Blackstar St. James 50 EL34 1 x 12-inch 50-Watt Tube Combo Amp
The St. James 50 is Blackstar's lightest and most innovative valve combo, built for players who have to carry the amp themselves. The cabinet is candlenut plywood, which cuts the weight significantly while keeping the look and feel of a boutique amplifier, and this version runs EL34 valves.
- 50 watts, 1 x 12-inch: a valve combo aimed at both studio and stage.
- Candlenut plywood cabinet: substantially lighter without losing the boutique look and feel.
- Celestion G12Z-70 Zephyr speaker: a single 12-inch driver chosen for this amp.
- Two channels: from glassy cleans to vintage crunch and gut-punching grind.
- Channel and voicing switches: on the front panel, with a footswitch input on the rear.
- Footswitch included: for changing channels from the floor.
- Cab Rig Output: three cab simulation options with balanced XLR, line out or phones, plus USB to a computer.
- Power reduction: 50-watt, 2-watt and Sag modes, the last giving a softer, more vintage response.
Everyone from jazz box players to eight-string sweepers finds something in the St. James 1 x 12-inch 50-watt valve combo. It is Blackstar's lightest and most innovative valve combo, tailor-made for studio and stage musicians who want one box that covers DI recording through to live performance.
Why it is light
St. James combos are built from candlenut plywood. That single decision reduces the weight significantly while maintaining the look and feel of a boutique amplifier, and it is the reason a 50-watt valve 1 x 12-inch is a realistic amp to carry to a gig on your own. Inside, a single Celestion G12Z-70 Zephyr speaker delivers the amp's voice.
Two channels of wide-ranging tone
Blackstar set out to make the St. James series their most versatile and portable amps to date without cutting corners on tone. The two channels run from glassy cleans to vintage crunch and on to gut-punching grind. Channel and voicing selector switches sit on the front for quick changes, and a footswitch input on the back works with the included external pedal so you can swap channels while playing.
Cab simulation and power reduction built in
Rather than making you buy additional cabinets and an attenuator, Blackstar built both into the amp. The Cab Rig Output gives three different cab simulation options and a choice of balanced XLR or line out and phones output, so the amp runs straight to an interface or a mixer, with USB available for connecting to a computer. No cabinet is required. Power reduction offers 50-watt, 2-watt and Sag operation, the last of which gives a softer, more vintage response.
The short version
A boutique-feeling valve combo you can lift, with a direct output good enough to record through and a power switch that makes 50 watts usable in a small room.