Gearank High Notes
Gearank Recommendation
The HT-1R appeared on our recommended list for Practice Amps from September 2017 until April 2019 when it was removed due to a lack of availability.
It was also on our recommended list for Guitar Amps Under $500 from March 2018 until April 2019.
Overview
The Blackstar HT-1R is a compact tube amp that’s designed to produce genuine cranked tube tones at lower volumes. This is the same as the lower priced Blackstar HT-1, with the only difference being that the HT-1R includes reverb while the HT-1 does not.
This is made possible with a 1 Watt amplifier circuit that houses an ECC83 preamp tube, which is essentially a 12AX7 just named differently by Europeans, and a ECC82 poweramp tube – also called a 12AU7.
Complementing its real tube components is Blackstar’s ISF circuit, which behaves like a fine tuned filter and EQ to add US or UK amp tone flavors to your sound.
The Blackstar HT-1R is the perfect bedroom tube amp, ideal for those who want good plug-and-play tones without disturbing others.
Specifications
- Power Rating: 1-Watt
- Speaker Size: 8” Speaker
- Effects: Distortion, Reverb
- Controls: Gain, Volume, ISF, Reverb
- Input/Output: AUX-In, Headphone/Emulated Line-Out
- Extras: Valve Amplifier, ISF Control
- Weight: 13lbs
Demos
Here are some examples of its tones:
About Blackstar
Founded by former Marshall employees, Blackstar has grown to be a reputable amp manufacturer with its own identity. These days, it is able to go toe to toe with the biggest brands in the industry, thanks to the innovations they introduced into their designs. Their most popular innovation is called ISF or Infinite Shape Feature, a single knob that lets you shift the voicing of your amp from American to British amp flavor, and covering everything in between. Blackstar is well received for their amps’ high gain tone, which works well with modern rock and metal styles. Richie Sambora, Neil Schon, Jon Gomm, Sammy Haggar and Ozzy Osbourne are just a few of the many popular artists that use their amps.