GEAR 2021: Blackstar has dressed its Studio 10 6L6 combo in a some fresh-for-2021 Surf Green tolex, with a basketweave grille cloth, tan handle, cream chicken-head knobs and white piping completing a very smart new look.
We are big fans of the Studio 10 6L6 combo, so it is reassuring to know that underneath it this Surf Green special edition still the same guitar amplifier – a fancy pants tone machine at a more than reasonable price.
A Class A tube combo with 10-watts of power, the Studio 10 6L6 is ostensibly a single-channel affair, with a simple control panel that features controls for Gain, Tone, Reverb and a Master Volume, with a button for activating a drive function that's based on Blackstar's HT-Overdrive.
That the drive function exists and is footswitchable can give you the illusion of a two-channel setup.
- NAMM 2021 is cancelled, but we'll be covering all the big January gear announcements right here on MusicRadar.
It has an effects loop, mono emulated output for sending your signal direct when recording, and a Celestion Seventy-80 12-inch speaker.
Ultimately, simplicity is a big part of the Studio 10 6L6's appeal. At 10-watts, it is manageable for the home or the studio but the speaker projects enough volume for it to handle small gigs. And those tones are quite something, the 6L6 output valve and ECC83-driven preamp conspiring to give it a Transatlantic twang.
The included footswitch turns the Drive function on and off but there is an optional two-button version that turns the reverb on and off.
Priced £599 / $599 and is available now. See Blackstar for more details.
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