Bad Cat | Mark Sampson Mod Shop Black Cat 30
Introducing the Mod Shop Black Cat 30 — A Mark Sampson Design
The first release from the Bad Cat Mod Shop is here—and it carries the fingerprints of a legend. In early 2024, Mark Sampson—the legendary amp designer and co-founder of the boutique amp movement—returned to Bad Cat with a mission: to breathe new life into one of the company’s most beloved circuits. The result is the Mod Shop Black Cat 30, a hand-built, limited-edition masterpiece that pays homage to Bad Cat’s legacy while pushing its tone into bold new territory.
Sampson, known for his work with Matchless and his visionary approach to amp design, approached this reissue with the precision and intuition of a true craftsman. He knew what to change, and just as importantly, what not to change. Guided by decades of experimentation, obsession, and invention, Sampson has reshaped the Black Cat 30 into something both familiar and entirely fresh.
The Mod Shop Black Cat 30 is more than a reissue—it's a statement. And the new Black Cat 30 Head or Combo options are available now at Chicago Music Exchange!
A Reimagined Classic
This re-voiced version of the Black Cat 30 features Sampson’s signature sonic fingerprints throughout, from the updated tone stack to the dynamic two-channel design. Crafted in Costa Mesa, California, with premium components and custom Bad Cat transformers, this amp is as refined as it is rugged.
Key Updates:
- 30 Watts of EL84 Power: Four EL84 power tubes deliver rich, Class A chime, compression, and harmonic bloom.
- New Tone Stack Voicing: Reimagined by Sampson for enhanced openness, dimension, and punch.
- Mod Shop Craftsmanship: Built by hand in California with unmatched attention to detail.
Two Channels. Endless Inspiration.
- Clean Channel: Chime, Clarity, and Harmonics for Days
The Clean channel embodies everything you’d expect from a top-tier EL84 amp: sparkling highs, detailed midrange, and a low end that’s tight yet warm. Whether you’re playing delicate fingerpicking passages or slamming big chords, your dynamics and touch come through clearly.
- Overdrive Channel: Punch, Articulation, and Air
The Overdrive channel doesn’t just add gain—it adds character. Tight low end, vocal mids, and airy top-end sparkle give your playing definition without harshness. From edge-of-breakup to full saturation, this channel retains a sense of clarity and space that makes it a joy to play.
- Studio-Quality Reverb and Vintage-Style Tremolo
No Mod Shop build would be complete without high-end onboard effects, and the Black Cat 30 delivers:
- Lush Reverb: Studio-quality ambiance that enhances your sound without drowning it.
- Analog Tremolo: A bias-modulated tremolo circuit delivers classic pulse and vibe with smooth depth.
The Mod Shop Black Cat 30 isn’t just a new amp—it’s a milestone. It’s what happens when a master designer returns to his roots with fresh eyes and renewed vision. And it just might be the best Black Cat ever made. Available now at Chicago Music Exchange.
SHOP BAD CAT AMPLIFIERS
- The Warthog Distortion goes right for the gut of all other distortions, offering incredible sonic range from a crystal-clear clean boost to scorched earth crunch.
- Those who know know Danish Pete. His signature overdrive and boost, The Dane, is the ace-in-the-hole for dynamic players who demand versatility.
- The Bunker Drive beefs up the famous Brown Source, increasing volume and adding a texture control while packing it all into a smaller, pedalboard-friendly enclosure.
- The Peacekeeper Low-Gain Overdrive pairs an active, post-gain control for treble and bass with a pre-gain mids/presence control for total tonal tailoring.
- ThorpyFx's first, the Gunshot Overdrive, puts every other overdrive in its crosshairs with a proprietary "gain engine" for maximum tonal range.
- The Field Marshall Fuzz improves on the legendary Big Cheese, shrinking the footprint, increasing the volume, and adding a tonestack bypass for more options.
- The Fallout Cloud Fuzz pays tribute to Triangle-era effects while simultaneously doing its best to blow them all out of the water.
- The Deep Oggin brings Lovetone's Dan Coggins back into the spotlight with 100%-analog chorus and vibrato circuitry, just like how it used to be.
- The Heavy Water isolates The Dane's desirable boost circuit into a small, standalone enclosure, adding a germanium diode-based boost in the second channel for switching or stacking, because why not?
- The third installment in ThorpyFx's "Vintage Reimagined" Series, the Veteran Si Vintage Fuzz and Boost squeezes silicon-based Smiley- and Rangemaster-style circuitry into one exclosure.
- Thorpy promotes the OTC-201 compressor to create the Fat General, a pedalboard tank, adding balance and sustain to your signal without the extra noise.
- The Team Medic Buffer, EQ, Boost, and Boost + offers tonal first aid for all, equally suited to the electric guitar as it is to bass and more.
- Also produced in collaboration with Dan Coggins, the Camoflange Flanger is another all-analog blast from the past, with modern functionality making it more versatile than any vintage model.
Related Posts
Yamaha Guitars | 2025 Revstar Additions
Rev up your engines—the Yamaha Revstar Standard RSS20 and RSS02T have arrived at Chicago Music Exchange, bringing performance-minded design, expanded versatility, and unmistakable style to Yamaha’s modern electric guitar lineup. Inspired by the stripped-down efficiency of café racer motorcycles, the Revstar Standard series blends premium tonewoods, chambered bodies, carbon-reinforced necks, and upgraded electronics to deliver lightweight comfort and powerful sonic character. Whether you’re after the articulate punch of Alnico V humbuckers (RSS20) or the warm, expressive bite of P90-style pickups (RSS02T), each model offers refined playability and a dynamic tonal range perfect for stage, studio, and everyday inspiration. Shop the full Yamaha Revstar Standard collection at CME and discover the next evolution of Yamaha’s performance-built electric guitars.
Read more
Gibson x Loog Guitars at Chicago Music Exchange
Meet the Gibson x Loog Collection—where legendary tone meets beginner-friendly design. These three-string guitars are made to empower kids to start playing right away, with simplified learning, top-tier sound, and timeless Gibson flair. As the only brick-and-mortar retailer for Gibson x Loog Guitars, Chicago Music Exchange offers a rare opportunity to plug in and play these in person—shop the collection today!
Read more
Introducing | Voltage Cable Co.
Introducing Voltage Cable Co.—premium Australian-made coiled guitar cables now available at Chicago Music Exchange. Known for their iconic colorways, road-ready durability, and patented ISO-COAT® anti-corrosion technology, Voltage Cable Co. has redefined what a modern “vintage-style” instrument cable can be. From the original Surf Green classic to our exclusive CME Chicago Cream colorway, these high-performance cables deliver clean tone, long-lasting reliability, and standout stage style. Shop Voltage Cable Co. at Chicago Music Exchange today and experience cables designed to be played—and built for a lifetime.
Read more