Modeling Amp Shootout - Katana VS Marshall VS Blackstar VS Fender

[@TobysGuitarGearDemos]

Thoughts / FAQs:This was a very difficult test to do fairly, they are never going to sound quite how they sound in the room. As well as this they have different speakers (All however 12") and loads of amp models to choose from. All of them can be dialled in to sound great with a bit of tweaking, and all have their uses 👍

[@TropicalFuzz]

Did you used the GT100 Flat Equalization? do you think is loud enouh compared to the others?

[@TobysGuitarGearDemos]

The Fender has a slight mid bump when set flat. The Fender is maybe the loudest of them all 👍

[@dryvur]

Great demo. No talking needed. Great way to do a demo!! I have 2 Blackstars that I run in true stereo and they sound great. They're good enough for Gus G

[@Johnny-oy9fh]

They sound way way better in real life than they do in your phone ..

[@Johnny-oy9fh]

Tried a MKII 100w yesterday... sounded and felt nowhere as valvey as the MKI..!! And all the amp.tones are brighter and screechy with less bass!! Seems to me as if the "valve amp" manufacturers have gone to Boss and made them reduce the "valvey-ness" of the katana's!!! Why else would they do this. The original katana's are amazing!! As testified by all the KZbin demos by guys who bought them...which have also now been taken down too...!!!

[@spiralfirst6488]

This is how to demo gear. No 18 minute preamble and no 45 minute solos. It's about the gear, not the lighting finger speed of the performer. Very impressed.

[@Имбирнаяпеченька-ю6ь]

Yeah. Imagine same thing with Anderton's it would take them 2,5 hours 1/4 of which they'd be telling how they came up with such a great idea on yesterday's five'o'clock at mom's house that is located in the southwest of ShutthefuckupandplayShire...

[@watersnortmoment3734]

Plus he uses a looper, so the dynamics never change, giving us a more accuracte representation of sounds to compare.

[@easylisteningdave]

Agree 100% Most don't take the time to tweak the just dial the amp model and that's all.. Great demos

[@Jeymez]

@@watersnortmoment3734 to be fair though, subs over on Anderton's would complain about the audio and sound. so that's why they do it the way they do, i don't think it's a bad thing to use a looper. because it cuts down on the buzziness you can get from amps like these, ya in the real world there not gonna sound as good as they make them out to be. but that's why you do have other channels that will show there strengths and weaknesses in real time. i wouldn't exactly call these bedroom amps, but there not exactly loud enough to gig with, but you could use these as a home practice amp. i think they sound better than the beginner amps, these are a step up from those. i had a Fender Champion 20, it was ok, but i wanted something a little better and these are a nice upgrade to that. i think i like the Boss 50 MK2 the best, then the Fender Mustang GT.

[@watersnortmoment3734]

@@Jeymez Dude, if I can run a Peavey Classic 30 or DSL 15 in the house, you can easily run these modelers at home. Although, I wouldn't really want to crank them.

[@Guitar387]

I think the silver line is the best sounding amp. It has its own unique tone and doesn't sound like it's trying to be a Marshall . It has the more natural overdrive sound.

[@ferramirez4570]

The real fight was between Boss and Blackstar definitely

[@marvinstarr6399]

Yeah I think Blackstarr edged out boss id have to check price though

[@mattwood5493]

Justin Last that marshall sounds like shit

[@Jeremy-ob4gm]

matt wood for real

[@robfriedrich2822]

@@mattwood5493 "that marshall sounds like shit" I wouldn't say, the sound is perfect for vocal accomaniment, doesn't plays the vocals down. But for solo another amp would do much better. Don't forget, you can't judge a sound isolated from its context. A thinny acoustic guitar sounds horrible, but in a big arrangement it may sound better, than a full range acoustic guitar.

[@Marcoshary]

I agree.

[@PixieintheMainframe]

The Blackstar sounds the most genuine to my ears.

[@jplew138]

Same.

[@jackmehoff1275]

but the gain control didnt even do much

[@otaviofenderstrat4220]

Too basy...i had one ..even open the treble.

[@undrwrldsk8fred]

@@otaviofenderstrat4220 u were probably playing with it sitting flat on the floor

[@guitarziz3994]

Great Demo: 1.) Katana 2.) Blackstar I just don't find any sufficient tonal value in the others

[@nordicomsystems8841]

Ikr? The Marshall and the Fender sound like they're underwater, or under a big pillow or something. Total fail. I have the Katana 50 MKII and it's amazing for not only practice but for recording demos. And when I eventually get a Headrush modeler I'll already have a powered cab. Win!

[@ctwarmuth]

I got the same impression. The Marshall sounds like its in a hallway and the fender sounds like a robot trying to impersonate an amplifier so it doesn't get destroyed.

[@ozuidema]

Guitarziz Totally agree. And none of these makes me want to switch away from my tube amp :)

[@ALLMETAL1970]

Marshall 3 Fender 4

[@Broccoli75]

Blackstar sounds better than katana for me

[@kamaboko1]

I felt embarrassed for the Marshall. Sounded pretty bad.

[@ClearAdventure]

I felt embarrassed for them all. Get a Yamaha THR 10X for $300. 🤘

[@speediablo]

More like ashamed

[@raipramana843]

I like how it sounds

[@speediablo]

rai pramana Then you need some hearing aids my friend

[@lukebrierley4637]

@@speediablo LOL it is personal preference😂

[@GabzitoHD]

Damn I was just about to buy the Code 50 but compared to the Katana it sounds like someone threw a rug over it and hid it in a box.

[@1663Metal]

When you record with mic you must turn off the cab sim on marshall code

[@TRUTH-mr9fv]

Same, i almost bought a marshall code 50 till I found out how wacky it sounded

[@blendzofficial7814]

He has a different eq on all of them, nonetheless they are all great amps.

[@smm3119]

what are you doing here gabzito

[@CuerdaaCuerda]

@@1663Metal NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@jad547]

Katana and Blackstar for me were a close best but, when it came to clean effects and crunch tones the Katana won.

[@thorpenator9148]

That's because you own one,,,lol

[@kohvjaveri1599]

@@thorpenator9148 wdym?

[@thorpenator9148]

@@kohvjaveri1599 Most non valve amps do not need a attenuation to get high gain tones.

[@nu-agegamer3548]

Boss is a perfect choice for heavy metal.

[@vincentjackson3472]

I did notice that every other amp got some delay on the clean, and not the blackstar which kinda sucked. otherwise, i actually found the blackstar nicer in every aspect sonically, however the katana did have abit more scope for on amp tweaking, where as the blackstar i think has more scope for on comp tweaking.

[@raulrivera2586]

1. BOSS 2. Blackstar 3. Fender 4. Marshall

[@dryvur]

I agree. The Marshall sounds like crap

[@demep]

Agree 100%, i have the mark I and I love it. Blackstar sounds very very good too

[@fredmuloin1545]

Agree 100% BUT i have to say, the Blackstar on high gain mode at 2:40 is really impressive.

[@dryvur]

@@fredmuloin1545 I have 2 Blackstars that I run in true stereo. They sound great. For all around sound, they are hard to beat. If it's good enough for Gus G, then it's good enough for me

[@MrOzgooner]

@@dryvur The Marshall drive is better than the boss crap

[@KevinToine]

The Marshall sounds like it's being played in the room next door.

[@riku_septentriones_eternal]

Because this guy is a fool and is running both the marshall and the fender through a cabinet simulation even though all of those amps have 12" speakers. An unfair comparison really

[@Unknown-bd9ss]

@@riku_septentriones_eternal dude marshall and fenders sounds awful without a cab simulator, trust me i have one fender myself

[@riku_septentriones_eternal]

@@Unknown-bd9ss Nevertheless this is a poorly planned video

[@vdromuzaraki]

My wife almost slap me for laugh so hard after she was already sleeping. Good comment!

[@ozgurovec]

Because the precence is so low

[@LucasSantos-fh6hj]

Marshall: Great clean sounds, vintage-like drives. Katana: Modern drives and cleans, more versatility, enhanced mids and bass Blackstar: amazing drives, more flat-like sound. Great for metal and punched tones Fender: just don’t know what happened

[@enigma1247]

What are you talking about? The fender did waaaay better than the p.o.s. marshall

[@vishwajitmahesh]

Marshall sounds like my drunk neighbor singing.

[@otaviofenderstrat4220]

Are you kidding me? Marshall ? The most shit ever ..and this video show that.

[@hoggboyy]

Go home Marshall, you're drunk.

[@ivyhallquist3159]

Marshall: "i'M nOt DrUnK, yOu'Re DrUnK!"

[@asobiseksu132]

ya, Marshal has become pretty crap over the years. they just slap their name on any ol' junk these days. for morons that just buy brand names

[@ivyhallquist3159]

@@asobiseksu132 Not necessarily. The DSL series is amazing.

[@vishwajitmahesh]

Probably just threw up his mom's spaghetti.

[@Jimacos_LRD]

marshall:i'm a bush

[@fuzzcous]

The My Own Summer riff sounds great with any amp. The Katana and Silverline sounded very close to each other.

[@PauloNideck]

I have a Marshall Code and I love the hot electric sound it comes from it but listening from this video marshall was a joke compared to the katana and the blackstar.

[@samuelrai7554]

Yeah bro i am also using marshall code i love the sounds and i am super satisfied but after watching this video i got different sounds than my code 50.

[@willhaul5581]

You guys know what kind of power amp is in the Marshall? Is it a Class D power amp?

[@DemonKingOFFICIAL]

I found myself liking the Marshall in this video tbh

[@AntonioServodio]

I don’t think are accurate if use a sample sound under amp modulation. Probably if play real guitar in to the amp can change all. The Marshall code don’t sound like this, this let me think that also other sounds different from this test. Anyway thank a lot. Good job

[@averagejoe8213]

Today's Marshall Code is so much more than this video can offer. To be clear though, this is the best showcase video I've seen, hands-down. However, like others have said, the Marshall Code 50 stands on it's own. The settings are so adjustable, you can literally get any and every tone from it, save it and recall it whenever you want. I think the key to unlocking the Marshall is simply learning it.

[@naftade]

1. Blackstar 2. Katana 3. Fender 6. **** 7. **** 8. **** 9.Marshall

[@DesertScorpionKSA]

I agree. The Marshall sounds like ass.

[@PulledPurk]

Yes

[@robertbrown8796]

It did have a usable clean tone, but the rest was uninspiring at best.

[@robfriedrich2822]

For accompaniment, Marshall and Fender are the best in my opinion, the both other ones can do solo pretty well.

[@zanaudio]

✨😂😂.. totally agreed..

[@dalejohns207]

The Boss Katana for my ears won this hands down. They all sounded a bit muddy and muted in comparison. The other 3 all had good and bad sounds but non as consistent as the Boss. Great comparison video.

[@watchitnow765]

Boss Katana sounds truly the Best--in ALL instances. Hands down.

[@nordicomsystems8841]

Agreed. I had the 1st Gen Katana 100/212 and it was amazing, but too much for what I needed. I sold it and picked up the one in this video. It records really well also once you get the levels right. And you can use it as a powered cab for a modeler too? So much win.

[@MehdiS-music]

The Katana is simply put an incredible amp for the low price, even at double the price it still would rate high, i have both Mk1 50W and Mk2 100W amps for life.

[@masterfuego]

I think the silverline sounds the best, but for a QUARTER of the price the katana can’t be beat.

[@MehdiS-music]

@@masterfuego Boss has used some wizardry on the katana to offer such a complete package for low price as has Yamaha with the Pacifica 311H/611H guitars that i also own.

[@Dartheomus]

The Silverline sounds better in a lot of instances. I know people just want to like a single product so they don't have to continue to lust after another tone. At it's price point, the Katana is tough to beat. However, I really don't care for most of the gainy tones. They feel forced, shallow, and non-organic. I think the Blackstar won that category.

[@guitarocd9984]

I choose the BlackStar. They pretty much have been solid-state Distortion from the beginning. Even in their tube amps are half and half. The search for the ultimate solid-state amp continues.

[@Vegitobluuuuu]

Blackstar V2 True Valve Power amp is 👍🏻

[@sahamal_savu]

I just got a Boss Katana 50 mk2 and I love it. This sound comparison just confirms to me that I made the right decision. The Blackstar sounded really nice too, I would be happy with that amp as well.

[@cliffirddelbridge2810]

I agree with your choice. I'm a very happy Kat Mk2 100 owner.

[@Chord_The_Seeker]

I love that you included the “Morning Star” riff. The Katana and Blackstar were definitely the best. The other two sound like toys.

[@arto9775]

I have the mustang LT25 and hate it lol, really struggle to find a usable tone on it. It really is just a toy

[@HanlonRazor]

I knew the Blackstar would do well. The Katana also sounded really good. The Fender was predictably terrible. I was surprised at how horrible the Marshall sounded.

[@compucorder64]

I wasn't expecting the Blackstar to do so well. But, yes, I think you got it right. I thought the Fender would at least be decent in cleans, but the Blackstar was much better there. I preferred Blackstar Vintage Drive to Katana too. Overall, I thought the Blackstar was best in almost all clips. Apart from maybe high-gain where it was close, but maybe Katana was more usable.

[@BlarinDragon]

the fender did pretty well for the clean tones i think sorta fell off at the heavier bits but still useable. but the marshall seemed ok in the cleans but was trash in the heavy

[@SBahamondes]

I thought just the opposite lol the blackstar sounds horrific

[@XxXChizelXxX]

"The Fender was predictably terrible. I was surprised at how horrible the Marshall sounded" lol.

[@nunziobusiness1509]

I liked the cleans the Marshall was producing, but the higher gain sounds? Garbage.

[@pawlpoche8736]

Just bought katana 100 watt mk 2 and I’m thoroughly satisfied The brown setting with slight OD and delay Is amazing. Sustain for days

[@brisinda_]

Wow, the silverline is so warm.

[@Strawheaad]

As a guitar beginner I always dreamed about having a Marshal but ill have to admit most marshalls sound bad in direct comparison to other amps. I would love to use the blackstar for modern metal, the katana as an allrounder and the fender for old school stuff... marshall for decoration :)

[@myvintagesunburst7418]

for the money , The Katana wins . But the Blackstar is a close second . It just depends on the channels you chose to use .

[@taylorthemusicteacher]

Nice play through of Casket Base starting at 3:58

[@pariah6014]

My favorite Deen Gray song!!

[@nckhed]

@@elijahbyoun1886 Are you really offended? 🤦‍♂️

[@fransvenrooy4760]

That Blackstar surely sounds great. And I'm still glad to have a Katana 50 myself.

[@PeterDad60]

I have both the Marshall Code 50 (112) and Code 100 (212).They have a lot of processing power, but it takes intelligence to use all the setting to get those really wonderful tones you hope are in them. I can make my Marshall Code amps sound like any amp I want, even clean and jazz amps. So much so that I have made a new logo on my Code 50 and renamed it the "EDOC Jazz" ), EDOC is CODE spelled backwards). The tremolo and reverb are very adjustable and so is the clean. It makes a very good jazz amp. My Code 100, a 212 is being used as a clean amp and it has a great full and rich tone, but took me a while to get it because I have never has a modeling amp. so I was not used to making adjustments outside of EQ, Vol and Gain. It has a built in noise Gate that can be adjusted to perfectly reduce the noise when you dial in a lot of gain. It has built in pedals and cab's that sound different and it has built in power sections from 30 watt to 100 watt output. Even the reverb has many separate types and the tremolo type is changeable. Sometimes I prefer it over my Fender Tube '59 Bassman LTD. and Hot Rod DeVille 410 III. For cleans. Lastly they are both very loud if you want them to be. The 212 can be made so loud it does a good job of sounding like a Marshall Full Stack I should know because I has a Marshall JCM 900 MkII and a Full Stack of 1960A and 1960B cabs. It's really LOUD!@ The key to these Marshall Code amps is that you must go through the different types of adjustments in order to get the exact tone you want. It took me while to understand what I was doing. I did it so can you. Left stock, without making any changes at all the stock settings are good. But put in a little time and effort and you can make them sound so good you shall be very happy to be the owner of such an amplifier. I'm 70 years old and I never would have guessed that I could set a digital/solid state amp to sound as good as or even better than my favorite tube amps but I have actually done that. It kind of breaks my heart, up until the moment when I turn the Code 100 212 on and start playing through her, then all is forgiven. I play because I like to hear good tone and I admit the Code amps give me that. Last word: I used to really hate my Marshall Code amps, I thought they were garbage, for a long time. I did not give up and over the course of about a year and a half every once in a while I would play through them and make adjustments. It took a while to be able to make adjustments and trust myself to understand what I was doing. I finally learned, I finally found the tones I wanted. Who can argue with this kind of success? -Peter age 70

[@cliffirddelbridge2810]

Not one mention of the Katana which I hands down prefered.

[@viziobehringer3633]

Nope can't make Adele sound like hozier. A few months ago i actually found a second hand code 50 but they were girl on the$200 price tag so i waited a little to see if they'd go down on price. So glad a did cause within a few days i found a katana mk2 LIKE NEW for$160 with extra cables! The code 50 looked all worn and after watching this video im BEYOND happy with my purchase! 😀

[@matt6288joyce]

I own a Boss Katana but that Blackstar sounded awesome!

[@eric8332]

Keep the Katana. Don't throw it out.

[@enriqueromero6710]

Eric W. Why would we😂

[@Starkster50]

My Katana was about $30 cheaper than the Blackstar. I have an old Bugera 50watt tube I might sell or trade to get that Blackstar.

[@love2spooj878]

I have a Boss Katana too. When I was looking into buying an amp it fell down to the katana or the silverline. The silverline cost almost double the price but I do prefer the range of distorted sounds in that amp.

[@Meehtesh]

It’s depends on Price Black star silver 550 $ much expensive than boss250$

[@macaius]

Blackstar first, Boss close second, they've got great tones and I could gig with both of them anyday. Fender anc Marshall sounded fizzy and awful mic’ed with gain, barely usable via line on cleans. Great comparison!

[@richctv]

This is one of the more thorough demos I've seen to date. Well done. I have a Katana, Marshall, and Fender. The Marshall though good, requires the App to really get customized sounds.

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

Still excellent though. The app does makes things simple and from a tech point of view the way forward imho. However, you can still get to all the settings on the panel of the amp.

[@DavidRavenMoon]

I have a Code100. You can do everything from the controls on the amp. I never use the app. This video also shows how crappy the stick speaker is.

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

I forgot to add, there is always the fact that a KZbin video won't actually demonstrate a perfect sound and as such may not do the amps justice. You need to go to the store and try these amps out yourselves.

[@DanielS-zq2rr]

The Marshall's cleans at 3:20 were really good imo. That amp has a pretty unique sound, although I still think the Katana and Blackstar are better overall.

[@johnymason6034]

Well I was impressed too when I heard the clean of the Marshall, it sounds pretty good for me too.

[@donaldfoster5998]

Marshall Cleans were the best but it suffered elsewhere

[@jasonlewis2483]

I’d have to say the rankings in my opinion are: 1. Blackstar 2. Boss 3. Marshall 4. Fender

[@nootnootmyboot10]

Fender was better than marshal id say

[@alanfarias2923]

I just into playing guitar at 61 years old. I went with electric guitar and so happened I bought a Katana 50 as my amp. Boy what a blessing it is, for the sale price it’s a great amp.

[@victorkimura5824]

I think the Blackstar sounded really good.

[@lupang335]

Having had the chance to play both the Katana and the Mustang in the store, I can only say that this demo made the Fender sound a million times better than it did in real life. That being said, been enjoying the Katana 100/212 ever since, proper beast of an amp. Edit: fun fact, I entered a different store once when I was still hunting for amps and asked one of the guys if they had the Marshall to try it out, they literally said "We do, but don't bother."

[@Sally-uu3yt]

Best clerk ever

[@collinbeal]

They didn't want to have to listen to digital ass

[@motokev2727]

I own the code 25, it sounds amazing

[@ACG7001]

I bet that happened

[@alfsmith4936]

​@@ACG7001 I think Boss dealers are encouraged to have a Marshall Code in the store, just to sell Katanas.

[@innocentoctave]

Excellent demo. I rate them Katana / Blackstar / Fender / Marshall. The distance between the Boss and the Blackstar is smaller than I would have predicted. The Fender is a legitimate choice if you want those specific - primarily clean - historic amp models: not so good for modern hi-gain. I don't think Marshall are serious about this market.

[@StratmanDarrell]

My choices would be #1 Boss Katana #2 Blackstar #3 Fender # 4 Marshall But to throw in the clincher would be the best bang for the buck is definitely the Katana. For $299 Canadian you can pick one up brand new. All the others are 2 or 3X more.

[@kevincourcey813]

Now I can hear what all the Katana fuss was about. Outstanding clean amp. The others had their moments, but none as good as the Katana overall.

[@KollerNi]

I consider the Boss to sound somewhat modern dry-ish, hard to describe. The Marshall being the tonal opposite, I prefer the Marshalls clean sound above all others. But I’m tempted by the Boss…

[@love2spooj878]

I bought a Boss Katana about 6 months ago and felt very underwhelmed with it (only using it for metal and some pop punk). Decided to trade it in for the blackstar silverline. Was not disappointed,

[@bobwallace9814]

Katana and then Blackstar. Putting the prices next to them would be nice too.

[@therealtech833]

Katana about half the price of the Silverline.

[@chrismahoney3553]

Boss 1. and the best price blackstar nice but overpriced.

[@seanbailey8545]

I feel like the Boss is underpriced more than the black Star overpriced. Grab em while there still so cheap.

[@ryanburchett8455]

I had already heard the Marshall. The Boss and Blackstar surprised me. Those sounded pretty good. The Fender amp seemed like it didn't have as good of mic emulation as the others. It is also possible the mic IRL wasn't in the best position.

[@swan-senpai]

That Marshall is the worst amp I've ever heard. Blackstar wins for me.

[@St0pidguyz]

As a marshall CODE owner, to get a good sound you Shouldn't use the presets made by marshal Get your own sweet spot with it I got an almost exact tone of Master of Puppets with the code and it didn't sound like ass

[@seanbailey8545]

@@St0pidguyz That's the problem with the Code..they sound ass our of the box, I've heard a few setup nicely ,but the audio engineers who setup the presets really dropped the ball.

[@circedge]

@Ganjang gongjangjang Extremely digital. It's like the man is triggering samples and not really playing.

[@Sebastino_]

@@St0pidguyz Settings? pls.

[@St0pidguyz]

@@Sebastino_ Prefx: Distortion, mode: DIS, Drive: 0,5, Tone: 5,5, Level 3,5 Amp: OD Silver Jubilee Gain 4,0 Bass 7,3 Mid 0,3 Treb 7,0 Vol 2,1 Threshold 3,5 Mod: Disabled Delay: Disabled Rev: Hall, Decay 1,5 Pre 0,0 Tone 5,5 Level 3,5 Power: Classic Marshall 100W, Pres 8,5 Res 7,0 Cab: 1936V

[@zloboslav_]

That's one of the best shootout videos ever! The pacing and the length of the riffs and the switch time is just perfect! Also great riff choice demonstrating all I needed to hear especially palm muting! Many other KZbinrs should learn from this! Too bad I didn't particularly like any of the amps :D

[@masonmiller9658]

Fender doesn’t sound quite as good, but I love how many sounds it has and the interface is nice

[@muygrandepapi3153]

The easiest to tweak appear to be the Blackstar and the Katana, and thats why you easily got good sound on it. The Marshall sounds like crap if you don’t dig in and get to work tweaking the amp. I own the Fender and I will say that the factory presets are garbage until you tweak them. The Factory eq settings you probably had on were Global EQ. The best for clear and bright tone is the Guitar Focus 2 EQ. Everyone in the comments are quick to judge the muffled amps Marshall and Fender, but really they are all good amps. The Fender is more geared toward people who like numerous options and like to work for large amounts of time on combinations. For example, the Fender has over 8 EQ settings, 200 preset options (many of which are already filled up), multiple stompbox effects, distortion, over 8 reverb choices, and more. The Fender you just have to give a little love to get it to work. That being said, the exp-1 pedal you have to purchase to get wah out of the amp is way overpriced. Its unreasonable how much that costs, seeing as the function is already built into the amp. The Marshall I can’t speak from experience, but I imagine it is like the Fender, and that its misunderstood and people are quick to give up on something that takes more than a minute to tweak. If you want to sit down, turn on the amp and just start playing after twisting some dials, the Fender is not for you. If you like tons of options for pedals, amps, cabinets, EQs, and reverbs, this anp is definetely for you. Just my take, and I have to say I would love to purchase a Katana and/or Blackstar some time in the future👍🏻

[@vinopit]

Thats why vox valvetronix is the best. No tweaking. Just buttons

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

I paid $189 shipped to my door for a KAT 50 and really like it for bedroom low volume playing. I had the Mustang and Blackstar and both were sold after a few weeks. The Marshall Code never sounded very good in the demo's so i never bothered even trying one. Marshall for me is about Tube amps, that is where they are legendary.

[@alfsmith4936]

Marshall haven't made a good amp since the early 1980s. They look cool though.

[@RafaelGrigorian]

Blackstar sounds impressive for a solid state amp.

[@ilovecops6255]

Baclskater is tube!

[@RafaelGrigorian]

@@ilovecops6255 it's not

[@duderdudeedoo1984]

@@RafaelGrigorian but maybe the “baclskater” is? Idk

[@theshimmeringcarnelians]

Thanks for this demo. One correction to the chapter list: 10:13 Clean Sounds - Boss Katana 50 MKII

[@richardstaser6897]

I'm a Blackstar fan......hands down. Have the HT Club 40 with the MK2 ext. Cab twin 12's and then a Series One Pro cab with 4 V30's powered by an HT 100 head. Just totally awesome amps!!

[@kevinrobinson2154]

Katana then Black star was my thought. I have been thinking about a katana for about a year but this comparison really helped me. Thank you for the work that was put into making this. Rock on you ALL!

[@alwaysrockn2009]

This is the best demo I have seen on KZbin. Awesome dude! Thank you for comparing these amps- perfect! It’s about time someone did and you nailed it. Rock on!

[@mcdingus5081]

Nice review. I think it was pretty easy to tell that the Katana and Blackstar were well above the other two when it came to all sounds. The cleans weren't terribly different for any of them, they were all okay. But the distortion sounded terrible on the Marshall, it's sounds way muffled. The Fender had a little bit of that going on too, but not as bad. I was surprised by the Blackstar- I don't think you could go wrong with either that or the Katana.

[@DenisAhmet]

Boss Katana is superb value for money - a clear winner to my ears. I have the 50 Mk1, nothing can beat it in the same class. Well done Boss in their hard work developing it. Oh and it’s not that heavy to cart around. Thanks for putting this out, I’m so please I bought a Katana, which further proves they are great Amps.

[@qb4hkm]

Might be surprising but I chose Fender GT-200, hear it live, it will surprise you. It has virtually limitless tone creation possibilities, amps, cabs, effects, bias, etc. And you don't need computer or smartphone to use all the features as the amp interface is very well made(small lcd screen, jog dial). You need footswitch to use looper though. Got also XLR stereo output, you can prepare "playlists" for specific gig so you don't need to scroll through all of the patches ;-).

[@elgreco502]

boss katana is one of the best equipments ever made.really insane work for the money.

[@domformula1]

Had a katana and to be honest never felt like it was easy to get the best out of it. On a budget it’s an easy win, but that Blackstar surprised me- it doesn’t work like the rest. Emulating specific tube types is clever stuff and the architect software opens up deep editing. I’d like to give one a try, maybe but some drive pedals in front too

[@EC-ol8nz]

Edge break up: it’s so hard to choose because so many of our favorite songs and Guitarists were played thru a Fender or Marshall. It’s so ingrained in our memory that it is hard to choose. It comes down to if you want authentic sound and want to spend on pedal effects. I tried a Katana mk2 and I might go for that. Although the others are awesome! Great test setup and playing 😍👍

[@billyt9987]

The one thing I did to give my Code 50 a little more bottom end and fuller sound. Was to make it a open back speaker system. Cut half the back panel and it really added some fullness to the sound.

[@FantasticF113]

Overall this is a great comparison. Of course it was never gonna be exact, but it does show the strengths and weaknesses of each, while also demonstrating how far amp modelling has come I’d happily gig any of these, with my favourite *overall* being the Boss Katana - but it really is a matter of personal preference. Thanks for your hard work in putting this together. Well done

[@retiredguyadventures6211]

I just bought the Boss Katana 50 Mk II and this video confirms I made the right choice!

[@stuartrichens724]

So glad I just bought the Katana. Sounds the best in my opinion 😎

[@jimmyjimmy951]

Boss 🤩, Silverline 🥳, Fender 😕, Marshall 😖

[@davidg5629]

The Katana's EQ actually does something. When you dimed the bass, it sounded richer, rather than muddier. I was looking at the Silverline, but the Boss is less and sounds great.

[@leoos3497]

That is probably the best amp comparission video I've ever seen! Right on mate!

[@keithniday4920]

Starting out on guitar about a year ago I wanted something inexpensive but decent. Based on KZbin reviews and cost I went with the Katana. I am very happy with my choice. I do like that Blackstar though. I just don't know if I can justify the extra expense. I mean, you really do get a lot of bang for the buck with the Boss.

[@kamasp2272]

the place i learn at is a performance based program, and we have rehearsals every week for whatever group we chose to be in (theyll do artists, or genres, then compile songs under those themes so we learn what we love). in those rehearsal rooms, they have the katana 100 watts. and in every lesson room, the mini. that’s how i fell in love with boss amps and brand

[@Krankenstein]

Blackstar has aftermarket speaker (celestion v type) which I'd consider that speakers are one of the most important things in the amps. Bs is also ready to play without plug in to computer to find the best tone but what I heard about katana is that you need to tweak it also from the software to reach its maximum potential. Otherwise it's up to your taste and needs. I wanted something 'stand alone' sounds good straight from its speaker and not so complicated with modulation. Katana 50 was 270 euros and blackstar was 330 euros with sale dropped from 450. I also had to wait one month for katana, it was out of stock so my decision was super easy.

[@strangemagic5502]

To be fair they all sound great. I recently bought the Blackstar Silverline 50 watt for three reasons after trying it out in the store. 1. It emulates tube amplifiers extremely well 2. It has a very good Celestine 12 inch speaker and 3. It has the better foot controller which I find very useful during rehearsals and gigging. Though more expensive, it's incredibly versatile for my needs and sounds brilliant. From what I understand the 50 watt Boss Katana only has a limited foot controller unless you opt for the more expensive 100 watt version.

[@jasonstacey8577]

I would go with a black star, seems to be less nonsense on it.

[@sdfswords]

Great demo, the Katana definitely had the best sounds, almost a tube-like pick attack and lag, usable clean, crunch and lead tones, less fizziness than the others. Musicians will still prefer a real tube set up for the studio, but the Katana would be a nice light weight, bullet-proof gig machine.

[@BAND-MAID-USA]

This is exactly how all amp comparison videos should be.

[@notmedude]

I did not expect Katana to sound so much better than the others.

[@PeterDad60]

For me, it turns out that I love my Marshall Code amps. The thing of it is, you have to use your ears and take your time dialing in the tone. I use my Code 50 as my "Jazz" amp, and it's very good. Tremolo and reverb and a clean, clean tone with enough volume. I use my Code 100 212 as a Rock amp as it's louder. I admit that until I learned to take my time I thought they were the worst amplifiers I ever played through. Now I am deeply satisfied with my new Jazz amp. It delivers the Jazz tone at a fraction of the price of the famous "go to" Jazz amps. I feel like I'm cheating! But, because the tone is now so very spot on I have no need for Hendrikson's etc.

[@ericstrat3579]

Excellent demo & comparisons- best I’ve seen on KZbin!

[@AR-xl6ym]

I came so close to getting a code 50 because everywhere was out of stock for the Katana. Thank god I didn't impulse buy.

[@TRUTH-mr9fv]

Same. I almost bought one till I found out how wacky it sounded.. by far in this video I think Boss katana and Blackstar silverline are the best sounding amps

[@andyblakely7576]

Kinda shocked how good the blackstar SL sounded. Definitely a contender against king katana amp.

[@Rick-5728]

Except for the whole "costs more than twice as much" thing.

[@mattwood5493]

The blackstar sounds great but it is double the price the other2 are garbage

[@BikerTrash75]

I've been playing my Marshall Code 50 for years now and I love it. Sound is objective, find what sounds good to you and play it. Cheers!

[@enigma1247]

Lol theres something wrong with your ears then buddy

[@bassproable]

The Blackstar is just so smooth.

[@passenger128]

First of all: I frequently gig with the Katana 50 and I love it. I am also a massive DEFTONES fan, so you get extra love from me here (: The Boss Katana and Blackstar sound very good to my ears; the other two though, ugh ^^ Great comparison, thank you very much! (:

[@ZenTheMusician]

This is absolutely the best comparison I've ever heard. PROPS!!!!!

[@ksgtrpkr]

Blackstar ruled in all categories!

[@antneyfatts665]

The Marshall had them all beat with clean. However, I'm sold on the Boss with all the rest

[@Samford_]

The Marshall sounded terrible everywhere

[@danilorivera5089]

I'll go like "everything sound better with The Boss Katana" mode. The Marshall has a lot high end (which hurts my ears). The Fender Mustang and Blackstar works well too, but Katana worths more.

[@bodyshotjake7475]

That black star sounds fantastic! But it’s got a good deal more cost behind it. I’d take the Boss probably just because I’m to novice to change the sound much with my capabilities.

[@fromaggio7654]

Deftones jam, 10/10

[@DamianS1893]

Great comparison video. I recently purchased a Boss Katana MK-ll 100 Head. So far I am very happy with this amp head.

[@alwaysrockn2009]

Great tones but I think the Katana took it home followed up be the Blackstar which sounded comparable even better at times but not as many times it needed to overall beat the Katana. The Marshall sounded muffled as did the Fender.

[@MrShiffles]

@2:25 that Deftones riff sounded best on Katana and the Blackstar close second IMHO (especially with all the other demos too) ...finally got some disposable $$$ to cop a Katana50 MKii on the way via the slow Covid-19 express to my house...after watching this awesome comparo I think i made a good buy :0) Subbed \m/

[@hogger88]

1. Boss Kitana hands down 2. Blackstar Other two sound like toys ....

[@vibecheck4581]

2:25 YEESS I LOVE THIS SONG DEFTONES IN GENERAL

[@mr.fisher3973]

1. Boss 2. Blackstar 3. Fender 4. Marshall and I must say that the Marshall was very disappointing - I personally own and use a Boss Katana 100 and I couldn't be happier.

[@bigshuff]

It appears that the Marshall wasn't everyones favourite amp but I really liked it. I do agree that it sounded a bit laid back but I like that kinda sound. And I suspect that the louder it gets the more the dynamics will create a really good rock sound, (I should say that is what I'm really into) so for all those people that are looking for different tones that aren't rock I could easilly see how you might prefer a different amp. Also playing at sensible house volumes and still achieving a great sound is obviously very important for most of us. Anyway I'm going to stand in the Marshall corner even if I am on my own.

[@quomofo1]

I have the Marshall and it sounds amazing. The problem on this video is that he doesn’t have the right amp, power, and cabs matching up. You really have to tweak this amp. Once you get it dialed in, it sounds just as good or better than the Katana.

[@andystagger2906]

It’s more expensive than the Katana

[@albertjoubert7924]

I have the code 50 and you not alone. I tweaked it untill I got what I wanted. Various presets I can engage with foot switch. We play from Kansas to Deep Purple and have two in the band.

[@Espectador666]

silverline and katana, the others sound horrible

[@davidclark3603]

They're all brilliant! Im a Marshall man myself. I have been since the 1970s. I may get a code 50 or valve dsl?

[@xferodenx273]

Oh man, definitely DSL. I've compared them in life, believe me you won't regret buying DSL

[@brainstain2904]

Boss Katana by far and I am buying one! I would put Blackstar second and Marshall third and Fender last!

[@jonthehermit8082]

Brainstain I would get the 100 watt. It has several features the 50 watt doesn't . Also the effects section puts these others to shame.

[@ahmad1ce]

Best amp comparison video on KZbin. Thank you.

[@Johnny-oy9fh]

The boss is not a modelling amp. I have a MK1 which I traded my blues jnr mkIII for and I'm never selling it. One of the first katana 50s ever produced. I always knew they'd make amps without valves one day that beat valve designs...Boss finally did it...

[@AllTheCoolNamesAreTaken84]

Joe Blogs Yes it is a modeling amp lol

[@Johnny-oy9fh]

@@AllTheCoolNamesAreTaken84 it's not actually as it's not "modelling" anything specific. The katana amps are 100% analogue and feel and respond like valve amps onstage. I've been gigging mine loud every week since they came out. It's only the effects which are digital. I get the impression the MKII's are maybe not as good though...mmm

[@Johnny-oy9fh]

@@AllTheCoolNamesAreTaken84 analogue valve logic amp...i.e. a new technology that is designed like a valve amp... without valves...👍😎🎸

[@metallion0738]

@@AllTheCoolNamesAreTaken84. No is not, it is a ss analog amp and does not model other amplifiers like other ss state digital amps do, yes the boss katana does have digital effects but it is not concider a modeling ss amplifier at all, I thought the same as you before as well.

[@sueandtimacousticduo5444]

Joe Blogs nah, the MK 2 sounds the same but is much easier to use. Just the concentric knobs make such a difference :)

[@joaoaugustolandim]

I have a Katana 50 and I freakin' love it, but the Blackstar surprised me. It's almost as good as the Katana. The difference is that Katana wins in every setting. Maaan. I'm so happy I found that deal on the Katana. It was a guy that worked at a music shop that bought one and didn't use it, so he sold for 70% of the online price. This amp gave me so much joy live, man.

[@garrettformo5237]

The cleans demo section starts. Me: "I'VE GOT A TWENTY DOLLAR BIIILLL, THAT SAYS NO ONE'S EVER SEEN YOU WITHOUT MAKEUP".