Review: Blackstar Fly 3 Acoustic Stereo Pack

Released in the twilight of 2014, Blackstar’s original Fly 3 was the exception to the rule that all battery-powered micro-amps sound like punch-drunk wasps. With the addition of the Fly 3 Acoustic, the line now caters for singer-songwriters and fingerstyle players too, as well as ukuleles and mandolins.

The Fly 3 Acoustic Stereo Pack is made up of a tiny solid-state amp with an equally bijou extension cabinet, both of which are equipped with three-inch speakers. Plugging in the cab doubles the output to a stonking six watts, sculpted by volume, bass, treble and echo knobs. There are two preset EQs available via the shape button, plus a headphone-out and an MP3/line-in.

In use

Assembling the frankly adorable stereo set-up on our desk and plugging in a guitar equipped with a K&K transducer, we’re greeted with an impressively capable sound for open-chord work. The tiny speakers even handle drop tunings as far as DADGAD with a lively and engaging response. As a bit of extra oomph with onboard ambience under the acoustic sound, it could make intimate ‘unplugged’ gigs a lot more fun.

Nylon-string guitars, ukuleles and charangos all work beautifully and the EQ, although basic, makes a difference. The shape button is a welcome touch too. The only thing that proves too much for the drivers is the double bass on a backing track, but that’s a common complaint with amps many times this size. While it won’t replace your main rig, the Fly 3 Acoustic is a nice addition for home use and Lilliputian venues.

Key Features

• PRICE £99
• DESCRIPTION Miniature solid-state acoustic amp with internal 3” speaker and extension cab
• POWER RATING 3W (doubled with cab)
• CONTROLS Volume, shape, bass, treble, echo level, echo time
• CONNECTIONS MP3/line-in, headphone/speaker emulated line-out, extension speaker-out, DC-in
• POWER 6x AA batteries (included) or mains
• DIMENSIONS 170 x 128 x 102mm
• CONTACT blackstaramps.com

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