Boss KATANA Love?
- Thread starter Masta' C
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BRHGM
New member
Re: Boss KATANA Love?
I tried out a Katana 100 at the local GC after being disappointed by a Blues Jr Limited Ed with hemp speaker, a Bassbreaker 7 watt and a Blackstar HT 1RH. The Boss Katana sounded great. It was plenty loud at 1/2 watt mode and the speaker stayed clear and bright from clean amp to Brown sound. That much headroom in a SS amp is amazing. The best part was near every cool Boss pedal was on tap in easy to use controls. I disliked the Mustangs, ID Cores and Codes because they were too gimmicky and complicated. This amp you could gig with or record in a studio. I want one in a 212.
I tried out a Katana 100 at the local GC after being disappointed by a Blues Jr Limited Ed with hemp speaker, a Bassbreaker 7 watt and a Blackstar HT 1RH. The Boss Katana sounded great. It was plenty loud at 1/2 watt mode and the speaker stayed clear and bright from clean amp to Brown sound. That much headroom in a SS amp is amazing. The best part was near every cool Boss pedal was on tap in easy to use controls. I disliked the Mustangs, ID Cores and Codes because they were too gimmicky and complicated. This amp you could gig with or record in a studio. I want one in a 212.
Masta' C
Well-known member
Re: Boss KATANA Love?
I'm getting close to pulling the trigger on a new office/practice amp, but I'm rather torn on the Katana vs the new Mustang GT series! This is a good year to be in the market for a new SS amp, but the competition is fierce!
Has anyone played both a Katana AND a newer Mustang GT (note: not the older Mustangs)?
I'm getting close to pulling the trigger on a new office/practice amp, but I'm rather torn on the Katana vs the new Mustang GT series! This is a good year to be in the market for a new SS amp, but the competition is fierce!
Has anyone played both a Katana AND a newer Mustang GT (note: not the older Mustangs)?
Dusty.Rhoads
New member
Re: Boss KATANA Love?
Yes.
Katana 50 with Cannabis Rex speaker best sound overall. If you can connect to computer in your office so that you can pick the mix of effects for your style of the moment it would be my first choice.
Mustang GT 40 sounds very good too. If you want the convenience of selecting literary hundreds of different sounds from your iPhone and want something that you can use as a fairly good quality stereo for streaming music it would be a good choice.
What did you think of the Duality set you bought?
Yes.
Katana 50 with Cannabis Rex speaker best sound overall. If you can connect to computer in your office so that you can pick the mix of effects for your style of the moment it would be my first choice.
Mustang GT 40 sounds very good too. If you want the convenience of selecting literary hundreds of different sounds from your iPhone and want something that you can use as a fairly good quality stereo for streaming music it would be a good choice.
What did you think of the Duality set you bought?
Masta' C
Well-known member
Re: Boss KATANA Love?
I just watched a handful of reviews on the new Mustang GT amps now that they've been out a few weeks.
Most guys seem to like 'em, but those who didn't gel as well with the GT series seemed to have the same complaints across the board... weird filtering/out-of-phase effects in the overall voicing, not as pedal-friendly as the Katana, harder to adjust on the fly, etc.
They both seem very capable, but those reviews make me lean more toward the Katana, which I know has a clear sound and seems to take pedals as well or better than its old "Cube" bretheren.
BTW, whatever happened to Peavey's "Vypr Pro" from a year or two ago? I didn't really keep track of it, but it was supposed to best the rest of the "VIP" series. Haven't really heard/seen it brought up anywhere since!
Lastly, who's betting we see a new take on Yamaha's THR series this coming year at Winter NAMM? Something to compete with the Katana/Mustang, perhaps? A proper, larger version of the THR5/10 series is long overdue, IMO...
As for the Duality pickups, I just installed a bridge model in my Washburn Outlaw superstrat (originally made for George Lynch) and I'm putting new strings on it as I write this. I'll update you shortly
I just watched a handful of reviews on the new Mustang GT amps now that they've been out a few weeks.
Most guys seem to like 'em, but those who didn't gel as well with the GT series seemed to have the same complaints across the board... weird filtering/out-of-phase effects in the overall voicing, not as pedal-friendly as the Katana, harder to adjust on the fly, etc.
They both seem very capable, but those reviews make me lean more toward the Katana, which I know has a clear sound and seems to take pedals as well or better than its old "Cube" bretheren.
BTW, whatever happened to Peavey's "Vypr Pro" from a year or two ago? I didn't really keep track of it, but it was supposed to best the rest of the "VIP" series. Haven't really heard/seen it brought up anywhere since!
Lastly, who's betting we see a new take on Yamaha's THR series this coming year at Winter NAMM? Something to compete with the Katana/Mustang, perhaps? A proper, larger version of the THR5/10 series is long overdue, IMO...
As for the Duality pickups, I just installed a bridge model in my Washburn Outlaw superstrat (originally made for George Lynch) and I'm putting new strings on it as I write this. I'll update you shortly
Last edited:
BRHGM
New member
Re: Boss KATANA Love?
You really have to play them all until you find what you like. I like simple controls and the sturdiness that Boss offers on their products. The prices were also reasonable. Although, I disliked the Cannabis Rex with the Blues Jr, it could work with a Kitana. Which ever amp you get, if you get a head and a 212 cab, you can always return or sell the head and get a different amp. Good luck.
You really have to play them all until you find what you like. I like simple controls and the sturdiness that Boss offers on their products. The prices were also reasonable. Although, I disliked the Cannabis Rex with the Blues Jr, it could work with a Kitana. Which ever amp you get, if you get a head and a 212 cab, you can always return or sell the head and get a different amp. Good luck.
Dusty.Rhoads
New member
Re: Boss KATANA Love?
My big disappointment is that they do not connect to Fuse or any desktop app. Fuse really is a powerful tool that made the old Mustang tremendously easy to tweak even on the fly.
My big disappointment is that they do not connect to Fuse or any desktop app. Fuse really is a powerful tool that made the old Mustang tremendously easy to tweak even on the fly.
T-Bone-BBQ
New member
Re: Boss KATANA Love?
I did a practice with a band I'm helping out this evening with the katana 100 combo only on the .5 watt setting with the master volume around half way and it did fantastic. Plenty of good tones in that amp.
I did a practice with a band I'm helping out this evening with the katana 100 combo only on the .5 watt setting with the master volume around half way and it did fantastic. Plenty of good tones in that amp.
Hartattack
New member
donaldr
Well-known member
Re: Boss KATANA Love?
I picked-up a Katana 50w this Friday. After reading a lot of threads I found how to use the amp. The secret is really the Master Volume which should be fully clockwise to "simulate" power amp distortion as with a real tube amp (and also depending on the sound you want). 0.5w reacts the same as a 0.5w tube amp, 25w reacts the same as a 25w tube amp, etc. So if you like your 25w tube amp cranked, you need to crank the Katana. After deciding on power output (0.5w, 25w, 50w) then you start to experiment with the sound you want to have. Gain and Volume seems to be for preamp only.
To be honest the Katana feels like a tube amp: use your guitar volume to cleanup the sound and play softer/harder for dynamics. Clean channel is really good, Crunch channel can go from "almost clean" to real Crunch, Lead is a bit disappointing for now but I haven't spent enough time to tweak, and Brown is also good. Effects are usable but you really need to use Boss Tone Studio or Katana Floorboard apps to take full advantage of them. After 2 hours of playing at 0.5w, I achieved better results on clean/crunch channels with single coils playing blues/rock (and that's what I bought the Katana for). So no gigging for me with this amp, only fiddling in my living room with a strat when I don't what to go down in the basement.
I don't understand the SO big rave about the Katana, I think it's equal to a tube amp about 2-3 times the price and nothing more. Maybe equal to an old Peavey Bandit but with builtin Boss effects and much lighter. A good amp for players on a budget. Sound erring on the "EL-34" topology.
Ok wanted to update my post.
I picked-up a Katana 50w this Friday. After reading a lot of threads I found how to use the amp. The secret is really the Master Volume which should be fully clockwise to "simulate" power amp distortion as with a real tube amp (and also depending on the sound you want). 0.5w reacts the same as a 0.5w tube amp, 25w reacts the same as a 25w tube amp, etc. So if you like your 25w tube amp cranked, you need to crank the Katana. After deciding on power output (0.5w, 25w, 50w) then you start to experiment with the sound you want to have. Gain and Volume seems to be for preamp only.
To be honest the Katana feels like a tube amp: use your guitar volume to cleanup the sound and play softer/harder for dynamics. Clean channel is really good, Crunch channel can go from "almost clean" to real Crunch, Lead is a bit disappointing for now but I haven't spent enough time to tweak, and Brown is also good. Effects are usable but you really need to use Boss Tone Studio or Katana Floorboard apps to take full advantage of them. After 2 hours of playing at 0.5w, I achieved better results on clean/crunch channels with single coils playing blues/rock (and that's what I bought the Katana for). So no gigging for me with this amp, only fiddling in my living room with a strat when I don't what to go down in the basement.
I don't understand the SO big rave about the Katana, I think it's equal to a tube amp about 2-3 times the price and nothing more. Maybe equal to an old Peavey Bandit but with builtin Boss effects and much lighter. A good amp for players on a budget. Sound erring on the "EL-34" topology.
rustyjones13
New member
Re: Boss KATANA Love?
i have the 50watt & love it but should have got the 100watt as that one has and effects loop, just a little more usable. but love the 50watt can't go wrong with either!
i have the 50watt & love it but should have got the 100watt as that one has and effects loop, just a little more usable. but love the 50watt can't go wrong with either!
donaldr
Well-known member
Re: Boss KATANA Love?
I prefer the compact size and lower weight of the Katana 50. Once broken the speaker is really, really good.
And the Katana 100w is too loud for my home playing ;-)
But you are right depending of player needs, the Katana serie are really good amps for the money.
I which they make a 2u rackmount head.
I prefer the compact size and lower weight of the Katana 50. Once broken the speaker is really, really good.
And the Katana 100w is too loud for my home playing ;-)
But you are right depending of player needs, the Katana serie are really good amps for the money.
I which they make a 2u rackmount head.
