We're pleased to offer official Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) captures in partnership with TONE3000.
Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi switched to the Artisan 100 in 2012, making it a cornerstone of his rig alongside his legendary Marshall and Mesa collection. Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü and Sugar called it "the best amp I've ever played," using two Blackstar half-stacks alongside a Hiwatt to build his signature walls of layered guitar on albums like Beauty & Ruin. Uli Jon Roth, the Scorpions' original guitarist, runs the Artisan 100 alongside his vintage Marshall Super Lead Tremolo, noting that while the Marshall may sound slightly sweeter, the Blackstar delivers much clearer low end and far greater reliability on the road. The Artisan 100 has also found its way into the rigs of Ace (Skunk Anansie) and players across the alternative, hard rock, and blues spectrum.
What sets the Artisan 100 apart from other 100-watt heads is its 4-way Voice control, which Blackstar describes as a timeline chronicling the evolution of the electric guitar amplifier. The four positions move from the full-bodied cleans of classic American designs (think Bassman and Twin territory) through to the aggressive crunch of '60s and '70s British amps (early and later Plexi voicings). Each position simultaneously adjusts the preamplifier voicing and power amplifier damping, giving you four fundamentally different tonal characters from a single channel. Paired with a dual-channel layout, hi and lo inputs for channel blending, a 3-band EQ, and a presence control, this simple interface opens up a massive range of sounds.
Under the hood, four EL34 power tubes deliver 100 watts of Class A/B power through a custom output transformer, with gargantuan headroom that stays articulate even at stage volume. Channel 1 captures the essence of a "ready-jumpered" Plexi: balanced, punchy, and never shrill, with all the high-end detail intact even at searing levels. Channel 2 provides full-bodied American cleans that respond with stunning clarity to every nuance of your playing. Blend the two channels together through the hi/lo inputs and you unlock even more tonal territory.
Like the rest of the Artisan series, the 100 is point-to-point hand-wired on turret boards, with a welded steel chassis, finger-jointed birch ply cabinet, and vintage red Tolex. No effects loop, no reverb, no master volume. It's a purist's amp that doubles as a world-class pedal platform. Every classic rock guitar sound you could want is inside this chassis. Plug in, turn up, and stand back
