The Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head is a Blackstar amplifier. Close alternatives include the Fender Rumble 800 and the Aguilar AG 500 V2. It pairs well with the Catalinbread SFT and the Colorsound Overdriver.
Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head
Blackstar · amplifier
The Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head is a 700-watt solid-state bass amplifier head, the highest-output model in the Unity Bass series, designed for professional stage use with external speaker cabinets. The Unity platform's three preamp voicings — flat, modern, and classic — deliver tonal character from clean through Bassman and SVT-adjacent sounds. Semi-parametric mid and three-band EQ provide detailed frequency management. A drive control blends overdrive, distortion, or fuzz into the clean signal. A response control simulates valve-stage dynamics in the solid-state power section. At 700 watts the head drives large and demanding cabinet configurations for the biggest stage applications in the Unity range.
What stands out
“Semi-parametric mid EQ provides precise room-correction control”
— from the reviews
“designed for professional stage use with external speaker cabinets”
— from the listing
“s three preamp voicings”
— from the listing
“The full 700-watt power rating provides ample headroom for the largest stage configurations”
— from the community notes
“A drive control blends overdrive, distortion, or fuzz into the clean signal”
— from the listing
- mid
- stage
- platform
- headroom
- clean
- grit
- transparent
Good for
- Live
Genres the Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head is commonly used in
- Jazz
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Gospel
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 Unity Bass 700 Head
Catalinbread SFT
Catalinbread
26% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → warm)
Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head leans into a clean amp's front end, precisely the platform Catalinbread SFT wants
Goes in front of the amp
Colorsound Overdriver
pedal
24% matchgain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → fuzzy)
Put Colorsound Overdriver in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward fuzzy
Goes in front of the amp
Friedman BE-OD
Friedman
23% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → smooth)
Friedman BE-OD is voiced for a clean amp's front end — Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head gives it exactly that
Goes in front of the amp
JHS Tidewater Tremolo
JHS Pedals
12% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep JHS Tidewater Tremolo after Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head in the signal chain, clear of Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head's own gain stage
Goes in front of the amp
Ashdown Velvet Compressor
Ashdown
9% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → smooth)
Ashdown Velvet Compressor leans toward compressed, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Goes in front of the amp
Suhr Discovery
Suhr
9% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Suhr Discovery's warm voice goes in Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head's effects loop — it's not there to compete with Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head's own mid-forward character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy Analog Delay
Electro-Harmonix
8% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (fuzzy → modulated)
Keep Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head's mid-forward voice out front: Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy Analog Delay goes in Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head's effects loop so its analog warmth voice doesn't muddy it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes
Electro-Harmonix
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes is voiced for a clean amp's front end — Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head gives it exactly that
Alternatives
Fender Rumble 800
Fender
49% similarityShared character: grit, solid state, headroom
Aguilar AG 500 V2
Aguilar
44% similarityShared character: jazz, solid state, headroom
Mesa Boogie Subway D-800
Mesa Boogie
44% similarityShared character: solid state, headroom, stage
Peavey MiniMAX 500W Lightweight Bass Head
Peavey
43% similarityShared character: tonal possibilities, solid state
Aguilar Tone Hammer 350 LTD Chocolate Brown
Aguilar
42% similarityShared character: jazz, solid state, headroom
Blackstar 700H
Blackstar
94% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head?+
The closest matches in character are the Fender Rumble 800, the Aguilar AG 500 V2, the Mesa Boogie Subway D-800.
What pairs well with the Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Catalinbread SFT, Colorsound Overdriver, Friedman BE-OD — Blackstar Unity Bass 700 Head leans into a clean amp's front end, precisely the platform Catalinbread SFT wants.