The Blackstar HT-20RH MK III is a 20-watt tube guitar amplifier head for players who want to choose their own speaker cabinet. Two EL84 power tubes and two ECC83 preamp tubes give it a British tube character that runs from boutique-style cleans, through edge-of-breakup crunch that cleans up as you roll back the guitar volume, to saturated distortion. A power switch drops the output to 2 watts for home playing, and CabRig speaker emulation on the XLR, headphone and USB-C outputs covers silent practice and direct recording.

Two Channels, Four Voices

The Clean channel has its own Volume and Tone controls. Its Voice switch changes between an American voice that stays bright with a tight low end and a British voice with looser bass, warmer mids and a strong response to your picking. The Overdrive channel has Gain and Volume controls and two voices of its own: a hot-rodded classic overdrive, and a modern voice with a mid-focused boost and a looser, more aggressive feel. Both channels share the Bass, Middle and Treble controls and Blackstar's patented ISF, which moves the tone stack between an American and a British response. A master Volume sets the overall level. The included 2-button footswitch selects both channels and both voices.

Recording and Practice

CabRig, an IR-based cabinet simulator with three stored patches on a rear-panel switch, feeds the balanced XLR DI output, the stereo Line Out / Phones jack and the USB-C audio output. The XLR and headphone outputs keep working in standby, so you can record or practice silently with no speaker connected. Over USB-C the amp appears as an audio device in your recording software, plug and play on a Mac and with Blackstar's driver on Windows, and Blackstar's Architect software edits the CabRig patches and sets a separate reverb decay for each channel. An effects loop with a +4 dBV / -10 dBV level switch takes studio processors or pedals, and a 3.5 mm Line In lets you play along with music.

Features

• 20 W tube head, switchable to 2 W
• Two EL84 power tubes and two ECC83 preamp tubes
• Clean and Overdrive channels with two voices each
• Patented ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) with Bass, Middle and Treble
• Digital reverb, with per-channel decay set in Architect software
• CabRig IR-based cabinet simulator with three stored patches
• Balanced XLR DI, stereo Line Out / Phones and USB-C audio outputs
• Effects loop with +4 dBV / -10 dBV level switch
• 3.5 mm stereo Line In for playing along with music
• Automatic standby when no guitar or speaker is connected
• 2-button FS-16 footswitch included
• Kensington lock slot

Specifications

• Power: 20 W RMS, switchable to 2 W
• Tubes: 2 x EL84 (power amp), 2 x ECC83 (preamp)
• Channels: Clean (2 voices), Overdrive (2 voices)
• Controls: Clean Volume, Clean Voice, Tone, OD select, OD Gain, OD Voice, OD Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, ISF, Reverb, Volume, Power level switch, Power
• Speaker outputs: 1 x 16 ohm; 1 x 8 ohm or 2 x 16 ohm
• Other outputs: Balanced XLR DI, stereo Line Out / Phones, USB-C audio, effects loop send
• Inputs: Instrument input, 3.5 mm stereo Line In, effects loop return, footswitch (TRS)
• Footswitch: FS-16 included, FS-22 compatible
• Dimensions: 468 x 245 x 222 mm (18.4 x 9.6 x 8.7 in)
• Weight: 9.57 kg (21.1 lbs)

In the Box

• HT-20RH MK III amplifier head
• FS-16 2-button footswitch
• Detachable power cord