Blackstar Amps

Blackstar Amps are going from strength to strength, with a wide range of amps that cater for all budgets and tonal requirements.

Blackstar Amps. One of our favourite and best selling amplifier manufacturers. Formed by four friends looking for a new challenge after having worked together for years in the upper levels of amp design, Blackstar set out to create innovative amps and pedals designed around a great tone and ultimate self expression.

Today, ten years after their first ‘garden shed’ experiments (literally in one of their garden sheds!), and seven years after the company launch, Blackstar is bigger than ever and is in the consciousness of any amp-buying guitarist.

With a product range consisting of over 50 different amplifiers and speaker cabinets, it can be a bit overwhelming to know where to start.

Starting at the top of the Blackstar tree, the Artisan Series. This award winning series has the emphasis set on sonic purity with stunning vintage and boutique reference tones. Featuring point-to-point handwired tag board construction, birch-ply cabinets and beautiful vintage red tolex they represent the highest standard of craftsmanship. Two combos, 15 watt and 30 watt models, 3 heads 15, 30 and 100 watt, alongside matching cabinets complete the range.

The Series One range really sets the standards for flexibility within a valve driven amp. Winning numerous ‘Guitarist’ and ‘Total Guitar’ awards the range of heads, a single 45 watt combo and cabs will enable players of all genres to pick a suitable rig. For those wanting a specific tone, the Series One 104EL34 head has been especially voiced for a ‘Brit’ rock tone whilst the 1046L6 will please the Metal heads!

Next up is the range of HT amps. We’ll start with the game changing Blackstar HT5 range. The best selling model is the compact, 5 watt HT5R model (with built-in reverb). Able to deliver a range of great valve tones, courtesy of the award winning HT Pedal preamp. It really will cure your tonal needs!

Due to the huge success of the HT5, Blackstar launched the HT1 range, a cutdown 1 watt series - great for home practise and the the HT Venue series. The HT Venue range of amps take all that was great about the HT5 and loads them with more power and versatility - superb workhorse amps with models to suit all requirements. Popular combo models include the compact HT Studio (20 watt), the HT Club 40 (40 watt) and the 60 watt, 2x12” HT Stage 60.

A recent addition to the HT ‘led’ amps is the HT Metal series. Again, based around the HT1, HT5 and HT Venue amps, the HT Metal models deliver (as the name implies!) extreme high gain tones and custom cosmetics that’ll please todays metal guitarist with ‘heavy’ tonal demands!

The ID Series range of amps deliver truly groundbreaking technology, with an intuitive set of controls enabling the player to get access to a huge range of tones thanks in no part to the patent-applied-for True Valve Power. True Valve Power gives you access to the tonal qualities (response, dynamics, break-up and harmonic content) of 6 power valves - EL84, 6v6, EL34, KT66 and the KT88 -  that when used in conjunction with the 6 voice channels (from clean to heavy drives) give you access to a huge array of sounds - valve tone with the reliability of a solid state amp! The ID Series also come packed with studio quality effects in the form modulations, delays and reverbs. From a bedroom friendly 15 watt combo, the ID15TVP, to the punchy 30 watt ID30TVP, a 1x12” ID60TVP and the ID260TVP 2x12” stage ready model there is a combo for all occasions, plus there is a couple of heads with cabs to match too.

If you're on a budget, but want some of the Blackstar ID Series goodness then the ID:Core Series will certainly appeal. Featuring a stripped back ID design, but still feature rich, the 3 models - ID Core Stereo 10, ID Core Stereo 20, and the ID Core Stereo 40 - deliver 6 voices, 12 effects, the ISF (infinite shape feature), MP3 line in and more. These compact and highly affordable amps are huge sounding thanks to their stereo speaker design, delivering their ‘Super Wide Stereo’ tone!

Aswell as a great range of guitar amplifiers, Blackstar also have valve driven HT range of overdrive/distortion pedals (the HT Dual being the best seller), the valve driven HT Effects pedals, and the more recent LT series - super affordable pedals but still with that Blackstar tone and quality!

We stock a huge range of Blackstar gear, so why not pop down to our store try some out, and let our team talk you through the series’ in depth and get the right amp and TONE for you!

Posted on 13th March 2014 by Rob Evans