The Blackstar HT-20R MkII is a Blackstar amplifier. Close alternatives include the Blackstar HT-5C and the Blackstar HT-20RH MkIII. It pairs well with the Electro-Harmonix Triangle Big Muff Pi and the Fjord Fuzz Midnattssol.
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.
- tube
- clean
- recording
- classic rock
- mids
- british
- saturation
- usb
Good for
- Practice
- Studio
- Worship
Genres the Blackstar HT-20R MkII is commonly used in
- Classic Rock
- Alternative Rock
- Blues
- Hard Rock
- Rock
- Blues Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Blackstar HT-20R MkII
Electro-Harmonix Triangle Big Muff Pi
Electro-Harmonix
35% matchThe HT-20R's clean British headroom gives the Triangle Muff's thick, scooped sustain somewhere open to bloom into.
Fjord Fuzz Midnattssol
Fjord Fuzz
33% matchThe Midnattssol's bright, harmonically rich shoegaze fuzz gives the HT-20R's clean, mid-forward British voice a genuinely different texture to work with.
JAM Pedals Red Muck Mk.2 Fuzz/Distortion
Jam Pedals
33% matchBlackstar HT-20R MkII pushes a scooped tone toward mid-forward
MXR M109 Six Band EQ
MXR
33% matchBlackstar HT-20R MkII takes that scooped character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Fjord Fuzz Fjaer Spring Reverb
Fjord Fuzz
32% matchA delicate, lighter-voiced fuzz like the Fjaer still finds real bite once it hits the HT-20R's clean, mid-forward British voice.
JHS Angry Charlie
JHS Pedals
32% matchPush the HT-20R's British mids with the Angry Charlie's hard-rock crunch and the two gain stages stack into something bigger.
Way Huge Swollen Pickle
Way Huge
32% matchGive the Swollen Pickle's woolly, scooped fuzz the HT-20R's clean, open headroom and it stays massive without choking the amp's mids.
Mesa/Boogie DynaPlex
Mesa Boogie
31% matchFeed a scooped signal into Blackstar HT-20R MkII and it comes out closer to mid-forward
See all 28 pedals that pair with the Blackstar HT-20R MkII →
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Blackstar HT-5C
Blackstar
61% similarityShared character: two_channels, room, practice
Blackstar HT-20RH MkIII
Blackstar
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar Studio 10 KT88 Limited Edition
Blackstar
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Blackstar HT 5RH Head
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Blackstar HT Club 50 MKIII 2-Ch 50-Watt Tube
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Blackstar HT Club 100 HTV-100 MKIII 100-Watt
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Blackstar HT Club 50H MkIII
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1950s Fender Twin
amplifier
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar HT Stage 60 112 MkII
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95% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar S1-50
Blackstar
95% similaritysimilar tone character
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 Blackstar HT-5C, the Blackstar HT-20RH MkIII, the Blackstar Studio 10 KT88 Limited Edition.
What pairs well with the Blackstar HT-20R MkII?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Electro-Harmonix Triangle Big Muff Pi, Fjord Fuzz Midnattssol, JAM Pedals Red Muck Mk.2 Fuzz/Distortion — The HT-20R's clean British headroom gives the Triangle Muff's thick, scooped sustain somewhere open to bloom into..