Boss Katana vs Tube Amp: Can the Katana Keep Up?

Boss Katana vs Tube Amp: Does the Katana Keep up?
Today, I am comparing my Boss Katana 100 MK2 guitar amplifier up against a similarly priced tube/valve amplifier. This test will cover how each amplifier sounds in the mix cutting a track, as well as isolated sound samples.
The amplifiers in this video:
►Katana - imp.i114863.net/Z96V1 (Sweetwater)
►Check out the Tube Amp - bit.ly/40E8WPG (Artist Guitars)
►My Guitars - imp.i114863.net/intheblues
(Using these links supports the channel at no extra cost to you)
Each of these amplifiers sells for roughly the same price and I wanted to keep this test fair in terms of the price of the tube amplifier.
The Katana is a Solid State amplifier with lots of digital effects and the tube amp features a set of EL84 and 12AX7 Tubes. I will be using a mix of the channels on both amplifiers and no other effects other than a little bit of Wah.
*This video is not sponsored in any way*
Timestamps:
0:00 - About this Video
1:13 - Boss Katana Jam Track
3:42 - Tube Amp Jam Track
6:25 - Clean Tones Compared
7:43 - Crunch Tones Compared
8:24 - Lead Tones Compared
9:35 - Final Thoughts
-
►Patreon: / intheblues
►My Socials - linktr.ee/intheblues
►My Sweetwater Gear Page - imp.i114863.net/intheblues
►intheblues Merch - bit.ly/2KLR5CV
(Links to Sweetwater, Thomann, Amazon, B&H, Artist Guitars, and Walmart are affiliate links.
-
#bosskatana #guitars #intheblues ‎
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[@ec8107]

Something I learned from another KZbinr (wish I could remember who so I could give them credit): when using higher gain tones on the Katana, enable the parametric EQ and set the high cut to 6.3 kHz. This tames the sizzle and sounds great. Now you can crank the amp without the ice pick highs.

[@Andrew-pz9rm]

Might have been Juca Nery. He has some videos where he walks through how he builds a Katana patch and the parametric EQ is one that he’s always tweaking.

[@intheblues]

I had to do that on the Nextone as well before I sent it back to Roland.

[@MRxr400]

great point, i feel these amps try to get too hi-fi and sound unnatural. same as using IR's. tame top and bottom for most natural tones

[@capitanvonchickenpants8492]

You can also do it in the global EQ to remove the ice picky nature of katanas, the first thing I learned about them, you really can't knock the katana after listening to this, For the money the katana is increadable, the katana speaker is very bright and full compared with my Marshall 1912 cab, and it compares well with my JVM too People stick their noses up at katanas until they try one out properly, then they realise how wrong they are

[@MRxr400]

@@capitanvonchickenpants8492 only issue i have with using global eq is it affects the tone of every channel setting. acoustic guitar likes full range.

[@kcapkcans]

and both of these amps come in left handed versions?

[@PS-jt6zt]

Nice

[@kcapkcans]

@Jonathon doe the left handed ones do smell different.

[@JAF2991]

I dunno, but I've always needed left handed picks.

[@kcapkcans]

@@JAF2991 I use those for the Hendrix tone

[@kcapkcans]

@off spec these are the tips they don't put in the instruction manual

[@xeres14]

I do prefer the Katana here. The Tube amp sounded like it had a damp towel over it. Normally I like that, but not in this case.

[@junito1957]

YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR EARS CHECK

[@NerdFaceEmoji]

@@junito1957 nah hes right tube amps are overhyped

[@frankdeitsch6869]

I'm 68 and until 2 years ago played strictly tube amps since 1960. I have Marshalls, Fenders, Bugeras and more. All I will say is since I got my Katana they're all sitting in a room gathering dust unused, and nothing in this video changed my mind about my decision to stick with my Katana. ✌🤘😎

[@kevinblythe2192]

I know the feeling.. 😊👌👍

[@brandonlesko3126]

Have you downloaded the Sneaky Amps or the Dumble Amps? They are both totally worth it.

[@timknobloch3866]

I just bought the Katana and once you get The tones set up, it competes with a tube amp, not saying it is better but it is very versatile. To my ears it is really nice sounding and I am a tube guy.

[@homeguitarplayer9482]

I agree, and with all of the tools available for recording,, the AUX in, and the cab simulators, not to mention that he had to turn the katana down to 50 to make things fair.

[@yaguitar]

It's one of those age old arguments. They both serve different people for different purposes. The Katana is a perfect compromise for home practice, recording and gigging. It is also a great pedal platform. A tube amp is just a different beast to be tamed. You can love both 😉

[@phililpb]

yes you can love both but often you dont have the money or room for both so sometimes you just have to pick one

[@HeiTheDarkReaper]

philipb i picked up the regular boss katana 100. i know the artist is better but the price was too close to a real tube amp for it to be worth it to me. at 359 i think the regular katana sounds fantastic and would be really hard to beat at that price range

[@xRepoUKx]

Even though I preferred the Artist here, I'd still say that for bedroom jamming, the Katana is the better option as you can cut the output down to 0.5w; even on 0.5w, I can blast my neighbours out.

[@Firemedic361]

They both achieve good tones, the Katana is a great practice platform, but as with all modeling style amps it never really reproduces that great tube sound perfectly. The artist is a good tube amp but I am not a fan of the EL84, the losses at the top end is a hard no for me. Plenty of better tube amps out there to compare to the Katana. I use modeling amps, but I will always prefer the sound of my tube amps.

[@DMSProduktions]

@@Firemedic361 EVER heard a VOX AC wound up?

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

The Katana stacked up nicely for sure! The edge still goes to the Tube amp imo. I've found with all amps like the Katana there's always this highend sizzle on the notes with distortion that I don't love.

[@intheblues]

I feel the same way. It has a bit of a laser beam of death in the live mix and the recording captured that. :)

[@PooNinja]

That natural lo passivity and smooth harmonics of tubes it’s the taste guitarist and audiophiles crave. Guitarist tested, Mom approved .... or was that Kix?

[@maximo3997]

Holy Moly, my two favorite guitar youtubers in the same place! What a day to be alive!

[@musik4life24]

Two of my fav. Guitar KZbinrs. Keep up the good work, cheers.

[@MostlyDead1973]

Yep...thanks to both of you guys!

[@Tmidiman]

Great demo, as always Shane! Two items for those who think the Katana has too many highs. 1. Use the tone controls, you know, like that treble knob. It actually works. 2. Find the Sneaky Amps. Just load the live sets and try 20 additional amps. There are much better amps than the 5 on the front of the Katana, better cleans, better crunch, etc. They are free and already in the amp, so why not check them out?! I liked the sounds on the tube amp, but Katana adds more flexibility, like going from a Fender clean to a Mesa Boogie Dual Rec high gain in one button press.

[@petersuddath6477]

No surprise that the Katana sounded soooo good! I own a 100 watt model w/12 inch speaker. I’ve stopped playing my tube amps, the katana does it all for me now!!!

[@LZcool]

I own a Katana 50 MK2 and an Orange Rocker 15, honestly, the rocker 15 cranked up in dirty mode is something beautiful, but the Katana is insane, so much tonal options that sound as good or at least, 99.99999999999999% as good as the tube amp, make me have my tube amp disconnected most of the time. Honestly, the Katana is awesome and I think most people would fail a blind test, also, no need to think about tube replacing makes me almost abandon the idea tubes are better. I agree with you.

[@hyderameer-xn9dh]

How better is Katana as a pedal platform?

[@martrich1098]

Shane, this is a great comparison video, well thought out and really helpful for many of us. Thanks man, keep up the good work!

[@Noscrap909]

Got a crazy thing on these amps . It’s called an equalizer .

[@mikeslominsky]

I feel like things aren't "dialed in" as much as they could be. That being said, you are an awesome person for putting yourself out there and doing these videos.

[@NisseOhlsen]

Always great reviews and playing. Thanks a bunch. I bought the Artist 5W upon your recommendation.

[@bheathcoat7650]

The fact it’s so hard to pick a clear winner says a lot about the Katana

[@jimrhondaorozco309]

Listen again

[@starmorpheus]

@@jimrhondaorozco309 Tone preference is subjective buddy.

[@Podcastforthewin]

I have to say, it wasn't even close. the Katana sounded better in every way. the tube amp sounded muffled to me for some reason. i might have to find a used katana on marketplace and see if i can get one used

[@toadetteremotewithwiimotio3330]

The Audience wouldn‘t care ;)

[@bobainsworth9571]

Good point.

[@iammarkross]

But the artist does... and if he ain’t feelin’ it, then you ain’t getting his best.

[@daddylogan]

For the most part, nobody would ever know!

[@JS-nf1sn]

Great video. Both sound great. Killer track. You've always been a great player, but you have really gotten to the next level (not that you were lacking before). Cheers brother. Thanks for the great work on your channel.

[@cjpritchard]

Great review, thanks. I ended up selling my Blues Junior and getting a Fender GTX 50, which I chose over the Katana. Yes, the valve amp sounded great but I couldn't get past the power consumption. I don't gig but I play a lot at home. Now I can walk out of the room and not have to worry about turning the amp off.

[@PedalPoopers]

I used to think that a digital/solid state amp couldn't ever be able to mimic the sound of a nice tube amp. Then as I grew older and wiser, I realized that it was never about mimicking the sound but more of mimicking the feel and how the feel affects the sound. Today we have solid state amps that sound better than tube amps, multi effects pedals that feel better than tube amps that go direct to a P.A. It's amazing how much digital/sooud state amps and IR's have evolved and how much better than they can feel/sound than a tube amp. Nobody would have agreed with ke 10 years ago but today is a different day lol

[@SeQFreQ369]

Nicely done, cheers! Agreed on your comments regarding the differences. I had been using a Blackstar ID 40 @ rehearsal as my Deluxe Reverb is stuck in Melbourne, but recently grabbed a Joyo Jta-05 5W tube amp for home, plenty loud enough for rehearsal and to me, sounds and feels waaay better.

[@DesertScorpionKSA]

The Katana sounds better to me since the Artist does have the top end rolled off. The Katana can be dialed in to take some of that top end off anyway.

[@chuckparkinson7470]

Exactly: the tone stacks are different between the amps, and therefore they need to be dialed in separately by your ear. I'm an old guy, always have had tube amps. I also have a Katana 100 head, and I think it's absurdly versatile. I'm an old tone snob, and I go to many gigs with the Katana, a cab, a cable, and 2 guitars. Killer tone for my ears - my 71 Deluxe Reverb stays home.

[@weschilton]

@@chuckparkinson7470 There is no such thing as a "tone stack" in a digital amp. They all have the same problem, very little overtones, and brittle highs and thin mids.

[@wheresmycar9559]

@@weschilton All hail the tone god. He knows everything. There have never been any famous albums using solid state, digital amps.

[@valebliz]

@@weschilton sure.

[@chuckparkinson7470]

@@weschilton I'm sure you know better than me - I've only had the Katana 100 head for 2 years. And yeah, it has a tone stack...and it's doesn't have to be bright and brittle. Adjust the highs, like you would turn off the bright switch on a Super Reverb.

[@rickyshoard]

Great vid man , awesome comparison. I was worried about this vid. 2 weeks ago I sold my katana 100 and got the Artist tweed tone. But now.....after watching this..... I made the right choice in my opinion. Haven’t stopped playing my Artist.

[@lfigueroa97]

I enjoy very much you're videos, You always bring useful information. Thanks!!

[@allan-shephard]

The tube amp lets the solo notes 'sing' a lot more. Very full and warm. I've been toying with selling my 100w high gain JCM900 (blisteringly loud) for a Katana. But this makes me want to keep the tube amp. Maybe I'll get a secondhand Katana and have both. Haha. Thanks Shane. Great vid once again. 😁👍

[@jeffvargo1068]

The Artist has a tube compressed warmth ...only achieved preamp and power amp tubes.... I just love the sound of tube amps.

[@andresmanueltoledo2314]

Amazing review Shane! Greetings from Argentina

[@Nikoo033]

On crunch and lead, the tube amp sounded muddy 🤷🏻‍♂️. The difference in clean was marginal. I am glad I have my Katana 50 😁

[@vladimirpavlovic9488]

After years of following you because of some cool videos, your choice of topics in the last few months made me a very regular viewer! :) Well done. And I am actually not that much 'into the blues' by the way. But I guess now I am 'in the blues' !

[@marioroque1849]

Loved the Tube Amp cleans and the Drives of the Katana.

[@TaiChiBeMe]

When I was young I bought a used Fender Super Reverb... pre CBS. It weights 65lbs (still got it in the garage). Then when I was in my 40s I bought a Zinky 25 watt valve amp. It weighs about 40 lbs. Now I'm 68 and I bought a Fender Bronco 40 which weighs less than 20lbs. But when I do go out to play for senior centers I bring my Vox Mimi 3 - runs on batteries. It weighs like 2.5 lbs. Seems like the older I get the less concerned I am with my tone. I also can use the mini with my classical guitar as well as any electric. I will say that I do like the valve sound the best though. The "ice pick" description is a good one. Actually I have noticed this type of high end volume coming from the "new and improved" designed classical guitars with the double top and lattice bracing designs and I still prefer the old traditional fan braced guitars as designed by Torres. Funny though, when it comes to electric guitars I have to admit that my favorite guitar is the $400 Squire tele that I got recently. I also have a 1970 EL 335, a Heritage 575 and a PRS fitted with P 90s. I like the tele cause it cuts through even at a low volume and the trebles are unbelievable... but not "ice pick" like.

[@pressonc]

It may be KZbin’s compression or the tone and eq profile of my studio monitors, but I think I preferred the Katana overall. There were areas that the tube amp had better tones, but overall the Katana just sounded better.

[@graemedixon6314]

Nice vid as always, I prefer the warmth and response of a tube amp. Also looking forward to a comparison between the different tube screamers you've got.

[@pieterrossouw8596]

there's no "better", you can appreciate both but in terms of bang for buck the Katana is a killer amp. If the tube amp you like costs way more, pay the difference with a smile and enjoy it.

[@Axess-sv8nq]

EQ settings can adjust any kinds of differences these 2 amps have. They're VERY close.

[@tonybowen455]

This is fair. I'd be curious to hear them both eq'ed. Makes me want to get an eq for my katana. I also want a bonzai tube screamer, but it's hard to justify a pedal that costs as much as the amp.

[@SynZ777]

@@tonybowen455 Don't need a pedal, there's a 10 band EQ built into the software.

[@LunaticTheCat]

@@SynZ777 If you need an EQ somewhere in your physical pedal chain then it would make sense to have a pedal EQ too.

[@KC-kx8xl]

I run the katana artist and I use it as a pedal platform and use the gafc to switch effects on the panel to go with my existing pedal board. I crank the presence and set my eq and it sounds amazing I used to be a tube purist before owning the artist 100. I run a full-tone ocd and it gives me such warm overdrive with my american strat and my warmoth strat with pearly gates. No more tube replacements for me. Later

[@steviox]

Good to hear thanks. My own journey was from a GT8 with a Cube amp to a Katana 100 mk2. The satisfaction of the solid stock sound is amazing . The flexibility is great value and its good enough for live. Had to get rid of the gt8...just sounded like digital mush. I'd stay with my Kat over this tube anyday

[@anthonyward8587]

Great comparison Shane, was very surprised by the sound of the Katana; may need one for the Loungeroom. Still love my tube amps though. ps:- I thought you sounded better as a right-hander ;) Thanks for all the time you take to put these comps together for us man. :)

[@DMSProduktions]

Great comp Shane! BOTH sound great in their own way! I think a lot comes down to SPEAKER! Katana way more treble, the Tweedy more low mid thump! BUT both the clean and o/d on the Artist, had a nicer 'character' as it were, even tho it COULD have been brighter. TRY with the same speaker as the constant in the comparison, THEN it comes down to circuits! But I like BOTH amps! Nice jam too! \m/

[@doogledog1740]

Thanks of the comparison,. Shane. There was a marked difference in the tones you dialled in. For home use only and without having many pedals the Katana II 50 just made sense for me, and I'm happy with it. My home circumstances dictated against the Katana 100, (and in fact I find myself using the 50 at the 0.5w setting a lot). Your earlier review of the Tweedtone indicated it was a decent amp. Artist put out some good stuff.

[@Scott__C]

Nice back to back. Since you quickly dialed in some in the room sounds, I think it would be easy to tweak the Katana or the Artist to more closely match. To me, if I were playing a gig, I'd use the Katana, hook it to my computer and set up the effects or patches I need, plug in the foot pedal and be done with it. I do like that that they made it more simple to sort out giving type of sound rather than be tied into the whole modeling of a specific amp.

[@Doug5524]

My main amp is a Fender deluxe reverb but after watching you with the Roland Cube Artist so I got one great 80watts but great at low watts and takes headphone great for late-night playing thanks Shane

[@tarkett8529]

In isolation I prefer the Artist Tweed Tone but in a mix doesn’t really matter too much in my opinion both sound as good as each other.

[@alainbrisebois8334]

@@lucid_delirium976 Nope, the Artist is better sounding, my opinion.

[@Haplo59]

@@alainbrisebois8334 I largely prefer the Katana, the Artist sounds narrow IMO. And if you want narrower/warmer sound on the Katana, you just tweak the treble knob, that works perfectly. But I'm more of a "function/practicality" guy: if it works, I go for it. If I was more "material nerd", I'd go for a tube for sure ;) On the other hand, in motorbikes i'm way more interested in what I ride than how practical/fast it is.

[@bobby1970]

@@Haplo59 When you mentioned the Katana Artist, are you talking about the normal Katana Artist, or the Katana Artist MK2?

[@Haplo59]

@@bobby1970 The Artist in this video is the other amp (tube amp), not the Katana, though a "Katana Artist" exists. The Katana displayed in this video is the "Katana 100 MK2" not the "Katana Artist" ;)

[@DenisAhmet]

You summed it up pretty much as I heard it. I have the Katana 50 Mk1 and tried connecting an Art Gold tube preamp to it. It sounds great, plus it’s boosted the over all volume. Being a pre it is hard to get the tubes to break up, but you can get a nice crunch. I only play clean so it suites me fine. Noticed you played the drums right handed. I’m a lefty and play golf right handed. Thanks Shane for the comparison, it further makes me want to stick with my Katana, I love mine.

[@smokinjoe4709]

They both sounded like you playing through my pc speakers on youTube... :)

[@scottreynolds6317]

Awesome vid! I will use both my Katana 100w MkII & Marshall DSL40cr in a wet/dry rig setup.

[@pbboeye1012]

'Ice pick attack on the high end' - damn if that's not a perfect phrase. You nailed. And I agree - the clean tube is untouchable.

[@Remsterdam]

Great comparisson vid, thank you for that! I definately prefer the Katana except in the lead part, great warm sound from the tube amp, nothing can beat that.

[@addicted2tone349]

I got the Katana Artist because of Shanes review of these. I parked my tube amps and sold all of them but my EVH. It’s unbelievable how good these are especially for a player who doesn’t play out anymore. Takes pedals amazingly too.

[@portuguesebeer5069]

Honestly, in my oppinion the Katana wins. By far! But booth sound nice! Cheers from Portugal 🍺🤘

[@aujax1]

tube amp definitely sounds better. more character, warmth, depth to the tone.

[@pagisubuh]

sorry I have to disagree with that . Better is quite subjective . In my opinion both of them sound good at certain taste of individual. Overall i will go for katana for it versatility, of course for me. cheers

[@sixslinger9951]

I have both tube and Katana. The Katana wins on versatility, and with the right eq'ing, on tone too.

[@asant90]

*better for your ears

[@garyjinks7482]

I have a Katana Artist which IMHO is the way to go with Katana lineup, for gigs it has everything effects loop, line out, standby, power settings .... To me the speaker and cabinet make all the difference plus with a little time you can get the exact clean tone your looking for. I use it the same as my Fender HRD - clean with pedals. I have never cared for the HRD crunch, sounds muddy, and I really don't use the other Katana settings as my pedal board rocks. I have A/B'ed the two amps and you will be hard pressed to guess which is which listening or playing. I have been gigging with it for about 2 years now and it has been solid.

[@ronnienose8608]

Hi, really pleased the Artist is serving you well. I've been trying to make up my mind about the Artist 100 or the 100 2x12, so I asked Andertons for advice. I was wondering if the extra speaker would make up for lack of a Waza speaker. I was told that if I just wanted to record at home then definitely go for the Artist, but the 2x12 is the way to go for gigging. I'm still keen on getting the Artist though, how does it cope with a band, is it loud enough to cope with a loud drummer? I appreciate your help in this matter. Cheers, Ronnie.

[@WalkenDead]

The Artist has a better speaker. That is why when I got my mkii head I opted to try it with the Harley Benton vintage cab. I dig it

[@killacoiler1707]

Gary I agree with you in that of all the Katana amps the Artist with the single waza speaker has a much better tone than the 2x12 100w. I am a tone snob and while people seem to think me crazy the design of your cabinet and the choice of speaker makes all the difference in the world. I like the upgrades that you get with the MKII series but truthfully the series one Artist is still better than the MKII 2x12 100w. In my opinion.

[@robbie12207]

The artist is another level. The speaker and cab are better. Actually, the speaker is much better and normal katana speaker is not average at all.

[@sixslinger9951]

@@killacoiler1707 same with me...the Artist is worth the $200 upgrade. the waza speaker alone costs that much.

[@DisturbedBurger]

I liked the ice pick reference. The tube amp's high end sounds like the high end rounds off into a space it can't fully expand in, but it's presence is still there to "glaze" the sound.

[@keithspillett5298]

Greetings from the UK 😊 I'm a great fan of your channel, and of valve amps, but, finding myself in my late 60s, my back muscles are not what they were, so I recently acquired a Roland Cube 60 because it's half the weight of my favourite valve amp. I pretty much only use the JC clean channel, which is stunning in its own right as well as being a fantastic pedal platform. The Boss Katana range seem to be a logical progression from the Roland Cubes, and the sounds/facilities aren't a million miles apart either! However, as you said in the video, you turn the valve amp on and pretty much get what you get. So yes, the valve amp sounds/feels the best when settings are at their optimum, but the solid state amps are capable of retaining their best tones right across a much wider volume spectrum 😊

[@turrafirmaguitarchannel]

I just bought a Katana head and had a first jam with last week. I was thrilled with the tone I got with it. I used the clean channel with some of the blues driver effect and a little reverb. I was running the Katana at 100 watts with master on full and channel volume very low. Yes the amp is bright but this meant I could roll off the volume and tone on my LP. I was getting a really nice tone. And unlike my low wattage valve heads the Katana has ludicrous amounts of clean power. I just sold my Jet City 20 watt head and now wondering if I need My Ibanez 15 watt head any more. Katana head is also compact and not too heavy. Last point, the valve heads tend to sound worse over time as the valves wear. It is expensive replacing valves.

[@nunogui]

Just like your user name.

[@guitarnutsanonymous7199]

It sounds to me like the two amps together would sound glorious on the heavy/wah section of the song.

[@poundtacos4006]

I've had my 100 mark 2 for about 6 months now and FINALLY got to have a jam with a full band recently! I was up against and 800 watt ampeg bass amp, a 36 watt tubemeister and a brand new set of tama hyper drives. Had it on 50 watt mode and experienced zero issues! Tons of volume to boot and no "high end sizzle" as Robert put it, lol! Granted, I dont have quite the ear he has but it my 25 plus years of playing with bands this is by far the best bang for my buck I've ever had!

[@ianstanley2222]

Great video and very useful. I've just got rid of a jtm60 plus ext cab because it's died twice this year and its big in the house and I'm unlikely to be out gigging at my age. I was about to pull the trigger on the tweedtone but can't get one in the UK so looked at alternatives. I think the katana could be for me and watching your video has helped a lot. The reliability of solid state also appeals.

[@dbbikernator9929]

Was shopping around for a tube amp but noticed it's difficult to find replacement tubes these days, if needed......anyone else notice?

[@Jonathan-L]

The best A/B test of all time! ... A big thanks to Shane's right-handed twin brother for the great guitar work!

[@TippitoWOW]

Legend, thanks for sharing your opinion!!. Cheers mate!

[@VexylObby]

The BIG comparison is price point. Huge difference and the value in just having a single amp for so many options of tone with the Katana is insane. Any Gen 3 folks in chat yet?

[@armandom28]

Shane, it would be very helpful if in future you give the eq settings for the amps....the way you dial them in may not be how others would do it. For example, Dave Simpson, who you know, dials the katana in with 0 eq for a lot of tones and gets a great sound....equal to the artist imo....cheers

[@Necromanos]

I have a Katana 50w Mk1 and a Monoprice 15w all tube amp and I agree with your thoughts. I usually play through both at once splitting my guitar signal with a TC Electronic Mimiq doubler and together they sound awesome! You can dial in complementary sounds and add a little fx on the Katana while keeping the Monoprice dry except for reverb. And with the Mimiq doing its thing they sounds huge together!

[@alanrice9768]

Hi Shane, greetings from England. Thanks for this latest video, I have been debating whether to trade in my Blackstar HT20 head and HT408 cabinet for a Katana 2 100watt 1x12, the main reason being the versatility of the Katana. However, your comparison alerted me to the loss of ‘warmth’ or, as you described it ‘roundness’ of tone. Now I am torn. The only way to decide is, as always, “try before you buy”. I shall be more cautious thanks to your video, thanks. Keep up the good work, and honesty in calling out the duff ones in your yearly roundup. Cheers mate.

[@Deliquescentinsight]

I have the 100 MK1 X 1 2" and even on the .05 watt setting it gets damned loud, it is a beast

[@lunarslingshot1442]

Very true! I have a 100 mk2 1x12 and I play at the 0.5w setting at rehearsal with my full band even. 2 guitars, bass, drums and 3 vocals. It is cranked at that setting but I couldn't believe it would keep up. I can't imagine fully cranking the 100w setting.

[@brandonlesko3126]

I have the same amp and I usually keep it at the 0.5 watt setting. I am a considerate neighbour though.

[@sixslinger9951]

@@brandonlesko3126 I am considerate neighbor too and even a cranked .5 w setting is too loud. I crank the master full and keep my practive volume around 4-5...plenty loud!

[@geralr]

This is a great comparison Shane! Could you do a similar one with the mustang GTX and any tube amps you have?

[@jbognap]

For me it's about understanding your gear. Idea for a new video: tips and tricks for getting great tones from the Katana

[@brandonlesko3126]

Download the Sneaky Amps. Download the Dumble Amps. Always crank the Master Volume as it does sound better. Lighter gain settings work best in my opinion.

[@musik4life24]

Thank god for your Informative Channel without an Intro etc...good!

[@sanyamsharmaGuitarist]

Will turning down tone knob on guitar a little help in reducing high ends on katana a little bit?

[@biggusunitus]

Great review. I love the tweedtone - just wish it had a FX loop 😥

[@drb0813]

Shane, have you tried any of the Supro Blues King amps. I have the Blues King 8 (1 watt) and I'm really happy with it for home use.

[@monstrok]

Thanks for the comparison! As you said, the Katana sounded (and sounds) great in the room, yet came across with a more HiFi tone in the video. The real winner would be the listener with a left/right mix of both amps in a final jam!

[@J-Ndre]

The Boss Katana really sound more like a hi-fi speaker to me than a cab speaker. Have you tried to connect a regular audio input through the aux and see how it sounds? I use Celestion Vintage 30's on a Laney Ironheart myself.

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Man. I always say I'm going to start using solid state stuff like the Katana, but man...when I hear it back to back with a decent tube amp, I just can't do it. There is something about that warmth in tube amps... I just can't let go of it. my 2 cents.

[@STP-dh9gd]

Me too. Was on the fence about the katana 2x12 Mkii. Ended up with a blackstar ht club 40 mkii. Tube amps are where it’s at and no one can honestly deny that...

[@jazznotes3802]

Still Livin' The Blues That’s because you’ve convinced yourself that tubes are just better, warmer and so on. When Solid-state has just as much warmth and punch these days. Tubes are becoming less popular these days, with advancements in technology and that’s a good thing for us guitarists. The main difference here is the Katana is just voiced differently and has a completely different speaker. It’s like comparing two completely different tube amps with different cabs!

[@satanpuncher06]

I agree. To me it’s more about feel. Valves just react in a much more organic way than transistors do. This is because of the a tube works. Your guitar has a much more direct connection.

[@jazznotes3802]

Benjamin Holladay organic? It’s just an electrical signal going in and one coming out at the end of the day. All that organic, warmth and whatever tube snobby people come out with can be easily replicated with today’s technology. Solid-state is the future and ever guitarist should be happy amazing guitar tone can be had with SS tec. Price, weight, reliability and being much more flexible tone wise! Embrace the future 👍🏻

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

@@jazznotes3802 - "you've just convinced yourself that tubes are just better..." - Not when I compared a tube amp, and a solid state amp side by side, and actually like the tube amp better. I own plenty of solid states, I've even built some... On several occasions, I have compared side-by-side a good tube amp with a good solid state...and for me, the good tube amp has always won. I haven't "Convinced" myself of anything. I just prefer that sound. You may prefer the solid state...and that's fine. But to say, I've "convinced" myself of something before, or even after comparing, is just utter ridiculousness. I have no idea why you'd want to argue with personal preference. At no point do I put down solid state amps. I use them often.

[@matejhegedus7940]

I´m debating between Boss katana Mk2 50W vs Harley benton 15w tube amp (Or the 5 w cause you know money) i need something for band (we arent big band, and we dont play big gigs ), I want to use pedalboard with it. What would oyu guys recomend? Is it worth it to buy tube amp more than the katana if so will 5 w be enough or do I buy the 15 w? Oh yes and i forget as a band we play pop, rock and all the genres along these lines.

[@bneum]

That lead part was killer, man! I'd say as per usual, tubes sounded a little better on the cleans, just more sparkly, the transistor didn't sound bad, a little more snappy, and there's a slight artificial taste there but it's still great. But with the dirt, I personally very much preferred the katana! much more clear and crunchy. Overall I personally prefer solid state amps, just because they're simple, plug in and play at any volume and they do what they're told. I've never owned a tube amp but i've played on several of them, and they sound great, but i can never see myself needing one, those katanas slap too. I've been following your channel for a while and making decisions based on many videos i found from you, namely that I've owned a few peavey bandits thanks to you ;) haha. Now I have a Fender Princeton 65 SS, and I have found that the best way to get a full and sparkly "tube-like" tone from a SS amp is SPEAKER SWAP! as you have also done in a few videos. I have a WGS G12C/S American voiced speaker in there and have used also a WGS ET65 British voiced, and a peavey sheffield British one as well and they all make that amp sound really loud, full, round and still sparkly but no ice picky brightness. Love your unbiased, genuinely honest commentary on these wonderful products, keep rippin, Shane!

[@bobboitt3126]

Both are great, I can still hear a bit of that digital fizz on the Katana especially the lead tone. The tube amp is more rounded and smooth with bloom. Katana though is "all in one" effects and amp. Im probably biased though, I still love my tube amps.

[@edwinmartinez9787]

With head phones or monitors you can hear fizz on an internet or you tube with his mike setting etc. etc. WOW how ironic supe human hearing or full of ----

[@ryanryan6207]

Why do you need different power settings on a solid state amp? Can’t you just turn down the master volume and still maintain the tone?

[@riffdigger2133]

Thank you for this fine edit comparison. I thought the Katana had a transistor radio tone, or ice-pick sizzle as others have said which is a real bummer for blues tones compared to the tube amp. And I own a new Katana 100w. I will be downloading some patches off the online Boss website to correct this. MARTY SWARTZ did a good demo on this.

[@onemoreguitarchannel]

Cool track!

[@zazoomatt]

From the States, thank YOU Great Review !

[@landonbailey]

I liked them both. Mind you I was blind folded and had ear plugs in so I couldn't see or hear any difference at all! But seriously, I think I preferred the Katana in most cases, but I'm sure in the room sound would have been different.

[@foggybrainmusic]

Have you tried the Blues Jr. with the Master Volume all the way up and using the Volume knob to control levels? Sounds awesome. I actually bought a Katana 100W and returned it the next day. It felt like I was playing though a plug in rather than an amp. I couldn't vibe with it at all, although it was very easy to play through it because everything felt so compressed. I'm not a high gain player so I mostly used it on the crunch channel or whatever it's called, with the boost engaged as per the GC employee's recommendation. Ended up getting a Blues Jr. instead.

[@dangeorge809]

Have you already done a comparison between the Nextone EL84 mode and an EL84 amp? I'd be curious to see the two compared.

[@davidsharp9805]

Great review. I agree. Valve amps sound generally fuller and fatter, also receive responsive but volume is a must for them to work.

[@gustavoquaiatti]

Proud to be a left handed 🙏 thanks for the video Shane really helped my choice, 🇧🇷

[@homeguitarplayer9482]

As a player I don't have a lot of experience with tube amps, just the Mesa Boogie Mark IV I owned for about four months. That amp seemed like a lot of money for something my Amplitube 4 does just as well in the mix. I now own a Katan 50 mark 1 a Katana 100 212 MARK 2 and a Katana Artist 100 MARK 2 with the GAFC foot switch and all three of those amps combined cost less that the Mesa Boogie, and are more versatile and cover more situations than the Boogie. Thankfully I'm not plagued with the Valve maintenance and weight. I'll take take the Katana all day over a valve amp!

[@sixslinger9951]

same.....my marshalls are collecting dust

[@MacKinnon2k13]

great video! i think the clean channel on the tube amp was just awesome. sounded great and slightly warm like it should. you are correct tht the Katana had a sharpness in the attack that gave it a more raw tone. For the brown and crunch channels though I thought the Katana all the way. Maybe just how it was dialed in but sounded like it used that rawness of the attack to its advantage. just my opinon, and i like that raw tone on OD and Dist channels personally. reminds me of old Cheap Trick music. Don't think you'd go wrong either with amp though and the conclusion was a fair and spot on one at the end of the video. cheers!

[@c0unterac342]

I found a KILLER Katana tone and just want to put it on a Kemper profile so I can really get in with a scalpel approach and fine tune it However I'm curious Do you remember your Katana settings for this video?

[@123Ir0nman]

I definitely liked the Katana in both the cleans and the crunch settings. the Tube amp just sounded way to muddy on the gained up tones.

[@johnhenderson5485]

Looking the love rock tones awesome Shane . the new strat great to

[@valkimber3706]

You've convinced me I'm buying a Katana!

[@brandonlesko3126]

Do yourself a favor and download the Sneaky Amps and the Dumble Amps. You won't be disappointed.

[@davidhaolai]

@@brandonlesko3126 kindly do share how to do this

[@brandonlesko3126]

@@davidhaolai You have to seek out a .TSL file for the Katana Tone Studio. Look for the Sneaky Amps and the Dumble Amps. When you download them, open up your Tone Studio and bring those files in. You can then create a new live set and insert those amps in your Katana.

[@davidhaolai]

@@brandonlesko3126 thanks....

[@sixslinger9951]

@@brandonlesko3126 with a ton of tweaking to the sneaky amps. they aren't that special if you ask me. you can get better tones just knowing how to eq the amp properly

[@voxpathfinder15r]

I totally get the idea behind this video. I have a music room full of tube amplifiers and 98% of the time I am playing this little Orange Crush 12 solid state right now. Takes pedals amazingly! At one point I was playing an MXR distortion + and it’s this incredibly compressed sound which is a lot of fun. So I was like, well this little amplifier as great as it is lacks a lot of headroom. Then I plugged in a modded boss blues driver, and man it sounded as loud and open as a 12 watts fender tube amplifier. Really great little amp. Will never ever sell my tube amplifiers, but I get this different technology. This Boss katana will do all those bar gigs just fine and nobody will care. And best of all you won’t care if someone slops beer onto it.

[@JimiBarba]

Cool video man! When you played the first clean chord in the tube amp, I rembered why I love tubes. And better with hambuckings. Cheers!

[@user-jz6to8md3c]

Shane your multi talented as well as a good guitarist you play drums.

[@robertclarkguitar]

You know this channel is so relaxing and interesting. I hope to grow to be half the channel. Hahah. Amazing work. Indeed lots of it! *work! Hahah

[@basarat]

Retro intheblues thumbnail 😂👌🌹

[@HairySon92]

Completely unrelated to your video Shane, but does anyone know what happened to cheddar Kung pao? If looks like his channel is down 😔

[@Ben59910]

I really love that lp special

[@simonkormendy849]

Bought myself a Boss Katana KTN-100 Mk II the year before last year as a birthday present to myself, it's a wonderful amp once you get to know it, I also bought the optional Boss GA-FC Foot Controller and vinyl amp cover while I was at it, all up it cost me about Au$800.00, it has a total of eight user programmable channels, each one of them can have up to five effects chained in a row, you also get two different voicings/variations of each of the amp types (Modern/Vintage), amp types are Acoustic, Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown, you also get a total of 60 virtual pedals as well as an external FX Loop, not only that, there's also a stereo link feature where you can link two KTN-100 Mk II amps together for stereo sound, and there's a headphone/line out socket on the back that includes speaker cab emulation, there's a power switch where you can set the output power of the amp from .5W to 50W to the full 100W, my KTN-100 Mk II is the 1 X 12 model, I have already tried it in a live band gigging situation and it is more than loud enough to cut through a live band mix, best of all, it is easier to tote to a gig because it is lighter than my Marshall MA100C 100W 2 X 12 all Tube amp.

[@MrBarefoot09]

I do mainly clean tones, I'm keen to have the ease of solid state but as this video shows solid state just can do the singing clean tones that tubes can.

[@fernandoguerrero2179]

Could you make a review on the Marshall Code 100 combo? I know you did one on the Code 25, but the 100 combo is the one that im interested in