Great review, thank you for the overhead shots of your control panel. My reasons for picking the Catalyst 60 ... it's small and lightweight. The built-in HX effects. The ability to adjust settings using the Catalyst Editor application. I haven't tried gigging with it (not sure I would), but it's a perfect home and studio amplifier.
26:13 -- "The George Lynch Dokken Days Are Here Again" setting 😁 Great review. I've owned this for awhile, but still like to get others' opinions on it. Thanks!
Thanks Sean, I was on the fence about getting one of these. But when you showed that it can be used as a powered speaker for a multi effects processor, now I want one! I think I’ll try the 100watt one. Thanks
thank you my brother! glad it could help you out. Check my sweetwater link if you want to get one. I get a small commission to fund content on the channel
Bought a 100w this week for a super price. It can get loud, and still sounds great even down on the 1/2 watt attenuator setting. A great buy considering the sound and price
This thing sounds fantastic and I am in shock! I'm a tube snob from the jump LOL. In my 30 years of music retail I met a rep for the Quilter line and he took me through the paces of a single 12" 200 watt amp that did everything from a tweed, to a jcm 120 to, boogie........ you get the idea. And they are all incredibly authentic. I would love to have you do a shootout between the Quilter and the Catalyst! That would be fascinating! By the way, your feed showed up to me this last week so I am a new subscriber and I've shared to a handful of guitar playing buddies and students! Thanks for your hard work and in-depth analysis of this mighty fine amplifier!❤🎸🔊🎶💯☕️🚬
I have a the 200 watt Catalyst and I love its the best Solid state Amp I have ever owned I don't use any of the effects other then a little Reverb and Delay I use the clean Chanel with my Boss ME 80 it love pedals and pedalborads I have a Mesa Boogie and a Modified Fender Deville and I haven't even been using my tube Amps since I bought my Catalyst I love the 200 watt Catalyst if gives me more fulness I love the XLR in the back I go right in the PA I suggest you try them all out before you buy one but my favorite is the 200 watt bar none it gives you a fatter sound I have had mine sine they first came out and I haven't had no problems what so ever the tone is great thanks for the great video 😎🎸🤟
@@SeanPierceJohnson You're so right about that. I recently learned that pedals / amp sim pedals can be plugged into the Catalyst's Return Loop, and switching the amp mode to BYPASS Mode allows amp sim pedals like the Two Notes C.A.B. M + to utilize just the amp's power amp and speaker! Funny thing though, when I used my Two Notes pedal in this way with my Catalyst amp, my Music Man Sims didn't sound good coming out of the Catalyst speaker. However, the Fender Sims did sound like the Music Man Sims from the Catalyst. Go figure, huh? Lol
Best review of this Amp! Thankyou for posting. The Catalyst is not perfect, but its tones are definitely above the competition. I bought the Cat60 & liked it so much, that, last week I bought the 200, and with two speakers, it sounds absolutely awesome, fuller and even closer to a valve amp than the 60. Specially at low volume (attenuates down to 1/2W just like the Cat60) 👍
thanks for watching Leo and the kind words. I do indeed love this amp. I wasn't so sure I'd want to keep it around but I still enjoy messing around with the software and playing it.
Phew, this is good news.. I've got a 200 coming in about a week. Is it ear splittingly loud though? How are the speakers, would you ever consider swapping them out or are they good ?
@@Crabfather It's loud, but I am only after good tones at studio/home/bedroom volume level. I dont gig. Yes it's very lound on the 200W setting, but mine lives on the 0.5W and sounds great for $ I paid for it. Am even using the power amp as FRFR for my Fractal FM3.
I've had a Cat 100 for a year and love it. I use it as a powered monitor for my HX Stomp and Helix, but it's great as a stand alone amp. I use it at jams stand alone, and gigs with the HX stuff. Works great, gets loud...
This sounds way better than a Katana. Never really liked Line 6 amps (always loved their pedals) but this demo changes my mind. Great sounds- Great chops
a year ago, i got a used Line 6 Spyder 2x12 combo amp., it got damaged in shipping when i got ti. So i took out the 2 v30's and the tubes. I've seen these for sale on Reverb.
I'm a Metal player and didnt hear anything that sounded like a decent playable Metal Tone . So either this Amp doesnt do that style well or you dont know how to dial in a Chunky Metal tone . So does it CHUG ? Still a question of mine ??
The Spider was my amp for a while, that was a long time ago. It was a Spider 3 2x12. I had a "friend" try to steal it and my other friend literally begged me to sell it to them. That was over 20 years ago, but its funny to think how much things have changed. Would you say this amp is similar to L6's current gen multi effects?
It is strange isn’t it?! I still have my old POD 2.0 and will bust it out every now and then. Wild times and the tech has moved SO FAST! Yeah, I’d say the effects are on pay with what you get in the Helix and the DL4 mkII. So seem like “Legacy” effects and other feel more refined.
I would love to see you do a shootout between the Quilter 1×12 by 200 watt guitar amplifier. I think it's a lot more versatile than this amplifier and having been around the dealer tep for a number of years I think it sounds far better. Just my humble opinion and like I said I would love to hear you do a shootout between the 2 amps. Again new subscriber here, smashed the hell out of the like button and have shared to five of my buddies and students! Great job not sure what I think about this amp just yet.
I own a Spider V 60, and I’m just very impressed with the way it sounds and works. Incredible value and a joy to play with. I play early country, blues, a little jazz, some Hendrix, 90s music. If you’re a chunka-chunka metalhead ymmv. It’s like some kind of badge of honor for people to crap on Line6.
I own that amp and it's infinite in settings and tone models amp models the thing is infinite and sounds superb. The only amps I've ever chose to buy is the boss katana 100w and the spider v 60 .that being said I still own both and can piggyback the tone from the line six and play through the katana for verry high clean volumes
Nice amp for the price and perfect for practice.But just a bit thin or the treble just a bit high.Needs more warmth in the bass side.Missing a boost feature on the pedal too.But still a decent amp.Thanks for the review 👏
No disrespect to anyone, but can't say I'm that impressed with this amp. For about the same price (maybe cheaper if you're patient) I'd recommend the peavey vypyr tube 60 if you want a killer modeling amp.
Easily the best sounding budget amp money can buy. Compared to my Catalyst, my Katana sounds thin and fizzy. I never could come to like the Boss unit, no matter how much I tweaked it. It wasn’t til I ran a Pod Go into the amp in that I could make it sound good to me, which led me down the path of getting a Catalyst. Anyway, great demo! Thanks for the video.
And you have the best feature : the headphone out Paired with a JBL Partybox 310 it sounds even better I don’t know why musicians don’t use headphone jacks more , sounds way better than the original speaker
I mean…it’s a combo so I don’t particularly want to be carrying around another speaker. I suppose the same result could be accomplished running the DI out to an FRFR cab . Sadly though, not all headphone outs are created equal.
@@SeanPierceJohnson That's true, some are unfortunately seen as afterthoughts. And it's a combo, not the most practical indeed. That's why at home, I mainly have amp heads. Where I wanted to get to is that having a headphone out has been the best discovery for me. I was never satisfied with my cabs before, even though I tried all the major and smaller brands. When I connect to my JBL, I find it unbeatable.
You can pick these up new in the UK for £115 now. Seems like a complete bargain at that price, I picked one up for my son now that he's outgrown his starter amp and wants to experiment more.
Thanks for the detailed run down of Catalyst 60. Did you cover the handy 'Noise Gate' option on the front panel, if so I missed it (press/hold Boost button/turn knob: 9-12=Bypassed, >12=enabled) . In my mind it comes down to the Catalyst 60 with the convenience of XLR Out and FX Loop versus Katana 50 with neither (making using a looper a pita for one thing). Where's that necessary channel switching pedal? I bought a VOX Mini Go 50 amp that had the same lack of a pedal, I was assured could be ordered after market, then they couldn't supply me with one in Canada, so I gave the amp away to family and never going to buy Vox again. Line 6 made a mistake with skipping the pedal, Line 6 have a silly low price for the Cats in stores right now cause they aren't selling and maybe including the pedal would have helped.
Awesome review, I used to be a "tube snob", but have adapted my bias (pun intended) over the years. My biggest gripe however? Is the tendency for manufacturers to use Class D power amplification over Class A/B. Call me old fashioned, but I tend to gel more with amps, digital or not, that use Class A/B i.e. Boss Katana, Orange Pedal Baby/Super Crush ect... IDK? Something about solid state Class A/B just "feels" right IMO? The Covid outbreak forced me to liquidate a majority of my gear (Amps/Guitars/Pedals), and after selling my Katana 50 MKII? I was for months forced into surviving on just amp sim plugins. Recently however I've adapted to using a Vox Valve Energy (Nu-Tube) Silk Drive preamp pedal as a way to use analog drive pedals into said amp sims, and I dare say? The results have been pretty awesome!
i use digitech rp350 multi effects pedals for the last 10 years , the pedal are 15 years old , have not found a single pedal that i prefer better , tried quite a few bread and butter pedals and they do nothing better then my 15 year old multi effects pedal , i own 15 cheap, but great pedals that i never use because they don't do anything the digitech can't do , digital modeling suffered from a smear campaign , it has always been good , the one flaw they have is a pretty steep learning curve , but like anything once you become familiar then it ain't a big deal ..
Don't compare current modellers with an old Digitech. I'm a Digitech fan to and I have all the rp series and the gsp series... But when you play on a Fractal, Helix, Kemper it's a noticeable difference. The only Digitech comparable is the gsp1101
You should look into the quilter single 12 200 watt solid-state amp man. I personally I think it's stuffs this amp and is far more versatile. Just my opinion but go on RUclips and check it out man I think it's like $800 for that amplifier which is ridiculous for everything you get out of it
I need a practice amp that can do death metal. I have a 6505 but I can’t turn it up to the point where it sounds good and I just play for fun so I just need something that sounds good at lower levels. Looking at this or Katana artist
One reverb, and one from any of the following: delay, modulation (like chorus), or pitch (like an octaver). There’s also a dedicated boost. If you want to play a flanger through a delay, you’re going to need a pedal. If you go that route I’d probably recommend getting a delay.
I have a question to you. I use a JTV Variax through a POD X3 currently, primarily for church worship. I often use a modeled Martin acoustic through a simple preamp on the POD which goes to the house. Sounds pretty good for a modeled acoustic. Do you think the Catalyst Clean channel would sound right for an acoustic, either the modeled Variax or a true acoustic plugged in?
well, I have no experience w/ the POD x3 nor the JTVs. i don't like making recommendations where there's too much gear I have not used or even had a cursory glance at. could it work? I suppose. would it sound good? maybe. I personally don't like acoustic guitar amps very much, nor do I particularly like plugging acoustic into electric amps. But an acoustic electric plugged in sounds okay.
For a not so great player would you recommend this over a spark 40? I had a spark but gave it to my son now I'm looking for a new amp for myself. Definitely more into the metal/punk/hardcore style of music. But want something that all around good
How can you see which position is the Selector button (clean, boutique, etc)? I don't see any mark on the button to know what is selected. I have ordered this amp and going to receive it tomorrow.
Thank you for the review, I got a lot out of it, and I'm really expecting to get one soon, a decision you helped me make. I'm not disagreeing with you about the foot pedal; it would be nice to see it included. I'm only going to try to answer your question, "Why not", from an OEM point of view. This product is exceptional value, and in a market segment more heavily price-sensitive than, say the £1200-1500 tube amp sector. I don't have data to back up my opinion, but I expect the margins are tighter. It makes sense to sell the box with a headline price of ~£250, then add the ~£40 pedal, for those who want it. That's the second side of the same coin; if I'm a consumer who is NOT interested in the pedal, and it's included, then all I see is extra cost I didn't need. It's a tricky one, and I imagine Line 6 thought long and hard about it, but I think they got the difficult decision right, by leaving the pedal out of the box.
Glad you got something from the video! I hope it does well for you 👍 I think if the footswitch were more than 2 button, leaving the footswitch out would make sense. But if it’s small, and low cost, I don’t see why you wouldn’t. Especially when NONE of the literature indicates whether the amp does or not.
The amp is great, but man that Les Paul needs some attention to the setup. Just my opinion 😊🧐🤔😬 Lol 😆 I'm just messing about Actually, I think you just wanted to show those bad boys off, not so much the amp 🫵🎸🎶🕺🎈🎉
Thanks for the review! I'm an old fart, never even picked up an electric until a few years ago, will never be a fast lead player, but play a good rhythm. Because of the above, thought all i needed was cheapo use-at-home-only amp. Got a Katana but can't stand it. My favorite-ever local guitarist suggested an mkii. As i started looking into Line 6, there's SO MANY model numbers,etc... How in the world do i sift through what's what? Aye yai yai. Not expecting a long response, but can you somehow direct me to getting that information? (Of course, there's 10 billion videos to watch too...ugh). Looking to spend 400 tops. Thank you!
Hey there man! First off, thanks for watching. I hope you learned something. To your actual questions: how do you sift through? Man, even for me it’s tough because there is SO MUCH out there. But you have to ask yourself “what do I NEED?”. Need is greater than want. Do you need a consistent amp for home use? Do you need something you can take to jams? You need to be honest with yourself about what your gear needs are. I’ve recently played a mkII Katana and I enjoyed it. But I did like the mk1 Katanas so I had a basis of familiarity and comparison. But chances are, if you didn’t like the first, you may not like the latest. Play as much in person as you can. If you can’t, find a retailer with a good return policy. I can definitely recommend the Catalyst 60, but some of the extra features may be a BIT much for you. Anyway, I hope this helps and happy to help further.
@@SeanPierceJohnson thank you! Well? I doubt I'll ever really be gigging out with an amp, but I DO have one I'll be playing down the road. Any time I've ever tried playing the Katana with a group, I've had a FEW guitarists say it sounds miserable and we even tried tweaking it, to no avail. Sounds good in my bedroom, sick out and about. So... I would like something that will sound good in a regular 'ol jam with the boys but CAN be played on stage I care for my mom now so I really can't play out for now but eventually, I do get asked to play places here and there. Just can't, but want to be able to play right away with the right amp when the time comes. Sorry for the ramble!
I have this amp and will return it in a few days. From the rock and metal standpoint, this is simply awful. Ice pick highs are abound...I wonder if the R-n-D ever plugged it in because it is ridiculously pitiful. Whoever OK'd this amp to be released should be fired.
This amp sounds like crap every single person trying to push this amp can't make it sound good for anything but cheap fender solid state amps..not your fault it just blows...
do you have any amp suggestions for a beginner? my friends dad gave me his 2015 american stratocaster for my birthday, i just have to get an amp. also i've never played guitar so im a complete noob.
Without question the worst amp I have ever played in regards to high gain. Fizzy thin and empty notes when playing single lead notes. How this ever got the OK to leave the RnD department is unexplainable. My old POD 2.0 kills this in any highgain mode.
Sounds like an incredibly expensive well miked guitar amp in a high end studio. Love it.
Thanks
dude i don't think thats a compliment, hes stating that your taking an okish amp and using all your tricks to sell it. @@SeanPierceJohnson
Great review, thank you for the overhead shots of your control panel. My reasons for picking the Catalyst 60 ... it's small and lightweight. The built-in HX effects. The ability to adjust settings using the Catalyst Editor application. I haven't tried gigging with it (not sure I would), but it's a perfect home and studio amplifier.
glad you enjoy it! I've considered gigging with it but its so easy for me to use a pedal amp sim. one day though....
26:13 -- "The George Lynch Dokken Days Are Here Again" setting 😁 Great review. I've owned this for awhile, but still like to get others' opinions on it. Thanks!
Awesome. This is the best review I have seen on this amp.
Thanks Sean, I was on the fence about getting one of these. But when you showed that it can be used as a powered speaker for a multi effects processor, now I want one! I think I’ll try the 100watt one. Thanks
thank you my brother! glad it could help you out. Check my sweetwater link if you want to get one. I get a small commission to fund content on the channel
Bought a 100w this week for a super price. It can get loud, and still sounds great even down on the 1/2 watt attenuator setting. A great buy considering the sound and price
For sure! You can get these on a great deal these days
The Dynamic amp was incredible. Reminds me of the "Dynamic" drive mode on my Audi.
Sounds Good all around, Sean, Thanks for the review, and Demo. Be Well.
Thanks for the review. Food for thought, enjoyed it
Happy to do it man. That’s what I make ‘em for.
This thing sounds fantastic and I am in shock! I'm a tube snob from the jump LOL. In my 30 years of music retail I met a rep for the Quilter line and he took me through the paces of a single 12" 200 watt amp that did everything from a tweed, to a jcm 120 to, boogie........ you get the idea. And they are all incredibly authentic. I would love to have you do a shootout between the Quilter and the Catalyst! That would be fascinating! By the way, your feed showed up to me this last week so I am a new subscriber and I've shared to a handful of guitar playing buddies and students! Thanks for your hard work and in-depth analysis of this mighty fine amplifier!❤🎸🔊🎶💯☕️🚬
I have a the 200 watt Catalyst and I love its the best Solid state Amp I have ever owned I don't use any of the effects other then a little Reverb and Delay I use the clean Chanel with my Boss ME 80 it love pedals and pedalborads I have a Mesa Boogie and a Modified Fender Deville and I haven't even been using my tube Amps since I bought my Catalyst I love the 200 watt Catalyst if gives me more fulness I love the XLR in the back I go right in the PA I suggest you try them all out before you buy one but my favorite is the 200 watt bar none it gives you a fatter sound I have had mine sine they first came out and I haven't had no problems what so ever the tone is great thanks for the great video 😎🎸🤟
Very helpful. Thanks! I had no idea that my 60 had so many features! The CLEAN sounds were my favorite.
The clean is very good! Takes pedals decently too
@@SeanPierceJohnson You're so right about that. I recently learned that pedals / amp sim pedals can be plugged into the Catalyst's Return Loop, and switching the amp mode to BYPASS Mode allows amp sim pedals like the Two Notes C.A.B. M + to utilize just the amp's power amp and speaker! Funny thing though, when I used my Two Notes pedal in this way with my Catalyst amp, my Music Man Sims didn't sound good coming out of the Catalyst speaker. However, the Fender Sims did sound like the Music Man Sims from the Catalyst. Go figure, huh? Lol
It could be that the ones that don’t sound good have a speaker sim on it. Speaker sims thru guitar speakers can crest phasing issues
@@SeanPierceJohnson I hadn't even thought of that. Thanks so much!
Best review of this Amp! Thankyou for posting.
The Catalyst is not perfect, but its tones are definitely above the competition. I bought the Cat60 & liked it so much, that, last week I bought the 200, and with two speakers, it sounds absolutely awesome, fuller and even closer to a valve amp than the 60. Specially at low volume (attenuates down to 1/2W just like the Cat60) 👍
thanks for watching Leo and the kind words. I do indeed love this amp. I wasn't so sure I'd want to keep it around but I still enjoy messing around with the software and playing it.
Phew, this is good news.. I've got a 200 coming in about a week. Is it ear splittingly loud though? How are the speakers, would you ever consider swapping them out or are they good ?
@@Crabfather It's loud, but I am only after good tones at studio/home/bedroom volume level. I dont gig. Yes it's very lound on the 200W setting, but mine lives on the 0.5W and sounds great for $ I paid for it. Am even using the power amp as FRFR for my Fractal FM3.
I've had a Cat 100 for a year and love it. I use it as a powered monitor for my HX Stomp and Helix, but it's great as a stand alone amp. I use it at jams stand alone, and gigs with the HX stuff. Works great, gets loud...
it DOES get loud
When you use the power amp in with your HX Stomp, do you have cab sims on or off? Thanks!
I use the dream 65 and cab sim ON@@lionelhutz3170
This sounds way better than a Katana. Never really liked Line 6 amps (always loved their pedals) but this demo changes my mind. Great sounds- Great chops
Yes, it's that good. I'm about to hit the road with my 200. Never looking back.
excellent! happy touring
a year ago, i got a used Line 6 Spyder 2x12 combo amp., it got damaged in shipping when i got ti. So i took out the 2 v30's and the tubes. I've seen these for sale on Reverb.
Own this amp and confirm it's a killer!
Waiting on mine to show up this week, can’t wait to hear what it sounds like
Do you have the 60 watt version?
I'm a Metal player and didnt hear anything that sounded like a decent playable Metal Tone . So either this Amp doesnt do that style well or you dont know how to dial in a Chunky Metal tone . So does it CHUG ? Still a question of mine ??
What, in your experience, do you consider to be a good metal amp.
I have one on order from Sweetwater, the best music store that ever existed.
The Spider was my amp for a while, that was a long time ago. It was a Spider 3 2x12. I had a "friend" try to steal it and my other friend literally begged me to sell it to them. That was over 20 years ago, but its funny to think how much things have changed. Would you say this amp is similar to L6's current gen multi effects?
It is strange isn’t it?! I still have my old POD 2.0 and will bust it out every now and then. Wild times and the tech has moved SO FAST!
Yeah, I’d say the effects are on pay with what you get in the Helix and the DL4 mkII. So seem like “Legacy” effects and other feel more refined.
nice presentation Sir!
I would love to see you do a shootout between the Quilter 1×12 by 200 watt guitar amplifier. I think it's a lot more versatile than this amplifier and having been around the dealer tep for a number of years I think it sounds far better. Just my humble opinion and like I said I would love to hear you do a shootout between the 2 amps. Again new subscriber here, smashed the hell out of the like button and have shared to five of my buddies and students! Great job not sure what I think about this amp just yet.
Sean, great job as always - this amp may have to replace my Spark.
I own a Spider V 60, and I’m just very impressed with the way it sounds and works. Incredible value and a joy to play with. I play early country, blues, a little jazz, some Hendrix, 90s music. If you’re a chunka-chunka metalhead ymmv. It’s like some kind of badge of honor for people to crap on Line6.
I own that amp and it's infinite in settings and tone models amp models the thing is infinite and sounds superb. The only amps I've ever chose to buy is the boss katana 100w and the spider v 60 .that being said I still own both and can piggyback the tone from the line six and play through the katana for verry high clean volumes
Great Demo.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed
Nice amp for the price and perfect for practice.But just a bit thin or the treble just a bit high.Needs more warmth in the bass side.Missing a boost feature on the pedal too.But still a decent amp.Thanks for the review 👏
No disrespect to anyone, but can't say I'm that impressed with this amp.
For about the same price (maybe cheaper if you're patient) I'd recommend the peavey vypyr tube 60 if you want a killer modeling amp.
great video bro
Thanks bud
Easily the best sounding budget amp money can buy. Compared to my Catalyst, my Katana sounds thin and fizzy. I never could come to like the Boss unit, no matter how much I tweaked it. It wasn’t til I ran a Pod Go into the amp in that I could make it sound good to me, which led me down the path of getting a Catalyst.
Anyway, great demo! Thanks for the video.
Seriously thinking of dumping my Cybertwin SE for a Catalyst 60. So many advantages and I’m not getting any younger…
man...Cybertwin...talk about a throwback
And you have the best feature : the headphone out
Paired with a JBL Partybox 310 it sounds even better
I don’t know why musicians don’t use headphone jacks more , sounds way better than the original speaker
I mean…it’s a combo so I don’t particularly want to be carrying around another speaker.
I suppose the same result could be accomplished running the DI out to an FRFR cab . Sadly though, not all headphone outs are created equal.
@@SeanPierceJohnson That's true, some are unfortunately seen as afterthoughts.
And it's a combo, not the most practical indeed. That's why at home, I mainly have amp heads.
Where I wanted to get to is that having a headphone out has been the best discovery for me. I was never satisfied with my cabs before, even though I tried all the major and smaller brands.
When I connect to my JBL, I find it unbeatable.
You can pick these up new in the UK for £115 now. Seems like a complete bargain at that price, I picked one up for my son now that he's outgrown his starter amp and wants to experiment more.
Thanks for the detailed run down of Catalyst 60. Did you cover the handy 'Noise Gate' option on the front panel, if so I missed it (press/hold Boost button/turn knob: 9-12=Bypassed, >12=enabled) . In my mind it comes down to the Catalyst 60 with the convenience of XLR Out and FX Loop versus Katana 50 with neither (making using a looper a pita for one thing). Where's that necessary channel switching pedal? I bought a VOX Mini Go 50 amp that had the same lack of a pedal, I was assured could be ordered after market, then they couldn't supply me with one in Canada, so I gave the amp away to family and never going to buy Vox again. Line 6 made a mistake with skipping the pedal, Line 6 have a silly low price for the Cats in stores right now cause they aren't selling and maybe including the pedal would have helped.
Awesome review, I used to be a "tube snob", but have adapted my bias (pun intended) over the years.
My biggest gripe however? Is the tendency for manufacturers to use Class D power amplification over Class A/B.
Call me old fashioned, but I tend to gel more with amps, digital or not, that use Class A/B i.e. Boss Katana, Orange Pedal Baby/Super Crush ect...
IDK?
Something about solid state Class A/B just "feels" right IMO?
The Covid outbreak forced me to liquidate a majority of my gear (Amps/Guitars/Pedals), and after selling my Katana 50 MKII? I was for months forced into surviving on just amp sim plugins.
Recently however I've adapted to using a Vox Valve Energy (Nu-Tube) Silk Drive preamp pedal as a way to use analog drive pedals into said amp sims, and I dare say? The results have been pretty awesome!
Have 2 line sixes,v120,v150,celestrion ,like both amps.
Sounds great
Amazing amp only thing is you can’t have chorus and delay at the same time . I think they were going after a more traditional type of amp
yeah you definitely have to choose which does suck but it doesn't ruin it for me
@@SeanPierceJohnsonsolution just get pedal 😊
Great review! How is the low end? I had a katana 50 that sold it because of the lack of low end.
thanks! I felt like it was fine. it's a 1x12 combo so you won't get marshall 4x12 lows but it's full enough to not sound boxy or small
i use digitech rp350 multi effects pedals for the last 10 years , the pedal are 15 years old , have not found a single pedal that i prefer better , tried quite a few bread and butter pedals and they do nothing better then my 15 year old multi effects pedal , i own 15 cheap, but great pedals that i never use because they don't do anything the digitech can't do , digital modeling suffered from a smear campaign , it has always been good , the one flaw they have is a pretty steep learning curve , but like anything once you become familiar then it ain't a big deal ..
Don't compare current modellers with an old Digitech. I'm a Digitech fan to and I have all the rp series and the gsp series... But when you play on a Fractal, Helix, Kemper it's a noticeable difference. The only Digitech comparable is the gsp1101
I currently have the katana mk1 and am looking for an upgrade ordering this as it have an fx loop for my multi effects unit
You should look into the quilter single 12 200 watt solid-state amp man. I personally I think it's stuffs this amp and is far more versatile. Just my opinion but go on RUclips and check it out man I think it's like $800 for that amplifier which is ridiculous for everything you get out of it
Greetings and thanks for the video. Just wondering how well this amp works with effects pedals / multi fx pedals.
Can’t speak to the Multi fx but pedals are great into the Clean amp 👍
@@SeanPierceJohnson Cool thanks!
I need a practice amp that can do death metal. I have a 6505 but I can’t turn it up to the point where it sounds good and I just play for fun so I just need something that sounds good at lower levels. Looking at this or Katana artist
Sean, how many effects can you run at one time?
One reverb, and one from any of the following: delay, modulation (like chorus), or pitch (like an octaver). There’s also a dedicated boost.
If you want to play a flanger through a delay, you’re going to need a pedal. If you go that route I’d probably recommend getting a delay.
I have a question to you. I use a JTV Variax through a POD X3 currently, primarily for church worship. I often use a modeled Martin acoustic through a simple preamp on the POD which goes to the house. Sounds pretty good for a modeled acoustic. Do you think the Catalyst Clean channel would sound right for an acoustic, either the modeled Variax or a true acoustic plugged in?
well, I have no experience w/ the POD x3 nor the JTVs. i don't like making recommendations where there's too much gear I have not used or even had a cursory glance at.
could it work? I suppose. would it sound good? maybe.
I personally don't like acoustic guitar amps very much, nor do I particularly like plugging acoustic into electric amps. But an acoustic electric plugged in sounds okay.
I wonder if I could play the synth part to 25 or 6 two 4 on guitar with that one synth seeing just after the mid mark
For a not so great player would you recommend this over a spark 40? I had a spark but gave it to my son now I'm looking for a new amp for myself. Definitely more into the metal/punk/hardcore style of music. But want something that all around good
I've not played the Spark so I can't give you a good comparison
Does anybody know if it suffers from the annoying mute between channel changing with the footswitch like the Katana does?
I experience a slight delay when changing channels with the footswitch.
I’d be able to tell you…if the thing actually came with the dang foot switch!
Yes it does!
Just picked one up on sale for $249
How can you see which position is the Selector button (clean, boutique, etc)? I don't see any mark on the button to know what is selected. I have ordered this amp and going to receive it tomorrow.
I believe I misspoke…it’s a Selector KNOB. The knob points to the model you’re using.
I really leaned to buy one of these but my only question is, is it good for using it with for example a Valeton GP 200?
Never played the Valeton. Is it a multi effect? Since I haven’t played that specifically I can’t give a very good answer.
Does it have delays on it built in?
Yes it does
@@SeanPierceJohnson And how is the bottom end punch for OD and clean sound? Is it better than my Peavey vypyr x 2?
Good enough to get it for a gig, using behind and XLR to the pa same time?
I’m sure it would be. Any good PA could handle getting it heard in a band mix.
Can you use this amp for bass guitar as well? And what is the Knob selection if so?
It’s really meant as a guitar amp. There are no bass amp models
I wish it had a proper footswith with 4 different channels under your foot just like in Katana for example.
yeah a bigger footswitch would be nice. although INCLUDING the damn thing woulda been nice
Well, eventually a programmable MIDI footswitch could do what you want .... ?
I bought 200 wat today
great advert cheers
Thank you for the review, I got a lot out of it, and I'm really expecting to get one soon, a decision you helped me make.
I'm not disagreeing with you about the foot pedal; it would be nice to see it included. I'm only going to try to answer your question, "Why not", from an OEM point of view. This product is exceptional value, and in a market segment more heavily price-sensitive than, say the £1200-1500 tube amp sector. I don't have data to back up my opinion, but I expect the margins are tighter. It makes sense to sell the box with a headline price of ~£250, then add the ~£40 pedal, for those who want it. That's the second side of the same coin; if I'm a consumer who is NOT interested in the pedal, and it's included, then all I see is extra cost I didn't need. It's a tricky one, and I imagine Line 6 thought long and hard about it, but I think they got the difficult decision right, by leaving the pedal out of the box.
Glad you got something from the video! I hope it does well for you 👍
I think if the footswitch were more than 2 button, leaving the footswitch out would make sense. But if it’s small, and low cost, I don’t see why you wouldn’t. Especially when NONE of the literature indicates whether the amp does or not.
Just give me the Stealthy looking Les Paul of honor and Shutup
Also with the Amp
🤪🤪🤪 that’s MY stealthy Les Paul
You need to try a Boss Katana 100 or Artist
owned a katana and it was very good. still is very good.
The sound of speaker together this distortion is bad.
This or the Katana?
Honestly, I couldn’t say. I haven’t played the newer Katanas myself.
Wait... arent you the Carvin guy???
I did work for Carvin…so in that sense I WAS the “Carvin guy”.
Footswitch(es)??
Damn. Not included.
Yeah. I don’t get it
60? I got the 100 dawg...mo power! 🤘😉
(And not as cumbersome as the 200)
Dude when you said spider trauma I couldnt stop laughing....i never thought I'd seriously consider another line 6 amp after that amp....but this.....
For the price it is ok, but i really prefer the mustang GTX100
Never played the mustang
The amp is great, but man that Les Paul needs some attention to the setup. Just my opinion 😊🧐🤔😬
Lol 😆 I'm just messing about
Actually, I think you just wanted to show those bad boys off, not so much the amp 🫵🎸🎶🕺🎈🎉
Thanks for the review! I'm an old fart, never even picked up an electric until a few years ago, will never be a fast lead player, but play a good rhythm. Because of the above, thought all i needed was cheapo use-at-home-only amp. Got a Katana but can't stand it.
My favorite-ever local guitarist suggested an mkii. As i started looking into Line 6, there's SO MANY model numbers,etc... How in the world do i sift through what's what? Aye yai yai. Not expecting a long response, but can you somehow direct me to getting that information? (Of course, there's 10 billion videos to watch too...ugh). Looking to spend 400 tops.
Thank you!
Hey there man! First off, thanks for watching. I hope you learned something.
To your actual questions: how do you sift through? Man, even for me it’s tough because there is SO MUCH out there. But you have to ask yourself “what do I NEED?”. Need is greater than want. Do you need a consistent amp for home use? Do you need something you can take to jams? You need to be honest with yourself about what your gear needs are.
I’ve recently played a mkII Katana and I enjoyed it. But I did like the mk1 Katanas so I had a basis of familiarity and comparison. But chances are, if you didn’t like the first, you may not like the latest.
Play as much in person as you can. If you can’t, find a retailer with a good return policy.
I can definitely recommend the Catalyst 60, but some of the extra features may be a BIT much for you.
Anyway, I hope this helps and happy to help further.
@@SeanPierceJohnson thank you! Well? I doubt I'll ever really be gigging out with an amp, but I DO have one I'll be playing down the road.
Any time I've ever tried playing the Katana with a group, I've had a FEW guitarists say it sounds miserable and we even tried tweaking it, to no avail.
Sounds good in my bedroom, sick out and about.
So... I would like something that will sound good in a regular 'ol jam with the boys but CAN be played on stage
I care for my mom now so I really can't play out for now but eventually, I do get asked to play places here and there. Just can't, but want to be able to play right away with the right amp when the time comes. Sorry for the ramble!
I think I'm down to one of these 3:
Fender Champion, Bugera (one buddy insists that's what I'd like), and a Line 6
Medium gain stuff and cleans are whatever
Good for a 10 year old
10 year olds deserve good gear
I have this amp and will return it in a few days. From the rock and metal standpoint, this is simply awful. Ice pick highs are abound...I wonder if the R-n-D ever plugged it in because it is ridiculously pitiful. Whoever OK'd this amp to be released should be fired.
You claim sweetwater are
"ONE of the best... Bar none..."
That's linguistics linguini!
This amp sounds like crap every single person trying to push this amp can't make it sound good for anything but cheap fender solid state amps..not your fault it just blows...
Enjoy it while it works. When it breaks down your tech will tell you to throw it out.
I have a tech?!?! When did that happen 😆
Mine’s still working. We’ll see how long it lasts.
Complete garbage. Buy one and you'll sell it. User unfriendly... tinnie sounding garbage. Like the spider 2 was.
do you have any amp suggestions for a beginner? my friends dad gave me his 2015 american stratocaster for my birthday, i just have to get an amp. also i've never played guitar so im a complete noob.
This is not a great metal amp, but the clean sounds are unmatched for the price.
Worst amp I’ve ever used, simply awful design. The Line 6 sounds are so weak, sent this one back.
Without question the worst amp I have ever played in regards to high gain. Fizzy thin and empty notes when playing single lead notes. How this ever got the OK to leave the RnD department is unexplainable. My old POD 2.0 kills this in any highgain mode.
The high gain tones are awful.
I also did not like them, but I use nearly exclusively clean and slightly crunchy sounds - so this is the one for me :-)
… on a youtube video. And you can tweak all the models. smh
It’s so hip to hate on Line6.
@@joeltunnah I own the amp. The high gain tones are awful! Biggest disappointment I’ve ever had from an amp. And I am a fan of Line6.
@@mrhyde2250 without knowing what you play and how the amp is setup, this is not useful information.
@@joeltunnah 🤣😂
I play hard rock and metal. You can’t get a decent boosted Marshall or Mesa sound out of this thing. It sounds like generic dirt!
Hahaha line 6 rubbish. Period.