Boss Katana MKII vs Blackstar Silverline - A Blindfold Amp Shootout!

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Gear Used:
Blackstar Silverline Deluxe 100w 1x12" Guitar Amp Combo - tinyurl.com/y3h8u6e7
Boss Katana 100 MkII 1x12" Guitar Amp Combo - tinyurl.com/y6y74h99
Chapman Guitars ML1 CAP10 Lee Anderton Signature in White - tinyurl.com/y6mxsru4
Snake Oil Fine Instruments The Very Thing Guitar Boost Pedal - tinyurl.com/y62g2lt9
Lehle Little Dual - tinyurl.com/y4us48wb
Chappers and The Captain take the Boss Katana MKII and the Blackstar Silverline and pit them head to head in an amplifier shootout! They compare the clean, crunch and high gain sounds on each amp and showcase the powerful, intuitive settings and features available to both. Which amp do you think came out on top? Let us know below!
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[@anthonycutt8854]

'If Blackstar sent me one...' Smooth, Rob. Smooth.

[@DennisFeinsteinCEO]

I have a Silverline and it's the best solid/digital amp I've ever played or heard in my life. I play metal and the drive sounds so naturally organic and tube driven it's ridiculous. I'm recording DI and it's fantastic.

[@Rockandrollgeerage]

Are these louder than the blackstar ID Core 100?

[@DennisFeinsteinCEO]

@@Rockandrollgeerage I had both at the same time. I had the Silverline 50w 1×12 and the idCore 100w 2×12... The Silverline not only sounded 100× more realistic and MUCH better (tone, response, dynamics, everything) but it was easily just as loud as the 100w idCore. I think it is due to the technology incorporated into the Silverline. It..... Thanks to a high-performance SHARC® processor and patented Blackstar TVP technology, Silverline’s Response controls delivers the nuanced feel, vibe, and response of six of the most coveted valve power sections in the world - KT88, 6L6, KT66, EL34, 6V6, EL84. You can select any of these and it reproduces the tube selected FLAWLESSLY. Also, the SHARC processor is the same processor used in all AXE-FX modelers... It's that good

[@coppulor6500]

@@DennisFeinsteinCEO one more question. I played it in store and thought it was great. I was in an iso/demo room but there was still a sliding glass door so I couldn't really Crank it up all the way. Does it mean tame clarity as you crank it? (within reason). My experience is that ss amps sound worse the louder they are. Note that I don't prefer cranking an amp if I can help it to outrageous levels but sometimes a live situation calls for it and it's unavoidable

[@DennisFeinsteinCEO]

@@coppulor6500 oh no. Blackstar did an amazing job with that technology. So the SHARC DSP technology used in the processor of the Silverline's are the same used in the AXE-FX. So cranking it actually produces quite a dramatic recreation of a tube amp. 👍

[@coppulor6500]

@@DennisFeinsteinCEO thanks BB! I really appreciate you taking the time to respond 👍

[@avahxnley685]

Saw this comment a while ago but thought it was a good idea. You should blindfold Lee and have Rob, Rabea and Pete play the same riff and see if you can guess who is who. Edit: Feel like I should add this now. This isnt my idea, this is a comment I saw some time ago that I think is a great idea.

[@boggeshzahim3713]

I feel like that would be really easy

[@Silkaz7]

this please!

[@user-ph1ji8qg2d]

I've said something similar

[@avahxnley685]

@@user-ph1ji8qg2d Yeah, it's not my idea. I saw it a little while back and thought I'd share it

[@nalonlefournis]

Boggesh Zahim would it really be though if they’re playing the same thing on the same gear

[@guitarocd9984]

When Lee's head got bigger I thought I was having a stroke.

[@lukebrierley4637]

5:17

[@cmac178]

Did you smell burnt toast?? I did

[@JeremyMcCant]

😂😂😂

[@ryanyeager1797]

That's what she said.

[@MoHogany1]

Does sitting in a walnut chair, or a maple chair, produce a better tone?

[@Sadowsky46]

Brian Douglas sure, tonewood 😉

[@fl3xo]

Wood doesn't matter as much with electric guitars, as long as you sit in an electric chair.

[@OctopusEars]

The walnut is a bit darker when you rip ass

[@gai73]

What if you have a woody?

[@valkimber3706]

@@fl3xo most folks only pull that session off once😄

[@draxlerchronicles5851]

Blackstar is wiping the floor with everyone as far as the solid state stuff goes.

[@Disabledguitarist1985]

The black star sounds way better

[@madmod]

Randalls are sweet but a good bit more expensive. I paid 240$ for a Rg80 and the same model now goes for almost $700 new. While they absolutely are a gig-able amp, they completely miss the market for affordable practice.

[@sirhulk5325]

The GoPro’s dialogues is my favorite part of these shows

[@fraenkiboii]

Yeaahhhh mine too :D :D :D

[@LukaS-ve7og]

we need more of the GoPro!!!

[@robphillips8351]

What's the word good peeps, silver line or katana , especially for high gain shreddy type tone's.. any suggestions are greatly appreciated..

[@sgtmac62]

BEST video in a long while. This is why I check back daily. TYVM for the knowledge share Lee.

[@mattfairfield9103]

I absolutely love your guys' editor...hahaha Kills me every single time. xD Love this channel! Keep up the good work Rob and The Captain!

[@husabergorion]

Hey, the fiddling bits at the end with cappers dial in the tones he like, is good stuff! much appreciate the behind the sceenes feeling! more like this :D

[@joelortiz2281]

I have been waiting for this comparison!!!! Thank you!!!!

[@Gene-up7bg]

THATS the Video im waiting for ! This 2 amazing new AMPs ! Please more videos like this !

[@whitezombieiniraq]

“That is a lot of gain.” You must have aged Rob.

[@RandyMatthewsMusic]

I have a Katana 100 and I love it. I mostly use the clean channel with blues driver and tube screamer set up as my boost. Gain about 7-8 o’clock. Works super well with a tele and strat. Rarely do I ever touch the other amp options because the clean with boost seems so much better! An excellent acoustic amp as well. Thanks for another great video. Following from St. John’s, Newfoundland!

[@matthewmjb6860]

The Katana is WHY I play clean tones now. I always thought they sounded thick and muffled, but now I'm blown away. Rock on, Strats! Oh, and rock on Strats is nice too. Check out Music is Win's best guitar for each genre.

[@ryonious]

I love that you guys have stated an actual opinion. So many of the comparison videos online end up being so diplomatic that they are essentially just demos without any sort of conclusions drawn.

[@zazoomatt]

Always enjoy your comps with Chappers who is just outside the Box!

[@IWashMyOwnBrain]

Both sounded good but the silverline sounded less processed to me and i like that better.

[@lifelover5810]

before you kicked in I felt shy to say am I the only one to whom silverline sounds more natural. I have KTN1 100

[@sid35gb]

Agreed 👍

[@jonathanpoots2421]

Got to agree... Got mk 1 katana 50 and head and a mk2 50. Blackstar sounds fab

[@slimturnpike]

I agree. I wouldn't use the super high gain sounds in either amp.

[@RobinhoGuitarCovers]

@@lifelover5810 yes it does. I own a Katana 100 mk1 and a Silverline Standard. The Silverline sounds more tube-like and natural to me. It's a great amp. But the Katana is also a great amp but sounds boxier to me

[@madmikemike]

Robs ear, I wish I had it at my beck and call to tweak my amps and gear. So good. Salutations from Washington state in the US

[@RC32Smiths01]

Anything with Andertons and Boss Katana is up there for me! And of course always love the Blindfold challenges! Cheers!

[@billspruce8368]

I own the Blackstar (I love it) and it has infinite settings with the power amp combinations and ISF dial... with more time and tweaking the Blackstar would have won Rob over in my opinion.

[@Thumpopotamus]

It seems like the comment section is pretty divided! Personally, I like the sound of the Silverline.

[@trevortwigg1384]

That Blackstar is actually impressive.

[@nicksonnehansen5375]

nice and thorough shoot out! very nice, didn't have to anywhere else!

[@FilippaArendt]

Congrats with 600K Subs 🎉🙌

[@redbandmedia79]

If you look at the 2x12 100w versions of both of these, the Silverline is almost twice the price. That makes it hard to justify the extra cash in my opinion.

[@mattesb4281]

I wouldn't take the Silverline even when it was cheaper than the Katana...

[@Twizzlemenizzle1]

@@mattesb4281 yup. Katana sounds clearer and notes seemed more defined

[@SlapChop1000]

I got the MKII 100 2×12 and I love it...such a full rich gain tone

[@xcodychaosx]

Imo every tone he got on the katana still just has that muddy hiss where the silverline has a clean clear tone

[@sid35gb]

The silverline has Celestion speakers the katana has no name speakers. That’s where your money goes and speakers make a big difference. Oh and the Silverline uses the same high end processor chips that are found in strymon pedals.

[@Polyfusia]

I'm getting the Katana because I'm poor but I think the Silverline ate it for lunch. A crisp, natural and clear sounding amp. The Katana is muddier and has an artificial sense of space to it. Like it's trying to sound like it's in an echoey room and doing a poor job. It's still light years better than anything I've owned though so it will do. When I'm at a pro level I'll get a real amp.

[@gooberthoreau]

I used a TVP for a long time as a gigging amp when doing covers, and much like Rob here, I noticed I always wanted more mids until I paired it with a mid heavy cab, and then it really came to life.

[@gmmakesmehurl]

The shootout we've all been waiting for.

[@chrisegg7936]

was really surprised the katana was so overwhelmingly preferred here. I much preferred the sounds coming from the blackstar, especially once Rob got to mess around with it.

[@rivenbeef]

Same here, which is why I bought it (and love it)!

[@johnsmith-de2py]

KZbin videos don't accurately display tones especially more distorted ones.

[@Returnofthecloth]

I feel like boss has brainwashed people or something 🤣 I’ve had the katana it sounds like absolute shit! I guess people trust these youtubers who are probably paid by boss over their own ears.

[@matthorner35]

@@Returnofthecloth I think it's more probably personal preference. It's like someone using your favourite amp and saying you only like it because of the brand. Easy to do, ultimately false.

[@blackie75]

I'm not sure how it came through in the room, but from the direct audio, I thought the Blackstar was the winner.

[@jamatheo]

34 seconds in and Rory has me crying again. What a legend.

[@bernardblood9447]

Got a Katana when it first came out .Still great .Still love it .Only changed 1 drive to a tubescreamer and the latest updates ..Everything is stock

[@spacefrehley70]

The Blackstar is several levels above the katana, the old tvp was already the reference and now it still is. It is the most similar digital sound amplifier to a tube amplifier, both in quality and volume

[@jmanson3310]

I was messing around with the Katana MkII 100 watt tonight and I got the most beautiful squealing brown sound through it... First time I've heard myself make that noise. Felt like being born again. Great amp.

[@fritsvanzanten3573]

No neighbors? And I once was so enchanted with my sound and playing that I recorded it. The next day, when I was sober again I erased it.

[@jmanson3310]

@@fritsvanzanten3573 I'm sure the neighbours were okay because it actually wasn't that loud. Just experimenting and finding that sound on the amp made me happy to have got one. I think recording yourself is great because it helps you see where you can improve, so good on you.

[@PapaWheelie1]

Frits van Zanten - morale of the story recorders are bad, don’t do that again

[@nellayema2455]

At the end, Rob said he preferred the Blackstar, but pointed at the Katana, I have the older Katana 100 combo and really like it. I also have the Blackstar HT20hr MKII head. Both are very different, and both sound great. I did just buy the Katana 110 MKII head as a gift for my brother, who favors clean sounds and modulation effects. He can get it all in one device. He should like it. Also, the word of the day is, Cucumber.

[@piratewhoisquiet]

PLAYER SELECT: Clean: 4:11 vs 4:43 Driven: 10:54 vs 11:36 Distorted: 22:27 vs 25:05

[@robaxl3088]

Thank you for taking the time to put those time stamps in...I'm shopping for amps and you saved me time..I appreciate that alot

[@AntonP99]

Rob Axl what are you thinking about getting

[@dmaikibujin]

I prefer the Katana for the Clean and Driven But I prefer the Silverline for distorted. As such I'd probably get the Katana and just add a pedal.

[@Prajnana]

Except for the super hi gain setting, I also preferred the Blackstar. Though it sounded more alive and organic on Clean and Crunch. The Boss sounded like muffled transistors to me in those modes, but it sure ripped in chunky, hi-gain thump.

[@druzzzzz]

For me the Katana sounded better and brighter. I'd go for it anytime. Blackstar did sound bit muffled in the OD 2 but I'm sure with the proper tweak it will be brilliant. Again my opinion 😊. Great stuff as usual chaps 🍻

[@trevorrudge8556]

Love what you did with the Katana after the reveal.

[@natrelacoustix]

What have you done with the real Rob Chapman? This clone actually gave itself away "Less GAIN!!??" No way would the real Rob Chapman say that. He's still locked in the feckin toilet isn't he?

[@greysuit17]

Funny stuff 🤣

[@SynZ777]

He even said MORE MIDS. GASP

[@jland12]

He's usually paid to be "the shred guy" as a counterpoint to Lee but it's just him playing in this so he can be play more like himself.

[@rodrigobelinchon2982]

He is starting to notice that BOSS is crap . The next thing will be he gets rid of his BOSS stuff

[@coppulor6500]

just played the silverline combo today and was very impressed. very. most importantly (to me), it feels much more organic than the katana

[@sorrisocdo2759]

Yes I totally agree. I was about to buy the katana but I was constantly asking my self: Really? Am I sure? But meanwhile I met with BlackstarSL and bumm. Love at first hearing :D I dont know, maybe it is because it's closer to Iron Maiden tone which I'm aiming at.

[@coppulor6500]

@@sorrisocdo2759 it just feels better to me

[@Lovell93]

@@sorrisocdo2759 I have both amps but definitely use my Katana more. Just sounds better to me and I love the Tone Studio!

[@DougMen1]

I think that a comparison of the Silverline vs. the Nextone would have been more valid, 'cause the prices are more in line, and the Nextone also has the simulated different power tubes like the Blackstar has.

[@guitagious9464]

I own a Katana 100, which I occasionally gig with, but that Blackstar sounds pretty good to my ears.

[@cutmemick4949]

Some guys like far girls. It's ok...

[@Bobcatspiritdude]

@@cutmemick4949 or near girls !!

[@norbertleu8257]

For me the Blackstar sounds all the Time better then the Katana. Thank you Andertons for doing this Shootout😉

[@tonybowen455]

I'll have to try the SL in real life. I have a katana I love, but I thought the SL sounded better for clean and crunch. I wonder if I'd like it over something like a roland cube or a blues jr or bassmaster.

[@rico387]

When will the Tampa, Florida Anderton’s be opening?

[@jbels41]

Nothing better than waking up to these two on a Saturday AM.

[@niclastname]

I prefer the Katana because, like Rob, I tend to play a lot of modern high gain sounds and the Katana sounds more catered to that. The Blackstar doesn't sound bad to me at all, but it sounds like it's more catered to a vintage, warmer tone to me. I do really like the preamp and power amp being separately selectable on the Blackstar though, and I'd love to have that kind of option on the Katana as well. I definitely prefer the look of the Blackstar though. Not that the Katan looks _bad,_ I just think the Blackstar looks a lot nicer. In the end, they sound to me like they're targeted at different areas of the market. The Blackstar seems like it's more comparable to/more in competition with the Vox valvetronix amps with that more "vintage" tone, while the Katana is more competing with the Spider amps and aimed at a more modern tone. Then again with more tweaking with the preamp and power amp options on the Blackstar, maybe it can get that more modern tone like the Katana. I haven't tried one myself. If anyone has experience please let me know if that's the case, or if my assessment is true.

[@johnjgibson6807]

I’m a BlackStar Guy But I Believe I Need a Katana Now 👍👍🎶🎶🎸Awesome Video.

[@philchapman1463]

Blackstar "Response" knob is a tube emulator. Its a brilliant feature and never seems to be discussed in reviews. Each tube setting is like a custom overdrive pedal! Each tube has a distinct character, such as saturation (or lack off), and they have their own tonal EQ curve etc. EL84's have a chimy clean and super saturation, EL34's light on bass focused mids and crunchy saturation. The 6V6 have that Fender Deluxe Reverb tonal sound and a lighter breakup (bluesy type), 6L6 are super clean and have lots of low end, used for that Fender clean sound or with high gain settings for New Metal styles of music. Kt88 have a thick full midrange and low mids and are great for Strats with single coils. So change tubes to get different overdrive break up and tonal EQ curve. Knowing about tubes helps. Throw a tube screamer or other drive pedal on the front to boost the amp (Katana has built on overdrive pedals for added boost). Also the amp responds well to pick attack, play light and it cleans up, pick hard and it breaks up more (very tube like).

[@BAND-MAID-USA]

Andertons has never once steered me in the right direction with anything. And they talk WAY too much.

[@robertstapleton3598]

After watching other videos, it's easy to see how the Silverline would be impossible to tweak blind folded. It has all those tube emulations in addition to the voice variations , EQ variations, and the isf which blends between two mid range styles and those styles would be determined by all the tube and voice variations. That's a lot of variables. I like what someone said below that while the blindfold tests are great fun, sometimes it would make more sense to give the player time to spend with each. These are both great amps in their price range.

[@DennisFeinsteinCEO]

The Silverline is just fantastic. Blackstar made an insanely great amp in that. The response, dynamics, and volume sensitivity are so tube-like it's unreal. I just can't say enough about them.

[@adozensparrows]

I love the new Intro music!🎶🎶👍

[@midnightrdr456]

do a rob blindfold test with deluxe reverb vs the tone master deluxe reverb - curious to see if he can tell the difference easily

[@jiggybau]

21:30 "There's a frequency I want to remove", he said and proceeded to add *all* of the frequencies.

[@sid35gb]

lol 😂 I would suggest you watch a few videos on how eq works it’s not straight forward as adding and removing. Some times you have to turn a frequency up to remove an unwanted frequency.

[@jamesripper]

Also don't miss that the BStar ISF setting near the end was all the way to the British darker more "inward" sounding side, if the ISF was completely the other way they would have sounded closer. Lots of scope to change the sound on the BStar side.

[@jrblanston]

I can always pick which one Chappers is going to like. I don’t use heavy crunch but that is always the focus. As soon as the pull-off licks start it’s more gain, more gain, more gain. Palm mute harder and harder.

[@BelaCurcio]

To me, when they switch to the Katana it just feels like the sound comes alive

[@blackie75]

It's really difficult for us to discern which one sounds better through a recording like this. We really need to hear them through a room mic as well. I'd love to be able to hear all the amps you guys demo through a room mic to be honest. Even if it's just for a few seconds at the end for each setting at the end of the videos.

[@christopherzatzke8589]

+1 on the Seymour Duncan '59 custom hybrid. I have one in a Prs SE custom. It's brilliant!

[@xavierdebreucker5009]

I just bought a Katana 100 Mk2 after having a 50 mk1. This amp is incredible from clean to Brown. By the way, the blackstar doesn’t sound terrible at all. Well defined, less compressed. And better looking than the Katana.

[@djlane74]

I think the blackstar sounded loads better with the pedal... I thought that was obvious. That might be the better speaker.

[@timwoodruff]

22:00 I always run my Blackstar ID Core 100 with mids set to 10. Blackstars are really scooped. I also never use the OD channels. The Super Crunch setting is really great for high gain, especially with a tubescreamer pedal.

[@Count_Apollyon5]

Thanks

[@Tzalmavet]

The Blackstar reminded me of my Fender Mustang 1x12 100w. Cleans and crunch are great but high gain lacks definition. An overdrive could possibly fix that but solid state amps are finicky about boost. With that said the Blackstar was more tube sounding than the Katana. The Katana was real bitey and full of treble. Definitely needs some tweaking to tame the high end.

[@semwhywhymes7769]

The cleans and high gain on the Katana sounded pretty awesome. In my opinion the Silverline handled medium far gain better than the Katana did. But they both were honestly very close, and as they mentioned... the price difference is something to consider. I think in a vacuum here, the Silverline overall sounded better. I ended up looking this video up since I bought a Silverline myself. Honestly I think what this video mostly shows is how great the Katanas are for their price, they're seriously so damn good for the cost. I ended up going for a Silverline head though, and what drew me to them initially was because they are one of the highest quality modeling amps without getting into the professional $1.5k+ range. I'm sure I would have been happy with a Katana head too though (and ended up saving myself quite a bit of money!) Keep in mind the Katana has slightly more options/control as well. This was definitely a hella good shootout to watch. A good matchup! The visual aesthetics of the Silverline are definitely more up my ally (though that alone won't justify a price difference).

[@stolenlaptop]

I own a kat and I loved the silver lines clean. Funny how tastes differ. That said the high gain could go either way but my god the katana spanked that crunch test.

[@xXSinisterDeviceXx]

I gotta say I prefer the blackstar. I have an ID:60 TVP which has pretty much the exact same control layout and it’s been my favorite amp. Massive versatility and takes pedals well.

[@adriangravelle2263]

I missed half of the video as I was laughing so much from the "I smell cucumber really strongly" that I had to watch it again after that to hear what I missed!

[@JB-ju4ev]

thats awesome, i wish i could laugh at something for 20 min straight lol

[@JimmyWatfordGuitar]

Sweet Chapman Guitar in this video!

[@samiam9059]

Own the ID150Core stereo and the Silverline head. Use the clean channels always with analog distortion pedals and both are incredible. Not big on the the high gains built in. The effects are very high quality just not as many as the boss. But high end

[@felinekaiju4517]

My first thought was switch to the 6L6 for a throatier OD tone. Definitely like the Silverline more.

[@VPB1218]

Dude the 5150/6505 series produces the best dirty tone I’ve ever heard, I really love it. I do love Classic Marshall EL34 for their Mid-Low frequencies. But 6L6 have this ungodly low-end and High-end fizz or throatiness as you call it. I’d like to run a JVM and 6505+ in stereo.

[@Van020280]

Once Rob was able to EQ the Silverline without a blindfold, the amp started to sound awesome. Almost Soldano-like at 22:34

[@Capybarainahumansuit]

I just got the 50 watt mk2 and let me say this video goes to show a lot. The silver line had some sounds I liked more than the boss However being the boss gets louder and has a sound I really like too. Not to mention it's half the price. They're both great amps but you could call the mk2 a beginner priced amp you'd never need to upgrade from.

[@samiam5557]

Chaps & the Capt. hashing it all out for us folks!!!

[@Maxx61]

That Katana had a fizz that rode the top of its tone. First thing I'd have to do is try and dial that out but the Blackstar had no such hive to deal with.

[@cliffirddelbridge2810]

A fizz? Really😅

[@slimturnpike]

Would like to have heard more cleans.

[@MrFirerobb]

Blackstar Silverline Special...love it...very versatile. I’ve tried the Katana numerous times, Blackstar blows em away.

[@dougdixonhull]

This is soooooo personal to the player. I did think the Blackstar had it. The thing is you get tuned into what you're familiar with and I know Robs used lots of the Boss amps for his clinic's so would be more used to that tone. Let's be fair, both are great amps and as Rob said, if you spend time and get the right tones you'll be set. I did think maybe Rob should have used one of his guitars as well but hey! Great video chaps. Well done

[@sevendblackjem]

Great demo! I think both amps are good but I give the nod to the Katana... 🎸✌🏿💯

[@davidbrown2945]

I've owned two of the predecessors to the silverline series the ID260TVP, great sounding amps but at gig volume they seem to lose alot of that warm tube emulation and articulation, whereas the Katana 100 I own still keeps its goodies up at gig volume. I must admit though the silverline sounds best on this vid.

[@TheMemagNeman]

Changing eq for gigs is probably for the best, no amp will sound the same at bedroom and gig volume levels. Usually you need to turn down bass/treble and/or boost mids for gigs. Silverlines should have updated modes and processor right?

[@davidbrown2945]

@@TheMemagNeman I'm not too sure what the updates are for the silverline over the idtvp. I still have the katana but one thing I have noticed overtime is at gig volume there's no depth or thump. I've been trying to find out if a silverline keeps its sag and depth at gig volume.

[@TheMemagNeman]

@@davidbrown2945 I actually bought something else and couldn't be happier, Amp1 Mercury edition from Bluguitar.

[@davidbrown2945]

@@TheMemagNeman are they as good as the reviews show? They look like a nice compact piece of gear

[@TheMemagNeman]

@@davidbrown2945 Yes. The review on Andertons didn't do it justice, but I found a comparison videos of old Marshall heads vs AMP1 and was hooked. They sound great, compact , light, easy to dial in a great sound.

[@letzrok1016]

Very impressive team that Andertons has built. All those guys in the room are on the payroll which is just astounding that Andertons Music Co has built a big enough brand to support a full on production cast. Love the channel!

[@JM-eq3sx]

I thought the Blackstar sounded better, but in an indefinable way. More fidelity to the original inspiration, maybe. But I wanted it to be an obvious difference in quality. It turned out that they were different amps and each sounded very good in their own way. Loved the Katana too. I have the 100 and I've owned the Artist (which sounded better yet). I'd like to hear a deeper dive into the various tube "topologies" in the Blackstar. It would be cool to see a comparison between the new Silverline and the Club 40 which has an amazing tone. I've played the 50 watt Silverline at a local big box music store in the US where they complain the minute you get past bedroom volume, but it did sound very good, and the tube variations really did add a lot of musical choices. This was one of my favorate Anderton's reviews. Not sure why but it really helps when there is the SAME guitar on both amps, and the SAME player, but two knowledgeable people working together on it. For now I'll probably stay with my Kat 100 v1.

[@Guitarburt]

I would love to see either amplifier with a full MIDI implementation - allowing a MIDI foot-controller to change presets, control volume and an effects loop to allow a four cable method for those who use that.

[@TheLaw1]

I'm glad you guys shot these out. The Katana sounds better to me. I have the higher end Blackstar stuff (Series One) but I just don't know what they were thinking when it came to marketing and pricing. I played the Silverline locally the other day and it definitely wasn't that different than the TVP:260 I owned for a few years. If you want the Silverline then get a used TVP. If you want a more affordable and arguably better amp, Katana. This video was a good representation of what I experienced hands-on this week. Good work, fellas.

[@stanislavpocaji]

I own Katana II I Love playing this amp all the time Did few dozens gigs recently playing strat, godin multiac and takamine (nylon string!) Maybe once or twice I wasn’t happy with the sound And I did one gig with blackstar and was frustrated About dynamic, reaction, feel, sound color Katana is very musical and friendly amp to me and I would prefer this one anytime

[@jfrorn]

Imo the Katana sounded better. Less muffled, more clear.

[@pizzarand]

I recently bought a katana mk2 but I cant seem to get a punchy good distortion tone. It always sounds a little harsh and bright, or processed, even with the EQ

[@TheMrdavies666]

Can it be tweaked with the app?

[@sid35gb]

Max the wattage, max the channel volume use the master to control the loudness. It will make the amp behave differently. Running low volume on .5 watts is a bit crap 💩 sounding.

[@ithemba]

Also the 50 watt has no physical presence knob but has its presence quite high internally in the app. I kinda know what you mean with the stock sound, it often tends to sound somewhat naisaly to my ears as well with more gain, at least untill I tweaked a sound in the app. That said, this thing can give you some sick tones and a lot of presets you can download from their community are really good as well.

[@pizzarand]

I did try to tweak it with the app for at least 10 hours. Was never 100% satisfied. But I must admit that I only used the amp with headphones on emulated out. Maybe with speakers its a different story. I now have the marshall dsl 20 and man, you dial for 5 minutes and get a warm, thick rock punch sound. Absolutely awesome!

[@ithemba]

@@pizzarand I have a number of tube heads in the rehearsal room as well as low wattage tube amps for home use. At home they suck ass imho. Depending on the speakers/the amp they sound way worse than the katana does at any level that is even remotely tolerable at home. The katanas ability to emulate most of different gain sounds at home volumes (mind you I'm not speaking whisper quiet here) is by far the best I came across yet, other than virtual amps in a DAW. But happy for you that you like your Marshall.

[@ocsmith1]

I got a Silverline Deluxe Head 109, great sounds, best FX I ever heard in an AMP. Cleans are great, but Crunch and ODs are so noisy when Master driven over 9 o‘clock. Maybe a problem in general or a problem especially with my amp?

[@Ben_Mdws]

Loved this.

[@AtTheSourceStudios]

The speakers in both are so differently voiced. I think we're hearing mostly the difference in speaker types TBH. A true "AMP" comparison would be running the head versions into the same cab/speaker. If anything this just showed Rob's bias which we all knew what he would pick regardless lol

[@Charlie6969]

Yes, the speaker is absolutely what makes the big difference in tone. However, this was more of a shootout of the combo's as they come. But the real difference is most likely in the speaker. I bet if you put a V-type in the Katana they would sound similar.

[@Guitar387]

I went for the silverline after watching this , I just think the distortion sounds more natural.

[@jakubs.6767]

Are you satisfied with it?

[@aryanyeoh2606]

@@jakubs.6767 i also want to know

[@asambi69]

I think there BOTH awesome Amps...I'd personally recommend going into a store and seeing which u prefer. But either pick is amazing for the cash.

[@Guitar387]

Jakub S. Yeah it’s pretty good quite happy although the tone still doesn’t sound like a tube amp to but I needed something for the bedroom to practice and just have a bit of a fun on , first of all I was thinking of getting the Marshall DSL 40 but it would’ve been too loud , The thing I like about the silver line is that it’s very diverse but you need to play around with the presence treble and Mids to get the best out of it and this includes holding down the Tap button to get different parameters. , This is because the amp has what I think is a very very mid scooped sound on all distortion settings , to counter this I turn the presence and mids up quite high to try and compensate. I couldn’t get to test an amp due to COVID-19 so I took a gamble and got the Silverlining however in hindsight I probably would’ve gone for the Marshall DSL 40 but I’m still happy with it.

[@marblemolly2454]

I've got an ID15 which is a similar idea with the valve selection. Sounds very similar. If you have a limited budget I would try out that line.

[@krisberntzen]

The editing! Lee's owl face! The banana in Chappermans nose. You guys make me wanna watch videos i'm normally not interested in :)

[@Obssy]

I have both, and the Silverline is my main amp, and the Katana is my backup. The problem with the Katana is a high frequency hiss on the high gain tones that gets on my nerves after playing for a while.

[@gadadharband5947]

for me the Blackstar sounds more organic. I like the sound they create

[@tommyibanez3958]

I think it comes down to whether you like dark/over-compressed overdrive (Katana) or a more 'open Marshall' overdrive (Silverline). I personally like the Silverline better. I just got a Boss GT-1000 today. It's awesome, but I have to dial out of the the clamped low end and open it up- more 'Marshall', less 'Mesa'.

[@richardsauve8341]

@@tommyibanez3958 My ear heard completely differently. I thought the Blackstar sounded oversaturated like a Mesa, and even when they brought down the gain, it didn't seem to do anything at all.

[@tommyibanez3958]

@@richardsauve8341 Interesting- I heard a lot thte 'Mesa' low end mids on the Boss.

[@richardsauve8341]

@@tommyibanez3958 Oh well, we can agree to disagree :)

[@johnelias5293]

The way I see it is the source is the same but the output is all different. If we were all listening to this comparison from the same Soundcard /audio interface through the same set of speakers and EQ'd the same, I'm pretty sure most of these opinions would be the in agreement...I would definitely suggest trying any amp in person at a local shop or renting one somewhere if you can..Your ears wont lie to you...(at least not about what you are hearing as you play)

[@ryker6richard]

The goodness went surprisingly, back and forth between amps, Back and forth I say...

[@matthewhumphrey1811]

Tried a silverline, thought it was great. It doesn't come across in this video. Want to try the boss now!

[@robdavies8413]

Had the inbuilt tuners on both amps malfunctioned?

[@joeykelly5642]

The Silverline sounded so much better after Rob tweaked with it.

[@G3kk0852xbox]

I absolutely agree. It was both tight and chunky.

[@fernandes5986]

I agree.

[@dirkhennig2192]

I own an older Blackstar ID:15 TVP and there it is the same: OD1 is much better than OD2, which ist too scooped and trying to be "modern".

[@scottmullenix3701]

Yes, and I much prefer the 6L6 to the KT88.

[@TheSWCantina]

I'm incredibly torn between both. The price is definitely a selling point for the Katana but I'm more inclined to the Silverline sound.

[@mattheweastel129]

The Blackstar sounded like it had much better character when clean

[@JoeyP478]

Hey Andertons, can you put the Silverline head up against the Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head?

[@fullmetalrise]

I'm having hard times chosing between those 2... which one has better sounds? I play from jazz to metal

[@MrHeshersNeighborhood]

I definitely liked the Blackstar’s crunch channel more but the Katana wins overall.

[@rileyramone6231]

Yeah I'm inclined to agree.

[@mechmat12345]

I have a Katana 50 and prefer the clean channel with the built in overdrive pedal to the crunch channel.

[@TwoandaHater]

plus 500 for a guitar

[@kevinboyd1844]

I thought the blackstar sounded much better in the demo, which speaks to its tweakability on the fly. However, my Kat 100 sounds a lot better than theirs, after I put in some time on Tone Studio.