Boss Katana 100 MKII vs Fender Mustang GTX100 - Can You Hear a Difference?
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- Опубліковано 31 лип 2024
- This is part #1 of a series of videos comparing the Fender Mustang GXT 100 against the Boss Katana 100 MK2. This video is a tone-test for your ears. A blind test should take away any sense of which amplifier is which. This takes away brand bias towards one or the other.
Time Codes:
0:00 - About this Video
1:34 - Amplifier A Clean Tone (Mix)
2:48 - Amplifier B Clean Tone (Mix)
4:15 - Amplifier A Clean Isolated
5:05 - Amplifier B Clean Isolated
5:56 - Clean Tone Answer
6:33 - Amplifier A Drive Tones (Mix)
8:03 - Amplifier B Drive Tones (Mix)
9:45 - Amplifier A Drive Isolated
10:13 - Amplifier B Drive Isolated
10:48 - Drive Tone Answer & Final Thoughts
You can find these amplifiers online:
BOSS Katana MKII:
► Sweetwater (USA) - imp.i114863.net/rdmY3
► Thomann (Global) - bit.ly/2US8ahC
► Amazon UK - amzn.to/34hEJZu
► Amazon Canada - amzn.to/39U5Vys
Fender Mustang GTX:
►Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/FenderMustangGTX
►Thomann - bit.ly/2y6N6va
(affiliate links)
Just to let you know I paid over $500 AUD for the Boss Katana the day of shooting this video and the Fender Mustang GTX100 was sent out by Fender.
Everything tone is subjective. This series of videos will talk more in-depth about the strengths of each amplifier, their available options, value for money, and how they feel to play.
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►Patreon: / intheblues
►My Socials - linktr.ee/intheblues
►My Sweetwater Gear Page - imp.i114863.net/intheblues
►intheblues Merch - bit.ly/2KLR5CV
(Links to Sweetwater, Thomann, Amazon, B&H, Artist Guitars, and Walmart are affiliate links.
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#fender #bosskatana #fendermustang #intheblues
This UA-cam channel participates in Affiliate programs. These programs are designed in a way for the channel to earn an income by using the links provided in the description or pinned comment section. Please note: Not all links on this UA-cam channel are affiliate links.
Fender sends Shane an amp to evaluate. Then he goes out and buys with his own money, a competitors amp so that UA-cam viewers can hear the difference for free!!! Thanks Shane! :)
You're welcome mate. I appreciate the kind words. :)
@@intheblues that's the way to do it! :)
thanks shane
Well done Shane, Thanks!
Yes, this guy truly IS AWESOME! Probably one of my most favorite music related channels, and I'm a DJ, not a musician...lol
Thanks for watching! This video cost me over $500 AU to make so I hope you like it! 😳🤣
Edit: I forgot to mention. I used a dirty amp preset on the mustang and not a fender amp with a pedal. I’ll test that on a future video and we’ll see how it stacks up. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible for this first test while still spending time to dial them in. More videos to come and thanks for the kind words and feedback 🧡
You can find these amplifiers online:
BOSS Katana MKII:
► Sweetwater (USA) - imp.i114863.net/rdmY3
► Thomann (Global) - bit.ly/2US8ahC
► Amazon UK - amzn.to/34hEJZu
► Amazon Canada - amzn.to/39U5Vys
Fender Mustang GTX:
►Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/FenderMustangGTX
►Thomann - bit.ly/2y6N6va
(affiliate links)
intheblues thank you!
You will get all that money back in views ... keep sharing people !!!! 🤘🎸
Thanks Shane, look forward to more info/demos comparing these 2 amps; by the way, would you please consider doing a review on the new Vox Cambridge 50?
Hey Shane, do you know if that Boss clean tone was using the new MK2 Variation, or not?
Thank you for this comparison! I have the GTX100, and to me, the crunch stuff sounds almost AM radio-y/not as "upfront" or something compared to the Katana. I've felt that way in general on the drive presets. Do you think some more tweaking could fix that, or is it just a property of how the amp models sounds?
Didn't expect this so fast after the request - thanks. Great work!
That's what a review should be like! Honest, independent and unbiased! Thanks :)
Watching all the videos I can find to help me buy an amp. Your vids are really helping me out, I appreciate it.
Glad to see your subscriber count really climbing, you are consistently putting out the highest quality and enjoyable videos on guitar gear!
This was a great vid. I hope you get a billion views on this. Really high quality comparison, as opposed to some dude’s camera mic in a noisy garage...Both amps sound great. There are some differences, but damn. When you’ve got comments complaining that the clips are too long and you have to jump quickly from different points in the video to really tell the difference between them, that really tells you a lot. I don’t own either of these-I bought the smaller nextone which I use with a handful of those Danelectro Billionaire pedals you reviewed ages ago. Copied your settings for the gain channel and haven’t fiddled with it in ages. Love that thing. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to more comparisons of these two.
I owned the Boss Katana 100 and took it back. Bought the Fender GTX 100 and so happy I made this decision. There is absolutely no comparison when it comes to ease of operation and getting instant sounds from clean to crunch etc. Then there is the app and the GTX7 foot pedal with looper. Love the GTX! Both are great amps.
A year later ⏰. Any updated thoughts? Anything we should know about the GTX?
Yeah but what SOUNDS BETTER? Katana
Great comparison. Excellent job of explaining what you heard as you played through them and made adjustments. Thanks
Both amps sound great. Clean tone wise I liked the tones from the Fender a bit more and crunch wise the katana wins for me. Can’t go wrong with either I think. Great video and demos!
Loved it mate. Tanx heaps for taking the time, effort & sparing the dosh bub. Truly appreciate it.
Thanks for this video, really looking forward to the following videos on these amps. 👊🏻👍🏻
Great review, thanks! I plan to get one or the other of these amps tomorrow and I like them both, for somewhat different reasons. But both sound very good so from that very important aspect I can’t go wrong either way. I’m leaning a little bit more towards the Fender.
You are fast becoming my go to guy for honest reviews on these products. Keep up the good work and much respect
I appreciate that! Thanks :) Will do.
Thanks for the great comparison. AB tests is really the best method as it takes the personal bias out. I actually preferred by a huge margin the Fender in this comparision while I was expecting the opposite.
Great video Shane! I just got a Katana 100 and I’m loving it so far.
Thanks Shane for doing this video! I can see you really dig the sound!! (And so do I!) Hope you will post some of your presets for the new Katana MkII. You really make it rock!! I picked out the Katana both times, and prefer it. The Fender does sound darn good clean with a "big" and "wide" sound. I'm looking forward to more comparisons.
I recently bought the Boss Katana 100 Mk2, I’m impressed with it so far but I haven’t had much chance to dig deep into it yet. Keep up the good work Shane and hi from England.
They are both very solid amps, and I found myself liking each for very different reasons. The Fender seems the more versatile of the two out of the gate, yet thus far the Katana is the more likely of the two to actually gig with. Looking forward to the two going head to head live. I would love to be wrong on my limited assessment. Thanks for investing in this Shane
Shane for the WIN - thank you, i shared your video in the Fender Play Group where we have a long thread on this!
Nicely done. Both sound great, but my preference in the end (not by a lot) is the Katana. Thanks, Shane!
good one Shane, can't wait for the live test
Super honest opinion, i wanted to love the clean fender and i chose the Katana blindly, fuller sound and distortion same thing, katana wins, and i sold my katana to buy my helix, super impressed by your katana presets, awesome. Wanted to really love the fender but i have to give this to KAtana
I sold my Kemper to buy the Katana 50 mkII 😁 I think it's a great little amp..
Yup, same here! I recently got a Katana MKII head and I plug it in my Marshall 1960A 4x12 and it sounds amazing. For me it was a cheap "temporary" replacement for my tube "red knobs" Fender Twin which I've played for years and needs to go to the shop. I think I'll keep the Katana as it's far more versatile. The clean doesn't have quite the same life and "torque" as the Twin (those red knobs Twins' clean tone is incredible) but it's close enough to not matter. The dirt channels and especially the Brown amp convinced me. The Twin is a great pedal platform (the dirt channel on it was never my thing) but the Katana's dirt channels all feel and sound better than even my JHS "The AT" distortion which I absolutely love and made my Twin sound like a Marshall.
Shane dialed the Katana great and this is one of the best sounding demos of it I heard. Depending on the speakers it can be a bit harsh in the high end but nothing a little EQ cannot fix... quickly. No tweaking for days here. The Fender's crunch sounded dull in comparison from here. The Katana has the Marshall mids that cut through a mix. And the 100w head just roars through a 4x12 with chewy low end thump, definition and character. The other best sounding Katana demos I heard were the head through speakers other than the official Boss ones. But no problems for me here. It sounded killer.
Thanks Shane!
That’s just it, they’re not ‘presets’, the trick is to crank the Master up and use the Gain and Volume controls to tune your sound. Katanas only work if you treat them like a normal amp.
Same!!
Katana Artist user here, however, I don’t use any of the stock amp sounds. I use two of the sneaky amps - Clean BR Twin and the MS1959 I+2 (a modded Plexi tone). The clean tones I get with the Twin model are much better, IMO, than the stock clean tone which is based on a Roland JC120. Similarly, the Marshall Plexi model has a better sound to my ears for crunchier tones than any of the stock preset amps.
But I’ve also been using an Origin Effects Revival Drive lately and just using the Katana for effects. I keep reading people saying the Katana’s are great with pedals. I’ve tried many and have not had that experience. They usually suck, in fact. But the Revival Drive has killed it - even tops the amp’s tones.
But this is an awesome video, Shane, and I think you did a great job not only in the comparison itself but also with your preset sounds - well done, mate!
Fantastic video. Very high quality. I appreciate & enjoy all your content
I’m still pleased with my Katana buy... whew! Awesome job Shane! Thank you sir.
Thanks Shane for grabbing this amp! This was an awesome comparison. It was a very well done A and B test.
The results totally surprised me. Was to think that one would of been a clear winner. In the end I’m just glad that both companies have great options for the home user.
Well said and thanks for the compliments!
You’re the best reviewer online. And a heck if a guitarist. Cheers
Been waiting for a comparison like this
I immediately identified that Katana crunch tone, so good. That Fender’s cleans were incredible though. As usual, if you like Fender cleans, get a Fender! Awesome demo, as always, thanks for being so committed to this, Shane!
Shane, EXCELLENT video dude, with your talents and abilities you could be a factory rep for any of the major companies and make a good living! But now you are your own boss, and don't have to lie! You are doing a gr8 job being you! Thank you for doing what you do. Again gr8 video. And I love my Katana MKII 100-WATT exactly like yours, best amp I've ever had!
Love your videos my brother! Keep up the great work👍🏻👍🏻
Thanx for posting , Great work , great playing .
Thanks for this review Shane!
Great job Shane. I enjoyed this
Thanks Shane for your continued research and comparison videos. I’m still rocking my Mustang III v2 which I originally bought based off your recommendations and Mustang Monday series!
Those amps rock mate! I can’t wait to try that versus the new GTX 😊
Still using the Mustang III v2.2 here too. How do you think it stands up to the new Boss MK2 Artist 100w? Worth the buy or not worth it quite yet?
Thanks for the video brother. Excellent demo.
cool tones as always ...luv'd the Fender Cleans and the Katana Drive ...so both for me !
Thanks for the Video Shane!
Great comparison video Shane.
I agree with your comments.
The cleans and rhythm tones sounded better with the Mustang and lead tones were better with the Katana. A little deeper editing would probably make a big difference with the Mustang for a better lead tone. Still love the sound and feel of my Roland Blues Cube Hot in comparison to both of those amps. Thanks for this video.
I'm rewatching this... I've put the GTX on my wish list and so am looking at this again. Thanks.
Arrggh! Watching a 3rd time because I'm really trying to close in on a decision. The previous time I listened on headphones, this time through a decent speaker system. Different results. Shows how many variables there are. Pretty sure it's the Fender for me.
Excellent video as usual Shane, I will check another related one by you soon, great channel by the way....!
I'm looking forward to these videos Shane. It'll be interesting to see what you manage to get out of the GTX. I like the concept of the GTX but ultimately, it comes down to how it sounds. I have both a Mustang GT and a Katana. I tend to use the Katana live (back when we could!) but the Mustang GT has definitely improved with each firmware update. I could be persuaded to upgrade, I really like the weight of the Fender (bad back) but I'm in no hurry.
As always, I like a lot your videos.
Thanks again Shane great job!
BTW, Thank you for a great comparison!!! Helped me decide on the GTX over the Katana.
I was correct on both tests as to which amp was A or B. I preferred the sound of the Katana on both tests. Nice demos! Thanks Shane!
Thanks Shane, you made me "need" both of them :D
Nice video comparisons! I like the sound of the boss katana amp.
I've never met a Katana I didn't like!...And I've had all of them except the head. Everytime I see one of these comparison videos I feel compeled to watch it, to see if something has come along to break the spell!...And I'm glad to say that it has not happened yet!! I run a Line 6 HX Stomp into mine now and it's perfect! But as a stand alone amp it's got to be the best "Bang for your buck" amp in the last 50 years. Nice video (Again) Shane.
Conclusion: I’ll take the Katana with the Fender App! 😂😉👍
That’s what I’m saying! If Boss ever adds a Bluetooth capable app, it’s over!
I agree wholeheartedly, and I have and love the gtx100 😂
Thanks for the video, I like em both!
Great vid Shane
Thanks, Chris!
The one that sounds best is the one you think sounds best. People have different tastes on every issue imaginal. Thanks Shane.
Thank you Shane, i liked the Katana better. Appreciated the test
I could tell the Fender both times! It came across brighter. But I too, would like to try them both myself!!!
I mean, they both sound good, l hear certain notes that stand out from both!!!
Thanks man👍👍👍!!! Close call!!
Totally agree with you - they both sound good clean, but the Katana wins with gain. Thanks for doing this comparison!
I guessed right each time. I prefer the clean sound from the Fender and the lead sound from the Katana. The price is really close, the Fender as a pedal included so if you're interested to have a pedal on the Katana it will cost $90 extra so it will fall on the same price. In both cases, I think we cannot go wrong. What I prefer on the Fender is the much more user-friendly interface .
Love my Katana 100 MkII, but the Fender clean tone sounded better to me. Give me the Katana crunch!!!!
A really good video, thank you. I am amp shopping and my mind is not yet made up but this has helped.
Great work Shane! Really felt like the Katana MkII came out on top. Not that the Fender wasn't good just seemed like overall the edge goes to the Katana. If you factor in how strong Boss is doing in this space seems like the safer bet for most beginners to even working musicians to lean towards the Katana. But just my opinion. Keep up the awesome vids man!
The clean tones go to the Fender and the crunch goes to the Katana with the settings you used. You really can’t go wrong with either amp from what I’m hearing though. I would like to hear a comparison between these two amps plus the Nextone using pedals 🙏🏾🙏🏾. Thanks Shane!!🎸🎸🎸🎸👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
Well, I have to say both my picks for muffled sounds was the Fender. Thanks for doing this.
GREAT !!!!!!! I love the Fender clean....but... I love the distorted tones of the Katana.
I am currently in the market for an amp somewhere in the $500-700 (U.S.) range. After a ton of research and even more opinions, I have really taken a hard look at the 20 and 40 watt tube amps in the DSL line from Marshall (and thank you for your reviews and your answer to a live comment recently), but still want to hear a good deep review on the 2 100 watt modeling amps I think might fit the bill. Thanks again, I really like your thought process and so far it's close but the Boss sounds really good and seems so much easier to dial that tone in. Really looking forward to your live gig reviews.
Great job Shane!
Thank you!
Looper, foot pedal, Bluetooth and WiFi make the Mustang ideal for me. Hoping I can dial in some of the crunchy sounds over time.
I agree 100%! Phones are the new PC's. It's 2020. These companies need to get with the times. Fender wins for me. I do like how you can chain 2 katana amps together for stereo though.
But is there a way to get a real pedal (for wah oder volume) connected to it?
I ended up going with a Pod Go for versatility. Need to figure out a WiFi solution...
@@JoJo-kq7mw yeah just use the effects loop
@@JoJo-kq7mw . Yes, use the effects loop.
Boss have always made top quality equipment,their consistency is amazing.the katana for mine .well done,thanks.
Got both right. To me the boss in clean mode sounded like it still had a touch of gain on it and the dirty mode the tone on the fender was more ‘transparent’ again. Makes me consider selling my m3v2 ! Love my
Mustang mini though .. wish they would bring back a small battery powered mustang! Thanks Shane!
Thank you so much. This was the video I was really craving for.
I felt I liked the clean tone on Katana just a little bit better than Mustang, and the crunch maybe just a bit more on Mustang. Very hard to tell.
If it was only for tone, I would likely go with Katana, but when it comes to all things together, including the bluetooth capability, the app, the tone cloud, etc I have to choose Mustang. I wish Katana had come out of its shell and made something with Mustang's technological capabilities, that would be the ultimate winner. I'm sure they will do these things on their next generation, but by then I will be laying in grave!
Hey Shane! Thanks for doing this video, Im a beginner at guitar and looking to purchase one of these amps. I really like them both lol!!
Thsnks, Shane. Appreciate ya!
I went back and forth from 4:17 to 5:08 and there you can really hear the difference in clean tone.
Katana all the way, I'm picking up one myself. Thanks for the video
The looper is enough to make me prefer the Mustang.
But the Katana has FX loop...for me that is a huge + :)
Pill Oni the gtx100 has stereo fx loops and stereo xlr outs. Not saying the I prefer it’s tones but just making sure you know the options. 🤘
I preferred the Fender both times. Looking at a few of my ITB colleagues, I’m in the minority! The high end of the Katana bothered my - unusual as I mostly relish the ‘air’ that comes with more open upper frequencies. Thanks for your effort in putting this vid together.
Cass I'm with you in choosing the fender. Both really sound great and will get the job done.
They both sound really cool. I might opt to get the Fender because of the on-screen controls being available directly on top of the amp.
When I had the Katana 100 (first gen) I really hated connecting the USB cable to my computer.
That was my primary objection to the katana when I owned one as well. It was really hard to determine on what preset/settings you were on.
klextacy those that you had set up when you pressed “save” 🤷🏻♂️ 😆
I really don’t like the red orange green lights on the Katana to pick a tone mod or effect. I tried the Fender Tone 3 app on an iPad and that interface is just a dream. However the crunch tone of the Katana here was better.
@@AZ-FPV if you like the iPad app approach there are 3rd party apps for the boss (eg katana librarian) that will give you that kind of display.
On the vid in general, they're so close it would be hard to be disappointed with either. Whatever slight preference you had could probably be dialled into the other by digging under the covers into the apps/software etc.
@@PaulCooksStuff YOU DON'T SAY !!! I have to check that Katana Librarian .. Thank you so much for the info Paul - and i even have a Katana amp to try it on - thank you :) !!!
Thanks for the video! I prefer the Fender cleans and Katana dirties... I also prefer the Katana cleans than the Fender dirties. I am looking forward to your future comparisons! I'd recommend you to split the tracks into more shorter passages for a better comparison... anything more than 10s removes objectivity because your ear just gets used to the sound
I also liked the clean on the Fender and Crunch on the Boss. Need another test.
Thanks for the comparison, I belive is quite easier to set the Fender for a home practice beginner purpose, although the all around capabilities of the Boss seems bigger. Is good to know finnally Fender came out with some good stuff in the accesible range price.
Well so far I am happy with my Katana MkII head ,my opinion has been that my single coil guitars sound best through the Katana and my Humbucker guitars sound best through my Blues Cube Hot. Great demo as always mate ! 😎🎸
Great video. I picked up a GTX50 with foot switch and a Katana 100 mk2 both for cheap. I figured I would choose the one I liked and sell the other. In my opinion they both sound fantastic. I like the Fender better because the amp models sound really good and there isn’t much you need to do to them. Add some effects to achieve a specific sound and have fun. I like having the general sound of the amp already there and adding OD, distortion, reverb, delay, etc. Simple and fun. The Katana sounds awesome. I have never owned any tube amps in order to know how to dial in the Katana to get a Vox, Fender, or Marshall, etc. sound. To me, the two amps aren’t comparable in the sense that one is a modeling amp and the other isn’t. The Katana is it’s own sound and what you make of it. I am going to keep them both. They are both that good.
Katana for both. They sound fantastic for a SS amp. Nice demo Shane.
I still using katana head mark I and will not change it. I almost never use others amps that i owned. Thanks for video.
They both sound good. Katana may have the edge on the crunch / lead tones. I love the included footswitch with the Fender and the built in looper is ace. Boss needs a katana foot pedal, it should come with the amp and include a looper.
Thank you so much for doing this comparison.
Cool beans Shane! I got both the clean and crunch correct. The two amps are similar but the Fender is WAY "squishier" and the Kat is VERY "present/3D/punchy". Maybe the GTX for soft-rock and jazz and the Kat for hard-rock and blues?
Agree with that. I have a GTX is extremely versatile but can be tricky dialing in for hard rock especially if you change guitars. I'm finding I need different presets for each guitar at that end and haven't quite got it yet
Hi Shane :-)
What can I say except - Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you......:-)
Of course, can't wait to other videos, but your review/test make my decision far easier:-)
I'm surprised how Fender sounds better then before, but Boss IMHO is better - of course, my personal opinion and preferences:-)
What I don't like by Boss is lack of footswitch, you have to buy extra for 95€ (I'm from Germany, Thomann price) with delivery (in moment) 6-8 weeks....Jesus.....
Once again, thanks Shane, I really appreciate your effort, time and money you spend for this video(s) :-)
Cheers mate:-)
First, let me say that you did a great job! I think it was a very fair comparison. I liked the Fender best for the clean tone and the Katana best for the drive tone. The Katana clean tone didn't seem as defined or as clear as the Fender. And the Fender drive tone seemed a little wimpy compared to the Katana. But as you pointed out, this could be tweaked in each amp to better match up. I play country, rock, blues and jazz and I am a hard core Fender fan. But I think I'd go with the Katana on this comparison. I see several others had the same opinion.
Cool vid!
Thanks for going to the trouble of buying one mate. Im looking for something more portable than my 65 twin, and the mustang is winning. Liked and subbed for your trouble.
I own the Boss Katana mk1 100 watt head and I love it. The little speaker that it comes with is perfect for bedroom volume. I can honestly say these Boss amps are no joke for the price.
Great video, as always! Would love to hear the GTX100 compared to the Mustang III v2, please!
Would also like to hear this. Thinking about trading in my mustang bc it would be nice having the looper pedal built in.
Thanks for this vid Shane!
I have a GT200, so was interested to see how this GTX stood up.. I liked the Clean on the fender and the dirty on the boss, but as you say, with a bit of button pressing - can change things up a lot!
I love to hear a GT & GTX Side by side... do you have one laying around?? ;)
Thanks for the comparison, I am torn between these two amps. The katana has developed a great reputation for itself. Fender has recently fallen behind against the Katana especially when it came with its crunch or brown sounds against katana, sounding more muffled. So, I am looking forward to that more Video on this. I currently own a fender mutang1 v2 and am looking to upgrade. I like the GTX Bluetooth interface, nerd that I am, but don't want to sacrifice tone for it.
Another outstanding video Shane. I loved the lead sound of the Katana, but, the fender not too bad on the clean channel.. Not much in it though. :)
T.
The Katana definitely won this test. Thanks for the video Shane!
I think the boss katana sounded better hands down across the board. I wasn't expecting it to sound more glassy then the fender. Great video! You were ripping the solo parts!
After having had a Katana Artist, and not being overly impressed and selling it (I think for straight up best classic rock/hard rock/80's metal tones, ignoring overall flexibility, fx, etc., even my Bandits are superior, and against my tubes amps it isn't even a contest), I was really hoping I had picked the Fender. But nope, both times I thought the Katana sounded better here. Nice job as always!
Nice video.
Thanks for what I think is a very fair review. The GTX sounds better to this newbie on the cleans. Leaning towards it. Not having to purchase a pedal separately is nice.