GEAR REVIEW
BLACKSTAR ST . JAMES 50 / EL34 | Doug Doppler
KEY FEATURES
• Lightweight
• 50 Watts
• 2x12AX7 Preamp Tubes
• 2xEL34 Power Tubes
• Effects Loop
• Reverb
• XLR + 1 / 4 ” DI Outs
• CAB RIG Software
A few years back , four guys who used to work at ‘ another ’ British amp company got together and founded Blackstar . Distributed by KORG here in the U . S ., a foundational part of Blackstar ’ s DNA is the art of leveraging the awesomeness of tubes in new and exciting ways . True to that mission the Blackstar St . James line of heads and combos delivers the goods !
WHAT IS THE ST . JAMES ? The St . James line is all about real tube tone cloaked with a wide range of modern amenities . First and foremost , these are tube amps that sound and feel great under the fingertips and to the ears . The St . James 50 / EL34 and 50 / 6L6 are available in either as a head and 2x12 ” vertical cabinet or 1x12 ” combo . Named after the respective power amp tubes , the 50 / 6L6 has more gain on tap than the 50 / EL34 1x12 ” combo I reviewed .
Before we talk tech and delve further into the range of great tones this amp delivers , I would be remiss in failing to point out one of the key objectives the Blackstar team had in mind with this line . As much as guitarists love the sound that tubes produce , the weight of the accompanying transformers , cabinets , and speakers can be a real pain in the … back . The St . James line was designed from the ground up to be the world ’ s lightest 50-watt tube amps . To achieve this , Blackstar utilized extra-light output transformers , candlenut plywood cabinets , and a custom designed Celestion Zephyr speaker which incorporates a hollow ferrite magnet to dramatically reduce the overall weight , without compromising the sound . Blackstar Product Training Specialist Kenny Echizen added this , “ Everyone loves the sound and feel from an all-tube amp but hates the weight of traditional tube amps !”
THE SOUND CHANNEL ONE One of the many splendors of a great tube amp is the fact that they tend to get even better when using the right effects . That said , the later only enhances what ’ s already there . While the onboard digital reverb does add a little extra something to the mix , the St . James 50 / EL34 sounds great on its own . Channel one really nails silky smooth Fenderinspired tones . While this channel gets hairier as you turn it up , it distributes extra drive to the frequencies you want to drive a little harder without the low end getting muddy . While this isn ’ t a chunk sixteenth notes on the low E string kind of vibe , neither is the music we play on Sunday . On its own , this channel produces the kind of transparent tube overdrive we look for in our favorite drive pedals but delivers a lovely sheen of compression you can only get with a tube amp interacting with an actual speaker .
CHANNEL TWO The second channel is voiced more like an AC30 and features a Boost switch designed to mimic the Top Boost circuit that AC30 enthusiasts so love . Like Channel One , Channel Two enables you to fine tune the amount of drive you want by adjusting the balance between the channel Volume control and global Master Volume control . As one might expect , Channel Two is the higher gain channel , which is further enhanced by the addition of the Boost switch and Gain II control . From jangly AC30 tones all the way to classic AC / DC vibes , this channel delivers .