The Black Cat has long been a defining part of the Bad Cat lineup. In early 2024, Mark Sampson returned to revisit this circuit, one he originally helped create. With his characteristic clarity and precision, he approached it not as a reissue, but as an evolution of the original design.

The Mod Shop Black Cat 30 preserves the core feel of the original while introducing subtle but useful design changes. It is more open, more responsive, and more focused. Every adjustment was made with purpose, drawing from Mark Sampsonâs decades of experience in amplifier design. This design was one of Markâs final projects, and weâre thrilled to see his project come to life thanks to the incredible team at Bad Cat.

The Mod Shop Black Cat 30 is very much the answer to this question, What would happen if Mark Sampson designed the Black cat in 2024. It features 30 watts of power thanks to x4 EL84 power tubes, which give this amp a lovely compression and harmonic bloom. Within this amp youâll also find x3 12AX7 tubes which further help to shape this amps tone. One of the key features of this Mod Shop amp is the all new tone stack which has been revoiced by Mark Sampson to feel more open, bold, and three dimensional.

Within the Mod Shop Black Cat 30 youâll find two unique channel voiced to deliver incredible tone and versatility. The Clean channel of the Mod Shop Black Cat 30 captures everything a premium EL84 amp should offer. It has clear top end, fast response, and rich harmonic depth. Notes ring out naturally with a touch-sensitive feel that responds to every detail in your playing. Whether you are fingerpicking, digging into chords, or running pedals into it, the tone stays open, musical, and full of character. Switch to the Overdrive channel and you get a gain structure that feels balanced and intentional. The lows stay tight, the mids are focused, and the top end has a natural sense of space. It delivers weight and punch without ever sounding harsh. Even at higher settings, the amp keeps its clarity and depth, allowing complex chords and detailed phrasing to come through without getting lost. With independent gain and volume controls for each channel alongside shared bass, treble, and cut controls, you can sculpt this amp to taste.

This 1x12 combo is fitted with a 12â Celestion Bad Cat speaker, which has been designed in conjunction with Bad Cat to complement the sound of their amplifier circuits. This speaker is the perfect choice for this combo and does a great job at bringing Mark Sampsonâs amp to life.

The onboard reverb adds depth and dimension without getting in the way. It is spacious and rich, with a natural feel that blends easily into the core sound. Alongside it, the analogue bias modulated tremolo brings a warm, musical pulse that adds movement and texture. Both effects are voiced to complement the character of the amp, not compete with it.

The fully buffered effects loop keeps your pedals clear and dynamic, whether youâre using time-based effects or modulation. The full range of speaker output options gives you flexibility for any cabinet, session, or stage setup. Plus, the built-in direct output lets you connect directly to your favourite IR loader or analogue cabinet simulator without sacrificing feel or response.