The Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head is a Blackstar amplifier, currently around $896.37. Close alternatives include the Blackstar HT20R MkII and the Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Combo. It pairs well with the Tone City Model B Distortion TC-T31 and the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion.
Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head
Blackstar · amplifier
The Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head is the head version of the St. James 50 6L6 all-tube amplifier, weighing approximately 13 pounds using a patent-pending switched-mode power supply instead of a conventional heavy mains transformer. Fifty watts from 6L6 output tubes powers two channels: a high-headroom American-voiced clean with warm, mid-scooped character and a modern high-gain overdrive with a voice switch that reshapes midrange from full-throated lead tones to a scooped rhythm voicing. Power scaling switches between 50W, 2W, and SAG mode for vintage compression feel at low volumes. The head format lets players pair it with their choice of speaker cabinet, maximizing tonal flexibility at unusually low weight for an all-tube 50-watt head.
- american
- mid
- sag
- compression
- clean
- warmth
- modern
- bass
Good for
- Live
- Studio
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head is commonly used in
- Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Country
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head
Tone City Model B Distortion TC-T31
Tone City
24% matchFeed a scooped signal into Tone City Model B Distortion TC-T31 and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion
Boss
22% matchStack Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion on top and a scooped tone tightens toward mid-forward
Walrus Audio Voyager Mk II
Walrus Audio
22% matchStack Walrus Audio Voyager Mk II on top and a scooped tone tightens toward mid-forward
Maestro Orbit
Maestro
16% matchMaestro Orbit's modulated voice goes after Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head's own mid-forward character
Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Micro
Pigtronix
12% matchPigtronix Philosopher's Tone Micro leans toward sustaining, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Death By Audio Reverberation Machine
Death By Audio
8% matchPut Death By Audio Reverberation Machine in Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head's effects loop, clear of Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Alexander Pedals Marshmallow
Alexander Pedals
7% matchThe Marshmallow's pitch-shifted, expressive reverb belongs in the St. James's effects loop, after the amp's own compressed, sagging clean channel does its work. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
DOD YJM308 Preamp Overdrive
Dod
tonal matchDOD YJM308 Preamp Overdrive is voiced for a clean amp's front end — Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head gives it exactly that
Boutique & premium upgrades
3rd Power DRGN-100
3rd Power
96% similaritysimilar tone character
3rd Power Dragon 45 112 Combo
3rd Power
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar ST. James 100 Head
Blackstar
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Orange OR30 Head
Orange
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Blackstar HT20R MkII
Blackstar
60% similarityShared character: overdrive_channel, tonal_possibilities, power
Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Combo
Blackstar
99% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar St. James 50 EL34H Fawn
Blackstar
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Blackstar CV30
Blackstar
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Orange TH30
Orange
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Milkman Sound Tres Leches
Milkman Sound
95% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head?+
The closest matches in character are the Blackstar HT20R MkII, the Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Combo, the Blackstar St. James 50 EL34H Fawn. Boutique upgrades: 3rd Power DRGN-100, 3rd Power Dragon 45 112 Combo, Blackstar ST. James 100 Head.
What pairs well with the Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Tone City Model B Distortion TC-T31, Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion, Walrus Audio Voyager Mk II — Feed a scooped signal into Tone City Model B Distortion TC-T31 and it comes out closer to mid-forward.
How much does the Blackstar St. James 50 6L6 Head cost?+
Around $896.37 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).