Blackstar HT-5RH MKIII - Refurbished

The Tube Compact Head from the HT Series Enters the MKIII Generation

The Blackstar HT-5RH MKIII belongs to the renowned HT family, a range of tube amplifiers designed to deliver the response, warmth and dynamics of a genuine high-voltage circuit in a format that is easy to integrate at home or in the studio. This compact head retains the DNA of previous HT generations while adding modern tools that are particularly useful to today’s guitarists.

This MKIII version stands out in particular for the integration of CabRig, a speaker cabinet simulation technology based on impulse responses. It allows you to enjoy a complete recording chain, with speaker, microphone and placement simulation, without sacrificing the organic character of the tube preamp and power amp. Its revamped aesthetic, inspired by boutique amplifiers, underlines its positioning: a serious, expressive little head that is ready to play.

A Versatile Head for Home, Studio and Controlled Rehearsals

With its 5 watts and 0.5-watt attenuation, the HT-5RH MKIII is particularly well suited to guitarists who want to make the most of a tube amp’s tone without imposing excessive volume on those around them. It is ideal for practicing at home, rehearsing with a reasonable drummer, recording demos or crafting more refined guitar sounds in a home studio.

Its wide range of voices makes it just as relevant for demanding beginners as it is for experienced musicians looking for a compact head. It effortlessly covers blues, rock, hard rock, punk, alternative rock and modern metal styles. Paired with a suitable speaker cabinet, it also becomes an excellent platform for a pedalboard thanks to its effects loop.

Four Voices, CabRig and Studio Connectivity: A Highly Complete Compact Format

The HT-5RH MKIII features two footswitchable channels. The Clean channel offers two distinct characters: American Clean for broad, warm and bright tones, or British Clean for a more responsive, more mid-focused and grainier response when the volume is pushed. The Overdrive channel offers a Classic Overdrive mode, with a more vintage and singing character, as well as a Modern Overdrive mode designed for tighter, more precise and more saturated distortion.

Blackstar’s signature ISF control allows you to quickly shift the overall EQ between two sonic philosophies: a more scooped and expansive response inspired by American tones, or a denser British-style sound in the midrange. This particularly intuitive control helps adapt the amp to the guitar being used, the speaker cabinet and the style being played.

CabRig considerably expands the head’s capabilities. Via the USB-C output, balanced XLR output or stereo 6.35mm jack output, it is possible to transmit a recording-ready sound or send it to a PA system. Up to three CabRig presets can be stored directly in the amplifier. The USB-C connection is also used for recording and for operating the Architect software, notably to adjust the studio-quality reverb.

A stereo line input lets you play along with backing tracks or listen to music, while the effects loop with level selector makes it easy to integrate delays, reverbs, modulation effects and multi-effects units. The included FS-16 dual footswitch provides easy access to the channels and voices while playing.

True All-Tube Tone, from Articulate Clean to Precise Hi-Gain

The HT-5RH MKIII combines an ECC83 tube in the preamp with a push-pull power amp equipped with a 12BH7. This architecture delivers a lively attack, natural compression and a nuanced response to touch. Clean sounds remain defined and expressive, with enough presence to let arpeggios, open chords and modulation effects breathe.

In overdrive, the head delivers progressive, musical crunch, followed by thicker and tighter distortion capable of supporting modern riffs and singing solos. The Modern Overdrive mode provides greater precision in the lower frequencies and more bite in the attack. This sonic character naturally fits into rock and metal settings while retaining enough flexibility for blues, alternative or pop-rock textures.

Technical specifications

Power	5 watts	2 footswitchable channels	Clean and Overdrive
Power reduction	0.5 watt	Clean voices	American Clean and British Clean
Preamp	1 ECC83 tube	Overdrive voices	Classic Overdrive and Modern Overdrive
Power amplifier	1 12BH7 tube in push-pull configuration	Warranty	3 years