“We’re taking guitar amps to where they should be in the 21st century”: Inside the incredible rise of Blackstar Amplification, from vintage-inspired beginnings to cutting-edge digital tech and the world's lightest tube amp

The new amps come in both combo and head formats. The latter, pictured here, is compact and subtly retro in style.

Since being founded 17 years ago in the English town of Northampton, Blackstar has gone on to become one of the most fiercely innovative amplification companies in the music trade.

The company manufactures a whole range of products that cater for just about every need, from the kind of practice units touring musicians use in backstage dressing rooms to high-performance metal machines. You’ll find their logo in living rooms, bedrooms and stages of every kind, and with good reason.