Boss Katana Amps - User Reviews

Started by Elantric, October 11, 2016, 11:33:29 AM

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https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Kata100--boss-katana-100-100-50-0-5-watt-1x12-inch-cosm-combo-amp/reviews



Jesse
from Michigan
November 20, 2016
Music Background:
Professional Guitarist specializing in Rock, Prog Rock, Jazz Fusion, and Funk
Superb Amplifier - At ANY Price!
As a working guitarist, a big part of of my 'day job' involves teaching private students - this requires an amp that will run reliably for hours at a time and provide me with a myriad of quality tonal options at conversational volumes...while still providing the volume and flexibility to cut it at gigs on the weekend. Thus, I have relied on solid state & digital gear for over 15 years, with mostly gratifying results. I started with a combo (Line 6 Flextone III), and went to a modular setup a few years ago (Digitech RP500 preamp into dedicated power amp into vintage cab). Deciding I wanted to downsize/streamline my setup, I began looking at lightweight combos once again. After careful deliberation between a number of different brands & models, I pulled the trigger on the brand-new Katana 100 1x12" by Boss. I honestly could not be happier with my decision.

Rather than give an exhaustive rundown of the amp's feature set (which can easily be found elsewhere), I'm going to focus on what I consider the main standout aspects of the unit.

1) Volume: You may have already seen testimonials/hype on forums and the like. Well, believe it; this thing is LOUD! We've all become conditioned to the conventional wisdom that it takes roughly 3 solid state watts to equal 1 tube watt in terms of perceived volume. I truly believe the Katana is a game-changer in this regard. In the three weeks I've been using the amp, I have never had to use it on the 100W setting; 50 provides PLENTY of volume for almost any conceivable professional, live application. At home and in lessons, it stays on the half-watt setting, never going above half on the Master Volume.

2) Feel & Response: Piggy-backing from the first point above - most solid state and digital amps have a reputation for flat, sterile EQ and dynamics; so that even when your volume is cutting through the mix, the tone is often perceived as brittle, cold, 'lifeless', etc. Again, not so with the Katana. This thing really pushes air, responding to picking dynamics and the guitar's volume knob in ways I've simply never experienced on a non-tube amp.

3) Deceptively Simple: In a world where digital amp users have come to expect something like 50 models to play with and memory for 100 user presets minimum, it may come as quite a surprise that Katana offers a scant five preamp voicings and four user memory presets to work with. However, it's not until you get the amp in your hands and properly put it through its paces that you realize just how deceptively simple and versatile the Katana's "limited functionality" really is. The Gain, EQ and Presence controls alone DRAMATICALLY affect the tone and flavor of the amp. When I first plugged it in, I spent a couple hours just playing with the Clean and Crunch voicings, amazed at the range and quality of tones I was getting just by adjusting the aformentioned knobs. This thing really encourages an organic, tactile approach; tweaking things in real-time much like an old school single or dual-channel tube unit. And because of the elegant layout, there's no option paralysis, listener fatigue or second-guessing that comes with having a billion menus and presets to sift through.

3) Effects: If there's one thing Boss is universally respected for, it is their guitar effects. Ergo, it goes without saying that Katana has the best built-in effects I've ever heard from either a digital "all in one" amp, or even a high-end multi-FX unit. From the warmest, most musical chorus I've heard in years, to top-notch vibratos, tremolos, phasers, flangers, auto-wahs, Leslie sims, reverbs, delays, harmonizers, wave synths, acoustic guitar sims(!), and a bevy of great 'stomp box-style' booster/OD/distortions to push the front end of the preamp tone, you can basically put your pedalboard away when using this amp and not miss a thing. If you desire stomp box-style foot control over individual effects or channels, you can pick up their GA-FC foot controller, and you're all set for the gig.

4) Boss Tone Studio: For those obsessed 'tone seekers' among us, this free computer software is an easy to install, powerful MUST-HAVE to take full advantage of the Katana's "hidden" features - including most of the amp's effects & deeper controls, additional parametric/graphic EQ options, and even FX chain routing options. It also includes neat extras like an audio player that allows you to practice along with tracks with the ability to loop and/or slow-down the audio.

5) Weight & Portability: With its modest dimensions, open-back cabinet design and 32.5 lbs of weight, the Katana is super-portable and easy to cart around to lessons, gigs or sessions. You will not miss the tube head and 4x12" cab after a few dates with this amp!

6) Price: At $ for the 100 Watt 1x12" combo, you're getting a professional grade amplifier for a practice amp price. This was one of main considerations that ultimately led me to chose the Katana over something like the Blackstar ID TVP or Vox AV ranges.

There are really only two things that keep me from giving the Katana a 5-Star rating. For one, the Line Out is an unbalanced 1/4", rather than the balanced XLR option you'd expect on an amp like this. Secondly, there is no Speaker Out, either to plug into an additional cabinet, or disengage the internal speaker for an external one. My guess is that these were both strategic cost-cutting measures on Boss's part. All things considered, Boss did a great job prioritizing fuction, form and cost with the Katana. I look forward to years and years of use!

Customer
from
January 12, 2018
Top Notch
I have long been a tube amp snob as I've been a guitar player since the late 50's as well as a tube amp repair tech as well. I have come to really appreciate these new Boss products as well as the new Roland Blues Cube amps. Incredible tone and versatility on this Katana 100. I previously owned a Katana 50 but my son and grandson liked it so well, I passed it along to them and picked up this 100 watt version which is very similar but seems to have a bit more bass response. Highly recommend these amps.

Russ
from
November 22, 2017
Amending upward prior review ...
I"m the guy who recently said I likely wouldn"t be super close friends with the Katana 100..... now revising my view.

So... having spent more time digging deeper into tweaks, I"d move my opinion from a 3 to a 4. On an absolute scale, no excuses allowed like for price etc, I give this a solid 4 .... Because some tube amps, like my original Vibroverb, do sound better, and feel better and more nuanced. But an original Blackface Fender vibroverb now cost up to 10x the Katana price, and is surely not 10 times better. The vibroverb also has less built-in flexibility and is heavy. Still, there"s a reason SRV loved his.

All that said, the katana sounds better than some tube amps I"ve played and is amazingly flexible and competent. Can"t imagine a better amp for the price.

DJ
from
February 6, 2017
Works well and reliably
It's a nice amp for the price, certainly. I think it's probably the best solid state you'll be able to get. The tones are decent and it DOES work with distortion pedals, although not as clearly as a tube. On 100w setting I keep the volume knob between 7 and 11 for my room play. I'd say at max or near max volume it's viable as a band practice amp and a small gig amp. Tube amps are still better but I do suggest you invest in the Boss Katana if you want a reliable, lightweight solid state amp. I don't regret my purchase.

Groovedigger
from Los Angeles
January 9, 2017
Cut Through
I like this amp almost as much as the Blues Cube. I think the difference is the speaker voicing which according to 1 user does mellow out in time. I'm actually going to run this in stereo with the Blues Cube which is very simple to have incredible warm tube sound, but this Katana gives me a few more options and is great price- but you will need to add footswitch. I haven't used Katana in full band yet but have used the Blues Cube in band and was really great. So I have AB'd with the Blues Cube to dial in my sound on this Katana and except for the speaker - it can get close and does "cut through". I used the Roland Tone Studio online and loaded some presets that work well, but still waiting for the back-ordered foot-switch so I can load some more, I played through the acoustic amp channel using the JTV Variax and sounded beautiful. The katana 100 is small size and I can use the effects loop return for my TriplePlay synth - and at first, it cut the guitar out, but by using Tone Studio was able reset for the guitar and effects loop at same time- you have to choose parallel or serial. I'm usually a straight into amp guy but am liking the stereo setup and it's nice having some effects available on Katana.

Brian E
from Placerville
December 12, 2017
Music Background:
Experienced
A tube amp it is not, but...
The Boss Katana 100 rates somewhere in between "Really Good" and "Great" for me. I also own a 6505mh, HT5R and a Fender Super Champ XD and while the Boss Katana can not compete with either the Peavey or Blackstar it is more satisfying to play around with than the Super Champ. It does react well to how hard you hit the strings and it does clean up very nicely when you roll off the guitar's volume (better I dare say than it's tube counterparts) and with all the effects inside it will provide lots of good times and come in handy when I want to use something a little different in recording like the slow engine, the voice thing, or the chopper, etc.

There is a learning curve; if you have not the patience to spend a few hours with it, look else where. Once it's set up and you've selected effects that work for you and you've spent several sessions dialing in tones, it's quite fun. It's bread and butter is CRUNCH in my opinion. Cleans are nice but take some tweaking while METAL tones (at least so far for me) are not easily obtainable. It's very loud. I haven't yet plugged it into a auxiliary cabinet (2x12 or other) but plan to and I have a long way to go in getting specific deep edits dialed in. It's strange, I'll play and think "YEAH, Nice" and then play my HT and think "YEAH, Nice!" They're different but I always come away having enjoyed it.

Russ
from In them thar Hills!
November 18, 2017
Music Background:
50 years of finger callouses.
Not bad.....not great either.
As others have said, amp is pretty bright. I'd say if you like to tweak, then you'll find decent tones via software / computer adjustable parameters.

I've been VERY good friends with some modeling amps, as well as some tube amps. This one won't ever be a great friend.

If you prefer to simply and quickly dial in a tone, this amp is not for you. If you like STELLAR vintage tones with moderate overdrive, this amp Isn't for you.

But if you like a Swiss Army knife of options that sound decent but not great, then go for it.

Dean
from Georgia
December 21, 2016
Music Background:
Former Professional Musician/Studio Owner
Great but...
I bought this amp to get away from some of the issues inherent in tube amps, like maintenance and blown/worn tubes. I needed something dependable for my studio and this looked like it fit the bill.

For the most part I am impressed with the amp. It's easy to use has a ton of sounds that you can program into 4 different channels and if you want to count the setting on the panel you have 5 channels.

Where it fell down was with the effects loop. If you need to use one, don't count on it. I had issues and Sweetwater replaced it thinking it was a bad amp but not so. When using the GA-FC pedal to turn on and off your effects loop, the volume of the amp takes a dive and then stays low after that, even when switching it on and off. The worst part is that as you use the pedal to engage the loop once it has done it's volume drop you get a momentary volume increase then drop as you use the pedal to switch the loop off and on. NO GOOD!

If you want an amp that sounds good has a nice recording out (I use mine into an ADA Ampilator and it sounds great) and don't need an effects loop. Then this will do the trick. If you have a pedal board worth of pedals you would like to integrate... Well all I can say is this will not be for you.

Jesse
from Michigan
December 18, 2016
Music Background:
Professional Guitarist specializing in Rock, Prog Rock, Jazz Fusion, and Funk
Follow-up A Month After Purchase
This is a follow-up review to the one I left about a month ago. Sad to say, while most gear grows on the player, the Katana has ultimately done the opposite for me. Inherently, it's a great bang-for-the-buck piece of kit. Everything I stated in my initial review regarding the Katana's *features* is 100% true; which is why I still give the amp a Three Star rating. However, the fatal flaw for me lies in how the preamp tones and speaker are fundamentally voiced. There is this strident, nasally, buzzy, mid-high character to the distortion voicings that is *impossible* to get rid of, no matter how you dial the gain or EQ in. I call it the "Mike Oldfield effect". Anyone that's listened to Oldfield's lead guitar tone should understand immediately what I'm saying.

This amp is *bright*...far too bright in the upper-mid and high frequencies for my tastes. I don't know if it has to do with the proprietary full-range speaker they use to handle the Acoustic preamp or what...however, I had to turn the Mid, Treble and Presence down to between 9 and 10 o' clock in order to get a dark enough tone...and that's with humbucking pickups! Even then, I found myself going in and attempting to shelve certain frequencies in the Tone Studio editor's Graphic and Parametric EQs to no avail. In the end, I threw in the towel once I realized that this 'character' is inherent to the hardwired voicing of the amp/speaker itself.

Bottom line: If you're a fan of darker voiced amps (Vox AC30 TB, Marshall Silver Jubilee, JCM800, Boogie MkIV, Carvin Legacy, etc.) do yourself a favor and *steer clear of the Katana*. Again, I'm not saying it's a bad product. On the contrary, it's a solidly built, elegant, versatile package at an awesome price. However, there are strong, fundamental limitations to the way this thing is voiced and it's just not my cup of tea. Sorry to say I'll be selling mine, but realistically I don't foresee getting much use out of it.

Customer
from California (CA)
February 1, 2017
Eh
I bought the amp because of the good reviews I heard but I was pretty disappointed so I returned it.
I had the following issue with the amp:
1) There is no extension output on this amp. 100 watts is a lot a for the 1x12 in there.
2) The clean channel is pretty bad. Especially when compared to a Fender or Vox tube amp.
3) The on-board effects were pretty lackluster.
4) The EQ didn't have enough range to it.
5) The wattage settings are pointless. It just acts as a 2nd volume nob. It doesn't change the break up characteristics of the amp.

I liked 2 things
The Brown channel sounded pretty good.
The weight.

admin

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/i-have-drank-the-katana-kool-aid.1919556/
JohnSpeck wrote>
Backstory:
A good friend asked for a recommendation for a home practice amp, cheap and decent.
I had seen the ever-growing Katana thread here, and when it was still around the 50-page mark, I told him I had no experience with one, but people here were raving about them. He bought a K50 online.

He told me it was pretty great sounding, I should check it out. He finally brought it over a month or so ago.
I was fairly impressed with the stock amp off the bat, but I was hearing things I didn't like that weren't tweakable via the panel.
Finally got a new computer, and was able to get into the editing software.
That really helped. I then started messing with the sneaky amps liveset. I was impressed enough that I made some presets, and took only the amp to a recording session I was called for.
The other guitarist had a really nice tone from an old Egnater modular setup. My tone was a perfect compliment. One caveat was there was some rattling noise from the amp picked up by the mic at higher volumes. I backed the volume of the amp down a bit and we did the session.

I figured I would try the amp in my live setup in conjunction with my Vox AC15. I usually run a two-amp mono rig, with either an AC15 or AC30, and a plexi-50 watt style amp.
I dialed in a plexi tone with the sneaky amp 1959 model. After a little tweaking, I had a killer tone between the two amps, at reasonable volume. So much so, I ended up gigging this configuration a couple weekends ago.
I have never had so many compliments from other guitarist tone-snobs in the days following, and I've always been known around town for good tones and nice gear.
A lot of the players assumed it was the Vox, but I told everyone that the Boss was doing most of the heavy lifting!

The downside in my opinion is the noise I get from the amp when loud. Chassis rattle or some component, maybe the cab. I checked all screws.
I would either go with the head or rehouse the K50 chassis and mod for speaker jack. I honestly see this amp into a better cab/speakers as a very viable pairing with my mainstay tone of an overdriven Vox. I would run a tuner, wah and boost in front of an AB/Y, with all other fx internal to the Boss.

I have a friend in town for a few who has a very enviable collection of guitars and amps, and a ton of gear-geek experience over the years. She could not believe how good this amp sounds with my presets. And that is with the stock cab/speaker. Sure it has shortcomings, but for around $200?

Another friend is one of the owners of a local music store, and he has a crazy collection of primo stuff. His current main rig is an old Matchless DC30. He has a Bogner Fish, etc...
He told me 90% of his playing is with his little K50!

I get the naysayers critiques, but a little time spent with the editor (I haven't tried the Floorboard editor yet, with even more options!) have allowed me to dial in a ton of really good, useable tones for recording or live gigs. And I say this honestly as a tube amp/booteek nerd.

I cannot imagine how much better the Waza line could sound, much less a Fractal, etc...
I would love to see a mid-line offering with the fx of the Kat and the more robust output section of the Waza 75, but sadly I prefer the top-mount control cosmetics of the lower line.

I'm seriously thinking about a custom head shell and OS 2-12 to match my other amp/cab's cosmetics! I must have lost my mind...
:)

I have personally sold 4 of these amps based on recommending them to friends, and 3-4 more look to buy one used in the next few weeks. Like folks are saying, less $$$ than a booteek pedal!

charrito

Had the K50 for a few weeks now and so far so good.  One issue that I am finding is with the Octave setting.  It seems to work just OK with single notes, but anything other than that it sounds like it doesn't know what to do with the sound and just "crackles".  Anyone else?

admin

Quote from: charrito on March 29, 2018, 04:10:13 PM
Had the K50 for a few weeks now and so far so good.  One issue that I am finding is with the Octave setting.  It seems to work just OK with single notes, but anything other than that it sounds like it doesn't know what to do with the sound and just "crackles".  Anyone else?

thats common for all Roland / Boss Octave effects   - no chords - single note only

admin

https://reverb.com/p/boss-ktn-100-katana-100w-1x12-guitar-combo-amp#used_listings
Reviews for Boss KTN-100 Katana 100w 1x12" Guitar Combo Amp
(11)
5 stars

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Richard G.

Poor Man's Quilter
Oct 30, 2017

The Poor Man's Quilter

I've owned the Katana 100 for two weeks now, used it for my first band rehearsal, and I'm simply blown away. I'm not sure there isn't anything this amp can't do, and I haven't even dug into the effects much yet. In fact, I've only been using the clean channel and the 0.5W setting. Yeah, right. THAT'S 0.5W? Uh huh. Sure it is. Four-piece band at significant volume, using the practice-amp setting, the sound was unbelievable. I barely had the volume at 12:00. If, as some reviewers said, the speaker takes awhile to 'break in,' I find that difficult to believe. Out of the box, it sounds rich and full to my ears. And it gets BETTER? Wow.
For this price, who cares about finicky, overweight tube amps? Boy, after getting this, I sure don't. Takes my 13-piece pedalboard like a champ, and the effects loop works just perfectly. The effects are super easy to use, though I don't have much need for them, or the amp's drive channels or amp emulators, me being a high-end pedal hound. Incredibly quiet and clean sounding for home use, by far the best home practice amp I've ever had, but I can take it to my local bar jam and to gigs without any doubt of its performance. It is packed with features and has USB connectivity to your computer, another thing I haven't even touched yet. Boss deserves to sell a ton of these, and companies like Quilter should be very concerned, because Boss is going to take a lot of their potential customers. I have friends with Quilters, and I can't see how they're superior to this thing - especially for 3X the money. The Katanas are likely the best quality-for-value amp around. Love this thing.

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Alex B.

This one is a joy to play and discover.
Oct 27, 2017

Many say it sounds like a tube amp. I don't know about that, but it certainly has it's own thing and sounds very good. No question you can gig with it and wow your friends. Only snobs looking at the label will complain. The fact that there are more effects pedal options in here than I'd ever be able to afford separately means that I can explore endless ideas. Spend very little time and get up and running easy.  Spend more time to learn the software with it and you can set up rigs for multiple gigs, making this one versatile sonic tool.  The version 2 firmware also took this from a great option to a no brainer option.

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Terry H.

This amp is The Boss !
Oct 2, 2017

Verified purchase

   Just recieved this amp today, WOW!!! It's everything that all the written and video reviews say it is. I can't wait to get the foot controller and, gig with this bad boy. I have a Roland Cube and, Love it and, I figured that this Boss Katana would definately hit a high spot and, I was right!! Way to go Boss! Solid State ? You sure can't tell it by the way it sounds. The effects are dynamite and, very easy to use. I'm not a twiddler of knobs I like to set it and forget it and, concentrate on my performance that's what really counts and, this amp will send you there. I started putting in my own custom presets and, found it very easy to do. I also finally recieved the foot pedal and, it really opens up all the posibilities of this amp, added a volume pedal which plugs into the foot pedal, also very easy to setup and, use. I really connot believe the sounds I'm getting just on the half watt setting, the 50watt setting is way more than enough to gig with a band but, I'm definately glad I purchased the 100watt for the extra headroom. I own several different amps from a Fender Twin Reverb to a 35watt Line6 combo and, some Fishman Acoustic amps and, I must say that this Katana 100 is a very welcome addition. I can see tremendous possibilities of using this amp for just about any type of gig even for an acoustic electric performance. I wasn't really impressed with the little tilt leg and, I'll probably never use it but, who knows, I usually put any amp on a stand of some type anyway. Just play around with the Volume and, the Master control add some from the Gain and, tweak the Overdrive for a Boost and, hang on cause this Boss will kick !!!

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Bobby W.

Teaching an old dog new tricks...
Sep 10, 2017

Verified purchase

First, let me validate myself as a musician. I'm 54 years old and have been a guitarist for 43 years. I played semi-pro in a band for 30 years and have been recording since. I exclusively used tube amps and was sorely disappointed every time a new solid state amp came out claiming to have "tube-like" tone and response. I played through a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100 through a matched pair of 1960a 4x12 cabinets for the most part, and a Fender Custom '68 Twin for smaller gigs. I've owned just about every amp...ever. The closest I ever came to liking a SS amp was a Line 6 Vetta head through my Marshall cabs. I'm now semi-retired due to arthritis and currently own the same Custom Twin, A Peavey Classic 50, an Orange Rocker 32, and about 3 months ago, I skeptically bought an Orange Crush Pro 120 (Orange's first SS release). Orange claimed they'd never release a solid state amp unless it could truly sound equal to their tube amps. They were correct! I couldn't believe how responsive and LOUD it was with tube-like "sag". It even takes pedals well like a tube amp. So, when Boss claimed they'd done the same thing, I was again very skeptical and bought this Katana. I have to honestly say that I haven't switched on any of my other amps since I got the Katana! The stock speaker sounds great (and I tend to be a speaker snob. If it ain't a Greenback Celestion or an Eminence Guvnor, it sucks). The onboard effects are Boss, 'nuff said. The knobs are well laid out and the software makes it quick and easy to swap to whatever effects chain you prefer. For fun, I stuck my Bogner LaGrange overdrive pedal in the front and a WazaCraft Chorus in the effects loop and it handled both like a valve amp. The amp is loaded for the price, but all bells and whistles aside.....it just sounds fantastic. I'd gig with it live in a heartbeat properly mic'ed. Negatives? Two but neither is even close to a dealbreaker. 1. The little tiltback foot on the bottom gives it a nice upward angle so you aren't aimed at the floor but the thumbscrew Boss put on there is cheap and you can't tighten it enough with your fingers to keep it standing up. It takes just a small bump to the amp for it to fold forward. The answer? An angled amp stand. Just bypass even using that tilting foot. I have a Roland AC-90 acoustic amp that is fantastic and it has a bar with rubber feet that runs the entire length of the bottom of the amp that is very secure. Since Roland and Boss are the same company, they should have used that tilt back stand on the Katana. Two: Get the 100 and not the 50. At 50 watts, it all sounds great but to use the clean amp model, you almost have to crank the master and channel volume to the max to get a really good punchy clean sound with no breakup. You can add a tad of gain and get much more volume but you also get a tiny amount of grit to the tone. The 100 watt setting solves it all. Plenty of punch with good headroom. I purposely bought the 112 model because I've also learned that less speakers equal a much tighter, more punchy tone. Just mic that dude if you need to blow some eardrums! I'd take my 2x10 Rocker 32 over those 8 Celestions in my Marshall any day. Live and learn. So, even with those 2 small "cons", the overall amp still earns 5 stars....even from a former solid state hater!

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Lois M.

Great amp!!
Jul 16, 2017

This is the first solid state amp I have ever owned I never was a fan of them but I Saw all the reviews on YouTube and I had to try it and I a month so glad I did.
This is the most versatile amp I have ever owned. I am blown away how the amp responds to the dynamics of how you strum or pluck a string. Super clean when you play lightly and a nice growl when you lean into it. 4 separate presets plus the panel means I can set my sounds and balance the levels and I am good to go. I can't wait to get the GA-FC switching pedal for it.
This has become my main amp to say I am happy with the tone is a understatement.
I highly recommend this amp

Elantric

#230
https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/26394770/


Axe-Man wrote>
(Australia)
I've owned all the Katana amps apart from the K50C. I recently got the Artist. I guess I really wanted the concept to work as I love the idea of a cheap, portable, loud amp that has the basic FX I need inbuilt and that also plays perfectly at SUPER low volumes as I have young kids. So whilst it didn't personally work out for me with the K100C and K100H (through a 4x12 Orange cab), the mini and the KA stay.

Straight up, I really like my Katana Artist. I like predominantly high gain Marshall style sounds and the KA gets a rocking, thick, punchy tone with zero SS spike. It is really full compared to the K100C and even the K100H.

The Waza speaker is great.

Now...I have run my fav tube amp (100w Ceriatone Yeti) through the KA cab and the KA really doesn't sound fake or SS or terrible. It absolutely rocks at tube amp volumes. Does the tube amp sound better? Sure, it's awesome through the KA cab and speaker and sounds better the louder it gets but it's a hand wired tube amp and has seen off countless tube amps and preamps/modelling rigs.

Did a/b'ing them make me want to sell the KA? Hell no. I was even more impressed with the KA. It's a beast.

I personally think that Boss did do something to the KA myself. For example, the Yeti into the 4x12 ABSOLUTELY blew the K100H away in regards to bottom end. So I got fiddling with the EQ in tone studio and got it thick enough so it didn't sound anaemic. It lost some clarity though and still didn't have enough bass. It was extremely good for the money though.

Then comes the KA. You know what? I haven't even touched the EQ and as soon as the power amp opens up (vintage res, 100w mode, MV max), it just punches unusually hard compared to the other Katanas. The Blues Cube Artist had more natural bottom end and I think Boss tuned the KA more inline with that amp. Just much more tube like to me and I also like the feel of the KA as well.

Anyway, for the $749AUD I spent on the new KA (the head and 100 combo are about $500), I figure it was a bargain for all the features and tones I get. I love it as a 1x12 extension cab too for my Yeti. It ended up being a serious amount of bang for the buck considering I bought it primarily as a quiet practice amp.

admin

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/26461239/

middy wrote>
I bought one of the blowout DSL40C combos from Sweetwater, and it's really a better amp in a band context, IMO, but I'm not getting rid of my Katana, because it's amazing as the wet amp in a wet/dry setup with the DSL40C!
I just put the DSL40C loop send into the Katana return, set the Katana's loop to before all the effects and the return level to max. Amazing sound! And no effects loop cables to the front of the stage! All your wet loop effects can be controlled with the gafc and the overall wet mix with the expression volume pedal. All I need is maybe wah, compressor, and boost out front...
It's a perfect all in one wet rig and backup amp for less than the price of a GT-100!
Also, the Katana is better for low volume practice. The Marshall doesn't sound as good until it's at almost small room gig levels.
If you've never played a wet dry rig, you owe it to yourself to at least try it out.



vtgearhead

Quote from: admin on September 11, 2018, 12:23:04 PM
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Kata100--boss-katana-100-100-50-0.5-watt-1x12-inch-cosm-combo-amp/reviews

Roland has set the bar nice and high for modeling amplifiers.  Nice to see all the 5-star ratings.  Some of the few unenthusiastic posts appear to describe outright operator error (e.g. "effects loop doesn't work").

I've been gigging with my Helix and CLR for the past six months, but I still like the Katana a lot for home practice and jamming.

CodeSmart

But I got more gear than I need...and I like it!

acousticglue

The Katana 100 2-12 is now my favorite amp and haven't owned one since Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. It had made me better sounding guitar player somehow. I want a Nextone next. Tones do not change from 1-50-100 watts. Stellar FX and awesome tone. Got a Sweetwater Demo one.

hsuru4u

well I brought home the nextone artist a few days ago and a/b with my older gear. I sold my katana 100 a while ago to fund the katana artist and sent that amp back because i felt it was still too crippled for the price and i though the k100 combo actually sounded better then the katana artist(more open and alive and crispy)

After a few days with the nextone artist it too is going back. While i did find it ok-it didnt really wow me: even with the editor hooked up and trying diff things. Too crippled for me for the price(again).

I actually thought my vox ad60vtx and vtx150 amps sounded way better overall which shocked me. Compared to my cybertwin se 2-12 combo it was very thin and compared to my spidervalve mk2 2-12 combo it just couldnt hold a candle.

I also compared to my blackstar id260 but that is stereo so of course there would be a difference but the tube selection on that amp really makes a huge diff in the overal tones whereas the nextone tube switch was very subtle.

The coolest thing on the nextone artist was the clean channel and how dirty you can get it with just the vol control which was very cool but it seems to react the same as the katana poweramp did(which isnt bad) so i dont think it has the BCA power amp mojo but more the cheaper katana poweramp thing going on.

I was very excited but let down by the crippleness of the interface and no presets really besides the clean/od that can be set via the pc thru the editor. Effects onboard were ok(reverbs not that great) and in the katana territory for sure but way less of course.
I would be interested to see what ver 3 will do for the katana as that pricepoint is still hard to beat. I wish i didnt sell my k100 but even that didnt sound as good and dynamic or dimensional as my other older modeling combos i have. Great pricepoint for sure.
So for me it just wasnt a wow or worth the price(even got 20% off) but i think the smaller stage version would sound even boxier??
::)

Again the only way for me to try things in context of what i have is to bring it home and play it side by side with my gear i have. Just sold my g5n off as i never used it because my amps just sound better to me(diff comparison i know) but in the end i prefer an actual all in one amp(prefer stereo) so maybe helix will release a 2-12 stereo combo like the older vetta or spidervalve mk2?? doubtful but i think there would be a market for it. The spider v was terrible to my as i did bring the stereo one home to compare last year and was not impressed. Same with the fender gt200. I thought my cybertwin se sounded better(fender vs fender modeling).

havent tried the thr100 but really dont want to as its just not on my radar but if yamaha released a 2-12 thr combo thats basically the thr10/10c/10x in a larger box i would look at it.

Pidgin English

Quote from: whippinpost91850 on December 05, 2016, 10:05:16 AM
I never go to the Gear page because of the Tools ;D

Sorry to be off topic, but I laughed at this.  I haven't been on TGP in years and thought I'd give it a try lately since I just got a new Katana.  There are some Tools there.  I'll just stay here to get my Katana information.

admin

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/27958509/
Redrum wrote>

Been suffering all types of issues with my main combo tube amps as of late... *sigh*. Comes with the territory I guess. Frustrating and getting kind of expensive at this point. Still, I love em' but man, they can be a pain from time to time.

Our band got an opportunity to play out last night at a local place. 2 guitars, keys, bass, drums. Everyone adding vocals, it was a full mix and the drummer hits hard. Both my smaller tube combo's are on the IR and I didn't feel like lugging my 4x10 Fender HR DeVille up and down some tight steps in the rain. I'm always a little hesitant to bring the K100 but it's proven to be a great backup amp in the past (the main reason I got it), so off it went (really like the light weight btw).

Once again, the K100c punched way above it's price and left me, and my bandmates smiling. I have an early v.1, totally stock. Haven't even bothered to edit it with the Tone Studio or anything. Used the Crunch channel with low gain. 50 watt power setting. Volume around 2:00 and Master around the same. Pedal board in front using a USA Reverend Slingshot Custom (3 P-90's). Set-up a SM57 on it and put it through our P.A. for a nice spread.

Sounded great at gigging volumes. Love how I can easily and quickly scale the volume to the room and band mix. It was so easy to set-up and just go. Playing through the evening, I basically forgot about the amp and just enjoyed the ride. Nice feel, good chime and grind. Even got controllable feedback in all the right spots. No real issues at all.

I know this isn't news to many of you on this thread, but once again I'm left scratching my head at how serviceable the K100c has been. It cost me as much as one of my pedals. It just works, and works well at that. Won't be selling off my tube combo's any time soon - but I'm so glad to have that K100 around. Wasn't sure at first, but the longer I own it, the more I appreciate it.

Just thought I'd share my long term impressions. Cheers!

admin

#239
https://adamharkus.com/boss-katana-50-guitar-amplifier-review/

BOSS Katana 50 Guitar Amplifier Review
BY ADAM HARKUS · PUBLISHED MAY 3, 2018 · UPDATED DECEMBER 18, 2018

BOSS Katana 50 Review. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com

The BOSS Katana 50 Guitar Amplifier IS the best guitar-related purchase I've ever made. Why? Let me explain.
Is the BOSS Katana 50 loud enough to gig with?
The question that everyone's asking. Simple answer... ABSOLUTELY!. That's on the 50W mode, clean channel, gain just less than half, volume the same, and master maxed. In fact, given the volume to spare, you could also opt for the 25W mode, cranking both volumes for a little extra sustain and punch. Band setup was vocals, (loud) drummer and bass. The BOSS Katana 50 wasn't miced up, and all my gain/fx was provided by the BOSS ME-80 Mult-FX (Ibanez Tubescreamer (TS-clone)). Solo boost was also not a problem with the solo mode of the ME-80 providing a gain and volume hike for solos. The Katana coped unbelievably well with a range of styles.

Legendary versatility?
BOSS Katana 50 Review - Amp Models and EQ. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com
BOSS Katana 50 Review – Amp Models and EQ. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com

The BOSS Katana 50 has an almost embarrassing array of features. Every BOSS effect you could ever imagine, all the overdrives, distortions, even the newer TERA echo etc, all in the box. Absolutely everything you'll ever need. But here are the drawbacks of the FX:

You only get to use 3 of them at once, assigned to just three 'slots' BOOST/MOD, Delay/FX and Reverb.
Further to that, those 3 slots restrict the types of FX you can assign to them, e.g. you can't apply a MOD effect to the Reverb patch if you'd require an additional MOD.
Any sort of meaningful tweaking must be done in BOSS TONE STUDIO, and for that, you need to hook up your laptop/PC.
Some of the FX parameters aren't writeable, e.g. the Parametric EQ will let you alter the frequency gain, but will auto-assign the level after you save. In other words, you'll be able to boost your LOW-MIDS level, but you won't be able to save the tone setting.
Still, with all that and 5 channels (Acoustic, Clean, Crunch, Lead and Brown), you can have a LOT of fun practising at home.

The Katana 50 includes 2 banks of 2 channels, (2 banks of 4 channels on the BOSS Katana 100) plus a 'panel' channel (current knob settings). This, of course, allows you to save and recall your favourite tone settings and is handled in the most intuitive way imaginable. Just tweak your settings and when you're happy, hold down the channel button you wish to assign your tone to.

Gain, Volume, 3 band EQ, Master. All present and correct, although the BOSS Katana 50 lacks the presence control of the 100, I've never missed it.

Then there are the power modes. 0.5 W, 25 W and 50 W. All useable. 0.5 W for home, 50 W for ultimate headroom live and 25 W if you wish to beef things up a bit live. Again. Intuitive, well thought out, simple and useful.

BOSS Katana 50 Review - Power Control, Channels and Effects. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com
BOSS Katana 50 Review – Power Control, Channels and Effects. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com

Need an emulated line out to p.a. to augment or boost your live tone? You've got it.

You can even change the whole character of your amp's tone with the detailed Global EQ.

Full specs here

Build quality and looks
First impressions couldn't be better. It's clean-looking, modern, business-like, no-nonsense. Nothing is superfluous, it's tiny and it's light. The BOSS logo with the Katana Logo looks great, it's rubbery rather than plastic and doesn't look cheap at all. Everything is constructed tidily, with not a glitch to be seen. It's well designed with a reassuringly sturdy handle, corner protectors, chunky knobs inspire confidence, even the screws look solid. All it all it puts my last amp, the Fender Blues Junior III (review here) to shame.

Sadly, once you start to ding it, you realise it's not covered in a tough tolex, and knocks WILL mark it up due to the softer construction material. It's looking a little battered already. From a distance, it looks indestructible, but this is an amp you'll need to protect, cosmetically at least.

The BOSS Katana 50 sits proudly alongside its famous line of compact pedals and multi-FX. Purposeful and gig-ready.

BOSS Katana 50 Review. Cabinet Wear and Tear. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com
BOSS Katana 50 Review. Cabinet Wear and Tear. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com

Sounds
So how does the BOSS Katana 50 stack up tonally? Could it really be a viable replacement for your valve amp? Unbelievably, the answer is yes again!

First, let's not get carried away, as a practice amp, the various channels and FX work great, but for live use, you may need more versatility in the switching which the BOSS (even the Katana 100) doesn't have. In this scenario, it's best to run the Katana 50 clean and control everything through external pedals (no FX loop in the Katana 50).

And what a clean channel!

Ok, the BOSS Katana 50 isn't going to quite get you those crystalline valve-driven Fender highs, but it will get you a perfectly good neutral, full-bodied clean tone as an ideal pedal platform, with headroom to spare. Adding the OD of your choice gets you into whatever ballpark you desire. For me the TS-Clone of my ME-80. Of course, for those willing to experiment, you could always explore BOSS Tone Studio and in particular, those mysterious 'sneaky' amps to find that tone (there's a 'Twin' amp I believe), who knows?

In an A/B Test, maybe the BOSS Katana 50 would maybe fall short of my old Cornford (see my review here), but in a gig situation, I honestly didn't find it lacking in the slightest. The issue I did have with my Blues Junior was headroom, it just didn't have enough oomph to cope with volume hikes for solos. No such trouble with the Katana 50.

The Katana 50 doesn't come across as being 'digital' or 'modelled' at all, it's just a light, small, loud box organically amplifying your pure guitar signal. The trick is to add whatever flavours you wish. I'd love to hear how the BOSS Katana handles classic stand-alone pedals, (e.g. an original Ibanez Tubescreamer). For now, the BOSS ME-80 more than does the trick.

Going back to the other channels, I can see the acoustic channel being a godsend for the odd acoustic number, but the crunch, lead and brown channels, in my opinion, betray the amp's digital DNA the most, and would be best reserved for home-use only, they just don't have the sheer weight of tone that you get from the clean channel + pedals. They are, however, extremely fun to play around with if heavy gain is your thing. I get a distinct impression that BOSS intentionally designed it this way.

One thing's for sure, the BOSS Katana 50 can cover a LOT of tonal ground, from squeaky clean to layers upon layer of filth, with or without adding in the internal boosts, distortions etc.

Plugging in your PC/Laptop and installing BOSS Tone Studio opens up an almost limitless world of sonic possibilities turning the Katana 50 into the ultimate amp for experimentation at least, and small and light enough to not be a burden for home practice, it's just going to take a LOT trial and error along the way. A tinkerer's wet dream.

Also, note that running the BOSS Katana 50 with any onboard overdrive/distortion would mean you wouldn't be able to run an external delay without getting a horribly messy/distorted tone. That's just how it is, and guitarists have been finding ways around it for years.

Much has been written about how the BOSS Katana 50 compares to valve amps. The Katana easily wins on value for money, convenience, weight, size and versatility, but what about that unmistakable valve tone? Well, it's true it's easier and quicker to arrive at a great sound from a valve amp. they're more set and forget, plug and play. The Katana took a little more effort...

... First of all, the MID control of my valve amps was more predictable, they boosted the MIDS, provided more bark, as you would expect. The BOSS Katana is different in that increasing the MIDS tends to mush out the tone anything over 12 o'clock. Once I'd backed off the MIDS, I had a superior clean tone, with the bark provided by the external OD. I still got there, it just took a little extra work.

Also, I've noticed that cleaning up on the guitar volume is less effective, with the top end disappearing a little earlier than before, however, I put that down to the type of OD I'm using (The TS-Clone), which is known for this. Who knows what it would sound like with an original BOSS Blues Driver for example.

Bottom line, I used to gig with a Cornford Roadhouse 30 at a medium gain to cover most Rock / Indie / Pop applications over the course of a gig. Effects went through the FX loop (including a clean boost). Wah and tuner went through the front. Now I go through a BOSS ME-80 direct to the clean Katana 50. 2 cables, fewer power leads and I'm good to go.

The Cornford just didn't live up to the hype. It was rather inconsistent, sometimes the cut was there, other times it faded into the background, mushing out into nothing.

On the other hand, the BOSS Katana 50 exceeds expectations, delivering a consistently clean, clear, strident poke that cuts through a band mix extremely well. It's all there at my fingertips.

The 25 W mode, in particular, is the ace up the Katana 50's sleeve, and a feature absent on the bigger models. To give you an idea, I gigged the Katana in 50 W mode, which was a nice clean, controlled, balanced tone, but, when pushed I like my amps to sustain into harmonic feedback, and get a little 'out of control' when required. The headroom won't allow for this in 50 W mode, it's loud but too polite. However, switch it into 25 W mode and those sustained chords began to boom a lot more, lead lines sing, and my semi-acoustic, an Epiphone ES-335 PRO (fantastic guitar) really starts to roar.

I know it's not a valve power stage at work, but when it sounds this good, who cares?

Tone wise at least, ran clean(ish), the BOSS Katana is a game-changer for solid state/modelling amplification in that for the first time I've found a tone that sounds and reacts like a valve amp but without any of the drawbacks of weight, cost, and maintenance. I can't see why I would ever need to go back to my Conford or my Fender.



Reliability
Two things. The BOSS Katana 50 has no valves to worry about, and it's built BOSS, a manufacturer renowned for reliability. This gives the Katana an aura of invincibility, even taking into account the flimsy construction. Sure it may fall apart if I'm clumsy and knock it, but I'd put money on it still working afterwards.

After years of anxiety over failed valves, that's a priceless position for any guitarist to be in. It's all about confidence, and the BOSS Katana 50 grants you just that.

Having said that, the BOSS Katana 50 is still unproven in the field, only time will tell if it lives up to the reputation.

Value For Money
Taking everything into account, it's easy to forget the BOSS Katana 50 retails at around £160 GBP. That's the same as a high-end pedal. We've been comparing it unfairly against valve amps that cost exponentially more, yet the Katana still delivers. And unlike valve amps, you've got the features, versatility and renowned BOSS reliability. The competition (below) in its price range and quite a bit above are mere toys in comparison. Honestly? Even now it still seems too good a deal to be true, so much so that any guitar player would be a fool to ignore it.

The BOSS Katana 50 is almost in the casual/gift purchase bracket, yet it could be the last guitar amplifier you'll ever need.

BOSS Katana 50 Review. Back panel. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com
BOSS Katana 50 Review. Back panel. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com

Reservations?
Well, I would have loved an extra FX slot so that I could have utilized a BOOST, MOD and DELAY together, I would also have loved the GAFC footswitch functionality of the Katana 100 to be able to switch individual FX IN and OUT. As it stands, for me at least the Katana 50 (and for that matter the Katana 100), can't deploy its features intuitively enough in a live environment anyway, which is where the clean channel and external pedals come in.

Second on my wish list would be mobile app control in addition to BOSS Tone Studio. Other manufacturers have done it (See the Marshall Code below) as well as BOSS themselves on the new Katana Air. It could make life a lot easier as no-one wants to lug a laptop/PC around with them to a rehearsal to experiment. Granted you can always build your patches at home, but sometimes you just need to hear the results at volume, in the environment, you'll be using them in. BOSS seems to be playing catch-up technology wise in this regard, but I'm glad they've focussed their efforts (and resources) on building a traditional-sounding guitar amp, first and foremost.

.... Bluetooth connectivity would have also been very useful.

It would've been nice to have an FX loop on the Katana 50, just to be able to use the gain channels live. This feels like a deliberate ploy from BOSS (along with GAFC switching) to steer customers to the bigger Katana 100, or maybe it's to bring the Katana 50 down to its extraordinary price-point?

Please, could we also have a lower powered 0.1 W mode? The 0.5 W is fine but too loud to crank at bedroom levels.

Concerns over the build quality of the cabinet and the live application of the gain channels? I'll get a cover. For the money, I don't think anyone could have expected a multi-channel amp with complete control over everything.

The fold-out 'stand' is a bit of a gimmick, I quickly lost its tightening screw, so it no longer stays up, once it is up, it doesn't provide enough angle to be effective anyway. It's either pointed to your feet, or to your ankles! Solution? another easy one, grab a chair!

BOSS Katana 50 Review - Extending Amp Stand. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com
BOSS Katana 50 Review – Extending Amp Stand. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com

Lastly, getting the BOSS Katana 50 to stand out above a band mix did take a while to set up. In fairness to the amp, it was all about running the amp as cleanly as possible, and as previously mentioned, with the mids dialled back to no more than 12'oclock. It was also about maxing the master on my BOSS ME-50 to get the strongest signal possible into the Katana 50. I put this down to the expansive versatility of the Katana's tones.

BOSS Katana 50: The Competition
The Katana seems to strike the perfect balance of price, build, features, power and tone. There is competition out there, but always at a compromise. The Marshall is more expensive with reportedly flaky reliability but has app control and better switching. The Blackstar's less powerful but heavier on features and technology. The Fender loses out on tone but again makes up for it in digital wizardry (It's also a great looking amp), and the Vox is the most threadbare when it comes to features but packs a classic tonal punch, at an increased price.

Marshall Code Series

Blackstar ID Series

Fender Mustang Series

Vox Valvetronix Series

BOSS Katana 50 vs 100
Another topic of much debate. The Katana series is rapidly expanding (full details here), so if you need a head, MIDI, a 2×12 or a portable amp, you're catered for.   The 50 and the 100 are the hardest to choose between, however, with the 100 featuring a larger speaker magnet and cabinet, resulting in a fuller bass response and a bigger sound. The 100 also has an FX loop, a presence control, 4 channels (to the Katana 50's 2), and best of all, a GAFC controller input, which allows you to select between patches, banks, and even individual FX slots and the FX loop.

For me personally? The 100 has the same switching limitations as the 50, even with the GAFC controller.  For example, I always need a volume gain boost, with whatever other FX I have selected. I could use the BOOST/MOD slot, but that would stop me from using any MOD FX for that slot. There is a workaround on the 100, which is to assign a volume boost to the FX loop. This isn't ideal as you only get a clean boost and you've taken the FX loop out of action for any other FX.

Also, you're still going to need a tuner, (and for me, a wah), which is a further limitation of the  GAFC. Again, you could buy an expression pedal and use the internal Katana Wahs, but again it's a compromise in that you'll be taking out another FX slot.

All in all, I plumped for the 50, as I knew I needed an external multi-FX for a tuner + wah, and a way to get around the limitations of the Katana internal FX for live use. It was still loud enough to gig with, and unlike the 100, has the 25 W power mode which is ideal for my gigging needs. The 50 is also cheaper, lighter, smaller and simpler.

BOSS Katana 50 Review. Custom Katana Speaker. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com
BOSS Katana 50 Review. Custom Katana Speaker. The Blogging Musician @ adamharkus.com

Conclusion
BOSS' design geniuses have absolutely nailed it with the Katana 50. I love this amp and everything about it. Of course, 4 channels + panel won't be enough for some people (including me) for live use, but that's the real trick to the Katana. It's 3 amplifiers in one. The ultimate practice/experimentation amp, utilising all the features of BOSS Tone Studio, a one-stop recording solution, and, to top it off, a tremendously small, light and loud neutral clean pedal platform for live use.

Infinitely more convenient than many valve amps, at a fraction of the cost, the BOSS Katana 50 exudes class and dependability, delivering unbelievably organic (and loud) tones to the point where the whole valves vs solid state/modelling debate doesn't even matter anymore.

Most of all, the BOSS Katana has allowed me to simplify my setup, gigs have become easier, I've less to carry and no longer have any hang-ups over valves or backups, without sacrificing tone...

...The BOSS Katana 50 IS the best guitar-related purchase YOU'LL ever make.




More Guitar Amplifier Reviews @ The Blogging Musician :



https://adamharkus.com/boss-katana-50-guitar-amplifier-review/
https://adamharkus.com/boss-katana-50-review-6-months-on/

admin

#240
goosefartfan wrote>

I remember BenoA posting a video a long time ago about his Katana 100W Head with the 5" speaker, and his saying that it kept up with a drummer and bassist in a jam session. It's hard to judge things from a youtube video.

Since I live in an apartment, I always have my head on the 1/2 setting, and it sounds nice.

This week, I got a chance to jam with a bassist and drummer (me on vocals) in a small practice space. (There's usually a Marshall Valvestate 2x12 there that I use). I decided that I wanted to "open it up", so I brought my Kat 100W head Mk 1.

As is always the case, it's the drummer who sets how loud the band is b/c the other instruments have to match his volume. This drummer was not holding anything back, and I honestly couldn't believe how loud the Katana head was. There were zero problems, and the other two guys said they had no problem hearing me. AND, it sounded great! From a gatdam 5" speaker!!:eeks


https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/29963119/