Boss Katana amps?

tahitijack

Joined: Nov 03, 2006
Posts: 693
San Clemente, CA
United States

Posted on Dec 01 2018 09:59 AM

I've been reading reviews of the Boss Katana. Of course most are very favorable.... almost suspiciously so.

Any one here have one, played one? Some real world review is appreciated.

—

Happy Sunsets!

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Surf_Skater

Joined: Sep 06, 2012
Posts: 1300
Lawrenceville , GA
United States

Posted on Dec 01 2018 11:05 AM

I've had one for a few months now and really like it. I wouldn't recommend it as a surf amp, but if you're looking for something to play around with for a lot of different genre's it's really good. You really need to use the editing software to get the most out of it.

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Samurai

Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2291
Kiev, Ukraine
Ukraine

Posted on Dec 02 2018 03:43 AM

I’ve played one, really good.
But I would prefer my Yamaha THR any time for plug and play bedroom amp.

—

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

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Surf_Skater

Joined: Sep 06, 2012
Posts: 1300
Lawrenceville , GA
United States

Posted on Dec 02 2018 05:58 AM

Forum member Big Ryan posted some side by side comparisons on his 60 cycle hum channel.

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Tqi

Joined: Dec 07, 2014
Posts: 1222
2 Security Pins

Posted on Dec 02 2018 06:42 AM

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 14:15:21

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Tqi

Joined: Dec 07, 2014
Posts: 1222
2 Security Pins

Posted on Dec 02 2018 06:43 AM

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 14:15:08

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bamboozer

Joined: Jan 18, 2010
Posts: 672
Delaware
1 Security Pin

Posted on Dec 02 2018 08:56 AM

Bought a Boss Katana 50 for small gigs and as a practice amp, it did well at both so I bought a Katana 100 for the cover band I play in. As noted not a good amp for surf, but it rocks hard and I've grown to love it. Here's the big thing: I hurt my back badly the summer before last, my 50 lb. amp days are over, this amp comes in at half that.

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tahitijack

Joined: Nov 03, 2006
Posts: 693
San Clemente, CA
United States

Posted on Dec 02 2018 09:15 AM

Yes, lugging a 50 pound amp around is a key consideration for a lot of us. Twin Reverb sounds great until you lift it up a flight of stairs....

—

Happy Sunsets!

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Surf_Skater

Joined: Sep 06, 2012
Posts: 1300
Lawrenceville , GA
United States

Posted on Dec 02 2018 09:37 AM

I also have the 100 watt version. It has a few more options than the 50.
The clean channel can sound a little sterile and works better with a clean boost. The spring reverb doesn't sound that good at higher levels. I use a pedal in the effects loop.
I've seen the 50 watt versions for $150 used. Most of us pay that for a pedal.
Modeling has certainly come a long way from just a couple years ago. A lot of big touring players are using Kemper, Fractal and Helix for convenience.

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Tqi

Joined: Dec 07, 2014
Posts: 1222
2 Security Pins

Posted on Dec 02 2018 10:14 AM

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 14:14:36

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Samurai

Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2291
Kiev, Ukraine
Ukraine

Posted on Dec 02 2018 11:38 AM

Tqi wrote:

And yes - I realise there are use cases for modelling amps, like cover bands that need to be able to play All Along The Watchtower, Wake Me Up and Day Tripper back to back - but outside of that situation, I really don't see the point.

(Ex-owner of modelling amps.)

Bedroom practice is the only point, but these amps are unrival here.

—

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

Top

stratdancer

Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2537
Akron, Ohio
United States

Posted on Dec 03 2018 05:28 AM

I had a Katana 50 for about a week hoping I could program some good drip for an office amp or next to the couch. It just couldn't do it. It's a decent little amp though but I have the original Vox VT 60 in the office and it does a better job modeling drip.

—

The Kahuna Kings

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447

https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases

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Brendan

Joined: Jul 06, 2006
Posts: 36

Posted on Dec 27 2018 07:47 PM

I live in the city with lots of close neighbors. Running a tube amp at the hours I like to play just isn't going to work. I wanted something with decent headphone output, effects loop, quiet practice capability and the ability to crank it when I can. Oh, an aux-in port for backing track or digitech trio use. The Katana head checked all those boxes. Perfect? No. Neither is a tube amp at neighbor friendly volumes. The 5w or less small amps are designed to grind. I want clean.
First off, it's easy to dismiss the 5 amp choices. If you look, you'll see there are 28 other amps available to download online. It seems the Boss GT-100 has profiles that you can import. Of my 8 presets available on my control board, four are Fender and a "Twin" is occupying the #1 position.
I didn't consider the purchase as a stand-alone tool. I own a Guyatone FR-3000V outboard tank, so lots of drip on tap. I own decent delay and tremolo pedals and they are in the effects loop. The built in effects seem decent. There's a lot of tweak potential for the amp profiles and effects. Ive got a 13" laptop plugged in next to it and I can make changes on the fly until I'm settled in with it. The headphone-out quality isn't as good as I hoped, but the 5" speaker built into the head sounds great and quiet enough to make the headphones unnecessary. I have it all set up on a rolling cart - plug and play. I'll probably move out of the city in a few years and when I do, I'll buy another tube amp. While I really enjoy this setup, I know a tube amp sounds better to my ears.

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surfdude2000

Joined: Nov 24, 2008
Posts: 10
Latteville, WA USA
1 News Pin

Posted on Jul 09 2021 10:09 PM

I got a great deal on a used Katana MKIi and thought I’d see how it faired as a surf amp. I live in an apartment, so the line out and headphone recording options were a big plus. The big test however, was how it would sound with a Fender reverb tank and a few pedals plugged in. Overall, the amp sounds fantastic, but I noticed some major issues when I plugged in my effects pedals and reverb tank. First, I noticed that my BOSS CS-3 compressor sounded extremely spongy, even when the sustain was turned completely off. My TS9 and BD-2 sounded fine, but the compressor was useless. I then tried my Fender reverb tank and found that it also didn’t work anything like when I plug into a tube amp. The reverb seems to ring forever, even with the dwell turned down. It’s hard to describe, but it just doesn’t sound right. Something in the input stage of the Katana just doesn’t match up with the reverb tank. I wish it wasn’t so, because the Katana is definitely loud enough and clean enough, but it doesn’t handle effects pedals as well as some other solid state amps. I hear that Quilters are much more pedal friendly and used successfully by many surf guitarists.

—

Joe Jabon
Banzai Surf on Facebook

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Gilette

Joined: May 04, 2014
Posts: 734
Montserrat

Posted on Jul 10 2021 01:04 AM

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Last edited: Mar 03, 2022 04:40:34

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tahitijack Joined: Nov 03, 2006 Posts: 693 San Clemente, CA	Posted on Dec 01 2018 09:59 AM I've been reading reviews of the Boss Katana. Of course most are very favorable.... almost suspiciously so. Any one here have one, played one? Some real world review is appreciated. — Happy Sunsets! Top
Surf_Skater Joined: Sep 06, 2012 Posts: 1300 Lawrenceville , GA	Posted on Dec 01 2018 11:05 AM I've had one for a few months now and really like it. I wouldn't recommend it as a surf amp, but if you're looking for something to play around with for a lot of different genre's it's really good. You really need to use the editing software to get the most out of it. Top
Samurai Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2291 Kiev, Ukraine	Posted on Dec 02 2018 03:43 AM I’ve played one, really good. But I would prefer my Yamaha THR any time for plug and play bedroom amp. — Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki Lost Diver https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin Top
Surf_Skater Joined: Sep 06, 2012 Posts: 1300 Lawrenceville , GA	Posted on Dec 02 2018 05:58 AM Forum member Big Ryan posted some side by side comparisons on his 60 cycle hum channel. Top
Tqi Joined: Dec 07, 2014 Posts: 1222	Posted on Dec 02 2018 06:42 AM - Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 14:15:21 Top
Tqi Joined: Dec 07, 2014 Posts: 1222	Posted on Dec 02 2018 06:43 AM - Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 14:15:08 Top
bamboozer Joined: Jan 18, 2010 Posts: 672 Delaware	Posted on Dec 02 2018 08:56 AM Bought a Boss Katana 50 for small gigs and as a practice amp, it did well at both so I bought a Katana 100 for the cover band I play in. As noted not a good amp for surf, but it rocks hard and I've grown to love it. Here's the big thing: I hurt my back badly the summer before last, my 50 lb. amp days are over, this amp comes in at half that. Top
tahitijack Joined: Nov 03, 2006 Posts: 693 San Clemente, CA	Posted on Dec 02 2018 09:15 AM Yes, lugging a 50 pound amp around is a key consideration for a lot of us. Twin Reverb sounds great until you lift it up a flight of stairs.... — Happy Sunsets! Top
Surf_Skater Joined: Sep 06, 2012 Posts: 1300 Lawrenceville , GA	Posted on Dec 02 2018 09:37 AM I also have the 100 watt version. It has a few more options than the 50. The clean channel can sound a little sterile and works better with a clean boost. The spring reverb doesn't sound that good at higher levels. I use a pedal in the effects loop. I've seen the 50 watt versions for $150 used. Most of us pay that for a pedal. Modeling has certainly come a long way from just a couple years ago. A lot of big touring players are using Kemper, Fractal and Helix for convenience. Top
Tqi Joined: Dec 07, 2014 Posts: 1222	Posted on Dec 02 2018 10:14 AM - Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 14:14:36 Top
Samurai Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2291 Kiev, Ukraine	Posted on Dec 02 2018 11:38 AM Tqi wrote: And yes - I realise there are use cases for modelling amps, like cover bands that need to be able to play All Along The Watchtower, Wake Me Up and Day Tripper back to back - but outside of that situation, I really don't see the point. (Ex-owner of modelling amps.) Bedroom practice is the only point, but these amps are unrival here. — Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki Lost Diver https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin Top
stratdancer Joined: Dec 11, 2013 Posts: 2537 Akron, Ohio	Posted on Dec 03 2018 05:28 AM I had a Katana 50 for about a week hoping I could program some good drip for an office amp or next to the couch. It just couldn't do it. It's a decent little amp though but I have the original Vox VT 60 in the office and it does a better job modeling drip. — The Kahuna Kings https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447 https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases Top
Brendan Joined: Jul 06, 2006 Posts: 36	Posted on Dec 27 2018 07:47 PM I live in the city with lots of close neighbors. Running a tube amp at the hours I like to play just isn't going to work. I wanted something with decent headphone output, effects loop, quiet practice capability and the ability to crank it when I can. Oh, an aux-in port for backing track or digitech trio use. The Katana head checked all those boxes. Perfect? No. Neither is a tube amp at neighbor friendly volumes. The 5w or less small amps are designed to grind. I want clean. First off, it's easy to dismiss the 5 amp choices. If you look, you'll see there are 28 other amps available to download online. It seems the Boss GT-100 has profiles that you can import. Of my 8 presets available on my control board, four are Fender and a "Twin" is occupying the #1 position. I didn't consider the purchase as a stand-alone tool. I own a Guyatone FR-3000V outboard tank, so lots of drip on tap. I own decent delay and tremolo pedals and they are in the effects loop. The built in effects seem decent. There's a lot of tweak potential for the amp profiles and effects. Ive got a 13" laptop plugged in next to it and I can make changes on the fly until I'm settled in with it. The headphone-out quality isn't as good as I hoped, but the 5" speaker built into the head sounds great and quiet enough to make the headphones unnecessary. I have it all set up on a rolling cart - plug and play. I'll probably move out of the city in a few years and when I do, I'll buy another tube amp. While I really enjoy this setup, I know a tube amp sounds better to my ears. Top
surfdude2000 Joined: Nov 24, 2008 Posts: 10 Latteville, WA USA	Posted on Jul 09 2021 10:09 PM I got a great deal on a used Katana MKIi and thought I’d see how it faired as a surf amp. I live in an apartment, so the line out and headphone recording options were a big plus. The big test however, was how it would sound with a Fender reverb tank and a few pedals plugged in. Overall, the amp sounds fantastic, but I noticed some major issues when I plugged in my effects pedals and reverb tank. First, I noticed that my BOSS CS-3 compressor sounded extremely spongy, even when the sustain was turned completely off. My TS9 and BD-2 sounded fine, but the compressor was useless. I then tried my Fender reverb tank and found that it also didn’t work anything like when I plug into a tube amp. The reverb seems to ring forever, even with the dwell turned down. It’s hard to describe, but it just doesn’t sound right. Something in the input stage of the Katana just doesn’t match up with the reverb tank. I wish it wasn’t so, because the Katana is definitely loud enough and clean enough, but it doesn’t handle effects pedals as well as some other solid state amps. I hear that Quilters are much more pedal friendly and used successfully by many surf guitarists. — Joe Jabon Banzai Surf on Facebook Top
Gilette Joined: May 04, 2014 Posts: 734	Posted on Jul 10 2021 01:04 AM - Last edited: Mar 03, 2022 04:40:34 Top

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Boss Katana amps?