The VS Audio BlackBird is an amp-in-a-box overdrive pedal that packs two vintage Fender amplifier voicings into one box: a Blackface '65 tone and a Brownface '63 tone, selected with a toggle switch12. Announced on 25 May 2021, it was built for players who want the musical drive of brown-panel and black-panel Fender amps without hauling an amp13. Everything in the audio path is analog2.
A Blackface and Brownface Fender amp in a pedal
Guitar.com described the BlackBird as "a pedal that aims to recreate the overdrive sound of both vintage brown-panel and black-panel Fender amplifiers"4. The two voicings are what give the pedal its name and its shape: the Blackface '65 setting leans on the tighter, scooped character of the mid-1960s black-panel amps, while the Brownface '63 setting reaches for the earlier brown-panel amps' warmer, more compressed drive12.
Delicious Audio's reviewer found the pedal covers a wide gain range within those voicings5:
"It nails in an unbelievable way black & brownface tones, from almost clean & light to quite gainy overdrive with natural compression."
The pedal also has high impedance inputs, so it behaves consistently with a range of guitars1, and VS Audio recommends experimenting with where it sits on the pedalboard, since its position can change the response of other drive pedals in the chain2.
The controls
The front panel keeps things simple: three knobs and two toggles.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the output level3 |
| Drive | Sets the amount of overdrive3 |
| Tone | Shapes the overall brightness3 |
| Era toggle | Assigns the Brownface/Blackface character5 |
| Gain toggle | Selects a lo-gain or high-gain option5 |
MusicRadar described the second toggle as selecting "between two stages of compression and gain"2, which pairs with the Era switch to give four basic voices before you touch a knob. Delicious Audio also highlighted a "powerful tone-shaping Post-Drive EQ" in the circuit, meaning the Tone control works on the signal after the drive stage rather than before it5.
Power: 9V or 18V
The BlackBird runs on a center-negative 9V or 18V DC supply45. MusicRadar notes the higher voltage option exists "for more headroom"2, which suits players who want cleaner headroom at louder volumes or who use the pedal as a light-gain platform. There is no battery option in the published specifications.
The BlackBird Deluxe
In July 2022 VS Audio expanded the Blackbird into the BlackBird Deluxe Preamp, adding a bias tremolo and several other features6. Premier Guitar reported that the Deluxe "has the same medium gain as the original BlackBird with natural compression and dynamic touch sensitive character"7, so the core voice carries over.
What the Deluxe adds:
- A VIBRATO stage with Intensity and Speed controls, alongside the Volume, Drive and Tone knobs6
- An Era switch toggling between Brownface and Blackface tones6
- A Channel switch choosing between Normal and Bright channels, "like the original '61 Deluxe amp"7
- A dual-mode Bypass switch selecting Low Gain (softer edge of breakup) or High Gain (more edge and higher output)6
- 9 to 18V DC supply operation for maximum headroom6
Premier Guitar also noted that placing the Deluxe further down an effects chain "reveals its ability to function like a true preamp"7. It was available from July 2022 at selected dealers worldwide, at a street price of €2297.
The original BlackBird and the BlackBird Deluxe are distinct pedals. The original has three knobs and two toggles; the Deluxe adds the tremolo stage, the Channel switch and the dual-mode Bypass switch.
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Questions
Is the VS Audio BlackBird true bypass?
Yes. Premier Guitar lists its switching as Parallel mode relay switching, described as true bypass. The relay-based system engages and disengages the all-analogue signal path without colouring the dry signal when the pedal is off.
Where is the VS Audio BlackBird made?
The BlackBird is designed and built in Greece by VS Audio. The company's later pedals, including the BlackBird Deluxe and the Platinum Preamp and Overdrive, come from the same Greek workshop.
What is the difference between the BlackBird and the BlackBird Deluxe?
The BlackBird Deluxe keeps the original's medium gain, natural compression and touch-sensitive character but adds a bias tremolo with Intensity and Speed controls, a Channel switch for Normal and Bright voices like the original '61 Deluxe amp, and a dual-mode Bypass switch for Low Gain and High Gain modes.
How much did the VS Audio BlackBird cost at launch?
At launch in May 2021 the BlackBird carried a street price of $219 in the United States, with European pricing listed at 179 euros and UK pricing at 124 pounds. The later BlackBird Deluxe listed at a street price of 229 euros.
Sources (7)
- VS Audio Blackbird Overdrive: Two vintage Fender-style amps in one pedal, gearnews.com, 2021-05-25
- VS Audio packs two flavours of classic Fender-style tones into the Blackbird overdrive, MusicRadar, 2021-05-25
- Vs Audio Effects Unveils the BlackBird Overdrive, Premier Guitar, 2021-05-21
- VS Audio’s BlackBird Overdrive packs two Fender-amp-style overdrives in one box, Guitar.com, 2021-06-04
- Now Shipping: VS Audio Blackbird Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2021-09-23
- Vs Audio BlackBird Deluxe Drive + Tremolo, Delicious Audio, 2022-07-06
- Vs Audio Effects Unveils the BlackBird Deluxe, Premier Guitar, 2022-07-06
