Blackstar St. James 50W EL34 Tube Amplifier Combo
Blackstar St. James 50 EL34 — 50-Watt Valve Combo
One of the world's lightest 50-watt all-valve combos.
The St. James 50 EL34 answers a question every gigging guitarist has asked: why do great tube amps have to be so heavy? At roughly 28 pounds, this 50-watt EL34 combo is one of the lightest full-power valve amps ever built — yet it delivers the quintessential British crunch and the glassy, chiming cleans you expect from a classic all-valve amp. It is the tube amp you will actually want to carry to the gig.
Featherweight by design.
Blackstar spent more than three years engineering the St. James around modern SMPS (switched-mode) power-supply technology and a lightweight candlenut-plywood cabinet, shedding pounds everywhere without sacrificing tone or feel. Working with Celestion, they developed the exclusive 1 x 12" G12Z-70 "Zephyr" lightweight ferrite speaker, which captures the rich sound and response of the iconic Vintage 30 at a fraction of the weight.
Real valve tone, studio-ready.
- 2 x EL34 power section: classic British power-valve grind and touch response, with two footswitchable channels plus a Channel II boost.
- Power reduction: switch from 50W down to 2W, or engage Sag for a softer, more compressed power-amp response at any volume.
- Built-in inductive load: run the valves flat out with no speaker connected for silent recording and late-night practice.
- CabRig & direct outputs: Blackstar's advanced DSP speaker simulator with USB audio and a balanced XLR D.I. for recording and front-of-house.
Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Power | 50W, reducible to 2W, plus Sag |
| Preamp Valves | 2 x ECC83 |
| Power Valves | 2 x EL34 |
| Channels | 2, footswitchable, with Channel II boost |
| Speaker | 1 x 12" Celestion G12Z-70 "Zephyr", 16 ohm |
| Reverb | Digital |
| Speaker Simulation | CabRig advanced DSP |
| Outputs | USB audio, XLR D.I., effects loop |
| Cabinet | Lightweight candlenut plywood |
| Weight | 12.8 kg (28.2 lbs) |
| Included | Foot controller |
Who It's For:
- Gigging players who are tired of hauling a back-breaking tube combo to every show.
- Tone purists who want a real EL34 power section and refuse to compromise on feel.
- Recording guitarists who need CabRig, USB, and XLR D.I. to run straight to the desk.
Ready for a 50-watt tube amp your back will thank you for? Come to Marich Music in Corning to pick one up and hear the Zephyr speaker for yourself. In stock now.