The Blackstar Artisan 30 HW is a Blackstar amplifier, currently around $2499.99. Close alternatives include the Strymon Iridium and the 1959 Fender Tweed Deluxe. It pairs well with the Browne Amplification Gritador and the Marshall Guv'nor.

Blackstar Artisan 30 HW

Blackstar · amplifier

The Blackstar Artisan 30 HW is the hand-wired head version of Blackstar's boutique Artisan 30 amplifier, delivering 30 watts of Class A tube power through a point-to-point hand-wired circuit. Two channels — featuring an EF86 pentode on Channel 1 for fat, warm, compression-rich clean character — span dynamic blues and country clean tones through ISF-voiced crunch and drive on Channel 2. Power is switchable between 30-watt pentode and 10-watt triode modes. The hand-wired head format provides the same boutique-quality tonal complexity as the combo version with the flexibility to pair with the player's choice of cabinet.

What stands out

  • “The EF86 Channel 1 is particularly distinctive: fat, warm, and compression-rich with a natural breakup character that responds sensitively to pick attack”

    — from the community notes

  • “Two channels — featuring an EF86 pentode on Channel 1 for fat, warm, compression-rich clean character — span dynamic blues and country clean tones through ISF-voiced crunch and drive on Channel 2”

    — from the listing

  • “Players using the head format value the cabinet choice freedom, particularly for pairing with 2x12 or 4x12 configurations suited to different venue sizes”

    — from the community notes

  • “Channel 2 covers a wide range from clean to crunch via ISF”

    — from the reviews

  • “The hand-wired head format provides the same boutique-quality tonal complexity as the combo version with the flexibility to pair with the player's choice of cabinet”

    — from the listing

  • fat
  • blues
  • clean
  • crunch
  • compression
  • country
  • class a
  • stage

Good for

  • Live
  • Studio
  • Worship
$2499.99View on Reverb

Price updated Oct 23, 2026

Genres the Blackstar Artisan 30 HW is commonly used in

  • Blues
  • Rock
  • Country
  • Classic Rock
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Blues Rock
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Alternative
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.

Pedals that stack with the Blackstar Artisan 30 HW

Browne Amplification Gritador

Browne Amplification

25% match
$219via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)

Into a transparent tone, Browne Amplification Gritador brings a pull toward mid-forward that's missing

Goes in front of the amp

Marshall Guv'nor

Marshall

25% match
$106via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)

Marshall Guv'nor leans this transparent tone toward mid-forward, which it doesn't make on its own

Goes in front of the amp

Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz

Black Arts Toneworks

25% match
$119via Reverb

clean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → fuzzy)

Into a transparent tone, Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz brings a pull toward fuzzy that's missing

Goes in front of the amp

Origin Effects MAGMA57 Amp Vibrato & Drive

Origin Effects

14% match
$394.99via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Origin Effects MAGMA57 Amp Vibrato & Drive's own voicing points at Marshall-style amps, and Blackstar Artisan 30 HW delivers it

Goes in front of the amp

Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Micro

Pigtronix

11% match
$119via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)

What Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Micro brings here leans toward mid-forward — that's worth building a pairing around

Goes in front of the amp

Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Deluxe

Catalinbread

9% match
$139via Reverb

Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Deluxe's own voicing points at Marshall-style amps, and Blackstar Artisan 30 HW delivers it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop

Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb

pedal

8% match
$81.28via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Run Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb in Blackstar Artisan 30 HW's effects loop, clear of Blackstar Artisan 30 HW's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop

J. Rockett The Dude V2

J Rockett

tonal match

Goes in front of the amp

J. Rockett The Dude V2's own voicing points at a clean amp's front end, and Blackstar Artisan 30 HW delivers it

Cheaper alternatives

Friedman IR-J Jake E. Lee Preamp

Friedman

72% similarity
$499via Reverb

Friedman IR-J Jake E. Lee Preamp recreates this amp's tone in pedal form

Soldano SLO

Soldano

72% similarity
$119.99via Reverb

Soldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form

Friedman IR-D

Friedman

72% similarity
$377.94via Reverb

Friedman IR-D recreates this amp's tone in pedal form

Blackstar Artisan 30 212 Combo 30W/2x12Zoll Class A

Blackstar

69% similarity
$1426.15via Reverb

Shared character: channel 2, power, two channels

Blackstar CV30

Blackstar

48% similarity
$789.74via Reverb

Shared character: two channels, wide range, crunch

Framus Ruby Riot

Framus

42% similarity
$1933.32via Reverb

Shared character: power, two channels, wide range

Similar charactersee all similar tone character →

Strymon Iridium

Strymon

72% similarity

Strymon Iridium recreates this amp's tone in pedal form

1959 Fender Tweed Deluxe

Fender

56% similarity

Shared character: fat, wide range, pick attack

Fuchs ODS Classic 25/50 Combo

Fuchs

50% similarity

Shared character: blues players, crunch, clean

Bad Cat Cub

Bad Cat

48% similarity

Shared character: tonal character, pick attack, compression

1958 Fender Twin 5F8-4

amplifier

46% similarity

Shared character: compression, clean, stage

Fender Blues Junior IV Red Snakeskin Texas

Fender

46% similarity

Shared character: tonal character, blues players, clean

See all alternatives to the Blackstar Artisan 30 HW (cheaper + boutique) →

Questions people ask

What are good alternatives to the Blackstar Artisan 30 HW?+

The closest matches in character are the Strymon Iridium, the 1959 Fender Tweed Deluxe, the Fuchs ODS Classic 25/50 Combo. Budget picks: Friedman IR-J Jake E. Lee Preamp, Soldano SLO, Friedman IR-D.

What pairs well with the Blackstar Artisan 30 HW?+

Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Browne Amplification Gritador, Marshall Guv'nor, Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz — Into a transparent tone, Browne Amplification Gritador brings a pull toward mid-forward that's missing.

How much does the Blackstar Artisan 30 HW cost?+

Around $2499.99 (live listing price, updated Oct 23, 2026).

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