Series One
Series One
The New #1
Series One are the ultimate professional high gain valve guitar amps. At home, in the studio or on the road, our award-winning Series One valve amps will always deliver. Whether it’s build quality or tonal excellence, no compromises have been made – if you are looking for the ultimate, professional high gain valve amplifier, why compromise? We didn’t.
Dual Patent Design
The cornerstone of the Series One design is the two patented circuits: the ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) tone control circuit and the DPR (Dynamic Power Reduction) power reduction system.
These technologies are exclusive to Blackstar Amplification and are the result of many months of in-depth technical research. The inclusion of ISF and DPR allows you to take the Series One’s highly developed sound palette and tune it exactly to your own sound signature and create ‘the sound in your head’.
ISF and DPR are perfect examples of Blackstar innovations that, through technical research and development, can significantly improve your performance and creativity as a guitarist.
Better by Design
Every aspect of a Series One guitar amp is the result of uncompromising care and attention to detail, both for tone and reliability. Our experienced R&D team in the UK refined every aspect of these amps to maximise the tone through hundreds of hours of listening tests.
The Series One range is built to withstand the adversities and demands of life on the road. That’s why all Series One amplifiers have plated-through double-sided PCBs, seam welded 1.6mm steel chassis and 18mm finger-jointed birch ply cabinets, with ‘over-specified’ output and mains transformers constructed using laminations made of the highest grade, grain oriented steel.
Series One 200
Series One 200
- 200 Watt head with built-in DPR power reduction
- 4 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82, 4 x KT88 valves
- Clean Warm, Clean Bright, Crunch, Super Crunch, OD1 & OD2
Series One 104 6L6
Series One 104 6L6
- 100 Watt head with built-in DPR power reduction
- 4 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82, 4 x 6L6 valves
- Clean Warm, Clean Bright, Crunch, Super Crunch, OD1 & OD2
Series One 104 EL34
Series One 104 EL34
- 100 Watt head with built-in DPR power reduction
- 4 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82, 4 x EL34 valves
- Clean Warm, Clean Bright, Crunch, Super Crunch, OD1 & OD2
Series One 100
Series One 100
- 100 Watt head with built-in DPR power reduction
- 3 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82, 4 x EL34 valves
- Clean Warm, Clean Bright, Crunch & Super Crunch
Series One 50
Series One 50
- 50 Watt head with built-in DPR power reduction
- 1 x ECC82, 3 x ECC83, 2 x EL34 valves
- Clean Warm, Clean Bright, Crunch & Super Crunch
Series One 45
Series One 45
- 45 Watt combo with built-in DPR power reduction
- 1 x ECC82, 3 x ECC83, 2 x EL34 valves
- Clean Warm, Clean Bright, Crunch & Super Crunch
Series One Cabinets
Award Winning Amps
DPR (Dynamic Power Reduction)
DPR allows continuously variable power reduction so you can use your valve amp in any playing situation and achieve pure valve output distortion and compression at any volume. DPR is a 'dynamic' circuit, delivering the exact compression (a.k.a. sag) of a small overdriven valve amp, at any volume level. The power is reduced, the feel, tone and reliability of the amplifier is maintained.
Every control has been honed for maximum sonic benefit through hundreds of hours of listening.
ISF (Infinite Shape Feature)
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. The whole tone stack response (i.e. Bass, Middle and Treble) is moved yet the tone controls remain fully interactive, just like in a regular tone stack.
The ISF control is continuously variable between all the traditional responses allowing you to effectively design your own sound.
Built to Last
Constructed from premium grade materials and using traditional methods, Series One amplifiers are designed to last a lifetime.
Every aspect of a Series One guitar amplifier is designed to deliver not only the ultimate tonal performance, but also reliability capable of withstanding the rigours of life on the road.
Our Technical Director Bruce Keir has been designing valve amplifiers since he was a child and it is obsession with no-compromise design that leads our R&D team to excel in all areas of the construction of Series One amps.
Transformers
Output Transformers – The design of the output transformers in a valve amplifier is critical to ensuring a highly responsive feel and a full, natural frequency response. All the Series One output transformers are constructed using laminations made of the highest grade, grain oriented steel. This minimises core losses and ensures optimum fidelity and dynamics. The largest number of turns ensures the maximum primary inductance and hence an extended bottom-end.
Mains Transformer – Again the Series One mains transformers are constructed using laminations made of the highest grade, grain oriented steel. In this case, this minimises stray magnetic fields, which can be a source of unwanted noise and hum.
De-Rated Components
All Blackstar products are designed for maximum reliability and Series One guitar amps are no exception. Therefore, all power-dissipating components are de-rated significantly to extend their lifetime and hence increasing reliability.
As a standard part of our design process all amplifiers are thoroughly endurance tested on custom-designed automated test equipment to replicate many years of real life use in a few days of laboratory testing.
Chassis & Cabinet
The chassis of all the Series One amps are made out of seam welded 1.6mm steel for tank-like strength.
The wooden cabinets of Series One heads and speaker enclosures are constructed from 18mm finger-jointed birch ply. They are rigorously tested to ensure they really will hold up against anything you throw at them.
PCB
All Series One amplifiers have plated-through double-sided PCBs for increased mechanical integrity. In addition to using heavier copper on the output valve PCBs due to the increased current load, the anodes of all the output valves are handwired and sleeved with neoprene to minimize the risk of discharge to adjacent connections due to the extremely high supply voltages. High quality locking connectors are used throughout.
Four selected KT88 power valves form the backbone of this 200W high gain power house and provide unbelievable dynamics and head-room. The DPR control allows the power to be reduced down to 20W for beautiful power amp distortion at a much lower volume level.
Setting new standards in tonal flexibility, the deceptively simple preamp section has four world-beating channels (6 modes) which are further augmented by dual ISF controls.
- 200 Watt head with built-in DPR power reduction
- 4 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82, 4 x KT88 valves
- 4 switchable channels
- Clean channel with Warm (Plexi) and Bright (Class A) type modes
- Crunch channel with Crunch and Super Crunch modes
- Two ISF equipped tone control sections
- Presence and resonance controls
- Master Volume
- Series effects loop
- MIDI switching
- Speaker emulated output
Four EL34 power valves form the backbone of this 100W high gain power house and provide unbelievable dynamics and head-room. The DPR control allows the power to be reduced down to 10W for beautiful power amp distortion at a much lower volume level.
Setting new standards in tonal flexibility, the deceptively simple preamp section has four world-beating channels (6 modes) which are further augmented by dual ISF controls. With Series One customisation comes as standard and you will effectively design your own sound.
- 100 Watt head with built-in DPR power reduction
- 4 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82, 4 x EL34 valves
- 4 switchable channels
- Clean channel with Warm (Plexi) and Bright (Class A) type modes
- Crunch channel with Crunch and Super Crunch modes
- Two overdrive channels with high and low output damping
- Two ISF equipped tone control sections
- Presence and resonance controls
- Master Volume
- Series effects loop
- MIDI switching
- Speaker emulated output
Four selected 6L6 power valves form the backbone of this 100W high gain metal power house and provide unbelievable dynamics and head-room. The DPR control allows the power to be reduced down to 10W for beautiful power amp distortion at a much lower volume level.
Setting new standards in tonal flexibility, the deceptively simple preamp section has four world-beating channels (6 modes) which are further augmented by dual ISF controls.
- 100 Watt head with built-in DPR power reduction
- 4 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82, 4 x 6L6 valves
- 4 switchable channels
- Clean channel with Warm (Plexi) and Bright (Class A) type modes
- Crunch channel with Crunch and Super Crunch modes
- Two overdrive channels with high and low output damping
- Two ISF equipped tone control sections
- Presence and resonance controls
- Master Volume
- Series effects loop
- MIDI switching
- Speaker emulated output
Built on the rock-solid foundation of the classic 100W EL34 power stage, this amplifier sets new standards for clean and crunch tones. This amp features two channels and four footswitchable modes, complete with ISF, and include the amazing Super Crunch for the biggest, crunchiest tones yet heard.
The DPR control allows power to be reduced to 10W for studio and small venue work, while a series effects loop and MIDI switching further expand the flexibility of this professionally specified amplifier.
- 100 Watt head with built-in DPR power reduction
- 3 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82, 4 x EL34 valves
- Clean channel with Warm (Plexi) and Bright (Class A) type modes
- Overdrive channel with Crunch and Super Crunch modes
- ISF equipped tone control section
- Presence control
- Master Volume
- Series effects loop
- MIDI switching
- Speaker emulated output
By switching both preamplifier and power amplifier parameters, the Series One 50W delivers both Class A style tones with a bell-like ring and classic push-pull crunch depending on the mode selected.
The Patented ISF control removes the limitations of traditional designs allowing you to tune the tone to exactly the sound you are looking for. DPR can reduce the power down to 5W, whilst MIDI switching and a series effects loop makes this the ultimate pro head.
- 50 Watt head with built-in DPR power reduction
- 1 x ECC82, 3 x ECC83, 2 x EL34 valves
- Clean channel with Warm (Plexi) and Bright (Class A) type modes
- Overdrive channel with Crunch and Super Crunch modes
- ISF equipped tone control section
- Presence control
- Master Volume
- Series effects loop
- MIDI switching
- Speaker emulated output
By switching both preamplifier and power amplifier parameters, the Series One 45W delivers both Class A style tones with a bell-like ring and classic push-pull crunch depending on the mode selected.
The patented ISF control removes the limitations of traditional designs allowing you to tune the tone to exactly the sound you are looking for. DPR can reduce the power down to 4.5W, whilst MIDI switching and a series effects loop makes this the ultimate pro combo.
- 5 Watt combo with built-in DPR power reduction
- 1 x ECC82, 3 x ECC83, 2 x EL34 valves
- Clean channel with Warm (Plexi) and Bright (Class A) type modes
- Overdrive channel with Crunch and Super Crunch modes
- ISF equipped tone control section
- Presence control
- Master VolumeSeries effects loop
- MIDI switching
- Speaker emulated output
- 2 x Celestion Vintage 30 speakers
Blackstar Series One Additions - 104EL34 & 1046L6. In association with Guitarist magazine
“One thing that’s missing from so many multi-function amps these days is character. The Series 1 amps have tons of it, with all the flexibility you need. It’s been a very long wait for these amps to arrive, but it’s been worth every minute!” – S100 Head
Nick Guppy
Music Radar
“Versatility, flexibility and tone that can maintain performance integrity at any volume.”
Gerry Ganaden
Premier Guitar
ARTISTS LOVE SERIES ONE
GUS G.
OZZY OSBOURNE, FIREWIND
NEAL SCHON
JOURNEY
IHSAHN
EMPEROR
RICHIE SAMBORA
BON JOVI
JOE DON ROONEY
RASCAL FLATTS