I Finally Gigged the Line 6 Catalyst 100 - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...

[@kilofireb8584]

I've been strictly playing my catalyst 60 sense they released it. This amp is great! Not just for the price. It definitely doesn't get the attention it deserves.

[@dejct]

Same 😀

[@danielgreenberg4751]

Same here! 😀🤘🏻

[@Kerriben]

Something to bear in mind is that fletcher-munson curve wise, your ear is more sensitive to a slightly lower range of mids than at low volume. That means that if at bedroom volume you are hearing a peak at 800hz, at higher volumes you might find that becomes more like 600hz as the flat low- mid boost (which may be pushing everything from 600-1.5 for example) will be perceived by you very differently at gig volumes. Absolute ballache!

[@GCKelloch]

Since it's a class D amp section, they should consider adding a loudness controll like on audio amps.

[@isitreallyisitreally1756]

Nice post , lovely to hear the phrase "load in" , as a gigging / jam night / open mic player it can make or break your evening especially as you get older (OAP here) , arm chair / bedroom warriors won't get it and wonder why anyone would use solid state / or hybrid etc over their fire breathing valve / tube combo / stack . Currently using a 1x12 lightweight DV Mark cab with 20 watt Orange Terror Stomp velcroed on top with some gain / modulation pedals ( also velcroed to top of cab ) and I can lift it with one finger , loud enough for pubs / medium clubs , for bigger venues just add another 1x12 cab to taste or run from amp sim out of Terror Stomp to fx return of my back up mk1 100 Katana , all super reliable and super light weight , best live set up i've ever used in nearly 50 years playing live , 😃👍

[@brendanflaherty6696]

THIS!!! A hundred thousand times, this

[@deddiev1718]

Well I think my ADA preamp to a Quadraverb to a Mesa 50/50 power amp to a Marshall 412 is hard to beat, but of course that was in the 90’s. Life has changed and my Fender tone master deluxe blonde and some pedals are working for me now

[@dragan4658]

I was impressed by a KZbin video about the Catalyst 60 so I bought one. Two weeks later I swapped it for the 100, both amazing Amps! I use it more than my new Fender hotrod deluxe. Thanks for your opinions on this great amp.

[@danielgreenberg4751]

I use mine more than my fender hot rod deluxe too because it is so much lighter and sounds good 😎🤘🏻

[@dragan4658]

@@danielgreenberg4751 agreed

[@glyman1212]

How would you characterize the difference between the sound of the 60 and 100? I think the cabinet size makes a big difference.

[@dragan4658]

@glyman1212 I find them about the same. At 1st, I thought the 60 was cleaner even with a lot of distortion, but I think it may just be that the 100 is louder, so that gives the impression that the smaller amp is cleaner. I'm very satisfied with the Catalyst 100. In fact, I use it more than my brand new Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.

[@mraybarsx]

@@glyman1212 cabinet size ? arent they both 12 ?

[@thejamman555]

Pleasure playing with you John!

[@BluesDocter]

I used the 3 screws of the Catalyst logo to secure the trim round the panel 😊 And replaced the speaker for a light weight Celestion neo. Further more I advice to remove the power selector knob or transport the amp face down to avoid ruining it. But sound en price wise its a bargain. Special the old version. I love it.

[@fivefingerfullprice3403]

Great playing as usual John! Nice thoughts and thanks for sharing your experience with it.

[@danstringer7610]

I’ve been using my Katana as a pedal platform and it works for me.

[@tommybrxb]

I covered mine in grey snakeskin tolex and now it’s awesome.

[@johnandre5558]

Great idea.

[@rw4273]

LOL

[@JonNewquist]

I bought my Catalyst 60 almost exactly 2 years ago. I used it for one garden gig with my SE SilverSky. I thought that pairing sounded pretty good, but I used my board's delays and modulation pedals in front of it. I sold it for the Princeton Tone Master which I liked better, but still preferred my verb & trem pedal in front of that. So now I use a Milkman The Amp 50. My board got much smaller and I can still run sans cabinet if required. I'm glad I went on that journey! I'm grateful for all the options that are available. I ordered a Boss IR-2 from Sweetwater at the end of December and I'm still waiting....

[@Adventuresingearland]

Awesome opening thought, JNC! Looking forward to hearing the rest of the video on the back of that. 👏🏻

[@grayman7914]

Tip for reattching trim bezel around ctrl panel: 3M auto trim adhesive tape. It's made to adjust to vibration/movement/extreme temp changes. Also, can just use small screws like the Catalyst CX, just need pilot holes in cab and full size holes in bezel.

[@kenthhamner2641]

I used construction adhesive (PL premium)

[@adrianstoneman2690]

I used some black wood screws and some careful measuring to make my original look like the CX. The wood is quite soft so I didn't need pilot holes there. The result is rock solid but it's a shame that it was needed.

[@Anjohl]

Just to clarify, the trim on the inside of the top control panel coming off is a known issue, and is a big part of why Line 6 has been discounting these for the past year. It's simply cosmetic, and a dab of super glue will reattach it no problem. I'm not sure how robust the amps are otherwise, but that part is a known design flaw.

[@danstringer7610]

Your gig playing was amazing…and your tones were fine. I am sure all who heard you were impressed.

[@danstringer7610]

Thanks!

[@phineashenshaw]

@John Nathan Cordy I just neatly drilled holes in that trim cover, got some finish screws and screwed mine back on. Kind of emulated the look of the new CX model. Otherwise, as far as being durable, The covering is not going to last as long as my Fender Princeton Chorus from 1990 with the original cover on it. I would suspect I will be changing the covering in the long run. Cheaper than a new amp. I think the construction of it should be fine. As far as the amp over all, it is a winner. I think this is more of a live players digital amp. I run mine in manual, do where ever I set the knobs, that is what I get. The main reason I got this amp over the Katana or the Blackstar. Another think I like about the Catalyst is the fact that it does not try too hard to emulate other amplifiers. Kind of like they made their own versions of the tones.

[@rafalpaliga1775]

Woukd catalyst work well with Tonex pedal that I would use for mostly clean amp tones. I have a bunch of overdrive pedals in front of it and selay and reverb behind it.

[@michaelschneider7590]

Wonderful playing as always, and fun to “ride along” to your gig! I’m very happy with my CX 60, mainly using the two clean amp voices and Aristocat but will definitely try again with the Grammatico based on your experience. With and without a Browne Carbon as blues breaker. (No other pedals as yet, and a Tumnus set to arrive tomorrow.) You mentioned a compressor but I missed seeing which you use…. Many thanks!

[@HarryBall-fw7pv]

I mainly use a volume pedal to cut hum from high gain pedal. Besides the obvious a volume kill

[@andrewschatz3259]

I've had a Cat 100 for a year and it's my go-to amp even though I have nice tube amps. I use it as a monitor for the Hxstomp, and it gives me loads of really good different tones. John's right, the build quality isn't great, but I take care of my gear and through a number of gigs and rehearsals it's worked flawlessly. The new update( it's downloadable for the original Catalyst) add some nice new amp models. I wish it had better footswitch implementation so I could leave the pedalboard home, but I don't think that's going to happen. It's lightweight, cheap, sounds very good, and if the Stomp dies, I have a plan B. That alone is enough to keep my 50lb amps at home.

[@Jimmy4Thumbs]

It's a shame your pedalboard died. I was grooving to today's improv! Excellent work. Went back and listened to it twice!

[@johnnathancordy]

LOL it happened on the gig too.......SIGH

[@kenthhamner2641]

Some nice shredding there!

[@r0bophonic]

Have you done a video on why you use an amp at gigs, versus going direct and using the stage monitors?

[@zoomzoom3950]

Just upgraded my Catalyst 100 to the latest CX firmware. I turn the hum off. Nice that Line 6 is giving original Catalyst owners the new CX amps and effects in a software upgrade, unlike Boss Katana Gen 3 - you have to buy the new amp I think? I use my Catalyst with my HX-Effects in 4CM; and I can change amp channels when I switch patches on the HX-Effects; I also have a footswitch in each patch to turn the amp boost on/off. I don't use the effects in the Catalyst. It's my smallest most versatile and practical amp rig; only my Mooer Prime S1 is smaller and using in ears on silent stage.

[@zoomzoom3950]

I put my Catalyst 100 on a folding, tilt stand which really helps what I hear IME.

[@TheBoboMaker]

I have a 60W Spider V Mk 2. I'm very happy with it, except for the lack of an effects loop. I only use the amp models and a touch of reverb. The only effects I use are a Notaklon and a Boss RE-20. I think an upgrade to a Catalyst or a Kantana could be warranted. Your channel has a lot of videos on both. Thanks.

[@Avatar7x7]

When I checked out the Catalyst I liked it better than the Katana especially for the overdrive tones but the newest version of the Katana that you (John Nathan Cordy) recently reviewed sounded pretty killer so I might test drive the new version in person !

[@24avenged24]

Being able to turn the hum off as a master setting is one of my only complaints with my catalyst 100 after more than a year with it. 99% of the time my effects are reverb/trem but it would also be nice to be able to change the default settings for effects, to make swapping effects more useable without the app. Other than that i love it. I really love the aristocrat model, and the 2204 mod from the update has become my default second channel.

[@christopherjbutler]

That may be my favorite cold open for any guitar video. LOL John, you might have gotten a blacklist from a TPS appearance with that one if it weren't so funny. Mick would probably jump INTO a grave so he could turn over in it. 😂 Whatever works, whatever SOUNDS and feels right for the job IS right for the job.

[@alexdenton6586]

It might be a bit off-topic, but I’m taking this opportunity because we’re all interested in guitar amps here. I'm really torn right now as I need to buy a new modeling combo amp that I can use for a bit of everything. I'm looking for the best possible sound quality with the simplest controls, because while there are a lot of modes out there, they’re not always easy to use, or you need to use software. I'm undecided between the latest Line 6 Catalyst CX series, the newest Boss Katana Gen 3, and the Fender GTX, which also seem excellent. Which one sounds the absolute best and is the easiest to use?

[@GCKelloch]

Part of the honkiness could be the speaker. It looks like it has a wide cloth dust cover. Speakers with those tend to have a muffled 4~5kHz that can make them sound more honky. It may also not have a typical 1-2kHz dip of a classic Britsh speaker. Maybe that can be dialed in with a software eq? It should be last in the chain, if possible, as not to affect the amp sim sound

[@worthmoremusic]

Soon we'll start seeing reviews/demos on the new Line 6 Catalyst CX and the new Boss Katana Generation 3.... Be on the lookout from Andertons.

[@DaveInkster]

I'd be really interested to hear your take on this: I play weddings/functions most weekends, and use a Fender TM DR. I don't use in ears, and top up the onstage sound by going direct out into the mixer for foh. At the weekend, I tried my Katana 100 (have only used in my teaching studio as the amp for students to use) and was really surprised by how good it was (although I didn't like the line out, so foh wasn't great). I'm getting paranoid about the Fender, as I'm using constantly it for long weekend gigs, and every day in the studio for teaching, so thinking about either getting a Katana 50, or a Catalyst for me to use in lessons, but also to give me the option for some gigs to run in stereo alongside my Katana 100 (first gen) just for a change from time to time. I only use a clean sound on the amp, and everything comes from my pedalboard - what would you go for? Wondering if the xlr out would be bettere than the Katanas line out, but thinking I could get a mic if I do go down that road.

[@kenthhamner2641]

I have the 60w. Sometimes I use it on its own and sometimes I plug my Helix LT into the power amp in! Yeah that trim piece fell off and I just use the amp at home! I haven’t upgraded the SW yet as I don’t feel the need to.

[@steverolfeca]

Who hasn’t lusted after stadium-ready rigs, when 15-40W (tube) or 50-100W (solid state) is more practical? We often overlook cab type as well- sealed for heavier sounds vs open back for more atmospheric material.

[@stevebon9688]

My100 trim came off too and had to super glue that trim but all ok.

[@MRxr400]

it sounded pretty amazing to me.

[@jaymax3201]

I want to go home early and play the guitar. There are still many things I need to try.

[@monahantp3767]

While I really enjoy my Helix, if I've got to grab an amp for a gig I'd go Boss Katana/Nextone. Boss gear is built knowing the users are going to beat them up a bit-- NEVER had Boss gear let me down, and it sounds great! The Line6 amp sounds great, and its UI is miles beyond the Boss IMHO. In the end, either choice is still lighter and FAR less expensive than the tube-counterparts-- and that's a HUGE win in my book :)

[@jimamsden]

John your playing is great as always. Wouldn't a Helix into a Powercab set Flat/RAW provide even more flexibility with a simpler setup?

[@jackarcher_]

Would love to see you try something like the orange 35rt if you could easily borrow one. I feel like it fits in the same lane as the catalyst and katana but doesn't get talked about as much.

[@trickfall8752]

Everything else aside, I got one of these delivered to me yesterday for 330.00 including tax. That's a phenomenal price point for someone getting their first or second amp. that is leagues better than the amps that were available when I was starting out. Also, I haven't heard one in the flesh, but Two Rock's always sound incredibly vanilla to me when I hear them in demos. They seem to be the millennial gray of amps.

[@Anjohl]

Those creamy Strat tones at the start!

[@shane011471]

LOL! I do not think I have ever seen one that did not have the trim on top of the chassis that has not yet removed itself at some point. They fixed the issue with the CX, but it was funny. Which one do you like more the Katana or the Catalyst?

[@johnnathancordy]

I think on Clean tones alone, the Catalyst I may marginally prefer? For higher gain tones, the Katana wins as I can use the para/graphic eq to shape it more to what I'm looking for?

[@em-dashman4404]

Is that ‘Gramatico’ you’re talking about part of a firmware update?

[@ll14m4n]

yes, it is second "Boutique" voicing that comes with firmware upgrade.

[@Ashleyluscombe]

John… what IEM set up do you use?

[@mmazaodesu]

Hi man , can u please make a tutorial video about Matteo Mancuso’s tones on Ampero mp-100 pls? I would be so thankful

[@landon.cunningham]

I've never really understood why people involve channel volume on the Helix or this or whatever - it doesn't impact your tone at all so why not take it out of the equation but just setting it to max? I like to eliminate variables. Then, the only thing impacting your volume is your gain, boost, and master volume. The ONLY reason you'd need the channel volume IMHO is if you are channel switching between two patches and you need to balance the volume from one to the other WITHOUT impacting the tone.

[@guitarbob63]

I'm looking to purchase the Catalyst 60 but now I'm worried about this "hum" you talked about in the beginning of your video. What the hell is that and how worried should I be.....also do you just play on the clean channel with pedals and if you do why would I buy something with all the bells and whistles if I'm just playing on a clean channel?

[@stevemacdreamcolours]

Hi John, thanks. Do you prefer the Catalyst or the Fender FR-12 with modellers?

[@johnnathancordy]

Honestly I think I preferred the Catalyst last night, but I wonder if this is the sort of thing that might vary venue to venue?

[@BababooeySoundEffect]

I double that

[@dannyraysmusicproduction6604]

Get A Call Into Joe Morgan…. My Music Store Use To Carry Morgan Amps. I think he still has his Shop in Huntington Beach, Calif. I personally own and use a Combo Morgan 30/800 A Beautiful Sounding Amp!!!

[@Mahdi_ddA]

Cool really awesome jonathan ❤❤you are an amazing artist really im a guitarist and i live in italy but i watch your videos every day my name is mahdi and im 23 years old i love Uk And england ❤❤🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎸🎸🌞🌞😊😊😊🎸🎸You are beautiful People really finally this august im coming in London with my dad im so happy really ❤❤😊😊😊😊i love songs like somebody else the 1975 ❤❤🌞🌞🎸🎸🎸🎸⭐⭐😊😊

[@danielgreenberg4751]

Does anyone know if the Catalyst Edit app works with the older Catalyst 60 watt after you update the app? Also, what is the hum function that can be turned off and does it apply in the manual mode?

[@druidavey]

You gigging with earplugs in? I've been experimenting with those and not decided if it's working for me yet.

[@clives555]

About to go off and gig mine at the Warrenpoint Blues Festival. Won’t sound remotely like yours though lol

[@johnnathancordy]

Have a great gig chap!!

[@junt0n]

Can you add new catalyst presets to the folder?

[@basiltiffani8850]

I still don't understand why the line tone sounds so much better than the typical recorded tone.

[@HarryBall-fw7pv]

Hows it compare to the gen 3 katana? Im in need of a affordable and reliable amps

[@HarryBall-fw7pv]

Still think I'd rather have the Boss katana's in stereo

[@godbyone]

I went back yesterday and listen to a few vids of his because I really liked the blackface reverb he did. But the overall best I’ve heard him was the suhr Bella . Please let Me know what u guys think is his best over all top amp ? I think suhr Bella is top and 2nd was a real 65 fender reverb he did yesterday

[@iancurrie8844]

I had a 100 for a few months. It was really poor. Don’t believe online content creators. It was completely missing the “amp into the room” feel and once the gain went up, it was extremely poor. Very very fake sounding. I own some really nice amps but also some cheap ones and when I compared the catalyst to the Katana 100 even my wife could tell the difference. She doesn’t play guitar but I played on both (higher gain) and asked her opinion. She pointed to the katana and said “sounds real” and then the catalyst “sounds fake”. She’s right.

[@BobbyCulpepper.srv3fender]

I did the same and thought the same! Catalyst sounds like a spider, katana wipes the floor with it

[@johnnathancordy]

That's interesting - personally as I concluded at the end of the video, if I were to be using the gain channels - I'd pick the Katana, but for the Cleans, I think I'd possibly be considering the Catalyst. For the higher gain stuff I think both being open back construction doesn't necessarily lend itself to particularly pleasing results - but with the Katana having Para/Graphic EQ options there's plenty more flexibility!

[@iancurrie8844]

@@johnnathancordy Thanks for your video and comment. I also find the cleans on the Catalyst to be super fake but hey - horses for courses.

[@dappergents3743]

Not sure about that I'm a jazz player the catalyst runs circles around the boss in regards to clean tones and it's very noticeable the difference between the two Amps IMO

[@BobbyCulpepper.srv3fender]

@@dappergents3743 no offense, but jazz players can get useable tone from any amp, even direct to a pa speaker. I play country, so it has to meet a certain standard if im gonna use it. I hardly ever use it for anything but clean, with pedals. I use a line 6 stomp, but even the delays and reverbs in the katana sound better to me

[@jamesbarrick3403]

Regular price $399 but now on reverb $199 brand new

[@mikefarquhar5063]

Thanks for the rundown, very helpful, one question grammatico gsg? Is this an amp model update?

[@rickharrison4722]

It's one of the additional models that comes with the v2 firmware.

[@Mahdi_ddA]

Here in italy in my city i not have friends and a girl and nobody want listen me play guitar they dont understand me here nobody here the institutions dont support but i never give up on my dreams it till that day 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🌞🎸🎸🎸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎸When i meet you and be your friend and play guitar with you and someone famous in Uk in guitar and find a girl in London 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎸🎸⭐⭐😊😊With blonde hair ❤❤😊😊

[@donyignazio1544]

the name CATALYST is used to fight KATANA, but even this can't fight ... wkwkwk

[@jimmcdougall9973]

And to think For a Few Dollars More…

[@artierobinette4903]

Huh...so there's jazz bands, and there's normal bands. Got it.

[@Rummy73]

Sounds thin and boxy

[@johnplaystheguitar123]

Well youre banned from TPS now before even getting invited. Mick wont be happy.

[@1mihayes]

Is it just me? I mean I was NOT impressed with the CATALYST at all. Sounded very imitation and little feedback. I don’t know what John is talking about here. I honestly thought he was trolling at first. But I guess different strokes for different folks. However, for me it sounded like hot garbage.

[@dappergents3743]

Probably means you're not that great of a guitar player the sound comes from your fingers first not the Amp if you have great touch and feel The Amps really doesn't matter all that much . The problem with most players they rely on effects way too much and can't hear the characteristics of the guitar they play and how it has a huge impact on the Amp sound Certain guitars sound better played on certain kinds of Amps

[@1mihayes]

@@dappergents3743 Hey, thanks for reminding me what I already knew… I’m a terrible guitar player. But that’s still no excuse for this amp. I guess it doesn’t matter. You like what you like and that’s it. It is what it is.