The new-look, low-watt amps seek to combine rugged looks with breathtaking tones
(Image credit: Blackstar)
Blackstar has unveiled Bronco Grey versions of its HT-1R and HT-1RH guitar amps, which sport stunning new liveries and a wealth of updated onboard features.
Promising to deliver both breathtaking tones and a rugged aesthetic, the two new-look amps are described by Blackstar as "perfect studio and practice valve amps", which boast great sound and innovative features.
Both the one-watt, compact HT-1R Bronco Grey MkII tube combo amp and the one-watt HT-1RH Bronco Grey MkII head feature an ECC83 preamp and ECC82 power amp valve, as well as Blackstar's patented ISF control.
The ISF EQ control aims to open up a blank canvas of tonal options, giving guitarists the ability to explore traditionally American and British tones, and anything in between.
Working alongside the ISF are gain and volume controls, as well as channel and voice switches. While the former switches between clean and overdrive sounds, the latter offers two distinct new voices for each of these channels.
For the clean channel, guitarists can choose between the bright, mid-shaped tones with a rounded bottom end of classic American cleans, and a crunchy, dynamically responsive tone of traditional British amps.
Likewise, two voices for the overdrive channel are available, including a tight super-crunch and a higher gain tone with a looser power amp response.
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A newly voiced studio-quality reverb also features, as does a unique push-pull power amp design, which produces the crunch and and break-up characteristics of a traditional stage amp, but at a much lower volume.
Despite sharing all these features, specific to the Bronco Grey HT-1R is an eight-inch speaker.
As an added feature, both the amp and the head feature a USB speaker-emulated audio output, making them suitable for at-home recording sessions.
Released alongside the two amps is the Bronco Grey HT-112OC MkII – a 1x12", 50-watt cabinet loaded with a Blackstar-voiced speaker that matched to the HT-1RH.
Elsewhere, the cab features a removable rear panel that gives you both the tight low-end of a closed back and the wide midrange of a semi-open back. Again, the cab sports the sleek new Bronco Grey aesthetic.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
