Pricing and availability

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Average Price: $2,145

High-end/Boutique

$300

$801+

Price Tier

Budget

Standard

High-end

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Description

Discover the soul-stirring power of the Blackstar Artisan 100, a beacon in the realm of musical amplification. Crafted for the connoisseur, this amplifier marries hand-wired artistry with robust, earth-shaking power. Its meticulous design, powered by a harmonious blend of ECC83s and EL34s tubes, promises both purity of tone and the raw energy needed on stage or in the studio. With the Artisan 100, you're not just playing music; you're invoking the very essence of sound.

Key Features:

  • Hand-wired construction for unmatched tone and quality
  • Powered by a combination of ECC83 and EL34 tubes for a rich, dynamic sound
  • 100-watt output suitable for both studio recording and live performances
  • Two inputs and four channels, offering versatile tonal options
  • Ideal for musicians seeking both power and precision in their sound

Product specs

Brand Blackstar
Model Artisan 100 Handwired 100W Guitar Head
Finish Burgundy
Year 2008 - 2025
Categories Guitar Heads
Electronics Tube
Impedance 4 ohms
Number of Channels 2 Channels
Number of Inputs 4 Inputs
Output Power (Watts) 100
Power Tube Type EL34
Powered Unpowered
Reverb None

FAQs

What type of music is the Blackstar Artisan 100 best suited for?

The Blackstar Artisan 100 is versatile and excels in rock, blues, and metal genres, thanks to its powerful EL34 tube-driven output and dynamic response.

Does the Blackstar Artisan 100 take pedals well?

Yes, the Blackstar Artisan 100 is known for its excellent pedal compatibility, making it a great choice for guitarists who use a variety of effects pedals in their setup.

How loud is the Blackstar Artisan 100, and is it suitable for gigging?

With 100 watts of power, the Blackstar Artisan 100 is extremely loud and more than capable of handling live performances, even in larger venues.

What are the core tonal characteristics of the Blackstar Artisan 100?

The Blackstar Artisan 100 offers a rich, warm tone with plenty of clean headroom and a classic British overdrive, making it ideal for a wide range of musical styles.

Does the Blackstar Artisan 100 have built-in reverb?

No, the Blackstar Artisan 100 does not feature built-in reverb, allowing users to choose their preferred reverb effects through external pedals or processors.

How many channels does the Blackstar Artisan 100 have, and what are their functions?

The Blackstar Artisan 100 features two channels, providing options for both clean and overdriven tones, allowing for a versatile sound palette.

Guitar World

Guitar World

Blackstar Amplifiers Artisan 100

Video thumbnail for Blackstar Amplifiers Artisan 100 by Guitar World

Blackstar Amplifiers Artisan 100

Guitar World

Guitar World

Video thumbnail for Handwired BLACKSTAR NAILS both Fender TWIN and Marshall PLEXI! by Johan Segeborn

Handwired BLACKSTAR NAILS both Fender TWIN and Marshall PLEXI!

Johan Segeborn

Johan Segeborn

Video thumbnail for Blackstar Artisan 100 Video Test by Musicoff - Where Music Matters

Blackstar Artisan 100 Video Test

Musicoff - Where Music Matters

Musicoff - Where Music Matters

Video thumbnail for BlackStar Artisan100 100w Full Valve Guitar Amplifier Demo Gon - Jam by 스쿨뮤직 TV

BlackStar Artisan100 100w Full Valve Guitar Amplifier Demo Gon - Jam

스쿨뮤직 TV

스쿨뮤직 TV

Video thumbnail for Blackstar Artisan 100 by 스쿨뮤직 TV

Blackstar Artisan 100

스쿨뮤직 TV

스쿨뮤직 TV

Video thumbnail for PRS modern eagle Blackstar Artisan 100 by Kirk McKim

PRS modern eagle Blackstar Artisan 100

Kirk McKim

Kirk McKim

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Blackstar Artisan 100.

Setup and maintenance

  • Removing two power tubes requires rebiasing and adjusting the impedance selector to half of the output transformer’s requirement.

    Source

Features and functionality

  • Operating the amp with two tubes instead of four does not significantly reduce volume, only decreasing it by approximately 3 decibels.

    Source

User experience

  • Pulling two power tubes may lead to faster wear of the remaining tubes due to increased heat and potential bias issues.

    Source

Critic Reviews

Artisan 100 Review: Every once in a while I'll play some Hendrix or AC/DC,... | Blackstar | Guitar Amplifiers | Reviews @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

ultimate-guitar.com

The Blackstar Artisan 100 falls short for those seeking versatile tones, with its overly sharp, loud sound better suited for niche genres like AC/DC rather than classic rock, metal, or blues. The lack of modern features like an effects loop or footswitch highlights its old-school limitations. While it boasts durability and a unique voice control feature, its practicality is hindered by channel-switching inconveniences. For its price, there are more versatile and affordable options, making it a hard sell unless you're chasing a specific vintage vibe.

negative

5.0 out of 5

Based on 1 Review and 4 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
mattiasstynen

Greatest sounding clean amp i've ever heard.

Greatest sounding clean amp i've ever heard.

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Richie Sambora uses Blackstar Artisan 100

Richie Sambora

Singer, Guitarist

Bon Jovi

...
Verified via Photo

Richie Sambora is known to use the Blackstar Artisan 100 amplifier, as evidenced by a user-uploaded photo from Futurecdn.

See how Bob Mould uses Blackstar Artisan 100

Bob Mould

Singer, Guitarist

Hüsker Dü

...
Verified via Photo

Pictured here is Bob Mould's Blackstar 100, posted to ACL's website.

See how Miku Kobato uses Blackstar Artisan 100

Miku Kobato

Singer, Guitarist

Band-Maid

...
Verified via YouTube

At 1:44 in this video, a shot of her Blackstar Artistan.

See how Uli Jon Roth uses Blackstar Artisan 100

Uli Jon Roth

Guitarist

Scorpions

...
Verified via Guitarplayer

"Yes. I’m using the 100-watt Blackstar Artisan, the red hand-wired one. On the recording, I used that in conjunction with my old 100-watt Marshall Super Lead Tremolo, which I used for all the Scorpions and Electric Sun albums. The Blackstar is kind of modeled on that, although it sounds a little bit more modern, and it’s much more durable. The old Marshalls used to break a lot, whereas the Blackstars hardly ever give me any trouble. They do sound slightly different—the Marshall maybe sounds a little sweeter, but the Blackstar has much clearer low end. I’m using them together, and it’s a great combination."

See how Ihsahn uses Blackstar Artisan 100

Ihsahn

Singer, Guitarist

Emperor

...
Verified via Photo

"Apart from that, my main sound is from my Blackstar heads. I have the Series One 200, and I have the 100-watt Artisan head, which sounds like a vintage Plexi. They’re very low noise and have great clarity. My ideal guitar sound is not just a wall of distortion but rather one that you can still hear the attack of the strings, even with heavy gain. So I’ve found a combination of those two amps works well," says Ihsahn, in this interview with Guitar World.

See how Jared James Nichols uses Blackstar Artisan 100

Jared James Nichols

Guitarist

...
Verified via Guitarguitar

But what we did with this record is, I wanted to use higher wattage amps for more headroom, so I had a Blackstar Artisan 100, and then I also had a 69 Super Lead and I ran those two together, and Boy, All Mighty was that the sound? It was just so good.

See how Jona Weinhofen uses Blackstar Artisan 100

Jona Weinhofen

Guitarist

Bring Me The Horizon

...
Verified via Tumblr

Jona Weinhofen discusses using the Blackstar Artisan 100 amplifier on his official Tumblr FAQ page.

See how Mike Vennart uses Blackstar Artisan 100

Mike Vennart

Singer, Guitarist

Oceansize

...
Verified via YouTube

Mike can be seen playing through this head starting at 7 seconds into the video.

See how Dan O'Connor uses Blackstar Artisan 100

Dan O'Connor

Guitarist

Four Year Strong

...
Verified via Photo

in this post Dan shows of the blackstar artisan 100 head he bought

See how Pat Travers uses Blackstar Artisan 100

Pat Travers

Guitarist

...
Verified via Vintage Guitar® magazine

"Well, I prefer Blackstar’s Artisan Series. I have a 100-watt, a 30-watt, and a 15-watt. They’re basic – don’t have overdrive or anything. I have one of their preamp pedals for distortion and it gives me a really good sound. Nice and punchy – clean, but with great tube distortion from the pedal. The 15-watt 1×12 is one of Billy Gibbons’ favorite amps."

See how Ash Gray uses Blackstar Artisan 100

Ash Gray

Guitarist, Bassist

Brutality Will Prevail

...
Verified via GearGods

For Samsara I used a Jackson Demmel V 6 string equipped with Seymour Duncan JB and 59 pickups. Ran the guitars through various Blackstar amps such as HT Metal & Artisan. Pedals we tried a large amount, probably too many to remember, however Maxon OD808 and TC Sentry was used as a finishing touch to the HT Metal Distortion, Reverb used for my set up was a Digitech Polara, Chorus, MXR analog, and DL4 Line 6 Delay. I’m fairly sure the fuzz channel on Dukkha was through a classic Big Muff as well.

See how Ben Thomas (Venom Prison) uses Blackstar Artisan 100

Ben Thomas (Venom Prison)

Guitarist

Venom Prison

...
Verified via GearGods

For the recording of Samsara, I was over excited to use my Jackson RR pro series Flying V! My first guitar with a Floyd Rose! Could you tell by the number of dive bombs on the album? Ash and I both used mainly the Blackstar HT metal and the artisan for cleans. I also used my Charvel San Dimas for a few leads and cleans that needed that extra jangly strat sound. Pedals, we used so many. But the stars of the show for me where the walrus Julia chorus and my boss DD500

Album Usage

The Blackstar Artisan 100 has been featured on the following albums:

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Blackstar Artisan 100, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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1
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1
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Blackstar Artisan 30 30-Watt Combo Combo Guitar Amplifiers
1
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PRS Custom 22 Solid Body Electric Guitars
1
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Providence DLY-4 Chrono Delay Delay Effects Pedals
1
EMG 85 Active Alnico Humbucker
EMG 85 Active Alnico Humbucker Electric Guitar Pickups
1
Boss PH-2 Super Phaser
Boss PH-2 Super Phaser Phaser Effects Pedals
1

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