Great Jazz Tone On A $250 Amp?
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- This is a $250 amp which I think sounds surprisingly good for the money. But, we'll see how well it does with playing Jazz and what I can get out of this practice amp.
What Jazz Guitar Amps do you use or recommend?
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Content:
00:00 Intro - Jazz Guitar Amp?
01:00 Is It A Modeling Amp?
01:52 A Solid Starting Point
02:32 The Jazz Tone Myth
03:15 Tone Knob Mud
03:37 Dialing n The EQ
04:15 A LOT of Bass and Angry Bass-players
05:06 Treble Shooting
06:14 The Trick To Get A Full Sound
06:40 Pick Attack
07:02 My “Opinion” On Shure SM57 mics
07:44 The Tone Knob
08:05 The Effects
08:28 Overdrive as EQ?
08:52 Soaked in Reverb
09:37 Drowning In Delay
10:21 Comparing Katana and Fractal FM3
12:01 USB Connection and Effects Deep-dive
12:16 Types of Reverb - And Why I hate Spring Reverb
14:10 My Tone-Shaping Trick
16:37 The Great $400 Guitar I Used On 5 albums
16:40 Like the video? Check out my Patreon page!
My name is Jens Larsen, Danish Jazz Guitarist, and Educator. The videos on this channel will help you explore and enjoy Jazz. Some of it is how to play jazz guitar, but other videos are more on Music Theory like Jazz Chords or advice on how to practice and learn Jazz, on guitar or any other instrument.
The videos are mostly jazz guitar lessons, but also music theory, analysis of songs, and videos on jazz guitars.
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The Katana was essential in getting me into jazz because I literally hated every sound it produced other than a clean tone
Haha! The upside down take 🙂
true tho
Hilarious. I hate the clean tone on the Katana. It's too scooped for jazz. It's a rock amp.
@@KenTeeldepends on your pickups to some degree
I just hated the katana and thought Boss paid a lot of extra money to UA-camrs to get them to push this pile of junk. Katana-mania really turned me off to a lot of guitar UA-cam
I greatly appreciate this. Not only is this different from the majority of “dialing in tone” videos, which are going for a much more generic electric guitar tone, I think you do a really good job of walking through the process and explaining it. I’d like to see another where you go through the process of using a parametric EQ. My biggest struggle is that even after 4 decades of this, I still find the differences that seem so drastic to others quite subtle. People always say, “just use your ears”, but my ear tends to lead me to extreme settings. I’m always afraid that what sounds fine to my ears sounds awful to others. 🙂
Thank you Robert! I will certainly keep that in mind :)
Bobby Fischer?
Love the Katana! Great video Jens - loved seeing your approach to tone
Oh and I actually had asked Boss the question of what they modelled their amps from and this was the answer from a Roland Guitar Product Manager
"All of the amp voicings are original sounds created by BOSS. But of course they take inspiration from what our engineers consider to be the holy grail - Edward Van Halen (hence Brown channel).
Some nerdy reading here if you have time: rolandcorp.com.au/blog/developing-the-brown-sound
Basically, in Katana Mk1, everything has a fair bit of British sound DNA except for Lead which came from Waza Amp and I guess is more in the vein of a smooth Mark series style sound.
In MkII, the variation switch evolves those even further in a more modern direction, so for example if Brown started off in the vein of a hotrodded EVH style Marshall, then the variation mode takes that even further into modern high gain in a sort of 5150ish direction.
But again it’s impossible to just say that any one channel is based off a specific amp, because they’re not."
Thanks Dave! Interesting to know that there is no specific amp being used.
@@GuitarZero2Hero Huh, I always assumed the clean channel would be modelled off a Jazz Chorus
@@jonpollard5592 Funny, because I am watching this video and playing through my '81 vintage JC-120 and wondering if I am missing out on anything without all this fancy modeling gear. Doubt it...
The thing with Katana is that most people don't really use the power that is hidden in the Tone Studio, where you can customize EQ on a much more precise level than through knobs. Additionally, I often use a bit of boost, not as an overdrive, but to emphasize certain frequencies (there are many boost modes that you can choose from). All is editable and storable as presets, so effectively you can have several different sound scenes at your disposal, which can match different rooms/auditoriums. Tone Studio, for those who don't use Boss's products, is the software used on a PC (or a mobile, if you have Katana AIR). Worth checking is also the Octave effect hidden inside Katana, which, when set to "mode 4" is only applied to lowest three strings, so can be used to emphasize the bass line without making the sound muddy.
Yes, that is what I do in the last half of this video, right?
@@JensLarsen Yes, but I meant actually going deep into the EQ settings. I hope you check this option, as it can change a whole lot.
@@camp0017 Certainly! I just didn't feel like making it a 30 minute video with a huge section that most people can't follow so I decided not to go there.
Perhaps a stupid question, but does the preset store in the Amp itself? Can i use it without the computer once it's saved? Thanks!
@@Joakimfrank Yes, the presets are stored in the Amp. This works both for regular Katanas and the Katana Air (where you edit the parameters through an app on a smartphone).
I really enjoyed this episode. I liked watching your process finding the tone and bringing in a distortion pedal as a tone shaping device. Thanks for presenting this info. I found it very useful.
Thank you very much!
I have a Katana 100 and really love it, just wanted to mention that the EQ on katana amps is only subtractive, so it's neutral if you put everything at max. It's not that bad to start off with everything at noon, you're just basically cutting the volume in half. That's why I hear many people complaining that the amp does not have the volume of a 100W amp.
Great video! I had the Katana for about a year, and had fun dialing in different tones. A couple of years ago, the Sydney (Austrlaia) Conservatorium Jazz school purchased a bunch of these to replace their aging Roland Cubes...they worked out really well.
Super interesting, learned a lot from your thought process!
I had the same issues with thin sound on my katana for a few months until I encountered a tip suggesting to minimize the volume knob and increase the master instead. That made the sound way fuller at similar loudness levels, for some reason.
Recently got this amp, so your perspective and thorough demonstration is really helpful. I agree there's good value in this amp.
I have a Boss Katana and love it! Such a great amp. I’ve been waiting for a video like this, thank you Uncle Jens!! 😁
You are very welcome, Nephew! :)
I love my katanas! I had a 50 watt model but returned it for a 100 watt. The 50 sounded thin and I like the 100 watt model better, even though I never use the 100 watt setting. Also, I like to use the acoustic amp model for jazz, sometimes the clean. Another thing to try that you didn't really show is turning up the gain to between 2/3 and 3/4 on the amp. This helps warm up the clean tones a lot. Another trick, along with boosting the gain, that works for me on the Katana is to turn the Master up to about 2/3 and then use the volume next to the gain to control my over all volume.
Great tutorial and inspiration and a beautiful tone. Thank you.
What do you think about the Katana vs The Fractal tone?
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✅ Jazz Tone On A Strat: ua-cam.com/video/-XXTNv5W3GE/v-deo.html
The Fractal is a great tool, I've only been checking them out since seeing you use it in videos. The Katana requires work and tweaking to get a more full, "fat", resonant sound. I've been working with mine for over a year and am happy with the results and continue to work with it using the app and interface. For me, it's light, very gig friendly and was under $400. I think in the video your Fractal tone is "there", and sounds great.
Thanks Jens! This was a really good breakdown of getting tone. Especially including a very popular current product (Katana). Appreciate your insight and would love to see more.
Thank you, Scott 🙂
Thanks, very much,Jens, very helpful! Your example of how to get that last adjustment of the mids is great. I’ve got the same mic as well.
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome video, lots of info yet super concise. Also, interesting to see how useful those music stands are haha. Thanks for your teachings as always!
Glad it was helpful!
Great to see you work out your tone
I have a Nextone Artist which I adore, and I run a Boss Me-80 in the loop. I’ve been learning a lot about gain staging and tone, and seem to keep moving toward a flexible setup for all kinds of music. Discovering the impact of gain on EQ was a game changer- but I suppose EQ itself is simply gain at different parts of the spectrum. Great video!
very interesting - finally someone who checks the Katana with Jazz. I use it that way and I am pretty happy with it. IMO there is not 'the best tone ever' because I want different sounds all the time. But here the Katana is a huge toolbox and allows me to explore all kinds of sounds
Hey Jens, discovering your chanel is so refresing to me, you analise the subjejct that are in my mind for years, ! Gracias for this and the humor you have, greetings fron México.
You're so welcome! Glad you like the videos!
I happily own a 100W version of the KATANA. I went from Fender to Marshall to Mesa, and now in my older age, the KATANA is an amazing blessing. I also own a KATANA-AIR as well. As mentioned by others, the Tone Studio app make all the difference in the world. I must say that your videos on tone and gear are nothing short of a breath of fresh air. You cover a much neglected spectrum of topics for those of us who love jazz and anything else that doesn't require high gain tonality. Just seeing you trying your son's Ibanez says a lot about your wider view of guitars, tone, and gear. By the way. The jabs of humor in your vids are just priceless!! Thank you so much!
The overdrive thing is a solid tip. For metal players, through a JCM-800 the classic Tube Screamer setting is gain very low, and volume cranked. The volume is to push the pre-amp, but the gain is set very low so that you're using the screamer to shape the EQ. In that situation you're not trying to get a drive on top of drive.
So by the same note, any overdrive with the gain very low will give you a different EQ curve. You can just keep the volume at whatever works out to unity. I am incredibly fond of the Klon Clone I put together, because even as a clean boost it gives you a very dynamic EQ control.
Yes, that is also how I am using drive pedals here, except that the tube screamer model can't clean up at all.
Wonderful insights into how you think about tone. I am attempting to achieve the same with a Pod Go effects unit. Lots to consider including cutting the master EQ off at different points below guitar spectrum.
Your Jazz TSL is just great! Thanks a lot Jens!
Thank you! What is a TSL?
I did the same experiment a few years back with a Katana and came to the same conclusion. The blues drive is very usefull to give some body to a thin sound 👍
Thanks for the free patch. I use my Boss Katana as my practise amp and I was looking for a patch to play my semi-acoustics through when doing my Jazz practising. While getting to the download I noticed the heaps of stuff you give away free and took advantage of that work. Then I thought I better give something back and bought your Jazz Blues soloing course which I have to say is very inexpensive. Thanks for all the video's you post and I look forward to workign through your courses!
Thank you Paul! I really appreciate that. Hope you have fun with the patch and the blues lesson 🙂
While my Mesa Boogie amp was on repair (for quite a while, some 3 years) I tried out (and bought) the 100w 1x12 Katana. To me it sounded workable "as is" but after fiddling with the software I found that the "clean boost" set to minimum (but still turned on) got me in the fat and juicy land of clean tube amp tone, that chewie attack and warm sound with a little hair on it. Now I was really happy. After watching the Pat Metheny interview by Rick Beato a while ago I learned that part of the "Metheny Sound" is running the guitar at low to mid volume settings (much to be able to regulate the volume on stage after soundcheck) - this got me an even more workable tone. By the way, I sold the boogie.
I agree with you regarding that tiny kind of bright sound. Boss has a tendency of starting with a base tone that is on the bright and fizzy side however once you start messing with the eq which you can select either parametric or the ge-10 graphic one it warms up the amp to the point of getting a nice jazz sound.
The EQ can be applied before, after the preamp or both however after the preamp is when it has the biggest effect on the overall sound. It allows you the option of also boosting the amps headroom if you need more by pushing the volume slider on the GE-10 when you place it post preamp.
Great video Jens! I have a Katana 50 as it’s great to to take to rehearsals over my large tube amp and I get great sounds for rock pop and blues settings….but I’ve struggled to get a good sound for my jazz improv class with an Ibanez lgb300 - Your approach is very different to what I’ve been doing so thank you!
Great! Hope you can get somewhere with it :)
this is very helpful !
Glad you think so!
This is so much fun and educational!!!
Glad you like it 🙂
This was entertaining in so many ways!
Glad you like it!
Thanks! I love using my katana 50 for a practice amp but mostly for rock. Time to get some jazz sounds on there
Go for it :)
Awesome video!! I tried the boss katana & well, was not happy with it but it's size was appealing.
I went with Crate w/3 10's & 150W tube amp. So I'm always adjusting for jazz & rock tones but you clued me in on certain little tweaks to bass, mid & treble which adjust that attack. The guitar controls are super responsive too.
Thanks always for your videos.
Thanks! Glad you like it :)
Thank you for this really interesting video
My pleasure
very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it
This was a super interesting (and helpful) video. I am not a jazz player per se, but I do dabble a bit. I use a Katana in my teaching studio, and have found they can sound great, but only if one has the patience to spend some time fiddling about. As a side note, I liked your dry tone better on the Fractal, but the wet tones from the Katana sounded a bit more articulate, which I liked. That was probably the pick attack you were trying to dial out, haha. Great content, as always.
Thanks! Yes, it is about taste in the end :)
Great video (again) Jens ! Anyone who knows me knows that I often complain that Music Gear is important but your inner ear and touch are moreso. There are limits to how much we can improve our tone via external equipment. Equipment is fun to play with. I do it too. The constant quest for improving my playing, touch and tone (internally) is where it starts - then gear plays a secondary (but still important) role. I noticed you referred to this at the end. Cheers, Kev 🙂
Glad you like it! I think it is important that we train our ears to get the most out of the tools we have.
Great advice in this video which lines up with my own experience. I would encourage people to explore the full range of their EQ, particularly if you have a two-knob Treble and Bass EQ, as these are usually a "Baxandall" circuit, which can be thought of having a fixed mids EQ, and your treble and bass can be adjusted around that. For Jazz, this is important as you can get close to that nice full warm sound by turning the treble and bass way down (maybe to zero), resulting in a mid hump.
I also fully agree with using an overdrive with the gain or drive turned down (but maybe not all the way down). I have a Klon-style EHX Soul Food that works really well with everything set at about 9 or 10 o'clock, particularly with my Telecaster. Trying out a Wampler Belle now just for fun, which has a really different EQ.
Exactly :)
Thank you for all your videos, Jens! I am using a Katana Artist 100 amp now, and I arrived at the same tone settings that you did! Whether using my deluxe strat or my 335 clone, these settings, particularly EQ, but also Plate Reverb and slight Delay, are the best for this amplifier. I still have my 1975 Super Reverb (6L6), PRS 20 combo (6V6), and Made in USA Crate 1999 Single Ended Class A 30w (4 EL84s) tube amplifiers in the studio, but, at 56, I have no desire to carry those around! Thus, I use the Katana, plus I use Amplitube modeling for Ableton Live recording - I have not gotten the Katana USB input to Ableton Live dialed in yet, but I'll let you know how it goes.
Great video! Really clean and clear explanation of the process. Will definitly try this out! I'm playing a Joe Pass Emperor 2 on the Katana 100 so your tips and thoughts really comes in handy!
Glad it was helpful! :)
I got the same guitar and amp!😂 Now im saving for a dv Mark little jazz AND someday would like to have a semihollow(maybe es 339)
@@Fran-0 as the proud owner of a custom shop es339, they're lovely 😍
@@Eisenholdt woow we have the same tastes😅 ITS an epiphone? I Also wondering about Sheraton or ibanez Sh(as73 or am 93)
I have a Katana too. My amp for cleans is a Fender Twin and the Katana just does not compare. That being said, I changed the speaker in the amp and it improved. I also use more gain on the clean channel to get better dynamics. It does not necessarily break up and sounds much better. I set the EQ after I set the gain, volume and master. Then I use reverb and then I fine tune with the presence. In the end I get a decent clean sound. Thanks for the video
which speaker did you use to replace the factory one?
So, I gave you a hard time about something or other a long time back. I wanted to let you know that I have found something very beneficial in your videos that aren’t found everywhere. I’m a Southern US Blues player, so we have a good amount of diversity in our playing style. But I can really appreciate what it is that you’re doing. Thanks 🙏 10:47
Ok, I have no idea 😂 People are always quicker to complain than saying that they like something.. But I am glad you like the videos
That Gizmo delay meme had me cracking up. Good stuff Jens.
Thanks :)
I appreciate you taking the time to really mess with this amp to try and dial in a great tone. I personally own this amp and it is my only amp, so I appreciate you doing this it helps me A LOT. I also wanted to say the pro tip about blaming the mic had me audibly laughing out loud hahaha 😂love your vids and appreciate your content. Thank you 🙏
Hi Jens, great video. I have the Katana 100 watt and although I do not play jazz exclusively I found myself going in a similar tone direction, including using the "Blues Drive" in the Booster section as a way to adjust the tone to a fatter sound. My other gig amp is a Mesa Boogie F-50 combo amp, and it has a great clean channel as well as the overdrive channel. I went a similar direction there too in the clean channel adjustments, although as you say it will vary depending on the room, volume level and other factors. Thanks again for this video, I think I'll try to do more with the parametric eq now too.
Nice! I imagine that Mesa sounds great :)
@@JensLarsen Thanks you, yes, it does! At 55 lbs it's twice that of the Katana, but it's held up well.
It's definitely a challenge to get a good jazz tone! I teach with the Katana at the music school i work at!! Since i also love the 80s jazz fusion guitar rack tone, i have the chorus affect and reverb on as well!
Yes, surprisingly difficult actually .)
The video is still paying dividends! I was just wondering how to get a good Jazz tone on the my Katana 50 Mk II. I found your video and now I have it. I also learned a thing or two extra from your philosophical views and tastes. Thanks, Jens. You are so great for us aspiring Jazz guitarists.
Fun video. Man, I just love hearing you noodle.
Glad you enjoyed
I've seen many Boss Katana demos/reviews and this is the first one where I found out that those lights on top are also buttons. Thanks.
Teaching middle school Jazz band after school in the NYC area I've been using the small Fenders and Rolands that stay in the band room. They only have treble and bass knobs. I find that using one of the bass amps gives enough body and volume, but the little guitar amps don't. I turn the bass down completely and turn down the treble nearly all the way. This gets out of the bass player's way. It lets more mids come through and dominate the tone even though I can't specifically turn up the mids. I use no effects. The room itself sounds good. Also when teaching large sections to listen to each other and control their cutoffs I don't need a tail lingering on my own playing
You gotta work with what you got 👍🙂
I've used a Tube screamer to warm up my mids for ages. recently though i got gifted a boss blues driver and I've found that a bit easier to dial in and with a much sweeter sound. only problem is the gain control is a bit more unpredictable and with a hollowbody that can be curtains at high volumes.
great video Jens, cheers!
Thanks Stephen! Yes, OD pedals are great for that :)
Hi Jens, as usual an excellent video. I have a DV Mark amp. Reasonably price. $400 list, but I just saw one for $260. I get a nice tone out of it, it's very clean.
Nice! I have heard good things about the DV amps.
Ditto on DV Amps, I love my Jazz 12, but it's usually a Princeton and Tele for me.... I haven't met a modeling amp yet that I like...
Thank you Jens, that was really helpful :)
I have a Katana 50 MKII (I actually much prefer the tone of the 50 to the 100). I only have one electric guitar which is a Fender Telecaster (Mexican) and though I'm not really playing jazz, I am looking for a good clean tone and have so far found that turning down the tone on the guitar works well for me. I mainly use neck/bridge middle position as this gives me mellow but with a bit of bite. I will now try out more eq settings on the amp and I will hook it up to my computer and mess around with those settings, I see many hours of experimentation ahead :)
Glad you like it 🙂
Good that you have a solution that works for you! 👍
The magic of this amp is in the software. Spend a lot of time in it!!
Great vid, and a strong case for getting a fractal. The main thing I don't like about the amp here is the overtones, they just have that 'hard' quality, an unpleasant brightness that so many cheap amps and amp sims have, and which can't be fixed with any eq I've ever used or designed.
It is a great amp for the price, and comparing it to other stuff that is 3-10x as expensive isn't really fair I guess. Ironically, I have the exact same experience with unpleasant or hard high frequency sound on real tube amps live. I actually meant to but a parametric eq pedal for when I travel, to try to fix that.
@@JensLarsen I feel you, and as I get older (53 now) my sensitivity to the 2.5k - 2.8k range, especially at stage volume, gets progressively more intense. Anyhoo, one teacher to another, your approach to teaching is incredibly engaging and very human and relatable, and I know how much work goes into even the simplest YT production. Thanks for all you do, best wishes from the states for your continued success !
A local high-school kid plays jazz standards on a Stratocaster, through a Katana. And if you close your eyes, it sounds like he's playing an archtop through a Polytone. I think it's a Katana 100, and this young lad might even be playing a 3/4-size Strat. That convinced me that a Katana, and even a Strat, can nail "jazz" tone. Play the guitars you love!
Enjoyed the video. I use delay to add some texture to the reverb (also I prefer plate/hall to spring). That was a good tip about using the analogue or tape echo rather than the digital.
I have a nextone which has similarities to the katana. You have encouraged me to have a play with it. I have now found a way to get more clean volume out of it.
That is really great to hear Michael!
Great video for set up. Thank you. I wonder if a swap to a better speaker in the amp would help a lot.
Jens, you are really the best in terms of lessons (I purchased several of them), tips and videos. Regarding guitar and amps, I come from the rock/blues universe, and I own a Tele 52 reissue plugged into a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp. They sound so amazing that I don't have the courage to chase other sonorities. What I would be looking for is a good solid-state amp, because the Fender is really heaaavyy (and I'm happy not having bought a Twin like I originally intended to). Thanks Jens! Cheers
Thank you very much Christian! :)
I used to have a Twin Reverb - so heavy! Now I have a Quilter 101 Reverb into a 1 x 12 Fane speaker. I highly recommend this SS amp, and other Quilters are worth investigating
.
I recently bought a Katana Artist and am very impressed with it. To me it sounds just as good as my vintage Fender Deluxe. With my bigger jazz boxes it allows me to dial in the tone much more precisely. With the parametric eq you can kill those really ugly boomy frequencies.
Glad it is working for you :)
Just bought an FM3. Be great to see a video of how you dial in a jazz tone on that, particularly as it is your go to device. Thanks for the great videos.
Glad it's useful like that as well 🙂
Love it! I do have the exact same amp (katana), and I would highly suggest two things. Master volume of the amp should be way up, and preamp section volume should be down. Then, playing the amp on 0.5W is very thin sounding, but 100W is very good. 0.5W tends to do weird things on boost effects…
I built my studio amp inside the empy shell of an outdoor halogen projector. It makes the ideal tabletop amp for studying.
Say that is stunning is a vast understatement
That sounds like an amazing project!
I have being experimenting with the Roland Jazz Chorus-22 line out to Katana 50. I set the Katana to clean, no effects and equalizer flat. It sounds nice and it’s more powerful. Thank you.
Great that you can use that as a hack :)
the global eq is key for the Katana. I dialed out a lot of the harsh/thin top end with the global eq, then the treble control on the amp was closer to a sweet spot for tweaking sound. Agree on the OD, in my case I use a treble boost but tweak that so it is more eq shift and just a bit of hair on the tone. Ridiculously good amp for $250. It just takes a bit of messing about with the computer app to dial it in. Patience and perseverance are rewarded IME. Great channel, thanks for the content.
Very informative Jens. I go through a similar process with my Yamaha THR, and will go at it again after this. I've found I prefer a 'blues' or slightly gainier amp setting over clean - maybe similar to your use of overdrive pedal.
Thanks Ben! I often do that as well, the compression of a crunch channel is often nicer to play. For the Katana it would not clean up enough :)
Have this amp and love it. I go between this and my Fender Champion 100
Great video, Jens. Your use of delay and OD to shape a jazz tone I found very interesting (and validating). You always have beautiful tone in your videos - so much so that it makes this single-coil guy want to get some humbuckers!
Thank you very much Dave :)
Thank you !
You're welcome!
I'm trying to dial some SRV into my 50's Squier. Sadly, I'm not there yet. LOL
Thanks for this awesome video Jens.
Go for it! 🙂
I have gone full circle with effects. You tone is really quite good. What I currently use is my Twin bass at 2.5 mids at 8 treble at 7. I run 2 eqs, 1 overdrive and 1 distortion all Boss pedals.
Nice! :)
Very interesting and useful. I’ve been trying the same thing with a Boss ME-70 using the built-in speaker emulator into an AER Compact 60. I ended up with very similar EQ settings on the Clean amp model. All others models added mids but not the right ones! I had the same brittle highs though so I tried an MXR Timmy before it for added warmth. Works well! Thanks!
Nice that you got it to work! 👍🙂
@@JensLarsen Still experimenting but now turning off the amp models completely on the ME-70 and just running the Timmy (gain, treble and bass around 9 or 10 o'clock) into the ME-70 speaker emulator. Could be an ideal compact gig rig with option to run into a pa or recording DI.
Just to conclude: unfortunately I could not get the Boss ME-70 to sound right for me so I went for an analog preamp solution: Archer Ikon (clean boost) into an old H&K Tubeman into an even older Quadraverb GT with speaker emulation into AER Compact 60 or pa. Sounds great, edge of breakup is spot on and it is still a compact solution. I’m happy now and don’t have to cart around a valve 2x12.
Hi Jens you're the man.
Thank you 🙂
Thanks for your video. I'm sold on my Katana 50 MkII. I have more expensive amps, which can sound better at home, but the Katana seems more consistent for gigging, and of course it's super light! I play fingerstyle, so I don't have the treble/pick attack issue to deal with. I recently saw a video about modding the headphone output to be a line-out without disconnecting the speaker. Looks pretty simple, but of course it kills the warranty....but, hey, at $250, let's live on the edge!
Great video! I have a Boss Katana 50MKII and even if Jazz isn't my main course I sniff on in now and then. I like the setting you did and in the newest update there is a new booster, Centa OD, that is pretty nice to add just a little. I find Blues Driver scooped.
Great to hear!
@@JensLarsen I did a little fast check on the EQ and to me it seems like lower 2k is the ugly and 500 hz the beautiful. Maybe lower 2k 3db and raise 500 3 db?
@@sorenahlback Ok. I have to say that I didn't really think the tone got anywhere near my fractal tone, so I don't use the amp (also since it is my sons amp, not mine)
@@JensLarsen anyway you helped me get a decent jazz tone. Have a happy weekend danish neighbor. :)
@@sorenahlback Thanks! I am actually a bit further away than Denmark 🙂 🇳🇱
Please do a video on using effects for jazz. Your observations on digital delay vs analog were very useful. What are your experiences using overdrive?
With the Katana, you really need to make your patches with the ToneStudio software. Just twisting knobs on the panel won't really do much. The software is pretty powerful. Also, the 100w version is much better than the 50w version. The Artist is also great, if you need a combo amp. I bought the Katana head, because I already had a nice 4x12 cab. Katana sounds great through a 4x12 cab. Katana also takes pedals really well. The 100w versions have an effects loop. You could plug your FM3 into the "return" of the FX loop, and just use the Katana as a power amp. Katana is very flexible. A lot of people are buying the 100w Katana combo amps just to use as a power-cab.
Superb video. I’m thinking about getting the Katana 50, but I’m worried about how the cleans will sound, esp as I like my cleans warm and Fender-like. This helped a lot.
I bought a Katana 50 after my Tech-21 Trademark 60 started sputtering out. I quickly returned the 50 for a Katana 100 when I learned of the increased channels & options. While I really loved the tone & feel of the Trademark 60, I reasoned that the Katana 100's options & Boss/Roland's reputation for quality would reasonably compensate. Also, as an amateur, it was hard to justify spending more $$$ for a Pro-Level amp like Raezor's Edge, Hendrickson, Polytone, etc. With the Katana 100, seems like I've settled into a Zone similar to what Jens presents here that mostly uses OD/Boosts, Reverb, & Delay in various mixtures. I find that whatever I tweak at home may sound slightly different at the practice hall or at the gig venue. So, being able to store a basic configuration + several alterations on the Katana's 8 Channels is another feature that makes up for not having my Trademark 60. Eventually, I may add a Higher-End($$$) Amp to my arsenal. But, for the money, the Katana 100 was a really good purchase.
Thanks, Jens !!!
Your analysis validates my own conclusions regarding the Katana 100.
Ok! Interesting! I never tried a Tech-21 Trademark 60 :)
@@JensLarsen New York Jazz Guitarist Rick Stone(RIP) recommended the Trademark 60. That was over 20 years ago. I saw his ad in a magazine(Just Jazz Guitar) and wanted to know what amp he was using with the guitar in the photo( a Fender D’Aquisto Deluxe like mine). I got the Trademark 60 and played with it occasionally at home, but didn’t actually start using it until ~2010 when I got into a band and started gigging. The first Bass Player we had got really jealous(sometimes angry) because that amp’s tonal capabilities and my limited knowledge and possible overuse of 5th & 6th String Drop Voicings sometimes obscured his sound. A few years later, we had an outside gig, a different Bass Player, and, for some reason, the Keyboard Player did not show up. So, the Rhythm Section was me & my Trademark 60 + Bass + Drums with Vocalist, Sax, & Trumpet. From what I recall, that gig went well and we got compliments. I’m a little more experienced now with voicings & such, even soloing a bit more as well. But, that Trademark 60 and its tone on the Clean Channel(Clean Fender Setting) really did a lot in boosting my confidence to get out there and play. The Katana 100’s got to fill that role now and I think it will as I learn more about it. In my early gigging, I used an Ibanez AS-80, somewhat similar to a semi-hollow that you have. But, about 4 years ago, I switched to a PRS SE Custom Semi-Hollow(the discontinued one with the flat top, eyebrow-shaped f-hole, & odd shaped pickguard). The AS-80 was heavy … Heavier even than some basses. The PRS is much lighter but still satisfies my “maybe irrational obsession” for semi-hollow(s).
Also, regarding the Katana ... the built-in ability to tryout & tweak different pedal configurations(mainly Boost, OD, Reverb, & Delay ... BOSS versions) without having to actually purchase or borrow physical equivalent(s)
is a strong feature. With the Trademark 60, I was always searching for the right Boost or OD Pedal (for Lead Soloing) to compliment the clean Rhythm Setting without losing that TM60 Tonal Sweet Spot.
And ... Oh Yeah ... The Dirty Channel(Lead Channel) on my TM60 was very rarely used.
M. A. Noel
wow this is the exact same amp i have what a great video to find
Glad it was useful 🙂
This is all valuable info, thank you and all the commentors.
Glad it was helpful!
Very interesting especially since that is exactly the amp I use on small gigs. And I have an old Fender Vibrolux reverb. I play 90 percent of the time solo finger style. Would have been interested in thoughts on how/if that make any difference to you in your settings.
Thanks! The sound you get with you fingers depends on how you play and if you have nails etc. In the end, you should be setting the amp based on your technique and ears :)
I use a Fender Mustang LT50 in my big band. 50W , 12” open back. Extremely flexible tone control, compression etc. I have a preset for my ES175 and another for my 335. $249!
nice video, id suggest the fender gtx 50 mustang, it has an insane amount of controls and settings, it also uses a small screen to make these adjustments, so things are more clear. plus it has a celstion 12 inch speaker.
I think the Bias FX 1 and 2 stuff has some good clean tones. I also have tried a 100 dollar Ibanez acoustic amp with my hollow bodies and I liked the tones on that. That amp actually was loud enough for some Jazz stuff I was playing in a jazz camp with a band and even a bigger band setting. I used to use the Roland Cube X30 for Jazz stuff which was ok, but I prefered the acoustic amp I have plus some bass amps I have tried. Even my Boss Katana Mini had good tones for clean I think and it's also decent for busking I think. I also like to change EQ without reverb before adding it if I want to even when doing final mixing of things or checking a final mix. I am glad you mentioned Kurt Rozenwinkle uses a bit of compression because even a little bit which still has a lot of dynamics I added in bias fx 1 and 2 changed some tones to what I liked.
Ok! I tried the Bias FX stuff a few years ago which I really didn't like. One of my students had a Cube which I did really like though :)
Any tips on learning to read sheet music on the guitar, I’ll be going to a jazz college next year and need to improve my reading.
I use a Yamaha THR 10 on the lead channel setting. Does something similar to what you are describing by making the sound fuller than what I can get on the clean channel.
i have an old roland cube 60 and i put a celestion vintage 30 speaker in it and its awesome , totally useable live
Well Mr. Larsem, yet another great video. But I was wondering, and even though it not really what you do, I was wondering if you could test to the new Line 6 Catalyst and for jazz tones. I see videos that with blues it works well and of course metal but not jazz? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.. Thank you.. And greetings from Canada.
Thanks! I don't have one to test, so that is a little difficult
@@JensLarsen I see your issue...... but that for the reply :)
Very fine video.
Could you talk about the guitar settings for comping the bigband.
Our guitarplayer interferes too much with the double bass making the instruments boomy while comping together.
Actually the settings I talk about in this video should accomplish that with turning down the bass and not turning down the tone on the guitar too much?
From 3:15 and on and especially the section at 4:15
Right. Seen the video again. Thx!
Thank you for the video. I am not really a fan of the sound with slight distortion, maybe for soloing, but not for chords. I read on the internet a lot of comments, saying that the Katana has not enough power to produce a really clean sound at higher volumes (even the 100 Watt version). would you confirm this? It might depend also on the avanced settings, but each amp has also its limits, depending on the way it is build.
You can probably better ask some people who gig this amp a lot. I don't use it for performing.
Whether or not I'm going through a PA either via a microphone or a direct box ultimately decides my sound for the audience, so of course I focus on my amp which I consider my personal monitor. I'm not a professional, I've just played a lot of coffee shop gigs - plus I own my own little performance place in a small town. Over the years which have been many I found consistently that the following technique works with a wide variety of gear and particularly with very inexpensive gear. I use two small amps - a bass amp - what most bass players might call a practice amp - and a regular guitar amp. I split my guitar signal and feed both amps with any effects going only to the guitar amp, or brighter amp. This keeps the bass clean and keeps chords from getting muddy. Now essentially I have two or three more channels of EQ and I can focus on that mid-range. The low frequencies also don't interfere within the speaker cone itself, and I can dial in a decent sound much quicker, particularly for varying room acoustics. Additionally I have used a small crossover (Rolls) to split the guitar signal which gives me a bit more separation and can be a set and forget kind of thing but it depends on the amps I'm using. Take care and love your music and teaching.
Have you ever tried playing guitar through bass amp? Bass being my primary instrument i sometimes play my af ibanez through ampeg pf800 on top of heritage 4x10, and i kinda like the tone when i dial bass down, and mid frequency knob is nice plus. That compare section in video was very useful, now i know more what i want to sound like
I have, when I first moved to the Hague and needed to get an amp then the guy in the shop insisted that for Jazz bass amps where better. I did not buy one. My girlfriend is a bass player, so every now and again if I teach I will use a bass amp if my amp is in the studio or something like that. The feel is really off for me, they don't react in the way that I want them to react at least.
I nearly added the amp buying anecdote to this video, but it was so long that I left it out :)
I feel like it’s easy to get a classic jazz tone on basically anything that passes a signal, but modern listeners just kinda expect More. It can be tricky to get a tone that “sounds like jazz” but still can fit into a modern mix. I’ve found putting a compressor after the preamp is a nice happy medium between preserving picking dynamics and beefing up super clean tones. iirc the katana can do this with the editor.
I don't think I agree with that. Plugging into a PA just does not respond like a good amp, and it certainly is also not a description of a lot the sounds you hear on 50's and 60's jazz albums.
Jens Larsen “anything that passes a signal” may have been too hyperbolic 😅
Hi Jens. Thanks for the great videos you upload. When you mic the Katana amp with the Shure SM57, does that then go into your computer? Are you then replacing the audio from the videos you record with the camera?
I record the SM57 separately and then I edit away the camera audio (when possible) so you only hear that when I am playing. Does that help?
@@JensLarsen Yes. Your voice is recorded to the camera though, right?
@@NotLolo yes
I own a D-V mark jazz head (50 watts) and 2 of the dedicated (2×8) jazz cabs and it for an affordable price gives a great jazz guitar sound warm and mellow tone try one out it sounds awesome
Great! I have never tried them, but cool that they work for you 👍
The 'acoustic' channel isn't an acoustic simulator, it's just a very clean, clean amp. Might be a better place to start? Don't have a Katana now, (too much fiddling, not enough playing).But when I did have one I only used the acoustic channel with outboard pedals.
Diming the gain on the clean amp can warm up the sound too.
I tried it briefly but it seemed like a worse starting point to me.
You don't need tubes for good tone, not any more. This amp is all I use for everything and it works very well. The key is to always leave it on the full wattage setting. Turning that down kills the tone. I also leave the gain and channel volume cranked on the clean channel then use the master and guitar volume to dial it in. Thet's where it really wakes up and shines.
Ok! I did indeed not try that :))
Hi, did you try to variation of the clean? I am not a fan of the standard Katana clean but the variation is much nicer
I don't remember, I think I did, but it didn't make the video