The Blackstar Artisan 100 is a Blackstar amplifier, currently around $2217.54. Close alternatives include the Bad Cat Hot Cat and the Bad Cat Black Cat. It pairs well with the Analog Man King of Tone and the Beetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp.
Blackstar Artisan 100
Blackstar · amplifier
The Blackstar Artisan 100 is a 100-watt two-channel hand-wired all-tube guitar amplifier head built to point-to-point turret board standards with a seam-welded steel chassis and finger-jointed birch-ply cabinet, representing Blackstar highest standard of boutique craftsmanship. Channel 1 is voiced as a ready-jumpered Plexi delivering perfectly balanced clean tones that are neither too shrill nor too fat, while Channel 2 provides crunchy British-voiced overdrive. A Voice control simultaneously adjusts preamplifier voicing and power amplifier damping, tracing the evolution of amplifier tone from early American designs through 1960s and 1970s British voicings. Large transformers provide substantial headroom for players who need stage volume.
- british
- headroom
- balanced
- transformer
- crunch
- american
- boutique
- amplifier tone
Good for
- Live
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Blackstar Artisan 100 is commonly used in
- Classic Rock
- Alternative Rock
- Blues
- Blues Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Blackstar Artisan 100
Analog Man King of Tone
Analog Man
23% matchInto the Artisan 100's balanced, transformer-driven headroom, the King of Tone's transparent boost pushes real British crunch.
Beetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp
Beetronics
23% matchBeetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp takes that crunchy character and pushes it toward clean boost
Marshall Guv'nor
Marshall
22% matchFeed a crunchy signal into Marshall Guv'nor and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Jackson Audio Bloom V2 Compressor/EQ
Jackson Audio
16% matchInto Blackstar Artisan 100, Jackson Audio Bloom V2 Compressor/EQ is right at home: it's built around Marshall-style amps
Universal Audio Flow Tremolo
Universal Audio
15% matchUniversal Audio Flow Tremolo is voiced for Marshall-style amps — Blackstar Artisan 100 gives it exactly that
MXR Analog Delay
MXR
14% matchBlackstar Artisan 100 leans into Marshall-style amps, precisely the platform MXR Analog Delay wants — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Source Audio Nemesis
Source Audio
14% matchSource Audio Nemesis's own voicing points at Marshall-style amps, and Blackstar Artisan 100 delivers it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
MXR double-double overdrive
MXR
tonal matchBlackstar Artisan 100 leans into Marshall-style amps, precisely the platform MXR double-double overdrive wants
Cheaper alternatives
Bad Cat BC-50 Head
Bad Cat
61% similarityShared character: stage_volumes, blues_players, internal_transformer
Blackstar ST. James 100 Head
Blackstar
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar Series One 45-Watt 2x12"
Blackstar
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar Artist 30
Blackstar
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Fender Hot Rod Series Blues Junior 15W 1x12 Tube Guitar
amplifier
93% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Bad Cat Hot Cat
Bad Cat
61% similarityShared character: internal_transformer, effects_loop, headroom
Bad Cat Black Cat
Bad Cat
94% similaritysimilar tone character
PRS Dallas 50W Tube Guitar Amp Head
amplifier
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Laney Klipp
Laney
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Rivera Bonehead
Rivera
93% similaritysimilar tone character
3rd Power Lyra
3rd Power
93% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Blackstar Artisan 100 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Blackstar Artisan 100?+
The closest matches in character are the Bad Cat Hot Cat, the Bad Cat Black Cat, the PRS Dallas 50W Tube Guitar Amp Head. Budget picks: Bad Cat BC-50 Head, Blackstar ST. James 100 Head, Blackstar Series One 45-Watt 2x12". Boutique upgrades: 3rd Power Kitchen Sink 6VEL.
What pairs well with the Blackstar Artisan 100?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Analog Man King of Tone, Beetronics Buzzter Boost Preamp, Marshall Guv'nor — Into the Artisan 100's balanced, transformer-driven headroom, the King of Tone's transparent boost pushes real British crunch..
How much does the Blackstar Artisan 100 cost?+
Around $2217.54 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).