The Blackstar HT 5RH Head is a Blackstar amplifier, currently around $428. Close alternatives include the Bad Cat Pre-Sale! Hot Cat Head and the 1976 Marshall 1959 Super Lead. It pairs well with the J. Rockett The Dude and the Cusack Music Screamer.
Blackstar HT 5RH Head
Blackstar · amplifier
The Blackstar HT-5RH is the head-format version of the HT Series 5-watt all-tube guitar amplifier, sharing the dual-channel circuit with the HT-5R combo but in a portable head for pairing with external cabinets. An ECC83 preamp tube and two EL84 power tubes drive a clean channel covering warm jazz clean through bluesy crunch, and an overdrive channel with Blackstar's patented ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) for sweeping the gain character between American-scooped and British-middy tonal profiles. A power reduction switch drops output to 0.5 watts for home use, producing genuine tube overdrive character at conversation-level volumes. Built-in reverb and an emulated XLR output for direct recording are included.
What stands out
“An ECC83 preamp tube and two EL84 power tubes drive a clean channel covering warm jazz clean through bluesy crunch, and an overdrive channel with Blackstar's patented ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) for sweeping the gain character between Amer…”
— from the listing
“Built-in reverb and an emulated XLR output for direct recording are included”
— from the listing
“for sweeping the gain character between american-scooped and british-middy tonal profiles”
— from the listing
“Best suited for home practice, bedroom recording, and smaller live venues where a 5-watt tube head provides stage-ready tone”
— from the community notes
“The overdrive channel provides muscular, well-defined saturation covering classic rock through higher-gain modern rock,”
— from the reviews
- tube
- crunch
- warm
- british
- american
- xlr
- direct recording
- bedroom
Good for
- Practice
- Studio
Price updated Oct 23, 2026
Genres the Blackstar HT 5RH Head is commonly used in
- Jazz
- Blues
- Rock
- Classic Rock
- Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Blackstar HT 5RH Head
J. Rockett The Dude
J Rockett
20% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)
What J. Rockett The Dude brings here leans toward mid-forward — that's worth building a pairing around
Goes in front of the amp
Cusack Music Screamer
Cusack Music
20% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)
Cusack Music Screamer's own mid-forward character is the real reason this is worth trying
Goes in front of the amp
Walrus Audio Voyager Mk II
Walrus Audio
20% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)
Walrus Audio Voyager Mk II's own mid-forward character is the real reason this is worth trying
Goes in front of the amp
Maestro Orbit
Maestro
15% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Maestro Orbit after Blackstar HT 5RH Head in the signal chain, clear of Blackstar HT 5RH Head's own gain stage
Goes in front of the amp
Demeter Compulator
Demeter
10% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)
Blackstar HT 5RH Head's crunchy character and Demeter Compulator's smooth voice sit in the same lane rather than fighting each other
Goes in front of the amp
Death By Audio Reverberation Machine
Death By Audio
8% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Death By Audio Reverberation Machine in Blackstar HT 5RH Head's effects loop, clear of Blackstar HT 5RH Head'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-200 Digital Delay
Boss
7% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Boss DD-200 Digital Delay's shimmer voice goes in Blackstar HT 5RH Head's effects loop — it's not there to compete with Blackstar HT 5RH Head's own crunchy character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
J. Rockett The Dude V2
J Rockett
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
Blackstar HT 5RH Head leans into a clean amp's front end, precisely the platform J. Rockett The Dude V2 wants
Boutique & premium upgrades
Bogner Ecstasy 3534
Bogner
50% similarityShared character: rich, crunch, warm
Marshall 1959HW
Marshall
49% similarityShared character: rich, practice, crunch
Mesa Boogie Lone Star Head
amplifier
48% similarityShared character: rich, crunch, reverb
Brunetti Singleman H 50/15/2W Head 230
Brunetti
47% similarityShared character: room, practice, stage
Mesa Boogie Mark I
Mesa Boogie
46% similarityShared character: jazz, high gain settings, clean
Bad Cat Ocelot 20 Watt Tube
Bad Cat
46% similarityShared character: room, practice, recording
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Bad Cat Pre-Sale! Hot Cat Head
Bad Cat
49% similarityShared character: recording, crunch, gain
1976 Marshall 1959 Super Lead
Marshall
47% similarityShared character: home use, crunch, gain
Supro Thunderbolt
Supro
47% similarityShared character: home use, practice, recording
DV Mark Raw Dawg EG
Dv Mark
46% similarityShared character: jazz, crunch, reverb
Marshall Class 5
amplifier
46% similarityShared character: external cabinets, home use, room
PRS Dallas 50W Tube Guitar Amp Head
amplifier
45% similarityShared character: reverb, warm, classic rock
See all alternatives to the Blackstar HT 5RH Head (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Blackstar HT 5RH Head?+
The closest matches in character are the Bad Cat Pre-Sale! Hot Cat Head, the 1976 Marshall 1959 Super Lead, the Supro Thunderbolt. Boutique upgrades: Bogner Ecstasy 3534, Marshall 1959HW, Mesa Boogie Lone Star Head.
What pairs well with the Blackstar HT 5RH Head?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: J. Rockett The Dude, Cusack Music Screamer, Walrus Audio Voyager Mk II — What J. Rockett The Dude brings here leans toward mid-forward — that's worth building a pairing around.
How much does the Blackstar HT 5RH Head cost?+
Around $428 (live listing price, updated Oct 23, 2026).