us who have played it, and heard it in action. The current price range of these amps is also incredible. Blackstar is finally allowing for guitarists to get a high quality amp that is all tube, has great tone and the capability of being played very, very loudly.
Before I get into the details about this amp, here’s a quick background on Blackstar, in case you’re new to the name.
Blackstar was founded by Ian Robinson and Bruce Keir around 4 years ago. They were both part of Marshall’s R&D department, and when they left to start the company, they took several other Marshall employees with them. Blackstar still remains strongly independent, and that attitude is reflected in all of the amps and pedals they create. They believe that their products will allow musicians to find the ‘sound in their head’ because they possess a level of tonal flexibility that other equipment cannot match.
Now, onto the amp…
The Blackstar HT-60 produces 60 watts of all tube power using 2 EL34s, and pushes it through 2 12 inch Celestion speakers. If you’re wondering if this amp is loud, the answer is a definite ‘Yes’.
The clean channel on this amp is really versatile. It has 2 available modes which are ‘boutique’ and ‘modern’, and its own dedicated Tone controls which provide an even wider range of available clean sounds. The Voice switch on this channel is a feature that really makes it stand out. It reconfigures the preamp voicing, gain structure and the power amp’s damping to produce either ringing Class A tones, or clean and tight Class AB tones.
Like most guitarists, my favorite channel on an amp is the Overdrive channel, and this one does not disappoint. It has its own dedicated EQ section and Voice switch that provides similar tonal flexibility as the clean channel. The tone is high in gain, and will sound just as good if you’re playing it on 2, or cranking the volume to 11. The amp’s standout pre amp and shaping techniques allow for your tone to always remain natural sounding, no matter what extreme you are playing at.
The ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) is one of the biggest things that set Blackstar amps apart from the others out there. This control actually shifts the tone from a US-Style response on one end, to a UK-Type at the other. Combined with the 2 existing Overdrive channels, this feature provides a near infinite amount of tone variations unavailable in most, if not all amps.
The only thing digital on this amp is the Reverb. Even though it is digital, it still sounds completely natural and beautiful on both the clean and overdrive channels. To give this amp even more tone options, even the reverb has a Bright/Dark switch so a player can select one that best fits their different playing styles.
The last thing, and probably one of the characteristics impossible to overlook, is just how cool this amp looks:
Words are great and all, but what is really important is sound. Below is a video that showcases just how great this amp really is:
SPECS
Model: HT Stage 60
Power (RMS): 60 watts
Tubes: 2 x EL34, 2 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82
Weight: 67lb.
Dimensions: 28-1/4″H x 23″W x 11″D
Footswitch: FS-7 included, optional FS-4 for Overdrive 2 Voice
Price: $800-900
Find Blackstar Amps available on sale at EBay.com
Tags: Blackstar, Guitar Amp, HT-60
Posted in Guitar Amp Reivews | 4 Comments »
By Matt on Sep 7, 2010 | Reply
Agreed that this amp sounds incredible. Had a chance to play through one last week, plugged right in, no effects, and was not disappointed. Priced really well too.
By guidav on Oct 5, 2010 | Reply
very diverse amp ! I would like to have one as a back up to my amp.
By Al Mele on Mar 21, 2011 | Reply
I just purchased the HT-60,Stage model. Best amp I ever owned. I was looking for a fender that wouldn’t have as much headroom as my ’65 Twin. I played this and was blown away. I actually, don’t think I’ll need to use the distortion channels often. The Amp breaks up nicely when the clean channel is driven.
One gripe- Don’t follw the instructions for setting up the speakers in the combo. They are contradicted by the chart Blackstar provides you with. The prose says use the 1x 16 Ohm input for the resident speakers. he chart says use the 1×8 jack. I wrote to blackstar to find out the latter is correct.
By William Bronchick on Nov 10, 2011 | Reply
Awesome amp I bought used for a song. Reverb is beautiful. First channel on the class a mode rivals my bogner. Only gripe is that channel A is too loud compared to B and C. To get get the grit on A, you must drive the preamplifier volume and that makes it too loud. Channel A needs it’s own gain. Ver very heavy, but worth the sound!