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Picked up a Boss Katana "Artist" on a whim.
I already own the Katana 100 and have been completely happy with it as a clear improvement over the Katana 50 in terms of depth of sound and added features. I could easily go on using the Katana 100 and be completely satisfied.
However, for those who can afford it, the Katana "Artist" is a worthy investment over the Katana 100. Equally capable, but the Waza speaker, slightly larger cabinet and semi-closed back design rounds out the tonal package in a way that's hard to describe. It's more lively and fuller sounding in person. Simply satisfying, to be honest. Truly handles the power the Katana is capable of in a clear and musical way. No "boxiness" at all.
Plus, the controls are back on the front of the amp. I liked the contemporary styling of the KTN-100 and KTN-50, with the panel hidden on top in the back, but for on-the-fly adjustments, it's a bit of an inconvenience, even if the layout is highly intuitive. The Artist puts the controls back where they belong.
All in all, I'm incredibly happy with it. Not everyone will want to invest that much into a non-tube amp, but you really can't get a better tone for the money and the features and manufacturer/end-user support are second-to-none.
I already own the Katana 100 and have been completely happy with it as a clear improvement over the Katana 50 in terms of depth of sound and added features. I could easily go on using the Katana 100 and be completely satisfied.
However, for those who can afford it, the Katana "Artist" is a worthy investment over the Katana 100. Equally capable, but the Waza speaker, slightly larger cabinet and semi-closed back design rounds out the tonal package in a way that's hard to describe. It's more lively and fuller sounding in person. Simply satisfying, to be honest. Truly handles the power the Katana is capable of in a clear and musical way. No "boxiness" at all.
Plus, the controls are back on the front of the amp. I liked the contemporary styling of the KTN-100 and KTN-50, with the panel hidden on top in the back, but for on-the-fly adjustments, it's a bit of an inconvenience, even if the layout is highly intuitive. The Artist puts the controls back where they belong.
All in all, I'm incredibly happy with it. Not everyone will want to invest that much into a non-tube amp, but you really can't get a better tone for the money and the features and manufacturer/end-user support are second-to-none.
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