I’m 74 years old now. Just getting back into playing guitar after a long time away. Two years ago I was looking for an amp that would "do me out". :) Researched heavily. I found that perfect amp (for me) in the Katana Artist MkII. A very satisfied buyer!
I was at a low-volume gig last week with four bands,. One guitarist was using a Katana, the rest were using tube amps (Fender, Boogie, Vox.) The Katana sounded so much better than the other amps at that volume.
Dude, I sold my Fender Tube Amp just to get a Boss Katana and I don’t regret it one bit, lol. I originally paid nearly $700 for my amp and I walked out of GC feeling stupid for getting a cheaper digital amp. Now after having the Katana for a few weeks, I can honestly say that I freakin love that amp. I’ve owned about 5 different amps in my life and the Katana is my absolute favorite, so diverse, so economical, great quality sound. I am absolutely shocked by how much I love this amp and I’ve owned both tube and digital previously.
i had the exact opposite experience. I started off with a katana because the street knowledge was that it would be enough, but then bought a cheap analog modeler that did a lot less for the same price but felt so much better to play without latency, and was far easier to get usable tones with. That was four years ago, and 4 amps later, I never used my katana since.
What this video proves is that you are a master at dialing in your tones. No matter what the platform is, you manage to get the tones that please you, and compliment the tone that comes from your hands. The Katana is a perfectly fine amplifier, but I know several people that own and use them, and their tones are EXTREMELY generic. You make it sing. Pete Thorn is another one who can make anything sound great. OUR mileage may vary :)
I mean thats kinda true for almost any Amp on the market. If you know what your doing then its gonna sound good. If you dont and your just doing alot of guessing its gonna sound pretty generic.
bass, mid, and treble isnt hard dude. Why does DIALING in seem so hard today? Do you know how to program a VCR? They also have these things called presets to eliminate your booger picking fingers from getting hurt
40+year tube amp user myself... Then lower back issues, money crunching, difficulty finding quality tubes, etc. turned my attention to lighter weight alternatives. Recently the Boss Nextone 80 was my intro to this type amp, and I'm seriously impressed! So much so, that I've been keeping my eyes open for a good deal on a used Katana Artist (I prefer the controls on a front panel). These sound fantastic, are easy on my back and don't cost a small fortune-- also maintenance free compared to my old tube amps. No cork-sniffing here-- if it sounds good, use it!
54 year old tube user... long ago moved from heavy combos to a separate preamp/poweramp head and a 2x12.... and another, if I need it. I have smaller (0,5, 2 and 5 watt tube amps in the guitar rooms at home. Sure, it sounds great if you're in a cover band, and need those particular sounds, albeit with a quality reminiscent of pasteurized, homogenized, and electron-beam neutralized, the Katana is absolutely SPOT ON. But... if you've ever "found your tone" on a tube amp, you'll be damn dissappointed. No more dynamics between you, the guitar, and the amp, playing and breathing as one, no more "if I stand about here, and hold it like this...." to get that sound the Katana is NEVER going to make with you. You;ll be playing your guitar into the equivalent of an android app, compared to the super software available, like plugins, IRs and VSTs, where the Katana fails to even compete.
@@michaelcarey9359 Can't speak to the Katana, but the Nextone 80 sure is great. All the fell and tone of my old Deluxe at a fraction of the cost. I've yet attempted to connect to the internet for downloads-- just plug, play & smile :D
I own a Katana 100 Mk II and a Katana Artist Mk II. I recently gave my Katana 100 Mk I to a friend who has deep pockets and some really nice tube amps. I forgot I had already installed the Sneaky Amps & Dumble Amps in the Tone Studio. Later that day, when I gave him the amp, he was absolutely floored with the amp. I was really surprised knowing his stable of amps. I have eight tube amps and love 'em a lot, but I play my Katana Artist quite a bit. It is so good.
Katana Artist MKII is unbelievable. It’s speaker construction is crazy good. I would’ve killed for that amp when I was teen playing cruddy SS amps. It’s so much better.
I gig with my Katana head and have never had a problem. The thing I love about this amp is that it is lightweight and everything you need in onboard, No pedal board required. My Katana head has built in speakers which are plenty loud enough for small clubs and bars but I usually take a 212.
I've gigged with a Katana MKll 100. But I'm a straight ahead classic rock and blues guy. I don't use complex tones. But I love that it's all in one. No need to carry pedals. Just my HSS Strat and my Kat head plugged into FOH and that's all I need.
When I first bought a 212 mkii most of my friends scoffed. Then I bought a second one and a stereo cable to really fill the room. I practice on the .5 watt setting and have had zero issues so far with the gafc footswtch and multi-wah being my only pedals. This rig is basically all I need.
I've been gigging the Katana Artist for many years and find it very practical for live situations. There are definitely some limitations/challenges when controlling it with the GA-FC but it's still workable. I can also use my regular pedalboard with it as well. I have the GigRig G3 on my main board and that allows me to connect through the effects loop and MIDI to control the Katana. Usually turning off the effects on the katana to use the effects from the pedalboard. If you spend time programming the EQ's before hand I believe that makes the difference from the factory settings. This amp has so much potential and I hope Boss figures out how to offer all the features in a much easier version.
Really why not just dig in a bit with the FX floorboard and bump up your foot controller to something a bit more decent ? BOSS's focus seems to somehow always be LCD and ok that is fine but these things are absolutely capable far better midi controllers. A decent front end makes a really huge difference in ease of use a much finer control.
I've been using the 1x12 Katana V2 since it's release as my live gigging amp. I changed the speaker for a Celestion G12H Redback giving me more headroom. I use an HX Stomp in front of the amp for all my drives and effects. I find this a perfect combination of light weight, versatile, customisable, ample power, cost effective and reliable. I've seen lots of other guitarists using the Katana for gigging. Nice to see you've also now discovered the optimum gig rig.
Bought the Katana first edition 50w the year they first came out. Been using it since. Don't care what anyone says, it is a great alternative to bringing a tube amplifier to gigs. Love it. Got a bunch of a Fender and Boogies that stay home. Mostly run a pedalboard into it. But if i don't it has killer boss effects built in.
I play a couple shows a month and I just purchased the new 50w MK2 EX with the new foot controller for at least one of my gigs , I will leave my amp modeler floor unit at home. Its an easy load in and set up . I saw a video where they are using an Air Step foot controller that works with the MK1 & MK2 it also has bluetooth so you can control the foot switch and amp settings with third party software or the Boss App! Pretty cool 😎
I have the MkII 50 watt. They are available new for $269, and used for less than that. And it’s awesome. Weighs half my Princeton Reverb II, and gives very convincing 70s Marshall and Fender Twin emulations with the sneaky amps. And virtually the effects are good, and the modulation effects are all great. As I’ve reached a stage in life where weight savings are becoming valuable to me, the fact that I can carry this plus my AirStep KAT plus a guitar and have everything I need is awesome. Beats moving the Marshall Major and 4x12 by a mile.
I gig the 1x12 Boss Katana 100 all the time now. I play bars doing covers of blues rock and country from the 50's to today. The more modern stuff we play always requires a few more bells and whistles than stuff from the 90's or earlier. But for me I predominantly use a clean channel, a bluesy rock channel, a hard rock channel and the hard rock channel copied over again but with a huge volume boost. I have various effects setup for each channel that I can use accordingly, but most of the time I use the classic rock sound I created and if I need to be loud for a solo I will switch to that loud hard rock sound. Sometimes we play a song that requires a classic rock sound during the verses and then switch to a hard rock sound for the chorus, followed up with a boosted hard rock sound for the solo. I'm pretty simple and I don't want to spend hours dialing in tones. I've done away with all my tube amps, and effects pedals. I've have simplifed my rig so I can go out and and not worry about something getting damaged or stolen. Nobody is really going to try and steal a Boss Katana vs say a Vox AC30. But to the point of the video, for what I'm going out and doing I don't need a $3,000 amp tone for a gig I'm making $50-$100 on. Also most of these tube amps are so flipping loud its impossible to play at the sweet spot, but the Katana sound good at any volume and doesn't crap out at high volumes. Anyway I know most people prefer tubes but I've cut about 70 pounds worth of gear out of my gig's that I have to move and I'm happy with that. I can deal with tones that are 95% of the way there. I forgot to mention I don't have to bring a mic with me anymore because I plug direct. one less mic to pickup stage volume is always a plus! My entire rig depending excluding the guitar with footswitch and cables was $550.
I gigged a Katana Artist (Ver1) for a couple of years and it was great. Easy to setup, consistent, dependable, light, great with pedals and with a Helix floor. Best point......sounds wonderful. Ony way to find out is to try it live. The Mesa cab would be a great addition. Not gigging now, but have a Nextone Artist now..... same story.
I use two of the Artist MKII 1x12 combo amps running in stereo. You have to be careful to pick the signal chain option where the effects are after the amp for full stereo operation. They can easily stomp a drum set/loud drummer, like 115db plus loud. I use the foot switch with an expression pedal for volume control. Only thing extra I bring is a tuner pedal, wireless, and sen 609 Mic. The katanas are very light, also using two of them I effectively have a back up amp if one blows up. They go mono with a small flick of a switch on the back. I recommend the Artist combo as it has a really nice higher wattage copy of a greenback speaker. One disclaimer is you do have to tweak quite a bit to dial presets in. Lastly, once programmed up, the global eq presets are really nice to quickly dial out booming sub bass with the press of a button on the front of the amp. Makes it easy to deal with bass coupling of some stages/floors at high volume.
I’ve always been a tube amp guy but I’m also 72 years old and still gigging… The only tube amp I now own is a home built vibrochamp clone… I recently gave my blonde Princeton to my grandson… I gig the Katana mkii ex 50 watt… it’s only 25 lbs!!! I love it… I’ve used it with pedals in front but now I have that long foot switch and am in the process of programming my pedalboard inside the amp… Cheers!!!
I have 4 amps. Among them is a Boss Katana MKII head on a Fender speaker. I love it, the built in tones are incredible, and the different power settings are handy as well.
I recommended the Katana to a friend looking to get his son amp, which he did but damn, that clean sound you started off with was very flat, veiled, no snap or sparkle. It sounds like what I'd expect from an amp sim 10 yrs ago. Quite surprised.
The default clean channel is very dry compared to something like a Fender clean amp however, there are some good tricks out there to help it get there. One I tried that worked decent was to run the treble booster internal FX into that channel. Tweaking its settings and maybe fine tuning in the channel EQ can get it a lot closer to that desired tone. Just can't easily get there with the dials and settings on the unit itself. Must dig into the software a bit.
I gig a Katana Artis since they came out. Set up on clean and I use my pedal board, mainly for stacking OD pedal. It has a lot of advantages, weight, flexibility, reliable. When live the Artist sounds great. My hsndwired heavy and expensive tube amp stays in the music room now. In the mix I can not tell the difference, I have never played a standard Katana.but the Artist is nice.
I use a Les Paul special through an OD and booster pedal into mine. Between the tones you can get from blending the p-90's, the various combinations of analog OD, and the onboard digital effects, I can dial in anything from country to thrash metal.
I've had one for almost a year now, and it's the most versatile amp for the money you can buy. For small gigs and at home, it's perfect. You can of course spend a bit more for the 100W version for all the headroom you could reasonably ask for from a combo.
I used to have the first version Katana 2x12 and it was primarily a pedal platform. I tried making my own presets and just using the footswitch but it just didn't work if I needed to make a change in parameters on the fly because now I'm turning my back to the audience or just dealing with it until a break. I run a Helix floor now. More money but I can adjust things on the run easier and if I want that's all I have to bring to a gig. If I just wanted an inexpensive amp without the need to plug my computer into it I'll go with the Catalyst 200. Plenty of power, Helix based sounds and simplicity all day long. I'll be ordering one very soon and using it with my Helix.
This would make a great entry level amp. Considering my first amp was the original Peavey Bandit, which had a clean and dirty channel and a reverb tank that rumbled like thunder if one moved on stage. A Line 6 Spider amp would have blown our minds back in the day.
I leave the corksniffer amp set up in my home studio now and take out either the Katana, the Blackstar St Julian or the Amped 2 digital floor/amp in a box unit. Recently did a two night residency at a venue and used my Lazy J20 and full pedalboard on one night and my Blackstar amped 2 fly rig the next. Couple of videos from both nights got posted from both nights. Honestly, you couldn’t tell the difference out front 🤷🏻♂️ It’s about learning how to dial your tone, regardless of the set up. Also trekked out to a local gig and the band of the night, sound and tone wise were using a 50w Katana. 👌🎸
I've gigged my Artist MKII Combo but once and it sounded great. I've worked out the problem of having a universal boost using another switch. I have a boost programmed into every preset without the double-tap nightmare. I'm about to use it live again and I have full confidence in the sound and capabilities of this amp. I've been playing guitar live since 1987 in one band or another. I wish I'd had this back then! As for home use, it's a no-brainer. Cheers!
I’ve gigged with the Katana 50 over the last 4 years or so. Am I going to sit here and tell you it sounds better than my Mesa Mark V? Probably not. Is it good enough to gig with? Without a doubt.
I have two Katana 50s at home (a MkI and a MkII), and they are connected ABY via Radial Big Shot. For home use purposes, at such low price, they are exceeding all my needs and they are super simple fun. You could gig this set up, probably… I don’t see much of a problem with that either. I love the Katana series. Wish Boss would send me a MkII head lol. Enjoy!
Our set is quite varied, I have 3 valve amps, but my 100w katana twin does everything I need to do for playing live, plus I can rock up carrying an amp and 2 guitars, straight from car as it is so light.
Here's the new Sire 335 copy through the Katana at a Jam on Sunday, first time singing this song and playing this Guitar live, dont need Gucci gear, if you buy wisely ua-cam.com/video/l4GMBiQeZGM/v-deo.html
Yes! It should have a built in tuner. For all the bells and whistles it boasts not having a tuner was missed opportunity. I've got quite a few miles under my Kat Artist now, for rehearsals, gigs, and at home practice... I like it more now than when I first got it. Thanks for your review. Got to admit if if I knew what lightweight cab worked as well at the Artist combo's speaker I'd go the head/cab route. I'd like to hear more on that point from folks out there. My biggest gripe with the Kat Artist combo is the size and weight for a SS amp. I also have a Kat 50 and that thing is a tiny feather. It would be cool if Boss shrunk down the Artist combo's foot print by maybe a third and it's weight by a few pounds. Not that it would change the size or weight much but the thing doesn't need to push 100 watts. I don't think I've ever run the master past half way at the 50 watt setting. I've even gigged it in the 0.5 watt setting.
I always preferred the stock amps to the sneaky amps. They’re neat but not as good as the stock ones imo. I also always wanted a more complete foot switch. The GAFC with another row of pedals to customize. Then it would be complete for me.
So, this is actually possible, but you need to use MIDI to do it. I built a MIDI foot controller a while back from an old Fender Mustang foot controller and a Raspberry Pi PICO. It was pretty hacky, but good enough to expose most of the Katana features via MIDI. I also looked into replicating the features of the GAFC and took apart a perfectly working GAFC to figure out how it works. Replicating the features of the GAFC is technically possible, but would be quite a hacking effort.
@@dafretz This! I'm using a Rocktron MidiMate with my Artist... admittedly fairly expensive new, but they're pretty affordable on the used market. And Amazon is awash with inexpensive (and/or cheap) MIDI footcontrollers with weird brand names and dodgy ad copy. The MidiMate works really well with the Katana, though, once you get the hang of the programming (which isn't that hard, just fiddly). Bottom row for channel changes, top row for FX blocks on/off. Good stuff.
I used mine at practice last night. First gen 100w 1x12. I have the footswitch and have each set to a preset. So versatile and durable. Terrific amp at any price, but almost certainly the best value amp on the market.
I had two tube amps, I’m down to one , I traded one in on a katana 50. I was always skeptical, but gotta say I’m really impressed, and I’ve yet to use the tone studio.
Hi! I also own a Katana 50 but had some problems of unwanted buzzing. It was fixed by turning on the noise gate, which you can only use through the tone studio. As I've read it's a common problem, don't you have any interferences in your amp? I've tried different cables, patches, guitars...
I have a Katana 100 MKII and have been using it to gig and record and its great. I also have a Roland Blues Cube Stage that is also a great amp for gigging and recording. Thanks for your review of this.
I've got two Boss Katana 100 MKII 2-12 and use the "amp in" to plug my Helix pedalboard, HeadRush Prime and Quad Cortex into for stereo, bypassing the Boss's front panel, only thing that stays operable is the wattage and the master volume.......sounds great this way.
Used a katana and pedal board for some time (worship band) but got a bit frustrated with limitations on verbs and echo. Also wasn’t convinced by some of the crunchier sounds. Now using it on the acoustic channel (one of the main reasons I chose the katana) as a stage monitor behind a pod go. Working ok for now although still discovering the PG. Sometimes overdo the glassy stuff and have to dial down the tone on the guitar. Found that I was compensating for the natural top cut in the Katana although it could be I’m just loosing my top frequencies due to old age! Really enjoy your channel. Keep em coming! 😊
Love my Katana Mk2 100. Prefer MK2 amps to those called "sneaky". I often prefer to play and record direct with the Katana though I have a GT1000 on my desk, too. I will definitely keep my Katana and hope it will have a long life. Also I agree that the GAFC should be more complete (a second row of footswitches would be lovely) and it would also be great to do at least some basic assignments as in the GTK
To answer your question: the Katana Artist Mk II definitely can. The speaker and all the EQ & tone shaping options on the front panel push this amp to the next level from the Kat 100. The Artist Mk II is worth the price of admission.
I was very happy with the 100 watt Katana and gigged it a lot, until I bought a Laney IRT60 valve head and a 2x12 cab with Celestions. No amount of tweaking the Katana could give me the warm, lush, huge tones of the Laney/Celestion cab. I tried using the Katana to power the cabinet, but the Katana still didn't cut it. Personally, I prefer valves for crunch and high gain tones. I was looking at getting the Artist Katana but got a great deal with the Laney and chose that. Still, for the money, the Katana really is an awesome amp and has very pleasing tones. I would probably still be happy with it if I hadn't done the a/b comparisions with the Laney.
Sounded like you (a good thing). So kudos for getting your sound out of a helix, fractal, Quad Cortex, Catylist, various tube amps and pedals and now a Katana. It’s up to you, your not losing anything on one as opposed to another. Just use what makes your gig easy to accomplishb while still allowing you to play well.
I gig a Katana MK2 50 EX. Can't take an amp this Saturday due to logistics so taking a guitar and a small pedalboard with a tuner, clean boost and an overdrive. One of the other guys is bringing me a Katana and a GAFC and I'll download 4 or five presets off my phone from the Katana Librarian app when I meet them at the venue and use them.
I used Katana head live for years, and it was great, have a Katana pedal GA-FC and you had great setup which was even light, like 6 kilos, and you could even just mike uo the speaker on Katana head and you were good to go 😀 (Of course not on loud situation, but quiet)
Over the years I've been through just about every name brand Tube Amp out there...Peavey, Marshall, Mesa, Laney, Fender, etc...as well as a couple of solid state amps (Yamaha, GK, Princeton Chorus) but if I had to sell every tube I currently own, I'd be fine with my 1x12 Kat 100Mk2. It's lightweight and has everything I could want at this point. I've set up 2 clean channels (1 with phase, 1 with Chorus) and 2 OD channels as well as the Panel channel, so I never have to worry about taking along a pedal board at all...the GA/FC takes care of all that. Interestingly I have also never found the need put the Katana through the computer, either...and if I want a lot more to work with, I also have a Boss GT-1 to use as well. If these only came out in the late 70's when I started or early 80's..my back would be in much better condition than it is currently...lol. Great video as always, John....thanks!
A rig based on the Katana and expanded by additional amp models would be almost all I would ever need. I might consider a toneX for that as I would like to have access to a wide variety of amp models beyond the classics. From Diezel to Naylor and Selmer or Dumble. Or low input of a JCM 800 for Siamese Dream type tones. A grail tone would be the Carsten Grace amp.
I had ordered that amp. It came to me US Post. I was excited, I do like the sound of the amp. When I opened the box checked out the amp, several of the knobs had fallen off inside the box. That was totally unacceptable to me, so I sent it back, I don't want some cheaply built amp that is missing the knobs every time I move it. Also, I really think that an amp with all the things I already have in a pedal is a waste of money. When I buy an amp it needs 40-60W of speaker power and an efficient 12" speaker.
Four of my guitars playing friends are now Katana owners. Thier super light and versatile. I have and 70's Deluxe that sounds great but requires a lot of pedalboard to make the sounds the Katana does natively. The Dluxe outweighs he Katana by a significant amount and is somewhat delicate to frequently transport. If I was back gigging again, I'd probably switch too.
I'm a big fan of the Katana. I have a 50W Mark II. I have been able to get some good tones out of it using the computer interface software. My main mode of use is to develop my tones on HX stomp and feed the line level HX output to the power amp jack of the Katana. On the lowest wattage setting the tones are wonderful and volume levels are perfect for home use.
I have a katana artisan series and a Peavey Vypyr pro and I use the peavey more than the katana, although Boss is still top two or three when it comes to modeling. Also if you get yourself a helix rack unit or a line 6 pod HD Pro X new or used, along with some good studio monitors and studio headphones, you’re all set.
Had the MK1 100 combo since they came out ( took a punt as knew Boss / Roland usually make reliable amps) now has hundreds of gigs behind it , I went through the usual preset thing ( not used the tone studio ) but ended up using as pedal platform ( literally , as velcro / pedals on top of amp as venues so small ) , Tube Screamer , Dimension chorus and that’s it , want extra delay ? just bend down and turn the knob , more reverb ? same thing , if pedals die , no problem , still easy to do whole gig with one. Output straight to PA on back so ready for festivals , bigger gigs . I read people telling tales of trying Katanas out in shops ( for about 50 seconds ) and finding them awful , so it’s horses for courses , but as it’s popular there will always be people that won’t like them .
Yeh for sure I think trying anything in a shop tends to be a pretty rubbish experience right? I've found it easier to dial in a few presets that are what I need with basically no compromise, which isn't something I have managed with a whole bunch of expensive tube amps...
16:04 - Listening on the Echo, the sounds resemble recorded parts. Given 95%+ of the audience are likely to be expecting that, perhaps it’s the way to go? Even if “It’s not the sexiest choice” 😂. Got a theatre gig in September and seriously thinking Katana for it as a result of your thoughts and tones - thanks for sharing, John.
I've been gigging a Katana Artist mkii combo for a little over a year now, after years of using tube amps, or modelers into the FX returns of tube amps. I really don't feel like I'm missing much of anything in making that change, and my life has gotten quite a bit easier. Are there things that my (admittedly fairly pedestrian) tube amps do better? Sure. Is it enough to overcome the many unique capabilities of the Katana, and the convenience factor? No. At least as far as gigging goes. Recording is another matter, but that's not what I bought the Katana for. Full disclosure: For most of the time that I've had the Katana, I've been using it as a pedal platform (most frequently), or as a powered speaker for a modeler (just a few times). As time has gone on, though, I've started using the on-board tones more and more. I've actually found the low-to-mid gain tones to be the strength of the unit, so far... I've come to really enjoy the Clean (variation), so long as the gain is just under halfway, or higher. So flexible, and really good cleanup with the guitar volume. The higher gain tones have taken some more work (and global EQ and other tweaks), but I'm about 95% of the way there with the Brown channel. I'm just a tweak or two away, maybe, from using the on-board sounds primarily, and the sounds from my pedalboard secondarily. If I could do a gig with just the Katana, a tuner, and the footcontroller? I'd be one happy hack!
I’m hoping to have the best of both worlds - I have a HX Stomp on pre-order with Andertons (out of stock everywhere it seems!) which I’ll run into my Katana 100. Should be a good rig!
ive just started gigging this year really and ive been running a helix floor into a katana and i think it works quite nice. i thoroughly 10 band eq and compress all my gig presets and they sound pretty good on stage when the katanas miced up. ive recorded some killer tones with the katana without the helix as well great amp
Never as a "main gig" rig, but I totally used a Mk1 100 with the pedal board for an all-in-one pickup gig rig... until it got bumped a couple of times and a knob or two broke off, not to mention you'd rub against it and there would be another bit of wood showing through the "tolex". To me it's a great sounding amp, perfect for jams and small gigs, it's just not very road durable. Maybe that is or should be the selling point for the Artist series.
John. I’ve never played one but the other guitarist in my band uses the Katana 50 watt. He paid $100 US for it used. Sounds very good though the distorted tones are just okay. He’s not used the online stuff with it. My question is how reliable are they? On the the one hand who cares as they’re so inexpensive. On the other, if they fail you can’t repair them.
They come voiced quite fizzy however once you dial the parametric and or graphic post amp section in conjunction with the other eq and compression options. I hardly ever gig with my tube amps anymore, the katana does the trick. My complaint is still the lack of a stereo out and a dual stereo delay.
I guess I really don't get it yet with the modeling setups...so, in a live situation and between songs, you're navigating through menus on your laptop to get to the correct cabinet simulation for that next upcoming song on the set list? ("oh hold on, guys, I'm on the wrong tab or I can't seem to exit out of the FX menu"... This is just one of many scenarios I envision...and maybe I'm way off base with the usage in a live setting? thanks in advance..
I think you'll find most folks would be using one preset for the whole gig - say in your Helix or Fractal world, you have snapshots/scenes where you'd set up your clean/dirty/solo tones - much like in the real world where you wouldn't switch amps/cabs during a gig
I'm afraid it's a big yes. I'd love to hate these things, but yeah, I went with one 2 solid months and there was nothing I actually missed ( apart the tuner ) . I do sit and look at all these pedals I've collected and sometimes think a bit on that. Pretty boxes for sure but I think it is time to be honest and scratch the word NEED off the blackboard. These will do the thing.
My tube amp lives on the back line at my church, as a pedal platform it can get one fantastic sound, but it is noisier, more fragile, and extremely heavy compared to my flyweight Katana. When I'm playing out, the tube amp is not even considered. My Katana was purchased used for $150 and no one has ever commented negatively on my (cheap) tone.
I just received a Powercab today and plan on doing an AB comparison to my Katana rig (Helix into Katana's Power Amp In) tomorrow. Depending on the results, the Powercab may be going back to the dealer. As far as I can tell from the manual on the Power Cab there doesn't seem to be much difference between the two with the exceptions of speakers and purchase price.
Update: I should note that I have left the speaker cabs on in the Helix presets and set both amps to flat response.for the AB comparisons. I found that the new cab engine in Helix, specifically mic placement parameters, work like a super focused form of eq and adjustments made a huge difference. I have to say that both the Powercab and the Katana rig (Power Amp In) sounded very good. However, I would have to say that the Katana rig edges out the Powercab on most presets in terms of tone and feel. I used presets from John and and Jason Sadites for this comparison. I think the difference in tone is the 12” Greenback Wazacraft speaker in the Katana. Boss did a great job voicing this speaker for the Katana. I have a couple of more comparisons to do before I decide if I will send the Powercab back.
I just got a MK ii 50 with the footswitch for a song and a bird. All I want is the expression ed and AB footswitch to go with it and I am set. Sold my Revv D-20 and my Mesa has its cover on and taking a break.
I would be grateful for a reply as I have a few burning questions on this: I have been playing for 20 years but not professionally. But I would consider myself fairly advanced and while I hate tooting my own horn - I have a good ear. I own an old cube 60. Always loved how warm the cleans were and how much “wumpf” the amp gave in the low end if that makes sense. Bought a katana 50 for a wedding gig and straight away I noticed how feeble it sounded. The sound had no body or warmth or low-end *wumpf* . I upgraded to the 100 and it was much better, but still didn’t match the cube. I noticed you played it through a cab. Was it for the whole video? Did you notice this same issue and is that why you play it through a cab? I’m thinking of swapping the cones. Everything else in the katana is superior but the fundamental sound from the cone and that bottom end is just not there.
I use mine as a glorified speaker cab, and I put a jensen in it =). I think it's a good sounding box overall stock though. I use it as a helix power amp.
I’m 74 years old now. Just getting back into playing guitar after a long time away. Two years ago I was looking for an amp that would "do me out". :) Researched heavily. I found that perfect amp (for me) in the Katana Artist MkII. A very satisfied buyer!
I was at a low-volume gig last week with four bands,. One guitarist was using a Katana, the rest were using tube amps (Fender, Boogie, Vox.) The Katana sounded so much better than the other amps at that volume.
Oh at low volumes? Katana's smoking on tube pack every day.
Dude, I sold my Fender Tube Amp just to get a Boss Katana and I don’t regret it one bit, lol. I originally paid nearly $700 for my amp and I walked out of GC feeling stupid for getting a cheaper digital amp. Now after having the Katana for a few weeks, I can honestly say that I freakin love that amp. I’ve owned about 5 different amps in my life and the Katana is my absolute favorite, so diverse, so economical, great quality sound. I am absolutely shocked by how much I love this amp and I’ve owned both tube and digital previously.
i had the exact opposite experience. I started off with a katana because the street knowledge was that it would be enough, but then bought a cheap analog modeler that did a lot less for the same price but felt so much better to play without latency, and was far easier to get usable tones with. That was four years ago, and 4 amps later, I never used my katana since.
What this video proves is that you are a master at dialing in your tones. No matter what the platform is, you manage to get the tones that please you, and compliment the tone that comes from your hands. The Katana is a perfectly fine amplifier, but I know several people that own and use them, and their tones are EXTREMELY generic. You make it sing. Pete Thorn is another one who can make anything sound great. OUR mileage may vary :)
I don't think it's the tones, I think it's the music. That said, the katana has options for days to adjust your tone
I mean thats kinda true for almost any Amp on the market. If you know what your doing then its gonna sound good. If you dont and your just doing alot of guessing its gonna sound pretty generic.
bass, mid, and treble isnt hard dude. Why does DIALING in seem so hard today? Do you know how to program a VCR? They also have these things called presets to eliminate your booger picking fingers from getting hurt
40+year tube amp user myself... Then lower back issues, money crunching, difficulty finding quality tubes, etc. turned my attention to lighter weight alternatives. Recently the Boss Nextone 80 was my intro to this type amp, and I'm seriously impressed! So much so, that I've been keeping my eyes open for a good deal on a used Katana Artist (I prefer the controls on a front panel). These sound fantastic, are easy on my back and don't cost a small fortune-- also maintenance free compared to my old tube amps. No cork-sniffing here-- if it sounds good, use it!
54 year old tube user... long ago moved from heavy combos to a separate preamp/poweramp head and a 2x12.... and another, if I need it. I have smaller (0,5, 2 and 5 watt tube amps in the guitar rooms at home.
Sure, it sounds great if you're in a cover band, and need those particular sounds, albeit with a quality reminiscent of pasteurized, homogenized, and electron-beam neutralized, the Katana is absolutely SPOT ON.
But... if you've ever "found your tone" on a tube amp, you'll be damn dissappointed. No more dynamics between you, the guitar, and the amp, playing and breathing as one, no more "if I stand about here, and hold it like this...." to get that sound the Katana is NEVER going to make with you. You;ll be playing your guitar into the equivalent of an android app, compared to the super software available, like plugins, IRs and VSTs, where the Katana fails to even compete.
@@michaelcarey9359 Can't speak to the Katana, but the Nextone 80 sure is great. All the fell and tone of my old Deluxe at a fraction of the cost. I've yet attempted to connect to the internet for downloads-- just plug, play & smile :D
I own a Katana 100 Mk II and a Katana Artist Mk II. I recently gave my Katana 100 Mk I to a friend who has deep pockets and some really nice tube amps. I forgot I had already installed the Sneaky Amps & Dumble Amps in the Tone Studio. Later that day, when I gave him the amp, he was absolutely floored with the amp. I was really surprised knowing his stable of amps. I have eight tube amps and love 'em a lot, but I play my Katana Artist quite a bit. It is so good.
I have a tube amp for the studio and a Boss Katana for gigging. I'm happy with both
I have a tube Princeton Reverb and one of these Katanas on the way. I'm hoping to have your exact same situation. 🤘
Yeah, if ever gigging guitarist in the world started playing Katanas tomorrow nobody but guitarists would even notice 😂
Katana Artist MKII is unbelievable. It’s speaker construction is crazy good. I would’ve killed for that amp when I was teen playing cruddy SS amps. It’s so much better.
its* speaker construction
I had a crappy Laney 10W without reverb 2008 or something like that, it wasnt that bad bud hey, the differrence!
100W Katana MkII through 2X12 Celestion greenbacks. Closed back. Plenty loud and sounds great! Powerful cleans!
Yep I use an artist 100 head live through Mesa 212 closed back cab, sounds really good from eagle rock to enter sandman
I've gigged one as a clean platform and as a power amp for my Pod Go. It's been great for all of those applications and beyond paid for itself.
I gig with my Katana head and have never had a problem. The thing I love about this amp is that it is lightweight and everything you need in onboard, No pedal board required. My Katana head has built in speakers which are plenty loud enough for small clubs and bars but I usually take a 212.
I've gigged with a Katana MKll 100. But I'm a straight ahead classic rock and blues guy. I don't use complex tones. But I love that it's all in one. No need to carry pedals. Just my HSS Strat and my Kat head plugged into FOH and that's all I need.
When I first bought a 212 mkii most of my friends scoffed. Then I bought a second one and a stereo cable to really fill the room. I practice on the .5 watt setting and have had zero issues so far with the gafc footswtch and multi-wah being my only pedals. This rig is basically all I need.
I've been gigging the Katana Artist for many years and find it very practical for live situations. There are definitely some limitations/challenges when controlling it with the GA-FC but it's still workable. I can also use my regular pedalboard with it as well. I have the GigRig G3 on my main board and that allows me to connect through the effects loop and MIDI to control the Katana. Usually turning off the effects on the katana to use the effects from the pedalboard. If you spend time programming the EQ's before hand I believe that makes the difference from the factory settings. This amp has so much potential and I hope Boss figures out how to offer all the features in a much easier version.
+1 comment about EQ
Really why not just dig in a bit with the FX floorboard and bump up your foot controller to something a bit more decent ? BOSS's focus seems to somehow always be LCD and ok that is fine but these things are absolutely capable far better midi controllers. A decent front end makes a really huge difference in ease of use a much finer control.
X sonic airstep kat edition floor board will open up all the options and give you blue tooth control as well.
That BT control will allow you to use a phone or tablet to edit patches.
I've been using the 1x12 Katana V2 since it's release as my live gigging amp. I changed the speaker for a Celestion G12H Redback giving me more headroom. I use an HX Stomp in front of the amp for all my drives and effects. I find this a perfect combination of light weight, versatile, customisable, ample power, cost effective and reliable. I've seen lots of other guitarists using the Katana for gigging. Nice to see you've also now discovered the optimum gig rig.
Bought the Katana first edition 50w the year they first came out. Been using it since. Don't care what anyone says, it is a great alternative to bringing a tube amplifier to gigs. Love it. Got a bunch of a Fender and Boogies that stay home. Mostly run a pedalboard into it. But if i don't it has killer boss effects built in.
Your playing is absolutely beautiful sir.
I play a couple shows a month and I just purchased the new 50w MK2 EX with the new foot controller for at least one of my gigs , I will leave my amp modeler floor unit at home. Its an easy load in and set up . I saw a video where they are using an Air Step foot controller that works with the MK1 & MK2 it also has bluetooth so you can control the foot switch and amp settings with third party software or the Boss App! Pretty cool 😎
I have the airstep kat pedal and it is beyond good when paired with apps or floorboard (app demo'd in video).
I have the MkII 50 watt. They are available new for $269, and used for less than that. And it’s awesome. Weighs half my Princeton Reverb II, and gives very convincing 70s Marshall and Fender Twin emulations with the sneaky amps. And virtually the effects are good, and the modulation effects are all great. As I’ve reached a stage in life where weight savings are becoming valuable to me, the fact that I can carry this plus my AirStep KAT plus a guitar and have everything I need is awesome. Beats moving the Marshall Major and 4x12 by a mile.
I gig the 1x12 Boss Katana 100 all the time now. I play bars doing covers of blues rock and country from the 50's to today. The more modern stuff we play always requires a few more bells and whistles than stuff from the 90's or earlier. But for me I predominantly use a clean channel, a bluesy rock channel, a hard rock channel and the hard rock channel copied over again but with a huge volume boost. I have various effects setup for each channel that I can use accordingly, but most of the time I use the classic rock sound I created and if I need to be loud for a solo I will switch to that loud hard rock sound. Sometimes we play a song that requires a classic rock sound during the verses and then switch to a hard rock sound for the chorus, followed up with a boosted hard rock sound for the solo. I'm pretty simple and I don't want to spend hours dialing in tones. I've done away with all my tube amps, and effects pedals. I've have simplifed my rig so I can go out and and not worry about something getting damaged or stolen. Nobody is really going to try and steal a Boss Katana vs say a Vox AC30. But to the point of the video, for what I'm going out and doing I don't need a $3,000 amp tone for a gig I'm making $50-$100 on. Also most of these tube amps are so flipping loud its impossible to play at the sweet spot, but the Katana sound good at any volume and doesn't crap out at high volumes. Anyway I know most people prefer tubes but I've cut about 70 pounds worth of gear out of my gig's that I have to move and I'm happy with that. I can deal with tones that are 95% of the way there. I forgot to mention I don't have to bring a mic with me anymore because I plug direct. one less mic to pickup stage volume is always a plus! My entire rig depending excluding the guitar with footswitch and cables was $550.
I gigged a Katana Artist (Ver1) for a couple of years and it was great. Easy to setup, consistent, dependable, light, great with pedals and with a Helix floor. Best point......sounds wonderful. Ony way to find out is to try it live. The Mesa cab would be a great addition. Not gigging now, but have a Nextone Artist now..... same story.
I use two of the Artist MKII 1x12 combo amps running in stereo. You have to be careful to pick the signal chain option where the effects are after the amp for full stereo operation. They can easily stomp a drum set/loud drummer, like 115db plus loud. I use the foot switch with an expression pedal for volume control. Only thing extra I bring is a tuner pedal, wireless, and sen 609 Mic. The katanas are very light, also using two of them I effectively have a back up amp if one blows up. They go mono with a small flick of a switch on the back. I recommend the Artist combo as it has a really nice higher wattage copy of a greenback speaker. One disclaimer is you do have to tweak quite a bit to dial presets in. Lastly, once programmed up, the global eq presets are really nice to quickly dial out booming sub bass with the press of a button on the front of the amp. Makes it easy to deal with bass coupling of some stages/floors at high volume.
I’ve always been a tube amp guy but I’m also 72 years old and still gigging… The only tube amp I now own is a home built vibrochamp clone… I recently gave my blonde Princeton to my grandson… I gig the Katana mkii ex 50 watt… it’s only 25 lbs!!! I love it… I’ve used it with pedals in front but now I have that long foot switch and am in the process of programming my pedalboard inside the amp… Cheers!!!
I have 4 amps. Among them is a Boss Katana MKII head on a Fender speaker. I love it, the built in tones are incredible, and the different power settings are handy as well.
Have gigged one in pubs and anytime we play outdoors. It's great not having to worry about wrecking or losing an expensive amp.
I recommended the Katana to a friend looking to get his son amp, which he did but damn, that clean sound you started off with was very flat, veiled, no snap or sparkle. It sounds like what I'd expect from an amp sim 10 yrs ago. Quite surprised.
The default clean channel is very dry compared to something like a Fender clean amp however, there are some good tricks out there to help it get there. One I tried that worked decent was to run the treble booster internal FX into that channel. Tweaking its settings and maybe fine tuning in the channel EQ can get it a lot closer to that desired tone. Just can't easily get there with the dials and settings on the unit itself. Must dig into the software a bit.
It’s all I need. Run it clean and use your pedals or you can use the foot controller. I’ve been loving the brown sound setting. Great demo!
I gig a Katana Artis since they came out. Set up on clean and I use my pedal board, mainly for stacking OD pedal. It has a lot of advantages, weight, flexibility, reliable. When live the Artist sounds great. My hsndwired heavy and expensive tube amp stays in the music room now. In the mix I can not tell the difference, I have never played a standard Katana.but the Artist is nice.
I use a Les Paul special through an OD and booster pedal into mine. Between the tones you can get from blending the p-90's, the various combinations of analog OD, and the onboard digital effects, I can dial in anything from country to thrash metal.
I've had one for almost a year now, and it's the most versatile amp for the money you can buy. For small gigs and at home, it's perfect. You can of course spend a bit more for the 100W version for all the headroom you could reasonably ask for from a combo.
I used to have the first version Katana 2x12 and it was primarily a pedal platform. I tried making my own presets and just using the footswitch but it just didn't work if I needed to make a change in parameters on the fly because now I'm turning my back to the audience or just dealing with it until a break. I run a Helix floor now. More money but I can adjust things on the run easier and if I want that's all I have to bring to a gig. If I just wanted an inexpensive amp without the need to plug my computer into it I'll go with the Catalyst 200. Plenty of power, Helix based sounds and simplicity all day long. I'll be ordering one very soon and using it with my Helix.
Lovely playing, John.
This would make a great entry level amp. Considering my first amp was the original Peavey Bandit, which had a clean and dirty channel and a reverb tank that rumbled like thunder if one moved on stage. A Line 6 Spider amp would have blown our minds back in the day.
Thanks for this video and the introduction to sneaky amps. My Katana sounds so much better now.
I leave the corksniffer amp set up in my home studio now and take out either the Katana, the Blackstar St Julian or the Amped 2 digital floor/amp in a box unit. Recently did a two night residency at a venue and used my Lazy J20 and full pedalboard on one night and my Blackstar amped 2 fly rig the next. Couple of videos from both nights got posted from both nights. Honestly, you couldn’t tell the difference out front 🤷🏻♂️ It’s about learning how to dial your tone, regardless of the set up. Also trekked out to a local gig and the band of the night, sound and tone wise were using a 50w Katana. 👌🎸
I've gigged my Artist MKII Combo but once and it sounded great. I've worked out the problem of having a universal boost using another switch. I have a boost programmed into every preset without the double-tap nightmare. I'm about to use it live again and I have full confidence in the sound and capabilities of this amp. I've been playing guitar live since 1987 in one band or another. I wish I'd had this back then! As for home use, it's a no-brainer. Cheers!
The only thing the Katana needs is bluetooth and a phone app. Having to program it via a computer/laptop is a bit tedious.
It is an odd omission, given the Katana Air headphones have this capability. Perhaps in the MKIII version?
I have the Airstep pedal and it uses Bluetooth to do some programming not deep but go as deep as computer but can change pedals and the controls
Your prayers have been answered, with the new gen 3
I just came home from a gig where I ran my hx stomp into the power amp of a katana 50 mkII - sounded good to me!
Thanks for the video.
I’ve gigged with the Katana 50 over the last 4 years or so. Am I going to sit here and tell you it sounds better than my Mesa Mark V? Probably not. Is it good enough to gig with? Without a doubt.
I have two Katana 50s at home (a MkI and a MkII), and they are connected ABY via Radial Big Shot. For home use purposes, at such low price, they are exceeding all my needs and they are super simple fun. You could gig this set up, probably… I don’t see much of a problem with that either. I love the Katana series. Wish Boss would send me a MkII head lol. Enjoy!
Our set is quite varied, I have 3 valve amps, but my 100w katana twin does everything I need to do for playing live, plus I can rock up carrying an amp and 2 guitars, straight from car as it is so light.
Here's the new Sire 335 copy through the Katana at a Jam on Sunday, first time singing this song and playing this Guitar live, dont need Gucci gear, if you buy wisely ua-cam.com/video/l4GMBiQeZGM/v-deo.html
Whoa! I've had the original MK Artist for years and I had no idea about this FXFloorBoard software. Rad!
Yes! It should have a built in tuner. For all the bells and whistles it boasts not having a tuner was missed opportunity. I've got quite a few miles under my Kat Artist now, for rehearsals, gigs, and at home practice... I like it more now than when I first got it. Thanks for your review. Got to admit if if I knew what lightweight cab worked as well at the Artist combo's speaker I'd go the head/cab route. I'd like to hear more on that point from folks out there. My biggest gripe with the Kat Artist combo is the size and weight for a SS amp. I also have a Kat 50 and that thing is a tiny feather. It would be cool if Boss shrunk down the Artist combo's foot print by maybe a third and it's weight by a few pounds. Not that it would change the size or weight much but the thing doesn't need to push 100 watts. I don't think I've ever run the master past half way at the 50 watt setting. I've even gigged it in the 0.5 watt setting.
Wonderful Amp, covers everything I need plus more!!! Awesome amp!!!!
I always preferred the stock amps to the sneaky amps. They’re neat but not as good as the stock ones imo. I also always wanted a more complete foot switch. The GAFC with another row of pedals to customize. Then it would be complete for me.
So, this is actually possible, but you need to use MIDI to do it. I built a MIDI foot controller a while back from an old Fender Mustang foot controller and a Raspberry Pi PICO. It was pretty hacky, but good enough to expose most of the Katana features via MIDI. I also looked into replicating the features of the GAFC and took apart a perfectly working GAFC to figure out how it works. Replicating the features of the GAFC is technically possible, but would be quite a hacking effort.
@@dafretz This! I'm using a Rocktron MidiMate with my Artist... admittedly fairly expensive new, but they're pretty affordable on the used market. And Amazon is awash with inexpensive (and/or cheap) MIDI footcontrollers with weird brand names and dodgy ad copy. The MidiMate works really well with the Katana, though, once you get the hang of the programming (which isn't that hard, just fiddly). Bottom row for channel changes, top row for FX blocks on/off. Good stuff.
I used mine at practice last night. First gen 100w 1x12. I have the footswitch and have each set to a preset. So versatile and durable. Terrific amp at any price, but almost certainly the best value amp on the market.
I had two tube amps, I’m down to one , I traded one in on a katana 50. I was always skeptical, but gotta say I’m really impressed, and I’ve yet to use the tone studio.
Hi! I also own a Katana 50 but had some problems of unwanted buzzing. It was fixed by turning on the noise gate, which you can only use through the tone studio. As I've read it's a common problem, don't you have any interferences in your amp? I've tried different cables, patches, guitars...
@@HugoStrife actually no , only when my cell phone is right on the amp , that’s all .
I love the matchless with a tele
I would love to see a comparison between the katana and catalyst Amp In feature for those of us who don't want to buy a frfr
I have a 50 mk2 and for the money I couldn't ask for more. Thanks Boss.
I have a Katana 100 MKII and have been using it to gig and record and its great. I also have a Roland Blues Cube Stage that is also a great amp for gigging and recording. Thanks for your review of this.
I've got two Boss Katana 100 MKII 2-12 and use the "amp in" to plug my Helix pedalboard, HeadRush Prime and Quad Cortex into for stereo, bypassing the Boss's front panel, only thing that stays operable is the wattage and the master volume.......sounds great this way.
Used a katana and pedal board for some time (worship band) but got a bit frustrated with limitations on verbs and echo. Also wasn’t convinced by some of the crunchier sounds. Now using it on the acoustic channel (one of the main reasons I chose the katana) as a stage monitor behind a pod go. Working ok for now although still discovering the PG. Sometimes overdo the glassy stuff and have to dial down the tone on the guitar. Found that I was compensating for the natural top cut in the Katana although it could be I’m just loosing my top frequencies due to old age! Really enjoy your channel. Keep em coming! 😊
Love my Katana Mk2 100. Prefer MK2 amps to those called "sneaky". I often prefer to play and record direct with the Katana though I have a GT1000 on my desk, too. I will definitely keep my Katana and hope it will have a long life. Also I agree that the GAFC should be more complete (a second row of footswitches would be lovely) and it would also be great to do at least some basic assignments as in the GTK
To answer your question: the Katana Artist Mk II definitely can. The speaker and all the EQ & tone shaping options on the front panel push this amp to the next level from the Kat 100. The Artist Mk II is worth the price of admission.
I was very happy with the 100 watt Katana and gigged it a lot, until I bought a Laney IRT60 valve head and a 2x12 cab with Celestions. No amount of tweaking the Katana could give me the warm, lush, huge tones of the Laney/Celestion cab. I tried using the Katana to power the cabinet, but the Katana still didn't cut it. Personally, I prefer valves for crunch and high gain tones. I was looking at getting the Artist Katana but got a great deal with the Laney and chose that. Still, for the money, the Katana really is an awesome amp and has very pleasing tones. I would probably still be happy with it if I hadn't done the a/b comparisions with the Laney.
yes
Sounded like you (a good thing). So kudos for getting your sound out of a helix, fractal, Quad Cortex, Catylist, various tube amps and pedals and now a Katana. It’s up to you, your not losing anything on one as opposed to another. Just use what makes your gig easy to accomplishb while still allowing you to play well.
I gig a Katana MK2 50 EX. Can't take an amp this Saturday due to logistics so taking a guitar and a small pedalboard with a tuner, clean boost and an overdrive. One of the other guys is bringing me a Katana and a GAFC and I'll download 4 or five presets off my phone from the Katana Librarian app when I meet them at the venue and use them.
I used Katana head live for years, and it was great, have a Katana pedal GA-FC and you had great setup which was even light, like 6 kilos, and you could even just mike uo the speaker on Katana head and you were good to go 😀
(Of course not on loud situation, but quiet)
Now i just use Bluguitar Amp 1 with HXFX
Over the years I've been through just about every name brand Tube Amp out there...Peavey, Marshall, Mesa, Laney, Fender, etc...as well as a couple of solid state amps (Yamaha, GK, Princeton Chorus) but if I had to sell every tube I currently own, I'd be fine with my 1x12 Kat 100Mk2. It's lightweight and has everything I could want at this point. I've set up 2 clean channels (1 with phase, 1 with Chorus) and 2 OD channels as well as the Panel channel, so I never have to worry about taking along a pedal board at all...the GA/FC takes care of all that. Interestingly I have also never found the need put the Katana through the computer, either...and if I want a lot more to work with, I also have a Boss GT-1 to use as well. If these only came out in the late 70's when I started or early 80's..my back would be in much better condition than it is currently...lol. Great video as always, John....thanks!
A rig based on the Katana and expanded by additional amp models would be almost all I would ever need.
I might consider a toneX for that as I would like to have access to a wide variety of amp models beyond the classics. From Diezel to Naylor and Selmer or Dumble. Or low input of a JCM 800 for Siamese Dream type tones. A grail tone would be the Carsten Grace amp.
My Yamaha THR 30ii played through my Marshall AS50R makes me happy
If you're ever needing ideas for future videos, I would love to hear your take on quilter amps and their superblocks.
Playing for decades, lol 60s to not long ago. Boss Katana is all you "need".
I had ordered that amp. It came to me US Post. I was excited, I do like the sound of the amp. When I opened the box checked out the amp, several of the knobs had fallen off inside the box. That was totally unacceptable to me, so I sent it back, I don't want some cheaply built amp that is missing the knobs every time I move it. Also, I really think that an amp with all the things I already have in a pedal is a waste of money. When I buy an amp it needs 40-60W of speaker power and an efficient 12" speaker.
Four of my guitars playing friends are now Katana owners. Thier super light and versatile. I have and 70's Deluxe that sounds great but requires a lot of pedalboard to make the sounds the Katana does natively. The Dluxe outweighs he Katana by a significant amount and is somewhat delicate to frequently transport. If I was back gigging again, I'd probably switch too.
I'm a big fan of the Katana. I have a 50W Mark II. I have been able to get some good tones out of it using the computer interface software. My main mode of use is to develop my tones on HX stomp and feed the line level HX output to the power amp jack of the Katana. On the lowest wattage setting the tones are wonderful and volume levels are perfect for home use.
I have a katana artisan series and a Peavey Vypyr pro and I use the peavey more than the katana, although Boss is still top two or three when it comes to modeling. Also if you get yourself a helix rack unit or a line 6 pod HD Pro X new or used, along with some good studio monitors and studio headphones, you’re all set.
I have played hundreds of gigs with a Katana 100w. it is great and very reliable to play out with
Had the MK1 100 combo since they came out ( took a punt as knew Boss / Roland usually make reliable amps) now has hundreds of gigs behind it , I went through the usual preset thing ( not used the tone studio ) but ended up using as pedal platform ( literally , as velcro / pedals on top of amp as venues so small ) , Tube Screamer , Dimension chorus and that’s it , want extra delay ? just bend down and turn the knob , more reverb ? same thing , if pedals die , no problem , still easy to do whole gig with one. Output straight to PA on back so ready for festivals , bigger gigs . I read people telling tales of trying Katanas out in shops ( for about 50 seconds ) and finding them awful , so it’s horses for courses , but as it’s popular there will always be people that won’t like them .
Yeh for sure I think trying anything in a shop tends to be a pretty rubbish experience right? I've found it easier to dial in a few presets that are what I need with basically no compromise, which isn't something I have managed with a whole bunch of expensive tube amps...
I've been gigging Katanas for years. I currently own 4 and use the sneaky amps thing. With a TC Electronics Impulse IR loader, it sounds amazing.
I need to figure out the sneaky amps
16:04 - Listening on the Echo, the sounds resemble recorded parts. Given 95%+ of the audience are likely to be expecting that, perhaps it’s the way to go? Even if “It’s not the sexiest choice” 😂. Got a theatre gig in September and seriously thinking Katana for it as a result of your thoughts and tones - thanks for sharing, John.
Anyone who can’t get a decent tone from a Katana, usually can’t get a decent tone out of anything else either.
I've been gigging a Katana Artist mkii combo for a little over a year now, after years of using tube amps, or modelers into the FX returns of tube amps. I really don't feel like I'm missing much of anything in making that change, and my life has gotten quite a bit easier.
Are there things that my (admittedly fairly pedestrian) tube amps do better? Sure. Is it enough to overcome the many unique capabilities of the Katana, and the convenience factor? No. At least as far as gigging goes. Recording is another matter, but that's not what I bought the Katana for.
Full disclosure: For most of the time that I've had the Katana, I've been using it as a pedal platform (most frequently), or as a powered speaker for a modeler (just a few times). As time has gone on, though, I've started using the on-board tones more and more. I've actually found the low-to-mid gain tones to be the strength of the unit, so far... I've come to really enjoy the Clean (variation), so long as the gain is just under halfway, or higher. So flexible, and really good cleanup with the guitar volume. The higher gain tones have taken some more work (and global EQ and other tweaks), but I'm about 95% of the way there with the Brown channel. I'm just a tweak or two away, maybe, from using the on-board sounds primarily, and the sounds from my pedalboard secondarily. If I could do a gig with just the Katana, a tuner, and the footcontroller? I'd be one happy hack!
I’m hoping to have the best of both worlds - I have a HX Stomp on pre-order with Andertons (out of stock everywhere it seems!) which I’ll run into my Katana 100. Should be a good rig!
The Marshall Code has a similar platform with everything built in even a tuner! I have the 100 watt combo.
ive just started gigging this year really and ive been running a helix floor into a katana and i think it works quite nice. i thoroughly 10 band eq and compress all my gig presets and they sound pretty good on stage when the katanas miced up. ive recorded some killer tones with the katana without the helix as well great amp
Dave Simpson would say yes.
Exactly.
Dave would say yes to a wasp in a jam jar.
Never as a "main gig" rig, but I totally used a Mk1 100 with the pedal board for an all-in-one pickup gig rig... until it got bumped a couple of times and a knob or two broke off, not to mention you'd rub against it and there would be another bit of wood showing through the "tolex". To me it's a great sounding amp, perfect for jams and small gigs, it's just not very road durable. Maybe that is or should be the selling point for the Artist series.
As always, your playing sounds great. These tones sound good but the tones you get with your other line 6 and fractal gear are great.
Sounds decent. Didn’t know it all those outside models.
NICE FEEL AND TONE MAN.
Love my Kat Mk1 100 Combo. Year after year it sound always better
John. I’ve never played one but the other guitarist in my band uses the Katana 50 watt. He paid $100 US for it used. Sounds very good though the distorted tones are just okay. He’s not used the online stuff with it. My question is how reliable are they? On the the one hand who cares as they’re so inexpensive. On the other, if they fail you can’t repair them.
Fantastic tones
They come voiced quite fizzy however once you dial the parametric and or graphic post amp section in conjunction with the other eq and compression options.
I hardly ever gig with my tube amps anymore, the katana does the trick.
My complaint is still the lack of a stereo out and a dual stereo delay.
I guess I really don't get it yet with the modeling setups...so, in a live situation and between songs, you're navigating through menus on your laptop to get to the correct cabinet simulation for that next upcoming song on the set list? ("oh hold on, guys, I'm on the wrong tab or I can't seem to exit out of the FX menu"... This is just one of many scenarios I envision...and maybe I'm way off base with the usage in a live setting? thanks in advance..
I think you'll find most folks would be using one preset for the whole gig - say in your Helix or Fractal world, you have snapshots/scenes where you'd set up your clean/dirty/solo tones - much like in the real world where you wouldn't switch amps/cabs during a gig
I'm afraid it's a big yes. I'd love to hate these things, but yeah, I went with one 2 solid months and there was nothing I actually missed ( apart the tuner ) .
I do sit and look at all these pedals I've collected and sometimes think a bit on that. Pretty boxes for sure but I think it is time to be honest and scratch the word NEED off the blackboard. These will do the thing.
I retired my Mesa Boogie 5/50 express when I got my Katana Mk1 100. It’s perfectly adequate for what I need.
My tube amp lives on the back line at my church, as a pedal platform it can get one fantastic sound, but it is noisier, more fragile, and extremely heavy compared to my flyweight Katana. When I'm playing out, the tube amp is not even considered. My Katana was purchased used for $150 and no one has ever commented negatively on my (cheap) tone.
I own the 100 watts, and yes, it is enough, my back loves it
I just received a Powercab today and plan on doing an AB comparison to my Katana rig (Helix into Katana's Power Amp In) tomorrow. Depending on the results, the Powercab may be going back to the dealer. As far as I can tell from the manual on the Power Cab there doesn't seem to be much difference between the two with the exceptions of speakers and purchase price.
Update:
I should note that I have left the speaker cabs on in the Helix presets and set both amps to flat response.for the AB comparisons. I found that the new cab engine in Helix, specifically mic placement parameters, work like a super focused form of eq and adjustments made a huge difference.
I have to say that both the Powercab and the Katana rig (Power Amp In) sounded very good. However, I would have to say that the Katana rig edges out the Powercab on most presets in terms of tone and feel. I used presets from John and and Jason Sadites for this comparison. I think the difference in tone is the 12” Greenback Wazacraft speaker in the Katana. Boss did a great job voicing this speaker for the Katana. I have a couple of more comparisons to do before I decide if I will send the Powercab back.
Great video, was just wondering how you think this compares to the Artist model? Is the speaker change worth the increase in price?
I run a twin reverb patch into 2 mkii 100's for wet dry and/or stereo, an AW gearbox with a JHS clean boost at 15%
I just got a MK ii 50 with the footswitch for a song and a bird. All I want is the expression ed and AB footswitch to go with it and I am set. Sold my Revv D-20 and my Mesa has its cover on and taking a break.
Played in a band and our 2nd guitarist had a Katana. I would use a Friedman or Boogie and my tone was noticeably better.
So is the price 😮
I love mine, but if you’re playing out . Try a katana artist model or the 2x12 regular katana. Loud af, but very controllable . jmo 🖖🏻
I would be grateful for a reply as I have a few burning questions on this:
I have been playing for 20 years but not professionally. But I would consider myself fairly advanced and while I hate tooting my own horn - I have a good ear.
I own an old cube 60. Always loved how warm the cleans were and how much “wumpf” the amp gave in the low end if that makes sense.
Bought a katana 50 for a wedding gig and straight away I noticed how feeble it sounded. The sound had no body or warmth or low-end *wumpf* .
I upgraded to the 100 and it was much better, but still didn’t match the cube.
I noticed you played it through a cab. Was it for the whole video? Did you notice this same issue and is that why you play it through a cab?
I’m thinking of swapping the cones. Everything else in the katana is superior but the fundamental sound from the cone and that bottom end is just not there.
I use mine as a glorified speaker cab, and I put a jensen in it =). I think it's a good sounding box overall stock though. I use it as a helix power amp.