5W Guitar Amp Kit For Sale (Jan 2023 Update)

Because the Stage Right 5-watt tube amp (#611705) has control knobs only for Volume and Tone, I found that I get the best-to-my-ears guitar sound when I put an equalizer pedal between the guitar and amp and then adjust the equalizer to the tone that I'm looking for. On the guitar the Volume and Tone knobs are set fully open and on the 5-watt tube amp the Tone knob is fully closed and the Volume knob is set to the volume level acceptable to the environment (for home practice the Volume knob is set to level 3 at full 5-watts). The Stage Right 5-watt tube amp is my first tube amp after having used modeling amps for at least five years. I had heard that tube amps more often than not sound better than modeling amps. After now having experienced using a tube amp I agree that tube amps (at least the Stage Right 5-watt amp) sounds better than the modeling amps I've used (which to me sound great too). If you're looking for your first tube amp (like I was) or you are looking for a low-watt tube amp for home use then I highly recommend the Monoprice Stage Right 5-watt tube amp #611705. Review about Monoprice customer support: The 5-watt tube amp that I initially received had a cosmetic defect (a hole) on the textured surface on the front side of the amp. The Volume knob when set to fully opened level 10 produced normal speaking level sound instead of the noise-complaint loud volume that I expected. Monoprice customer service was great and easy to work with in submitting an amp replacement request. I described the problems, sent pictures of the cosmetic defect and a video demonstrating the Volume problem. After Monoprice customer service reviewed the pics and video they sent me a free shipping return label, a RMA label, and they ordered me a replacement amp which arrived within 7 days after I submitted the replacement request. The replacement amp that I received had no cosmetic defects and the Volume knob set to max level 10 is loud enough to generate noise-complaints from neighbors, though I normally use the amp at Volume level 3 for home use.New User

For the price (I got it when priced $119) it is fantastic. It's simple, straightforward and sounds good. Nice warm tones. If you're a fantastic guitar player, this amp will sound fantastic. If you're an okay guitarist, you might want to invest in some pedals (or just keep practicing). I only say that because it is very clean and bright and it really shows off what you're playing. (I've been known to hide my sloppiness with reverb, distortion, etc.) BUT It does take pedals well – thankfully! Adding a good reverb pedal, delay and an overdrive to go along with this little guy is a good idea. The Pros: Value to Price ratio. Looks well built. Warm tube sound. The handle (yes I am talking about the amp's handle) is nice! Better than I expected. In fact, everything looks pretty good (except the cheap control knobs). 5 watts is plenty loud for home/recording use. The Cons: Good sounding, but there are better sounding. Please don't buy this thinking that this is a $500 amp. It is not. But sub $200 it is a good one. The chickenhead knobs are cheap looking. I took them off and painted them. But that's a dollar or two easy fix (if it bothers you at all). Overall: I totally recommend for $150 or less. Probably for $200. If the prices climb too much beyond that, I think there are other options. If you want to jam at home and record with it, I think you'll be happy.Brad

The Monoprice 5 watt guitar amp arrived just a few days after ordering, and arrived in good shape, due in part to the excellent shipping carton. Upon taking it out and inspecting it, I could find no flaws in the cabinet, and due to the cream color of the covering, it seemed a little bigger than I was expecting. I plugged it in, let it warm up for almost an hour, and then plugged in an ES339, using no pedals. At first, I wasn't all that pleased with the sound I was getting, but it was my fault. I had it adjusted as I do with my Albion Hybrid, but that wasn't the way. I found the best sound came from turning the Monoprice all the way up, and then use the guitar controls for volume instead. That did it, and the little amp came a alive in a big way! Sounding very similar to a Fender champ, it could go from nice clear tones to crunchy heaven with the ES339's humbuckers. I plugged in a Strat with an HSH configuration, and the single coil really made it sound Fenderish. Sweet. The only thing I found one might improve on the amp, is the speaker. As such, I plugged into the built-in external speaker jack on the back, a little Randall 8" cabinet. That really did it for me. The sound was fantastic through the entire spectrum, and was loud enough to be heard down the block. I then bi-amped it with the Albion, and the sound had all the creamy goodness I've been seeking, and that is how I now have it setup for daily use. That said, there's nothing wrong with the stock speaker on the Monoprice, and I suspect it will satisfy most users. Am very happy with this purchase, and glad I bought it for such a great price. Almost every electric guitar player could find a use for this amp. Buy before the price goes up, or they quit making them!T

I just completed my Mod 102 kit. An excellent experience! I was delighted with the quality of components, clarity of instructions, and, perhaps most importantly, the sound of the amp. It is very loud – currently running into my Fender Twin Reverb cab (2×12) and very sweet! I will be running it into a new 1×12 cab with a new Celestion G12 M Heritage 'Greenback' when I get a case for the speaker (on order). My only criticism (and something to look out for) is that the chassis is very nicely painted in gray gunmetal paint. Even following the directions to file all the holes, it is very hard to get a good ground connection at every point a terminal strip connects. I worried about this, and about 1/3rd of the way through the build, took an ohm meter to check all the connections, and as I had suspected, some of the connections were not great (9-10 ohms or so!) So I removed the terminal strips (with the components I had already soldered still attached) and scraped away the paint under the tabs of the strips to ensure a good connection. Re-testing showed virtually zero resistance. I'd strongly recommend scraping the paint away at all holes under the chassis before getting started on the build. Even better, suggest that Amplified Parts leave the inside chassis unpainted (at least around the important holes). Aside that one criticism, I am delighted with the kit and with Amplified Parts. Everything was delivered promptly and they are a class outift. I'll probably try some of their other kits soon.vpmerlyn

I spent three evenings building the MOD102. The instructions are very easy to understand and the amp has a great Fender sound. I had one grounding issue that was easily fixed with a little help from tech support, which was excellent. If you're good at following step by step instructions and can solder well this is a fun little amp to build. Only small issue is the labels. They could stand an improvement.Brandon

I just finished this amp build and it sounds fantastic! I also just finished a Marshall 18 Watt clone and I have to say that the Mod102+ holds its own very nicely alongside the Marshall. In fact, I will probably use the Mod102+ for recording because it sounds amazing at lower volumes (the Marshall is loud AF). Honestly, if I were only going to build one of them today, it would be the Mod. I'm blown away by the tone! Great kit with excellent instructions. Great bang for the buck. The parts all seem to be top quality. I love the old style cloth solid core wire, too. I find it much easier to work with than modern stranded wire. The labels are a bit lame but I covered them with packing tape as suggested before cutting them out and they look fine. If you're thinking about building an amp, build this one.danjbeckett

I played through this amp with the battery and with the AC adaptor, and with multiple guitars. Switched from clean to dirty and used my bridge and neck pickups with and without the coil tap. This amp isn't super loud at 5W, but it is an amp made for portability and practicing. Sounds awesome clean with the neck pickup single coil, and gets nasty dirty (a little too much with gain set anything past 6)with my bridge double humbucker. The sound is really quite good for this size amp. The tone control has a decent range of sounds to switch between. I was out on my deck last night playing through this thing and the sound and portability reassured me I made a great purchase. Definitely would buy again.Ace McCloud

This little five watt amp has the heart of a Lion. Clean channel is from crisp and articulate to warm and wrap it up in a sweater goodness. The drive channel with the greater level of tone control can be any sound you want, truly. It's up to you. I drive this amp through a close backed cabinet of my own design made with plank spruce and 8" Jensen Mod 35 speakers. It sounds amazing. Rich full tone and great response to picking level (hit it hard and it'll bark at you. Soft and it will whisper too.) It also has digital reverb which for me coming from spring will take a little getting used to. Overall a great addition to anyone's arsenal of amps.codboy61

I bought this strictly for my bedroom but found it's much more. It gets loud enough for band practice on the dirty channel and the clean with the volume up gets a nice breakup. It handles pedals well in the loop or an overdrive out front. I don't care for the morph when it's fully left or right on the dirty channel but you get nice tones on the clean side. The attenuator is the reason I bought it and I love it. I A/B'd it with the ht5 and couldn't see spending the extra cash on the Blackstar. Then I A/B'd with my modded dsl15h on triode (7 watt) and it made me wonder how much of the signal is tube and how much is solid state, but I don't know if that's fair given the Marshall has 4 12ax7 and 2 6v6 tubes. Can't speak to durability yet but it seems well built, and I haven't used the emulated out. All in all I'd recommend it for the price and the featuresgbob61

I picked this up for my son so he could practice around the house. Killer stocking stuffer! When the son is away the dad will now play. I started playing my Mustang Bass through this and it did the job. It's a small amp, not a practice amp. This is perfect for camping trips, rocking at the office or kicking it in the backyard. Oh yeah and you can plug in 1/4 headphones and keep the concert to yourself. It runs on a 9-volt battery or you can plug in a 9-volt adapter.SERGIO

Took a chance on this and purchased it without every playing it. Watched video reviews on it and gave it a shot. Yes, I know that it's small in size, smaller than a kids lunchbox but I hoped it'd produce quality sound and what I got was muddy sounds at increased volumes. It's not clear sounding and my goal to play through an amp is to sound good and I felt if I actually played this in front of people, the muddyness would make me sound amateurish. So, for what you pay for this, yes, you get amplified but it's not real great quality, unless you're a metal player because you don't get a clean sound from this. I rate this 3 stars because it's convenient to have a portable battery operated tiny amp that you can plug into and get sound from, however, the quality almost makes you not even want to play it.Jesse

This ain't no micro cube or vox. This less than 20$ & runs on 1 9v battery or 9v plug in the wall.(transformer not included)& Holy Friggin' Smokes does this baby perform.Monster overdrive tone & super bright, clean tone.Headphone input.Probably exceeds 60 decibels,which is beyond city ords. could get U a fine it's so damn loud. My Strat Squire sounds soooo Fender good out of this lil sucka & my electric/acoustic, sooo crisp.Ultra light to carry around.I've been using the JOYO mini,I love it,plug in,no chord,fun but this Fender mini is a bit more.More tone options and louder.I've yet to find out how quick it eats batteries. The JOYO burns them up fast.Get the rechargeables.Also the JOYO has an MP3 input.This doesn't. I run guitar strap thru the handle so the chord is like non-existent or U can old school it and have a 10 or 20 ft chord.So light it can be pulled over by the chord.These mini amps also pick up radio signals. When I turn them on I can hear radio stations at certain angles. So get 1 for the road.It's all about the fun.annoyingted1

Was on the fence for over a year on the Marshall DSL 1 Watt. Ended up getting a steal on a Blackstar HT1 head and went with that, which is a great amp but pretty quickly regretted not going with the DSL due to more range of EQ. Made the move for the DSL but decided to go up to a 5 watt due to Volume/Gain on the Classic gain setting. I have worked it for over a month now and extremely pleased with the purchase. The classic gain will not get a usable crunch for me but is an awesome clean channel for pedals, which it takes extremely well. The ultra gain, at low settings is great for classic rock. I am not much of a metal guy so really don't go for anything over noon on the ultra gain. I am not a big fan of the speaker, although it does sound much better after break in. I run it basically as a head into a 1 x 12 cab which has a 12 inch celestion 90th anniversary speaker, which sounds excellent. Will eventually swap out the internal speaker for a greenback. Lastly, I would highly recommend this amp to those on the fence between the 1watt and 5 watt. Actually, those dead set on the 1watt, take a pause and re-evaluate. I noticed minimal DB difference between my 1watt blackstar and 5 watt DSL that if concerned with volume issues, don't be. Even with 5 watt setting, the max DB is not much more than what I got out of the blackstar. With the .5 watt setting on the DSL, it was even lower for bedroom volume. The 5 watt is much better choice over the 1 watt simply due to the classic channel volume setting.Axel

Overall: This is a great practice amp with the onboard 10” speaker, and also sounds incredible when ran through my buddy’s 4×12 Marshall cabinet. If you don’t like the factory speaker, Celestion makes some very fine replacements you can pop in. If you want to play through a bigger stack, unplug the onboard speaker and run a cable from this combo to the stack. If you want that Marshall DSL tone, an amp from this line is definitely what you’re looking for. Some of the features that made this the right amp for me include:- low power mode: when engaged, I can dial the gain as high as I want without notifying the rest of my apartment complex that I’m rocking out. Conversely, don’t let the five watt power rating deter you if you’re after volume – you’ll definitely be able to cause a noise complaint if you so choose. The selling point for me, however, was being able to dial in that Marshall tone at a volume one can speak over. Whether playing with the hot EMGs in my Les Paul, the even hotter humbuckers in my Blacktop Jaguar, the 490s in my SG, or the comparatively quiet Texas Specials and Atomic humbucker setup in my Strat, the cleans are articulate and the distortion is wonderful. This amp also takes my pedals, including my variety of dirt pedals (EHX Big Muff Pi for fuzz, a modified Boss DS1 for distortion, and an EHX East River Drive for OD) like a champ.- included foot switch: This was a fantastic bonus. The cabling on it is sufficient in length to play practically anywhere and still be able to switch channels without running across the room.- onboard reverb: While I don’t use it often, it’s much more articulate than I was expecting. Not in the same class as my EHX pedal, but definitely a nice added feature.- emulated line out: This is fantastic. No need for a direct box, no mucking about with a USB/FireWire/Thunderbolt interface when I want to jack in and record, no latency issues, and no mucking about with software effects to get my sound just right. A mini jack cable to the line-in on my laptop or DAW allows me to record my sound, off of my signal chain, with no issues whatsoever. I love it.- effects loop: this was something that my Orange Micro Terror lacked. While I don’t use it frequently, it is nice to have the option. Bottom line, if you want a worthy successor to the original Dual Super Lead in a package that won’t blow the roof off your house and would be sufficient for gigging small venues (which I have with this amp,) this is probably the amplifier for you. 5/5, would definitely recommend this or others from their DSL line.Mike

Not only does this 5 watt lil' monster have enough power to rattle the windows, it also has class! At only 9 lbs. the Bugera T5 Infinium has enough "UMFF" to push your favorite 4X12" cabinet into the stratosphere! It's better having this reverb built into this lil' madman than not having any at all. Just like 9/10 of the other amp heads in its class. The 1 channel, "all tube" head has warm cleans. Push in the PHAT switch and crank the volume and gain and you get saturated distortion that will blow you away! All of that in a 9 lb metal cage like package for only $200! You won't find another 5 W head with all of that for this price. I love my T5 Infinium from Bugera!brmul-8207

What it's not: Not a $1k boutique tube amp. Not a mid-size club amp (unless you have great monitors and a good sound guy). What it is: A well designed, very affordable little monster that will give enough stage volume at 5W for rehearsals in a full rock band or small club, and will also allow you to drive the output stage at that 1W or 1/2W setting for recording at home. The amp sounds best at 5W and driven into either a 4ohm cabinet or two 8ohm cabs. If you use it to drive an 8ohm cab, you are getting only 70% of its potential. I only use el84 based amps. i love their dark, throaty sound, and while this amp doesn't have the punch or snap I get from my 15W custom built el 84 amps, it sounds great for rehearsal or recording. I am a little bit worried about long-term build quality. The input jack is plastic. I have a hard time seeing that surviving a year of rehearsals without breaking. This is a great supplemental amp for rehearsals and recording. Very smartly designed. Good feature set. And if you like the el84 style sound, it delivers it above expectations at this price range. I'm thinking of getting a second one.klktrk

In these days of small solid state, practice amps, this little amp gives you tube tone and more at a very affordable price. A 12ax7 preamp tube and an EL84 power tube provide the tone along with built in reverb, 2 band EQ, gain and a "phat" overdrive switch for added crunch. The three stage attenuator is a nice touch. The stock Bugera tubes are OK but I switched them out with Tung-Sols which provided a rich creamy overdrive more to my liking. Great sound when plugged into my Orange 8" or 12" cab plus headphone jack for late night playing. Great amp for the price!Isom

Nice little kit! Instructions are pretty clear and it's certainly not overly complicated to build. Having some amp repair/building experience helps, but I'd say even a beginner could buy this, build it, and be playing it within a day or so. Once built it sounded pretty good as well. Fun to swap tubes around, substituting the 12AX for a 12AT, AY, or others. The 'effect' changes on the pull switches are pretty subtle, so don't expect anything dramatic there. But, the amp makes a great platform for learning, and even 'expanding' from the original design. I've put an EIA connector in the back of mine so I don't have a cord sticking out. I put some tall 'feet' on it so it would clear a speaker box handle. And, the power transformer is suitable for adding a 6CA4 rectifier, which I plan to do in the future. I'll have to move the filter capacitor section around some to make clearance for the socket, but it's a 6 volt 9-pin rectifier, so will work perfectly in this amp. I might even 'upgrade' the output transformer….or play with some yellow jacket type adapters to try a different output tube. In all, a lot of fun to build, sounds great for what it is, and I'm very glad I made the purchase!! A 'GREAT' value!!!Tom

This is a great kit. I wanted to build a small amp so i started researching schematics online. Then i found this kit. All the leg work has been done as well as step by step instructions. I just started it so i can’t comment on tone, but the ease and design of the kit is excellent. Full parts list, schematic and instructions include. It gives you a proven simple platform to start with and you can add your own modifications if you wish. Thanks MODRonnie

Overall: I run this into a Bugera ts1x12 with a WGS veteran 30 @16ohm and a Joyo vintage overdive in front. Very surprising how versatile the tone knob is with the different tone stack switches. Despite what people say this amp can do clean. You have to turn the volume up high and use the gain as a volume. It even says this in the manual. I have a Bugera G5 that does cleans very well so I don't worry about that. Before I even turned it on I swapped out the 2 12ax7 preamp tubes for a pair of matching Tung-sol 12ax7s so I can't speak to the sound of the stock ruby tubes. I am using a dean VX with guitarheads hexbuckers and a ephiphone strat with hsh pickups (guitarheads z-buckers and a no name dual rail single coil in the middle). It is a 1w amp so don't expect it to sound as loud as a bigger amp. I play about half way on the volume knob and that is plenty loud for my apartment and it has plenty of low end chunk at that volume. The overdrive just gives it a little sizzle but you don't really need it. For the money there is no better small tube head for metal or rock. The Bugera G5 retubed with Tung-sol pre and JJ power tube comes close but this is just thicker sounding distortion. I will never sell it.David

I bought it on impulse during Black Friday and I'm so glad I did. I had been looking to get a tube amp and at the price this thing went for it was a no brainer. But price aside this amp sounds great. I was looking for a high gain metal amp and this fit the bill. I only have combo amps which means I do not have a speaker cab to hook this too but I used the midi out and hooked it to my PC using an audio interface. The high gain sounds are tight, clear and perfect for modern heavy rock/metal. I do plan to get a speaker cab for it, however for recording rock/metal it is so easy to use and I personally love using a real amp to record with instead of a software plug in to emulate the high gain sound. It's also small enough to sit on my PC desk.Supergoat94

I picked this amp up hoping it would be a nice quieter tube-amp option. Randall is known for high-gain, and even at just 1 watt, this amp has gain for days. In fact, that was one of my knocks against it, i had a hard time dialing in a nice clean sound. The breakup happens very early in the pre-amp stage, so if you're looking for anything resembling a clean tone, this amp doesn't excel there. It would be great for the metal player that can't crank up a 30, 50, or 100 watt tube amp in their apartment, but you need high-gain tones. Overall, i wasn't as impressed with this amp as i am with the Positive Grid Spark 40. Two different beasts, but the Spark 40 has way more value to me in this product range.Tanner's Favorite Things

A great mini amp suited to acoustic guitars for private use applications in living rooms or bedrooms. The sound quality is very crisp and clear. There is a choice of microphone emulation to simulate mic-ing up your acoustic guitar. The signal from this mini amp can be fed into a PA or a mixing desk using the Phones output socket. This amp is not really suitable for rock electric guitar sounds like crunch and distortion. The Yamaha THR5 is more suitable for this purpose.Danny

I have looked at the Yamaha THR line of amps many times in various retail shops. Finally saw one on MF in open box condition. Thought, "What the heck." Looks and functions as new. I bought the THR5A to use with my acoustic-electrics. I wanted a small portable amp with good effects for small venues and home practice. For me, a solo singer song writer playing originals, this little amp is a true gem. I use it for effects support in stereo, the other line run through my 40 watt Fender Acoustasonic. For years I have used the durable Acoustasonic as my PA, monitor, and for my vocals, and my Boss RC3 Looper. The THR5A is used simply to tweak the sound of the guitar. The effects are very nice, lots of range to dial in. The modeled Mics offer enough variety to cover the 3 different AE guitars I use. (Carvin AC175, Carvin AE185, Huss and Dalton CM). I can even use my OCD pedal through the THR5A for playing blues leads over the Loops. I would recommend this amp to any player of AE guitars because the sound quality out of this small inexpensive amp is truly amazing. But remember young squires, the THR5A is a very low watt amp with tiny speakers, so do not expect it to support you in a setting of more than 15-20 attentive listeners!Surflad

Overall: overall – maybe the best sounding low wattage amp ever. only small difference in sound between this & a tube amp. weak point is lack of features. they really skimped. twice the price of other compared to other practice amps that have way more features. you're really extra paying for tone here.pro's – * truly terrific tones* even if you have a tube amp that sounds good at whisper volumes (i have a 15w egnater tweaker) it's so convenient to be able to play this on top of your desk.* clean and modern settings are fantastic. i don't use the other amp settings much, but they sound great as well. the only setting i don't like is brit hi.* effects sound good* tap tempo* good tuner* the features are weak* pricey – other practice amps have many more features. they sound pretty good themselves (just not quite as nice as this). so if features are important to you, get something else. digital amps these days all sound not bad to downright good.* are the tones here so much better that it's really worth double other companies' amps? honestly hard to say, but this one does sound the best* can't save settings* one knob control of all mod effects is really limiting* can use the software to tweak settings and effects, but as soon as you unplug, you lose them* max volume on delay is occasionally not enough. usually it's ok. but sometimes, you want a little more & doesn't have it* as mentioned, brit hi setting not that great* the name "modern" might be misleading. i mentioned that modern sounds good, but, it doesn't have enough gain to get you into mesa rectifier range. you're going to need a pedal for that.A

Great sounding clean tones for playing at home, which is why i bought it – my beloved Mustang 1.1 started having issues and I MUST have a great clean tone to relax. Wanted a tube amp and did my research. Decided on the Blackstar. I must say I'm extremely happy with it. The reverb is KILLER to my ear and does a great job at adding shimmer without destroying the tone. No external effects are needed to get a gorgeous clean tone – I use my Zoom G3Xn into the front end to get univibe and compression. The effects loop is very functional. The amp can be very bass heavy, depending on your instrument, but if you run a 10 band EQ (go with MXR) in the loop you amp can achieve any tonal result you want. My best sound comes with everything at 12, with some of the bass rolled off with the MXR EQ – but its just a matter of taste i guess. This amp moves a lot of air when you use the drive channel, and if your not pleased with the amps distortion it does respond really well to distortion pedals. I'm mostly in the clean blues zone but must brag on the amps darker side: it can get very loud and stay rich. I haven't tried any of the direct recording features. The 2 selectable characters of clean that the amp offers thrill me and ,again, the reverb is classy and a bit different from other amps ( I read that is a room reverb). Highly recommended.Tim H.

This amp out of the box sounds fantastic. Crystal clear clean tones and a snarly gain channel that lets you choose between a more American gain tone and a British gain tone. I would say ‘cater for everyone’. But, I received my first amp and within an hour of playing I’d noticed a loud ‘POP’ when changing channels. This pop occurred if a note was being played at the same time as the channel change. (Footswitch and Amp buttons) So, of course I returned the Amp to PMT. they arranged DPD next working day collection for me, completely hassle free. I awaited my next amp, as a direct replacement. A few days later the next Blackstar HT-5R mkii arrived, box fresh like the last. I plugged the amp in, let the tubes warm and away I went. Within minutes of found a great tone again, but the loud ‘POP’ I heard from the first unit was there again on this amp. I tried 4 sockets in the house in case there was any kind of interference/static, but to no avail. Absolutely gutted, I called PMT again. The amp was returned for the second time. Apparently this hasn’t happened to anyone else, I may just be unlucky or the amp may not get along with the electrics in my home. Just check this out as soon as you buy one. I’ve tried two other valve amps on my house since, including a Blackstar Artist 10 AE and an Orange terror with cab, and there’s absolutely zero noise with these. Very important to note here, this is not a slam of PMT, they’ve been absolutely brilliant throughout this whole thing. Customer service is second to none and they are very easy to contact. Used these for a very long time and I will be returning once stores open to try out a new amp.Jack H.

I recently bought a Fender Blues Jr NOS and was quite happy, good natural clean and grind. Takes both pedals and my X3 Live outboard gear very well, but I was hoping for an amp that had the clean and the hard rock tones without needing to schlep a distortion pedal or my X3 Live. I bought an HT-5R used at MF's sister company hoping it would meet my needs. First, the HT-5R can be very loud. It also has a decent clean, pure for my EMG 60 and a nice blues edge with my EMG 85. The test of any amp is how it handles the hard rock or metal tones tho and the HT-5R falls sort of short… until you add the required Decimator G String Noise Reduction and BBE Sonic Max thru the effects loop. Those two outboards save this amp without running pedalboard effects. Just know, the BBE and G String are not needed nor are they compatible with the X3 Live, the thing buzzes like crazy when I run the X3L thru it with the BBE and G String. The X3 Live sounds great without them tho. I don't have any other modeling/multi-effects systems so I do not know if the Boss ME-70 or similar items are compatible with the BBE or Decimator thru the HT-5R effects loop. I also tried hooking up my Haze 112 straight cab as an external along with the internal speaker, sounds very fine. These two brands of speakers probably play better together than the two companies. Bottom line… I can run this amp without a distortion pedal on the clean channel unless I want crunch (I do). The OD channel doesn't need a distortion pedal but only sounds real when I use BBE and Decimator. I can also use the X3 Live. Both setups can produce awesome results. By itself? Not so much… but I'm still keeping mine for grab and go and gigs with small stages, but I'm keeping my Fender Blues Jr NOS too for when I'm willing to bring my pedal board or X3 Live along.Travisty7

Kind of puzzled by the negative reviews of this bad boy but to each his (or her) own I guess. The Blackstar HT-5R to me is a fantastic little amp. It is solidly built and delivers tube warmth & punch that digital amps can't touch. It's simple layout allows for a versatile array of quality tones without slamming the user with option overload. There are lot of well-thought out features one doesn't usually find on affordable small tube amps such as the excellent emulated output and an FX loop. The clean channel is very serviceable. It's not a mind-blowing Fendery clean but it is very clear and is very responsive to difference guitars and pickups. If you are a country guy, don't bother. If you like gain, keep reading. The star here is the Overdrive channel. There is lots of gain on tap, plenty for most rockers and classic metallers. The tone is a little more rock than pure metal – the palm mutes are reasonably chunky but you won't get Pantera chug without a boost pedal. This is true for most high gain tube amps though, that's why so many bands and producers rely on Tubescreamers to tighten things up. I get a killer warm tone straight onto the amp at any gain level. After setting the gain anywhere above 5 and flicking on my TS-9 (set to zero gain and a just a slight level boost), this thing turns into a fire-breathing crunch machine! Tasty metal riffs abound. The HT-5R is highly recommended for anyone looking for a punchy, rockin' amp for home use or in the studio.Juice Maloose

This amp is a little gem. It pretty much covers all angles from Bedroom practice to Studio, Rehearsal and Live Gigging. With many sound setups in venues using monitored sound systems the requirement for loud backline Amps is a thing of the past and gigging with one means basically not being able to play it at any volume above number 2. A small , but powerful amp with both the monitoring capability and the Emulated MIC capability to go straight into a Desk means that you can have the best of both worlds if needed. You can play it on stage a reasonable volume or you can play through the monitoring if needed. The channel switch and Cab / Speaker options mean you can setup the whole for bigger things if you want to carry the Cabs about with the option to plug in extension speakers galore. The Reverb is smooth, Roomy to Arena and the ISF gives you tonal variation that allows great contrast. If you want a negative… well the sockets on the back are all hidden under the edge of the back panel making them hard to find in the Dark and the foot switch cant be dropped into the back of the Amp for storage…but thats about it! small price to pay for a great piece of Kit.daveperrym2

The footswitches are finicky. The overdrive models are sub par. The touch screen works well and the IR workflow is excellent. In the end, it was not for me. While the amp tones have a pleasant midrange quality, the character itself felt restrictive. The reverbs are glorious but do not warrant the price of admission. My first one had footswitch issues, where they would activate on their own. The replacement did it once or twice. I ran at that point, and do not miss this sub par productEC

For me the MX5 is exactly what I have been looking for many years. Intuitive, compact and priced right. I owned the original Line 6 Pod, the Boss GT-10 and recently the Line 6 Pod Go. The frustrating thing for me with the Boss GT-10 and Line 6 Pod Go is if I did not consistently use them I would forget how to go in and tweak the sounds. Sometimes I don't play for weeks even months and when I got the urge to play again I had to fiddle or re read the manual on how to make certain adjustments. I ended up spending more time on the darn effects unit than actually playing the guitar. With the MX5 it's very intuitive via the touch screen to just make changes or create a new rig. I don't think I'll succumb to use it or lose it affect. The compact size means it can be tucked away easily in my office. And the fact that it has a built in expression pedal is really nice. I don't typically do reviews but I felt this is the first time in a while that a product has met all of my needs. I think Headrush really nailed it for many of us older, part time weekend warrior guitarists out there that just want something easy and ready to use. Whether at home practicing, recording or take to a quick jam session or gig.Steve

The MX5 is the third modeler/multi effects processor that I have used for recording and playing live. In my opinion the overall sound quality is a bit underwhelming. On the positive side, the clean tones are excellent. On the negative side, the overdrive tones are satisfactory at best. To be completely honest, I'm very disappointed with the overdrive/distortion tones. It will take a lot of tweaking to get a desirable crunch tone if you are a True Tone chaser. I am not alone with this opinion. Check out the YouTube reviews of the MX5 and the reviews from those who are not affiliated with HR marketing. There are some honest reviews that point out the good, the bad, and the ugly. I unfortunately did not pay attention to those before I purchased this pedal. If you are not a tone chaser and you are new to modeling, this may be a good pedal. It has a great looper. It is easy to use. And it gives the user plenty of options for exploring different pedal tones (not to mention the ability to split the signal chain). But if you are serious about high quality sound, compare this with others before you buy. Not to mention, this pedal has had its share of firmware bugs. The good news is that HR is pretty good about fixing them with firmware updates. Good customer service too.Jesse

I was impressed from the moment I hooked this small tabletop amp up. It’s got big sound for such a small package. The app is decent too, but could use some more songs to jam with. I think that overall this is a fun way to work on your music late at night or when the mood and inspiration hits. It’s loud, but not so much as it would bug any neighbors or house guests. I use it just as a Bluetooth speaker as well to jam out to my favorite tunes. I would highly recommend this little beast of an amp for its tight bass response and it’s amazing functionality. Cool AF!DJ Lewis

Good for busking and practice with nice tones. The wireless and drums are nice features . Good size for traveling and no need for outlet with rechargeable battery. The jam tracks and artist's songs are limited but you can stream any songs you want via Bluetooth. The price was reasonable as well.Doug

It really does sound like the rectifier amp of Mesa Boogie, very nice harmonic overtones. I use it with a 1 x 10 with tuning ports that performs like a 1 x 12 with a Celestion G 10. At full volume it was great for a large room and sounded well enough to record. Turn the gain down and it cleans up quite a bit. Effects loop works fine and it also has a 1/8' input, too. It also worked without any noise through my modified sine wave solar power and humbucker guitar. Amazing little 5 x 3 x 3 amp. This is the sound I wanted!!guitarboy7

Nice sound. Needs a little volume tweaking, especially when not miking (headphone/mixer). All in all, pretty good rectifier sound clone.Chefshred

I find the amp works as described only problem I have found is trying to find a speaker that works with an amp of this size. I'm sure there is an 8" in guitar speaker that would truly bring out the tonality of this amp, but I haven't found it yet. Besides this point everything works just as described. Maybe a link from the manufacturer or a speaker box they could make and sell separately would be helpful. For me it would faster and cheaper to buy a more expensive lunchbox style amplifier that works with sll speakers then hunt for a speaker that compliments the amplifier.convdart440

I LOVE the 5F1 kit: This was really enjoyable to build, and I had the benefit of a pro adviser to help me when I had questions, so I can even say it was easy. I am going to go as far as to say it sounds really fantastic. I use this amp almost all the time now, and with an attenuator, I can crank it all the way up and play at bedroom levels with the crunchy tube tone I crave, without disturbing the neighbors. It is every bit as great sounding as my Victoria REGAL. If you don't know what that amp is, it is all tube, has a variable power output all the way up to 35W, driven through a 15" speaker with reverb and tremolo. Obviously, this Champ kit is only 5 W, and doesn't even have an EQ (or any other frills whatsoever) and YEAH, it sounds THAT good. Rich harmonics, great crunch when cranked, sounds clean at level 3 or below, and responds well to the volume knob on your guitar. It is incredible. BUY IT!Bobby Bellpepper

Sorry, prior review title contained a date error. Original review written 11/7/11. I guess the 7 stuck in my head stronger than the 11 did, hence the title "Update to the July 2011 Review." I should practice what I preach and proof what I write. Sorry for any confusion. Still mean every word I say though. Would of written more, but it was very early in the morning when the notion to update the review hit me. Oh well. Still, though, would someone out there that makes these decisions, decide to give the guitar-playing market (that's quite a large market) a fractional-wattage amp head, or combo, with all the bells and whistles given to their top-of-the-line 100-wt. stadium-rocking machines. I sound like a broken record, but ANYONE giving us the dream rig we've been dying for, and can play at home, will draw an awful lot of attention to their whole line of products. I bet you would see an increase in sales across the board by showing that you understand, and care, what the guitar-playing population needs. After all, after the tour, doesn't everyone go home? Make a "home" amp that doesn't leave anyone wanting for anything, and the world will beat a path to your door. It's the age-old adage of, "build a better mousetrap…" So, give us a feature-laden, fractional-wattage amp, with power settings for each of at least three channels (0.1-wt. to 5-wts. would be about perfect, and doable,) with at least a 12" speaker of top quality, or preferably, a head so we can use whatever cabinet combination we want, and you will satisfy a very hungry crowd of guitar players dying for that sound only a fully overdriven preamp and power amp can lend to any quality guitar, and player, or up-and-coming determined player, and we will pay a fair market price for it, regardless of what that has to be to satisfy the needs of countless thousands of players out there, from home recorders to headliners. Can't you see the light, and find your way home to us, the consumers of the full-range of your products. As of now, no one cares enough to give us enough in a low-wattage amp. Seems that low-wattage means low everything across the board on the amp. Give us the Caddy Elvis, and we'll be playing Elvis amps regardless of what we need. We just need a manufacturer to care about the little needs of the little guys to the rock stars. We all live in houses and play in those houses. Don't we all deserve a flagship amp for where we lay our heads each night. Just try, more than half heartedly, and you'll realize a return of benefits equal to what you give. That's the way of the world. Just DO IT! Blackstar, you gave it a good shot, but fell just outside the infield. We need a grand slam homerun. You already do it, just tone it down to manageable volume levels, even for the same price, and I'll buy at least two right out of the gate. Then I'm going to take a good, long look at the rest of your lineup for my needs in other areas. Charity starts at home, right?aj0206

I just received this amp today and I've got to say I'm amazed. It's surprisingly loud for just 10 watts, but that's not why it got it. I wanted something to record with and wanted rich British tone and gain. It delivers that, but so much more. This amp is rich and full sounding at all levels! It gives warm cleans, crisp crunch, and the best sounds are with the gain about 1 o'clock and the Master maxed out…it's loud, but oh so good! Thick, rich tone. The real bonus is that it sounds so good with pedals, as well. You have to play with the relationship of the gain and the master if you turn down low and put an overdrive pedal to make it sound natural, but it's well worth the effort. I also put a delay in the loop to try that. I don't think I've ever been happier with an amp right out of the box. I've got some vintage and boutique amps (and I love them), but they are TOO loud to record with to crank to get saturated tube tone. THIS amp solves that problem. I may get the 6L6 version as well…these amps are that good!Lloyd W

Back again for a few more words on the Blackstar HT-1, 1-wt. amp head. Well, it's three years later, and I'm getting ready to turn 56 early next year. I don't know how much longer I'll be playing. I'm not having any problems other than a trigger-finger release procedure done on my fretting hand, middle finger, which has caused me to incorporate my pinky into playing more than I ever cared to in the past. Too bad really because some longer-reach pull offs sound cleaner, and the triplet timing, cleanness, and sound are better than I remember them being doing the three-finger, traditional, lazy, blues player's way we've all seen and done before–that includes all the rockers out there too. Still have the HT-1, and use it and its sister head quite a bit. I play every day, and use these a lot of the time. I enjoy the sound I get out of them using whatever I front them with, which is always something different or new. I NEVER just plug into these amps and find a sound I want to lay a track down to on just about anything except something really clean; and again, the main culprit stopping that is the weak reverb, which hasn't been changed or updated in three years that I can tell. Blackstar actually came out with a new 1-wt amp head for Metal players, and I've yet to get my hands on one of them. It just doesn't seem all that attractive to me feature wise. The reviews, as well, seem to not be the best. It basically seems to be the same head with a different voicing to coax more gain, hence noise, out of an already too-noisy preamp architecture. No one has really answered my call to action to provide a top-of-the-line fractional wattage amp, save a couple of exceptions, for the home-recording, buddy jamming, solo-screaming crowd out there that surely has more residents than just me. The "Appetite for Destruction" 100-wt. down to 0.1-wt. head with Slash's signature on it from across the pond seems to be the leading contender out there so far, and it's been discontinued for a few years. Right before or after this came out, if I remember correctly. The ne AFD amp is a combo from 5- or 1-wt. that is still weigh too light on features, but not pounds, as in weight or the currency of its maker's country. The demise of the original, full-sized head might of had something to do with its two grand entry fee. I don't mind the size really, but it just seems someone could put out an amp that doesn't have to be "lunchbox-sized," but could pack in all the features without the huge transformers and big power soaks to actually tame a monster down to a teacup. I've tried the Special Ultra 6 that seemed promising, but I've had problems and problems with them until I'm about to give up. Alone, they sound more like the amps I watched guys play through when I got all jazzed about playing while in the sixth grade. Still, if you can get a good clean sound out of an amp, you can doctor the front-end with whatever you want. This practice seems to be what we're stuck with to get nice "simulated" overdriven power sections. All the major brands still think a low-wattage amp is in the ballpark of 5-wts, to maybe 1-wt. Too loud most of the time! Ever read the specs on speaker efficiency ratings? The dB sensitivity rating is measured at 1-wt 1 meter away, and you get sound level ratings hovering around 100dB. Definitely not a neighbor-friendly, let alone apartment-friendly sound level. C'mon guys, SOMEONE out there has got to get it into their heads that there is a whole untapped market out there waiting for a masterpiece to be released that is rated from .01 to 1-wt., or even up to 5. Ten is fine, but give me the option of turning it down to a normal level to jam with your friends and still carry on a conversation without a noise hangover from screaming at each other, or stopping playing every time you want to make a point. Across the pond they have a revived 1-wt. mini head or combo, for nearly a grand, that has a low-power switch down to 0.1-wt.. It lacks all the features you want and need to do what you really want an amp to do, plus it's paired with an 8" speaker. I don't care if it is a Celestion, you have to have a 10- or 12-in. speaker to move the air you need to emulate the sounds you want to emulate at a lower volume. Why is it that low wattage means low features and the ashcan end of everything else? Why can't someone bring out a feature-rich amp at a fractional wattage rating that will make half the guitar-playing population grin from ear to ear. After all, how many of you can really say you need, or can commonly utilize, a 100- to 120-wt. stadium sized stack, or even combo. Even the rock stars are at home sometime, and I'd bet they'd love to have an amp capable of reproducing the sound, harmonics, and all else that comes from their stage setup at a reasonable volume at home. I don't drink, but I betaj0206

Wonderful clean tone and classic tube screamer distortion. Great controls. Love the headphone jack. I do like it a lot. I bought a second one for another location. My only reason for not allocating 5 stars is that I think the reverb could be a little deeper. I use a reverb pedal to add more reverb.Richard

I'm impressed for only being 2.5 watts this little guy sounds good and loud. For my home studio and office. This guy fits for late night playing at low wattage where even my dsl 20 is too loud. I've hooked up a couple of dirt pedals and overdrives/boosts and it gets the job done. I plan on hooking my EQ pedal to give it more flexibility in tone shaping. Love this micro pedal amp.Gary A

I recently obtained this because I have a Randall Diavlo 5W amp head that does not have a working power section, and so I wanted some kind of power amp to route its preamp into that was also not terribly loud since I only require it for at home practice. I run this set-up into two 1x12s with a Celestion Greenback and a Celestion G12-65 Heritage. The sound is actually pretty great! It certainly feels tube-y and even at 2.5 watts, it can get loud (maybe not as loud as you want it with a live drummer, but loud enough for jamming against a backing track coming out of your studio monitors for instance). I will say that if you like to jam clean, this power amp may not be for you. At 2.5 watts, it gets nice break up pretty early (at about 9 o clock). So I think it is better suited for dirty tones and metal. If you want more headroom it will make more sense to get the EHX Howitzer or the Magnum 44 (though i think the Magnum is too loud for home use). About the only con I can see with this pedal is the power supply it comes with is slightly large (though not gruesomely large as say the Line 6 HX Stomp). Also, it requires 500mA to operate, so make sure your pedal power supply can supply that or else you will have to deal with the included power supply. Thank you EHX! This power amp has certainly made my life easier for home jams.The Guitar DudeMan

This is a great little amp. The sound is clear, and it fits in my son's backpack for when he needs to take it to school.ktw1050

It arrived earlier than expected. Just what we needed to have our son practice His Bass playing for school . At home . Thanksjistilwel-5