The Blackstar Artisan 30 HW is a Blackstar amplifier, currently around $2499.99. Close alternatives include the Friedman Dirty Shirley and the Marshall 1959HW Hand Wired. It pairs well with the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2 and the Analog Man King of Tone.
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.
- fat
- boutique
- drive
- clean
- blues
- crunch
- compression
- country
Good for
- Live
- Studio
- Worship
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Blackstar Artisan 30 HW is commonly used in
- Blues
- Rock
- Country
- Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Blackstar Artisan 30 HW
Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2
Catalinbread
23% matchCatalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2 is voiced for Marshall-style amps — Blackstar Artisan 30 HW gives it exactly that
Analog Man King of Tone
Analog Man
23% matchThe King of Tone's transparent boost stacks with the Artisan 30 HW's own fat, boutique blues drive for a richer push.
Xotic BB Preamp
Xotic
23% matchXotic BB Preamp pushes a crunchy tone toward clean boost
Death By Audio Moonbeam
Death By Audio
18% matchDeath By Audio Moonbeam is voiced for Marshall-style amps — Blackstar Artisan 30 HW gives it exactly that
Jackson Audio Bloom MIDI V2
Jackson Audio
18% matchJackson Audio Bloom MIDI V2 is voiced for Marshall-style amps — Blackstar Artisan 30 HW gives it exactly that
Meris LVX Delay
Meris
17% matchInto Blackstar Artisan 30 HW, Meris LVX Delay is right at home: it's built around Marshall-style amps — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Source Audio Nemesis
Source Audio
17% matchInto Blackstar Artisan 30 HW, Source Audio Nemesis is right at home: it's built around Marshall-style amps — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
MXR double-double overdrive
MXR
tonal matchMXR double-double overdrive is voiced for Marshall-style amps — Blackstar Artisan 30 HW gives it exactly that
Cheaper alternatives
Blackstar Artisan 30 212 Combo 30W/2x12Zoll Class A
Blackstar
65% similarityShared character: channel_2, power, amp
Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII
Blackstar
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar HT Club 50 MKII
Blackstar
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar Artist 30
Blackstar
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Bad Cat Pre-Sale! Hot Cat Head
Bad Cat
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Bogner Ecstasy 3534
Bogner
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Friedman Dirty Shirley
Friedman
63% similarityShared character: fat, crunch, vintage_charm
Marshall 1959HW Hand Wired
Marshall
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Marshall Bluesbreaker
Marshall
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Suhr Bella 44-watt Tube Amplifier Head
Suhr
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Bogner Barcelona
Bogner
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Combo
Blackstar
94% similaritysimilar tone character
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 Friedman Dirty Shirley, the Marshall 1959HW Hand Wired, the Marshall Bluesbreaker. Budget picks: Blackstar Artisan 30 212 Combo 30W/2x12Zoll Class A, Blackstar HT Stage 60 MKII, Blackstar HT Club 50 MKII. Boutique upgrades: Marshall 1959JMH-U Handwired 1959 100w Limited Edition.
What pairs well with the Blackstar Artisan 30 HW?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2, Analog Man King of Tone, Xotic BB Preamp — Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2 is voiced for Marshall-style amps — Blackstar Artisan 30 HW gives it exactly that.
How much does the Blackstar Artisan 30 HW cost?+
Around $2499.99 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).