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I'm attracted to the Blackstar HT-1R MKIII 1WATT Valve Combo: Blackstar HT-1R MKIII 1W Valve Combo - Andertons Music Co.
It includes a USB Out for recording, and a clean and overdrive switch. The one-watt volume is enough for playing in my flat/apartment, in fact I doubt the volume control would ever go beyond half way. The price is good, and it gets excellent reviews both for its clean and crunch sounds. Only 8" speaker. Uses 1x ECC83, 1x ECC82 valves.
There's also the 5 Watt version to consider, with its 0.5 watt attenuator: Blackstar HT-5R MKIII 5W Valve Combo - Andertons Music Co. - with 12" speaker. Uses 1x ECC83, 1x 12BH7 - I don't know about such things.
I imagine the latter would give a better sound, thanks to its 12" speaker.
I currently use a Yamaha THR 10, which is a good enough for my purposes, but I do fancy having real valves, with the convenience for recording. Wouldn't want to spend more than £550.
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03-10-2026 04:45 PM
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Okay, no interest so far. But in case someone is wondering about these amps in the future, here's a follow up from my email to the shop:
The Blackstar HT-1R MKIII can certainly work for home jazz practice and does have some useful features for that use case. Its 1-watt valve design is well suited to low-volume playing, so you can still get some tube warmth and compression at bedroom levels. The built-in USB recording output and cab simulation are also very convenient if you want to practise silently or record directly to a computer.
That said, it isn’t specifically voiced for traditional jazz tones. The 8" speaker can sound a little small for archtop guitars, and the amp’s overall voicing leans more toward blues/rock than the warm, full clean sound typically associated with Joe Pass–style playing.
If you’re mainly after mellow jazz cleans, you might also consider a few alternatives:
- Roland JC-40 – excellent clean headroom and a very full, warm tone that works well with archtops.
- DV Mark Micro 50 Jazz – designed specifically for jazz guitar, though it’s a head so it requires a separate speaker cabinet.
- Blackstar HT-5R MKIII – still a valve combo but with a larger 12" speaker, giving a fuller clean tone than the HT-1R.
If you do like the size and USB features of the HT-1R, it can still be a good home practice option, and pairing it with an external 1×12 cabinet can really help give a fuller jazz tone.
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Before my move, I used a Blackheart Killer Amp 1 Watt Head for practice and liked it very much. It used a 12AX7 and sounded great (fat and warm) with only a volume knob. I will probably start using it again when I unpack.
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What do you run it through? I like its simplicity...
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I had an earlier version of the HT-1R for a while, but was using it mostly for distorted tones. I'll double-check to see if I have any clean recordings, but this all before I embarked on my jazz odyssey.
As I remember, the sound through the speaker was not that great, but through the headphones or, via usb into my computer (which I use to drive studio monitors), it sounded pretty good.
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Blackstar makes a great all around amp that is great for Jazz; is called the "St James" with 6L6 tubes, and switchable wattage power. A friend of mine is using it for all his jazz gigs and sounds amazing!
Cheers,
Arnie..
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I have the 10" Eminence cab for it (BH110) and alternate with another 12" Eminence Avatar cab. I use the 12" cab (higher sensitivity) if I want a larger headroom (for jazz).
Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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Maybe, look at Laney small amps too.
1W to 15W
CUB-SUPER CUB-SUPER12 All tube combo with Boost and Reverb - >1W & 15W - 12 inch HH speaker - Laney Amplification - Since 1967
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Laney! Haven’t heard of them for years. Surprised they are still breathing. Will check them out.
Last edited by Rob MacKillop; 03-11-2026 at 10:54 AM.
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IMO you need at least a 10'' speaker to get an acceptable tone (or at least more than one 8''?).
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Yet the 8” Blu is much praised…
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Bud and Blu are offered in 6" and 10", not 8". And both are ported cab speakers, gives them fuller low end response than you might otherwise expect from smaller speakers. In many cases, an open back small cab speaker is thought of as sounding bigger than its size, but in 6" speakers I find ported impresses as bigger than its native diameter. Similarly, my 6" BIG Industries Ronnie Montrose 6" sealed cab portable amp sounds huge for its size. Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
If in doubt about the 6" Henriksens, you can always go with the 10" variants for a slightly warmer, fuller sound. But if the 6" was somehow too winpy in a performance role, I doubt @Stringswinger would keep his enthusiasm for it.
I kind of wish Henriksen offered an 8" amp. But I love my Henry Bud 6 in a private situation neverthless, with its intrinsic EQ flexibility. But that's just me.
Phil
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Thanks for Phil-ing me in there, Phil. All good info.
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From Los Angeles to Edinburgh, Rob, happy to help. Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
The DV Mark Little Jazz is 8", and if its more one-trick, warm sonic signature suits you, it's inexpensive and sounds beautiful in its voice bracket. No noisy fan on recent versions. I have one, which i got unhead to try based on reputation. I've so far kept it for its specific voice, but it's not nearly as adaptable as the Henriksens, and if you have multiple guitars it tends to impose its voice on all of them more strongly. Which is not to say I don't like it. I do. But a Blu or Bud will accommodate and enrich the amplified sound of a wider range of electrified guitars or if using a microphone.
Phil
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I’ll be amplifying two archtops, with a floater, the other with a humbucker, and I certainly don’t want them coated with the same brush, so that discounts the DV Mark 8”.
Thanks for helping me clarify my thoughts, Phil.
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Here's a small, inexpensive amp with a great clean sound...
Amplificador combinado de válvula Bugera V5 INFINIUM de 5 watts - Andertons Music Co. Bugera V5 INFINIUM 5-Watt Valve Combo Amp - Andertons Music Co.
...check out these videos of someone playing with this amp...
Instagram
Instagram
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On the slightly more expensive end, I remain very enthusiastic about my TOOB Metro BG+ and DV Mark EG250. Great sound with all my guitars whether in my living room, rehearsals or in gig situations. I've been amazed. I was very skeptical about getting a good, full, warm sound out of such a small speaker. O me of little faith!
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I’ve ended up with a Henricksen Blu 6. Thanks for all the suggestions.
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My experience is that only because it doesn't need to be loud, doesn't mean you need to shrink the whole thing. Especially if you don't need to move the thing.
Never played the Blu, it's certainly great.
But I'm crazy, I prefer 15'' speakers...
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You t be right, Mike
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Hello, can you please tell how do you set up the USB recording? I have a blackstar ht1r mkiii, the USB output is very low and I cannot record properly
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I don’t know, as I don’t have one. But if you put headphones in their socket, that will cut out the volume in the room, and you can then turn it up full - but use a cheap pair of headphones, and don’t listen! Then the recorded output might useable. But I’m just guessing.
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