I am, was a tube amp snob. Vintage only. Got rid of all of them . Bought a catalyst and couldn’t be happier. I am old and have played 60’s fenders bought when new. So this amp must be good to change my mind. Never too old to learn.
This tutorial is exactly what was needed. Wasn't just some other sound engineers' rambling about audio theory and conjecture. A really good kickstart quickstart
You know the old adage that if someone is a great singer, you say they can sing the phone book and still sound phenomenal? I'm pretty sure the same can be said about this guy on guitar. He could probably make anything sound amazing. And you can truly tell he has fun doing it too!
Appreciate all you do for us here on RUclips Jay!!! I'm 54, been playing professionally off an on since the 80s. Mainly Country and Blues Rock. Telecasters are a no brainer and my passion!!! AMPS on the other hand have sent me in many directions. My first trip down modeling lane was late 90s. I used a Line 6 Flextone 2 1x12 combo for 5 yrs and really liked it, but eventually went back to my old school fav 4 10's and Tubes. Problem is, my back and knees are nearly shot. I cannot lift those amps anymore. Because of weight, I planned to buy a new Fender Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb early 2023. But now I realize I could buy 2 Catalyst for less than 1 Tonemaster and run them pedal platform style but Stereo!!!!
Every review I've watched of the Boss Katana, it sounded overly treble heavy and tinny with gain applied and too saturated and compressed on clean. But this guy! This amp is everything the Boss Katana should have been. My friend got a chance to play one in GC and bought one instantly. I played it irl at his house and it's GOOD. Well done Line 6 👏
Actually the katana sounds pretty good. A friend of mine bought one and it held up pretty decently to my blues jr and to a vox ac15. Would love to try the line 6 one.
@@luisfguitar Really? I might need to try one out irl then. Never played the Katana but never found it to hold up well in reviews. Maybe they don't do it justice 🤔
@@rhodes7394 And I quote. "Every review I've watched of the Boss Katana, it sounded overly treble heavy and tinny....."......"This amp is everything the Boss Katana should have been."......Followed by "NEVER PLAYED THE KATANA?"......But the Line 6 Catalyst is "Everything the Boss Katana should be?".....Do you honestly judge amps by what they sound like, demonstrated by someone else, coming through your computer rather than actually playing them yourself? ...I am not saying you will even like the Katana more or less than the Catalyst. I own a Katana 100 Waat Head MK1 version. I like it. I can not tell you if I think it is "Everything the Catalyst should have been" simply because I have never actually played a Catalyst. I might one day. But I certainly will not judge one until I do. Something to consider?
@@algrundau9441 You Katana Fanboys need to get laid dude. Lmao. Going hard for a fkn amp it's hilarious. Most of us who buy amps are intrigued by reviews anyway so if the dude said he didn't like the sound of a Katana in any review he, wouldn't bother to go try it out irl. During the lockdown I bought two guitars and one amp on Sweetwater without playing them in person. I was convinced they would sound good and they did. Why? Because of reviews. Yes the lockdowns are over, but lots of people work all day and can't find time to go try out guitars so they depend on reviews to make their decision. Your comment was unnecessarily crass.
Just got one of these in Feb/23. Replacing an old Yamaha amp/Line6 Pod Go set up. It sounds wonderful for my needs, mostly home recording use. Well built, light weight, and the ease of USB to computer editing is awesome. I rarely get into the high gain world, which is why I chose this over the Katana. Really digging it so far. Great video, Jay!
Quick question for you (or anyone who knows the answer). My 8 yr old blackstar is:core v1 has a terrible headphone hiss, even without the volume/gain on. I'm planning to get the catalyst but is the headphone jack 'clean-ish'?
Damn that riff @ 6:16 is just terrific .....wooow Jay is getting better n better over time 💎💎💎 nothing better in this crazy world to watch a J-demo before starting yal daily session to feel overfueled 🔥
I bought a Catalyst 100. I don't have a ton of experience with other amps, and I'm still exploring tone in general. So I'll give you my perspective, limited though it may be. As a pedal platform, I think it's outstanding! My Lightspeed, OCD and Klon clone sound excellent! There absolutely no trouble handling the output from the pedals, or any funky colouring of the tone. As an added bonus, if I don't want to schlep my pedal board, it's a great 'grab and go' amp too. I can get by with the onboard effects. Most of the time, I just need a little delay and reverb, but if I need more than that, or something else, I have to compromise. As you saw in the video, changing effects isn't as simple as stepping on a pedal. To be fair, they didn't claim it was and I wouldn't have the additional effects in a traditional valve amp anyway. So if I "need" that stuff, I'll bring my pedalboard, where I have a Plethora X5 of options. (See what I did there?) To paraphrase Ross Bailey from Line 6, the idea with the Catalyst is that it's a two-channel amp. You dial in the the two tones that you want, like you would on any other two-channel amp, save those sounds and play. Job done! By the way, there are 6 banks, so you can have up to 6 two-channel amps if you need them. My only criticisms are I don't find the half-watt mode very useful. If you need to be quieter, just turn the master volume down in the 50W mode . The headphone output is another option for volume restricted situations that sounds great for practice and you have an aux in for backing tracks. Just be careful with the volume as you can damage your hearing with the that kind of SPL so close to your ear drums. Lastly, I don't like the boost on the Clean model. In my opinion, it breaks up way too early. I would have preferred a clean boost, where the amp didn't start to break up until you got to around 10 or 11 o'clock on the dial, but got warmer, fuller and louder up to that point, the way a high headroom amp would. I can get that from my TC Electronic Spark, which is an EXCELLENT boost pedal, or my Lightspeed if I turn the gain down, but then I'm back to bringing my pedal board. My solution, don't use the boost for that model. Turn the gain up and control it with the guitar volume. I did try a Fender Deluxe at my beloved retailer, L&M. For me, there's still something about valves that I like. I can't put my finger on it, but it feels and sounds different to me. However, the difference is subtle. So without falling into the trap of making that comparison, the additional functionality, versatility, and light weight... and price of the Catalyst make it a better choice for me, and I'm LOVING IT! In my opinion, It's great bang for the buck and you can't go wrong with this amp. If you made to the end of this diatribe, congratulations! Sorry, I'm a bit long winded. 😬P.S. Thanks for yet another great demo Jay! It helped me to decide and see what was possible.
The Dynamic mode is what sold me on this amp. Many prefer the Boutique mode, and that does sound good as well. Looking forward to trying it out myself 😎👍
Their octave algorithms are legit. Not usually a fan of shimmer but this is one of the better ones I’ve heard. That octave down sounds great. Digital is a different beast from even 5-10 years ago. Not a drip aficionado but that surfy spring reverb sounds great to my ear. I like the idea of direct out but it sounds a lot more “alive” when mic’d up.
As far as my next amp, I couldn’t be more undecided as I just haven’t played enough amps to know what I’m looking at - especially when prices start at 1k for many tube amps. That said, I have the boss katana mini and it’s a fantastic 100 dollar little spitfire. Has delay, super portable and runs on batteries. I love bringing it outside on a sunny day and rocking away. It doesn’t do everything but it fills a really cool niche and it does so very well.
Fun video! Gotta say I'm fully in the digital camp for a while now. I like this form factor too. For years I've actually loved micing up a Vetta II combo. IMO the biggest factor has been the micing as opposed to the other parts of the amp. I prefer your micing on this one even to the direct. The new IR's and cab loaders these days make such a difference. Take a PODxt or even a V-AMP2 and turn the built-in cabs off and run them through a good Ownhammer or York IR and its night & day. But the bottom line is the Catalyst sounds great, and especially mic'd! I saw a comparison of it and the Katana on the Anderton's channel and was kinda shocked how well the Katana held up though. I thought the Catalyst clarity was going to win that battle, but for what I want, both are winners. I mean come on!!! The 60 watt is $300! How can we argue with that?
I think this amp is a winner. Too versatile for practice and small venue performances to be ignored. All the goodies on board. I retired my Marshall 100W half stack after dragging it around for 20 years. I used a Line6 Spyder IV combo for a while and it was very versatile. The last 3 years I’ve been playing a Quilter MicroPro Mach2 with different cabinets. I actually like them all and each one has its own personality and usefulness. Nothing like a big fat tube amp though .
Yeah the MicroPro is kind of a sleeper isn't it? I've got the HD version and it compares favorably with my other tube amps....modeling amps such as these seem to bury something in a digital haze IMO...I mean your natural tone and feel more distant. Great practice amps though!!
Wow! I just subbed! Glad I found your channel. Man you are one heckuva player. I mean, brother... you're something else! Really enjoyed this vid, the tones, that killer Tele, and the demo. I just picked up one of these 60 W amps last weekend at GC in my area - used, for $150. The speaker is just worn in right, and holy cow! I am blown away by the amp, and everything it will do. Gonna spend more time this week-end with it! Can't wait.
At my skill level sitting in my living room I couldn’t imagine thinking I need a tube amp and honestly I found a Line 6 Spider 3 75 watt with the channel changer at Guitar Center used for $75 but yesterday I walked into my local music store to try the catalyst and can not imagine paying $299 or $399 for an amp that doesn’t blow me away so perhaps the Katana is a better fit but I don’t know because my local music store can’t afford to stock the Katana with all the requirements Boss has with minimum purchase standards so instead of buying an amp I feel in love with a Epiphone 1959 reissue limited edition and brought it home 💪 I guess if Boss made it easier for music stores to stock their products we could walk in and fall in love with them but that isn’t really the case 🤦🏻♂️ thank you for your video
To answer the question, I still love my tube amps! But anymore my Fender bassbreaker 45 2x12" combo, or my Vox AC30CH with a 2x12" cab seems a little over kill for a bar gig. I'm constantly being told I'm too loud and need to turn down, which we all know is not what your tubes like. Those tubes want to be pushed! But that seems next to impossible lately. Also both these amps are 40-50 pound and take up a ton of room! My band mic's everything and wants the PA to control the overall sound not the stage. Were not a silent stage but we need our volume down. To me this amp or something like this kills a lot of unnecessary things I take to the gig. 1. I can cut out bringing a microphone and a a mic stand for my amp, 2. eliminates the need to crank to get to the sweet spot, 3. Eliminates a speaker for me, so it cuts around 25 pound off of what I have to lift, 4. Less spaces used so I can fit in tighter venues, 5. Probably eliminates most of my pedal board. Its a good option for a gigging guitarist who is trying to get in and out as quickly as possible without the back problems.
Line6 makes really great stuff. I have their HX Stomp pedal (it's really a computer), and a Spider V ii 60w amp, and they're both awesome. I played the first Spider amp back in 2002, I think, and I was like this is the future, thing sounded great even back then.
I wonder if putting a low-gain overdrive or boost pedal in the FX loop would work? Yes, i know the amp has a boost function, but to switch it on and off, you have program the two-button footswitch to work it, and that sacrifices controlling other functions with it. Putting gain-based pedals in fx loops hasn't really worked for me in the past. Will it work in the loop on the Catalyst amps?
I think the modelling amps are getting pretty amazing but the real tube sound just makes me melt when I hear it. I am curious to see how close the Fender Mustang GTX comes to replicating the tube sound, as I’ve seen some amazing demos.
The amp sounds great but, the playing is the real star here. Especially that ever so tasty use of tremolo. No massive dive bombs or ridiculous speed-tapping. Just good old power chords, a few arpeggios and some well placed bends. This is how I wish more demo's were done!
Amazing demo, and playing as always Jay! Well i own a Katana 100 mk2 and my all time favorite tube amps, i use the Katana 50% of the time for practicality and it sounds greart.
Sounds great. Nice to see line 6 being helix technologies into a combo. Would be better with a small lcd saying which modulation reverb or delay setting you hand selected. Looks like a lot of guesswork.
The technology is so close to tubes in many ways but not exact. But the lines have been blurred between tubes and digital/solid state amps. I really don't Miss tubes in many ways but there are a couple things like tubes output more volume per watt and are a little more 3 dimensional in tone. But reverb or delay can fix some of that.the things I like about digital/solidstate are effects are seamlessly integrated and sound amazing, as well as transient response being quicker for shredding solo's etc . But digital solidstate for me about 90% of the time..
This is one of the best demos of the Catalyst 60 and I'm almost sold on getting one. However, of all the many demos on RUclips, I can't find a single one which explains how you can change the effects using a footswitch in a live situation. Let's face it, no one is going to want to be running back to the amp panel in the middle of a song to manually change from say, a delay to a phaser. Is there any capability with this amp to change settings via footswitch in a live situation.
Two channels set them up as you wish. The fa has an effect on/off button. Also has effects loop and takes pedals in the front nicely as well. There ya go. If you get the 100 you can use a midi FS and program whatever to any available button it may have.
I love these new amps that are comin out. Thse only thing Im doubtful about are does small circular push buttons. They're the ones that easily get defective through the years of playing, atleast in my experience with the amps I owned today and in the past.
Great demo, Jay!! I'm loving the versatility of this amp. I'm ordering one now. I'm looking forward to messing around with it. I like that I can dial it back to 1/5 watt for home use and the full 60 watts if I feel I need to break my lease. 😂
Great demo! Traded in the Katana and I bought one. Love your "shimmer" reverb but the reverb effects on mine don't have one with that name. Mine say Hot Spring, Hall, Chamber, Plate, Ganymede, Plataux. What am I missing.....?
I like both the analog tube amps and the flexible digital amps, they all have different sounds and give you options for different projects. I like this new Line 6, they seem to get the top end right in the digital domain (or was that your ribbon microphone?). I have several Line 6 pedals, and always like their fx. I may get this for my daughter, who is just starting out. Does the amp come with a footswitch, or can you get one for it?
Sounds good! Be cool if it had a tiny lcd screen with a few knobs, like a line6 m5, just to tell you what effect you were on and have 2 or 3 parameters to tweak. To answer your question, my ears prefer the old tube sound, but my wallet prefers the modeling amps. Need a review with a gibson guitar & humbuckers before I can really make my mind up with some classic rock tones.
Your video is so helpful. Man you’re really good!! I just bought one. Quick question because I’m newbie. Where do I plug the XLR from the direct out to a mixer? To any of the Mic/Guitar line in? Thank you. SUBSCRIBED!
Great playing! I have a clean tube amp I use as a pedal platform for home use and can’t seem to find the tone I want. Been buying and trading pedals for a lot of money, but now I’m thinking about getting this (at the price of 1-2 pedals) to try out. Can’t understand why they didn’t make the boost foot switchable though.
I'm leaning towards the boss katana because of the lack of multi effects capability on this catalyst but my question is do you need the effects or can i just buy some effects pedals. I much prefer the sound of the catalyst though,
Well, to answer your last question, I personally have a katana so that is where I am leaning so to speak. However, a nice tube amp would be cool to own as well, but I don’t have the cash for that at the moment. What I would like to see is a unbiased comparison of this to the katana. Thank you for the great review, Jay!
Sounds great, but not convinced about the hi gain tones yet. I need to hear some tuned down chugging and not with a telecaster 😉 any links to quality recordings will be appreciated!
Hey Jay, how are you doing today? I just got this app and I only had it a week. The question I have could you do a video on showing how to use the guitar tuner on the app? I can’t figure it out I would really appreciate it and I just followed you.
how do you know which effect your on? i find this amp a bit complicated. Just purchased one and can’t quite figure out how to save 2 different channels with whatver effects i want in them. please do a more specific video with all the details. cheers!!!
I’d have to be an unwell fanatic to buy yet another amp, but there it is. This demo especially as well as some others are forcing me to buy this soon. Besides, it’s so shockingly inexpensive, buying it would barely even hurt. I like the ratty (in a cool rock sense of course) toneage you were getting w that Tele and the amp. I’m off into mid-60s no-hit wonder trash rock as of late, and that toneage is aces for that. Thx for demoing.
That BOOST tone… OMG!!! I’m still drooling! @JayLeonardJ: would you describe your bridge pickups as more No-Caster era, or late ‘50s/early ‘60s, or even later than that? I can’t afford a Custom Shop guitar with the JMod pickups, but am totally in love with that tone!
@@JayLeonardJ thanks! You inspired me to a) get the Quilter Interblock 45 after your review, b) practice a lot more, and c) build a partscaster. I went with Mojotone pickups because they were local to the Carolinas and I could afford them. I went with the Nocaster flat poles but don’t get quite as much picking dynamics as you do and my lead tone is much crunchier, probably because of the windings. Time to experiment more with the volume knob I guess. Maybe I need to add in a treble cap in the volume to get what I’m looking for when I roll it back?
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
I am, was a tube amp snob. Vintage only. Got rid of all of them . Bought a catalyst and couldn’t be happier. I am old and have played 60’s fenders bought when new. So this amp must be good to change my mind.
Never too old to learn.
I just hate that tube amps have to be turned up to insane volumes to sound good. Thats something I really can't do where I live.
I have always been put off by the "hidden" features controls in the newer amps. Was this any problem for you?
This tutorial is exactly what was needed. Wasn't just some other sound engineers' rambling about audio theory and conjecture.
A really good kickstart quickstart
Really appreciate it!
This guy is a phenom on the guitar!
Thanks!
You know the old adage that if someone is a great singer, you say they can sing the phone book and still sound phenomenal? I'm pretty sure the same can be said about this guy on guitar. He could probably make anything sound amazing. And you can truly tell he has fun doing it too!
he traded his hairline for his godly guitar skills
Appreciate all you do for us here on RUclips Jay!!! I'm 54, been playing professionally off an on since the 80s. Mainly Country and Blues Rock. Telecasters are a no brainer and my passion!!! AMPS on the other hand have sent me in many directions. My first trip down modeling lane was late 90s. I used a Line 6 Flextone 2 1x12 combo for 5 yrs and really liked it, but eventually went back to my old school fav 4 10's and Tubes. Problem is, my back and knees are nearly shot. I cannot lift those amps anymore. Because of weight, I planned to buy a new Fender Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb early 2023. But now I realize I could buy 2 Catalyst for less than 1 Tonemaster and run them pedal platform style but Stereo!!!!
It is indeed a golden age for guitarists with bad backs :)
Right! A catalyst 60 and couple classic vibes and I’m good to go!
That ribbon mic really captures the tone of that speaker beautifully.. One of the best sounding examples I've heard of this amp.
Thanks so much :)
Excellent guide to this versatile and great sounding amp. Thanks!
Every review I've watched of the Boss Katana, it sounded overly treble heavy and tinny with gain applied and too saturated and compressed on clean. But this guy! This amp is everything the Boss Katana should have been. My friend got a chance to play one in GC and bought one instantly. I played it irl at his house and it's GOOD. Well done Line 6 👏
Actually the katana sounds pretty good. A friend of mine bought one and it held up pretty decently to my blues jr and to a vox ac15. Would love to try the line 6 one.
@@luisfguitar Really? I might need to try one out irl then. Never played the Katana but never found it to hold up well in reviews. Maybe they don't do it justice 🤔
@@rhodes7394 And I quote. "Every review I've watched of the Boss Katana, it sounded overly treble heavy and tinny....."......"This amp is everything the Boss Katana should have been."......Followed by "NEVER PLAYED THE KATANA?"......But the Line 6 Catalyst is "Everything the Boss Katana should be?".....Do you honestly judge amps by what they sound like, demonstrated by someone else, coming through your computer rather than actually playing them yourself? ...I am not saying you will even like the Katana more or less than the Catalyst. I own a Katana 100 Waat Head MK1 version. I like it. I can not tell you if I think it is "Everything the Catalyst should have been" simply because I have never actually played a Catalyst. I might one day. But I certainly will not judge one until I do. Something to consider?
@@algrundau9441 Wow. Your life must be pretty shitty for you to be this offended by someone talking about an amp on RUclips 😬
@@algrundau9441 You Katana Fanboys need to get laid dude. Lmao. Going hard for a fkn amp it's hilarious. Most of us who buy amps are intrigued by reviews anyway so if the dude said he didn't like the sound of a Katana in any review he, wouldn't bother to go try it out irl. During the lockdown I bought two guitars and one amp on Sweetwater without playing them in person. I was convinced they would sound good and they did. Why? Because of reviews. Yes the lockdowns are over, but lots of people work all day and can't find time to go try out guitars so they depend on reviews to make their decision. Your comment was unnecessarily crass.
Just got one of these in Feb/23. Replacing an old Yamaha amp/Line6 Pod Go set up. It sounds wonderful for my needs, mostly home recording use. Well built, light weight, and the ease of USB to computer editing is awesome. I rarely get into the high gain world, which is why I chose this over the Katana. Really digging it so far. Great video, Jay!
Quick question for you (or anyone who knows the answer). My 8 yr old blackstar is:core v1 has a terrible headphone hiss, even without the volume/gain on. I'm planning to get the catalyst but is the headphone jack 'clean-ish'?
Damn that riff @ 6:16 is just terrific .....wooow Jay is getting better n better over time 💎💎💎
nothing better in this crazy world to watch a J-demo before starting yal daily session to feel overfueled 🔥
I bought a Catalyst 100. I don't have a ton of experience with other amps, and I'm still exploring tone in general. So I'll give you my perspective, limited though it may be.
As a pedal platform, I think it's outstanding! My Lightspeed, OCD and Klon clone sound excellent! There absolutely no trouble handling the output from the pedals, or any funky colouring of the tone. As an added bonus, if I don't want to schlep my pedal board, it's a great 'grab and go' amp too. I can get by with the onboard effects. Most of the time, I just need a little delay and reverb, but if I need more than that, or something else, I have to compromise. As you saw in the video, changing effects isn't as simple as stepping on a pedal. To be fair, they didn't claim it was and I wouldn't have the additional effects in a traditional valve amp anyway. So if I "need" that stuff, I'll bring my pedalboard, where I have a Plethora X5 of options. (See what I did there?) To paraphrase Ross Bailey from Line 6, the idea with the Catalyst is that it's a two-channel amp. You dial in the the two tones that you want, like you would on any other two-channel amp, save those sounds and play. Job done! By the way, there are 6 banks, so you can have up to 6 two-channel amps if you need them.
My only criticisms are I don't find the half-watt mode very useful. If you need to be quieter, just turn the master volume down in the 50W mode . The headphone output is another option for volume restricted situations that sounds great for practice and you have an aux in for backing tracks. Just be careful with the volume as you can damage your hearing with the that kind of SPL so close to your ear drums. Lastly, I don't like the boost on the Clean model. In my opinion, it breaks up way too early. I would have preferred a clean boost, where the amp didn't start to break up until you got to around 10 or 11 o'clock on the dial, but got warmer, fuller and louder up to that point, the way a high headroom amp would. I can get that from my TC Electronic Spark, which is an EXCELLENT boost pedal, or my Lightspeed if I turn the gain down, but then I'm back to bringing my pedal board. My solution, don't use the boost for that model. Turn the gain up and control it with the guitar volume.
I did try a Fender Deluxe at my beloved retailer, L&M. For me, there's still something about valves that I like. I can't put my finger on it, but it feels and sounds different to me. However, the difference is subtle. So without falling into the trap of making that comparison, the additional functionality, versatility, and light weight... and price of the Catalyst make it a better choice for me, and I'm LOVING IT! In my opinion, It's great bang for the buck and you can't go wrong with this amp. If you made to the end of this diatribe, congratulations! Sorry, I'm a bit long winded. 😬P.S. Thanks for yet another great demo Jay! It helped me to decide and see what was possible.
The Dynamic mode is what sold me on this amp.
Many prefer the Boutique mode, and that does sound good as well.
Looking forward to trying it out myself 😎👍
This amp sounds crazy considering the price. Looks and sounds Waaay more expensive than it's price suggests.
Great review, Jay. I can't wait to try one of these. Your playing simply elevates every piece of gear you touch. Keep up the fine work.
Thanks!
You'r the best J! Even if I'm not interested in the product, I'm interested in watching you demo it!
haha, thanks!
Their octave algorithms are legit. Not usually a fan of shimmer but this is one of the better ones I’ve heard. That octave down sounds great. Digital is a different beast from even 5-10 years ago. Not a drip aficionado but that surfy spring reverb sounds great to my ear. I like the idea of direct out but it sounds a lot more “alive” when mic’d up.
My 50 watt Katana doesnt have the option of the direct out, the guys i play with usually mic it up, and it sounds good.
Your demo sold me when the reps
didn't. You must be really good at
transmitting the sounds, because
your demo sounds WAY better than
his. Great !
That is one amazing sounding amp without all the techy stuff....I'm in!!
very nice playing Jay. your abilities are an attribute to the appeal of this amp
Thanks for the great tones
One of the best demos I have found yet. Thanks! Killer playing by the way!
Thanks!
With that sound quality, modeling all the way! Great review, man! Awesome playing!
Thanks!
Way to go, young fella. U are great!!!
Good review
Thanks!
As far as my next amp, I couldn’t be more undecided as I just haven’t played enough amps to know what I’m looking at - especially when prices start at 1k for many tube amps.
That said, I have the boss katana mini and it’s a fantastic 100 dollar little spitfire. Has delay, super portable and runs on batteries. I love bringing it outside on a sunny day and rocking away. It doesn’t do everything but it fills a really cool niche and it does so very well.
Those amps do look super fun. So crazy how much the amp world has changed since I started guitar!
I was gonna get a 100 watt Katana. But as an line 6 amp and hd500x owner, i think this will be the direction I go.
One of the best demo’s I’ve seen.
Careless Whisper sold me.
Haha, thanks :)
Great playing!
Fun video! Gotta say I'm fully in the digital camp for a while now. I like this form factor too. For years I've actually loved micing up a Vetta II combo. IMO the biggest factor has been the micing as opposed to the other parts of the amp. I prefer your micing on this one even to the direct. The new IR's and cab loaders these days make such a difference. Take a PODxt or even a V-AMP2 and turn the built-in cabs off and run them through a good Ownhammer or York IR and its night & day.
But the bottom line is the Catalyst sounds great, and especially mic'd! I saw a comparison of it and the Katana on the Anderton's channel and was kinda shocked how well the Katana held up though. I thought the Catalyst clarity was going to win that battle, but for what I want, both are winners. I mean come on!!! The 60 watt is $300! How can we argue with that?
Bienvenido al portapapeles de Gboard; todo texto que copies se guardará aquí.
It's always so much fun to watch you play! The amp sounds amazing, too.
I think this amp is a winner. Too versatile for practice and small venue performances to be ignored. All the goodies on board. I retired my Marshall 100W half stack after dragging it around for 20 years. I used a Line6 Spyder IV combo for a while and it was very versatile. The last 3 years I’ve been playing a Quilter MicroPro Mach2 with different cabinets. I actually like them all and each one has its own personality and usefulness. Nothing like a big fat tube amp though .
Yeah the MicroPro is kind of a sleeper isn't it? I've got the HD version and it compares favorably with my other tube amps....modeling amps such as these seem to bury something in a digital haze IMO...I mean your natural tone and feel more distant. Great practice amps though!!
Jay - your playing always blows me away. Great video.
Wow! I just subbed! Glad I found your channel. Man you are one heckuva player. I mean, brother... you're something else! Really enjoyed this vid, the tones, that killer Tele, and the demo. I just picked up one of these 60 W amps last weekend at GC in my area - used, for $150. The speaker is just worn in right, and holy cow! I am blown away by the amp, and everything it will do. Gonna spend more time this week-end with it! Can't wait.
That made me want one. Seems to even cover ambient.
Wow! You, my friend, are one awesome player! Givin' me goosebumps! Thanks for this great review! Wish I could play like that!!!!!
Really appreciate it! Thanks so much :)
Great demo. No boost control on the footswitch which is a pity
At my skill level sitting in my living room I couldn’t imagine thinking I need a tube amp and honestly I found a Line 6 Spider 3 75 watt with the channel changer at Guitar Center used for $75 but yesterday I walked into my local music store to try the catalyst and can not imagine paying $299 or $399 for an amp that doesn’t blow me away so perhaps the Katana is a better fit but I don’t know because my local music store can’t afford to stock the Katana with all the requirements Boss has with minimum purchase standards so instead of buying an amp I feel in love with a Epiphone 1959 reissue limited edition and brought it home 💪 I guess if Boss made it easier for music stores to stock their products we could walk in and fall in love with them but that isn’t really the case 🤦🏻♂️ thank you for your video
I tried it at a shop. It actually sounds quite decent.
Thanks for this! I've been slow to dive into mine. But this gives me boost to jump in deeper.
Glad I could help!
To answer the question, I still love my tube amps! But anymore my Fender bassbreaker 45 2x12" combo, or my Vox AC30CH with a 2x12" cab seems a little over kill for a bar gig. I'm constantly being told I'm too loud and need to turn down, which we all know is not what your tubes like. Those tubes want to be pushed! But that seems next to impossible lately. Also both these amps are 40-50 pound and take up a ton of room! My band mic's everything and wants the PA to control the overall sound not the stage. Were not a silent stage but we need our volume down.
To me this amp or something like this kills a lot of unnecessary things I take to the gig. 1. I can cut out bringing a microphone and a a mic stand for my amp, 2. eliminates the need to crank to get to the sweet spot, 3. Eliminates a speaker for me, so it cuts around 25 pound off of what I have to lift, 4. Less spaces used so I can fit in tighter venues, 5. Probably eliminates most of my pedal board. Its a good option for a gigging guitarist who is trying to get in and out as quickly as possible without the back problems.
Line6 makes really great stuff. I have their HX Stomp pedal (it's really a computer), and a Spider V ii 60w amp, and they're both awesome.
I played the first Spider amp back in 2002, I think, and I was like this is the future, thing sounded great even back then.
I wonder if putting a low-gain overdrive or boost pedal in the FX loop would work? Yes, i know the amp has a boost function, but to switch it on and off, you have program the two-button footswitch to work it, and that sacrifices controlling other functions with it.
Putting gain-based pedals in fx loops hasn't really worked for me in the past. Will it work in the loop on the Catalyst amps?
Killer playing brother. First time checking you out. Outstanding!!! I have a couple fenders, vox, but this sounds great.
Man, you really tore that guitar out casually. One of the best playing youtubers I've heard so far. :D
Really appreciate it :)
This video sold me on the catalyst! Pairs so well with my tele and sounds better than my katana did
Hope you enjoy it!
Great instruction. Great playing.
Thanks!
Shimer is great. Is it your song? Thank you
Thank you your video is the only video to show me how this amp works thanks again
Glad to help!
I think the modelling amps are getting pretty amazing but the real tube sound just makes me melt when I hear it. I am curious to see how close the Fender Mustang GTX comes to replicating the tube sound, as I’ve seen some amazing demos.
The amp sounds great but, the playing is the real star here. Especially that ever so tasty use of tremolo. No massive dive bombs or ridiculous speed-tapping. Just good old power chords, a few arpeggios and some well placed bends.
This is how I wish more demo's were done!
Really appreciate it, thanks!
Amazing demo, and playing as always Jay! Well i own a Katana 100 mk2 and my all time favorite tube amps, i use the Katana 50% of the time for practicality and it sounds greart.
Have you tried the katana librarian app yet? It's very good
@@baronvonchickenpants6564 yes just started using it last week, it's amazing
Sounds great. Nice to see line 6 being helix technologies into a combo. Would be better with a small lcd saying which modulation reverb or delay setting you hand selected. Looks like a lot of guesswork.
The LCD Screen would be the one thing that would take this one over the edge for me as well!
Which do you prefer the catalyst or the aviator cub? Both your vids sound great.
The technology is so close to tubes in many ways but not exact. But the lines have been blurred between tubes and digital/solid state amps. I really don't Miss tubes in many ways but there are a couple things like tubes output more volume per watt and are a little more 3 dimensional in tone. But reverb or delay can fix some of that.the things I like about digital/solidstate are effects are seamlessly integrated and sound amazing, as well as transient response being quicker for shredding solo's etc . But digital solidstate for me about 90% of the time..
You could make a cardboard box wail….incredible playing every time!
Really appreciate it, thanks!
This is one of the best demos of the Catalyst 60 and I'm almost sold on getting one. However, of all the many demos on RUclips, I can't find a single one which explains how you can change the effects using a footswitch in a live situation. Let's face it, no one is going to want to be running back to the amp panel in the middle of a song to manually change from say, a delay to a phaser. Is there any capability with this amp to change settings via footswitch in a live situation.
Two channels set them up as you wish. The fa has an effect on/off button.
Also has effects loop and takes pedals in the front nicely as well.
There ya go.
If you get the 100 you can use a midi FS and program whatever to any available button it may have.
I love these new amps that are comin out. Thse only thing Im doubtful about are does small circular push buttons. They're the ones that easily get defective through the years of playing, atleast in my experience with the amps I owned today and in the past.
I agree, the rotator knobs as well. My Yamaha THR10s rotator selector knob is already warped. Don't like those. Should make it a switch instead.
I just listened not knowing a modeler amp is played.
Not bad at all to my ears.
Those reverbs sounded quite realistic.
Yeah, really surprised especially by that Spring Verb!
Your amazing guitar play sir, respect 👍
You Sir could make a screaming cat in a paper bag filled with octopuses sound GREAT !
Thanks for the review !
Haha, thanks!
Really like the new Catalyst but, Holy moly your playing is inspiring!
Great demo, Jay!! I'm loving the versatility of this amp. I'm ordering one now. I'm looking forward to messing around with it. I like that I can dial it back to 1/5 watt for home use and the full 60 watts if I feel I need to break my lease. 😂
Rock on!
It drips nicely IMHO
Man that sounds killer
Dude your playing is frickin’ sweet! I gotta get this amp!
Thank you for posting a review with playing instead of non stop talking. I personally prefer playing through tube amps.
This guy is brilliant in everything he does , plus he is top guy .
Great demo! Traded in the Katana and I bought one. Love your "shimmer" reverb but the reverb effects on mine don't have one with that name. Mine say Hot Spring, Hall, Chamber, Plate, Ganymede, Plataux. What am I missing.....?
The Plateaux should be the one you are looking for :)
Great demo. Of course I subscribed!
thanks!!!!
Thanks for the sub!
Great review and awesome playing as always.
Came for the amp, but quickly forgot there was an amp. Subscribed for the killer playing.
I like both the analog tube amps and the flexible digital amps, they all have different sounds and give you options for different projects. I like this new Line 6, they seem to get the top end right in the digital domain (or was that your ribbon microphone?). I have several Line 6 pedals, and always like their fx. I may get this for my daughter, who is just starting out. Does the amp come with a footswitch, or can you get one for it?
Sounds good! Be cool if it had a tiny lcd screen with a few knobs, like a line6 m5, just to tell you what effect you were on and have 2 or 3 parameters to tweak. To answer your question, my ears prefer the old tube sound, but my wallet prefers the modeling amps. Need a review with a gibson guitar & humbuckers before I can really make my mind up with some classic rock tones.
I was thinking the exact same thing...the M5 display is pretty small and very intuitive.
But that’s the point of this amp: Dial in your tone based on sound.
The amp is supposed to be as simple as possible that’s why there is no screen
@@kamarienedwards1757 Simple for the manufacturer or simpler for you? Katana does same thing.
Fantastic. You are great player. Amp is ok too!
Your video cinched it for me, got one this morning!
Congrats!
Your video is so helpful. Man you’re really good!! I just bought one. Quick question because I’m newbie. Where do I plug the XLR from the direct out to a mixer? To any of the Mic/Guitar line in? Thank you. SUBSCRIBED!
Any line in
@@anthrobeat8820 Thank you! I appreciate it.
So, is this good for both a guitar and a bass guitar, or what combo am would be good for both bass and standard guitar?
Great playing!
I have a clean tube amp I use as a pedal platform for home use and can’t seem to find the tone I want. Been buying and trading pedals for a lot of money, but now I’m thinking about getting this (at the price of 1-2 pedals) to try out. Can’t understand why they didn’t make the boost foot switchable though.
I agree
Love the playing 😊
thanks!
I'm leaning towards the boss katana because of the lack of multi effects capability on this catalyst but my question is do you need the effects or can i just buy some effects pedals. I much prefer the sound of the catalyst though,
Well, to answer your last question, I personally have a katana so that is where I am leaning so to speak. However, a nice tube amp would be cool to own as well, but I don’t have the cash for that at the moment. What I would like to see is a unbiased comparison of this to the katana. Thank you for the great review, Jay!
Sounds great, but not convinced about the hi gain tones yet. I need to hear some tuned down chugging and not with a telecaster 😉 any links to quality recordings will be appreciated!
Confirmed...it chugs
I just ordered the 60. Should I have gotten the 100? Not so much for volume but for tone?
Hey Jay, how are you doing today? I just got this app and I only had it a week. The question I have could you do a video on showing how to use the guitar tuner on the app? I can’t figure it out I would really appreciate it and I just followed you.
how do you know which effect your on? i find this amp a bit complicated. Just purchased one and can’t quite figure out how to save 2 different channels with whatver effects i want in them. please do a more specific video with all the details. cheers!!!
If I buy one of these will I be able to play like this guy?
I’d have to be an unwell fanatic to buy yet another amp, but there it is. This demo especially as well as some others are forcing me to buy this soon. Besides, it’s so shockingly inexpensive, buying it would barely even hurt. I like the ratty (in a cool rock sense of course) toneage you were getting w that Tele and the amp. I’m off into mid-60s no-hit wonder trash rock as of late, and that toneage is aces for that. Thx for demoing.
The 60 cx is even better than what Jay is demoing in this video. I love mine.
What is the weight of the Catalyst?
wonderfull vid. im actually going to buy this smart thing ... please make also a Line 6 catalyst can do metal ? video
I hope you enjoy it!!!
Dude this guy is NUTS on the guitar
So instead of providing a little screen, they expect you to memorize 18 colors? Brilliant, Line6!!!
There's no shimmer setting on my amp & that's the sound I want I like the old line six spiders much easier to find the sounds you want
Another amp for teles, lps, prs's and strats. Amps for semi-hollows and hollowbodied guitars including archops?
Is there a footswitch jack for the Catalyst ???
Does the Catalyst have a footswitch or can any footswitch be used ???
There is a 1/4" dual footswitch for that one that switches between channel and FX :)
Any foot switch compatibility?
Old school like that Tone King behind you.
Obviously set up to try and compete against the Katana range.
Doesn't do metal ,does it jay?. And does the pedal come with. Gotta make a decision tonight. Nice chops.
The catalyst beats the boss katana hands down.
100%
That BOOST tone… OMG!!! I’m still drooling! @JayLeonardJ: would you describe your bridge pickups as more No-Caster era, or late ‘50s/early ‘60s, or even later than that? I can’t afford a Custom Shop guitar with the JMod pickups, but am totally in love with that tone!
More on the 60's side of things, but with flat polepieces :)
@@JayLeonardJ thanks! You inspired me to a) get the Quilter Interblock 45 after your review, b) practice a lot more, and c) build a partscaster. I went with Mojotone pickups because they were local to the Carolinas and I could afford them. I went with the Nocaster flat poles but don’t get quite as much picking dynamics as you do and my lead tone is much crunchier, probably because of the windings. Time to experiment more with the volume knob I guess. Maybe I need to add in a treble cap in the volume to get what I’m looking for when I roll it back?
I have a Catalist 60, but when I start recording my guitar by USB the effects are off. Do you know how to turn them on?
you really do this amp justice!
wonder when they will be available ?