VS Audio Blackbird Deluxe 2010s - Brown

The BlackBird Deluxe expands on VS Audio’s original BlackBird with a broader preamp section and a proper bias-style tremolo, all based around the character of an early ’60s Fender Brown Deluxe.

The drive section has the same touch-sensitive, medium-gain character as the original BlackBird — warm, naturally compressed and very responsive to picking dynamics and guitar volume. A new channel switch lets you choose between Normal and Bright voicings, similar to the two channels of the original 1961 Deluxe.

The other half of the pedal is a true bias-style tremolo circuit. Rather than simply turning the volume up and down, the BlackBird Deluxe uses MOSFET and JFET circuitry to recreate the way bias tremolo modulates the output stage of a tube amp. The result is a softer, more fluid pulse that interacts naturally with the driven sound.

That interaction is a big part of the appeal. Dig in and the overdrive pushes through the tremolo; back off your picking or roll down the guitar volume and the modulation becomes more apparent. It feels much closer to playing through an amp with built-in bias tremolo than having a conventional tremolo pedal placed after an overdrive.

The BlackBird Deluxe also offers two gain ranges. Low Gain gives you a softer edge-of-breakup response, while High Gain adds more drive, output and bite.

A passive effects loop sits between the drive/preamp and tremolo sections, allowing other pedals to be inserted between them or letting the two sides function more independently within a larger pedalboard.

Placed later in the signal chain, the BlackBird Deluxe can also work very effectively as an analogue preamp, making it considerably more versatile than a straightforward overdrive/tremolo combination.

Key features:

• Brown Deluxe-inspired analogue preamp and overdrive
• Normal and Bright channel voicings
• Touch-sensitive bias-style tremolo
• Low and High gain modes
• Passive effects loop between sections
• Fully analogue audio path
• 9–18V operation for additional headroom
• Top-mounted jacks
• Relay-based true bypass switching
• Designed and built in Greece

A particularly good choice for players who like early Fender-style breakup and tremolo, but want those sounds in a format that can be integrated easily into a modern pedalboard.