The Blackstar 1RH MK 3 is a Blackstar amplifier. Close alternatives include the Blackstar HT Club 50H MkIII and the Blackstar HT-20RH MkIII. It pairs well with the Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive and the Sola Sound Tone Bender MkII.
Blackstar 1RH MK 3
Blackstar · amplifier
The Blackstar HT-1RH MK III is a 1-watt all-tube guitar amplifier head with two independent channels, each offering two selectable voice modes that alter gain, tonal character, and power amp damping. The MK III generation adds Blackstar's CabRig IR speaker simulation with three preset positions, USB-C audio output, and built-in reverb. It operates at 1 watt and can drive an external cabinet for stage use or output through CabRig for silent recording and direct performance. The combination of four-voice versatility, CabRig DI, headphone output, and USB-C audio makes it a fully self-contained recording and practice solution.
What stands out
“Players appreciate the four-voice capability across two channels — covering clean, crunch, light drive, and higher gain — along with the ISF tone control that morphs between British and American tonal signatures”
— from the community notes
“usb-c audio output”
— from the listing
“Clean and overdrive channels each offer two voice modes that shift the gain stage, tone stack position, and power amp damping, providing four genuinely distinct characters in a 1-watt form factor”
— from the reviews
“The 1-watt output is adequate only for the quietest live settings when paired with a real cabinet”
— from the reviews
“The combination of four-voice versatility, CabRig DI, headphone output, and USB-C audio makes it a fully self-contained recording and practice solution”
— from the listing
- gain
- usb
- stage
- recording
- british
- american
- four voice versatility
- silent recording
Good for
- Practice
- Studio
- Silent Recording
Genres the Blackstar 1RH MK 3 is commonly used in
- Acoustic
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Blackstar 1RH MK 3
Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive
Fulltone
18% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → fuzzy)
The transparent tone has headroom to spare — Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive leans it toward fuzzy to fill it in
Goes in front of the amp
Sola Sound Tone Bender MkII
Sola Sound
18% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → fuzzy)
Run Sola Sound Tone Bender MkII into that transparent platform and it finally leans toward fuzzy
Goes in front of the amp
Walrus Audio Eons
Walrus Audio
18% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → fuzzy)
The transparent tone has headroom to spare — Walrus Audio Eons leans it toward fuzzy to fill it in
Goes in front of the amp
MXR ZW90 Wylde Phase
MXR
11% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run MXR ZW90 Wylde Phase after Blackstar 1RH MK 3 in the signal chain, clear of Blackstar 1RH MK 3's own gain stage
Goes in front of the amp
Artec SE-NGT
Artec
8% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
What Blackstar 1RH MK 3 brings here leans toward transparent — that's worth building a pairing around
Goes in front of the amp
MXR Analog Delay
MXR
5% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run MXR Analog Delay in Blackstar 1RH MK 3's effects loop, clear of Blackstar 1RH MK 3's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Boss DD-2 Digital Delay
Boss
5% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run Boss DD-2 Digital Delay in Blackstar 1RH MK 3's effects loop, clear of Blackstar 1RH MK 3's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler V2
Dr Scientist
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
The transparent tone has headroom to spare — Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler V2 leans it toward fuzzy to fill it in
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Blackstar HT Club 50H MkIII
Blackstar
50% similarityShared character: two channels, combination, middle
Blackstar HT-20RH MkIII
Blackstar
49% similarityShared character: recording, two channels, practice
Peavey 6505 MH 20W Mini Head
Peavey
49% similarityShared character: recording, room, crunch
Bad Cat Ocelot 20 Watt Tube
Bad Cat
46% similarityShared character: recording, room, practice
ENGL E725 Ravager IR
Engl
46% similarityShared character: recording, two channels, practice
Engl Savage 60 Mark II
Engl
46% similarityShared character: recording, natural, middle
PRS DGT 15
PRS
43% similarityShared character: tonal character, recording, studio
Bad Cat Rubicon 2-Ch 25-Watt Lunchbox Head
Bad Cat
42% similarityShared character: recording, room, two channels
Peavey Invective 120
Peavey
40% similarityShared character: two channels, crunch, stage
Blackstar 1RH MK III 2-Channel 1-Watt
Blackstar
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar HT-1RH MkIII
Blackstar
93% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar HT Stage 100 MK III Head
Blackstar
93% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Blackstar 1RH MK 3 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Blackstar 1RH MK 3?+
The closest matches in character are the Blackstar HT Club 50H MkIII, the Blackstar HT-20RH MkIII, the Peavey 6505 MH 20W Mini Head.
What pairs well with the Blackstar 1RH MK 3?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive, Sola Sound Tone Bender MkII, Walrus Audio Eons — The transparent tone has headroom to spare — Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive leans it toward fuzzy to fill it in.
Compare
- vs Blackstar 1RH MK III 2-Channel 1-Watt
- vs Blackstar HT-1RH MkIII
- vs Blackstar HT Stage 100 MK III Head