The Blackstar HT-20R MkII is a Blackstar amplifier. Close alternatives include the Strymon Iridium and the Soldano SLO. It pairs well with the Colorsound Overdriver and the JHS Angry Charlie.
Blackstar HT-20R MkII
Blackstar · amplifier
The Blackstar HT-20R MkII is a 20-watt all-tube combo amplifier featuring switchable 20W and 1W power modes for home and stage use. EL34 output tubes give it a distinctly British midrange character. Two channels — Clean and Overdrive — each equipped with ISF tone shaping span a wide tonal range. The MkII revision refined the reverb circuit and added a USB recording output. Available as both a combo and a standalone head, it sits in the middle of Blackstar HT all-valve range and is widely regarded as one of the better-value EL34 amps in its price bracket.
What stands out
“At 1W the amp enters genuine tube saturation at manageable levels for home recording”
— from the reviews
“Two channels — Clean and Overdrive — each equipped with ISF tone shaping span a wide tonal range”
— from the listing
“The clean channel is warm but breaks up earlier than American-voiced amps at equivalent wattage, which suits blues and classic rock well but limits pristine-clean headroom”
— from the community notes
“The EL34 character is chewy and assertive in the mids, quite different from 6L6 or 6V6 alternatives”
— from the community notes
“The HT-20R MkII sounds assertively British: EL34 tubes deliver compressed mids and a slight top-end snarl suited to everything from classic rock to hard rock leads”
— from the reviews
- tube
- clean
- classic rock
- mids
- british
- recording
- saturation
- reverb
Good for
- Practice
- Studio
- Worship
Genres the Blackstar HT-20R MkII is commonly used in
- Classic Rock
- Alternative Rock
- Blues
- Hard Rock
- Rock
- Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Blackstar HT-20R MkII
Colorsound Overdriver
pedal
32% matchgain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → fuzzy)
Put Colorsound Overdriver in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward fuzzy
Goes in front of the amp
JHS Angry Charlie
JHS Pedals
31% matchgain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → high gain)
Push the HT-20R's British mids with the Angry Charlie's hard-rock crunch and the two gain stages stack into something bigger.
Goes in front of the amp
Xotic BB Preamp
Xotic
30% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → smooth)
Xotic BB Preamp's smooth balances out the bright tone
Goes in front of the amp
MXR Phase 90
MXR
21% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
MXR Phase 90's analog warmth voice goes after Blackstar HT-20R MkII in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Blackstar HT-20R MkII's own transparent character
Goes in front of the amp
Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Deluxe
Catalinbread
15% matchCatalinbread Dirty Little Secret Deluxe's own voicing points at Marshall-style amps, and Blackstar HT-20R MkII delivers it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
MXR Dyna Comp
MXR
11% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)
MXR Dyna Comp leans toward bright, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Goes in front of the amp
Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Boss
10% 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-3 Digital Delay in Blackstar HT-20R MkII's effects loop, clear of Blackstar HT-20R MkII's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Tone City Golden Plexi V3 Mini Distortion
Tone City
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
Tone City Golden Plexi V3 Mini Distortion is voiced for Marshall-style amps — Blackstar HT-20R MkII gives it exactly that
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Strymon Iridium
Strymon
72% similarityStrymon Iridium recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Soldano SLO
Soldano
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Friedman IR-J Jake E. Lee Preamp
Friedman
72% similarityFriedman IR-J Jake E. Lee Preamp recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Friedman IR-D
Friedman
72% similarityFriedman IR-D recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Fender Dual Showman (Silverface)
amplifier
50% similarityShared character: warm, vintage charm, classic rock
Fender Blues DeVille
amplifier
48% similarityShared character: high end, mix, alternative
Bad Cat Cougar 15
Bad Cat
48% similarityShared character: middle, practice, classic rock
Dr. Z Maz 38
Dr Z
48% similarityShared character: middle, high end, reverb
Music Man 410 Sixty Five
Music Man
47% similarityShared character: middle, two channels, warm
Blackstar HT5-210
Blackstar
47% similarityShared character: two channels, warm, alternative
Blackstar S1-45
Blackstar
46% similarityShared character: middle, two channels, warm
1950s Fender Twin
amplifier
45% similarityShared character: middle, combination, warm
See all alternatives to the Blackstar HT-20R MkII (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Blackstar HT-20R MkII?+
The closest matches in character are the Strymon Iridium, the Soldano SLO, the Friedman IR-J Jake E. Lee Preamp.
What pairs well with the Blackstar HT-20R MkII?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Colorsound Overdriver, JHS Angry Charlie, Xotic BB Preamp — Put Colorsound Overdriver in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward fuzzy.