NAD: Blackstar HT-5R

[humiliatedgrape]

I'm so excited! 1. Because I have a new amp, 2. Because I can finally contribute something to this forum, 3. My tele has a new blonde friend!

TL;DR The Blackstar HT-5R is super nice and not a metal amp.

So here's the story...
I'm solely a bedroom musician whose almost always used audio interfaces/iRigs etc. into Garageband for practicing/recording guitar. I wanted to buy an amp, though, so I could move away from my computer. I already spend a lot of time in front of a screen for work.

I had some difficult criteria - I don't like modelling amps (too many buttons, and I fear that I'll spend all my time pressing them rather than playing), and I needed something low wattage that also had a good headphone jack for late night playing.

In comes Blackstar. The HT-5R seemed the perfect candidate. However, I did a heap of research on the internet and the vast majority of what I read/listened to indicated that the HT-5R was super high-gainy and targeted at metal-heads.

Went and tried one in the store today anyway, A/B'd it against a Blues Jr etc. and I really liked it, so I bought it! I've only spent about 30 mins playing with it, and only through headphones. But contrary to popular belief, it has really nice cleans and the overdrive channel is actually fairly clean/edge of breakup till about 11 o'clock. That's perfect for me because I play a lot of Tom Petty, The Beatles, Oasis, bluesy stuff... I have little need for a high gain amp.

My Joyo American Sound pedal plays really nice with the clean channel too. Interestingly, I was able to get a pretty similar sound between the Joyo and the OD channel on the amp with a bit of EQ tweaking.

So, there's my long story. I thought it important to note down here since this amp gets a pretty bad wrap from non-metal musos, so maybe this will help someone else with their decision. I'm a very happy camper right now!

 

[RLee77]

Congrats, and good choice!
I have a HT-1R as a practice amp and love it. One thing that still amazes me is how great it sounds through headphones — they really nailed that, where so many have tried and fallen short. I use it a LOT.

 

[humiliatedgrape]

I totally agree. I felt a bit silly buying a tube amp that was predominantly going to be played through headphones, but my fears have all been allayed.

 

[fattrav]

Nice - Coincidentally, I got one today as well.

Few weeks ago, I had gone to buy a Joe Troham Squier Tele off of a guy, and he had this little amp that he let me test it on. As I was testing it out (you know the thing, mainly looking straight neck, action, checking the electronics and how it plays etc) and I'm thinking "Man, this is a great sounding little amp". When I got home and plugged in....not the same sound through my amp. I had a google later on as to what model it was, looked at the reviews.

I hit him up earlier this week if he wanted to sell it. Got it home mid day. Love the cleans, love the gain channel as well, and I really like that I can have it fairly well turned up to drive, but its not too loud.

My only grumble would be that the clean channel eq is a little basic, and I'd like the ISP to work on both channels.

 

[humiliatedgrape]

Good find! Yep, I have the same grumbles. I guess that’s why I was pretty happy the OD channel could clean up fairly well so I can make use of the EQ and ISF.

What do you think of the reverb? I haven’t played with it much but it seems almost too subtle to me. Perhaps that’s a good thing though...

 

[Paul in Colorado]

My drummer has the one watt version and I use it all the time at practice. Nice little amps. I'm going to try running it in stereo with my '52 Silvertone "Champ."

 

[gridlock]

That is a good looking amp.
Congrats.

 

[tery]

Your HT-5R is a high quality amp … Congratulations

 

[Finck]

A nice couple! Hope they stay happy together for a long, long time!

 

[fattrav]

Good find! Yep, I have the same grumbles. I guess that’s why I was pretty happy the OD channel could clean up fairly well so I can make use of the EQ and ISF.

What do you think of the reverb? I haven’t played with it much but it seems almost too subtle to me. Perhaps that’s a good thing though...

Second hand, but the cardboard info card was still on the top and the footpedal still in its wrapper in the box with the tie around the cord. 300nzd and a TC Flashback v2. Very nice find. Exactly what I'm doing. Using the clean channel as its intended, and the gain channel as "clean boosted" type channel. I have my pedals direct inputted into it at the moment and am still trying to get them to play nicely with it (coming from a Fender Superchamp X2) going to try out the effects loop today.

I'm not much of a reverb user, so wouldn't know good from bad really. I don't think it's excessive when on full though. I've accidentally caught myself turning it instead of the isp a few times (amp is in a leaned back position) so can't see what's what. Might have to put a coloured sticker on the top of the knob so I know which is which.

I'm also finding that I'm not having to tweak the settings between different pickup types.

Pretty happy with it.

 

[jomazq]

Congrats, and good choice!
I have a HT-1R as a practice amp and love it. One thing that still amazes me is how great it sounds through headphones — they really nailed that, where so many have tried and fallen short. I use it a LOT.

Same!

 

[3-Chord-Genius]

Any high-gain tube amp I've had also did great low gain. The inverse is not true.

 

[humiliatedgrape]

Second hand, but the cardboard info card was still on the top and the footpedal still in its wrapper in the box with the tie around the cord. 300nzd and a TC Flashback v2.

Same here! I bought mine in a store and the guy assumed it was new until his assistant told him otherwise. I didn’t get anywhere near such a good deal price-wise.

Only just realised I should have got a footswitch!

 

[fattrav]

Yup, comes with a foot switch standard. Not sure if you would be able to buy one from the shop?

 

[studio1087]

Congrats. I think the ISF knobs are great. I have the 1 and 20 heads and I love them. The 20 head has been buried and unburied from gig gear and it’s sat in snow at gigs. They’re bulletproof. My friend records with the 5 combo; he loves it.

You picked a winner!

 

[fattrav]

The more I play mine, the better I like the clean channel over the drive channel. Still trying to get pedals to play nicely with it though.

 

[humiliatedgrape]

The more I play mine, the better I like the clean channel over the drive channel. Still trying to get pedals to play nicely with it though.

I was feeling the same, but this morning I played for a bit through the drive channel and found a spot I really liked. Mine is at: Bass and Middle at noon, Treble at 3 o'clock, ISF at 10 o'clock, and reverb at roughly noon. But, of course, it depends what you're playing and what your tastes are.

I don't really own any pedals except for a TC Electronic Ditto and a Joyo American Sound. I'm considering buying an MXR Carbon Copy and a Way Huge Green Rhino.

What have you tried so far, @fattrav?

 

[fattrav]

I was feeling the same, but this morning I played for a bit through the drive channel and found a spot I really liked. Mine is at: Bass and Middle at noon, Treble at 3 o'clock, ISF at 10 o'clock, and reverb at roughly noon. But, of course, it depends what you're playing and what your tastes are.

I don't really own any pedals except for a TC Electronic Ditto and a Joyo American Sound. I'm considering buying an MXR Carbon Copy and a Way Huge Green Rhino.

What have you tried so far, @fattrav?

I have a Peper Pedals Booger Boost (based off of a EHX LPB1), a Boss SD1 which is modded, MXR 78 Custom, a Marshall Blues Breaker Clone (currently in the chain, but not usually) and a Boss Blues Driver. I like blues and classic rock/early metal and play a Squier Vintage Modified Strat, and Squier Joe Troham Tele.

I was mucking around with the gain channel again this morning. I do like it, just not as much as the clean channel. I am getting it closer to the clean channel sound, just require more fiddling about.

My current gain channel settings are
G - 8 o'clock (about 1 on the dial, if I dont have a smidge of gain on, the gain channel goes silent)
V - 10 o'clock
B - 4 o'clock
M - 2 o'clock
T - 1 o'clock
ISP - 11 o'clock
Reverb - None


I'm getting a reasonable sound out of it, especially with the two very different voiced guitars

 

[Antmax]

Nice I like how it seems colour matched to your Telecaster Looks better than all black.