Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Black Friday
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
IK Multimedia Tonex Plug: the new headphones amp is fully compatible with the brand's state-of-the-art modelling platform, giving players the opportunity to play anywhere, anytime, and access thousands of different tones while doing so.
Guitars IK Multimedia unveils the Tonex Plug – is this pocket-sized powerhouse a gamechanger for headphone amps?
Blackstar Debut Bass 25: this compact little combo is finished in black with matching grille clothe and is photographed in close-up against a stone floor and weaved rug.
Guitar Amps “Its solid quality, punchy tone and its surprising amount of headroom might make it a secret weapon for rehearsals, or even gigs”: Blackstar Debut Bass 25 review
The BEAM SOLO is the new headphone amp for guitar and bass from Blackstar Amplification, and is a compact unit with an integrated jack featuring amp models and effects, and a suite of digital features.
Guitars Blackstar Amplification unveils the BEAM SOLO – has the Fender Mustang Micro Plus found a rival?
Laney Lionheart Foundry Super60
Guitar Amps "There’s something incredibly satisfying about playing through this amp": Laney Lionheart Foundry Super 60 112 review
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ HRG: the reissued high-headroom tube amp is a cult classic that returns here with a heritage finish.
Guitars Mesa/Boogie reissues a cult classic with a design that takes the amp brand back to the beginning
The J, from Thorpy FX, is a new collab between the high-end British guitar effects pedal company and boutique amp brand Lazy J, and the amp that inspired it can be seen illustrated in white on. black on the enclosure's front.
Guitars Thorpy FX teams up with Lazy J to give guitarists premium vintage Tweed tone in a preamp/drive pedal
Harley Benton ST-80 FR MN
Electric Guitars “Some might say a guitar at this kind of price point has no business resonating so well”: Harley Benton ST-80 FR MN review
Way Huge Smalls Doom Hammer Fuzz
Guitars Players who deal in big gnarly riffs might need to add the Way Huge Smalls Doom Hammer to their ‘board ASAP
Gretsch Electromatic CVT Double-Cut in Wychwood greenburst finish
Electric Guitars "For garage, punk, and rock styles, it’s got the tonal firepower on offer": Gretsch Electromatic CVT Double-Cut review
Warm Audio's Tube Squealer is a greatest-hits of Tube Screamer circuits, three-in one, while the Throne Of Tone, the new dual-overdrive twofer from the Texan pedal company channels not one but two classic pedals, which in a way were both inspired by the classic Marshall "Bluesbreaker" amps used by Clapton back in his John Mayall days.
Guitars Warm Audio channels the greatest hits of classic overdrive with the regal Throne Of Tone dual-drive and the 3-in-1 Tone Squealer
Harley Benton Head Switcher; this black single-footswitch pedal is an affordable switching solution for players with two amp heads sharing one speaker cabinet, and is here photographed against a blue gradient background.
Guitars Harley Benton unveils sub-$100 solution for players with two tube amps sharing same speaker cabinet
Electro-Harmonix Pico Atomic Cluster: the new glitch/synth mini-pedal from the storied NYC pedal brand
Guitars EHX expands its Pico series with the Atomic Cluster Spectral Decomposer – a mini-pedal that sounds so wrong its right
MXR Randy Rhoads Special Edition Distortion+: A black and white shot of Randy Rhoads with his Jackson Concorde; on the right, the new signature distortion from MXR in a finish inspired by the guitar.
Artists Good news for Randy Rhoads fans – his MXR Distortion+ is back, and you have got to see its supersonic finish
Geezer Butler's signed Ashdown amp heads from Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning show are being sold exclusively via Reverb, signed by the man himself.
Artists “Your chance to own the sound that defined heavy metal”: Geezer Butler bass amps from Sabbath’s final show to go on sale
James Hetfield of Metallica plays his iconic white V-style live onstage, wearing his trademark black T-shirt, and black leather vest.
Guitars “He wanted all that at an undoable selling price”: Mesa/Boogie founder Randall Smith confirms rumours that it built James Hetfield a signature model – and it combined three iconic amps in one
More
  • Charlie XCX + John Cale
  • Lily Allen's songwriting camp
  • Fleetwood Mac for Glasto?
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Simon Phillips
  1. Guitars

In pictures: Blackstar HT Metal 1 unboxed

News
By Michael Brown ( Total Guitar ) published 3 December 2013

Tiny combo, terrifying tones

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Blackstar HT Metal 1

Blackstar HT Metal 1

The HT series of amps has been a huge hit for Blackstar, so much so that the company’s gone and released an entirely new range, aimed at players of all things heavy.

A whole fleet of Blackstar HT Metal amps has just arrived in the TG stockroom, so join us as we look at the most compact of the lot: the HT Metal 1.

For the full review of the Blackstar HT Metal series, check out Total Guitar issue 249, on sale 23 December.

Get Total Guitar for iOS devices, Kindle Fire and Android

Page 1 of 5
Page 1 of 5
Blackstar HT Metal 1

Blackstar HT Metal 1

It may be diddy, but the HT Metal 1’s eight-inch speaker pushes some serious air, while ECC83 and ECC82 valves provide the tonal firepower

Get Total Guitar for iOS devices, Kindle Fire and Android

Page 2 of 5
Page 2 of 5
Blackstar HT Metal 1

Blackstar HT Metal 1

This one-watter gives you two channels, which are adjustable via Blackstar’s Infinite Shape Feature

Get Total Guitar for iOS devices, Kindle Fire and Android

Page 3 of 5
Page 3 of 5
Blackstar HT Metal 1

Blackstar HT Metal 1

The HT Metal series has been designed to look as mean as it sounds, with heavy-duty metal grilles

Get Total Guitar for iOS devices, Kindle Fire and Android

Page 4 of 5
Page 4 of 5
Blackstar HT Metal 1

Blackstar HT Metal 1

With an emulated output and mp3/line input, the HT Metal 1 makes for a handy practice amp, especially if you need plenty of gain

Get Total Guitar for iOS devices, Kindle Fire and Android

Page 5 of 5
Page 5 of 5
Michael Brown
Michael Brown
Social Links Navigation

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.

Stay up to date with the latest gear and tuition. image
Stay up to date with the latest gear and tuition.
Subscribe and save today!
More Info
Read more
Blackstar Debut Bass 25: this compact little combo is finished in black with matching grille clothe and is photographed in close-up against a stone floor and weaved rug.
“Its solid quality, punchy tone and its surprising amount of headroom might make it a secret weapon for rehearsals, or even gigs”: Blackstar Debut Bass 25 review
 
 
The BEAM SOLO is the new headphone amp for guitar and bass from Blackstar Amplification, and is a compact unit with an integrated jack featuring amp models and effects, and a suite of digital features.
Blackstar Amplification unveils the BEAM SOLO – has the Fender Mustang Micro Plus found a rival?
 
 
Laney Lionheart Foundry Super60
"There’s something incredibly satisfying about playing through this amp": Laney Lionheart Foundry Super 60 112 review
 
 
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ HRG: the reissued high-headroom tube amp is a cult classic that returns here with a heritage finish.
Mesa/Boogie reissues a cult classic with a design that takes the amp brand back to the beginning
 
 
The J, from Thorpy FX, is a new collab between the high-end British guitar effects pedal company and boutique amp brand Lazy J, and the amp that inspired it can be seen illustrated in white on. black on the enclosure's front.
Thorpy FX teams up with Lazy J to give guitarists premium vintage Tweed tone in a preamp/drive pedal
 
 
Harley Benton ST-80 FR MN
“Some might say a guitar at this kind of price point has no business resonating so well”: Harley Benton ST-80 FR MN review
 
 
Latest in Guitars
Alex Skolnick of Testament shows off his signature ESP singlecut as he performs at Belgium's Alcatraz Festival in 2024. On the right, Kiko Loureiro and Dave Mustaine of Megadeth photographed in the corridors backstage at Wembley Arena in 2015.
Alex Skolnick on the time he was on standby for Megadeth – and what to do when you can’t match a player lick for lick
 
 
An Alesis Strata Core electronic drum set on a yellow background
I’ve seen a lot of Black Friday sales, but this one’s next level - Sweetwater just dropped thousands of discounts of up to 80% off guitars, drums, keys, and more
 
 
Electro-Harmonix Pico Atomic Cluster: the new glitch/synth mini-pedal from the storied NYC pedal brand
EHX expands its Pico series with the Atomic Cluster Spectral Decomposer – a mini-pedal that sounds so wrong its right
 
 
Harley Benton DNAFX AmP20: the compact 1/8" modelling combo is finished in black and photographed in close-up and against a slate floor
“For a budget amp, it offers an impressive feature set without costing the earth”: Harley Benton DNAFX AmP20 review
 
 
 (L-R): Fher Olvera (Mana), Cesar Gueikian (Gibson CEO) playing the Gibson Flying V Custom CEO#8, and Sergio Vallin (Mana), performing onstage with Mana at Bridgestone Arena.
Cesar Gueikian on building the SG Kirk Hammett played to honour Black Sabbath and how his designs might shape future Gibson releases
 
 
White PRS on a marble surface
The PRS Black Friday sale is already here and there's huge discounts on SE CE 24, SE Custom 24, SE Studio and other workhorse models – here's 5 deals I rate
 
 
Latest in News
David Bowie and Damon Albarn sing together
“I nearly made a record with Ray Davies and David Bowie”: Damon Albarn on the dream collab that never happened
 
 
Coldplay Music of the Spheres tour
Coldplay’s live engineers reveal the lengths they go to to record every show on the band’s Music of the Spheres tour
 
 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: Charli XCX attends the Los Angeles Red Carpet Premiere of HBO Original Comedy Series "I Love LA" at Paramount Theatre on October 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for HBO)
"I sort of felt like I was squeezing blood from a stone”: Charli XCX reveals her post-Brat creative comedown
 
 
Guitar Center Black Friday sale
Guitar Center just dropped its biggest sale of the year, with thousands of discounts and up to 40% off for Black Friday
 
 
Helene Fischer is amongst the artists whose copyright has been ruled infiringed
“The internet is not a self-service store”: Victory for musicians against OpenAI in German court
 
 
zenology
"Over 11,000 genre-defining Roland sounds in one powerful instrument": Roland brings Zen-Core to Galaxias with Zenology GX
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...