The Big Review: Blackstar Amped 3 – Has Blackstar finally hit amp pedal perfection?

Blackstar doesn’t let up. If there’s a group of designers that deserve to take a break and bask in their success for just a little while, it’s the fine folks from Department 10 in the British amp company’s Northampton headquarters. Because just when you think they’ll finally take their feet off the gas, place them up on the couch, and spend some time in front of the telly watching re-runs of Frasier and Judge Judy, the tireless Blackstar team has come storming back with the third iteration of the acclaimed Amped pedal amp series that began with Amped 1 in late 2022.

• READ MORE: Blackstar Amped 2 review: has Blackstar finally given guitarists the perfect all-in-one rig solution?

Visually, the Amped 3 is a stunning piece of equipment. The sleek-yet-strong casing retains the build quality of its predecessors, but looks even more elegant and stylish in a deep black finish. The switches and knobs are all of the same stellar quality we have come to expect, and the connectivity options are still plentiful.

Visually, the Amped 3 is a stunning piece of equipment. The sleek-yet-strong casing retains the build quality of its predecessors, but looks even more elegant and stylish in a deep black finish. The switches and knobs are all of the same stellar quality we have come to expect, and the connectivity options are still plentiful.

Blackstar has somehow also managed to cram in some incredible new features. “But Guitar.com, how could they possibly add more to what was already a feature-packed Amped 2?” we hear you cry. Well, the truth is, the Amped 3 is a bit of a ‘Blackstar giveth, and Blackstar taketh away’ type of situation. But the giveth part of the deal is significant.

Gone are the onboard modulation and delay effects. Gone is the small screen display and with it, the built-in guitar tuner. And gone is the ‘USA / UK / Classic’ amp voicing switch. At first glance, it’s understandable for some to feel the Amped series has taken a bit of a backward step. However, we feel this is more of a pivot and a step toward a new direction towards greater gain possibilities without external drive pedals via three channels with two voice options for each one.

With the welcome addition of a Crunch channel, an additional Overdrive channel, and simplified reverb controls, Blackstar has focused its efforts on giving players the tools to achieve their perfect amp tone. The documentation even urges players to “dial in the sound in your head” before doing so on the pedal, almost daring us to take on the impossible challenge of coming up with something the Amped 3 cannot replicate. The addition of the patented ISF knob allows you to move between a UK or a USA-style amp voicing, or even a blend of the two which opens yet another trove of tonal possibilities. The package means the Amped 3 sounds nothing short of incredible at times.

Amidst all the focus on improving the amp channel options, some may feel Blackstar overlooked the importance of effects. The ability to power additional pedals is back again via two 9V outputs, but again it is still limited to a maximum 500mA output. Having this feature is still a godsend but with the removal of the onboard effects, some may feel the portability element of the Amped 3 is somewhat hampered by the fact players must now buy and carry their own delay, modulation and tuner pedals compared to the Amped 2.

Despite the sacrifice in that area, Blackstar managing to cram so much into such a reasonably-sized box is still a feat that deserves high praise. The improved tonal options and the sheer versatility place the Amped 3 just above the previous incarnations, making this the go-to pedal amp choice in Blackstar’s acclaimed Amped series.

Key features

• PRICE: £499
• DESCRIPTION: 100W multi-channel digital amp pedal with Class D power amp
• POWER RATING: 100W / 20W / 1W power modes
• CONTROLS: Gain, Volume, Pre/Post Boost level, Dark/Light Reverb, Presence, Master, Bass, Middle, Treble, ISF, Power Amp Response selector, Power mode selector, Warm/Bright voice switch (Clean channel), Crunch / Super Crunch switch (Crunch Channel), OD1 / OD2 switch (Overdrive channel), Boost switch.
• FEATURES: Three footswitchable channels (Clean, Crunch, Overdrive) with two voicings each, USB connectivity for recording with three onboard CabRig presets (editable via Blackstar’s free Architect software) also accessible via XLR mono DI, onboard user presets, switchable power valve responses (EL84, EL34, 6L6), onboard reverb (type editable via Architect software), effects loop (with series or parallel options). 8 and 16 Ohm speaker output), 2x 9V DC power outputs (max 500mA)
• POWER: 100V to 240V voltage, 50/60Hz
• DIMENSIONS: Dimensions 288 (w) x 149 (H) x 80 mm (D)
• CONTACT: Blackstar Amplification

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