Blackstar can trace its roots to 2004 and four bandmates who dreamed of designing their own guitar amplifiers and pedals. Two and a half years of research and development followed in a lonely shed in Northampton, England. Soon, the first Blackstar products were ready for market and launched in March 2007 at the Frankfurt Musikmesse. Blackstar has since moved its headquarters out of the shed. Now Blackstar resides in its own premises with a purpose-built lab, a studio, and much more. Over the years, Blackstar has attracted some of the brightest minds in amplifier design and also includes artists like Jared James Nichols, Carmen Vandenberg, Phil Collen, and Gus G on its roster. Throughout every era of Blackstar, one constant remains — a dedication to making the best possible guitar amps for players around the world.
Almost every person at Blackstar is a musician, whether it’s the managing director, whose father was a professional trumpeter, or the financial director, who is obsessed with classical guitar. There are many different musical disciplines represented, which have formed the company’s deep-seated musical roots. It’s this deep musical understanding that informs Blackstar’s design choices. Each Blackstar product is a shining example of Blackstar’s passion and unrelenting quest for the ultimate tool for self-expression.
According to Blackstar, designing a guitar amplifier isn’t voodoo or black art. Rather, it’s the application of disciplined engineering in a musical setting. By following that philosophy, Blackstar has developed an understanding of the science of a great guitar tone. With that knowledge, the team at Blackstar can consistently deliver the “sound in your head.” The company also holds onto other unique traits, like their entirely original circuit designs. Every Blackstar circuit has innovative elements such as their Infinite Shape Feature (ISF) and Dynamic Power Reduction (DPR). These improvements may seem small, but they are the features that give Blackstar products their characteristic clarity and flexibility. Blackstar amps sound different because they are different.
Most guitar amplifiers have a 3-band EQ with Bass, Middle, and Treble controls. The traditional 3-band EQ gives an amplifier its voice. With Blackstar’s ISF, you can infinitely adjust the response of the tone controls between traditional voicings like never before. ISF is a passive circuit that simply shifts the musical response of your tone stack, leaving each fully interactive. With ISF, you can go out and find the exact sound that lives in your head.
Tube amps sound their best when they’re loud — that’s just a fact. At higher volumes, the output tubes start to saturate and introduce distortion and compression. That distortion is an integral component of the well-loved tube sound. Blackstar’s patented DPR feature controls the power output through dynamic adjustments of the output stage voltage. This feature allows the amp to deliver the same power valve distortion, sag, and compression at any volume level, down to 10% of the amp’s total power.
A 100W tube amp generally sounds louder than a solid-state amp of the same power. Blackstar’s Response technology allows a solid-state amp to re-create a tube amp’s sound and responsive feel. When you play a Blackstar amp with Response technology, you’ll immediately notice that it has the distortion characteristics, tonality, and perceived sound pressure levels of an equivalent tube-powered amp. There are six different power tube responses on tap: EL84, 6V6, EL34, KT66, 6L6, KT88. Response delivers the dynamics, sag, and break-up characteristics of a tube amp in a solid-state package.
Artists from all genres and styles, from jazz and country to heavy and death metal, trust their tone to Blackstar. Accordingly, Blackstar has a diverse assortment of endorsees who are much more than brand ambassadors. The company’s roster includes Jared James Nichols, Carmen Vandenberg, Phil Collen, and Gus G.
