What is it?
British amp company Blackstar was founded in 2007 by ex-Marshall engineers with the aim of updating traditional circuits with fresh, innovative technologies.
Designed in the UK and manufactured in China, Blackstar’s amps come to market at surprisingly low price points, and the brand has been warmly embraced by bedroom players, rehearsal rooms and touring professionals alike.
Indeed, gathering a roster of varied luminaries – spanning Phil Collen to Gaz Coombes, Neil Schon to Bob Mould – requires wide-ranging, first-class tones alongside ruggedly reliable construction.
Former Whitesnake gunslinger Doug Aldrich began using Blackstar’s HT Stage 100 head with his band The Dead Daisies in 2023 and as the relationship between player and brand grew, conversations regarding a signature model culminated in what we have here: the Ruby.
Based around his HT 100, some personalised tweaks were incorporated into the tone and the cosmetics, resulting in this crimson-clad, high-gain beast.
Coupled with its matching Celestion Vintage 30-equipped 4×12 cabinet, this stout and powerful-looking half-stack cuts a classy-yet-authoritative dash. The Vintage 30’s ability to present a wider range of frequencies than the classic Greenback option made this a more suitable match for the Ruby’s clean-to-dirty tonal palette.
Specs
- PRICE: $1,799/£1,249
- ORIGIN: China
- TYPE: 3-channel valve head
- VALVES: 2x ECC83, 4x EL34
- OUTPUT: 100/10W
- DIMENSIONS: 591(w) x 225 (d) x 245mm (h)
- WEIGHT (kg/lb): 17.5/38.5
- CHANNELS: 3
- CONTROLS: Clean Channel – Bass, Treble, Volume, Voice; OD 1 & OD 2 – Volume, Gain, Voice; OD EQ – Bass, Mid, Treble, ISF; Master section – Reverb, Resonance, Presence, Volume, Wattage Selector (100/10W)
- FOOTSWITCH: 5-way included
- ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Boost and effects loop (foot-switchable). Programmable via USB-C and Architect software
- OPTIONS: The matching DA412B (£1,199) 4×12 (as pictured) with MDF/birch-ply construction in matching Ruby Tolex is loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s
- CONTACT: Blackstar Amplification
Usability and sounds
The three-channel architecture of Clean, OD 1 and OD2 belies the wealth of options the Ruby has to offer. Let’s begin naturally with the Clean channel, which is based on a Fender black-panel circuit, known for high headroom, sparkle and full bottom-end.
The Ruby certainly achieves the clarity and springy articulacy, especially with a hearty measure of the onboard digital reverb. With its highly touch-sensitive and delicate tones (rare qualities in an ostensibly high-gain oriented amp), there’s plenty to enjoy. The Clean channel’s bass and treble controls offer some fairly powerful tone-sculpting, too, taking us from glassy 80s brightness to jazzy warmth.
The digitally derived reverb has two rear-panel-switchable flavours, Light and Dark, allowing for either the longer, brighter, more Fender-like character or a shorter, darker, less obtrusive variant more suitable for overdriven tones. The reverb can be further tailored independently for both the Clean and OD channels using the rear-panel USB-C connection to the free Architect software editor.
Engaging the Voice switch transports us into chime-y, full-bodied Vox territory, bypassing the negative feedback circuit and relocating the position of the tone controls to a post-valve position. With the noticeably increased gain and lower mids enabled by this Voice switch, it’s quite possible to achieve AC/DC levels of classic rock crunch with this channel alone.
OD 1 progresses our gain journey into some chunksome, Marshall-like crunch and sizzle. Simultaneously rich yet articulate, it shines when presented with ’buckers or single coils. The bottom-end is somewhat richer and fuller than that of a traditional Marshall-style circuit without flub or congestion. Quite a feat!
The bass response can be further enhanced by way of the master section’s Resonance control. This channel has a slightly rounder, more traditional overdrive profile when compared with OD 2, but deploying this channel’s Voice switch unleashes an extra level of modified-Marshall style overdrive.
We arrive in the final realm in gain with the OD 2 channel where harmonically rich slabs of chunky tone can sustain infinitely, though not at the expense of string separation. Single notes soar while pick harmonics leap out at the slightest invitation. Background noise is noticeably quieter than similar high-gain circuits.
All channels can be kicked up via the footswitch by 4dB, providing a solo boost function without changing the inherent tone. Speaking of the footswitch, a five-button black-metal type comes as standard, allowing control of the channels as well as the boost and loop functions.
Both overdrives share an EQ section comprising bass, middle, treble and Blackstar’s ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) control that provides fine-tuning of the midrange response – the effectiveness of this control is heightened with lower midrange settings in the EQ section.
Even switched to 10-watt, the amp has volume and depth for home, rehearsal and studio scenarios
The ISF control can take the tone from a UK 70s classic rock midrange character in its clockwise settings to a more carved-out, Sunset Strip 80s tone in the anti-clockwise settings. Clockwise settings also add some solid midrange to single-coil pickups.
Some impressive design and engineering can be found in the implementation of the software-tweakable parameters, again accessed via the rear-panel USB-C port and the free Architect software. By placing the amp in standby mode, it’s possible to run silently while the IR outputs remain activated and can be edited in real-time using the application.
Two virtual speaker channels can be assigned cabinets from a large range of profiles ranging 1×12 open-back vintage speakers to a large retinue of 4x12s. Mics can be selected on or off axis and blended to perfection.
A feature new to us is the effects loop fade-out, where delay tails can be tailored to fade out after switching off the loop, adding production-level finesse to changes.
Three onboard IR profile options can be stored and selected via the three-position IR switch and outputted via the rear panel’s choice of XLR or jack. The amp even has built-in speaker protection to defend the transformers should a momentary aberration leave you running the amp without the speaker connected.
It would be remiss not to mention that the wattage can be switched from the full 100 watts down to a much more manageable 10 watts. Even at the 10-watt setting the amp has enough volume and depth for many home, rehearsal and studio scenarios.
Verdict
Verdict: ★★★★½
The sheer wealth of features present in this amp, from the channel variations to the advanced programmability, is astounding but equally impressive is the way they’ve been implemented in such an intuitive and guitarist-friendly manner.
Guitar World verdict: We’re impressed to find the law of ‘more knobs equals less tone’ has been redrawn, and all three channels sound alive with responsiveness and fluidity. It’s an amp that represents a new benchmark for heavy guitar sounds at a relatively accessible price point. Another hit for Blackstar.
Hands-on videos
Guitar World
Watch On
Cameron Cooper
Watch On
American Musical Supply
Watch On
