Since being founded 17 years ago in the English town of Northampton, Blackstar has gone on to become one of the most fiercely innovative amplification companies in the music trade. The company manufactures a whole range of products that cater for just about every need, from the kind of practice units touring musicians use in backstage dressing rooms to high-performance metal machines. You’ll find their logo in living rooms, bedrooms and stages of every kind, and with good reason.
In recent years, the firm has launched the , which made headlines for being the lightest ever made, and the , which are engineered to replace conventional heads and combos. These latest developments coincide with the introduction of high-definition IRs in its CabRig software and the in 6L6 and EL34 variants. It’s exactly this kind of thinking that’s placed them at the cutting edge of modern design, rewarding modern guitarists with innovation that’s as affordable as it is reliable.
To get an idea of where the company is in 2024 (and what’s coming next), we checked in with Chief Engineer Paul Stevens – who has worked for Peavey, Buddha and Trace Elliot – and Head of Products Alex Gee, the man in charge of all things digital. “Our managing director called me into his office for a discussion about what we could do to shake things up. I said, ‘Tube amps are great but heavy; why don’t we look at lightweight versions?’ His first question was, ‘How?’ I suggested developing a new kin.