Tone Lounge: Boss Katana Amps

Welcome to the latest episode of The Tone Lounge. Neville Marten and Richard Barrett jam, chat, tweak and test their way round new gear that's causing a buzz in the world of guitar.
This episode is all about the Boss Katana range of amps - a powerful and surprisingly affordable portfolio of amplification with a little something for everyone. So what do Nev and Richard think? Join us for a jam in the Tone Lounge to find out...

[@AnBru]

"do a bit of tapping" "I'll try, it's been a while" ... and absolutely nails it

[@LesPaul3399]

no shit that dude can play

[@JohnDoe-jc3cl]

Yeah.....” I’ll try my best here”. And kills it

[@Ukuleleal]

Great demo, but to be fair. That guy could plug his guitar in to an old biscuit tin and it would probably sound amazing. :)

[@TheGuitarGeek]

This is by far my favourite katana demo, thanks guys.

[@mikenicholson7465]

Hey, man, I love your channel, ESPECIALLY for your Katana Artist demos and tones.

[@sweetguy19762]

TheGuitarGeek Why, what is wrong with the other ones on youtube?

[@dadbodfolkpunk9433]

TheGuitarGeek this is great but check this legend out kzbin.info/www/bejne/f32klYxvqK-prJo

[@trillrifaxegrindor4411]

for the record he is playing $5000+ guitars here and the production to deliver the sound to you is probably 3-4 times that cost

[@stringbender57]

@@sweetguy19762 - 'TheGuitarGeek' didn't say anything was wrong with the other reviews. He said this is his favorite and I agree. It is my favorite as too!

[@These_go_to_eleven_1959]

This was the first time i bought something where all the "Hype" was completely true! I love the KAT 50 and i only paid $189 shipped!

[@JanAndersonVO]

Great deal! Where'd you find that one?

[@dadbodfolkpunk9433]

Guitarded_ 5150 totally agree i bought one and it is better than advertised, this amp should scare the big names

[@nickl.3386]

You can get the 100 for 200€ in Spain

[@TheThinker39]

During the last few days, I've been watching various demo videos of this amp. This review is, by a LARGE margin, the best I've seen and heard! Thank you!!

[@andrewguttry6886]

Possibly the best in-depth appraisal of an amp I have had the pleasure of seeing. Well done.

[@KelsterVonShredster]

Best demo of this amp, hands down. Great job guys.

[@Isaac_howell]

Please more vids like this. The Guitarist magazine channel creates content of exceptional quality, some of the best on youtube in my opinion. Keep up the good work.

[@LightWingStudios]

By far the best Katana review video on KZbin. I've had the Head plugged into my ProTools DAW for less than a month and it just continues to amaze me. Thank you gentlemen!

[@doug941]

The best demo to date! Nice job fellas!

[@robertgeary2900]

Super job guys! Great playing and perfect phrasing to bring out the amps’ qualities. Sold me! Best demo I’ve seen on KZbin, period! Cheers from South Carolina.

[@Tolbiny]

The 100w is £239 in most shops... Amazing value for money. Wow, what a player Richard is, just brilliant.

[@richardread4984]

£339 in 2021.

[@diwa2012]

This is pretty fair and well-balanced review. You both did an excellent job. This is a kind of review that I really appreciate: comprehensive and focused on what guitarists actually need to know. This amp seems to be a truly high qualitiy product. Thanks for this reviw.

[@stringbender57]

Exactly my thoughts too! I have the new Katana MkII, 1-12, 100 watt ordered and on the way to me!

[@LovingYourGuitar]

Finally! A true, reasonable, complete and professional review of this amp. No other reviews needed. Even from me! Thank you gentlemen. Much appreciated!

[@leftpastsaturn67]

Scaleable power, 4 channels, access to 80 odd Boss pedals, programmable presets, no tubes to maintain... a no-brainer for a studio / small gig amp.

[@LightWingStudios]

Update the firmware and you get 8 channels. :)

[@danielguitar5150]

This seems to be quickly becoming an iconic design. Good job BOSS!

[@RWulff007]

@NoiseFeedMusic oh yeah 100w ball loudness 🤯 😁✌🏼

[@trillrifaxegrindor4411]

tubes dont need to be "maintained" out of the dozen or so tube amps ive owned over the years ive changed 2 tubes and not out of necessity

[@gwbrunner]

Great video. I think this is the best video on reviewing this amp that I have seen. Also, great guitar playing! You really showed the potential of the amp. Thanks and great job.

[@bengalvin9932]

i have a feeling the this will win the GUITARIST CHOICE award when it is featured in GUITARIST magazine!

[@bojanstojkovic3927]

What a great player this guy is...

[@Rickholly74]

I have been playing gigs for more than 40 years now so in that time I have had a lot of "amp-of-the-moment" rigs. I got the Katana 100 combo in January 2017 along with the GA-FC foot controller and I can say definitely that I have never owned a better amp. Whatever genre of music you play this is the ticket. There are 58 effects to chose from on the BOSS Tone Central site and they download in seconds (all free of course). You can have up to 15 stored in your Katana at a one time. With the more recent software upgrade you now have eight pre-set channels available instead of four (they made it so the patch buttons work as 1-A then 1-B, 2-A then 2-B etc.). I have done about 35 gigs this past year in all kinds of rooms, halls and even a number of outdoor gigs. I have only been able to use the 50 watt setting. This thing can be really LOUD!

[@Deliquescentinsight]

Good to hear Rick, I own a Vox 35 watt, and it's very heavy (Tony Bruno 2X12) this is more like a Fender amp, do you think the Katana can do a similar job?

[@tamchungchi]

wonderful! thx RICK !!!

[@xlr8r2010]

Do you think this amp would be good for old school rock/metal.....like Dokken, Judas Priest, Van Halen?

[@Rickholly74]

@@xlr8r2010 As much as I love the Katana I'm not sure it would be the best for old school metal. It will do it and if you connect the Katana's USB to the Boss Tone Central on line programmer for the Katana. Volume is not an issue. My 100 has never been used on anything but the 50 watt setting. The 100 watt setting is ridiculously loud. I have used this amp for the last 4-5 years at gigs in large halls, outside shows and smaller venues. I would say I have used it on at least 100+ gigs over the last five years conservatively and have been very pleased. Depending on where you plan to use the amp a smaller tube amp might be more useful. (By the way, I saw Judas Priest a few months back in the spring and as usual they we awesome. Extremely loud but still kicking ass.)

[@blowawaytheclouds1]

Incredible playing, and a great review of this Amp

[@woodstoc55]

Great demo. Great player. Thank you! I’m looking forward to exploring my new Boss Katana MKII.

[@markgauthier1960]

I've always been a dedicated tube guy but, I have to say my Katana 212 is one of the best purchases I've made! Love it!

[@keithlamb578]

Brilliant demo !! Amp sounds fantastic right across the board .

[@raffytwoscoops]

Under the watchful eye of the clock on the wall not a minute has passed by the end of this video. Great tones, guys!

[@tomknight1821]

Love how time stood still in the Tone Lounge while listening to a good amp session 👍👏👏👏👏👍

[@zachb5803]

Wonderful review professionally done and what a great guitarist! Cheers

[@javierf55]

Amazing demo, dedicated to get the best of the amp. Thanks for a great video, which really shows what the Katana can do.

[@willchamberlin8266]

You guys are awesome. Great playing, insight and not trying to be anyone other than yourselves, thank you!

[@ericbrown1020]

This is the best video to showcase this amp. I bought this off a friend and this video has helped greatly to understand what it can do, thanks!

[@johnspina318]

Phenomenal video..Great playing and tone to die for..Thank you!

[@hoosierdaddy2308]

Just ran across you guys. Had to sub. I just ordered the 50 watt version for recording and gigging small clubs and just jamming with friends in garages, etc. Sounds great. Great demo and great playing. Solid state has come a long way IMHO with these type amps. I believe Boss roland has it figured out. These other companies are going to have to catch up. Freat affordable amps and no tube and maintenance problems. Thanks for sharing so much.

[@Naralogy]

Best katana review on KZbin yet guys. TBH, the best review of any amp that I've seen in a while. Great job

[@1willywonker]

i would have to agree this is by far the best video on these amps the tones you guys are getting are amazing fantastic sound and to believe no valves

[@spivvo]

Excellent demo, thanks... I own two but seeing you guys explore the amp is v helpful :)

[@blakjack3053]

Late to the party but aside from the magnificent guitar playing and very comprehensive amp feature expose, the main reasons this tube amp snob bought the Boss Katana (100 watt version) are: 1...loud af, great sounding, both clean and dirty, super easy to dial in. 2...jam packed with great sounding effects and other useful features. 3...multi programmable channels and intuitive control set. 4...much lighter to tote than a heavy ass tube amp. 5...takes pedals extremely well. 6...very affordable, best SS bang for the buck imo! Whether you got cash to burn or a broke ass guitar guitar player like most of us, this super giggable amp is an all around great value from top to bottom!..how long they last remains to be seen but I have quite a few Boss pedals, some nearly 40 years old and beat to crap, but still working perfectly! So I'm convinced this amp might last a long time too!

[@sagidash6159]

i actually think the katana is the best amp for the money ever

[@bigmac2785]

Plastic Apple I've actually played a katana and a dsl40 side by side and I think the katana sounded just as good if not better.

[@bigmac2785]

Plastic Apple I was also using the 100w 2x12 which obviously pushes more air and filled in some bass response.

[@bigmac2785]

Plastic Apple obviously tone is very subjective too. What sounds great to you might not sound great to someone else. Plus with different variables like 1x12 vs 2x12 with different types of speakers all make a difference. That's why your statement of playing next to a good tube amp it doesn't sound as good kind of caught me because I don't think that's necessarily true, maybe more so just for your purposes

[@IgnoresTrolls]

The OP did say for the money. At 1/3 the price I think there is a fair argument for the Boss.

[@bigmac2785]

Plastic Apple using cars as an analogy is a bad example. Speed isn't subjective, fast is fast. Tone is subjective. Yes most players are using tubes because until the past couple of years digital and solid state hasn't sounded as good, but it has caught up. There are 1000's of pro players now using helix, axe fx, kemper, quilter, the orange solid state. Technology always catches up. Tubes aren't going anywhere, there will always be people that use them because that's what they know kinda like how some people would always rather have an actual book in their hand than a tablet or e-reader. Some people simply don't want to admit that solid state or digital is catching up because they have spent so much money on their tube amps, who would want to admit that something that costs half as much is as good as the thing you just spent more money on. I've had the opposite experience as you. The other guitarist in my band uses a dsl40 and while by itself it may sound slightly fuller, the katana is punchier and cuts through better when we play at gig volumes. He likes it so much he just listed his amp for sale. Like I said tone is subjective, I have nothing against tubes or anyone who uses them. I've owned quite a few really good tube amps. But I personally am just taking the lighter, more cost effective, less maintenance route because it still sounds amazing to my ears.

[@donadams5094]

Pretty amazing. The tones are so warm and authentic, and the function so straightforward, that it is kind of hard to believe. Keeping in mind I am just a bedroom player, this is clearly the right tool for me. Great versatility, more than enough to cover the range of blues, classic rock, and 80's rock that play. In a perfect world I would own a room full of 100W Marshalls, Tweedy Fenders, and some Mesas just for fun. In the real world, this will be a great vehicle for the kind of noodling I do. Thanks for a great review.

[@longshankdrills8799]

Fantastic Demo !!! 👌👍 Thanks from Arizona gentlemen !!! 🎸🎼🎛️

[@SG-wj2qj]

Honestly, I just sold all my amps, and most of my pedals that are worth anything. I had a DSL40 combo, a Blackstar HT5, a mini mesa rectifier, a Mesa 2x12 cab and marshall 4x12 cab. They all sounded great, but the simplicity, the ease of use and variety the katana offered me... I sold it all, cleaned up my jam space for simplicity and now I've got the katana 100w 2x12 with a footswitch. With 8 brilliantly custom channels

[@baronvonchickenpants6564]

You can also get a katana artist as a spare

[@RobertoMarraChannel]

You did the best thing for sure: one amp but the best! :-)

[@Twinky946]

S G wow man. Proud of you. That’s neat!!! I have the fifty watt at home and it’s ridiculous good

[@mrblank-zh1xy]

That's useful to know. Just bought my Katana 100 head and was astounded how good it sounds even through its tiny offset speaker. Curious how other people feel about it. One wonders if it's worth it to think about investing in "authentic" gear.

[@nazmoking3171]

Thank you - very good sounds and nice review! Very good guitar playing I might add as well.

[@larrydering1598]

Excellent demo and solid information. Best on KZbin.

[@toddweller]

Awesome demo guys!

[@calvinlewis1979]

Best video I've seen so far regarding the Katana.

[@kuradko]

Great review guys, thanks! I have Katana 100 for 5 months now and this is unbelievably good sounding amp for this price.

[@rogb3199]

Great demo and playing by Richard too! I'd also like to thank Nev for his contributions to guitar mags over the years, you've been a source of inspiration and knowledge, also been helpful on the phone once or twice, so cheers :-) The Katana is just like they say, I play through one often and it is really decent for the buck! That said, I usually lug out my modded 5E3 - much heavier and no fx, but it just does the business lol.

[@dk2428]

Just how beautiful is that Knaggs guitar...Stunning review guys!

[@BreauxBobby]

OK. I have one of these. But I don't sound like this when i play through it. Every video these guys do sounds amazing. Makes me enjoy my purchase more. Excellent job as usual!

[@timeconsumer325]

Really great video. I have a 100 watt 112 and haven't taken my tube amps out to a gig, small or big, since buying one. I essentially use the clean or crunch channel with whatever pedals I feel like bringing on a given night and it's just great. It's light, built very well, has been reliable, and sounds great at whatever volume is appropriate for the room i'm playing. You can't really ask for more than that.

[@robertdavis4089]

I agree the factory settings suck

[@fransvenrooy4760]

Absolutely a great product! I use this ampsettings on my Boss Katana and it works very well.

[@jamesschaeffer1770]

Very thorough and useful demo video...thanks!

[@peted450]

Great demo.....sounds fantastic👍

[@chadbaker2224]

I really enjoy this guys playing. When you're that good of a player, you can sound good on just about anything.

[@0800338833]

Excellent video guys! Thank you very much. Gav from Bristol 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

[@SirVicc]

Best demo of this amp on KZbin. Bought a used one with 6 button pedal precisely because of this video.

[@JasonCone]

Nice demo of the Katana. I'm a tube amp fan, but I tried a Katana and was pretty impressed by exactly the qualities that you mention (e.g., responds to well to dynamics, guitar volume/tone changes, and retains the characters of individual guitars). I ended up buying a Katana 100/212 -- first non-tube amp I've purchased in years. For the money, I think they're hard to beat.

[@apieceowork]

Super job fellas , Real World flow throughout ,new fan here...thanks.

[@gitarrdanne]

Wow! That amp sounds GREAT. And the guitar players are really good!

[@ronniewibbley]

Excellent jamming, chatting, tweaking and testing.

[@wareagle976]

I've already ordered one and I can't wait to try it.

[@thedudeaars8527]

Great playing by the way!! amazing.

[@ifwecouldvote]

This guy is best guitarist I've ever seen on KZbin, possibly the best I've ever seen in my whole life - legend!

[@samain1804]

Kudos! Awesome review, on point and informative. Refreshing to hear the wonderful capabilities of this amp rather than chugging along to a shallow grave.

[@Oris37]

Great demo guys... I'm getting one of these in Jan - with the foot pedal :-)

[@ClassicalPan]

Did you buy one? If you haven't yet, you may wanna check out the Katana Artist, although that's considerably more expensive.

[@LesPaul3399]

dude - your guitar sounds amazing. really clean

[@kevinklotz9398]

Tube snob here. I can't wait to get one. I'm way too excited for one of these.

[@ClassicalPan]

Did you get one? Have you seen the Katana Artist? Improved sound, but also much more costly. I'm trying to convince myself to buy one.

[@52Tele]

the tone lounge tune is the best tune ever. I'm gonna use it as my ringtone :D

[@johnfeole1971]

Thanks, excellent overview.. Just got a new Mk2 100 combo..sounds great!

[@1willywonker]

love the peice of music at the beginig of this demo i bought one of these today in the 50 mode nice amp great for playing at home and jamming beleive me if this amp did not sound valvy i would not have bothered trust me guys this amp can hit you where it matters Right in the heart and really easy to use, really its so much fun

[@mikcrone]

Crunch channel with booster added is the biggest rock sound ive heard. Like the brown sound but minus the fizz

[@fiddlix]

The best info on KZbin showing the range of tones this amplifier is capable of. It seems all the other reviews get enamored with “the brown setting” and ignore the other settings this amp has to offer. As a matter of fact it is this video that sold me ordering one from my local B and M retailer yesterday. I chose the 100 watt Artist model.

[@kawakami]

Best review of the Boss katana so far. The tones dialed are superb.

[@johnjohansson7732]

I felt that time stood still when you presented the Boss Katana, and then I looked at your clock on the wall which showed I was right...

[@urbanprojectz]

Haha yeah, I laughed too much at this.

[@stringbender57]

I was going to say the same thing...lol! I wondered if anyone else noticed it was 11:58 throughout the entire demo.

[@MegaNavek]

this is a brilliant review and neville is the business ...and a nice bloke saw him play a gig near Bath with a great band...Mr Barrett is top notch i must say...big thumbs up

[@daviemcf]

Great video guys,thanks a lot.

[@daniellaudman8580]

Best review ever watched. Thanks 👍👍

[@DeadRambo75]

Howdy there. Cheers from french canadian from Quebec. Extremely informative. Great sounding riffs. Thank you.

[@aladdinsane3523]

Great review gentlemen, thanks.

[@JeremyMcCant]

I've had a katana for about 7 months now but, this is my favorite review so far!

[@cramster3495]

I've just revisited this review having recently bought a 100w Mk 2. I own Vox, Marshall, Fender and Mesa tube amps. I haven't used them since I bought the Katana. It is just exceptional.

[@gianriccardopera708]

Thank you sirs for your reply. But about the buzz I found something interesting: I put a short cable in the Send plug, coming back in the Reeturn without actually going through any effect. Then I went on the controls of Tone Studio, s/r section, where there’s a volume level. I set the Return level to 170. So I had 70% more of volume coming back, then I was able to turn the Master volume down to go back to the same volume that had before this operation, but with MUCH less noise coming. This way then setting the Ns to 30% was more then enough. What do you think? Is it a good system? Thank you

[@itstodd1345]

Wow Richard can play - all the while looking so chill. Like he’s sat down about to have a cup of tea and a scone. Then unleashes fury upon the katana

[@TheShadman47]

I know a few friends who swear by these for the Shadows' sound. I played a few Shads' tunes with a Zoom G3X through one a few weeks ago and was suitably impressed. I want one!

[@TheOompahRoundabout]

I have the little baby one! I think one of these bigger combo's may be my next amp! Excellent! Be a great recording amp as well! And loved your playing. Very cool. 😃👍🏻🇦🇺✅✌🏻

[@mrbertiep1]

Great demo!!

[@brian91145]

I played 60 shows last year and used the 100watt every time, it is too good to be true!

[@SynZ777]

@Jew Adolf Yes, but it needs tweaking in the BTS and high cutting it at around 5k and using the graphic EQ to lower 2k. Even without the tweaking it does sounds pretty damn good.

[@CornwallguitarlessonsCoUk]

Great vid, thanks guys

[@JohnTPettyBone]

That single cut is absolutely stunning!

[@philippecohen5235]

Prs ?

[@Whodidthis12345]

The amp sounds phenomenal.. of course his great playing helps!

[@56brever]

Great review gentleman!

[@davidmulcahy8548]

That intro tone is straight out of a thin Lizzy album. My katana 100 is en route from thomann. Can't wait.

[@hangloose3508]

how was it?

[@geofftate6113]

Hi gents, these Tone Lounges are really worth waiting for. On the subject of maxing the Volume, I've got a Roland Blues Cube Hot which has a volume control (which introduces a small amount of gain), and a Master volume. Would Boss's advice apply in this case too?

[@l3ertuz362]

i like these Katanas - would consider one

[@NolanZewariligon]

I'm watching this on my phone now and it sounds better than other demos which I've listened with good headphones (including demos of the same amp).

[@evangillespie8630]

iv got the 50 watt katana and its amazing,i can't believe how epic these amps are.

[@LucasMastropasqua]

I know I'm a bit late to the party here but this is absolutely the best sounding demo of the katana! That sngle cutaway sounds amazing and the playing is just mental!!!! Anyone know what pickups are in the dual humbucker guitar?

[@michaeldinunzio3002]

Great demo!

[@jezzbro]

Great review, thanks

[@profxpedals2009]

Very fine demo thank you

[@SuperWeedPower]

now thats how you demo, nice job dudes

[@lucaskaiser1409]

Good demo. Thanks a lot...