Blackstar Amplification is a UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

-based manufacturer of guitar amplifiers

Instrument amplifier

An instrument amplifier is an electronic amplifier that converts the often barely audible or purely electronic signal from musical instruments such as an electric guitar, an electric bass, or an electric keyboard into an electronic signal capable of driving a loudspeaker that can be heard by the...

 and effects, largely made up of ex-Marshall

Marshall Amplification

Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...

 employees. Their products include the hand-wired, boutique "Artisan" series, the Series One series, and a range of pedals and amplifiers in the HT line. In 2009 they began operations in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Artisan Series

The Artisan series, designed in the UK, is hand-wired in Korea, with point-to-point

Point-to-point

Point-to-point or point to point may refer to:Computing* Point-to-point construction, an electronics assembly technique* Point-to-point * Point-to-Point Protocol , part of the Internet protocol suite...

 tagboard construction. The dual channel

Dual-channel architecture

Multi-channel architecture is a technology that increases the transfer speed of data between the RAM and the memory controller by adding more channels of communication between them. Theoretically this multiplies the data rate by exactly the number of channels present. Dual-channel memory employs...

 amplifier is designed for boutique tone, utilizing pre-amp

Preamplifier

A preamplifier is an electronic amplifier that prepares a small electrical signal for further amplification or processing. A preamplifier is often placed close to the sensor to reduce the effects of noise and interference. It is used to boost the signal strength to drive the cable to the main...

 valves (most specifically the EF86 pentode) associated with smaller Vox amps. The range includes 15, 30, and 100-watt models in both head and combo form; the 15 and 30-watt combos were called "substantial amps that provide substantial tones" in Vintage Guitar.

Series One

The Blackstar Series One range offers more features than the Artisan range, including, on some models, four different channels. It offers Blackstar's patented 'ISF' (Infinite Shape Feature), which allows the saturation to be altered to sound either 'American' or 'British', or anywhere in between. The range includes 45, 100, and 200-watt models.

HT-5

One of Blackstar's smaller amplifiers at 5 watts, it is effectively an HT pedal packaged as an amplifier. Having ISF and EQ features in common with some of the pedals, the HT-5 also includes an emulated output, which can allow the valve sound to be captured for recording without the need for microphones.

HT Venue Series

Launched in 2010 at the Winter NAMM, Blackstar introduced a new line of HT amplifiers. This line is essentially the same at the HT-5 series, but with more power. The models contain a 20, 40, 60, and 100 watt amplifiers. All models except the 100W are available in combo form. The 100W is head only, and the 20W comes in either head or combo. The HT Venue series also contains three different cabinet sizes: 1x12, 2x12, and 4x12. All speakers in the HT Venue are Celestion.

Effect pedals

Blackstar's HT pedals are a line of five different pedals, all boost, overdrive, or distortion units. All the pedals are valve powered and incorporate the ISF feature. Like the HT-5, the pedals have an emulated speaker output, allowing for direct recording.
As of March 2010, Blackstar had introduced a new line of HT pedals, which feature three effects: Reverb, Delay, and Modulation. These pedals are, like the other HT line, all powered by a valve.

Endorsements

Blackstar has several artists using their products, including Opeth

Opeth

Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...

, Razorlight

Razorlight

Razorlight are a UK based indie rock band formed in 2002. They are primarily known in the UK, having topped the charts with the 2006 single "America" and its parent self-titled album, their second...

, The Donots, Rose Tattoo

Rose Tattoo

Rose Tattoo is an Australian rock and roll band, now led by Angry Anderson, that was formed in Sydney in 1976. Their sound is hard rock mixed with blues rock influences, with songs including "Bad Boy for Love", "Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw", "Nice Boys", "We Can't Be Beaten" and "Scarred for Life"...

, Pat Travers

Pat Travers

Patrick Henry "Pat" Travers is a Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and singer who began his recording career with Polydor Records in the mid-1970s...

 and Silenoz

Silenoz

Silenoz , is a Norwegian guitarist who is a founding member, along with Shagrath and Tjodalv, of the Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir which he is the primary songwriter...

 of Dimmu Borgir

Dimmu Borgir

Dimmu Borgir is a Norwegian black metal band from Oslo, Norway, formed in 1993. Dimmu borgir means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, Faroese and Old Norse. The name is derived from a volcanic formation in Iceland, Dimmuborgir...

, as well as recently including Gus G of Firewind

Firewind

Firewind is a Greek power metal band. Formed in 1998, the group is currently signed to Century Media Records and was originally a small project created by guitarist, Gus G. to showcase his demo, Nocturnal Symphony in 1998. Firewind later became a full band over three years later when they recorded...

 and Ozzy to their lineup .