NEW Boss Katana Artist MkII vs. Fender Blues Deluxe | Gear Check | Thomann

[@spivvo]

As somebody that gigs covers and owns a whole studio and amps…. I take my Katana Artist combo because it sounds great, is reliable, has every effect I need and I don’t need more than one power socket… and just need to run a single cable to the GAFC EX. Now that I fitted fender style grill cloth, added a learher handle and raplaced the corner protectors with chrome it even looks boutique. I highly recommend it and with a double guitar case on my back it’s one trip to the car.

[@davidsant5729]

I have a K Artist MK2 and a Fender HRD111. They're both great, the Boss cannot do the Fender clean like the Hot Rod, it just can't, simple as that. The Fender can't do half the amazing tones the Katana can crank out, it just can't. Both are fabulous for what they're designed to do.

[@DavidRoupell]

@@thymick5581 I have it for sale… trumped by a Roland Blues Cube which is a game changer amp.

[@jr0706]

I found that using the parametric EQ in the Katana tone studio actually gets the amp really close to some classic Fender tones. Just using the top panel, you can’t get there.

[@viktornesovski1884]

@@DavidRoupellI have been deciding between these two by have never had the chance to hear the Roland in person. What’s the biggest difference

[@sygis21]

Good question. That would interest me as well…

[@sygis21]

I have a Artist MKII combo and think about switching to a Blues Cube.

[@HellcatsUnited]

Hi i have a katana artist mk2 and follow your advice, I cranked all the power up to 100 watt and control it by the volume and gain control, the result was awesome, it really felt like a valve amp, thanks best regards from Mexico 🇲🇽

[@HellcatsUnited]

​@Lukas Braun Busca imagine music mx , yo lo compre ahí, son distribuidores de Roland,

[@MichaelMacherey]

Beautiful intro tone Guillaume, and well played from both!

[@Turbo-D]

i ordered the mkII 100w head @ thomann and didn`t expect too much cause i have a ton of tubeamps and a H&K grandmeister 40 deluxe which is a compareable tubeversion but priced much higher and the katana comes close.....the best bang for your buck in nearly every regard in my opinion, sounds better than some of my very high priced tube amps i have compared it to.the band lodestar has recorded all of their albums with just the katana artist head and build in speaker 💪

[@PooNinja]

I always wondered about the built in speaker . I’ll have to check out Lodestar 🤘🏽

[@Turbo-D]

@@PooNinja its ok for practice, they used it for doom metal, sounds amazing, search for event horizon album, i asked for their setup and they responded quick 🙏🙏

[@PooNinja]

@@Turbo-D cool 👍🏽 thanks for the info

[@SomeKindOfMadman]

Awesome demo, Kris and Big G, you guys are great. I was surprise how good the solid state amp sounded.

[@selimkurtishi6828]

2

[@gringostarr69]

I have played with those Katana amps and they sound amazing, but in this comparisoment I prefer the old school fender :) Nice playing guys like always!

[@padgreen]

Hmm, I think I just preferred the sounds from the tube amp! That's not to say the sounds from the katana were bad, cause they weren't but even over KZbin I thought the tube sounds just had a little bit more 3D sparkle for want of a better word especially with the Cleanish sounds.

[@dezionlion]

The prs would have paired better with the katana, and the pink one would pair better with the deluxe.

[@robertcovell2787]

I feel that the Fender is better in "crunch", Boss is slightly fizzy. However they are so close on all settings that when you put the Boss into a gig setting, even a trio it wouldn't matter what amp you use. Roland has developed some serious work horses with these amps and I for one Really like the idea that I can play any gig with a minimum of extraneous junk.

[@kendoplex]

Just wondering, if this comparison does make any sense using different guitars with these two amps. Would have been better to use the same guitar to make the test more objective in the first part.

[@luedinski]

Once I had a Katana, but I didn't like to connect my laptop to change effect details and so on. That's why I prefer a real amp with pedals or a modeler with display and knobs like a Pod Go, Helix, etc.

[@StephaneBergeronPixelyzed]

Great video guys! I just got my Kat MKII head (not Artist) out. It's my "backup" amp now as my main is the Revv Dynamis 7-40. It sounded very good to me today. I had kind of dismissed its clean but I have a Rev 1x12 with a Creamback H75 in it and it sounded way better than I remembered. I still have my 4x12 but that has changed speakers as well (had T75s before now 2 Creamback H75s and 2 V30s in X pattern). That too sounds way better with my Katana head than it did with the T75s. It also takes my dirt pedals really well now (REvv G2 + G4 + Tumnus Deluxe). I took some time to do comparisons for myself crunch = G2 in Dynamis clean/G2 in Kat clean vs Kat crunch vs Dynamis Red channel on second dymanic level. TO my ears (all in the Revv 1x12 Creamback) the G2 into the Dynamis won that by a hair over the Kat crunch. Then I tested the G4 into Dynamis clean/Kat clean vs Dynamic red channel on max dynamicx setting and gain at 3o'clock vs Katana Brown (which was my go to for anything passed crunch when the Kat was my main amp). I thought the Dynamis red channel would take that one but the G4 into Dynamis clean did. Its mids and low mids just sounded better to me. Way more saturated than the Dynamis red channel and more than the Kat's Brown channel. The G4 is just more chewy, yields pinched harmonics easier and sounds fatter for leads up on the neck than either the Dynamis red channel or the Kat's Brown channel. I (re) learned that the Kat is a better pedal platform than I remembered (I used mostly its gain channels instead of pedals when I used it more). Now I prefer the G2 and G4 into the Dynamis clean/blue channel. Kris knows the DYnamis well. It's clean tone leaves my Kat head in the dust. Rounder but punchier attack with more chime. The Kat sounds a bit flatter giving away its JC-120 heritage... ;) That is an amp I played for nearly 10 years in the 80s and early 90s. But to my ears, the Artist MKII head has better clean than my regular MKII head. Great to see Boss evolving the Katana series. They are great amps at their price or at any price.

[@ibalrog]

I'm putting both in the "it sounds great, now shut up and play your guitar" category. Which is the opposite of what most of us want to hear, but...

[@valueofnothing2487]

Tube and pedals sound so much better. Way less fizzy. More distinct and natural sounds.

[@killacoiler1707]

The Katana does not render the high-end sparkle that the Fender does ut that could be tightened up with tweaks to the eq or by adding a multi-band equalizer pedal. I would not say that one is better than the other as a whole, but rather they are aimed at specific musician's wants or needs. It all boils down to what a person is willing to sacrifice or overlook to achieve their tonal goals.

[@davidschaer]

in terms of pure sound.. i preferred the boomer-rig.. and i’m not even a boomer..

[@johnnyt3676]

and hello! how can you compare amp tones using a stra vs prs silver sky? two completely different guitars and pups!

[@j.hammer573]

Thanks for the tip on the Master Volume cranked & the Amp Vol as the adjustable parameter. I’m only a few days into the Katana Artist combo. This opened up even more tonal options for me. The great thing about these amps, so far is , I’ve not hooked it up to the computer:) I’m finding great tones with the native amp as shipped. I’ll admit it took me a full day to figure out how to dial out the fizziness but I’m stunned by how I can go from Hendrix-ish to U2 to The Cult Love with it all in the box. Great job Boss!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Glad you liked the video and the infos. Yeah the Katana is a very capable amp and after a bit of tweaking you can make it do pretty much anything. Cheers //Kris

[@funkknuckle]

That fizziness will go over time as the speaker breaks in.

[@andrewelstein4852]

The key to the perfect Katana tone is a boost pedal. I have a collection of vintage guitars and amps which I love. I am not a professional player and just play at home and with friends. I also have 2 boss katana amps and have to say for most of my day to day playing, I prefer the Boss Katana. My Fender and Gibson tube amps are awesome but there is a volume level that each of my tube amps has to get to for the amp to shine. When you get to that point, the tube amps are amazing. The sweet spot so to speak. I feel the Katana is really good at almost any volume and sounds really consistent at any reasonable volume. . I will also say for my style of playing, I use a RC Booster pedal (which I use mostly for EQ) and a few other pedals and play clean and edge of break up mostly. I use my pedals with the Katana the same way I use them with my tube amps. The only effects I use on the Katana are reverb, delay and chorus. I have used the Katana software and like it for the 3 effects I just mentioned. However, I don't use the digital overdrive in the katana software . I have 3 presets I like for the Katana and that is it (two I really like are the ones Danish Pete created and has available for free). I use the Panel settings on the Katana mostly and I use it with my pedals. Super amp that really should cost mush more for the sound quality and versatility you get. If it breaks, you just go get another one (never had one problem with my Katana's). They come up used, like new all the time around here.

[@ollegrane4654]

Lovely demo! I have the old Katana 100 and love it, bought it while my Mesa was in the shop and then frankly just sold the Mesa… but in this test I felt all the Katana sounds (but for the chug in the end) sounded fake and transistor-y. I bet the room does a lot.

[@christopherwatkins9729]

Comments ???? Was 50/50 undecided after First challenge but after that the Fender flew away with these challenges, including the Last Challenge... No doubt that the Boss Katana Artist MkII is a very good AMP, but the Blues Deluxe and Pedals Won the Day ! Great demonstrations from both Kris and Guillame and am glad Kris gave that last "Burst" (Humbucker) to win last challenge by a 'nose'... ! Just discovered you guys and shall come back for more...

[@bluzmansix]

Yeah I liked the sound of the whole deal with the fender set up but in NO way did the Boss sound bad. Its just choose your flavour.

[@jt3483]

I liked the blues deluxe clean... But thought it sounded really really boxy everywhere else. Surprisingly, the Katana didn't sound nearly as boxy. Sounded nice and open.

[@sunnysideamps]

Thanks for the video! It would have been better, IMHO, to compare the amps using a single speaker. Either the speaker in the Blues deluxe, or one of the speakers in the Boss cabinet. Then, it would be giving us a better idea of the differences between the amplifiers, instead of the differences between the amps with their individual speakers. Just my two cents. Thanks for the video!

[@mkrj2576]

Wow. Great informative, useful video. Some sound, practical advice. I think the Kat's eq could have been played with a bit more to get it closer to that killer clean we heard from the Fender. Still, both amps sounded great, and more importantly my fingers would be the "tone limiter", not the amp. Your format for this video was excellent. Really liked your thoughtful discussion. Opinions coming from pros are more useful than our own ears listening to amps through a YT video. The Kat's GAFC foot switch and the ability to set up different "amps" on it with their respective "pedals", and its Solo function is extremely useful for live playing. Far less hassle than multiple pedals. Also, as I sit here watching this video I'm noodling away through my Kat and am bouncing back and forth between a nice Fendery clean and Marshal crunch. Hard to do that with one traditional amp. Oh, also doing it at levels where my wife's not threatening me.

[@josephhughes9490]

Kris, As always I am a big fan of yours and Guillaume. Always great technical information as well as great guitar playing. Love your Tele. I am now contemplating getting a katana. It sounds are different. Nothing beats a Marshall though. Great show.

[@VideoDetection]

I would definitely buy the new Katana rig as it looks and sounds great plus it has all the effects options!

[@nathancourtney2006]

I enjoyed the video. I would have liked it better if you had started out with identical guitars. But I get what you're doing.

[@IsaacLausell]

I agree with everything you said. have a katana and a blues deluxe and the katana certainly holds up well. In fact when playing locally I use the katana even more than my tube amps. I love the sounds you can get from the katana however there are certain standards if we are pushing the amp on to a professional stage as an “all in one” solution that need to be met. Still till this day there is no option for loading IRs which is necessary in situations that require a quiet stage and let’s face it, the built in IRs are not that great. They are ok but not the best. I can even forgo that but the end pass for me would be the lack of a stereo output. That in itself is also limiting when also considering that the software does not provide stereo L& R delays. Non of these things are an issue in a studio environment but banking on a katana that is physically heavier and that would require to bring more gear or an additional amp to get stereo imaging is the wrong move. Like many other pros I am always looking for the angle that allows max functionality while carrying less stuff and preferably lighter stuff.

[@lent7156]

I'm using a Boss Katana MK2 100watts 1 12... not the artist..and and I got it hooked with a old school Peavey classic 50 watts with Texas special eminence speakers. The Katana's Wasa has a great tube sound, yet when in with the peavey which is a tube amp is now the best clean tube sound!! Haven't used it on semi large gig, waiting to see when mic'd and turned way up to see if I get the same clarity.

[@chrishowitt9654]

I think the boomer rig did it's job, and that is provide a punchier sound that would drive and be well heard in a full band situation. The katana would likely be a little lost in the mix here with that eq setting in a band. Both Amps sound great but I still lean towards the Blues Deluxe for its power punch.

[@stefanbo3620]

I am in the fortunate position of owning a decent valve combo and a good few decent pedals that I have gathered over time, so I would go from there, but if I was starting on guitar today, I don't know which way I would choose. The digital modeling stuff is convenient and convincing, yet not convenient and convincing enough to sell all my stuff and get one of those. Great video guys

[@DrDrake_Ramore]

You could add a valve preamp pedal in the effects loop of the Katana Artist… I use pedals with mine. But the flexibility of having everything in the amp for a rehearsal on the fly, or playing in venues with tight stages for example, it’s brilliant!. It sounds great and it does the job more than well enough. The Fender is a fine amp. Great entertainment, thanks.

[@CyberRabid.]

I'm figuring on buying one of these Katana heads and the only real differences I'm seeing between the MKii Artist and the standard MKii 100 is the artist comes with the foot pedals and the 100 comes equipped with an internal 5" speaker perfect for use as a practice amp. It should be noted that the GA-FC ex pedal retails for approx $150 by itself. So imo the MKii 100 head is still a better buy than the Artist head. Therefore is Artist is only viable if purchasing it in a combo package.

[@iused2bfast153]

As a boomer, I rented a 50w mk2 but couldnt dial out the fizz with the panel, Paul from Da Ztudio Ratz showed how to in the global eq in Tone Studio but I returned it already, it would have been good to try Tobe Studio. I love the Katana for what it is but for someone like me who just wants to have a great sound for pedals and doesnt want to struggle and spend time using a computer, a good used HRDLX/BDLX and a couple overdives and a delay is hard to beat.

[@jameswilliford5478]

Fender sounds better for my tastes since I love a bluesy clean with a little reverb....but I'll probably go for the katana for the ease of use and it sounds pretty damn good. I'm more interested in just being able to switch it on and play without the extra hassle that comes with a tube amp.

[@Jmundo123]

Lots of Slash influence on that little jam 😎

[@iancurrie8844]

Dang. I’m a huge fan of boss and the katana in particular but this really shows its weaknesses. I really did prefer the blues deluxe here. It was much more alive, dynamic, crisp and alive. The katana sounded flat and transistor-y. Dang. :(

[@arnolddealiii4259]

Both sound good. Let’s be real the tube amp is gonna have higher end pedals than Harley Benton. Also it’s not really a good comparison of which is better when you you don’t have a bass and a drum kit hogging all the low end and midrange frequencies. Which one punches through in a mix would be a better test. We know the fender will punch through, but what will the Katana do?

[@davidmultimedia2024]

If you can now do "anything" with the footswitch, can I assume it now allows to preserve the tail of the delay/reverb when switching presets (spillover)? I would be shockingly surprised 😮

[@Mark_Ocain]

Katanas for the money....hard to go past! For we humble souls who gig the occasional pub, they are a godsend! I like this head! I'd love one if I got to play larger rooms! Still though...that Fender?....it just has that little something special in the tone, doesn't it? The 'snap' in some settings is hard to emulate My heart says Fender, my poor-arsed brain and pocket, says Katana LOL. The Katana has heaps to offer for the 'folding'.

[@MrJingles021]

I love seeing non-tube amps becoming a viable option. I have the Line 6 Catalyst, and I would have no issues using the Katana. One day, I'd love to have one to compare. Also an Orange Super Crush.

[@carlosfierros8095]

I feel like if youre not using the same guitar the comparison is almost null and void. I already prefer the PRS sound over Fender so how am i supposed to know which amp I prefer?

[@jojolapraline]

How do you want to compare if you don't have the same guitar ???

[@gringostarr69]

ATM i am using an old yamaha EM-150II (2) and and really old ross cabinet under it. I have had both of those for +20 years, but just decided to try them out after a long time. Works quite nicely. No pedal boards, just an simple digital old BOSS ME-50 added to it 🤣 That is budget stuff for you. The only thing that is wrong with the yamaha is that the spring echo is busted and can't seem to find a replacement for it... :/

[@steweco]

Great sounds! So I was sure to finally get the Roland blues cube artist this year. Now I’m unsure again. 😂 But that’s a good thing.

[@willrayment9544]

Tasteful intro dudes 😎

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks a lot! //Kris

[@brubakersflatcakes9755]

Seems like you could have dialed out the high-end fizz on the Boss.

[@carloscedillo5081]

The deluxe/oedals sounded better for the most part but I think they didn’t dial the boss katana good enough to have a closer match,…

[@dezionlion]

Just a suggestion, from now on make mandatory guitar switch

[@matzer8846]

So you are having fun ... expected to see that! BUT NOW go blind and toss in a HarleyBenton-Amp, a JC-120 and the new Diezel VHX ... At the fence waiting for this🤣🤣🤣

[@johnsausage]

and maybe they could use the same guitar model with same strings and selected pickups. hard to compare these two amps..

[@michaelsterling3432]

I got a fender deluxe reverb, thinking of sending it back to get the boss nextone... big mistake?

[@Oilid]

The Fender kicks Boss's a$s on the clean channel. It's, actually, the only amp I'm eying. I love Kris's face at the Final Boss Humbucker Battle!

[@SFESky]

The way the Combo is priced against the head plus cabinet, I'd rather buy two of the combos and use the stereo setup to be honest. Or really just one combo because I don't need 120 dB (nobody does, I reckon).

[@jacobbockover1628]

Man im looking for a back up head. I only use a chorus and an eq kinda like a mid boost but yeah id set it up different and stuff but i could see buying that head

[@steveo44]

Very little difference to my ears. Clean sounded more glassy on the fender. It would be down to how the katana feels and reacts. Both sound gorgeous overall!

[@robertclinger7351]

Like Chapman said, the master volume has to be maxxed. Do the rest on the channel volume and gain.

[@msaintpc]

Not an equal or fair comparison. Two different guitars with different pups, and two different players.

[@timothymcgregor9249]

Boss Katana is a fantastic deal!

[@Hurtb]

Katana all the way - Fender amps are awesome for clean to blues - does limit you

[@amphibious4463]

when tubes become boomer rigs, by guys playing PRSs, its over. all hail the modeler! lol I still love tubes but its just not worth the money for slightly better tone(and that's subjective). its just a matter of time before they're just for nostalgia. SS has come so far and easily covers the needs of the majority of players.

[@scouser2230]

I have ordered the Katana Artist Mk 2 combo, as all the reviews I have seen say that it is a really good amp with which I can create my own tones to mimic my favourite artists. I also have two existing solid state amps and I have not invested in pedals. For a relatively small investment the Katana gives me a very versatile amp that will give me everythingI need.

[@kyle9667]

Each has it's place, but nothing beats a tube amp when you can play loud, where a solid state sounds better for the low volume. In the case of this video, other than the HH Strat, the Blues Deluxe is the winner in my book, but I am bias. I have the Blues Deluxe and have played multiple guitars through it and it makes a single coil Strat or Tele sound wonderful. A PRS "strat" shaped object is not a Strat. Nothing sounds like a Strat but a Stratocaster. Others do not sound bad, for the most part, but the Strat and Tele have their sound that can not be replicated.

[@chzzyg2698]

I give it to the Blues Deluxe but it doesn't hold a whole lot over the Katana. They each have their strong suits but for me I'm a blues player.

[@WolfmanAndy]

I have the mk1 head (plus other amps) and 4x10, 2x12 and 1x12 cabs. What will the artist head give me extra?

[@TR-uw2sp]

My guess is little to nothing.

[@danstringer7610]

I’m a “boomer”. I also have a Katana 100 mk2…but I use it as a pedal platform. Boomer style…less complicated works for me.

[@metalliholic]

Wouldn’t you save money getting the original katana head and the Waza cab? Does the artist head really cost $200-300 for the extra switches and front panel. Wasn’t the original artist only difference, sound wise, was the speakers and software wise, it’s the same.

[@tritonmosquito9348]

I know the Katana is loaded with effects and stuff, but I've always been a pedal user, liking the look and the feel or real pedals on a pedalboard. So I use the katana as a clean platform, using the acoustic channel to put some preamp pedals and a lot of gain stages. It works like a charm ! I know I'm not using the amp at its real potential but it works really well just as a power amp with EQ (on top of the multiple power selections that can accomodate for any situation). It's a really good amp for almost everything...

[@PNWGuitar]

WANT THAT KATANA

[@MotleyMethods]

This could have been an 8 minute video and been just as informational.

[@ericwarrington6650]

The katanas are tough to beat.. especially all around usability..there's very little I can't do w my mk2 50..

[@lucas_brg]

Just buy the DSP Neural Quad Cortex and be happy

[@matzer8846]

My answer: YES ... maybe even smaller: - JC-22 or ProJunior 😉 - lots - too much - pedals 🤣

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

The fender tube tones win. As far as that grunge/death metal drop tuning noise always sounds horrible to my ears whatever it's played through. Barf.

[@horschy4856]

Brain says: Katana Heart says : Amp and Pedals

[@joachimlindback]

Boss is more addictive than sugar.

[@-jk-2580]

Yup, there’s no way to beat the 3D sound of real tube amp. Even cheap amp like Blues Deluxe.

[@PooNinja]

Test the internal speaker!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hey Poo, the Artist head doesn't seem to have the internal speaker that the Katana 100w head has. This one is really only meant to be used line (cab sim) or with a speaker on stage. Cheers //Kris

[@knikk77]

Katana 1st place!

[@jamdalf4343]

(1) I bet putting just a "Soldano Super Lead Overdrive Pedal" in the front of that Fender and some built-in reverb would blow away the KA Head/Cab setup in rock/metal sound quality. (2) The KA 100watt Head/2x12 Waza Cab is a lousy deal (US $570+600=1170) at Sweetwater for only US $30 more get "TWO" KA 100watt Combos (US $600+600=1200) and hook them up in "Stereo Link" mode that would annihilate the KA Head/Cab. I'd rather have a 200watt Stereo two Amp two speaker rig than a 100watt Mono one Amp one 2x12 Cab setup! The KA 100watt Combos can power separate Cabs too if you have them. 🤘

[@johnnyt3676]

i have a kat artist ii head and it has way more warmth on tap than you are playing it. why dont you guys dial in the eqs better on both amps, instead of playing one cold, and comparing the differences? this is not a good comparison.

[@cerclesvicieux]

Boss isn't even in the same league as a Fender amp. Why don't you try pitting it against Line 6.

[@dezionlion]

What’s interesting is the deluxe can make the prs sound ok but the katana is not helping pinkie at all

[@Johnny-oy9fh]

Katana wins for me....

[@major-Mihailo-Madzarevic]

*Katana won sorry.*

[@d.wilson1402]

Boomer rigs rule!!

[@wernermoser3406]

😳😳😳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥶🥶🥶🥶🥱🥱🥱🥱

[@selimkurtishi6828]

O9

[@myuncle2]

Very unfair comparison, how can you compare a 1x12 to 2x12 ?? And also how can you compare a PRS wannabe strat (made of poplar) to a good strat ? If you had a 2x12 cab and a good strat with a Klon, the Fender Blues Deluxe would sound like a brand new amp. Try it!

[@justpray365]

So you are saying to take your money clip out and throw it all at gear to match the Katana.

[@myuncle2]

@@justpray365 sorry I don't get you, can you rephrase it?

[@justpray365]

@@myuncle2 You want a high dollar Strat, a high dollar cab, and a high dollar Klon to get the $1,000 Fender Blues Deluxe to beat the Katana. Trust me, I own a high end Fender Tube amp with 2/12 inch speakers, and a Katana Artist Mk2 combo. The Fender is collecting dust now and I don’t need the high dollar pedals to get the sound. You DO have to learn how to dial it all in with the tone studio. The secret sauce is the very powerful parametric eq the Katana has.

[@myuncle2]

@@justpray365 I'm talking about the comparison. The Fender strat was used only for the Katana. There are cheap Klon clones like the EHX Soul Food. I personally don't like the Katana, it's not bad but is not as good as a tube amp, at least for rock or blues.

[@vitorugovitorasso4062]

"PRS wannabe strat"... ohh come on! Stop being this dude