Blackstar Fly 3W Guitar Combo Amp Pack For Sale (2024 Update)

I have never offered a product review for any product but I had to make an exception for this one. I am 69 years old, have been playing music for over 50 years, and I have just begun learning the harmonica. This amp is perfect for me for a number of reasons. First of all, it's portable. I can take it anywhere – from my living room – to that picnic table at the park – to my guitar player's front porch. I've had it for a while and I'm still on the batteries that came with it. (You can get an optional power supply for it if you want.) Second – it sounds great and has plenty of volume for personal practice and for use in small settings. With the GAIN and VOLUME controls, you can easily get the response you want. The EQ control only makes a subtle difference in frequency response but nothing dramatic. The DELAY function, however, is very effective and fun to use. Next – a variety of additional input and output jacks make it very flexible. I can plug in my MP3 player and play along with a backing track, for example. It also has a headphone jack, an extension speaker jack, and a DC power jack. Finally – and most importantly – It's fun to use and, because of that, I find myself practicing longer and enjoying it more. I'm new at holding a mic and at first it felt awkward. Now, because the FLY 3W is so much fun to use, holding the mic has become second nature. OK – now you're waiting for the downside. Well, other than the EQ control comments I made earlier, I don't have any. At first, I thought it could benefit from a handle but, upon closer inspection, I discovered the recessed finger grip on the top of the case. (Very clever Blackstar.) This is a well designed portable practice amp. (It even looks aesthetically pleasing.)Bill

First things first; this combo pack DOES include the power supply but batteries are NOT included in the combo pack. Despite the great reviews, don't expect this to sound like a full-size amp; the small speaker mean this amp lacks low end. The pair does sound OK playing in stereo music through the aux input; good detail and sound quality except for the missing bass. As a practice amp, especially through headphones, this thing rocks; with the ISF control you can make it sound like a Fender or a Marshall Amp. Cleans are good but the high gain channel can sound a bit messy if you crank it to 11. The amplifier is more than loud enough for home practice even without doubling the power to 6 watts by adding the second speaker. I don't own a full-size electric amp but I've found out that running the cab-simulated headphone output into my acoustic amp's aux input gives an excellent equivalent so I probably won't bother with a 'real' electric guitar amp; this setup sounds sooo good.Dave W

I was very pleasantly surprised and the range of EQ and the control of compression the Fly 3Bass gives me, not only a great practice amp but mic it up through a PA and it sounds amazing. Great running on batteries (last about 12 hours) or mains. I did a back garden set with couple of friends on acoustic guitars me on electric bass via Fly 3 and it sounded really good so i am very pleased with my purchase. Only thing i had to do was back off tone and bass enhancer on my active bass as it slightly overpowered the amp but i get that on my stage rig as well so expected that.Barry J.

I have never offered a product review for any product but I had to make an exception for this one. I am 69 years old, have been playing music for over 50 years, and I have just begun learning the harmonica. This amp is perfect for me for a number of reasons. First of all, it's portable. I can take it anywhere – from my living room – to that picnic table at the park – to my guitar player's front porch. I've had it for a while and I'm still on the batteries that came with it. (You can get an optional power supply for it if you want.) Second – it sounds great and has plenty of volume for personal practice and for use in small settings. With the GAIN and VOLUME controls, you can easily get the response you want. The EQ control only makes a subtle difference in frequency response but nothing dramatic. The DELAY function, however, is very effective and fun to use. Next – a variety of additional input and output jacks make it very flexible. I can plug in my MP3 player and play along with a backing track, for example. It also has a headphone jack, an extension speaker jack, and a DC power jack. Finally – and most importantly – It's fun to use and, because of that, I find myself practicing longer and enjoying it more. I'm new at holding a mic and at first it felt awkward. Now, because the FLY 3W is so much fun to use, holding the mic has become second nature. OK – now you're waiting for the downside. Well, other than the EQ control comments I made earlier, I don't have any. At first, I thought it could benefit from a handle but, upon closer inspection, I discovered the recessed finger grip on the top of the case. (Very clever Blackstar.) This is a well designed portable practice amp. (It even looks aesthetically pleasing.)Bill

First things first; this combo pack DOES include the power supply but batteries are NOT included in the combo pack. Despite the great reviews, don't expect this to sound like a full-size amp; the small speaker mean this amp lacks low end. The pair does sound OK playing in stereo music through the aux input; good detail and sound quality except for the missing bass. As a practice amp, especially through headphones, this thing rocks; with the ISF control you can make it sound like a Fender or a Marshall Amp. Cleans are good but the high gain channel can sound a bit messy if you crank it to 11. The amplifier is more than loud enough for home practice even without doubling the power to 6 watts by adding the second speaker. I don't own a full-size electric amp but I've found out that running the cab-simulated headphone output into my acoustic amp's aux input gives an excellent equivalent so I probably won't bother with a 'real' electric guitar amp; this setup sounds sooo good.Dave W

I was very pleasantly surprised and the range of EQ and the control of compression the Fly 3Bass gives me, not only a great practice amp but mic it up through a PA and it sounds amazing. Great running on batteries (last about 12 hours) or mains. I did a back garden set with couple of friends on acoustic guitars me on electric bass via Fly 3 and it sounded really good so i am very pleased with my purchase. Only thing i had to do was back off tone and bass enhancer on my active bass as it slightly overpowered the amp but i get that on my stage rig as well so expected that.Barry J.

I have never offered a product review for any product but I had to make an exception for this one. I am 69 years old, have been playing music for over 50 years, and I have just begun learning the harmonica. This amp is perfect for me for a number of reasons. First of all, it's portable. I can take it anywhere – from my living room – to that picnic table at the park – to my guitar player's front porch. I've had it for a while and I'm still on the batteries that came with it. (You can get an optional power supply for it if you want.) Second – it sounds great and has plenty of volume for personal practice and for use in small settings. With the GAIN and VOLUME controls, you can easily get the response you want. The EQ control only makes a subtle difference in frequency response but nothing dramatic. The DELAY function, however, is very effective and fun to use. Next – a variety of additional input and output jacks make it very flexible. I can plug in my MP3 player and play along with a backing track, for example. It also has a headphone jack, an extension speaker jack, and a DC power jack. Finally – and most importantly – It's fun to use and, because of that, I find myself practicing longer and enjoying it more. I'm new at holding a mic and at first it felt awkward. Now, because the FLY 3W is so much fun to use, holding the mic has become second nature. OK – now you're waiting for the downside. Well, other than the EQ control comments I made earlier, I don't have any. At first, I thought it could benefit from a handle but, upon closer inspection, I discovered the recessed finger grip on the top of the case. (Very clever Blackstar.) This is a well designed portable practice amp. (It even looks aesthetically pleasing.)Bill

First things first; this combo pack DOES include the power supply but batteries are NOT included in the combo pack. Despite the great reviews, don't expect this to sound like a full-size amp; the small speaker mean this amp lacks low end. The pair does sound OK playing in stereo music through the aux input; good detail and sound quality except for the missing bass. As a practice amp, especially through headphones, this thing rocks; with the ISF control you can make it sound like a Fender or a Marshall Amp. Cleans are good but the high gain channel can sound a bit messy if you crank it to 11. The amplifier is more than loud enough for home practice even without doubling the power to 6 watts by adding the second speaker. I don't own a full-size electric amp but I've found out that running the cab-simulated headphone output into my acoustic amp's aux input gives an excellent equivalent so I probably won't bother with a 'real' electric guitar amp; this setup sounds sooo good.Dave W

I was very pleasantly surprised and the range of EQ and the control of compression the Fly 3Bass gives me, not only a great practice amp but mic it up through a PA and it sounds amazing. Great running on batteries (last about 12 hours) or mains. I did a back garden set with couple of friends on acoustic guitars me on electric bass via Fly 3 and it sounded really good so i am very pleased with my purchase. Only thing i had to do was back off tone and bass enhancer on my active bass as it slightly overpowered the amp but i get that on my stage rig as well so expected that.Barry J.

Really compact and great for solo playing or for taking to a group meeting. I’m using it outdoors when playing for fun with a small uke group so no loud volume needed but the sound is good and good and carries well. Good quality too.Reviewed by Absolute Music custo

I've had the Fly amp for a few months now which has been great for practices. Recently booked a gig so bought the extension cab. This worked really well and had loads of people saying how good it sounded on the night. Now just need to buy the power adaptor.Mark E.

It's just a really decent rock or blues tone that inspires me to pick up my guitar and play more. Keep it on my desk when I'm working. Just plug in and go. Sounds really big for its size. I really freaked out when I saw how small it was in person. Plugged it in and then was like "Whoa, dude!" Look this amp won't solve world hunger but they got tone out of a 3" speaker. I don't care how or why. Bottom line is I play more because I have this amp and whenever that happens with any gear it feels like magic.Listens to Voices

3.5 Stars it's not completely trash, but the best portable amp and that's not saying much get the regular edition this one cost an extra for the Def Leppard art theme the cleans are cool. Distortion just gets muddy can't get a metal tone but a Rock tone is doable.VICTOR

I have never offered a product review for any product but I had to make an exception for this one. I am 69 years old, have been playing music for over 50 years, and I have just begun learning the harmonica. This amp is perfect for me for a number of reasons. First of all, it's portable. I can take it anywhere – from my living room – to that picnic table at the park – to my guitar player's front porch. I've had it for a while and I'm still on the batteries that came with it. (You can get an optional power supply for it if you want.) Second – it sounds great and has plenty of volume for personal practice and for use in small settings. With the GAIN and VOLUME controls, you can easily get the response you want. The EQ control only makes a subtle difference in frequency response but nothing dramatic. The DELAY function, however, is very effective and fun to use. Next – a variety of additional input and output jacks make it very flexible. I can plug in my MP3 player and play along with a backing track, for example. It also has a headphone jack, an extension speaker jack, and a DC power jack. Finally – and most importantly – It's fun to use and, because of that, I find myself practicing longer and enjoying it more. I'm new at holding a mic and at first it felt awkward. Now, because the FLY 3W is so much fun to use, holding the mic has become second nature. OK – now you're waiting for the downside. Well, other than the EQ control comments I made earlier, I don't have any. At first, I thought it could benefit from a handle but, upon closer inspection, I discovered the recessed finger grip on the top of the case. (Very clever Blackstar.) This is a well designed portable practice amp. (It even looks aesthetically pleasing.)Bill

First things first; this combo pack DOES include the power supply but batteries are NOT included in the combo pack. Despite the great reviews, don't expect this to sound like a full-size amp; the small speaker mean this amp lacks low end. The pair does sound OK playing in stereo music through the aux input; good detail and sound quality except for the missing bass. As a practice amp, especially through headphones, this thing rocks; with the ISF control you can make it sound like a Fender or a Marshall Amp. Cleans are good but the high gain channel can sound a bit messy if you crank it to 11. The amplifier is more than loud enough for home practice even without doubling the power to 6 watts by adding the second speaker. I don't own a full-size electric amp but I've found out that running the cab-simulated headphone output into my acoustic amp's aux input gives an excellent equivalent so I probably won't bother with a 'real' electric guitar amp; this setup sounds sooo good.Dave W

I was very pleasantly surprised and the range of EQ and the control of compression the Fly 3Bass gives me, not only a great practice amp but mic it up through a PA and it sounds amazing. Great running on batteries (last about 12 hours) or mains. I did a back garden set with couple of friends on acoustic guitars me on electric bass via Fly 3 and it sounded really good so i am very pleased with my purchase. Only thing i had to do was back off tone and bass enhancer on my active bass as it slightly overpowered the amp but i get that on my stage rig as well so expected that.Barry J.

After 40 years as a guitar player, I just started to learn the Bass guitar. I love it. I needed a small amp to practice with during times I needed a more quiet practice session and read about this in Bass Player. For a small 2w amp this is amazing. The sound quality is amazing, warm and rich, not brittle and harsh like some small amps in this price range. It does get picky about pickups and likes some pick up systems better then others. for passive and piezeo systems it dials in easy and quick with full rich bass sounds, on some of my pre amp basses though it got quirky depending on the way the bass was set up and the controls set on the bass, so you will need to take the time to dial it in like any other amp. Great Product and as usual with Musicians Friend great proce and fast shipping!ksgtrpkr

Great little piece of kit though not without a minor flaw. Play4 string bass in regular tuning? It deals with this with no hassle at all and has a clarity and smoothness that you wouldn't expect from a 3w amplifier with a 3" speaker! The only thing I could find to say something negative about it is that it really struggles to deal with a detuned 5 string low G, that said, it's a 3w amp and a 3" speaker, it's asking a lot of many full size rigs to deal with those kind of notes flawlessly! Honestly, all in all, it's a great little piece of kit and does exactly what it's supposed to very well indeed.daza2001

Pros: Surprisingly good bass response for such a small speaker (including on the low B of a 5-string). At 50-60% volume, it can keep up with a drummer and several unplugged acoustic guitars. Cons: the tone's OK, but not as good as what you'd get from a regular amp. It's better at lower volumes and gets grainy if you turn up the volume up past 80% or so. Overall, I'd recommend for outdoor jams / travelScott

I bought the single speaker unit after being unhappy with a Fender micro and the GC manager recommended the Blackstar. Home run. I was so pleased with it, I also bought a Blackstar bass micro amp with the extension speaker. Both are superb. My primary use for this guitar amp is for when I go cruising and/or when I know I'm going to perform with acoustic players. This micro amp fits into a day pack along with my laptop and Steinberger Spirit guitar (which I love, also from GC). The flexibility of battery or AC power is wonderful. The sound for such a small unit is superb. Night before last I played my UBass with the Blackstar micro bass amp & extension speaker at a uke (two of which were amplified) jam and my bass was plenty loud enough. Can this amp keep up with big amps? Of course not. But it's perfect for certain situations … and that's why I have a collection of various guitars, basses and amps.Bill C.

Heard and saw the reviews on you tube, and thought I'd give it a try. Ordered the guitar version but when I got it and opened the box it had a bass model in it? Anyway I have a few pedals and a mooer pe100 so I gained a compressor instead of the delay. Plugged it in and used the second speaker as a stack and had to turn the volume down as it could be heard across the road at full wack, the sound is really thick with the isf set to 12 and the Mooer giving the delay with a touch of reverb and using the built-in compressor the sound is as good as some smaller setups costing a lot more. Small enough to be left setup for regular practice and with more power than you could use in a bedroom. Cracking piece of kit. Well worth the price, would recommend without reservation.kiethykieth

Bought this as my music room is rather small and I didn't want a great big beast of a thing taking up too much room. This kit is exactly what I was looking for. It has everything I need and the nice touch with the reverb delay and distortion is a bonus. I was impressed at how loud the system is for such a small item. I run it alongside a RC300, 4 pedals and Tascam 8 track digital recIorder outputted to Techics amp with Denon speakers. I feel I'm neglecting the wife🙄, I just unplug from the mains, pick it up and wonder into the front room and serenade her ….brownie points for me 😁 I do agree with another post about no being equipped with a carry handle or even better a couple of d clips on the side where you can attach a strap and sling it over your shoulder and off you go. As a bundle it's a no brained on price. Great product and at an affordable price..Great service from PMT. Had a few items off these guys had a slight one time problem with packaging but the guys sorted it really quickMike

Really compact and great for solo playing or for taking to a group meeting. I’m using it outdoors when playing for fun with a small uke group so no loud volume needed but the sound is good and good and carries well. Good quality too.Reviewed by Absolute Music custo

I've had the Fly amp for a few months now which has been great for practices. Recently booked a gig so bought the extension cab. This worked really well and had loads of people saying how good it sounded on the night. Now just need to buy the power adaptor.Mark E.

It's just a really decent rock or blues tone that inspires me to pick up my guitar and play more. Keep it on my desk when I'm working. Just plug in and go. Sounds really big for its size. I really freaked out when I saw how small it was in person. Plugged it in and then was like "Whoa, dude!" Look this amp won't solve world hunger but they got tone out of a 3" speaker. I don't care how or why. Bottom line is I play more because I have this amp and whenever that happens with any gear it feels like magic.Listens to Voices

I was surprised at how great this amp sounded. It was a present to my girlfriend as she really wanted to play with an amp but didn’t have any space for one. She absolutely loves it. A sweet gem! (The amp not my girlfriend)Ben C.

Suona bene anche distorto, ottimo per esercitarsi, costruzione solida, bellissimo il rivestimento, manopole dei comandi ben fatte. Piccolo ma si fa rispettare anche come volume! Consigliato per lo studio, servizio di bananamusic rapido e preciso.Federico R.

Really compact and great for solo playing or for taking to a group meeting. I’m using it outdoors when playing for fun with a small uke group so no loud volume needed but the sound is good and good and carries well. Good quality too.Reviewed by Absolute Music custo

I've had the Fly amp for a few months now which has been great for practices. Recently booked a gig so bought the extension cab. This worked really well and had loads of people saying how good it sounded on the night. Now just need to buy the power adaptor.Mark E.

It's just a really decent rock or blues tone that inspires me to pick up my guitar and play more. Keep it on my desk when I'm working. Just plug in and go. Sounds really big for its size. I really freaked out when I saw how small it was in person. Plugged it in and then was like "Whoa, dude!" Look this amp won't solve world hunger but they got tone out of a 3" speaker. I don't care how or why. Bottom line is I play more because I have this amp and whenever that happens with any gear it feels like magic.Listens to Voices

Could not use the product as it came with corroded batteries and battery section, just like the other reviewer stated. Blackstar is highly overrated and deserve to be called out if they can't even do a simple quality control check. First impression of them is garbage.Disappointed

I was excited to receive this, but very disappointed when I opened it only to find the batteries corroded. I jumped on the chat to request a replacement be shipped out. I had to return the defective one and wait until they received it in order to get a refund and purchase a new one. I will not purchase a new one. So disappointing.Michael

I purchased this as a Christmas gift and received it a few days later. I put it in storage under my bed. I read the reviews and seen that people made mention that it was shipped with batteries and they were corroded. So I opened up the package and was blasted with the smell of battery acid. Yup sure enough all 6 batteries were corroded. So I contacted the company and they told me it was on back order. But they could replace it with a similar item. However the similar item was not on sale. So it was basically twice the money. I said ok just send me another one when you get it. They said ok, how would you like to pay for it. I said I am sending the other one back and the other one is on back order until 12/22. They said I had to pay for the replacement, and wait to get a credit on my return. Also I lost my points because they were used on the first order. Very poor policy's.Kevin

Having been messing around with an acoustic for far too many years I decided to treat myself to an electric, and started the search for an amp. I had a few options but went with the Crush 20RT and haven't regretted it. For its size the sound quality is great, and the eq controls allow you to get a nice range of distinct tones. Having the dirty volume away from the gain dial takes some getting used to, but isn't a deal-breaker, and if you find the rather small switch to swap between clean and dirty channels a bit fiddly, you can pick up a foot switch which connects nicely on the back of the amp. Built in reverb is nice, but if you are big on using reverb I'd imagine you'd want to get a dedicated pedal. Tuner seems hit and miss, and again more accurate results will be obtained via a stand alone product. Both good features to have, especially as a starter amp. Overall, highly recommended!Kevin E.

This is definitely the best sounding practice amp I've ever used. The gain channel has several different levels of gain, all sound great. Anywhere from a slightly crunchy overdrive sound to sizzling distortion. I've never had an amp this size handle metal tones so well. The clean channel handles distortion pedals well and maintains the tone of the amp, and if you wanna add a little something extra, putting an overdrive in front of the dirty channel really pushes the mids through. All very impressive for an 8 inch speaker.
The big downside to this amp… is that its deceptively loud. At bedroom volume, it sounds kinda like a shoebox. but bump the volume knob even just a little bit and the full, rich tone punches you in the face, far too loud for playing in an apartment at 10pm. Kinda defeats the point of buying a small practice amp. The clean channel is even louder than the dirty channel.
I'm not knocking off any stars from my review for this however, because it has a headphone jack that actually imitates the speaker response quite well. So if you wanna play this amp late at night, plug in some headphones or you'll wake up the neighbors.
The only practice amp I've ever liked more was the old marshall valvestate, and those are hard to find these days, so this little amp fills that void well.Noah Nicotine

Now let me first state that Guitar Center is the only place I'd buy this from, to try it out and return it to the store. Guitar Center is the BEST. This little amplifier is the WORST. I bought this specifically for it's cabinet output and the fact that it can run on a 9 volt battery. I own four other mini amplifiers, two of them are pedals and the other two are Blackstar Fly 3 (with the extension cabinet.) Here's the crux of my review: The Blackstar Fly 3 is louder and sounds far better than the Orange Crush Mini, even if that Crush Mini is powering a larger speaker cabinet (a 2×10, in this case.) So yes, two 3" speakers in the Blackstar are louder, and the sound quality is far superior to the Orange Crush Mini driving a 2×10" cabinet. The Crush Mini's 3" speaker is unusable, sounds very tinny and is very low volume. Now, I also have two pedal amps that run on 9 volts, an Electro Harmonix 5mm and a VHT Redline 6. The 5mm is amazing, and the VHT is very good also. So if you want to drive a cabinet with a pedal size amp you can put in your pocket, try the Electro Harmonix 5mm. The VHT Redline is also very good and has the added features of an aux in jack and headphone out jack. An adapter cable to use a battery can be had (I have a few of them.) Avoid the Orange Crush Mini, the Blackstar Fly 3 is far superior.John

I have never offered a product review for any product but I had to make an exception for this one. I am 69 years old, have been playing music for over 50 years, and I have just begun learning the harmonica. This amp is perfect for me for a number of reasons. First of all, it's portable. I can take it anywhere – from my living room – to that picnic table at the park – to my guitar player's front porch. I've had it for a while and I'm still on the batteries that came with it. (You can get an optional power supply for it if you want.) Second – it sounds great and has plenty of volume for personal practice and for use in small settings. With the GAIN and VOLUME controls, you can easily get the response you want. The EQ control only makes a subtle difference in frequency response but nothing dramatic. The DELAY function, however, is very effective and fun to use. Next – a variety of additional input and output jacks make it very flexible. I can plug in my MP3 player and play along with a backing track, for example. It also has a headphone jack, an extension speaker jack, and a DC power jack. Finally – and most importantly – It's fun to use and, because of that, I find myself practicing longer and enjoying it more. I'm new at holding a mic and at first it felt awkward. Now, because the FLY 3W is so much fun to use, holding the mic has become second nature. OK – now you're waiting for the downside. Well, other than the EQ control comments I made earlier, I don't have any. At first, I thought it could benefit from a handle but, upon closer inspection, I discovered the recessed finger grip on the top of the case. (Very clever Blackstar.) This is a well designed portable practice amp. (It even looks aesthetically pleasing.)Bill

First things first; this combo pack DOES include the power supply but batteries are NOT included in the combo pack. Despite the great reviews, don't expect this to sound like a full-size amp; the small speaker mean this amp lacks low end. The pair does sound OK playing in stereo music through the aux input; good detail and sound quality except for the missing bass. As a practice amp, especially through headphones, this thing rocks; with the ISF control you can make it sound like a Fender or a Marshall Amp. Cleans are good but the high gain channel can sound a bit messy if you crank it to 11. The amplifier is more than loud enough for home practice even without doubling the power to 6 watts by adding the second speaker. I don't own a full-size electric amp but I've found out that running the cab-simulated headphone output into my acoustic amp's aux input gives an excellent equivalent so I probably won't bother with a 'real' electric guitar amp; this setup sounds sooo good.Dave W

I was very pleasantly surprised and the range of EQ and the control of compression the Fly 3Bass gives me, not only a great practice amp but mic it up through a PA and it sounds amazing. Great running on batteries (last about 12 hours) or mains. I did a back garden set with couple of friends on acoustic guitars me on electric bass via Fly 3 and it sounded really good so i am very pleased with my purchase. Only thing i had to do was back off tone and bass enhancer on my active bass as it slightly overpowered the amp but i get that on my stage rig as well so expected that.Barry J.

Was looking for a small light weight amp whilst away from home, not wanting to lug around my heavy tube amp, cab and good sized pedal board. This amp fit's the bill perfectly. This amp sounds great, the onboard effects sound good to my ear. And I also like the controls on this amp. Simple layout that makes it easy and fast to dial in a decent sound. If you need more flexibility the architect software, which is a free download from Blackstar, is straight forward to use giving you even more flexibility. Another thing I like about this amp is as I'm away I often need to us headphones, no to disturb the neighbours, through the architect software, you can change the cab simulation from 112, 212, 412, even choose what mic simulation is used, which I think it's an excellent addition to this already impressive small amp. This amp also sounds great through its built-in speakers, giving it a great stereo sound. For this price I honestly cannot fault it, I did look at other amps but settled for this. And I'm so glad I did. This amp is a bargain!!Lesley C.

I hate amp hunting. I wanted something small and specific for a home studio. Shiny cleans with some grit too? Quality build? Under $600? I searched the used listings for weeks trying to find a deal. Nothing really GETS me. Finally, utterly sick of shopping, I walked into Sam Ash, saw this thing on the shelf and just bought it. Didnt try it. Just read the specs online, read a few reviews and snagged it. I figure, worst case scenario I'll return it tomorrow. Let me say, the sound from this amp is just so incredibly nice. Even without pedals, the built in reverb sounds very good. Not splashy, more like a plate reverb. Adding a transparent overdrive makes my G&L ASAT sound like a tone monster. I have no specific affinity for Blackstar. Never owned a single one of their products and I am totally blown away by this thing. I don't know a thing about the tonal waveforms and harmonic frequencies of the most expensive boutique amps but, on a stage or studio I'd put this amp up to pretty much anything. It FEELS good. It sounds good. Between my guitar and an overdrive pedal and the tone knob on the amp itself, I'm able to pull at least 6 very distinct tones before I even engage the dirty channel. It's even got an effects loop. Get one! You'll like it!DANIEL

I bought this amp a few months ago after LOTS of research, having finally decided to replace my previous amp of about 20 years! (A Marshall AVT half stack) Firstly, it looks amazing IMO and build quality looks and feels great too. I play in two bands, one playing southern rock, the other heavy rock/classic metal so needed something that was going to cover a pretty wide range of sounds. The Blackstar handles it amazingly! Wonderful warm crunches all the way to chugalicious highly saturated metal gains. The high gains are so smooth and creamy too and not 'scratchy'. (Something I always struggled with with the AVT) The clarity is also pretty amazing at high gain too. Individual notes can be picked out clearly and not just lost in a fuzzy mush. The 2 OD channels work perfectly for the two separate sounds I'm looking for to suit each band, with Voicing on each channel giving even more versatility. This amp produces beautiful cleans too, which can also break up nicely if you push the clean channel volume up. I'd also really recommend the optional 5-way footswitch, shame this doesn't come as standard, but hey..! All in all, I'm absolutely over the moon with this amp. It can do everything from sparkling cleans to tasty crunch and up to all the gain you could wish for. I've even been able to get THAT Stevie Ray Vaughan tone! 😍 But not only that, it's not some 'Jack of all trades, master of none'…it absolutley nails all of these brilliantly! This amp delivers the sound I've been looking for elusively for years now, funny that Blackstar's slogan is "The Sound In Your Head"… Big thanks to the team at PMT Newcastle when testing the 40 Watt version, and the distribution team for the speedy next day delivery!Davey S.

I bought this for a practice amp to have in my bedroom so when I feel like getting in some practice time it's always at the ready. (I have a vintage Marshall stack out in my rehearsal studio, but who wants to burn tubes and gobs of electricity for practicing.) For this purpose it's a great little amp. My only tiny complaint is that if you're hoping this is going to sound close to an actual tube amp, you're going to be disappointed. I wasn't because I didn't expect it to. I think even the models in my old PODxt sound better, frankly. Now, that said, it's good enough and with the true stereo sound and nice effects you'll still feel inspired. For example, nearly 3 hours ago I was going to go to sleep. Then I felt guilty because I hadn't really done much playing today, so I told myself that I'd just do about 15 minutes of practice and then crash out. I fired up this amp to my favorite lead/shred preset with some stereo delay and started playing. I JUST NOW STOPPED!! Even with the less-than-convincing tube modeling, this amp still manages to make practicing fun! I got it on a Stupid Deal sale and it was worth every penny!! 🤘🏻James, the Dean Guy!

I needed a small combo amp to keep bedside in my bedroom for night time playing – I have a thinline acoustic that was lacking a little in projection and bass, so I began a search for a quality affordable amp. What really appealed to me the most about this amp was the stereo speakers, and it had really good reviews. On sale I figured I couldn't miss – I was more than pleasantly surprised. This little amp took my average six string acoustic from a decent sounding guitar to a beautifully resonant, booming and crystal clear chiming guitar. The stereo set up even makes the output of the amp sound and feel like it's coming directly from my guitar sound hole. It took a few minutes for me to figure out the "Manual" and pre-set tone/effect/drive options, but it went quickly. I easily dialed in a great sounding ZZ Top-style fuzz, and really dreamy combination of modulation, delay and reverb. Speaking of the effects, these are the best sounding built-in amp effects I've ever experienced. On top of the massive stereo sound and great effects, I just love how this amp looks. I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything made by Blackstar.Carl

Rarely do I write reviews on Musicians Friend but feel compelled to do one on this amp. I have quite a few amps from a dual stack Jet City, Vox, Mesa/Boogie and others. I just wanted to a small amp to practice on and to not lug around my bigger amps to church. The cleans on this amp are drop dead gorgeous. The crunch is really, really good. You can also manually make your own settings and save them. I don't know how Blackstar did it in getting such good sounds out of such a small package. I purchased mine here via Stupid Deal of the Day so I got mine as a real steal. If you want an amp that can be mic'd up to or just play in your bedroom, go for it! Seriously, you won't be sad you did. No one paid me for this review. I don't work for Musicians Friend or any music retailer.TonyN

Can’t speak for anyone else but this is perfect for my needs, I wanted to go digital but the thought of having to learn how to use a helix or a kemper was off putting. as tech-phobe, I needed something that was very simple to use and this fitted the bill, i use it with my pedal board and a 2×12 cab and the sounds it great. This is the best purchase I have made in a long while.John

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

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

One of the best combo amps I have ever played or heard. Playing for 55 yrs and have owned or played almost every American and Brit amp in that time from Marshall Matchless and Orange, to Hiwatt to Fender and Two Rock. This amp is right up there in the top 10. The cleans are beautiful and full of nuance the distortion goes from tweed- like to almost full on metal. I have read the reviews from detractors of this amp claiming the cleans are dull or the distortion is fizzy. I don't get it. Perhaps they need their hearing checked? These are the same people that claim a pure hand wired amp has the best tone ever and then slam the front end with pedals containing op amps and digital components and claim the distortion is fantastic! Go figure… I have replaced the speaker with a WGS ET90 (cream back clone) and the tubes with nos: V1:RCA, V2: RFT, Power: Siemens EL34. It is simply STUNNING.Keith Morrison

I've owned a Peavey 5150 212 combo back in the day, a H&K 20 watt tube, and used everything from Marshall to Mesa, Vox and Fender, and everything in between. This amp is simply the best tone I've ever heard out of an amp, period. I originally owned the first rendition of the HT series, with the smaller 20 watt amp, which was great but lacked the "super saturated lead" voicing on the HT40. I exchanged the 20 for the 40, and enjoyed the power, incredible tones, and durability of the original HT40 for years. Fast forward to recent times, when I was trying to go smaller, and tried out many modeling amps, as I didn't think I needed the full blown power of a 40 watt valve amp anymore. Needless to say, modelling amps still sound weak, harsh, and digital to my ears, and probably always will. I ended up buying the MK2, and they actually managed to improve my favorite amp of all time. This amp has stunning clean tones, and wonderful options for a modern or more boutique voicing, and two different reverb styles. Really, the cleans I get from this Blackstar from my tele are simply incredible, maybe not Fender level, but darn close. This is the one amp I've tried that has absolutely stunning clean tones AND brutal crunch and overdrive. This amp can play ANYTHING you throw at it, from metal to country, jazz and punk, and everything you can imagine. There an emulated out for recording, a switch that outputs only 10% of the wattage and turns it into a 4watt amp, giving you incredible saturation and warmth even at low volumes. I truly cannot say enough good things about it, I am a Blackstar customer for life after my first HT40, as they truly blew me away with the tone and features. The ISF is essential to me, and can transform the tone of this amp significantly. IMO, the high gain of this amp is miles ahead of even the Peavey 6505.B. Free Productions

As many have stated, if any amp could be a "swiss army knife" of tone, this would be it. The clean channel is fantastic, and has a lot of tone shaping ability between eq settings and changing between bright and dark reverb. The drive channel has a lot of variance as well, and can cover tons of ground – anything from blues, classic rock, to flat out metal.

Where it falls flat is the PCB assembly. Flux was still all over the board, and solder joints had voids in areas and were very poorly done. I believe many of the reliability issues others have reported are due to the poor PCB assembly. It's a fairly easy fix that shouldn't cost much more than $100 by a local reputable amp guy to redo bad/cold solder joints and strip the flux off the board. Despite this handicap, it is undoubtedly worth every penny. If you play through one and love it, don't let this scare you away.David Moore