Blackstar HT Venue Stage 60 MKIII 1x12 Combo Guitar Amplifier

The Blackstar HT Stage 60 MK III is all new for 2023, building upon the successes of Blackstar’s HT series amplifiers with a host of feature upgrades and a fresh look.

The HT Stage 60 MKIII is an all-tube workhorse with the ability to offer classic British and American style tones in a single package. With three channels each with two modes, it’s unlikely that a player can’t dial in their ideal sound.

The new look for the HT Stage MKIII is a classy one to say the least! Blackstar gave these amps a fresh cosmetic overhaul, with a metal plate logo replacing the more fragile plastic one, high-quality mini-toggle switches replacing the push button mode selector switches of the MKII series, and the switch to sleek chicken-head knobs throughout the front panel.

The control panel of the HT Stage MKIII remains unchanged from its previous model, and features additional controls not found on lower wattage HT amplifiers. Besides volume and reverb, the master section of the HT Stage 60 features additional presence and resonance controls. The overdrive section of the HT Stage 60 features OD1 and OD2 channels, each with two selectable voices, perfect for dialing in a looser rhythm-style gain and a tighter, more focused high gain option. Two EL-34 power tubes run 60w power, with the option to scale down to a modest 6w. The HT Stage 60 MKIII is loaded with a single 12” Celestion Seventy 80 Speaker.

Some of the best upgrades in the MKIII range are on the back of the amp. Blackstar has updated the HT’s USB Audio out to modern standard USB-C. This feature makes digital recording with an all-tube amp simpler than ever by running USB-C out into your computer or audio interface.

Possibly the biggest feature of the HT MK III range is Blackstar’s CabRig output. This is a great expansion on the previous series’ emulated output feature, which only allowed the choice of a 1x12 or 4x12 style speaker simulation. The CabRig DSP speaker simulation, as featured in Blackstar’s immensely popular Amped series of floorboard amplifiers, allows the user to select from hundreds of possible cabinet, speaker, microphone and placement options via Blackstar’s free software and store three presets to the amplifier for easy recall.

For the player looking for a feature packed and highly adaptable amplifier with the tone and convenience of an all-tube combo, the Blackstar HT Stage 60 MK III is an excellent choice. Plug into a Blackstar and shape your tone like never before!