The Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII is a Blackstar amplifier, currently around $932.29. Close alternatives include the Strymon Iridium and the Blackstar HTV40MK3 40 Watt. It pairs well with the Greer Tomahawk and the Friedman BE-OD.
Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII
Blackstar · amplifier
The Blackstar HT Stage 60 MkII is a 60-watt EL34 tube guitar amplifier featuring three channels with two voices each — six total tonal configurations spanning boutique clean headroom through super-saturated high-gain lead. The clean channel covers Fender-style open warmth through mild Vox-Marshall grit; the overdrive channels move from Plexi-style crunch and JCM800 chunk through aggressive high-gain saturation. A power reduction switch drops output to 6 watts for studio use. Blackstar's ISF control adjusts tonal character between American and British signatures. At 60 watts through EL34 power tubes it delivers ample authority for medium and large stage venues.
What stands out
“Players use it for club gigs, hard rock, metal, and studio recording where a single 60-watt amp handles all gain stages”
— from the community notes
“The clean channel covers Fender-style open warmth through mild Vox-Marshall grit; the overdrive channels move from Plexi-style crunch and JCM800 chunk through aggressive high-gain saturation”
— from the listing
“The Blackstar HT Stage 60 MkII is a 60-watt EL34 tube guitar amplifier featuring three channels with two voices each — six total tonal configurations spanning boutique clean headroom through super-saturated high-gain lead”
— from the listing
“Clean channel covers American open warmth and mild break-up”
— from the reviews
“Overdrive channels achieve Plexi-style crunch, JCM800 chunk, and tight modern saturation with articulation that holds at extreme gain settings”
— from the reviews
Trade-offs
“Sixty watts of EL34 power handles medium and large stages”
— from the reviews
- studio
- high gain
- clean
- crunch
- american
- boutique
- saturation
- tight
Good for
- Live
Price updated Oct 24, 2026
Genres the Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII is commonly used in
- Hard Rock
- Metal
- Rock
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII
Greer Tomahawk
Greer
23% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → tight)
Stack Greer Tomahawk on top and a high gain tone tightens toward tight
Goes in front of the amp
Friedman BE-OD
Friedman
23% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → tight)
Friedman BE-OD takes that high gain character and pushes it toward tight
Goes in front of the amp
Catalinbread Formula 5F6
Catalinbread
21% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)
Feed a high gain signal into Catalinbread Formula 5F6 and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Goes in front of the amp
Boss TR-2 Tremolo
Boss
13% 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 TR-2 Tremolo is voiced for Fender-style amps — Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII gives it exactly that
Goes in front of the amp
Origin Effects SlideRIG Compact Deluxe
Origin Effects
12% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain. (dynamic → compressed)
Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII leans into Fender-style amps, precisely the platform Origin Effects SlideRIG Compact Deluxe wants
Goes in front of the amp
Boss RV-6 Reverb
Boss
9% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → ambient)
Run Boss RV-6 Reverb in Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII's effects loop, clear of Blackstar HT Stage 60 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
Mooer A7 Ambience
Mooer
9% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → ambient)
Keep Mooer A7 Ambience in Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII's effects loop, clear of Blackstar HT Stage 60 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
Laney TI-Boost
Laney
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII leans into a clean amp's front end, precisely the platform Laney TI-Boost wants
Cheaper alternatives
Vox Valvenergy Mystic Edge
Vox
72% similarityVox Valvenergy Mystic Edge recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Catalinbread Dreamcoat Skewer Special Edition Box
Catalinbread
72% similarityCatalinbread Dreamcoat Skewer Special Edition Box recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Audiocade Royal British Velvet AC30 Overdrive/Preamp Clone
Audiocade
72% similarityAudiocade Royal British Velvet AC30 Overdrive/Preamp Clone recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Blackstar HT Club 40 MkIII
Blackstar
60% similarityShared character: tonal possibilities, two channels, articulation
Blackstar HT Club 40
Blackstar
57% similarityShared character: studio, two channels, articulation
Marshall Studio Vintage SV20C MkII
Marshall
50% similarityShared character: tonal character, recording, crunch
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Strymon Iridium
Strymon
72% similarityStrymon Iridium recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Blackstar HTV40MK3 40 Watt
Blackstar
54% similarityShared character: tonal possibilities, two channels, tonal character
EVH 5150 Iconic Series 60W 2x12 Combo
Evh
52% similarityShared character: studio, two channels, articulation
Mesa Boogie Triple Crown TC-50 1x12 Combo
Mesa Boogie
50% similarityShared character: two channels, crunch, aggressive playing
Marshall Vintage Modern 50W Combo
Marshall
48% similarityShared character: recording, crunch, vintage charm
Mesa Boogie Rectifier Badlander EL34/50 1x12 Combo
Mesa Boogie
47% similarityShared character: two channels, hard rock, crunch
See all alternatives to the Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII?+
The closest matches in character are the Strymon Iridium, the Blackstar HTV40MK3 40 Watt, the EVH 5150 Iconic Series 60W 2x12 Combo. Budget picks: Vox Valvenergy Mystic Edge, Catalinbread Dreamcoat Skewer Special Edition Box, Audiocade Royal British Velvet AC30 Overdrive/Preamp Clone. Boutique upgrades: Bad Cat Hot Cat 50 Mod Shop Combo, Revv Dynamis D25 25W 1x12 Combo.
What pairs well with the Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Greer Tomahawk, Friedman BE-OD, Catalinbread Formula 5F6 — Stack Greer Tomahawk on top and a high gain tone tightens toward tight.
How much does the Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII cost?+
Around $932.29 (live listing price, updated Oct 24, 2026).