The Blackstar ST. James 100 Head is a Blackstar amplifier, currently around $1777.83. Close alternatives include the Mesa Boogie Lone Star Head and the Marshall Bluesbreaker. It pairs well with the Greer Mizuki blue and the Xotic BB Preamp.
Blackstar ST. James 100 Head
Blackstar · amplifier
The Blackstar St. James 100 is a two-channel EL34-powered tube guitar amplifier head combining American-voiced clean tones with British-voiced overdrive, designed as a lightweight handcrafted valve head with features including a sag control, effects loop, and reverb. Channel 1 delivers big, open clean tone with clear black-panel-influenced headroom; Channel 2 produces British crunch that leans toward Vox chime and articulation rather than Marshall darkness, making it unsuitable for saturated high gain but excellent for chimey, cutting rock and blues. Reviewers describe the EL34 version as combining world-class British crunch with US-sounding clean tones in a design notably lighter than comparable valve heads.
- crunch
- british
- american
- chimey
- clear
- articulate
- sag
- reverb
Good for
- Live
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Blackstar ST. James 100 Head is commonly used in
- Rock
- Alternative Rock
- Jazz
- Funk
- Classic Rock
- Blues
Pedals that stack with the Blackstar ST. James 100 Head
Greer Mizuki blue
Greer
26% matchInto Blackstar ST. James 100 Head, Greer Mizuki blue is right at home: it's built around Marshall-style amps
Xotic BB Preamp
Xotic
25% matchInto Blackstar ST. James 100 Head, Xotic BB Preamp is right at home: it's built around Marshall-style amps
Tone City Model B Distortion TC-T31
Tone City
25% matchThe transparent tone has headroom to spare — Tone City Model B Distortion TC-T31 gives it high gain to fill it with
Mooer Trelicopter
Mooer
19% matchMooer Trelicopter's own voicing points at Marshall-style amps, and Blackstar ST. James 100 Head delivers it
Seymour Duncan Vise Grip Compressor
Seymour Duncan
17% matchSeymour Duncan Vise Grip Compressor is voiced for Marshall-style amps — Blackstar ST. James 100 Head gives it exactly that
MXR Analog Delay
MXR
15% matchMXR Analog Delay's own voicing points at Marshall-style amps, and Blackstar ST. James 100 Head delivers it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Universal Audio Golden Reverberator
Universal Audio
15% matchInto Blackstar ST. James 100 Head, Universal Audio Golden Reverberator is right at home: it's built around Marshall-style amps — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Cry Baby Dunlop Cry Baby 535Q Multi-Wah
Cry Baby
tonal matchCry Baby Dunlop Cry Baby 535Q Multi-Wah is voiced for Marshall-style amps — Blackstar ST. James 100 Head gives it exactly that
Cheaper alternatives
Blackstar CV30
Blackstar
97% similaritysimilar tone character
Bad Cat Cougar 15
Bad Cat
97% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar HT Club 40
Blackstar
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar CV10 Carmen Vandenberg Signature 10-Watt 1x12"
Blackstar
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Traynor YGL1
Traynor
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar Artist 30
Blackstar
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
See all alternatives to the Blackstar ST. James 100 Head (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Blackstar ST. James 100 Head?+
The closest matches in character are the Mesa Boogie Lone Star Head, the Marshall Bluesbreaker, the Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Combo. Budget picks: Blackstar CV30, Bad Cat Cougar 15, Blackstar HT Club 40. Boutique upgrades: 3rd Power Kitchen Sink 6VEL, 3rd Power DRGN-100.
What pairs well with the Blackstar ST. James 100 Head?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Greer Mizuki blue, Xotic BB Preamp, Tone City Model B Distortion TC-T31 — Into Blackstar ST. James 100 Head, Greer Mizuki blue is right at home: it's built around Marshall-style amps.
How much does the Blackstar ST. James 100 Head cost?+
Around $1777.83 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).