The Subdecay Blackstar w/ Girth is a high gain overdrive pedal from Subdecay, described by the maker as "the angry little brother of The Liquid Sunshine"1. It is a variant of the Liquid Sunshine overdrive, built on the same cascaded jFET circuit design but voiced for more muscle and depth. Subdecay's Brian Marshall described it as a "High gain overdrive with muscle and depth" that "makes your amp sound bigger without turning your tone in to a murky muddy mess"1.
The pedal is out of production. Subdecay's product page listed it as Out of Production as of November 2016, and it was hand made in Oregon1.
Power and connections
The Blackstar w/ Girth runs on a 9 volt battery or a regulated 9VDC to 18VDC adaptor with a negative center 2.1mm barrel style plug. Subdecay notes that a power supply is not included, so players need to provide their own. Current draw is less than 10mA, which is light enough for nearly any pedalboard power supply1.
Because the pedal accepts anything from 9VDC to 18VDC, it can run at a higher supply voltage if a player's power supply offers one. Subdecay does not state on the page what difference the higher voltage makes to the sound1.
The pedal takes a standard negative center 2.1mm barrel plug, but no power supply ships with it. Check that your adaptor is regulated and negative center before plugging in.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Girth | Adds cabinet resonance to your amplifier1 |
| Tone | Affects the entire frequency spectrum, not just high end; can be rolled back for a less aggressive sound1 |
The Girth knob is the feature that separates the With Girth version from the original Blackstar, adding cabinet resonance to the amp signal. The tone control is voiced broadly across the whole frequency spectrum rather than acting as a simple treble roll-off, and Subdecay notes it can be rolled back for a less aggressive sound1.
A variant of the Liquid Sunshine
The Blackstar w/ Girth shares its core circuit approach with the Liquid Sunshine: Subdecay states that "Like The Liquid Sunshine it uses a cascaded jFET design for graceful breakup"1. The With Girth version was redesigned relative to the original for improved low gain tones, less noise, and so that it "won't fuzz out when the gain is cranked"1.
The Liquid Sunshine itself was listed as Out of Production as of November 2016, and Subdecay later released a Liquid Sunshine MKIII, described by the maker as an updated version that "pays tribute to its roots with a remarkably similar character and better control," slightly more transparent than earlier versions at low gain settings, with more bite and more gain than the original at higher gain settings. The MKIII has also been discontinued21. Both the Liquid Sunshine and the Blackstar use die cast metal enclosures for durability13.
Videos
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Prymaxe
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Questions
Does the Subdecay Blackstar take a battery?
Yes. Subdecay's product page says the Blackstar w/ Girth is powered by a 9 volt battery or a regulated 9VDC to 18VDC adaptor with a negative center 2.1mm barrel style plug. A power supply is not included, so you will need to supply your own adaptor or battery. Current draw is less than 10mA, which is light enough for most pedalboard power supplies.
Is the Subdecay Blackstar w/ Girth still made?
No. Subdecay's product page lists the Blackstar w/ Girth as out of production, as of the November 2016 page. The related Liquid Sunshine was also listed out of production, and the Liquid Sunshine MKIII was later discontinued as well. Used units are the practical route for players who want one today.
Is the Subdecay Blackstar true bypass?
Yes. Subdecay states the Blackstar w/ Girth uses 3PDT switches for true bypass switching, so the pedal takes itself out of the signal path entirely when off. It is built in a die cast metal enclosure for durability.
What does the Girth knob do?
According to Subdecay, the Girth knob adds cabinet resonance to your amplifier, which is how the pedal earns its With Girth name. The tone control works alongside it, affecting the entire frequency spectrum rather than just the high end, and can be rolled back for a less aggressive sound.
Sources (3)
- Blackstar w/ Girth, Subdecay, 2016-11-05
- Liquid Sunshine MKIII Overdrive, Subdecay, 2024-11-27
- Liquid Sunshine, Subdecay, 2016-11-05
