Blackstar HT Club 40 MkII Settings Guide
The Blackstar HT Club 40 MkII is a 40-watt (switchable to 20W) all-tube combo amp with two independent channels, Blackstar's proprietary ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) EQ, and a built-in analog reverb. It is one of the UK's most popular mid-range tube amps, extensively used on pub-circuit and club stages. The Club 40 MkII covers clean, crunch, and high-gain tones with more EQ flexibility than most competitors at its price point — the ISF control alone is a distinctive feature that enables remarkably different tonal characters.
The best Blackstar HT Club 40 MkII settings start with: Clean Gain at 4/10, Clean Volume at 6/10, OD Gain at 6/10, OD Volume at 5/10, Bass at 5/10, Mid at 5/10, Treble at 5/10, ISF at 5/10, Reverb at 3/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Blues: Clean Gain 5/10, Clean Volume 6/10, OD Gain 4/10, OD Volume 5/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 7/10, Treble 5/10, ISF 7/10, Reverb 3/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Clean Gain | 4/10 | Clean → Crunch |
| Clean Volume | 6/10 | Silent → Loud |
| OD Gain | 6/10 | Crunch → High Gain |
| OD Volume | 5/10 | Silent → Loud |
| Bass | 5/10 | Cut → Boost |
| Mid | 5/10 | Cut → Boost |
| Treble | 5/10 | Dark → Bright |
| ISF | 5/10 | 0 (US — tight, bright) → 10 (UK — warm, loose) |
| Reverb | 3/10 | Dry → Very Wet |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
Ch1 at Gain 5 sits at the edge-of-breakup the Club 40 clean channel is built for. ISF at 7 moves toward the British voicing — warmer bass and vocal mids that suit blues. Mid 7 adds presence. Reverb 3 provides a moderate spring reverb character. For solo blues lead, switch to Ch2 at OD Gain 4 for a mild overdrive without losing the dynamic feel.
Ch2 at OD Gain 6 with ISF at 6 produces a convincing British classic rock crunch. The ISF slightly toward the UK side adds mid warmth without muddiness. Treble 6 provides the cut needed for rhythm work. Keep Reverb minimal — classic rock tones rarely use heavy reverb.
OD Gain at 7 with neutral ISF (midpoint) produces a tight, aggressive hard rock tone with good note definition. Bass 6 adds weight without becoming muddy. Switch to OD2 mode via footswitch for leads — the extra gain boost is well-voiced for single-note clarity.
OD Gain 8 with ISF at 3 (toward American/tight) produces a scooped, aggressive metal tone. The American ISF position tightens the bass and adds treble definition — important for palm-muted metal rhythms. V-EQ: Bass 7, Mid 3, Treble 7. No reverb.
Ch1 at low Gain with ISF at 8 (fully British) produces a warm, full jazz clean tone. Treble 4 removes harshness. Bass and Mid lifted to give a round, full body. Reverb 4 adds ambient warmth without making the sound swim. The Club 40's British voicing at low gain is excellent for jazz.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- The ISF is the Club 40's most powerful EQ tool — learn it before worrying about the Bass/Mid/Treble controls. Position 0 is American (think Fender), position 10 is British (think Marshall). Most players find their sweet spot between 4 and 7.
- Set Ch2 Volume slightly louder than Ch1 to ensure the distortion channel isn't perceived as quieter on stage. Human ears perceive distortion as louder even when levels are equal on a meter.
- The Club 40's power reduction (40W to 20W) doesn't significantly change the tone but allows stage volumes to be more manageable. The 20W setting is recommended for most indoor gig situations.
- The effects loop is excellent on the Club 40 — time-based effects (delay, reverb, chorus) should go through the loop, not the front input, for the cleanest interaction with the preamp distortion.
- Run a quality speaker cabinet through the Club 40 head version if you want the most from the amp — the built-in speaker in the combo version is a Celestion BH-12-65 which performs well, but a Marshall 1960 or Greenback-loaded cab reveals significantly more character.
FAQ
Blackstar HT Club 40 MkII — Common Questions
Best starting settings for Blackstar HT Club 40 MkII: Clean Gain at 4/10, Clean Volume at 6/10, OD Gain at 6/10, OD Volume at 5/10, Bass at 5/10, Mid at 5/10, Treble at 5/10, ISF at 5/10, Reverb at 3/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Blues: Clean Gain 5/10, Clean Volume 6/10, OD Gain 4/10, OD Volume 5/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 7/10, Treble 5/10, ISF 7/10, Reverb 3/10. Ch1 at Gain 5 sits at the edge-of-breakup the Club 40 clean channel is built for. ISF at 7 moves toward the British voicing — warmer bass and vocal mids that suit blues. Mid 7 adds presence. Reverb 3 provides a moderate spring reverb character. For solo blues lead, switch to Ch2 at OD Gain 4 for a mild overdrive without losing the dynamic feel.
For Classic Rock: Clean Gain 3/10, Clean Volume 6/10, OD Gain 6/10, OD Volume 5/10, Bass 5/10, Mid 6/10, Treble 6/10, ISF 6/10, Reverb 2/10. Ch2 at OD Gain 6 with ISF at 6 produces a convincing British classic rock crunch. The ISF slightly toward the UK side adds mid warmth without muddiness. Treble 6 provides the cut needed for rhythm work. Keep Reverb minimal — classic rock tones rarely use heavy reverb.
Clean Gain: Ch1 gain control — clean to crunch range only. Ch1 never achieves high gain; for distortion, use Ch2. (Clean to Crunch). Clean Volume: Ch1 output level. (Silent to Loud). OD Gain: Ch2 gain control — covers the full range from mild overdrive through modern high gain. The OD2 mode (via footswitch) adds additional gain for leads. (Crunch to High Gain). OD Volume: Ch2 output level — set relative to Ch1 Volume for consistent level switching. (Silent to Loud). Bass: Shared EQ low-frequency control — applies to whichever channel is active. (Cut to Boost). Mid: Shared midrange EQ control. (Cut to Boost). Treble: Shared high-frequency EQ control. (Dark to Bright). ISF: Infinite Shape Feature — continuously variable voicing from American-style (tight bass, prominent treble) to British-style (warm bass, vocal mids, smooth top end). The ISF is the Club 40's most distinctive feature. (0 (US — tight, bright) to 10 (UK — warm, loose)). Reverb: Built-in analog reverb level — a genuine spring-like analog reverb, not a digital model. (Dry to Very Wet)
The ISF is the Club 40's most powerful EQ tool — learn it before worrying about the Bass/Mid/Treble controls. Position 0 is American (think Fender), position 10 is British (think Marshall). Most players find their sweet spot between 4 and 7. Set Ch2 Volume slightly louder than Ch1 to ensure the distortion channel isn't perceived as quieter on stage. Human ears perceive distortion as louder even when levels are equal on a meter. The Club 40's power reduction (40W to 20W) doesn't significantly change the tone but allows stage volumes to be more manageable. The 20W setting is recommended for most indoor gig situations. The effects loop is excellent on the Club 40 — time-based effects (delay, reverb, chorus) should go through the loop, not the front input, for the cleanest interaction with the preamp distortion. Run a quality speaker cabinet through the Club 40 head version if you want the most from the amp — the built-in speaker in the combo version is a Celestion BH-12-65 which performs well, but a Marshall 1960 or Greenback-loaded cab reveals significantly more character.
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