They Say the Boss Katana is Digital Trash - Can We Be Honest?

[@joerobertson795]

We're lucky to live in a world where a Classic Vibe and a Katana get you 95% of the way for about $700 new retail and less than $500 used. The price doubles to get to 96%, doubles again to get 97%, etc... I'm not poo pooing expensive gear (I have a ton), but I also came up came up in the era of Gorilla amps being the go-to beginner affordable amplifiers. I would have killed for a Katana in 1985. People are spoiled and Conspicuous Consumption and Brand Flashing have become more important than talent for a large portion of "The Guitar Community". My 2 cents.

[@user-eu3mn6ss5l]

Agreed. And a large percentage of the guitar community are bedroom players. There's nothing wrong with being a bedroom player, but even playing in small bars is a lot different. Gear that is reasonably priced, sounds good, and doesn't way a ton can be very important. Most bar patrons don't care what amp you play - they care if you play the right notes.

[@hailmaryrecordings8255]

Totally. I played my first show as a high school sophomore in February of 1986. My dad was a pro & had good-gear for me to borrow, but my friends had Gorillas & those awful 80’s Peavey’s with the “saturation” knob. 😂

[@frossbog]

I had the Katana's great-great-grandfather, the Boss MG-10. The damn thing had 2 5" speakers and cost $149 in 1988 and sounds like ass.

[@ogmakefirefiregood]

I had a Peavey Rage with the Saturation knob. And the "Rage" button. 😆 I remember getting an Alesis Midi-Verb and thinking, "This is Awesome with my amp." 🤣

[@joehynes2964]

Perfectly stated. We are SO spoiled by modern gear like this. I would have killed for a Katana back in the day.

[@bennettskb555]

As a 70 year old gigging guitarist, the Katana has been a god send in its low weight, it’s low price, it’s 100% reliability, high gigging volume and yes, it’s quality. Everyone to their own…….I love them👍

[@Bret_Sanor]

How long have you had it? I had 2 different ones, the version 1 head and a MKII combo and both did the exact same thing at the same age (one year in after buying brand new). They both crapped out in the digital section and started making a lot of digital noise and sounding terrible. Just curious as to the age of it as I had 2 different ones do the exact same thing at the same age in their life so I was wondering if anyone else had that happen.

[@bennettskb555]

@@Bret_Sanor Hi Bret, I have a number of Katana’s including the head. The oldest are five years old and been gigged at least twice a week during that period with no problems. Sorry to hear you have not been so fortunate.

[@garycastronova7939]

It sounds like ass. I had the second version it's ok but the new katana sounds terrible and it's more expensive. Not impressed at all.

[@DaveMiller-is-DM]

I am with you on the weight. I've just got a G3 100 having had a MK1 50. 11kg was a joy but I'll cope with 14kg. I used to have 50 & 100 Jubilees - and a van !!! These pop in the boot of my little car with little bag for the foot controller and few leads. Does it sounds as nice as my collection of pedals? For gigging yes. Who can hear the nuances. If I was record and re-amping I might use big ol' kit. That I never had to move!!

[@jbognap]

If Hendrix played a Katana head through a 4×12, I'm pretty sure a great many guitarists would be complaing they couldn't get their Marshall heads to sound like Hendrix' rig...

[@Danrt2]

Bingo. You can absolutely get a Hendrix tone, or pretty much anything else you want, out of it.

[@shanejb2121]

I own a 50 mk II and absolutely love it. I originally bought it out of necessity as during the final months of the pandemic, I couldn't find replacement power tubes anywhere. I was and still remain blown away at the ease of dialing any tone on any guitar in a matter of few minutes and have instant satisfaction with the response, warmth, and harmonic characteristics I've not seen in solid state/digital up to this point. I think alot of the naysayers, or detractors are simply stuck in the rut of their preconceptions, and won't allow their ears to be the deciding factor. Does it sound like a classic Marshall Super Lead? No. but it equals or rivals any solid state, or SS/tube hybrid offering to date, and holds it's ground. I actually love its ability to dial in the tone of a cranked Music Man HD 130 with no effort. Anyone who knows those amps had a horrible preamp distortion circuit, (think the Roland Jazz Chorus), but the power amp section is incredible, and the Katana lives right at home. If that's all it did, I'd be thrilled, but it does so much more. From glass cleans, to classic brown sound, it's an easy decision. Especially at the price point.

[@StrumBelievable]

It's good to know you run a "Gear Review" channel and not a "Gear Demo" channel. Please don't change! I feel there are far too many KZbinrs out there masquerading as reviewers when the majority of what they do are demos (paid or not). Ah, the siren call of free gear!

[@jdemedeiros1]

Katana is as good and feature packed an amp as 95% guitarists would need…I say this as a major gear head

[@JDStone20]

Exactly.

[@30smsuperstrat]

In terms of performing and getting the music out there 100% of any guitarist would ever need. Any issues would be between the ears. I'm just being frank after 35 years playing, performing, and wasting money on flavors that did nothing to make the lasagna any better😅.

[@mkrj2576]

What’s a good, lightweight 1x12 cab to go with the Kat head for gigging?

[@myTubesTube]

I got a DV Mark 112 Neoclassic cab with my katana 2 head and cant stop grinning

[@Danrt2]

I've been playing off and on for the better part of 35 years. After an extended layoff, I've finally gotten back to my guitar. I started researching amps, and played through at least a dozen amps in my price range, and found that there's nothing that comes close to the Katana Artist. It sounds amazing, and the onboard effects surpass everything else out there. Plus, you can download independently developed sound profiles and make it sound like literally anything you could ever want. Personally, I can't recommend it enough. It came recommended by a good friend of mine who is also a professional musician here in Pittsburgh. It's his main amp, and he plays with 3 different active bands. It's his only rig. Anytime I can't dial in what I'm hearing in my head, I just go look at for the profiles online, and I'm more than satisfied. Take that for what it's worth, but for my money, you just really can't go wrong with it.

[@victorbr234]

I was jamming with my guitar professor at the end of the class, I was plugged into the 1987x plexi and he into the studio Silver Jubilee, we sounded amazing. Then he decided to plug into the Katana (100 Mk2)for fun, and it still was amazing. The Katana is a great practical amp. It’s a very nice tool for any guitar player, it doesn’t mean you have to get rid of your tube amps though

[@garycastronova7939]

I'll agree it's decent for what it is but the new version doesn't sound as good to me. I don't like it so far from what I have heard. If you can't afford a good tube amp then go for it, but the second version not the newest one, ...save up for something good like a Mesa Mark series or a Friedman

[@jburdsinfuse]

If you can play competently, the Katana is a perfectly fine amp to gig. In fact, they're lite, loud, and cheap if it gets destroyed in the back of a van or getting kicked off a stage. I see gigging musicians using "inexpensive" digital gear ALL THE TIME. The internet is just silly when it comes to gear for live use versus hobbyists recording in their bedrooms.

[@vondoom2876]

Saw a fantastic band the other day, the guitarist sounded great. He was playing through a boss ME-90 into the PA. The audience of around 500 people were loving the music and having a great time. Not one person cared at all that he wasn't using an expensive rig.

[@patfix]

That last sentence indeed hits the nail on its head.

[@jimmcdougall9973]

And the majority of gear snobs/critics are bedroom players, who believe “the next best thing” will make them better players (without practicing).

[@Crabfather]

​@@jimmcdougall9973I dont think that's true but whatever.

[@jimmcdougall9973]

@@Crabfather join a couple of the Facebook groups. You will find the majority of the people I have mentioned are still of school going age.

[@mattdylan664]

i've never met anyone who thought the Katana was trash, quite the opposite

[@misterknightowlandco]

I owned one and didn’t care for it. I’m not anti ss/digital amps, I just preferred my fender mustang v1 over the katana.

[@danyeo]

@@misterknightowlandco The small Katana's suffer from a poor speaker and boxy sounding combo box. The Artist version definitely sounds better.

[@mattyq9130]

Elmo Karjalanein or somthing like that on youtube

[@PNWJEEPER01]

I was dubious about the Katana mkii until I picked one up used for $100 several months ago. The stock onboard patches were kind of lackluster, but after downloading the app onto a phone and watching a few tutorials on how to use the sculpting features in the app I began to realize that it can sound like any amp you want if you take the time to learn how to use it. What I've done is build three patches for live use with cascading levels of gain and matched eq/output voicing by a/b profiling my favorite tube amp and overdrive by ear. For the fourth patch I have a dedicated acoustic channel. In addition, I have dozens of patches written in the app which are useful for recording. I've gigged it a bunch and been super happy with the tones, the compact flexibility and the weight (or lack thereof). It's also worth mentioning that it cost me roughly 4 percent of what I paid for the tube amp and boutique overdrive it faithfully imitates.

[@BedeLaplume]

It's the best solidstate or non tube amp I've heard since the Jazz Chorus..

[@joerobertson795]

I second that emotion.

[@BedeLaplume]

@@joerobertson795 Merci mon ami :)

[@swardmusic]

Try a peavey bandid red label

[@hartlee1160]

​@@swardmusicI was about to comment the same thing. Lol

[@martinlahaie6012]

Le Jazz est un ampli unique et un son légendaire clean.. Le Katana fait tout de manière compétente

[@intenzityd3181]

I used to have a katana 100 and it kept up with a Marshall 100 watt head playing some big clubs. I'm incredibly anal about lead tones and I think the lack of low level control over tones is why I use modellers instead. But I think people who think there's some giant difference between katana and tube amps are just corksniffing boomers stuck in the past. You know the types who can hear the tonal effect of the nut material but can't bend a string in tune.

[@geralltwilliams2811]

Bang on mate most of them can't play shite usually with their Murphy lab or suhr guitar 😂😂😂or some expensive junk they bought from ATB guitars

[@garycartwright4860]

Yeah I see a lot of these gear freaks, and tone chasers. Taking guitars apart and testing the resistance of the pick ups etc. Then they plug them in and can’t play for shit 😂

[@misterknightowlandco]

In defense of the boomers… if you saw how bad they are at using the katana app on their cell phone… their probably right and THEIR katana probably DOES sound like shyt 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@floflomas1322]

I'm a sixties born labled by the far left type person and I have two katanas , the valve Marshall don't even get turned on anymore let alone gigged

[@floflomas1322]

​@@misterknightowlandcoI'm 63 and I use my mk1 100 combo live with my 10" tablet loaded with katana librarian

[@Dreyno]

When I started playing 30 years ago, I would’ve loved something like a Katana. Every different sound you wanted required going to a brick and mortar retailer, trying out pedals and then handing over a ton of money for one. Then you had to build a massive board for them. So massive you ended up not using it most of the time. I went from playing at home using a JCM 800 head and cab to a Blackstar HT-1R to a Boss ME-80 through headphones to mostly a Katana Go in the last month or two. Now I have any effect I can think of within a few seconds fiddling around on my phone. If I ever find myself gigging again, I would seriously consider a Katana amp for the flexibility, sound quality, price, robustness etc.

[@EXMORr]

You're Dead on . This Amp is Stupid Good !! This thing is a JCM 800 Right out of the Box at any volume that you can tweak in any direction , Warm or Hot !!

[@robmcauslan841]

The best guitarist I know (and by quite a long way!) owns pretty much every Mesa amp ever made, yet actively chooses to use the Katana for a good chunk of gigs. If it's good enough for someone who makes their living by playing guitar, it's more than good enough for the rest of us. I love my Mk2 head, it does everything I could possibly want.

[@BeachJazzMusic]

Your video is spot on. I just bought the Gen 3 100W combo. I didn't want to wait for the 'Artist'' because after seeing it in the store in person it is just too big for me. It was next to the standard 100W model and it was a lot bigger. I have the original MKI and MKII and there is a major difference between those so I figured that the Gen 3 will be even better, plus the ability to mod it with your phone over bluetooth is a godsend if I ever play out again. I'm almost 72 and don't drive so the less I have to take the better. If you have the new footswitch (GA-FC EX) and a couple of expressions pedals this amp will get you 95% of the way there and nobody in the audience is going to be able to tell the difference. It also takes modelers really well too. It's not as good as my Quilters but with them you have to have outboard gear (modeler/pedalboard, etc) to get the most out of it as it only has reverb and tremolo built in. Plus at the price point of the Katana if something happens to it it's not the end of the world. It takes some tweaking to get the most out of them but so do modelers. One thing that nobody mentions is reliability. I've used Boss and Roland gear for years. I've still got my original Cube 30 XL and have literally played a couple of hundred gigs on them (mostly solo) and even a couple of times when it was sprinkling out until I realized it and ran to get my gear under cover and I've never had an issue.

[@craiglatour-pn4jy]

Just curious how is the bloom featere..I'm buying the head soon!

[@BeachJazzMusic]

@@craiglatour-pn4jy Good question, Mine arrives tomorrow from Sweetwater. Depending on when it shows up hopefully I can answer that question but John can probably answer it now.

[@ukguitarnoodle]

People hear with their eyes. If you didn't show them what you are playing through would they guess ?

[@dlj1285]

Yup, the amp snobs will always have something to say. All those type of people are in denial of what is happening basically. As time goes on tube amps will get less and less and less justifiable. Certainly for the average joe...

[@JimmyGallowayGuitar]

I'm amazed how good they feel and sound. If someone can't get a good tone it's their hands, not the gear

[@JDStone20]

Look, I have had a Roland Micro Cube, 1st gen, since the early 2000's when they came out. Only issue I had was the volume pot needed a spritz of Deoxit D5 because it was only playing at full volume. After that was fixed, no issues. I have had a Boss Katana Air since January of 2024. Will it last? I am betting on yes. I have a Crate GFX-1200H that I bought used, no issues, a Fender GDEC 20 1st gen, no issues. My Mesa Boogie tube amp died after using it for less than a year, and that was after sinking $100 into it. Solid State and Modeling amps last, are more reliable and durable than tube/valve amps, all day, every day. Point blank. Most people don't have the money for tube amps, and lugging around a heavy item to get fixed and maintenanced all the time is silly. The DPS chips are good enough and have been for almost 20y to get close to the tube sound and sag feel, add IR's and you have a done deal. Now, believe it or not, I like tubes and tube amps, but I don't have the time or money to keep one running, especially since I only play in my apartment or bedroom. Leave the Tube amps for pros who get paid to make music. Barely anyone can tell the difference sound wise, never mind in a mix.

[@greblus]

Mesa Boogie MkV, then JP2C was my dream which was ruined by amp techs (nobody should see the internals of these amps) 😊. So I bought a pack of JP2C models from Choptones for Mooer X2 preamp and I'm super happy. Running it via fx return of a small Laney L5T-112 combo, fits in a pedalboard, with eq it's exactly the tone I was chasing for years. And if I ever need super accurate models I can use NAM (free but absolutely amazing thing).

[@misterknightowlandco]

My fender mustang 3 v1 literally has a sag control on the menu… honestly, the katana isn’t my favorite cuz of the speaker that comes in the combo. I prefer my fender mustang 3v1 but I’ve heard people get great tones out of them.

[@garethsigrist8714]

I love my Katana 50. A key element as to why the Katana range is so good is that Boss really nailed the way guitar players typically interact with a piece of gear. When I’m picking up my guitar to play, I don’t want to cycle through menus or patches, I want to play! If I need a specific sound for a gig or a specific song then you can dive deeper and if you are so inclined then the editor has all the parameter tweaking you could possible want. I just want to turn a few knobs and find a sound and get to playing. The Katana works equally well for someone who wants to use it like a traditional analog piece of gear using just the knobs on the top panel and someone who wants to embrace the full extent of its digital capabilities using the editor. And to top it off the tones are fantastic and there’s a Katana to suit pretty much any budget that could be all the amp any bedroom or working musician ever really needs.

[@timchalmers1700]

People who still think the Katana is trash should go check The Studio Rats channel where Paul gets the Katana to sound like several of their more expensive and heavier amps. And he asks, "Is that amp really worth 3,000 quid more than the Katana?"

[@DarnellNeely]

Thank you for this video John. I actually picked up the katana MK2 because of your video. It's actually one of the best amps for the price indeed. Your videos always tell the truth and takes away the learning curve for a lot of us of us. Thank you

[@fossilmatic]

I’m interested at how you filmed this test with a constant shot of the top of the amp. As a way of concentrating on the actual tones being produced this was effective. So much of how we perceive a “good” sound from a guitar amp on KZbin videos is down to the visuals of a guitar being played. Chris Buck is a great example of this. He has a great sense of setting the camera up on a three quarter angle to the fretboard, then using neck movements and hand gestures to emphasise the expression of what he is playing. He’s a wonderfully subtle player anyway, but closing your eyes and simply listening to the sound reduces the cues to your enjoyment of the “expression” in the sound by a degree. The same here. The romance around the guitar as an object and the athleticism of the playing being absent makes a difference to the way you perceive the quality of the black box the sound is actually coming out of.

[@denmar355]

I still have the Artist Mk1 with the GAFC, and I love it. I’ve had Fenders, Mesa’s, Vox. I bought my Artist clean used for $250 and great! I don’t miss my high end tube amps at all.

[@jasonlewis5350]

I’ve never been a big Katana fan tone wise, but the one thing that Katana does better than any other solid state amp is the reaction to different types of guitars and pickups. It’s the only amp that I have ever tried that I was able to maintain a constant setting and play 5 different guitars through it with 5 different tones. Tube amps react really well like that, but SS amps don’t.

[@gohbyname]

Thanks John. Context is king. I injured my back and now need a 'good enough' amp to play at church which is not heavy. Coupled with my pedals, it's pretty good. Thanks for the review!

[@Soloist1983]

As someone that has 6 top-tier tube amps, (Mark IIC+, ENGL Artist, Peavey Ultra, Mark III, JP2C, and Mark VII) I'd gig with a Katana with no hesitation. Tbh, I prefer the Katana most of the time, and wonder why I keep these heavy dinosaurs around, seriously :D

[@misterknightowlandco]

Nostalgia, financial investment… my guesses

[@hailmaryrecordings8255]

I don’t have a Katana, but I bought a Boss GT-1 for quiet practice & I absolutely love it. It has every sound I could possibly want & my gear-snob friends think I’m miking my amps when I use it to record. Digital has come a long-way over just the past decade or so.

[@artierobinette4903]

Boss modelling has come a long way, and remained affordable. I use a Helix for band gigs and church and the GT-1 as a backup unit and for home rehearsal.

[@paddy50]

I've got the 1st gen Katana head and it's going on 8 years now of being my favorite amp. Just got done playing it for about an hour and couldn't be happier with it. It's hands down the best $200 I ever spent.

[@chriswiesinger3719]

what cabinet are you using with the head ?

[@paddy50]

@@chriswiesinger3719when I want to play quietly I use the built in 5” speaker. If I want to play louder I’ve got a 2x12 greenback loaded Harley Benton. The model is Harley Benton G212 Celestion V30. Got it back in 2020 shipped from Germany to the US for under $300 total. It’s all the cabinet I’ll ever need.

[@chriswiesinger3719]

@@paddy50 thanks paddy for your helping information 👍

[@IamMusicNerd]

Although it is never going to replace my love for my real tube amps and pedalboard, I will admit that when plugged into my pedalboard and cabinets/DI, the katana can get close enough to my amps most of the time that I don’t care about the difference enough to matter. And for a quick late night practice amp that is quiet enough to not make my neighbors mad, it can actually be more useful than my tube amps in that one scenario.

[@alanswanson7515]

I have the mk2 100w combo and it is quite versatile. I use it as a practice/backup amp. When I want to impress live my go to amp is an Orange TH30 head with a Blackstar 112 oversize cab loaded with a Vintage 30 celestion speaker. The clean channel on the Orange has loads of creamy headroom. The dirt channel is classic Stoner/Doom,but more akin to a 50w Marshall. It's fairly portable! But that Katana is always in the wings***

[@Smart-Alex]

When they say the pushed channel sounds like the "real thing", is the real thing a tube amp? I had a Katana but still kept coming back to my Marshall DSL40CR. But that's just one person's opinion. Cheers.

[@Chillnote]

Same here

[@colinmortimore218]

Me too, but I see a Gen 3 in my life soon.

[@DylanODonnell]

Thanks for mentioning the Roland JC Stereo Chorus amp... after much deliberation this is the way I'm going to go. #teammodeler

[@thorpenator9148]

Our radios and televisions are digital and have great sound and visual.

[@Meylan191083]

I bought a MK II 50 just over a year ago mostly to use as a pedal platform. I gig (small scale, nothing big) at least once a month and I have used the amp with a pedalboard and I have done gigs using just the amp. I think that for its price point, it is a fantastic option out of the box for the majority of players. It is incredibly versatile and once you get into the Tone Studio options it becomes even better. I wish I had bought the 100 and NOT buying the 100 MK III when it hits Taobao is going to be a challenge. But overall I am very very happy with it.

[@alexmbrenner]

I love mine. I use a 100 head live and a 50 combo at rehearsal. They are so loud it’s awesome! I run it clean with a Friedman Smallbox pedal and boom done. People have told me how shocked they were it was not a tube amp. If I had no pedals I’d run the brown sound setting and still be happy.

[@coreyblaisdell]

I used to teach in-person lessons at a store and often used a 50w Katana. I was perfectly happy with its mid-gain and clean tones but I had a hard time dialing the high-gain tones how I like. If I made a tight rhythm sound the high-end would always be harsher/fizzier than I wanted. It just doesn't sound like my markV25 head (few other amps do), but I wouldn't expect it to at a fraction of the price. That being said, I could get by with a katana live in a pinch and I don't think many would notice. Both will sound good if I play good, and sound bad if I play bad. Also, you mentioned GAMMA amps. I played one of those for lessons a bit too and loved the simplicity, plus it sounded great for what it is.

[@petevb2987]

I had the Mk2 100w combo. It was an awesome amp for home and live. I’m now looking to rejoin the Katana fraternity with a 100w Gen 3 head. The blue tooth option and portability make sense. Also cheap enough to replace if stolen or broken while touring.

[@user-co6xn9uv9s]

I have the Artist mk ii combo. Sold my Fender tube amps and went through Orange, Blackstar etc! Boss is the most reliable,easy to use great sounding amp I’ve owned. Agree that if you just use the panel on the amp it’s less distracting than other modellers (PG Spark) and I spend more time playing than tinkering! It’s now my go to (only) amp and does everything well!

[@astewart9410]

I love my 50 MkI and 50MkII connected wet/dry. I’d love it if Boss sent me that 100 head !

[@Matthew_Scan]

I’ve got more compliments on my sound from “ digital trash” than tube amps

[@richgreene5038]

a good player makes anything sound good. a bad player usually blames their gear.

[@BeyondSalvationTributeBand]

Katana 50 MKII Ex and Katana 50 MKII in stereo - awesome gigging setup in hard rock band with loud drummer, 2nd guitarist and bass player.

[@fosters_media]

What a freakin' awesome loop and solo at the beginning of this video!

[@etherboy3540]

I have a first gen Kantana 50 it's an excellent practice amp. It's as loud as I could possibly want, and it's easy to push patches to it over USB using the Tone Studio app. I'm going to move on at some point but the Katana will go to my son. He's 10 and taking piano lessons but has expressed interest in learning guitar. I can't even state how much better one of these amps and a DGT SE is compared to the junk I started with decades ago.

[@peterhall4852]

That's a very fair review and comments,.I suspect it's not for everyone, but I suspect it is for most of the BOSS target audience. I've worked with loads of gigging guitarists who use the katana. I'm still happy with my Blackstar 50R with pedals, but 45 years of playing and I know my sounds(clean and mild overdrive)😂 For younger guitarists ,a katana is great for discovering your sound. It encourages exploration. A multi sound, flexible amp is really of great use.

[@jonalexander8935]

Katana Artist MKII the best FRFR you can buy (monitor).. Waza green/cream back speaker. Use with Kemper stage stereo to house. LOVE MY RIG!

[@GraniteSoundtrack]

The only problem I’ve ever had with one is that the Gen. 3 came out right as I was gearing up to buy the Mk. II.

[@marcavus1]

Katana is one of the best tools for making mudic ever. Ive had piles of clasdic amps, tube and solid state. The limit as with any amo is the speaker snd 98%of that can be compensated with the almost ridiculous amount if eq. If all that matters is tone and making music its got it all.

[@SF480M]

I’m on the fence with a Katana…. I have a Marshall JVM 410c and love the distortion on it but the weight of it is ridiculous… Also i bought a Pod Go and just can’t be bothered with messing round with it to much and mostly play in a bedroom these days… can’t get the Marshall past volume 1 which I think was perhaps a bad choice over the 50 watt in my case. Could I get a katana head and go through the JVM 410c speakers or would I just be downgrading majorly? If it’s even possible to get a good sound from the JVM Combo with Katana head

[@shanerose5348]

Love your approach, and your massively tasteful playing. Subbed.

[@pava2237]

Great opening solo Dude!!! Well done!

[@Topher19801413]

I found with the Gen 1 and 2 that if you raise the master volume to about 75% and use the channel volume to set your volume it feels and sounds a lot more rounded. I want to get a gen 3 when the prices drop after a year. I have a gen 1 and gen 2 100 watt and a gen 2 50 watt. I use them every day in most cases. The weight and sound at this price point I cant find anything to compete with it as a amp. I have tube amps and stuff like the Helix. I use them from time to time. But use these Katanas much more. Once you learn the quirks and the software you can get great tones. They are sleeper amps in that regard.

[@shadowsong1]

is it the greatest amp ever made? no. but solid state has some advantages. I don't think in todays age, a guitarist's first amp, should come knowing its going to need to be retubed and serviced in a few years. The Katana seems to do the best job of giving an all in one package with good, usable, giggable, recordable tones with a fair amount of bells and whistles on top. Getting your parent/parents to spend 6 to 800/1000 dollars on that first amp as a tube amp is probably out of reach for most kids but getting 260 out of them at christmas? doable for a lot of kids. It's hard, when parents come to me and ask "what would you recommend as a first amp for my kid?" not to point at the Katana. it's affordable and will grow with them for those first few years. It's also a great, practical backup for the gigging musician. You get up on gig day and start packing up and fire up your tube amp and something is wrong. a tube has died or a cap has sprayed its guts everywhere and you got that magic smoke. Well if you got a Katana you could call your amp tech and say my amp is down ill bring it by sometime next week or something and then grab your Katana and head out to your gig. It's not perfect but its very good, especially for the money and it solves some real problems all guitarists face. I wish when I first started all those years ago they had been around. The one bit of real criticism I hear is from techs. they aren't that serviceable and aren't built to last. but if you get 3+ years out of yours its basically done its job and you just go buy a new one. They are worth the price of entry.

[@user-eu3mn6ss5l]

To me, the biggest issue with the entry level Katana amps was always the speaker and speaker cab - they're a small box speaker and they sound that way. But the Katana Artist amps had bigger cabs and I assume upgraded speakers, and I'd happily gig with one of those. At their price range, the Artist amps are tough to beat. But tone is SO subjective.

[@christiantaylor4027]

U make the point very well. I wish I had two. Rock on!

[@alguitarchristie]

You can use an attenuator for a Tube amp. I just find solid state amps a bit dull sounding! Even the Victory Amps with real tubes in the preamp section and solid state power section. I have to crank the treble and cut loads of bass!

[@craiglatour-pn4jy]

This is hands down the best practice bedroom amp I have ever played! Has anyone tried the trick of keeping the master volume iw..and cranking up the volume on the amp section..game changer it sounds awesome!

[@johnnathancordy]

Yeh cranking that clean is nice!

[@DanielCrouch]

I think maybe it's less highly regarded by metal guitarists. For clean and edge of breakup, it sounds great out of the box. For high gain metal it can still sound good, but only after going into tone studio and playing with the settings. Out of the box it is fizz city

[@judsongallien]

50 MkII EX out of the box cut above 6k and below about 120Hz made it cut great

[@StephaneBergeronPixelyzed]

The Brown is by far my favourite channel on my Katana head (MKII like yours). The Brown has more mids and is more Marshally and that's what I love about it. The Lead is quite good too. I find the crunch pretty much unusable. I haven't used it in quite a wuile though as it was replaced for me by my Revv Dynamis 7-40 and now my Helix floor but I kind of miss it these days. It cannot be a standalone solution for me though (meaning like gigging with just the amp) as it doesn't have enough presets, 8 is just not enough so I need a separate multi effects untit in 4 CM with it. Back when I played it more it was the MS-3 and now it would be the HX Effects. For the money, I really think the Katana is very hard to beat, especially the head if you already have one or more separate cabs (Ihave a Revv 1x12 and a Marshall 4x12). The Kat sounds great in both. And it becomes even more compelling for gigging. I agree with you that it's best in a good external cab or IR. The 50 always sounded boxy and weird to me in demos (never hear one in person) but that is the 50's own cab/speaker, not the modelling tech in it that's the problem. In an external cab, it can be extremely convincing, punchy and bold.

[@michaelschneider7590]

I think an issue is people comparing apples (how good is the Katana or Catalyst as a combo, on its own) and oranges (how good, feeding it into a classic speaker like Fender, Marshall, Vox, or Mesa Boogie). You’re right to point up the attraction of a Katana head coupled to the speaker cab of your choice! Will Line 6 do the same (or have they in effect done it already with the Helix family)??

[@brian91145]

I still gig with my Katana V1 it is fantastic!

[@GetEspo]

Sure would appreciate some clarity from Boss on Katana:Go...

[@ChrisPuckett]

This is the best daily amp I’ve ever owned. Being computer illiterate would be a huge limitation with this amp, so dig in with the software and you’ll get the most out of it.

[@DrDrake_Ramore]

I have the MK2 50 with the Dual Wield speaker adaptor(£25 on eBay), so I can run in it into my Zilla cab with V30’s, or run in as standard for that added versatility. I love the thing! I created my own Twin Clean Sneaky Amp patch recently and it sounds great. I have been down the rabbit hole of buying expensive pedals and amps, and I think to myself, is it really worth it? Especially when the Katana sounds so good in its own right, and the versatility of the amp is pretty mind blowing when you think about it. No, it’s not digital trash, give your head a wobble.

[@beaumas]

I personally love that you dont have to be precious with a katana, you can within reason throw them around and they'll be fine. There is a good reason they have sold so well around the globe

[@BrentAdams]

Question John, For us that don't do the Load Box & IR thing.... Does the amp, by itself, still offer the tones that can used for recording & playing LIVE if needed while using the Master Volume to control the output? While I love the tones from my Rivera amps, I rarely plug them in any more. I'm going direct into my DAW and finding tones there.... Will the basic Katana do that to your satisfaction as well?

[@JimmyRinehartMusic]

I’ve been a fan of boss Katana for 3 years or so. It’s a great practice tool and bang for your buck for entry level to semi pro. The cleans kind of suck without deep editing but it has a great sound profile. I have yet to gig with one but the new Gen 3 (just ordered )I feel is going to be a tool I’ll gig with or take to jams. The more we go quiet stage the more it doesn’t matter if you have tube or digital. Just whatever works for you and your situation.

[@brentporter9324]

I have a katana mkii head. My only real problem with the katana, is similar with all Boss stuff. They are a hardware company, so you don’t get software updates. I would love to be able to use the amp models in the ir-2 in my katana head without buying the pedal and bypassing everything else the katana does, but that doesn’t match the Boss business model. Another example is the new pushed channel. I really don’t want to spend another $400 for what should be a firmware update. Still love my Katana, just wish Boss business model allowed my amp to stay up to date.

[@jamesmarcin4787]

I almost bought a Katana when they were first released but ended getting a Roland Blues Cube Hot which I still use. I like the updates on this new version especially the option of tone editing with my phone. I may finally purchase one.

[@slawsonscot]

If it’s the editing on a phone that appeals to you, I got hold of an xsonic airstep for my mk2 katana and it gives you all of that via Bluetooth to the official boss app, so you could grab a bargain in a mk2 and the functionality of the footswitch is incredible.

[@jamesmarcin4787]

@@slawsonscot thanks for the info 👍

[@jaytee6960]

Great video. I’d forgotten how good the Katana can sound just with its basic amp. I’ve been searching for sounds by downloading hundreds of patches and still come away disappointed - might start from scratch again

[@muleblues71]

I bought the 50w v2 version to bring to jam with a friend to try out. He had a marshall tube amp and even though we were volume wise pretty even, I could barely hear myself, buried in the mix. Solid state amp was the problem.

[@1964vintage]

PLAYER POLL. Ok you’re no longer just a bedroom guitarist. First band gigging once a week playing covers from 70’s to modern era rock. You have no gear but you can choose one of the following options, which do you choose? 1: 4 new guitars from the low to mid level range of Squier and Epiphone, standard gig bags. A new 50 watt Katana and floor controller. 2: Choice of 1 secondhand USA made guitar built after 2010 a few dings but in perfect working order with original hard case. Strat or Tele or Gibson LP. A secondhand Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue and $300 USD of secondhand pedals. 3: You spend it all on new tattoos.

[@KaddysJamKave]

Actually... the Katana is really great for high gain tones... but not out of the box. You have to obviously configure it internally using software and change the default amp sim, overdrive boost and fine tune the built in EQ. Then and ONLY then will you have a great high gain amp.

[@Vivi_9]

I think it's quite simple - the Katana and other amps like it only sound good after you tweak with the tones using the software. The factory settings are pretty bad.

[@joeltunnah]

Why do people trash Line6 Spiders? I have the V-60 ii, and it sounds and works great for me. And I'm someone who builds tube amps from scratch. Mine sits next to a handwired tweed 1x10" Princeton. I highly recommend the Spider amps when people ask me. For the money, insane value.

[@frossbog]

I've tried Katana on 4 different occasions including the Artist model. To me, the gain sounds like fuzz and I'm not a big fuzz fan. My Catalyst breaks up far more naturally, but then it is based on the Helix models.

[@pbosche]

I have two Gen 2 artists...Im using them for my outside Stereos in a w/d/w...whats my center dry? It's so good,,, I've been really pleased....my center is Blackstar Amped 3. I thought I'd go with the Gen3 Artist when its released but I'm chuffed to bits with the Amped 3, its just really, really good.

[@bubberdy76]

Some King's X sounding tones at 15:06!

[@eoinjennings519]

Do you need to play a Katana loud to get best tones - one of the advantages of digital is good tones at low volume ?

[@mkrj2576]

Better at lower volumes than a tube amp but a 12” speaker still needs modest volume to sound good. Low volume amps desk top amps like the Yamaha THR are specifically made to sound good at low volumes.

[@chrisdavies9197]

I'm definitely going to try out your tones on the tone studio. 👍🎸

[@richfiryn]

Now that my back to back to back to back binge of watching Tom Bukavac's latest offerings has ended I can slide in here. LOL

[@hartlee1160]

Uncle Larry says he can hear digital highs. And look I can with these katanas... its definitely there. But it can be dialed out

[@mrbaiser4133]

A comparison with a Roland JC-40 and analog drive pedals would be interesting

[@89ji76]

The katana is only digital trash in the literal sense that they will become e waste because they cannot be repaired. They’re made like disposable consumer electronics not like tools people keep for life like a tube amp. This is part of why I think the Katana head is their best offering. You’re not gonna be keeping this thing forever because it’ll almost certainly break eventually. So you only have to replace half your amp not the whole amp+cab. It’s pretty undeniable at this point they sound great.

[@daithidebarradb]

I seen three different katana combo amps stop working when playing an outside event and the sun was shining on them. The three amps made a pop and no sound after. Imagine two backups blowing with same issue. It was maybe 20 degrees outside. A typical Irish summer. Granted they were the first gen but I wouldn't bother with a katana ever again after that.

[@bobbyruggs808]

I gigged a Katana MKI, 2x12 for five plus years without one issue. I play outdoors on Long Island on the water in direct sun. I would say its a very reliable amp.

[@littlespaceman]

I love JNC’s playing, he’s a supremely talented guitarist. But every time I look at YT there’s yet another video from him that seems to be about the most random of subjects. It’s really starting to feel like this YT channel has descended to the ranks of those that exist purely to push out content and get as many viewers as possible. You’re better than that!

[@dnottis]

Some people are tubes or die and that's who keeps calling everything NOT a tube amp digital trash.

[@aristocaster]

Having used Katana on stage for years, I have to say that if you don't get great tones out of it, the problem is standing between guitar and amp. Period. And yes, the Katana head is the right choice.

[@Glensully]

Had one. Sold it when i put my fuzz into it. They don’t fuzz well Plus i don’t know what effects i got running properly without a computer.

[@GeorgeBacan]

I think those amps are game changers. They do an incredible job for their prices. 🙂

[@finishin.my.coffee8780]

I've had 2 line 6 Spiders and 1 Boss Katana over the last 23 years and the Katana wipes the floor with Line 6. There's no comparison.

[@tmsglobal5848]

Thanks for the honesty

[@VladSverlik]

Lead Channel at Low Gain is My fav absolutely!

[@Apeshoot13]

@John Nathan Cordy What load box were you using to record this?

[@jnh73]

No load box needed with the Katana, as it's solid state. He either used the line out or the USB output into his audio interface.

[@Deliquescentinsight]

If you want to be a gear snob, then of course a popular solid state solution like the Katana is going to raise your eyebrows, but if you were to run a Fender Deluxe reverb alongside a Katana 100 watt cabinet model behind a curtain and have the Clean setting and green light reverb on your Katana you would be hard pressed to hear much difference: same headroom, same glassy clean tones. It all depends on how willing you are to live with the Katana and get to know its quirks, but you have a wonderful usable and practical amp in this Katana, that is the truth. They actually came up with something guitar players can use in any setting.

[@jonathanm9069]

I had a Boss Katana 100 Head MKII and a Boss Katana Waza Air Headphones. I really tried to like them, but they were horrible. The brown channel which was supposed to be amazing, was mediocre at best, harsh & uninspiring. The rest of the channels were far worse than that except maybe the clean channel, which was okayish but nothing to write about it. The effects are absolutely dull, the reverbs and delays just don’t cut it and are serviceable at best, and the rest of the effects are simply not good at all. My Fender Mustang Micro with my PS5 headphones also sounded much better than the Waza Air for far less money. I don’t understand the people who says it gets you 95% there of a tube amp. That wasn’t my experience at all, every tube amp I’ve ever had just sounded much better and the feel was just like night and day difference. I hate it playing through the Katana feel wise, it was as if it took away all the musicality that a tube amp brings. So yeah, that’s my experience with them.

[@Hypnus9]

John! All I can say is that you play some danged cool shit. I love the musicality of what you! Altogether astounding! God bless your day.

[@jfopps]

I'm curious if anyone can help me out, when John talks about how he tests amps typically, he talks about a load box and IRs. Can someone who understand a little better than myself just give me a quick breakdown of the signal chain he's talking about here? Much appreciated.

[@stahliwood8755]

A load box let's you bring the amp to line level it's basically an attenuator and IRs is impulse response it's amp sounds.

[@scottanderson6807]

I heard a guitarist use one of these live on the same stage that I had just come off of, and I can tell you, it was one of the worst guitar tones I’ve ever heard in my life, and there was no helping it. Fine for the bedroom, terrible on stage.

[@mixodorians12]

I have a boss kat v1 2x100 and have a Boss gt1000 core.. Not sure i ever need to upgrade it.

[@uwedasler425]

I am sure some people would be heartbroken if they had the mental capacity to realize that their 6k Two Rock played through a 1.5k Ox (or similar solution) is every bit as digital as the Katana. And, of course, it even gets more idiotic on the recording end of things, where a 100% analog signal chain is almost impossible (and completely unaffordable for almost everybody). As somebody who gives guitar lessons my 'problem' (not really, more a concern) is that these devices (just like modelers etc.) lure beginners into hours of tweaking and 'experimenting' without learning even the basics properly. I literally have students with 30-40k worth of gear who can't properly play a pentatonic scale without making odd noises. Just, it is nonsense to blame the gear for that. Still, if beginners ask me what to buy, I always recommend basic solid state stuff (DV Mark, Quilter, etc.) that sounds great at apartment-compatible volumes, and does not offer much more distraction than some drive and reverb.