The Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost is a Blackstar overdrive pedal, currently around $117.41. Close alternatives include the 67Audio Harry Balz and the Colorsound Power Boost. It pairs well with the Marshall Bluesbreaker and the Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head.
Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost
Blackstar · pedal
The Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost is a tube-driven clean boost pedal based on a Class A valve gain stage with passive James-Baxandall-style EQ providing up to 25dB of boost. The center Baxandall position delivers uncolored clean boost; adjusting the control applies shelf boosts or cuts in both bass and treble simultaneously. Used to push other pedals harder, as a clean level boost for soloing, or to drive a tube amp input into natural saturation. The valve gain stage adds gentle harmonic saturation as it approaches the gain limit, distinguishing it from solid-state boost alternatives.
- boost
- stage
- eq
- tube
- clean boost
- gain
- valve
- treble
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost is commonly used in
- Alternative Rock
- Rock
- Country
- Blues
- Indie Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost
Marshall Bluesbreaker
Marshall
32% matchInto the Bluesbreaker's round, natural tube breakup, the Dept. 10's tube-driven clean boost has real headroom to open up.
Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head
amplifier
32% matchThe JTM45's warm, classic British clean tone gives the Dept. 10's tube-driven clean boost a genuinely vintage amp voice to push into.
Pignose 7-100
amplifier
25% matchFeed a crunchy signal into Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost and it comes out closer to clean boost
Ampeg SFT Ampeg Inspired Overdrive
Ampeg
24% matchThe Dept. 10's clean tube boost pushes the SFT's warm, stoner-voiced saturation into real stage gain.
Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 Bass Amp 30th
Aguilar
23% matchThe Dept. 10's clean, tube-driven boost pushes the Tone Hammer 500's warm, jazz-voiced midrange into real gain.
Orange AD200B 200W Bass Head
Orange
23% matchRun Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost after it and the warm edge settles into something more bright
Orange Little Bass Thing
Orange
21% matchBlackstar Dept. 10 Boost leans bright right where the warm tone needs it
Magnatone Lil Viper
Magnatone
20% matchBlackstar Dept. 10 Boost's bright balances out the warm tone
See all 14 amps that pair with the Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost →
Pedals that stack with the Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost
Beetronics Overhive
Beetronics
29% matchStack the Dept. 10's tube-driven clean boost with the Overhive's own transparent, medium-gain drive and it opens up without losing its classic-rock color.
Soldano SLO
Soldano
29% matchPush the SLO's tight, articulate preamp gain with the Dept. 10's own tube-driven clean boost and it opens up without losing focus.
MXR Phase 90
MXR
26% matchPut the Phase 90 after the Dept. 10's tube boost and its classic sweep rides on top of the gain instead of getting buried.
Vox Valvenergy Silk Drive
Vox
22% matchThe Silk Drive's smooth, scooped tube character shapes the signal before it ever reaches the Dept. 10's own clean boost.
Dawner Prince Boonar
Dawner Prince
17% matchRun the Boonar's vintage studio delay after the Dept. 10's tube-driven clean boost and the repeats trail off real saturation. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Alexander Pedals Now We Are Ghosts Reverb
Alexander Pedals
15% matchBoost first with the Dept. 10's tube saturation, then let Now We Are Ghosts' gated ambient swells trail behind it. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Beetronics OV-LE-Uva
Beetronics
tonal matchBlackstar Dept. 10 Boost leans into a clean amp's front end, precisely the platform Beetronics OV-LE-Uva wants
Fender Hammertone Overdrive
Fender
tonal matchInto Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost, Fender Hammertone Overdrive is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end
Cheaper alternatives
Boutique & premium upgrades
JHS Clover
JHS Pedals
73% similarityShared character: pedal, overdrive_pedals, volume
Xotic BB Preamp Andy Timmons Limited Edition Pedal
Xotic
73% similarityShared character: pedal, tube_driven_signal_path, boost
Xotic BB Preamp V1.5
Xotic
71% similarityShared character: boost, treble, stage
Airis Effects -Nemesis Preamp
Airis Effects
71% similarityShared character: pedal, boost, treble
JHS Colour Box V2
JHS Pedals
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Analog Man King of Tone
Analog Man
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
67Audio Harry Balz
67audio
73% similarityShared character: pedal, volume, boost
Colorsound Power Boost
Colorsound
71% similarityShared character: volume, boost, treble
Dunlop MXR Timmy Overdrive, sold as Dunlop CSP027
Dunlop
71% similarityShared character: boost, treble, subtle
Blackstar HT-Boost
Blackstar
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Behringer PB100 Preamp Booster
Behringer
95% similaritysimilar tone character
JHS Overdrive/Preamp
JHS Pedals
95% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost?+
The closest matches in character are the 67Audio Harry Balz, the Colorsound Power Boost, the Dunlop MXR Timmy Overdrive, sold as Dunlop CSP027. Budget picks: 67Audio Libido, Fender Engager Boost. Boutique upgrades: JHS Clover, Xotic BB Preamp Andy Timmons Limited Edition Pedal, Xotic BB Preamp V1.5.
What pairs well with the Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Marshall Bluesbreaker, Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head, Pignose 7-100 — Into the Bluesbreaker's round, natural tube breakup, the Dept. 10's tube-driven clean boost has real headroom to open up..
How much does the Blackstar Dept. 10 Boost cost?+
Around $117.41 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).