@strataminor what do you play? for metal, the ht5 is the way to go. for classic rock and blues, i'd say the marshall class 5 is your amp. dunno bout the bmw, never heard of that amp.
I don't get it. Everyone I see on the internet with one of these loves it, yet I bought one about a year ago now and it sounds like absolute shit. I'm just about to sell it. Do you think there's a problem with it or something?
Wattage has not much to do with volume. It only means how much headroom u have. Difference between a 100 watt amp and a 20 watt amp is the 100 watt amp will have more headroom, therefore it'll sound more dynamic and remains the clarity, and 20w amp will sound muddier due to it's headroom
@GuitarGod94XxXx headroom is like a meter to how much volume can an amp/ cabinet push out at maximum without destorying themselves.
when an amp is being built, the designer has a rough idea of what is it gonna sound like, and they'll usually begin with a) How loud is the amp gonna be b)what type of sound are they after.
how loud the amp will related how many pairs of power tubes will be in the amp.
and what type of sound will related what tubes will they use.
@GuitarGod94XxXx so back to ur question, number of tubes are set while the designer designing the amp. More pairs of power tubes, you'll have more headroom, and it'll take more to saturate, and therefore it'll have more clarity.
Less pairs of power tubes, you'll have less headroom, and it'll take less to saturate, and therefore it'll have less clarity and resulting in a muddier tone.
and that's what "Watt" defines in the whole equation.
the point of amps isnt about the volume it's about the tone
@darren0512341 so getting a 50 watt amp is better than this little 5 watt. well i think it'll be worth it thanks man for the useful information i always have trouble with amps and stuff. the thing is though i dont want too loud of an amp but i also dont want too muddy of a tone plus i hate waiting to save my money but i think im gonna save anyway. Thanks again oh and one more question if you dont mind...what are the different type of tubes? the only one i know is the EL34 in most Marshall.
@GuitarGod94XxXx I own a mesa dual rectifier and it's 100W and I never turn that master up pass 9:00. so lower wattage is the way to go. I think even 50w is still a bit overkill. I assumed u are a metal player, so you may consider ENGL gigmaster, Orange dark terror, dual tiny terror. if u have some spare cash, u may consider the mesa mini rectifier, evh III micro head. those are nice low wattage tube amps.
@GuitarGod94XxXx there are tones of tubes out there, but most amp use 6L6 (American voicing) or EL34 (British Voicing). tube amps wattage below 50 will usually be either 6v6 (just half voltage ver. of 6L6) or EL84(just half voltage ver. of EL34). wattage higher than 50, u'll start seeing 6L6s or EL34s. tubes difference is all about the tone: 6L6 has more low mid, low end. EL34 has more high mid , high end. I prefer 6L6 coz it's warmer. but it's up to ur taste.
@darren0512341 thanks mate and i really like both...is there a way to kinda get both tone with 2 different channels? like EL34 on one channel and 6L6 on the other? or would i have to get 2 different amps?
It'll be LOADS louder. The Spider is only a solid state amp, whereas the HT-5 is 5-watts of valve.
It'll be loud enough for small gigs, especially if mic'd. I have a Tiny Terror which, when on the 7-watt mode, had to have the volume knob below 12 o'clock on full gain when I used to gig. The guys on the sound board didn't like me having it cranked.
And I didn't need it!
This will be similar volume wise. Louder than a 50-watt solid state, easy.
i found this used on craigslist, should i get it, i wanna play rock and metal, and i have a epiphone LP standard plus top and Peavey EVH wolfgang special? help Please!!!
I'm trying to decide between the Bugera V22, Vox AC-4 and this. You convinced me to try this one, thanks for a good demo. Great sounding amp for a tiny price =)
Im getting the full stack tomorrow off craigslist. The only problem is the cabs that come with it are also blackstar so they wont sound as good, but im saving $500. Ive heard Peavies, Blackheart, and Marshall (like your own) cabs sound great when you this amp though cifferent cabs. any suggestions for nice but cheap cabs in that category?
i use a digitech rp500 multi fx with a keely ds1 in front. Anyone try something like that with this? I notice many amps sound really muddy or the effects go crazy. I just tried a spider line6 IV 15 watt and i dont even use the digitech with it.
Hey, I mention in the vid just before 5:45. ISF fully anti-clockwise, Treble up around 3 o clock, Mids scooped down to about 9 o clock, bass up around 2 o clock, Gain around 3 o clock (I'm using Seymour Duncans in the vid, so use less gain if you have active pickups. More gain if you're using single coils).
@MikeWazowski I tryed that but it still doesn't sound as good as yours. Did you change the tubes? Maybe it's the blackstar cabs the head comes with arent very good?
The vid was shot the second i got home from the shop, so it's the stock tubes. It's going through a Marshall 2x12, so it'll sound quite different to the 1x10s the Blackstar comes with i guess. I'd just compensate with some more bass.
@GuitarmanIeuan He's playing out of a marshall cabinet, your probabaly not are you? The cabinet is where the sound comes from so that's a major factor in the tone you hear.
@Schpudd Definitely, me too. The way I see it, most effective way to get a very close Mesa Lead sound, the clean is very usable with some tweaking, EFX Loop, footswitch supplied. I mean, c'mom, wth? Also worth mentioning is that the volume rolls back really well, I use mine almost as a one channel amp on the dirty channel, except when I need crystal clear rhythms or arpeggios of some kind. Some delay and reverb from my Nova system on the loop, Barber LTD SR in front, that's it, awesome setup.
@Aceoflaze The wattage of the cabinet is the maximum it can take, the amp is what produces the power, so you would get 5 watts. It would certainly be fuller sounding and with more bass, probably louder too than if you used a smaller cab. You won't need 100 watts of power anyway unless you are planning a stadium world tour any time soon, and you can always mic up if 5 watts isn't loud enough for your needs. Also Blackstar make amps with 15w, 20w, 30w and upwards to 200w.
If I plug this into a 2x12 (containing two 100w speakers), will I get enough volume out of it to play relatively small gigs and practice with a metal band (loud drummer included)?
hey dude, how's the full clean headroom of the HT5? Can it do all 'clean' at full volume? Noob here. Would want the Ht5 and (2) 1x12) stack. Thanks in advance.
@turiguiliano what music do u intend playing? The guys that made this were marshall engineers and this head is packed with more gain than u need. I also own one and tend to turn down the gain as much as possible even when playing metal. With cleans i wouldnt worry cos if u gig u would be playing out of a PA anyway. This is a sick amp man, and ive owned JCM800s, 18ws, mesa single rectifier.. this is better for rock and metal.
@metalheadblues Heh, yeah. I didn't want to appear too fanboyish! Blackstar are a WAY better company than Jet. I'd go for the HT5 anytime, but try one out if you can.
@MikeWazowski kinda impossible to try it out but youtube vids like yours do help
my main concern it the volume..the tones that I've seen this amp produce are amazing..but can it handle a band setting well?or atleast get over a drummer
i have this amp running through a frames 2x12 with celestion 30's, and the tone gets close to a ENGL fireball (doesn't have as much gain though) and trust me it's loud enough for the stage, still need to try it with a tubescreamer in front of it though
think of buying this amp head because I've seen that it has a really good price tag. It sounds pretty good with your guitar, do you think it would sound good with a shecter hellraiser or les paul? those are the 2 guitars I currently use.
I have one of these played through a mesa 1x12 open back cab but find the bass disappointing.I have to have it on full and even then its not that great.
I dont know which is the weak link,the cab or the head.
yeah this is a great little amp...not quite as punchey as my blackheart little giat...more gain though...the blackheart and this are the 2 coolest sounding 5 watters in my oppinion...i put up a little demo of the blackheart using ds1 just as a boost...p.s.great review..
Rhanks for the demo! I'm looking into getting the micro stack version with the 10" cabinet, and won't have any chance to play one before ordering, so I've been browsing the youtube demos. Have to say this is the best demo of this amp i've seen. Great job!
Awesome vid blackstar amps are amazing I am gonna get the HT100 head I'm wondering what you or anybody else thinks about the low end compared to a marshal Ive always thought that was where marshals were lacking
I just bought one of these. it has amazing tone. Even right down low so it doesn't annoy the neighbours. I think Blackstar are really onto something here.
@minenu11 Yep, just got through playing mine for a couple of hours. Played some jazz, some shreddy stuff over Andy James' new backing track, some Protest The Hero, then just some low gain, slightly crunchy fingerstyle blues. Such a versatile, awesome amp.
WOW! That a lot of sound from only 5 watts. Pure tube power. I wonder if this amp could produce good tone for some Blues and rock. Also will it power up a 2x12 cabinet?
I just saw last night that Blackstar has come out with a 20 watt head. Can't wait to see the reviews on that bad boy. Since Blackstar was started by ex-Marshal employees I wonder if it has the tonal character of the Marshal line. If not you could always put a stompbox in front of it.
@hawg427 hey Hawg, no disrespect meant, but what I'm hearing is PURE rock and blues. These things are blues animals. You'll sound like Buddy Guy, Eric C and the rest if you want. 5 watts is perfect for small clubs and recording, but it's gonna need reinforcement on larger gigs- gets very mushy cranked - lost in the mix.
@MikeWazowski well that's good to hear! I think the mids are the most underrated part of a metal players tone. It really brings another dimension to the sound.
Hey Moucon, thanks for the reply. I will probably go with the 5 watt or the new 20 watt head Blackstar just came out with. Only $100 more than the 5 watt model and I think it is a 2 channel amp head.
Wow! Fantastic review! Even more fantastic playing! You mentioned that you can get a huge metal sound out of it. So would i be right saying that with my no fuss Schecter 7 string Hellraiser with active EMGs that I would be able to chug with this thing? Looking for thick distortion
Its just i really like geuine valve tones and the amazing crunch that you cant get from solid states, but most high gain valves are the 100 watt boutique mesas and ENGLs which would blow my windows out, and my wallet.
@cast390 The Blackstar is actually very loud. I've used this head in a 5 piece metal band at a few small venues with a heavy hitting drummer and 2 other guitarists, one guitarist was playing through a Peavey Classic 50 and the other a Marshall JCM 900 50 watt. This amp absolutely cut through the mix.
Ive a classic 50 4x10, while the blackstar is loud it is not nearly as loud as the peavey when it is turned up, just in case you are comparing, i also have a crate v3112 (30 watts) and it is significantly louder than the blackstar, but as people are saying if you mic it who cares how loud it gets :D
If you've played live would realise nearly all amps are miked up full stack 150 watt cabinet and 15 watt tube amps and then levels can be controlled by the mixing desks, so yess it would cut through because it would be just as loud as any other amp
@cast390 You would have to mic it. Without micing you probably wouldnt get heard too well. Maybe have a look at the new HT-20 or 40, they only just came out and are the bigger brothers of the HT-5.
Great playing...I usually dont' say anything negative but it's just not ok to play anything but brutal metal on Mark Morton's guitar....but impressive playing nonetheless...
Funny...because Mark himself had that guitar designed so he could use it in his country/blues band as well as L.O.G...maybe you should let Mr Morton know that you don't approve of him using it for other music.
Not as useful because it's a distortion pedal, not an overdrive. Overdrives are generally used as boosts (volume on full/gain on zero) for metal. Distortions are better used on the clean channel as the main dirty sound. It might work tho, if you you keep the gain on zero.
a little help if you could...how do you rate the blackstar to similar amps, such as epiphone valve jr, blackheart, egnater? I was looking into getting a small tube amp to replace my cube 30x, haven't got to demo side by side because where i live there are limited stores, sad i know. Any opinion/suggestions?
between the ones you gave, having played on them all, i would go with the blackstar or the blackheart. both of those are high quality, good sounding amps with good range in tones. the epiphone valve jr. lacks EQ knobs. and even though the egnater is a good amp, it is overpriced in my opinion
I'm thinking to buy a studio amp and I think i like that one.
Also I like the peavey jsx mini colossal and the Hughes and Kettner 25th anniversary tube amp.Anw is that amp reliable and how many years waranty you have when you buy one of those ?
Does this produce any good blues tones? i gotta decide between this, a blues junior, or a blackheart handsome devil. this amp sounds reaaaaally nice but im not sure if it would sound as nice as the others
Can this do a medium size gig in a 2x12 Vintage 30 Cab?
wtfwasthatt 1 month ago
So will this head work with any cab, and not just the ones blackstar supply with it?
MaidenFan24568 2 months ago
What cab are you using?
Walshe2010 2 months ago
great video
mixermantim 2 months ago
is this a tube amp?
Aist3rG4teS 2 months ago
is the blackstar ht-5 mini stack louder than a marshall MG15? please reply lol!
skillzdatkillz900 3 months ago
This is all good, but you haven't answered the question on everyone's mind... Will it djent?
IrishGriever 3 months ago
hmmm this HT-5, or a Marshall 5 or a BWM Kong 5w head?....hmmmm..any ideas reverend musicians? The Blackstar is shaping up well though,,,
strataminor 3 months ago
@strataminor what do you play? for metal, the ht5 is the way to go. for classic rock and blues, i'd say the marshall class 5 is your amp. dunno bout the bmw, never heard of that amp.
givemeajackson 3 months ago
I don't get it. Everyone I see on the internet with one of these loves it, yet I bought one about a year ago now and it sounds like absolute shit. I'm just about to sell it. Do you think there's a problem with it or something?
MsTutguy 3 months ago
Wattage has not much to do with volume. It only means how much headroom u have. Difference between a 100 watt amp and a 20 watt amp is the 100 watt amp will have more headroom, therefore it'll sound more dynamic and remains the clarity, and 20w amp will sound muddier due to it's headroom
darren0512341 4 months ago
@darren0512341 so a 50 watt combo can be as loud as a 50 watt head?
GuitarGod94XxXx 4 months ago
@GuitarGod94XxXx depends on how's your configuration of Ohm output, how mank speakers are u connected to and how many watt is the speaker.
but theoretically, yes.
darren0512341 4 months ago
@darren0512341 well im new to the guitar world...what is headroom? Like how many tubes you can put in the amp's head?
GuitarGod94XxXx 4 months ago
@GuitarGod94XxXx headroom is like a meter to how much volume can an amp/ cabinet push out at maximum without destorying themselves.
when an amp is being built, the designer has a rough idea of what is it gonna sound like, and they'll usually begin with a) How loud is the amp gonna be b)what type of sound are they after.
how loud the amp will related how many pairs of power tubes will be in the amp.
and what type of sound will related what tubes will they use.
darren0512341 4 months ago
@GuitarGod94XxXx so back to ur question, number of tubes are set while the designer designing the amp. More pairs of power tubes, you'll have more headroom, and it'll take more to saturate, and therefore it'll have more clarity.
Less pairs of power tubes, you'll have less headroom, and it'll take less to saturate, and therefore it'll have less clarity and resulting in a muddier tone.
and that's what "Watt" defines in the whole equation.
the point of amps isnt about the volume it's about the tone
darren0512341 4 months ago
@darren0512341 so getting a 50 watt amp is better than this little 5 watt. well i think it'll be worth it thanks man for the useful information i always have trouble with amps and stuff. the thing is though i dont want too loud of an amp but i also dont want too muddy of a tone plus i hate waiting to save my money but i think im gonna save anyway. Thanks again oh and one more question if you dont mind...what are the different type of tubes? the only one i know is the EL34 in most Marshall.
GuitarGod94XxXx 4 months ago
@GuitarGod94XxXx I own a mesa dual rectifier and it's 100W and I never turn that master up pass 9:00. so lower wattage is the way to go. I think even 50w is still a bit overkill. I assumed u are a metal player, so you may consider ENGL gigmaster, Orange dark terror, dual tiny terror. if u have some spare cash, u may consider the mesa mini rectifier, evh III micro head. those are nice low wattage tube amps.
darren0512341 4 months ago
@GuitarGod94XxXx there are tones of tubes out there, but most amp use 6L6 (American voicing) or EL34 (British Voicing). tube amps wattage below 50 will usually be either 6v6 (just half voltage ver. of 6L6) or EL84(just half voltage ver. of EL34). wattage higher than 50, u'll start seeing 6L6s or EL34s. tubes difference is all about the tone: 6L6 has more low mid, low end. EL34 has more high mid , high end. I prefer 6L6 coz it's warmer. but it's up to ur taste.
darren0512341 4 months ago
@darren0512341 thanks mate and i really like both...is there a way to kinda get both tone with 2 different channels? like EL34 on one channel and 6L6 on the other? or would i have to get 2 different amps?
GuitarGod94XxXx 3 months ago
@GuitarGod94XxXx So this hence y a 50 watt amp is more expensive than a 5 watt amp, and 100 watt amp is more expensive than a 50 watt amp.
darren0512341 4 months ago
Are 5w tubes powerful enough to make you vibrate and feel your music in your flat or should I schedule to purchase the 20w version ?
Cyberbob182 5 months ago
Thanks! Now I definitely have to get one of these amps.
flatleaver 6 months ago
MOTHERFUCKER WAS PLAYIN' BLOODMEAT BY PROTEST THE HERO. Yep. I like this guy. He my ffrraanndd.
zalencig 6 months ago 2
Hi! great demo! im going to buy the head for sure! :)
I have a question, What song is from 6:30 to 6:41?
Thanks
thedancenight 7 months ago
SICK GUITAR! I love Lamb of God, they´re amazing
Feileiks 7 months ago
where its made this amp?
pls answer
TomiMrBone 7 months ago
@TomiMrBone UK
Ris723 7 months ago
Are the metal settings too loud for bedroom playing. Will it piss off the people in the house if I play some metal?
redsfan293 8 months ago
why do people ask for the settings, expecting it to sound the same ? Don't think so.
RasputinsVision 8 months ago
sounds fucking awesome
mattrehmhext 10 months ago
so how loud does this thing get for only 5w?
i mean, obviously rational thinking (atleast to me) would say that this 5w amp is quite a bit quieter than my Line 6 spider 4 15w
if this is actually pretty loud, then i will easily buy this
TrippyTheShroom 10 months ago
@TrippyTheShroom
It'll be LOADS louder. The Spider is only a solid state amp, whereas the HT-5 is 5-watts of valve.
It'll be loud enough for small gigs, especially if mic'd. I have a Tiny Terror which, when on the 7-watt mode, had to have the volume knob below 12 o'clock on full gain when I used to gig. The guys on the sound board didn't like me having it cranked.
And I didn't need it!
This will be similar volume wise. Louder than a 50-watt solid state, easy.
MuckersGtr 10 months ago
@MuckersGtr dang, this is is a complete buy for me, this review has swayed me lol
TrippyTheShroom 10 months ago
Used my blackstar 100 head and prs singlecut on this track>>>Blackstar rocks!
thediablo1968 11 months ago
how loud can this thing go?
KhammettJpageAsmith 11 months ago
Sounds great but no bottom end at all. Almost got this but I am just not happy at the bottom end on those metallica riffs
SaintsCheat 11 months ago
Im blown away at mine , got a celestion wolverine 80watt can and its so low and tight its unreal
shredknowledge 1 year ago
PTH! <3
Dystrox 1 year ago
im confused.... only 5 watts??
PaulGilbert60sMind 1 year ago
@PaulGilbert60sMind Have you ever heard 5 watts of tube amp? I have a vox ac4tv its 4watts and loud as hell.
eatthemoon13 1 year ago
GETTING ONE
elliottyouel 1 year ago
Would this be good for thrash and modern metal??
XBr0kenB0neyardzX 1 year ago
I have this amp, and I LOVE it! Sounds awsome!!
DaveRox511 1 year ago 2
hows the clean tones?
jamesal 1 year ago
i found this used on craigslist, should i get it, i wanna play rock and metal, and i have a epiphone LP standard plus top and Peavey EVH wolfgang special? help Please!!!
Minnesotankid95 1 year ago
@Minnesotankid95 Definitely.
MikeWazowski 1 year ago
@Minnesotankid95 buy it
MatKiller1197 2 months ago
I have tried both this and the Vox Night Train...right now I'm completely undecided! Great video btw, you presented this quite well.
GibsonTick 1 year ago
i loved the Protest The Hero part :D
Xiacro 1 year ago
check one out today with 1x12 cub, love it. getting it for sure...........it dame good.
icezydrift 1 year ago
Hi! can you tell me what's the song you play at 6:35? thank you :)
about the amp: i think it sound a bit closed in the video, seems really good amp anyway!
thedancenight 1 year ago
Sounds pretty damn amazing man, great demo!! \m/
B2Rockin 1 year ago
I'm trying to decide between the Bugera V22, Vox AC-4 and this. You convinced me to try this one, thanks for a good demo. Great sounding amp for a tiny price =)
fatgonzo 1 year ago
I love your variety with the disortion, blackened, bloodmeat. Very nice review
deadlyduk 1 year ago
6:30
bloodmeat ftw
iLuvJustinBieber1014 1 year ago
Im getting the full stack tomorrow off craigslist. The only problem is the cabs that come with it are also blackstar so they wont sound as good, but im saving $500. Ive heard Peavies, Blackheart, and Marshall (like your own) cabs sound great when you this amp though cifferent cabs. any suggestions for nice but cheap cabs in that category?
Earwigs1 1 year ago
respect for the protest riff :)
walesy69 1 year ago
bloodmeat riffs! yeah!
rufuseprobably 1 year ago 2
i use a digitech rp500 multi fx with a keely ds1 in front. Anyone try something like that with this? I notice many amps sound really muddy or the effects go crazy. I just tried a spider line6 IV 15 watt and i dont even use the digitech with it.
utubecenseorstruth 1 year ago
If anyone is concerned about the gain not being heavy enough, I'll tell ya.
I tested the mini stack today at a guitar shop and damn, if you turn the volume up a bit it gets an absolutely awesome heavy tone
BouvierLovesDesrosie 1 year ago
I love my HT-5H big time!
richardlpalmer 1 year ago 7
dude your playing is awesome, i like the little shredding part from 7:37
FreeLessonsOnGuitar 1 year ago 6
*coil tap
curemeoflove 1 year ago
Great demo, thank you.
RoarytheGuit88 1 year ago
What setting did use from 5:46 until around 6:45? I have the amp and I can't get that sound!!
GuitarmanIeuan 1 year ago
@GuitarmanIeuan
Hey, I mention in the vid just before 5:45. ISF fully anti-clockwise, Treble up around 3 o clock, Mids scooped down to about 9 o clock, bass up around 2 o clock, Gain around 3 o clock (I'm using Seymour Duncans in the vid, so use less gain if you have active pickups. More gain if you're using single coils).
MikeWazowski 1 year ago
@MikeWazowski I tryed that but it still doesn't sound as good as yours. Did you change the tubes? Maybe it's the blackstar cabs the head comes with arent very good?
GuitarmanIeuan 1 year ago
@GuitarmanIeuan
The vid was shot the second i got home from the shop, so it's the stock tubes. It's going through a Marshall 2x12, so it'll sound quite different to the 1x10s the Blackstar comes with i guess. I'd just compensate with some more bass.
MikeWazowski 1 year ago 2
@GuitarmanIeuan He's playing out of a marshall cabinet, your probabaly not are you? The cabinet is where the sound comes from so that's a major factor in the tone you hear.
1xDRCx 1 year ago
@GuitarmanIeuan i get a tone very similar to this in the video with the ht5, it probably is the pickups
Schpudd 10 months ago
@Schpudd Definitely, me too. The way I see it, most effective way to get a very close Mesa Lead sound, the clean is very usable with some tweaking, EFX Loop, footswitch supplied. I mean, c'mom, wth? Also worth mentioning is that the volume rolls back really well, I use mine almost as a one channel amp on the dirty channel, except when I need crystal clear rhythms or arpeggios of some kind. Some delay and reverb from my Nova system on the loop, Barber LTD SR in front, that's it, awesome setup.
shivamib 9 months ago
@GuitarmanIeuan Are you talking about the "Zakk Wylde" squeal?
ToneKingGuitarMan 1 year ago
What setting did you use for the Distortion from 6:25? It sounds great!!
GuitarmanIeuan 1 year ago
Getting this tomorrow and I can't wait! I tryed it out and it blew me away!
GuitarmanIeuan 1 year ago
is the ht-5 has 16ohm impedace speaker out?
Andarregar 1 year ago
@Andarregar Ye it has a 16 ohm output or 2 8 ohm outputs
GuitarmanIeuan 1 year ago
@Andarregar 8 for 2 cabs or 16 for 1 I beleive
curemeoflove 1 year ago
can this get pretty loud?
like say for a small gig?
Jayysonic 1 year ago
Awesome playing, great sound
WhoHitWho 1 year ago
@Aceoflaze The wattage of the cabinet is the maximum it can take, the amp is what produces the power, so you would get 5 watts. It would certainly be fuller sounding and with more bass, probably louder too than if you used a smaller cab. You won't need 100 watts of power anyway unless you are planning a stadium world tour any time soon, and you can always mic up if 5 watts isn't loud enough for your needs. Also Blackstar make amps with 15w, 20w, 30w and upwards to 200w.
tommart123 1 year ago
If I plug this into a 2x12 (containing two 100w speakers), will I get enough volume out of it to play relatively small gigs and practice with a metal band (loud drummer included)?
modestvermin995 1 year ago
hey dude, how's the full clean headroom of the HT5? Can it do all 'clean' at full volume? Noob here. Would want the Ht5 and (2) 1x12) stack. Thanks in advance.
turiguiliano 1 year ago
@turiguiliano Not a lot of clean headroom for gigging purposes. Starts to break up at around 6 with humbuckers. Fine for bedroom playing of course.
MikeWazowski 1 year ago
@turiguiliano what music do u intend playing? The guys that made this were marshall engineers and this head is packed with more gain than u need. I also own one and tend to turn down the gain as much as possible even when playing metal. With cleans i wouldnt worry cos if u gig u would be playing out of a PA anyway. This is a sick amp man, and ive owned JCM800s, 18ws, mesa single rectifier.. this is better for rock and metal.
crushthechurch 1 year ago
sounds good, i'm a little surprised i guess i didn't need to spend thousands and thousands of dollars for a good lead or whatever sound hehe
awfulnhead 1 year ago
6:23 BLACKENED! You get a sub just for playing my favourite 'tallica song ^_^
Morgidge 1 year ago
hey dude, what was that song you played from 6:32-6:44???
tHePyRoZoMbIe69 1 year ago
@tHePyRoZoMbIe69
Protest The Hero - Bloodmeat.
MikeWazowski 1 year ago
have you had any problems with the head because i have already been through 3 of these things
mrmakaveli864 1 year ago
@mrmakaveli864
Hey, no. Had it for a year and half with no problems at all. Have you spoken to Blackstar about it?
MikeWazowski 1 year ago
Protest the Hero!!! I like the tone!!
DaveSteele07 1 year ago 2
gonna get it in this weekend!
cdefgh77 1 year ago
hey man what do u think, loud enough for a metal gig? how loud is a 5W amp running a 100W cab? NICE fucking sound bro.
saintexnitouche 1 year ago
good demo man hmm one thing tho you got a mark morton sig but not a single lamb of god song?well not one that i know
its either this or the jet jca20h..thoughts?
how loud is it when cranked
metalheadblues 1 year ago
@metalheadblues Heh, yeah. I didn't want to appear too fanboyish! Blackstar are a WAY better company than Jet. I'd go for the HT5 anytime, but try one out if you can.
MikeWazowski 1 year ago
@MikeWazowski kinda impossible to try it out but youtube vids like yours do help
my main concern it the volume..the tones that I've seen this amp produce are amazing..but can it handle a band setting well?or atleast get over a drummer
metalheadblues 1 year ago
YEAHHHHH! MARSHALL AND A BLACKSTAR!
Thats what Im doing, except Marshall head and Blackstar cab :D
twiggyh4x 1 year ago
i have this amp running through a frames 2x12 with celestion 30's, and the tone gets close to a ENGL fireball (doesn't have as much gain though) and trust me it's loud enough for the stage, still need to try it with a tubescreamer in front of it though
jordibelial 1 year ago
think of buying this amp head because I've seen that it has a really good price tag. It sounds pretty good with your guitar, do you think it would sound good with a shecter hellraiser or les paul? those are the 2 guitars I currently use.
EpictheEpicest 1 year ago
@EpictheEpicest Sounds great with all my guitars. Les Paul, 335, Ibanez, Strat...
MikeWazowski 1 year ago
@MikeWazowski thanks, that will help with my final decision, this whole video did.
EpictheEpicest 1 year ago
the first melody you played...i just got amazed
BulletProofCupid7 1 year ago
@BulletProofCupid7 Haha, thanks a lot!
MikeWazowski 1 year ago
Best username ever.
arpraron 1 year ago 39
@arpraron
Heh, thanks :D
MikeWazowski 1 year ago
I have one of these played through a mesa 1x12 open back cab but find the bass disappointing.I have to have it on full and even then its not that great.
I dont know which is the weak link,the cab or the head.
jimllfaxit 1 year ago
Does anyone here know a great cab to go with this head? This head is absolutley amazing.
Gamagachee 1 year ago
yeah this is a great little amp...not quite as punchey as my blackheart little giat...more gain though...the blackheart and this are the 2 coolest sounding 5 watters in my oppinion...i put up a little demo of the blackheart using ds1 just as a boost...p.s.great review..
BaddPenneyMusic 1 year ago
i love low watt amps. this is definitely giving me an attack of "gear acquisition syndrome," lol!
Alexsy82 1 year ago 4
@Alexsy82 haha Yeah I was just thinking...hmm, what gear can I sell to buy one of these?
Rabidmonkey 1 year ago
@Alexsy82 rob chappers fan?
joeyrotten101 1 year ago
nice range of tones! I really like these amps.
rjshama 1 year ago
i'm thinking about getting one.
a 5watt would do for home use? with a 2x12" cab?
najtrows 1 year ago
Rhanks for the demo! I'm looking into getting the micro stack version with the 10" cabinet, and won't have any chance to play one before ordering, so I've been browsing the youtube demos. Have to say this is the best demo of this amp i've seen. Great job!
n0b0dyh0m3 1 year ago
Awesome vid blackstar amps are amazing I am gonna get the HT100 head I'm wondering what you or anybody else thinks about the low end compared to a marshal Ive always thought that was where marshals were lacking
MoochoMocho 1 year ago
Awesome to hear some Protest the Hero!
brasved 1 year ago
Awesome
moucon 1 year ago
I just bought one of these. it has amazing tone. Even right down low so it doesn't annoy the neighbours. I think Blackstar are really onto something here.
minenu11 1 year ago
@minenu11 Yep, just got through playing mine for a couple of hours. Played some jazz, some shreddy stuff over Andy James' new backing track, some Protest The Hero, then just some low gain, slightly crunchy fingerstyle blues. Such a versatile, awesome amp.
MikeWazowski 1 year ago
WOW! That a lot of sound from only 5 watts. Pure tube power. I wonder if this amp could produce good tone for some Blues and rock. Also will it power up a 2x12 cabinet?
hawg427 1 year ago
@hawg427 It's going through a Marshall 2x12 in this vid.
MikeWazowski 1 year ago
I just saw last night that Blackstar has come out with a 20 watt head. Can't wait to see the reviews on that bad boy. Since Blackstar was started by ex-Marshal employees I wonder if it has the tonal character of the Marshal line. If not you could always put a stompbox in front of it.
hawg427 1 year ago
@hawg427 hey Hawg, no disrespect meant, but what I'm hearing is PURE rock and blues. These things are blues animals. You'll sound like Buddy Guy, Eric C and the rest if you want. 5 watts is perfect for small clubs and recording, but it's gonna need reinforcement on larger gigs- gets very mushy cranked - lost in the mix.
moucon 1 year ago
scoop the mids; NOOOOOOOOOOO
mooch666 1 year ago
@mooch666 I know I know. That was just their setting. I tend to have them on 8 for metal for a Lamb of God-ish tone.
MikeWazowski 1 year ago
@MikeWazowski well that's good to hear! I think the mids are the most underrated part of a metal players tone. It really brings another dimension to the sound.
mooch666 1 year ago
Hey Moucon, thanks for the reply. I will probably go with the 5 watt or the new 20 watt head Blackstar just came out with. Only $100 more than the 5 watt model and I think it is a 2 channel amp head.
Have a good one.
hawg427 1 year ago
thank you for great demo! A must to get it seems^^
Gymsus 1 year ago
sounds great...
bodhidharma2600 2 years ago
A really good demo. And great playing. Thnx.
sludgefingers 2 years ago
this amp is great, im 14 and got it for xmas and its reli versatile :) its a great amp and the overdrive is amazing!
Gaza880 2 years ago
Wow! Fantastic review! Even more fantastic playing! You mentioned that you can get a huge metal sound out of it. So would i be right saying that with my no fuss Schecter 7 string Hellraiser with active EMGs that I would be able to chug with this thing? Looking for thick distortion
Its just i really like geuine valve tones and the amazing crunch that you cant get from solid states, but most high gain valves are the 100 watt boutique mesas and ENGLs which would blow my windows out, and my wallet.
mcface5531 2 years ago 2
Thanks man! With EMGs in front of this, metal's no problem. I use an Ibanez with SD Blackouts (similar to the active EMGs) and it's excellent.
MikeWazowski 2 years ago
Ah, really really good news!~ will definitely be getting this truely amazing amp. Cheers for that.
mcface5531 2 years ago
ohhhhhhh, i love blackouts! XD
rockingrugger 2 years ago
Lead tones are really nice but whats the point of 5 watts?In a live situation the at full stage volume you're gonna get crushed.
cast390 2 years ago
Recording, practice, and small gigs, it copes great with. Try one out, they're surprisingly loud.
MikeWazowski 2 years ago
@cast390 The Blackstar is actually very loud. I've used this head in a 5 piece metal band at a few small venues with a heavy hitting drummer and 2 other guitarists, one guitarist was playing through a Peavey Classic 50 and the other a Marshall JCM 900 50 watt. This amp absolutely cut through the mix.
mphman64 2 years ago
@mphman64
Ive a classic 50 4x10, while the blackstar is loud it is not nearly as loud as the peavey when it is turned up, just in case you are comparing, i also have a crate v3112 (30 watts) and it is significantly louder than the blackstar, but as people are saying if you mic it who cares how loud it gets :D
pickstrumbum 2 years ago
I agree with Mike, these things are LOUD! Heard one in a shop, and 5 tube-watts goes a long way when it comes to volume!
scribblee 2 years ago
5 watts in a tube head has nothing to do with the volume, it might do in a solid state amp but tube
7endertelecaster 2 years ago
So then you think this amp will cut it in a live metal band?
cast390 2 years ago
If you've played live would realise nearly all amps are miked up full stack 150 watt cabinet and 15 watt tube amps and then levels can be controlled by the mixing desks, so yess it would cut through because it would be just as loud as any other amp
7endertelecaster 2 years ago
@cast390 You would have to mic it. Without micing you probably wouldnt get heard too well. Maybe have a look at the new HT-20 or 40, they only just came out and are the bigger brothers of the HT-5.
littlephil23 2 years ago
@7endertelecaster How so?
littlephil23 2 years ago
fucking love that guitar
the feel is really great
zeroordie91 2 years ago
Loving the Protest the hero riff
tobylollol 2 years ago
how much did u buy it for?
makemehappy6 2 years ago
it's 5 watt.. is it loud?? combined with the 2x12 ofcourse.. i'm looking for a new head...thankss
fenderpeter 2 years ago
OMG BLOODMEAT.
i love you.
Vyrzek 2 years ago
it sounds so sweet! the distortion sound is beastly!!
how loud can this amp go?
mrglobalbob 2 years ago 3
how would this compare to the Orange Tiny Terror?
aligatorsandwitch72 2 years ago 2
i played the tiny terror, and i was not that impressed with it, but this amp blew me away. It sounds amazing for such a small watt amp
bob5342 2 years ago
best amp!
GuitarsBlood 2 years ago
Great playing...I usually dont' say anything negative but it's just not ok to play anything but brutal metal on Mark Morton's guitar....but impressive playing nonetheless...
greenlanterone 2 years ago
Well he plays country and blues on his. :P
Cheers dude.
MikeWazowski 2 years ago
Funny...because Mark himself had that guitar designed so he could use it in his country/blues band as well as L.O.G...maybe you should let Mr Morton know that you don't approve of him using it for other music.
scumcity14 2 years ago
actually it is okay. he made the guitar to be very versatile because he really likes playing other styles of music :)
bob5342 2 years ago
Could you get a could metallica tone out of that?
JoeyVFive 2 years ago
A good metallica tone? Definitely. T/B on 3 o clock, mids on 8 o clock, gain on 3 o clock. If you put a ts9/808 in front even better.
MikeWazowski 2 years ago
How about a DS1?
JoeyVFive 2 years ago
Not as useful because it's a distortion pedal, not an overdrive. Overdrives are generally used as boosts (volume on full/gain on zero) for metal. Distortions are better used on the clean channel as the main dirty sound. It might work tho, if you you keep the gain on zero.
MikeWazowski 2 years ago
Alright thanks man, I might just get this and a TS9
JoeyVFive 2 years ago
hey mate, is that a marshall 1960 your running it through? because those are pretty much the most awesome cabs ever made, how does it cope with it?
HuntersChaseTheBand 2 years ago
It's a 1936 2x12. It's pretty great. A 1960 would have a bit more bass response tho.
MikeWazowski 2 years ago
the first two chords u played remeinded me of the start of the day that never comes
afabandjon 2 years ago
a little help if you could...how do you rate the blackstar to similar amps, such as epiphone valve jr, blackheart, egnater? I was looking into getting a small tube amp to replace my cube 30x, haven't got to demo side by side because where i live there are limited stores, sad i know. Any opinion/suggestions?
miller434 2 years ago
between the ones you gave, having played on them all, i would go with the blackstar or the blackheart. both of those are high quality, good sounding amps with good range in tones. the epiphone valve jr. lacks EQ knobs. and even though the egnater is a good amp, it is overpriced in my opinion
Guitarguy46599 2 years ago
Hi m8 is it realistic to consider gigging with it in terms of volume? For eg. functions etc, not so much metal gigs!
chrs dan
Beeredge 2 years ago
It may still have to be mic'd, but I haven't tried it.
MikeWazowski 2 years ago
what song are you playing at 6:04
zezima111 2 years ago
master of puppets
skateboardjaw 2 years ago
hahaha i heard some mastodon and protest the hero, awesome. i'm buyin this, good vid.
vanillabeanduck 2 years ago 2
I'm thinking to buy a studio amp and I think i like that one.
Also I like the peavey jsx mini colossal and the Hughes and Kettner 25th anniversary tube amp.Anw is that amp reliable and how many years waranty you have when you buy one of those ?
Giorgosm10 2 years ago
Does this produce any good blues tones? i gotta decide between this, a blues junior, or a blackheart handsome devil. this amp sounds reaaaaally nice but im not sure if it would sound as nice as the others
TyLaw321 2 years ago
3:50 sounds good IMO. A Fulltone OCD would make it a little more bluesy too.
Whyrendog 2 years ago
not ballsey enough!!Close but no cigar.
paraglidermx 2 years ago
It can definitely get ballsy, particularly boosted with a TS9 or something.
MikeWazowski 2 years ago