Blackstar St. James 100 100-Watt Valve Amplifier Head with EL34 and 6L6 Power Valves
The St. James 100 is one of Blackstar's most ambitious projects, developed over several years and described by Blackstar as the world's lightest 100-watt valve head. The weight is the headline, but the power valve configuration is the more interesting part.
- Two power valve types on board: 2 x 6L6 and 2 x EL34, with a front-panel switch to run either pair in 50-watt mode or all four together for the full 100 watts.
- Cut selector: a three-position selector that fine-tunes the higher, harsher frequencies, from an aggressive extended high end to a warm, vintage sound.
- Four footswitchable channels: controlled by the included 6-way footswitch.
- Solo boost: adjustable from +2 dB to +6 dB, also on the footswitch.
- Reactive load and CabRig: Blackstar's IR based technology provides professional direct tones for live and recording work.
- Switchable effects loop: series or parallel.
- Valve complement: 3 x ECC83, 2 x EL34 and 2 x 6L6.
- Design that shows the valves: the new look showcases the internal valves.
Between the valve mix switch, the Cut selector and CabRig, this is a head that covers a lot of ground before a single pedal is added in front of it.
The Blackstar St. James 100 head is one of the company's most ambitious projects, painstakingly developed over several years and continuing the legacy of the St. James series. Blackstar describes it as the world's lightest 100-Watt valve head, blending traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology to keep the weight down without giving up the valve signal path.
Two power valve types, one amp
The St. James 100 comes equipped with two distinct power valve types, 2 x 6L6 and 2 x EL34. A front-panel switch lets you toggle between these power stages in 50-watt mode, or combine all four valves for the full 100-watt experience. That gives you either character on its own plus a blend of both, from a single chassis. The full valve complement is 3 x ECC83, 2 x EL34 and 2 x 6L6.
The Cut selector
For the first time, Blackstar has introduced a switchable Cut selector. This three-position selector allows you to fine-tune the amplifier's higher, harsher frequencies, so you can shape the overall sound from an aggressive, extended high end through to a warm, vintage voice. Because it works on the power amplifier side, it changes the character of the amp rather than acting as another treble control.
Direct sound and connectivity
A built-in reactive load and Blackstar's IR based CabRig technology provide professional direct tones for both live performances and recording sessions, so the head can go straight to a desk without a microphone or a cabinet. There is a switchable effects loop that runs in series or parallel, and an adjustable solo boost from +2 dB to +6 dB, controlled via the included 6-way footswitch. Four channels are footswitchable.
How it looks
The design aligns with the St. James lineup while introducing a fresh look that showcases the internal valves. Given how light the amp is, being able to see the valves settles any question about what is inside doing the work.