Blackstar ID:Core V3 Stereo 40 Combo

first play
17
MAY 2021 GUITARIST
L
ike rust, technology never sleeps
and if you don’t keep moving
forwards you end up getting left
behind. Happily, that’s not something
you could say about Blackstar, where a
continuous program of improvement
seems to come up with something new and
innovative almost every week. This time
round, it’s the turn of Blackstar’s popular
ID:Core entry-level practice combos to
get the upgrade treatment, along with a
similar refresh for the Insider software
app that partners them. So, let’s take a look
at the biggest of the new three-amp mini
range, the ID:Core V3 Stereo 40 combo.
Like all Blackstar amps, the ID:Core V3
Stereo 40 has a smart, purposeful vibe,
covered in decent quality black vinyl over
a robust MDF cabinet, with a recessed
grip handle on the back. Behind the classy
black and silver grille cloth sit two 6.5-inch
full-range Blackstar loudspeakers, while
the electronics live on a printed circuit
Words Nick Guppy Photography Olly Curtis
Blackstar’s upgraded entry-level practice
amp delivers great tone and much more for
what, in anyone’s book, is a serious steal
Practically
Packed
BLACKSTAR ID:CORE V3
STEREO 40 COMBO
£185
WHAT IS IT? The latest upgrade
of Blackstar’s compact and
affordable entry-level digital
amps, with improved voicings,
effects and the all-new
Architect software
BLACKSTAR ID:CORE V3
GIT471.rev_blackstar.indd 17 13/03/2021 10:05