Boss Katana 50 Mk II | The Cold Hard Facts of Business

[@socallars3748]

Hey, it's a real nice thing you did, refunding that kid's money on this amp. I'm an old man, but I still remember what it was like to be a teenager, struggling to afford any gear at all, so I can feel just how crushed that kid must feel about his beloved amp dying. Good on ya, friend, for minimizing his loss.

[@socallars3748]

@@someotherguy5935 There were some good SS amps in the early 80s, but none I could afford!. Horrible things with "distortion" knobs that sounded like square wave oscillators! I was lucky enough to stumble across a Lab Series L7 in a pawnshop for $210, things changed for me that day. Wish I still had it. Still have a Randall RG80-12, it's pretty decent...but again, out my 1980 price range!

[@aaronhiggs]

@@socallars3748 I got a Randall rg150 at a pawn shop for 60 bucks in 97. Best amp I ever owned for metal and high gain.

[@socallars3748]

@@aaronhiggs I've got an old Randall RG80-112SC that I picked up (broken) for $50 and spent a few hours fixing. It definitely nails that 80s metal sound. Loud as hell too.

[@aaronhiggs]

@@socallars3748 Randall’s only have 1 setting. Loud lol.

[@jasondorsey7110]

​@@socallars3748Fender made some nice solid states during the Rivera years, but they were as expensive then as a reissue fender tube amp would be today if adjusting for inflation...but they were built on another level from any of the transistor trash being made today, and use better components than most of the tube amps fender makes today...most younger people don't know that just like tube shortage/expense sparking the drive to make great modellers now, the original manufacturers of tubes were stopping production in the late 70s/early 80s so amp makers wanted to offer quality solid state alternatives...part of why they wanted Paul Rivera onboard was his success designing solid state amps for yamaha, though he didn't actually have a hand in designing the circuits for the fender solid states, he just signed off on them if they met his design goals

[@PMofKhanadah]

Going that extra mile for your customer is never a loss. It will generate income. Real pro service there sir. Thanx

[@FantasticF113]

Great video. Deciding whether to fix stuff requires competent, honest technicians like yourself. You've done the right thing. A shady operator would rip off this customer. Sadly, we live in a throwaway society these days. Anyway, you've earned a sub from me!

[@satevo462]

I know it's a cheap amp, but I've got nothing but love for my Katie. It stays plugged into my computer and sits next to me at my desk, with Tone Studio always open. It's can sound like just about anything. I will say if you can afford it, go for the 100 because it has an effects loop and a few more ease of life improvements. But for a simple sound creator sitting at your desk, it's awesome.

[@Arfonfree]

Appreciate the look inside. I have a Katana 100 and have been using it for years. It owes me nothing. I do have a philosophical objection to the e-waste problem of just throwing stuff out, but economically, the Katana makes sense. (And I like the sound(s)). To the extent that there could be a partial solution to the problem: support the right-to-repair movement. Some repairs might become feasible if people like you had access to schematics, parts, and tools. Heck, with the schematic, I'd even take a shot at trying to figure out what was wrong with my amp (and I'm no technician)!

[@jw6588]

Right-to-repair is a serious issue that needs at least as much attention as climate change gets. Thanks for bringing it up here.

[@danielhartman5086]

You are a nice man for returning that 50 bucks. If we had more honest folks like you in this world what a beautiful place it would be. God Bless you.

[@squidly2112]

I have one of these .. I absolutely love it .. fantastic little amp for the money .. fantastic sound. Great little amplifier, especially for the money. You can't beat it.

[@oinkooink]

How about for the money though?

[@OhmyShariff]

Watching with a hangover. “Pining for the Japanese fjords”. Brilliant.

[@stephc4427]

This a good sounding amp, not really designed for hard gigging/touring. But in the studio they are a swiss army knife. Thanks for taking care of that kid and for being kind and generous. We need more of that in this world and you exemplified it.

[@OTOss8]

Good on you for being generous with this kid.

[@jimbeaux4988]

I heard a guy playing the other day just about every genre you can think of. I went up to the stage after the show and was a little surprised to see him playing through one of these. You could not see it from the audience. He sounded really good on everything. Had a few pedals as well.

[@luxuriousfir]

I'm obsessed with real tube amps And I absolutely love my boss katana! Sounds great

[@leo._.vincent]

@@luxuriousfir I really like my boss katana for recording. I've got two microphones I've been trying to figure out on my deluxe reverb but the sound on the katana is so easy to eq perfectly for whatever I'm doing

[@henrydiaz720]

And?

[@glenclifton4563]

You are an honorable man. You are appreciated for your honesty. The young person will remember and it will be a good life lesson for them.

[@SirLoinMagroin]

Much respect on how you handled this one. I own the 100watt single 12" version. Thousands upon thousands have been sold in Europe and the USA. They have been the most popular modeling amps for years now. I love mine but it's too bad they are basically non-serviceable. I would think the other digital offerings like Line-6, Blackstar, Fender, and even Marshall's would most likely fall into that category. I went with Boss because they are an offshoot of Roland who make great products including the tried and true JC-120 amps and lots of solid-state and digital keyboards/amps. Shame they can't/won't make them even more modular/serviceable. If they can make the Katana 50 for only $250.00 new, the whole board/parts should be made available to tech's/shops dirt cheap so we could all benefit. Yet here we are in the "real" and "disposable" world.

[@Satchmoeddie]

When I could repair a Line 6 it was usually that main encoder that scrolls through the banks of presets. That is like changing out a pot. Jacks also go bad or get broken. The Class D amp boards? When those go bad, chuck it. I have not seen the SHARC processor chips go bad.

[@pads-zr9ln]

Line 6s are so cheap second hand, think mine went for £40

[@nedim_guitar]

The Fender Bassbreaker amp is a regular tube amp, but it's impossible to repair because of the way it's built.

[@NFMorley]

@@nedim_guitar - it's not 'impossible to repair' or even close to the hassle of a Katana. A bit more labour intensive and bit of a pain to disassemble yes (as it has multiple circuit boards 'folded' together for a more compact layout); but it uses standard components not the surface mount variety in the Katana, and Fender provide spare parts plus a full guide/schematic to authorised techs. To be fair though, I only know because I've been thinking of a new Fender amp - maybe a Princeton - and I ran a few questions about reliability, etc past the amp tech who does work for a guitar store a friend works at!

[@blueleaftuber]

@@NFMorley I'm curious what amp you've found that is more reliable?

[@twinsmm1]

I bought one like new for $100, facebook marketplace. Someone "thought" they wanted to play guitar and bought with a stimulus check. They changed their mind. Anyway, it's a really fun little toy especially with the Boss tone studio software. You really have to get to know tone studio to explore the capabilities of this thing.

[@danzifer]

I have a 2x12 MK II. It's a lug to carry around and way louder than what I normally use it for but the sounds you can get out of it are incredible, highly recommended. Bob's your uncle.

[@bear5141]

I got one of these too and I love it but you're right it's a little loud for the house but every once in awhile you guys got to cut loose you know the old saying if it's too loud you're too old even though once in awhile it gets too loud 🤘

[@edwardlouisbernays2469]

@@bear5141 I am Old Man 73 I have KTN Mini! Lol. I love the delay too!

[@elemental3066]

would you say the tone in those 2x12s are better in low volumes?, Im trying to decide between single and double for home just mainly concerned about the fullness of tone than anything else, heard someone say the double speakers sound muddy at lower volumes

[@michaelmoore7975]

Nice! Humorous Aussie phrasings coupled with British high comedy played straight delivered by a Yank working on a Chinese made amplifier with a Japanese name. Around the world in 9minutes 19seconds courtesy of *_Psionic Audio._*

[@michaelmoore7975]

@M HAHAHAHAHaaaaAhaaaHAaaa!!! I bet you see them everywhere, huh? In the shadows, bushes, rear-view mirrors, sock drawers.........yeah..it fills your life.

[@Africoz2]

the amp is made in Malaysia.......

[@michaelmoore7975]

@@Africoz2 Malaysia it is.....around the world in 9min. 19sec.

[@imacmadman22]

What an eye opener, I came close to buying one of these but I don’t believe I will now. It’s a shame that we’re supporting companies selling disposable products and not encouraging them to produce goods that last.

[@nedim_guitar]

I don't believe that they're making amps on purpose that break. They do however cut corners with components, and is priced accordingly. Unfortunately, this type of business is very wasteful, and is one of the things that are destroying our planet.

[@jbh219]

Sorry, but we've made victims out of ourselves. Want a product that's endlessly fixable and will last for decades? Spend £1k on a handwired valve amp. Want something to enjoy and play with a decent sound while barely opening your wallet? Buy a Katana. If you buy cheap don't expect it to last a lifetime. And if you buy digital, don't expect a fix - cost of benchtime so often is more than the product

[@johndeaux3703]

That's a silly attitude. There's no way to build an affordable, programmable amp like this, that has tons of built in effects, with easily repairable through hole components. It would be massive, weigh a ton and cost a fortune. You can either have cheap, high tech digital gear or you can have repairable gear. You can't have both.

[@kimmolingonheimo]

Yeah Im not buyin any new Fender amps either; all the Champion series have issues and non-repairable...I do have 4 Fender Frontman 10Gs for home use, they seem to work OK!😣

[@TheCyberMantis]

Boss sold a million Katana's. How many had problems out of a million? I bought the head back when they first came out. Mine still works great. You seen inside one of those expensive TUBE amps lately? Huge printed circuit-boards mounted component-side down! You think those things are any easier to work on? And they cost a fortune. Those tube amps generate a LOT of heat. Heat is bad for electronics. Katana runs cool! I could buy four or five Katana heads for the price of one 100w tube amp head.

[@jw6588]

I don't understand the people simping for the Boss Katana here. It might be impressive for "what it is", but what it is is a disposable piece of electronic equipment that is destined to fill up landfills. It should not be praised for the corners it cuts just to get a low price. Garbage-dump-destiny products should have disposal taxes added to their price.

[@canadianintheukbrian]

I can certainly relate this I had a VOX VTX 20 loved that amp I broke the USB plug , there is a amp tech in town, getting the part was impossible and the cost to repair would be pretty much the same cost of the amp new, the amp worked but I had no access to the Tone Room which was a key feature of the amp, Brad who channel is based on repairing amps had the same issue with Blackstar, these amps are disposable, their made that way so you will buy another one, all I have now is the BOSS Katana Mini great little amp pretty simple design if it breaks well I would not be out of pocket as much as it's big brother , good on you for giving the kid a break, it's great to see the young folks picking an instrument these days

[@alfsmith4936]

Usb sockets cost cents and its not hard to solder wire to the circuit board if they dont fit like the old one. The problem with Blackstars (and all other cheap tube amps) is the tubes get hot and crack the board. Just find the break and bridge it. Job done.. Your local tech sounds lazy and obviously prefers the simplicity of point to point vintage amps. Dont we all really though?..

[@HazeAnderson]

Yay for closed proprietary designs!! 😅 Just buy a new one!! 😅 Oh no!! 😅 Chip shortages!! 😅

[@cgavin1]

They are what they are. Price is right, I guess.

[@ricksigurdson2016]

Just the preamp section sounding like that makes it a useful rack mount tool.

[@GaryKissinger]

Try the Factory Re-set. It worked for me when my buddy brought this amp to me. Simple. Quick. Fixed the issue.

[@jbh219]

Thanks for this, it reinforces a valuable lesson. Not about just the Katana but all digital products - they have a limited lifespan. And a cheap cost to make hides a high cost to repair. That's why its often cheaper to buy a new phone then repair a cracked screen

[@jerryking2418]

Honesty is priceless. Great video.

[@leftchicago]

"It has joined the Samurai choir invisible." A gem...

[@jamesbuster1955]

Excellent video. I bought a Katana Mkii a couple of years ago. Good amp for the money. In the end, i want an amp with tubes!!!

[@jammergreg]

I’ve had my boss katana for close to five years now! It’s a great sounding little lamp for practice and small gigs. That said; it seems to be a computer with the speaker.

[@orionwarren4244]

Given the dismal prospects for 'club' musicians these days and let's face it: MOST working musicians are club musicians, I don't envy you trying hard to make a living repairing their 'tools of the trade', Lyle. All that aside, you do excellent work from what little I can see through your videos.

[@jneily6074]

Just went through the same dilemma with a Roland Blues Cube Hot. Decided it wasn't worth the cost of replacing a board. It'll make a good extention cab... not a complete loss. Love your videos BTW.

[@markntexas8265]

I am learning to play and purchased a Katana. I took it back next day purchased an AXE I/O interface AmpliTube 5 Max and am very happy. I won’t buy an app until I can actually play if then I mean I play with headphones usually but if I want I can get that small amp feel of moving air now with my monitors. Love this channel

[@mikes2270]

Great video. I have two Boss Katana MkII 100 W amps for playing with my band because the tone is decent, they make nice practice amps set at 5 watts in the house, they are lightweight and I got tired of carrying JCM800’s, and they are cheap and expendable. If one breaks, my sounds are all backed up to computer and I’ll save the speaker, buy another one cheap used, dump my sounds into it and be back up and running like a big dog. Good disposable, fungible, consumable, expendable amps.

[@luxuriousfir]

I'm obsessed with tube amps...with that being said, I absolutely love my boss katana MK2 100. Great sounding powerful, affordable workingman's amp. Boss hit it out of the park with this one.

[@joeltunnah]

But is it ethical to keep chucking these amps in a landfill? A tube amp can keep running with minimal parts repairs for 70 years or more.

[@dudebroguymate]

@@joeltunnah We're still killing each other for no reason in the 21st century and you're worried about a few amps in the landfill? I think we have bigger concerns.

[@joeltunnah]

@dudebroguymate right, so we should just go back to throwing our lunch wrappers and cans out the car window on the highway too... because "we have bigger concerns".

[@dudebroguymate]

@@joeltunnah Yes, the earth will die because you threw a plastic bag out the window.

[@chefpjsmith]

I have a couple of MK 1s and for inexpensive mass-produced amp they do what they are meant to do and sound pretty good.

[@racmusiccom]

Confirm voltage supplies are good at the header going to the output pcb. If so, it is likely just a failed TDA amp IC which would make it a quick and cheap 30 min repair.

[@PsionicAudio]

And if it's not, I don't get paid for the work. No thank you. Some amps I decline.

[@racmusiccom]

@@PsionicAudio 👍👍

[@ScottyBrockway]

If a local shop is a BOSS dealer, they do have a parts department they can become a member of and order parts for their pedals and amplifiers. The recent right to repair bill also forces them to comply with dealer requests for this service. I will note they charge full retail for some things, but often times the parts are otherwise unobtanium.

[@markallen381]

It's just the cheapest amp I've ever bought. It came in the mail. I took it out of the box, about half the knobs were rolling around in the box. That was it for me. I did plug my guitar in and it did sound good, but I don't want mechanical problems on the road.

[@Dr.JamesA.Wright1]

I picked up one of these a few months ago. I am indifferent to the tone thru the internal speaker (I much prefer the tones of my 20-year-old Roland Cube 60), but I think it's the best DI device for recording I've tried. The sounds of this amp thru the mixer KILL.

[@edwardbelcher8612]

I own one of these and think it is hard to beat for the price but, like most things anymore, they are disposable items sadly. I also have a late 80's Sunn solid state amp that I have done a few repairs to over the years. Comparing the build difference between a completely discrete solid state amp and something like this is unbelievable. All of that surface mount stuff is assembled so close together that there is no way I would attempt soldering on it. Thanks letting us get a peek at the insides.

[@EdwardMartinsPhotography]

After the third brand new Fender Deluxe Reverb showed up defective, I gave up. For $1600.00, and heater wire and capacitor issues, replace the Jenson speaker, etc, plus $450.00 for new tubes down the road, if they are still that cheap in a few years if you can get them at all, it's a losing proposition all around. I bought a Boss Katana 100 Artist MK II for $529.00. If it burns to a cinder in 3 years I'll just buy MK III and still be $500 quids up. The future of Fender's tube amps aint what it used to be... Great videos by the way, thanks!

[@monoonlagoon7641]

For the price of one fender deluxe you could buy five 50 watt katana's. So that gives you four back up amps just incase, i have abused my katana since 2020 and it still sounds damn good.

[@Sarklord]

'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This Katana is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible!! THIS IS AN EX-KATANA!!

[@comajoebuck999]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@jeremy.thejeweler]

Fuck man. I’ve watched a few of your videos, and as a person who regularly uses literally those same exact obscure monty python pet shop references, you have earned a subscriber, and fan, for life. Thank you, sir. Thank you.

[@fumanchu7073]

I was just about to add the same comment. "It's an Ex katana... Pining for the Japanese Fjords"...I spit my coffee out when he said it.

[@blueleaftuber]

After checking out this channel and seeing how hard they are to repair, along with being frustrated with using Tone Studio software to do anything with FX, I sold the Mk2 100 and got most of my money back, spent it on a Roland JC-40. I'm curious how the insides and repairability of the Jazz Chorus is, but the clean sounds are just amazing. I've gotten into building my own pedal kits so it's much better than the Katana. The only problem I have with the JC-40 is that it is unbelievably loud! In my bedroom I try to use the volume dial at fractions of 1 on the knob, which is just weird and obviously doesn't allow the character of the amp to come out well. I don't know what to change about that.

[@ParaBellum2024]

Is there an effects loop? You could use something like a graphic EQ pedal (or even a passive pot) in the loop, and turn it _down,_ then use the amp knobs normally.

[@blueleaftuber]

@@ParaBellum2024 yes there's an FX loop. Thanks for the suggestion, I'm going to make a passive pot pedal in series to lower the volume. I appreciate it

[@StratsRUs]

With the great Phone App and footswitch, this is a very powerful amp. You have to play it loud to get there. I haven't even tried USB recording yet ! But then again I love my tube amps.

For the price, great sound. For live I use tube amp, but few times I tried katana, and if you get into it, you can get close to what you want.

[@mrshiney2]

Yeah I think Fender is going to run into some real longevity issues with their TONE MASTER DIGITAL series in a few years down the road

[@Idontlikethisever]

In a world that is about to abandoned guitar playing kind of this amp is such a low price entry into guitar playing we cant appreciate it enough😊😊😊

[@zaum2002]

"Cut N Run" is a skill learned by experience.

[@angryshoebox]

I've owned a Katana Mark II for about 4 years, and I've never taken it apart. Interesting to see what the inside of one looked like. I figured it was built like a smart phone or laptop. For what it is, it sounds all right to my ears, and gets loud enough for small club stages unmiked.

[@vulcandj]

Love your videos. The Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch references were great.

[@jamesf2918]

Pining for the fjords... I love the amp repair, but at this point I come for the comedy.

[@michaelhallahan]

As a self employed person who occasionally does free work to help folks out - I appreciate you, bud. Also, I have a 50 MKII as a practice amp and now I know I'm free to cannibalize it if it gets flaky.

[@calebwhitcraft1664]

I've got the 100w head, they're super useful. it's cheap enough to throw in the trunk as an emergency backup for a tube amp that picks the worst time to die, sounds decent in a mix, functions as an audio interface, and with the built-in 5" speaker, not a terrible bedroom volume practice amp.

[@Denvermorgan2000]

I’m glad I watched this I don’t want a disposable amp.

[@scottsozmtns7534]

Just bought 1 of these & not sure you can buy a more flexible & fun amp w/so many xtra’s w/o buying or using pedals! It’s what it is, can’t complain!

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

Everything in there looks like it comes out with screws and pretty solidly made connectors. The modularities pretty nicely implemented. If it was my amp I’d try check the resistance on the speaker was ok, and change the main filter caps and transistors on that little output board, but if that didn’t solve it, and there’s tiny SMD parts involved I probably wouldn’t bother going further than that without a schematic either.

[@vancenewland6549]

I have ran into amps where removing the chassis was way more trouble than $50

[@davidisenberg125]

i got a 1 10 inch speaker cabinet and a 2-10 cabinet from dead dog SS amps so they are good for something.... thank you for another learning video

[@deaddiver3768]

Even if you don't make money, you still learn something. It's never a loss.

[@Mike-hr6jz]

I have only had great experience with this amp ,and for the money and the fact that I don’t have to break my spine to lift it .all my tube amps are sitting in a closet if and when I record with them other than that I used The katana everywhere in today’s music world you can plug into the PA and get a better sound in live situation .it works a lot better and it’s cheap enough that if it broke I just go buy another one .some repair shops charge you more than the apps or guitars are worth ,they have this racket you know.

[@johnmeeks9308]

Very cool that he troubleshooted it found out that it's just worthless and allowed him to be reimbursed the $50 to go toward his new Katana I tip my hat to you sir

[@alsilverman5084]

I have an old crate RFX30. Love the sound of that amp. No sound one one day. Took it to my amp guy super reasonable on price. He was telling me that I should just find another one if I can because they are so complicated and tedious to fix. He did get it fixed for 100$. Which is what it’s worth. Blackstar is another amp I understand has many problems as well. Better to find an old peavey and get a used multi effects pedal.

[@Leemuzhko]

So there was faulty Power Amp IC and you decline it to repair? Or I misunderstood?

[@johnwilliamson467]

Kid's parents may love the new practice amp .

[@Arrayarr]

"It has joined the samurai choir invisible." 🤣 Thanks for the informative video, also for your fair treatment of the kid.

[@MichaelODay313]

Thanks for info, I bought 100 MKII head and love it, but yeah, I was fully aware these are what they are, nice to know the line outs will still work if/when power amp goes.

[@chopwoodcarrywater49531]

Bought the 50 watt from guitar center last month. Glad I got a 3 year protection plan. If something goes wrong they'll replace the amp at no charge. If it happens after, oh well. Love mine so far.

[@greenkhidr2]

The market and miracles.

[@matthewf1979]

I own one. I bought it because it sounds great on the 1/2 watt setting to use as a practice amp when I'm away from home. I assume it'll last for ever on the lowest power setting, if not, oh well. I would repair it myself. I set up the effects and stuff at home and I got it to sound really close to my 62 Deluxe.

[@dontletmebrown]

Awesome! Would you mind sharing your preset?

[@stefanwerner5799]

For anyone with a Katana in the same state: Replace the TDA7293 amp IC (mounted to the heatsink) and two 2A/250V PCB mounted fuses on the mainboard.

[@m.malina6797]

Thanks for the heads up on these. Are Fender Mustang GTX's better made/more reliable than the Katana?

[@PsionicAudio]

Nah, about the same. Official policy is board replacement, no field service. Good as long as they stock the boards.

[@r.weaver3769]

I remember hearing one of them solid state amps before...yep, that's what I heard...

[@roblastem2905]

I bought one….I’m also an EE so I’m not afraid of replacing anything on a PCB. That kinda thing isn’t for everyone, and that’s understandable.

[@dontuckerjr]

Thank you for this video. I have a 100mk2 head and I suspected it would be filled with surface mount components. Now I know for sure. I love my Katana, but I fear it is designed to go to the landfill upon failure. I have other solid state amps, Lab Series for instance, that I would do my best to save from the landfill. Thanks again.

[@miketuttle9319]

When I was a kid people used to take their toasters in to get fixed. No context, but everything is disposable now.

[@christuxford4462]

This is why I went back to analogue amps. More reliable and easier to fix.

[@chrisdenett7593]

good on ya bud more than reasonable

[@SpokenBroke]

If I can buy a great sounding amp that is cheaper to replace than to repair I'll call that a win. We are renting everything in this lifetime.

[@mikelynchrockfordmusic4823]

I have one of these, love it. Agree it will fail and not worth repairing. When it does, plan to convert it to a speaker cabinet then use small solid state head (joyo Bantamp or similar). I had a Peavey EFX 112 that quit on me a couple of years ago. My repair guy said it wasn’t worth fixing (agreed). I just gave it to him for parts. Getting tired of giving away cheap amps that aren’t worth fixing.

[@alfsmith4936]

I bet he fixed it and sold it on. 😂

[@diegofiorillo6412]

great video man. have you had a chance to look into the blackstar range? IDcore 100 + or the silverlines?

[@outermarker5801]

Interesting - one could still use it as a quiet practice amp and/or versatile preamp with that working headphone out.

[@saaklart]

If there is a hum in the output it might help to turn on the built-in noise gate. You have to hook it up to a computer to turn the noise gate on.

[@PsionicAudio]

Not that kind of hum. Output section failure hum.

[@chloewinkworthartist]

so yeah ,im trading in this noisy hissing boss for origin 20, i watched your resistor saga, its now 2024, some say the issue was addressed, mabye ,but i am now grateful for your channel , i got cranky but i miss my mig 100h...so im thinkin dont run the origin flat out...the katana?tries but nup...thanx

[@Blues-man.]

Lesson learned, great video.

[@PeteBreen]

A solid state treat! 😀

[@petermach8635]

That "heatsik" alone sends out warning signals, even without delving further ..... given that there's can't be much air circulation where it's located ..... having seen that I'd assume the rest was built to the same standard .... and walk away.

[@WyattScott]

of course i have one , in the living room, amazing amp for the money. My expensive tube amps are in my studio where they belong.

[@zachjarrett8730]

Awesome work around! At least they have a really feature rich bedroom rig. That would get me by till I could afford something more reliable. That extra bit of trouble shooting is worth the $$50. Good stuff!

[@nedim_guitar]

I love the Month Python references!

[@PsionicAudio]

No you don't.

[@peteytwofinger]

i am sure there is a very good reason you did not replace the power amp chip on the d-board . i blew up a class d amp once and got a replacement chip for 15 dollars it was super easy to remove the old chip so i cut all the legs and removed them one at a time that amp is fine now but what do i know .

[@zbaby82]

It sounds good. It may be just a bad resistor or capacitor etc. that failed.

[@PsionicAudio]

It may be. But with a jillion tiny components and no schematic, and a brand new street cost equivalent to three hours labor, that's not an expedition I can ask the owner to pay for.

[@ricotorres2674]

katana is one of my choice im planing to buy later, and im worried about durability, which can you recommend between boss katana and marshall mg50gfx

[@RodVonLongrod]

If you're going to buy a Katana save up for the MkII Artist. It's the Katana to buy. Upgrades the Katana in every area.

[@brentstewart59]

Use once and dispose seems to be the way of the future Sad but true. These things don't sound terrible either it really is a shame

[@glenwhatley4125]

Probably a TDA7294 IC. Not an expensive part from Mouser. It's not difficult to replace with ChipQuik, but i have to agree...if anything is wrong you've wasted much time. Given everything seems fine i would probablytaken the chance.

[@PsionicAudio]

And if someone else wants to try, they can. I didn't charge the kid, so I'm not sure why people have been upset. It might just be that chip. But it might not be. And there is no schematic. And if was not designed to be really serviced. Boss board swaps.

[@glenwhatley4125]

@@PsionicAudio not upset, just commenting

[@roamershaker]

would have been fun to see you fix it ..; thanks for the vids !!

[@weschilton]

He would've needed a microscope!

[@whatcher8151]

In a few years he just might be using one anyway. Loss of vision ya know.

[@angusorvid8840]

I like these amps but I've never stuck with any particular amp for long. I've owned more amps and have used more amps than I can remember since my metal days starting in the mid 80s. I played a Randall RG75 and a Boogie 50 Cal + combo for years. Never had a problem. But I've dealt with nightmare Marshalls starting with an old plexi that sounded amazing but ate tubes like potato chips. One should always consider the cost of ownership when buying an amp, car, or any sort of complex machinery.

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

Thanks, I'm shopping for my very 1st amp, this information might swing me in the Orange direction :)

[@niteriderband4713]

Yep, I made the mistake of buying an expensive solid-state Fender amp years ago, only to have it become intermittent after 8 months of heavy use. I could find no tech that could fix it other than replacing the main board, which was not worth it. The only good thing about these newer solid-state amplifiers is that they are cheap, and the cost to repair them would cover the cost of trying to fix one. I would buy a Katana but only the cheaper ones, unless I was willing to pay for an insurance warranty to get a replacement when it failed. Being electronic, they will all fail eventually. I stick with reliable tube amps since I can find technicians to fix them.

[@donciseau]

Very educational video!

[@Satchmoeddie]

That's almost microscope work there! I own a Baush & Lomb dissecting scope for just such type of work, but not for a $250 cheapo guitar amp. Roland Boss only has ONE service center in the USA and they will NOT sell me any parts. Who wants to ship a $250 amp to Ontario, California? That is like returning your new Bic lighter to France for a new flint. Throw it away. It's sad but that is how 99.9999% of all electronic products are made today.

[@curtiseverett1671]

another great video!