The Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 3 is a Blackstar amplifier. Close alternatives include the Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 2 and the Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 Floor. It pairs well with the Beetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp and the Friedman BE-OD.
Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 3
Blackstar · amplifier
The Blackstar AMPED 3 is a 100-watt guitar amplifier pedal from Blackstar's Dept. 10 range featuring three independent channels — Clean, Crunch, and Overdrive — each with two voice options yielding six distinct preamp characters. The clean channel spans Warm and Bright voicings; the crunch channel covers standard and Super Crunch; the overdrive channel delivers OD-1 and OD-2 high-gain modes, with OD-2 representing one of the highest-gain circuits Blackstar has developed. A Class-D power amp with EL34, 6L6, and EL84 response emulations provides realistic tube feel and compression. The ISF tone control, built-in effects, and XLR DI output make it a self-contained professional amplifier for stage and studio.
- crunch
- clean
- high gain
- saturation
- compression
- bright
- preamp
- tube
Good for
- Live
- Silent Recording
- Silent Stage
- Studio
Genres the Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 3 is commonly used in
- Hard Rock
- Classic Rock
- Metal
- Blues
- Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 3
Beetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp
Beetronics
25% matchBeetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp pushes a high gain tone toward clean boost
Friedman BE-OD
Friedman
23% matchStack Friedman BE-OD on top and a high gain tone tightens toward tight
Marshall Guv'nor
Marshall
22% matchMarshall Guv'nor takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress
Electro-Harmonix
15% matchElectro-Harmonix Electric Mistress's lush voice goes after Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 3 in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 3's own crunchy character
Dunlop MXR M299 Carbon Copy Mini
Dunlop
12% matchDunlop MXR M299 Carbon Copy Mini is voiced for a clean amp's front end — Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 3 gives it exactly that — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Crazy Tube Circuits Golden Ratio
Crazy Tube Circuits
12% matchCrazy Tube Circuits Golden Ratio leans toward tight, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Boss RV-6 Reverb
Boss
10% matchKeep Boss RV-6 Reverb in Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 3's effects loop, clear of Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 3's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Laney TI-Boost
Laney
tonal matchLaney TI-Boost is voiced for a clean amp's front end — Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 3 gives it exactly that
Alternatives
Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 2
Blackstar
66% similarityShared character: compression, crunch, stage
Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 Floor
Hughes & Kettner
60% similarityShared character: sag, crunch, high_gain_settings
VHT D-50
Vht
94% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 3 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 3?+
The closest matches in character are the Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 2, the Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 Floor, the VHT D-50.
What pairs well with the Blackstar Dept. 10 Amped 3?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Beetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp, Friedman BE-OD, Marshall Guv'nor — Beetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp pushes a high gain tone toward clean boost.