Blackstar Amplifiers
The full range of Blackstar products, from valve guitar amplifiers, tube amplifiers, effects pedals, fx pedals and more. At Blackstar, they are all musicians and understand the importance of great tone, whether practicing at home or on stage in a live environment. All of their products are designed to be world class in both quality and tonal performance while giving you the guitarist the tools you need to find 'the sound in your head'.
Introducing Blackstar
Since their emergence in 2007, Blackstar has been widely celebrated as one of the world’s most innovative guitar amp brands by some of the world’s greatest musicians and bands. These include: Phil Collen (Def Leppard), Richie Sambora, Albert Hammond Jr (The Strokes), Gus G (Firewind, Ozzy Osbourne), Neal Schon (Journey) and many other world class artists.
Like many great British ideas, the idea for Blackstar was born in the pub. Four bandmates (Bruce Keir, Ian Robinson, Paul Hayhoe & Richard Frost), all amp specialists with over 50 years experience and senior positions at the already established Marshall, believed that there should be more to amplification. As a result, in 2004 after a desire to create something different, Blackstar began two and a half years of extensive technical research and development with the ultimate goal of allowing guitarists across the world to create the sound in their head.
Polished workshops of previous employers quickly became a thing of the past and were replaced for Ian’s garden shed in Northampton, a change of environment that became a crucial part in the creation of Blackstar's patented innovations, ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) and DPR (Dynamic Power Reduction).
March 2007 marked the birth of Blackstar to the wider public and guitar communities at The Musikmesse Frankfurt trade show. From here, music industry press, A-list artists and guitarists alike all became interested and invested in Blackstar, it was clear that Ian’s shed was no longer big enough.
For Musicians by Musicians
At Blackstar, a passion for music is something that they have deeply rooted into their ethos and amplifiers.
Blackstar have been, and always will be committed to discovering and nurturing the next generation of guitarists, with Blackstar's highly diverse roster of world-class musicians covering genres from brit-pop to country and metal.
From the Shed to the Stars
At Blackstar, Blackstar considers R&D to be a culture rather than an operation. Innovation and creativity is something that runs from their core and is evident in the innovations and patents that have been created in their lifetime. Speaking to artists, musicians, dealers and distributors is a part of the many things Blackstar does to help create, with all ideas being relevant regardless of if they’re from a new starter or certified amp guru.
The countless hours of research and testing that goes into a Blackstar product is unrivalled by any competitor and as a result when you plug into a Blackstar, you’re hearing the outcome of obsessive sonic tweaking and engineering at its finest all whilst cross referencing some of history’s most revered designs.
Although to some Blackstar's approach may seem a little exhausting, the work they do is to exuberate guitarists, regardless of if you slow jam to blues, rock out to punk or shred to metal. Blackstar believes guitar to be an instrument of expression and creativity, that is why they approach amplification with the same process.
Tough Enough.
Blackstar amps are put through excessive toughness testing to ensure that the amp has both endurance and reliability.
Built with touring musicians and road-friendly features in mind, Blackstar's products are put through the toughest and worst case scenarios both physically and electronically during the design phase, to ensure that when your’s arrives at your door every possible scenario and outcome has been accounted for.
In a testament to how durable and reliable Blackstar amps are, founder Paul Hayhoe had previously mentioned “In 10 years, we’ve never had a series one transformer fail. And they’ve been on the road with Ozzy Osbourne…”
The Innovation Station
At Blackstar, they believe that guitar amplifier design is not voodoo or a black art – it is the application of engineering discipline in a musical setting. The real magic happens when Blackstar is able to provide you, the musician, with products that inspire you in your art. This philosophy drives Blackstar to truly understand the science of great guitar tone and deliver products that really deliver ‘the sound in your head’. Blackstar creates every product at Blackstar ‘from the ground up’ as opposed to simply tweaking the old classic designs. Each Blackstar circuit contains numerous innovations, in addition to unique breakthrough technologies such as ISF and DPR. It is often these small yet important enhancements that give Blackstar products their characteristic sound clarity and flexibility.
These sonic innovations are only available on Blackstar products. Put simply – ‘Blackstar amps sound different because they are different!’
Tri Patent Design
At Blackstar's HQ in Northampton, England, they have an ongoing program of research and development which seeks to constantly challenge the state-of-the-art in guitar amplifier technology. Blackstar believes it is their dedication to research and innovation that sets them, and their products, apart. Patented innovations like TVP, ISF and DPR are the foundations of the Blackstar product catalogue and Blackstar's commitment to helping guitarists achieve the sound in their heads.
Infinite Shape Feature (ISF)
The conventional three way guitar EQ network, or tone stack (a.k.a. Bass, Middle and Treble), is a key to the characteristic ‘voice’ of traditional guitar amplifiers. Classic amplifier designs have their own versions of this network which leads to their own tonal voicings. The ISF control allows you to infinitely adjust the response of the tone control network between any of the traditional voicings in a way that has never before been possible. In this way you can design your own sound and truly find ‘the sound in your head’.
Dynamic Power Reduction (DPR)
Everyone knows that valve amplifiers sound best when they are turned up loud. This is because at higher volume levels the output valves introduce musical distortion and compression which are a vital part of the valve amplifier experience. Blackstar’s patented DPR feature controls the output power level by dynamically adjusting the output stage voltages, allowing power valve distortion and compression at any volume level.
True Valve Power (TVP)
It is widely accepted that a valve guitar amplifier with a 100 Watt power rating will sound considerably louder than an equivalent non-valve amplifier. Blackstar’s patent-applied-for TVP technology allows for the first time the combination of the tonality, distortion characteristics and crucially, the perceived sound pressure levels, of an equivalent valve power amplifier. TVP delivers six distinctly different power valve responses – EL84, 6V6, EL34, KT66, 6L6, KT88. When engaged it delivers the response, dynamics, sag and break-up characteristics of a valve amp.
