Can a Boss Katana Beat a Tube Amp like a Mesa Boogie?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 9 лют 2023
- For my Presets visit: johnnathancordy.gumroad.com/
For TrueFire courses and All Access Memberships: prf.hn/click/camref:1100lqzr3
Use the code JNC40 for a 40% discount.
For my Presets visit: johnnathancordy.gumroad.com/
The Boss Katana - it has been the best selling amp for many years - I wanted to compare some tones with a Mesa Boogie Mark 3 and see if it could compete....And then ask the question - if the Katana is so good (and I think it really probably is better than a lot of other amps) - how come we don't see artists using them?
/ johnnathancordy get my backing tracks here
www.buymeacoffee.com/johnnath... - if you like what I do and
only if you wanted, you could buy me a coffee!
Get my PADs bundle here: www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr... (this folder will grow, and I'd encourage you to ask for different keys/songs and stuff that might suit this type of preset?)
I've decided to make it possible to grab both my Helix/HX Stomp bundles (the expression bundle with freeze presets has always been separate) - www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr... - I will then email you a link to both bundles!
Try my general patches for Helix or HX Stomp in this bundle using this link - I will then send out the patches! www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
You can get my EXPRESSION patches in this bundle using this link - I will then send out the patches! www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
Try my patches for Pod GO using this link - I will then send out the patches! www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
/ johnnathancordy get my backing tracks here
www.buymeacoffee.com/johnnath... - if you like what I do and
only if you wanted, you could buy me a coffee!
I have to add: though your videos are interesting on many levels, the main reason I keep listening is your beautifully conceived and executed musical phrasing in your playing. The reason I love it so much is that before I heard you play it , I heard sounds like that in my head for a long time. I haven't been able to channel this into my playing, nor have I heard anybody else (hardly) that does it well, so it's kind of combination of discovery and recognition that I hear in what you play. I absolutely love it!
Another great comparison, with superb playing. I used to have a Mesa Boogie Triple Crown combo, and then bought a Katana 50 Mkii combo and was blown away, I promptly sold both, and upgraded to a Katana Artist Mkii combo with more facilities and a better speaker. I don't miss anything about the Boogie at all. However, once you delve into the depths of the software it's easy to lose sight of actual playing when tempted to keep trying to create "better" sounds.
I believe the katana is one of the best amps for the money. I bought it as an intro to effects. Within a year I had a full pedalboard and was just running it clean. Still loved it. And like Beebs said, the acoustic capability is handy. Being able to maintain clarity at low volumes is also VERY handy. As always magnificent playing!
Actually, a Katana MKII 100w 1-12 has retired my Mesa MKV. What sounds good or bad, right or wrong can be highly subjective. My Katana sounds great on it's own merit, and doesn't need to prove itself against a boutique amp. The build quality of the Mesa is tough to top. On the other hand, I can't haul 75 lb. amps around any more, and the Katana is much more versatile in my experience. The one thing I don't like on the Katana is the delay times are in MS rather than BPM. How do you tap tempo a dotted 8th in MS? If you use the tap switch in tempo, you're changing MS values, not BPM. So I still have to use my trusty TC Nova Delay in the effects loop. Playing since 1966.
🤔 1000ms is 1 second.
60 secs in a minute=bpm
500=1/2 second
250ms= 1/4 sec
125= 1/8
62.5 is 1 16th
17 ms is barely discernable to the human eye. Let alone hearing I believe playing a game at native 4k is 21ms or under
Light weight means everything especially when you get up in age. I use a portable wheeled trolley to move the Mesa around but to pick it up and put it in the car, oh my.. My only concern with solid state amps is when they break, there is no way to cheaply repair, its always a throw away and re-buy. That is ok as long as the price is low. So buying a 100 W Katana for me is not desirable.
I mean...delay is kind of an afterthought. There are delay pedals out there that cost more than the amp.
@@niteriderband4713 At around $300-400, it would be cheaper to replace a broken Katana with a new one than even a retube on many amps, much less a repair!
I could tell in 10 seconds Amp A is the Katana. You can tell because of the lack of dynamics.
I bought one and sold it after a couple months. It lacks in the very top high end and the low bottom. It's hard to explain but when compared to a tube amp in the room the difference is noticeable. It also does not feel like a tube amp to play. I recorded a song direct to my interface using the 1/4" out with the stock IR and it sounded weird. I ended up re-recording all those parts with another amp. It's a dang good amp for the money but it's just not the same as a tube amp.
Thanks John another outstanding vid, beautiful playing! As someone who played only tube amps for fifty years, and just recently started exploring modelers and digital amps I can say there are definitely differences, but they get smaller year by year!
For an old guy who can't lug around a Marshal stack or a young musician that can't afford a boutique tube amp, the digital stuff is amazing! Like someone else commented, just the fact that so many are comparing the digital amps/modelers to the tube amps is telling! The weight, price, maintenance and sound makes the digital stuff a great value! Thanks again John!
Love that you’re doing some Katana vids. I’ve been gigging an Artist combo for about a year now. I’ve mostly been using it as a pedal platform, but with “preamp”-style pedals (BE-OD and Vox Mystic Edge)… for that application, I actually prefer the acoustic channel. It’s really just a flat-ish preamp, so it lets the preamp pedals do their thing without much color from the amp’s preamp, other than anything you might do with the amp EQ (pretty useful).
Lately, though, I’ve been working on getting some gig-worthy patches from the Katana on its own. I’ve found a few that I really enjoy, and I’m starting to work them into my gig sounds. My faves are the Brown (variation) with the Mid-Boost from the booster section for leads, and the Clean (variation) with or without boosts for nearly everything else. Those have translated best, at gig volume, for me.
Thus far, it’s more flexible, durable, consistent, and far easier to replace than my tube amps… and it’s most of the way there, tonally. It doesn’t have that weird, “plastic-y” feeling that I’ve experienced with loud solid-state amps… It feels natural, to me. The one thing I’m still working on, though, is getting it to “poke out” better at gig volume. I feel like I need to have my overall volume a bit higher than I’m used to, to get to my desired “spot” in the mix. I’m still getting used to the high end from the amp, and I think that is where the answer lies. I haven’t yet dived into the global EQs in the app, so I need to get to work on that.
My $0.02… this is absolutely a gig-worthy beast (so, so loud if it needs to be). It’s not perfect, but it’s close enough for me to the extent that its flexibility/capability more than make up for its shortcomings. My tube amps are mostly sitting at home, for the moment.
Funnily enough, Kirk Hammett used a Boss Katana on Blackened 2020 instead of his usual Mesa Boogie. Sounded just as good to my ears. Great video🎸
The gear snobs will come out and say they heard the smallest difference inflection and feel from the recording, and that Kirk should've stayed with the Mesa Boogie lol
you mean they paid him to use that amp in the video to sell them when he actually uses a vintage Marshall for most of his recording.
Great video on the Katana, they are getting a lot of attention lately. BTW I listen to the Studio Rats all the time, someone mentioned your name on the live chat to Paul, of course they were flattered and also fans of your work. Would be amazing to see you drop in some Wednesday to their YT live show at 8pm on Wednesday UK time.
That would be fab if you did appear on the studio rat live show on a Wed evening for 5 to 10mins tops 👍
I have a Katana Artist MkII and it has proven to be exactly what I needed. It has a huge array of available built in sounds which take a while to investigate and get used to to find what you need. For me and my gigs I cannot see the point in downloading any of the available sounds. I find the reduced weight of the Katana fantastic. My other 2X12 combo's are extremely heavy. One of the Great things about the Katana is it so easy to use at home or in the studio as you can still get the tones at a very reduced level. The reason I have the Artist is for the front facing controls for ease of access. It will also work well with pedals that I have tried but they are not needed for me other than the occasional compressor. I love the optional foot pedal that enables me to set up a number of different sounds and turn on and off the effects. However I do need my feet to stand on not to dance around pedals!!! My other amps are a Fender Twin, Fender Bassbreaker 45 and Vox AC30, now hardly used.
I have 2 Katana Artist Mk2 amps and have gigged them live and they work fine HOWEVER… I have gone back to a BlackStar Club 40 valve combo because the feel and and drive is definitely different which I find more pleasing. The 40 headroom is fine for stage as is the Katana which has massive volume and take heads off. I just like the smoothness of the valve drive and it takes my pedals beautifully. Thanks for your great videos John,
I have been using the Katana MK2 Artist 100 head through a Marshall Cab for a month now. I can honestly say and so can all the guys in our band that the Katana Artist stands up to just about anything I've used before, that includes the EVH 100-watt 6L6 head. Were a bunch of OG's so this isn't coming from kids playing in their first band.
The Katana stock is very clear with lots of definition at the high end. I think what people miss is the "warmth" of the Mesa, for example, where there is less definition at the highs. A different speaker suits some people's taste better, from what I've read about it. Love my 100W Katana, very versatile for this non-pro.
I gave up making my Katana 100 into the other names out there. I dialed in tones I liked and used those and have never been happier. It’s not a Mesa, Fender, Marshall or Vox, it’s me on a Katana and I really love what it does.
I am mega impressed with the string to string definition of the Katana, been looking into buying one for about a year, I'm all in at this point!! I'm 66 and been playing tube amps my entire life, nuff said! Btw, love your playing.
I was sure A was the valve amp!!! Is sounded so natural and smooth. Amp B was fizzy at the top but still great. I'm a Marshall guy so maybe thats why I liked A but wow I'm already buying a Katana!
Same I said “A is definitely the tube amp”…..that’s crazy but I’m not surprised as a Helix user myself
Me too!
Me too 😮
Excellent playing John
Thanks for making this video. I have similar beasts.
Yes, I agree about capturing the actual sound. My Mesa has a focus about 10 ft away. Sure, it fills a room and both supports and cuts through a mix, depending on what it required.
I so love it! It's got so many options.
My Katana Head is even more versatile, especially for gigs where I'm predominantly playing in the background.
It takes pedals so brilliantly well in addition to all the connection capability, which is so, so very good.
It's even easier with the optional GA-FC. You don't need to take pedals which is great if you're on and off stage reasonably quickly, it's so efficient.
I’ve been a Katana Mk2 50 user since it came out. My take: if you try in a band setting you need to dial the mids WAY back to get the same tones you hear at home. But I guess that’s the same for a lot of valve-like amps that aren’t actually valve. At home, the sound this thing produces is perfect. I couldn’t ask for anything better. I’m going to add a 2x12 100w Katana or the Artist head to my arsenal and incorporate the GA-FC EX foot switch. Really excited for that.
great vid! the katana held its own to my ear.mesa sounded a bit fuzzy on the low end notes.great tones again sir.impressive that katana!cheers
I have to say, in every instance, the Katana sounded tighter and less flabby. I thought it was the M/B. If all I had to go on was these demos, I'd pick the Katana. Very impressive.
That's amazing tone out of both amps. hey, i like your playing too. I also would have cut a little bass out of the Mesa and ended up with the Katana tone. i used a Vht 12/20 RT (6L6) with Rob Robrobinette mods, a few pedals, and a 4x12 cab to achieve my tones. For gigging i used a pedal board and DI into the mixer. Obtained my Boss Katana 100 mrkii about 6 months ago and found that, over time, I could get ALL of my tones out of the Katana. I even added 2 new tones, Jeff Beck and Gary Moore (still got the blues). So now I use the Katana and the rest is collecting dust. I've found too that you have to adjust your tone to match the venue anyway, and the Katana makes that an easy task. Thank you so much for your videos. Excellent job!!!
This is encouraging. I’m looking at getting a Katana.
Also, awesome to shout out The Studio Rats. Great channel
Beautiful playing - subbed on that basis alone!
I moved to using Katana’s live and in the studio once I purchased the mk1 100. I have since got hold of an Artist mk2. This I love and play it all the time. I have used it as a pedal platform as well as having multiple patches setup inside it. For live use I recommend that you use GAFC controller so you can switch between patches, turn effects on and off etc. overall a great sounding amp that is more versatile than any other amp I have or have had.
Incidentally I figured that A was the Katana in the intro comparison as I recognised the sound. I did also like the Mesa sound but way too expensive for my needs.
Great video BTW
Excellent video, thank you. I have a Mesa F-50 and a Boss Katana 100w. Your observations are accurate, by my experience. I did add a back to the Katana to close it and that's added some punch. I really like the Katana, it does take some tweaking in Tonestudio and the boosters and I'm very happy with it. I also will use an A/B switcher and run them both when I can and the combination is great. I find running it loud, attenuated at 100w sounds best to my ear.
I'm not a fan of all the little lights and knobs and multi functions but the Katana does a lot with it and the end result makes it worth it. At 22 pounds and with the GAFC and an expression pedal, it's a great amp and a great value.
I moved on to hx stomp with pedals for convenience, but before all that I had my mk 1 katana 100. love it and still use it to this day at home. absolutely can't go wrong with picking up one of those amps.
I have a decent tube amp (Fender Bassbreaker 30r), which I'm more than happy with, however I couldn't resist purchasing a Katana as a practice amp. Turns out I'm gonna be using the Katana for certain occasions live
I was able to match my EVH 50W sound perfectly sound and feel wise with a Katana. It did require a bit of a deep dive, the use of an additional gate pedal in front of the amp, and subtle use of the built in gate due to dirty power here in Asia.
Love the little beast! I roll back the volume to clean up and change volume as I go for gain needed.
Contrary to what maybe common sense with the amp. I use the crunch channel. This gives me all the detail. I put the internal Tube Screamer in the chain before the gain stage( Just like a normal amp getting hit from the front end ). The gain presets seemed to compress to much especially as you turn up. You will loose definition and fight to cut through with them. Use you ears and experiment.
I bought the Katana 1 year ago and I absolutely love it. The sounds it brings are beautiful, both clean and lead sounds. The effects are infinite and with the computer app you can access millions of effects of excellent quality. Currently I use it as the best pedal platform I ever dreamed of: JHS morning glory - JHS AT - Katana with delays and reverbs configured as used by Andy Timmons. I have never been happier with my tone!.
That JHS AT is a great pedal.
It is.@@matthewearl9824
I brought the katana mk2 head and use it with a Marshall 2x12 cab. It is my first and only amp I have ever played. For the price it’s perfect as a beginner amp I have no regrets getting one. I have some really great tones some of which I downloaded and tweaked others I made myself. I would love to try a tube amp though next on my list. You play amazing btw!
That is the most honest and fair comparison so far.
Could watch u play all day dude. So nice as well as being so incredibly sick. Freakin phenomenal. U should cut an Album. I’d buy it right now.
I used the mk 11 head through a mesa 2x12 halfback live for a year after I got tired of being told to turn down my jcm 2000. After the katakana I used a evh 5150 stealth 50w, and then an SLO-30.
In all honesty the katakana head gave me the best live tone, and experience out of all of them. As well as the best live tone I recorded from that band.
I am now on my 4th version because I keep selling/ trading them, and regretting it. Gear math is hard....
I really enjoy your videos, tks for sharing
WOW! I was fooled...I also thought A was the real thing (probably because I preferred its sound!). B had that wooly/buzzy sound on lower strings which I always associate with digital emulation (plugin or hardware).
After two hernia operations, I stopped using my Rivera Hundred Duo Twelve 100 and bought a Katana 100. Very pleased with it. I use it live for every job. It has plenty of volume. I boosted the effects send to 75% and it has enough power to use the amp on .5 watts.
Been gigging a Katana 50 for just over four years now, latterly with a Stomp XL into the front. I would never go back to the weight, hassle and expense of a valve unit. The fact so many channels are doing serious comparisons with expensive valve combo’s just shows how Boss have changed the scene so completely. The gear that high profile players use live is often a contractual/financial arrangement so doesn’t necessarily imply any honest preference.
Best wishes to all
Oh interesting, we didn't talk about this. But yea, the crunch channel was my fav for amp overdrive, and yea that boosted is a pretty decent full tone. The lead and brown channels whilst good tonally felt a little bit more aenemic. Clean and crunch though have more of that low end the mesa has perhaps.
I will certainly have to revisit this amp now. I bought the first edition of it when it came out and didn’t keep it because of the two things that should have been on it from the get-go (line out and footswitch capability). I didn’t want or need the 100 watt version.
Both do their things right. And the Katana is simply stunning! Via Contour you get basically 4 different Amps (including Off), you can add EQ's on In's and Out's or the whole Amp, you have different recording Options (incl. USB) and they sound damn close to the mic'd up Amp (done some comparisions - personally prefering the Live Air feel + Stock Custom Settings) and at least the Artist Series (which i own) has a very decent Speaker built in. Not to mention the Power Amp which goes from 0.5W to 50W to full 100W - and this damn thing is LOOOOUUUD! The Mesa on the other hand is a legendary tube Amp. But for the Money and possibilities i will always go with the Katana!
It would be cool if you or someone could elaborate on the Contour control and what exactly it does. I'm pretty savvy with dialing my Kat Artist via the Tone Studio but still can't really figure out the Contour piece. Thanks.
@@mkrj2576 I don't understand? You only need to turn the Contour Knob and you can hear what it does. For example: Cab Resonance on Vintage and Contour on III you get a decent "Vintage" Charakter out of the Katana, whereas Cab Resonance on Deep and Contour on I or Off you get the opposite - very modern. Its kinda like having several different Amps (Charakter) in 1 Unit!
Yeah, I can hear the difference in cab residence. But the contour, not so much. If I recall correctly, there are adjustments that can be made on it in the tone studio……. Ok, finally clicked. I get it now.
Ive been gigging with a katana 50 mkll for several years and have gotten through without any hassles...ive even gotten compliments about the nice tone...im now using a headrush frfr108 with it and people cant believe the sound i get...mean while i dont carry large cabs to sound super at any size gig.
Recorded, the difference is unnoticeable. Using modelers/digital amps live however, to me feels differentfrom tubes (for the player - certainly not for the audience). I used to play live with a Kemper, and it just could keep up with the other guitarists Blues Deluxe in terms of “sonic presence” on stage - it’s hard to put into words. But yI definitely felt the difference. Went back to tubes, never looked back.
I love my 50W MKII, but I mainly use the power amp and speaker alone on it, and preamp through the effects input. The speaker is really good on them. I love mine.
I've been gigging with Katana 100w heads for years now. Got the MKII a year or so ago. Love it. (I thought I'd try a pedal thing and bought a POD GO. Hate it.) Just included a TC Electronics Impulse IR loader in the Katana FX loop and it's amazing. Installed some Celestion IRs and just sheer joy for the direct PA feed as well as everything else. The amp has been incredible, but with the Impulse, it's all that and some more better. I don't use global EQ. I hate the idea. Just get a good amp and go with it. I hate fussing over tone controls too much. But that's just me. Katana is it and I can't see any reason to look further, especially now with the Impulse box. My in-ears never sounded better.
I picked the difference and you were spot on in your description. Katana had less bass and the Mesa had more dimension to the way it breaks up.
I use a Katana mkii with a HX Stomp via the power amp input at home and super happy with it.
Katana fan since I bought the first of the 100w. I no longer yearn for actual tube driven amps. I’ve had a few but the katana does it all for my requirements. I only use the onboard effects, binned the pedal board in favour of a GF-FC… that was 5 years ago, still going strong. I’m a rhythm player/vocalist so, perhaps, not one to chase tone as a lead player might do…. Having said that our lead guitarist, a long time tube aficionado, has binned his stuff in favour of a Tech21 Fly-rig (Kotzen) into a Matrix power amp and FRFR cab.
I'm sure that the difference in the sound are because the tube amp delivers an inconsistent (ie :dynamic) "sweep" through the frequencies so the bass takes longer to be compressed, amplified and expanded so the finer details of the high end are less likely to be masked as a result of being compressed rather arbitrarily flat , to make processing easier, but having all frequencies available to the ear by being staggered as they would be in nature, therefore more downloadable to the human ear as a more detailed and sculpted shape to the front edge of the sound...sort of!!!
Thanks for the A/B comparison! This sounds great, and it should be an incredibly versatile amp. How does it feel compared to tubes, and by that I mean does the guitar respond to you and your picking, or does it get lost in a band mix like so many transistor amps? I rehearse with a friend who uses the 100w 1-12 Katana combo. He is either too loud or lost in the mix, and he has been running a pedalboard in front of it. We have not had good results at all so far, and it's very different from my deluxe reverb (and it's heavier). For songs where he needs higher gain or a boost, he often gets a sound like someone gargling midrange digital distortion. I think it might be his boost and sparkle drive, but I am really not sure. I have not been a fan of the katana at all based on what I have heard in person in a few rehearsals, to the point where I didn't even want to give it a try. Maybe he has too much signal going through it, but at this point he wants to get rid of it to buy a small tube amp. He sounds great through my amp. If you have suggestions for using the katana with pedals, I'd love to hear them.
I've probaby done about 300 gigs with the boss katana 112 100 watt first version. I have customized the eq and use it as a pedal platform. The weight was my main reason to ditch the tube amps. Sometimes in 2 guitar band settings if the other guitarist has a bigger cabinet they are playing thru then my Katana will sound a bit weak in comparison. But a lot of that low cab resonance you feel on stage doesn't really translate out very far and doesn't make much of a difference if playing with a bass player. I've used it for solo acoustic gigs, large club stages, pop, rock and metal. Metal is the only style I'm not as satified with for live use. In my experience the more money a gig is paying the less loud my amp can be and the more I am running thru the PA and volume is controlled by an engineer, so a lot of that extra presence from a bigger, low resonant cabinet doesn't get to be utilzed.
Got the 50w. Liked it so much I got a 100w. Been playing 30years these are some of my favorite amps ever.
I love the sound of the Katana! I had a Blackstar tube amp, but sold it to buy a Katana MK1. Then I sold the Katana to buy an amp modeller, 'cause it is easier to gig with. But I really missed my Katana, so I got a MK2! Now I use it as an FRFR speaker, going into the power amp input via my amp modeller and it sounds AMAZING! I feel I've hit the sweet spot regarding tone and flexibility.
What amp modeler are you using? I have the Katana MK2 100 watt combo and was thinking of getting the Line 6 HX stomp xl and running it the same way.
@@jerbear9651 I have the Mooer GE250. ChopTones makes awesome presets for the GE250 and the IR's they include is amazing. The reason I bought the Mooer instead of the HX is because of the lack of a volume pedal and it has less foot switches.
@@lucasdewitartist7406 Thanks
I was able to correctly pick between the two amps. I've owned a Katana 100 for 3 years and love the amp. Practicing or gigging, it's a fantastic, reliable amp.
I liked the clarity of the Katana on the neck pickup. I like the batter sound of the Mesa bridge pickup.
better batter than bitter, but butter beats batter for me...😎😎😎😎
Very nice informative video! My nephew has a MKII 100 combo. It's great for practising and recording. But as you say, it does not have the oomph on the low notes nor the way notes envelop and bloom on a good tube amp, like my Rockerverb. I think the Katana's bandwith might narrower, resulting in a boxier sound. I've done quite some big open air gigs last summer. I wonder if the Katana could hold on in such situations. That said, for this money the portable Katana is unbeatable in his class. Good sounds, loads of effects, enough presets, easy to dial in and a smart footswitch. I might get me a MK II head, as spare head, als I sold my other tubehead (Diezel).
I bought one not long after they first came out for my students to use. I've moved my studio space within my house once but it's never left my property so it's had an easy life. But it glitches. Occasionally it won't make sound at all. Sometimes the volume is super low. It does weird things when you change presets sometimes. These problems started presenting not even six months after I got it. It does sound fine, though. I wish I would have had an amp that good at 13. They're so cheap and versatile, too. So thumbs up for sure but I don't think I'd play a show with one.
I’m so impressed with this!
I honestly really like the sound of both. I slightly prefer what I consider to be less harshness in the Mesa, and more low end. But really I could use either and love it.
I think both amps shined in different areas in this demo. The Mesa certainly has a much richer and fuller sound, most noticeably the bass, but even then, there were sections where I thought the low end lacked some clarity. The Katana had a nice sparkly sound and definition in the middle and higher frequencies, but any chords played lower on the fretboard sounded very thin and tin can-ish.
I know John is a huge Helix guy. I'd love to hear him demo the Katana combo as a potential option to run a Helix through, as I've heard good things. It's definitely an attractive option at that price point.
I bet the Katana could be easily closer with a few tweaks. We have no idea how he set the cab resonance and he said he was only using the front panel which is ridiculous. Just because he can't use it, many people can.
Your right about the bass end, I was gigging a Blackstar, a 1x 12 and got a 2x 12 Kat., I think the 2 12" speakers gave me the same bottom end as the one in the Blackstar (live that is).
I alse found trying to set up the Kat at home then going to the gig didn't work, took me a while to get the sound right in a live situation, IE bars function rooms ect. Where as valve amps didn't have that problem.
I would say to anyone using one live just perceiver.
I have checked out quite a few new style amps and found most can achieve the sound you are looking for. You have to spend time experimenting with the settings, understand any configurable modulations and refine to your preferred sound. Most gigs now mic up your amp so the age of massive stacks are gone. My son has the Fender GTX100, this is a beast and very loud but it never needs to be more than 4 on volume. The power is simply not needed. Also we found with valve amps is that they do sound different at full volume and really hard to beat. However, the new modulating amps can replicate that max sound at much lower volume. The katana MK1 & 2 are a fantastic set of amps by Boss but you only need the 50w. The new Blackstar amps are also equally as good. Not knocking the Mesa boogies, they are at the top but very expensive. You paying for years of development and research. But in its shadow are all these new amps that are much cheaper. Do your set up with your own amp, take time to squeeze out the best and stick with it. Remember, pick ups also make a massive difference to your sound.
Reverb on the intro clips helped me identify the Mesa. It would have been more difficult to distinguish for me if you had no reverb.
I have a Katana head and a Mesa Mark 5:25. I love them both. The only difference is that if the Mesa fails, I'll pay to fix it. If the Katana fails it will go to the landfill and I might buy a new one.
As an FRFR, the katana 50 and the 100 make every modeller I put through them sound really good and fat (Pod 2.0, Pod XT, HX Stomp XL, Nux MG300, Boss ME80 with onboard cabsim engaged), so much so that it makes up for any deficiencies the modellers might have when they're being monitored through headphones or studio monitors. I haven't really felt compelled to pick up a "legit" FRFR, and they work great for rehearsal because the volume can be dialled in very precisely so that everyone feels comfortable.
I use my katana live sometimes. Usually for helix gigs. I run it through the acoustic channel for on stage monitoring. (I found modelers sound better through the acoustic setting than through the effects loop or power amp)Sounds way better than an fr speaker or qsc. And I use it on classical gigs through the same acoustic channel. Also I bring it for a back up on all my loud gigs. Those I do with a boogie mark v, but I know I can do the job with the Katana if the Mark v goes down. Could really use an xlr output in the back in case you have any pull with them. ;)
Great comparison Anthony, Couldn't really notice 2000$ difference. Was that one of you Boss tone studio patches that you used? If yaes wich one please? Sounded realy warm and round Carlos like.
There is a reason the Katana is the biggest selling amp over the past 5 years or so. It does a lot of things well. I had one and couldn't fault it. Takes pedals well, sounds great both at home and live. As guitarists we constantly chase tone and feel, most crowds don't care, so in a live situation it stands up well. For £350, you can't really go wrong.
I use the 100 watt head live. It’s extremely loud. I run it clean with pedals doing all the dirt sounds. Fantastic
Your talent makes up for any difference in the two amps. It's all in the hands. Money can't buy that. Keep up the good work!
What's in the hands is technique. Tone is in the gear.
@Ray Angel You've been watching too much Glenn on Spectre. It's both. Technique is the way you pick, dynamics and vibrato etc. That has an impact on tone. I ran a jam night for a while, and when the good players got up playing through the same crappy house rig, there was always a noticeable difference in tone. I'm not saying amps and speakers don't matter. That would be nonsense, but as the saying goes crap in crap out.
@@kenerb8249 I've been playing guitar for 46 years and I've run plenty of open mics and jams. What you are talking about is technique. The ability to play notes and chords cleanly has nothing to do with tone. Take a guy that's never picked up a guitar and have him play an open E string and it'll sound the same as me playing that open string assuming we're both on the same rig.
Not gonna argue with you. As long as you are happy with your sound, that's really all that matters.
@@Ray-Angel The thing is hitting an open E means your fretting hand is out of the equation. LOL.
I personally am interested in it for 4 things. The 50 watt EX has the capability of using a foot switch the same one the artist model uses so no need for pedals at gigs, less stuff to bring. Also a line out that didn’t exist on the mark 1 so no mic for means more gear I can leave at home. With it being solid state I don’t have to worry about cranking the amp do you get that sweet spot where the tones just right so when the sound man tells me I’m too loud and I need to cut my volume down on my amp I’m not sacrificing my tone. In my final reason that I like the katana and I’m looking into getting one is just the sheer versatility of having five guitar amps at my discretion and an acoustic sound. It is very hard to beat this package deal as small as it is and if you go with the 50 W katana we’re talking about a 19 pound amplifier so it’s not gonna break my back. Let’s be real here if you’re using pedals for your overdrive sounds you’re already using solid state. A lot of your Marshall amps such as the JCM 900 or the JCM 2000 or the JVM all use transistors to get their heavy saturation on the gain sounds. If you are not getting power amp overdrive from your tubes you’re missing out and in today’s society playing pub gigs odds are you’re never going to push your amp the way it’s intended to be run to get good power amp tube distortion. I’m not sure why and guitar players are so slow to embrace new technology.
I just did a video on changing the grill cloth on a katana so nobody knows… if they don’t read BOSS they’ll think it’s $3,000! Also. Incredible playing….. that helps too.
B was clearly the tube amp because it had the flexy tube compression on harder picking. It sounded better to me by far. The katana sounded a bit stiff and 2 dimensional. I have 2 boogies and the katana artist. I love them all. The artist combo clean channel is super sweet and hi fi for the money, it has good built in effects, and only weighs 42 lbs and costs 1/4 of a boogie. I would experiment with a tube preamp/drive running over 200 volts like a Kingsley in front for lead stuff on the artist.
I’d use my katana 50mk2 all the time except it doesn’t have an fx loop. I have gigged it for an acoustic performance. It was kind of lost but that’s only because I didn’t know the katana speaker is scooped in the mids. At gig volume I roll the treble off and push the 0:15 , also use the eq blocks. Love the katana.
I have a couple of nice tube amps and an FM3 and I always end up practicing with my Waza Airs. I have bought a GT-1000 in the past seeking for the Waza tone but unfortunately didn't ring the bell. Is the Katana tone the Waza AIr equivelant John? You have both and I know you love the airs. Please share that precious information.
Truly amazing! Isolated, the Boogie rules, no comparison, but put in a mix and not in isolation, the difference isn't even noticeable! So, for sound, the Katana makes a lot of sense, the only other valid comparison is hwo they feel when playing with other instruments in a live situation.
For what it's worth, I'm gigging with Katana 100 MKII. I have no problem getting out and over our percussionist, in better halls/bars, we mic it through the board and it does great. Now.....after years of lugging a Marshall JCM 2000 TLS 122 Triple Super Lead combo amp around, I LOVE my Katana! Walk into a gig with amp in one hand and instrument in the other vs having to get assistance at the beginning and the end of the gig? You already know how that goes I'll bet. End of the night, the rest of the band is busy with their own stuff so you have to try to find the most upright looking drunk to help you load your amp? This is a no-brainer guys.
Great comparison John! And I thought that the Katana did very well here. Very surprising considering a high end Mesa Boogie vs an very affordable Katana.
I find that extra low end thump doesn’t work well in a high volume gigging situation so in that respect I find that the Katana provides more that enough low end.
Also there are a lot of demos on digital amp technology where they are referred to as “practice” amps and it’s kind of funny because who needs a blistering 100 watt amp for practice? John is not really referring to them as practice amps but I do hear that a lot. I think that the Katana 100 mk2 is also a great gigging amp. Now that being said the amp wattage is switchable to bedroom volume so in this regard it’s also a great practice amp.
In my opinion as for the reason that the famous artists don’t use them is simply a matter of the stigma associated with affordable digital amp technology versus vintage and boutique tube amps of the stars. I will admit that the old digital stuff wasn’t very good though. But it’s come a heck of a long way.
When you are a professional player let alone a famous one, paying a few thousand dollars more for an extra 5% improvement in feel or tone is nothing. It's not "stigma", it's just that those people want to use the best in an absolute sense.
Damn! I actually liked the Katana better. It cut through the mix better and the Mesa Boogies sounded muddy in a way. I thought the A when I first listened to it was also much more responsive, like valves. Now I am not sure what it sounds like in the room. I had a Blackstar for a while and hated it, but I also had bad speakers and didn't know it at the time and ended up replacing my V30 and Creamback H in my 2X12 cabinet and presto! Amazing tone! I now play with my Marshall DSL100HR head and it just kicks ass. I have done gigs with solid state before and they just get drown out by another tube amp if you have another player on stage with you. They do work great in rehearsal, but not live unless both players are using them and cannot drown each other out. Valve just cuts through at higher volumes to me much better.
Same thoughts here.
Cut through the mix? There was no mix. There were no other instruments playing to cut through.
I traded a Bugera Trirec for a Katana MK2 head and use it as a desktop amp with the built-in 4in speaker. I couldn't be happier with the Katana and I think people who are interested in modeling stuff should get a Katana 100 with the foot switch and experiment with using the app or tone studio. It's a great portable all in one that wouldn't be a huge deal if it gets damaged or stolen.
Very good points raised. I have the 50W MK2. It's not a bad amp but the speaker lets it down. You can swap the speaker but they made an odd connection there so you cannot swap speakers without any issues. Boss pushed out the Katana to UA-camrs without them coming forward and showing support and enthusiasm about the amp. In terms of marketing in my eyes they failed with the Nextone and that's why not many know about it
Have you tried the Clean Variation setting? Clean setting with tue red button on. What does that sound like, I know you mentions the normal clean is off a JC 120.
I’ve owned and played many amps live like Marshall ,Friedman ,Helix etc now I use the Katana Mk2 1x12 combo with the line out into a Jet City 1x12 combo 6 feet apart in stereo wow wow wow !
I have a cheap digital pedalboard and a small practice amp. It was inmediate to me cause the katana sounds more like the pedalboard and the mesa more like the amp, lol.
It is imposible to comment without telling you how amazing and inspiring your playing is, dude, holy cow.
Definitely more fuzz tone on the Mesa. I’m not sure but can this be added to the Katana in Tone Studio. Might just about even this comparison out.
The Katana has a gazillion tones on tap with tone studio but just using the front panel shows that bassman mid push tone. This inherent tone is its great live advantage as it sits very well in a mix, particularly at high volumes.
I do believe in my Katana Artist mkii combo, that what studio ears said about the clean channel is the best, I keep mine at 50 watts, lower volume, but the clean with the boost engaged, I’m not crazy about the reverb in katana,
Just the thing that you are comparing Katana and Friedman is a big thing! Look at the price difference! In that segment, were the Katana is placed, Katana has won the gold medal. Thanks for a great video, keep up the good work!
I watched the a / b content and you could hear the signature bass saturation on the MKIII, it was present in the Katana, but it was close, does it feel the same when playing? I played a kemper and it definitely didn't feel like a tube amp.
Great playing. I have a Katana that I bought to play while I’m away working til I get home to my real amplifiers. I can’t make it sound like a good amp. I mean it has effects and all of this stuff but it doesn’t sound like a real amp to me. In the room I mean. When I get home to my Princeton/ AC15 etc. Then I’m much happier.
It may be all in my head.
Mesa Boogie? Only played one once. It weren’t fer me
Very well made
I recently got a Katana and have found if you crank the master up and use the levels to control volume you get a lot better bass response. In other reviews I heard boss recommends this as well.
That may be the case due to sheer wattage, but you likely wouldn't be diming the wattage in a studio setting. I've recently started using the Katana for down-tunings (Drop , C# standard) and the bass response hinders the clarity. I actually had to crank the treble on the Brown channel and dial the bass back.
Owned a Katana 50. For me the very fact that the Katana is mentioned in the same breath as much more expensive amps is enough. For gigging, ran clean with a pedalboard its amazing, then for recording you've got the versatility of a modeller with, as you say, ballpark valve tones. Was always a no brainer...... until I stopped gigging.
Now? I'm realising I stick to a few core, favourite tones (mostly Marshall), so the zero compromise solution for me was just to go out and get a DSL1, which works better in this limited scenario although has nowhere near the versatility.
How do you use it? With some good cab or loadbox+IRs? I tried several different amps for hoe use, but not this one. The problem is that it is 16 Ohms only, and my loadbox is 8 Ohm, but proper loadbox costs more that Marshall DSL1 :)
@@SergeiVlassov The DSL1 is a combo amp with an 8 inch celestian speaker. Stick.a mic in front of it and it beats almost anything for recording IMO.
Great video and playing, thanks so much!
Hey all, question to the crowd... I sold all my boss pedals (sad) and got one of the Line 6 pod 500 models. It sounded great during practice, but a little fake and once removed from the nuances of playing, maybe a slight latency as well? When playing with a band it seemed to be a hot mess, muddy, weak, and not authentic. Am I crazy? Also, would I feel the same about a Katana?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks so much!
pd
The cool thing about the Katana is that you don't have to swap it for your tube amp. Just add it to the collection. Boom!
I have the Katana MKll artist head plus the katana waza 2×12 speaker cab and it sounds AMAZING
I use the TubeMP/C for a tube preamp. Makes a world of a difference.
This is regarding the first sound comparison I actually got it, however it's not the sound that differ them rather then which one seems hard to play if that makes sense. In my opinion the digital amp can have a sertem forgiveness "sound" to them compared to the tube one. i would love to hear your opinion on this because i haven't played many boutique amps with tubes but the few I have been playing seems harder to play in some way
I have a MKII and I swapped out the stock speaker for a Celestion Cream back heavy. That was a huge improvement.
Interesting! I think the Andertons boys did something similar right?
@@johnnathancordy Yes, they tested a whole bunch of celestions and to my ears the cream back sounded best. The stock speaker sounds great for clean but in overdrive it is a bit harsh and gritty. The cream back also has a bit more bottom end.
I basically run the artist through my orange cab with Vintage 30s. Much better overdriven. I have an Orange Brent hinds terror and a 5150 that I use that cab for. I tried it and love it more than the waza speaker
It’s pretty easy to figure out which is which. A (Katana) has a harshness to it. Somewhat of a brittle sound. B (Boogie) seems more warm or smooth. Tubes have a feel or tone that is polished / pleasing. Digital has a harshness or shrillness that has yet to be eliminated from these types of amps. I own a katana and it is a descent amp but by no means does it compare to my high end tube higher end tube amps
Try the crunch with the Marshall govner, and get the 100watt and the gafc with an expression pedal, I use the katana librarian app into a tablet
Great little live rig with four channels set up on the pedal Clean crunch lead 1 lead 2 (same as lead 1 with wah)
Fun video. I liked A better than B in the intro (before hearing you ID them), but I didn't have any impression of one being "real" vs. the other modeled. They just sounded like two somewhat different tones to me, with B just being a bit "woolier" in a way that I didn't prefer. Then when you did the blue Strat comparison, I really preferred the Mesa, but again, the Katana tone didn't sound artificial to me, just harsher in a way that I didn't like (but that I felt could come from a real amp). I'm not sure how possible it is to do this comparison with the two amps not really having identical signal paths and controls (e.g., the tone stack in particular). To me this seemed like having two different real amps, with different architectures. You won't be able to get them to sound exactly alike. So it ends up just being a matter of what voice you prefer for a particular application. Actually, this is a pretty good result for the Katana-it may not sound like a Boogie, but it does sound like a good amp, at least when recorded. -Tom
Katana had tighter attack, more bark and growl while the Mesa was a little looser and flubby. The notes on the Mesa also didn't sustain as well and sound consistent in volume during legato runs but it did sound more "organic". I would be happy with either one because I have both of those amps.
The Katana has a quicker attack at the beginning of the note, less compression. The Mesa is softer in its initial attack. Bother sound really good.
Could hear the warmness from the mesa from the opening a/b. Yes, the katana is amazing for what it is, but there’s no comparison.
Same here. I will definitely be keeping my Mark V.
If I spent 3 grand on a Mesa, I would be concerned that you are getting wee more warmth over an amp that costs 300 bucks used. It is literally an EQ tweak away from sounding exactly the same.