I have had a Roland Microcube since around Y2K. I bought it not only to have a practice amp for the livingroom, but because... BATTERIES! I loooove being able to play it outside without an extension cord! But it isn't loud enough to play with a drummer. A couple years ago I came across a Cube20XL and bought it for $100. It doesn't do batteries, but it has more features and way the heck louder. It also has a power soak, even though that is still pretty durn loud. So I use them both now. I've never recorded with them, but I think I will since along with my pedal board, I've really dialed in some excellent tones. Roland does clean sounds so deliciously. Too bad their bumping into Boss has disrupted it a bit too much.
I just ordered one and should be here tomorrow. Sounds good to me. I'm getting back into playing after 10+ years. This amp looks perfect for someone who doesn't play in a band or live.
@GOOSE-1334 I really like it. It doesn't have as many presets as my old Line 6 Spider or a built-in tuner (which is something I really liked). I do think the Boss sounds much better than the Spider. The "power control" is great. Sounds the same at .5w as it does at 25 and 50w. It gets pretty loud and surprisingly doesn't break up as quickly as othet solid state amps I've used. Great Amp, great price $289 on Amazon.
Great video, thanks for the upload! I just bought the Katana Mk3 50 at Sweetwater Music for $269.99. I fell in love with my friends Boss Katana 100 that I tried out, but I didn't need that much power, so I bought the 50. This amp will be a huge upgrade to the Vox Mini-5 rythm that I had been practicing on for the past four years. Now I just have to figure everything out with this new amp I bought.
Nothing wrong with honesty Elmo…solid review and that’s why I come here!! I’m sure Boss will sell them by the boat load..I have one..the older 100w MkII..play it at the 50w setting using the clean channel with boost, gain, and it’s perfect for my band practice amp..cuts through easy enough.. live situations it’s my 5150 Icon 40w and it brings more than enough to the band mix..reverb isn’t to my taste but I have my TCE Hall of Fame 2 for that fill!! Thanks again and nice day Elmo!!
I’m just getting into the guitar. Picked one of these up and am more than happy with it. Leaps and bounds better than the junk little beginner Silvertone amp I had. From the perspective of someone who hasn’t developed an ear for what a good amp should sound like, I think it more than fits my needs! Most importantly, having a better amp has made learning a lot more fun!
@@MrPolevaulter not really a fanboy myself of boss katana (I prefer tube amps) but I have tried them in the past and know the best tones come from tweaking in the Boss Tone Studio. Cheers
I'm a newbie and don't know what I'm doing. But I took my guitar to the music store, plugged it into a handful of the amps on display, and this made the cool noises I wanted it to make so I bought it. I had no idea there was hype about it. Just liked the sound and price
When you said "it's the same amp, through different overdrives" that's the impression I got from Fender's Champion series. I don't think Katana is a modeling amp until you hook it up to your computer.
Unfortunately I got sucked into the hype and bought the second version of the 50 watt katana amp. I gave the amp and the speaker 30 hours of loud playing and the sound did not improve. And you said it right, the only thing I heard out of my amp was a sterile plasticky sound. And I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. Thank you so much for your thorough and honest review of this series amp, Elmo.
@@bestregardsband6912 yeah, maybe after the speaker was broken in and if you could get into the software you could make it sound good. But I don't have a computer so I don't have that capability.
Hello! did you find good alternatives to katana? I am planning to buy an amp for home practice, so i guess tube amps will be too loud (but if there are some good examples sounding well with low volume - please tell me).
I have a bunch of valve amps, Cornford Hurricane etc, and Roland Blues Cube Artist which is great but I regularly gig a Boss Katana 50 ex with a GA-FC footswitch. You really need to use editing software to get it to really shine. I use Juca Nery's Librarian app. It takes pedals fine. As a lightweight portable grab and go amp it is unbeatable. I also run the line out to FOH. I take a tuner, clean boost and a Sweet Honey overdrive as well as the GA-FC. I have a Mk 1 100 watt too as a back up. Started on playing valve amps in 1970.
I’ve bought amps recommended on this channel that were sent back to the shop so I guess it’s down to your taste as Elmo has told us many times. I like Gen3. It’s great.
Thanks for this video Elmo. I have tried my best to like the Katana over several years and owned about4 of them. Yep I always find them pants and take em back to the shop withing a few weeks. Thought it was just me not getting it but they are not my cup of tea and so glad to see I am not alone! Thanks for the warning shot! :) XXX
Ha, it's like you're in my head, I do exactly the same thing. And as soon as I get rid of one I decide I want another one, maybe a 50 after having the 100. And then I find I don't really play it so I get rid of it again and swear I'm out of the Katana universe forever. And so it goes on...!
@@littlespaceman lol you too! Im done with em for sure. No more! I either play small tube amps now or my Helix into a power cab. So so much better! :) XXX
@@jehannedarc1431 No more...except I bought a Boss Dual Bluetooth Adaptor at a really good price the other day, just in case I succumb again...😳 No, you're right, I must no do that, I must not! I generally play my Quad Cortex through either a Fender FR10 (I actually sold my Powercabs as soon as I tried the FR10, I thought it sounded so much more like a 'real' amp) or through some Yamaha HS3 monitors - the HS3's sound absolutely amazing. Or I have a Laney Supercub 12, a little valve amp which is fun. And if I just want a grab and go I have a Yamaha THR 30 MkII...
Fair assessment for your tastes. I've just replaced a busted Fender Mustang with one of these and I like it a lot for home noodling. As others have said it really opens up with the Tone Studio software, a tweakers delight. Although I understand why some people don't want to add a PC or mobile app into the creative process. And asking extra for the bluetooth dongle is taking the mick IMO.
I trust Elmo’s opinion over GuitarWorld, etc. any day. With that said, if ‘you’ liked the tones then it’s a great amp, for you. Some people hate vintage Marshall tones and like Diezel high-gain, and vice versa. There’s a reason there are so many choices. It’s great unbiased information for you to use to inform your buying decisions.
A fair review as always. I see many comments about not comparing it with a tube amp etc. That's Elmo's opinion and that's that. Nobody ever said anything about comparisons or price relativity. He says he didn't like it and he was kind enough to tell you what he did like subjectively. What's not to understand?
You’re such an awesome player! You’ve got the best personality for gear reviews also. Should do some more Cort guitars! I’ve been obsessed with some of their models
I'm new to electric guitar and thus not wedded to the holy grail of tube sound. To me it sounded great for a practice amp. And I know from katana GO how powerful the BTS software can be. Great demo as always 🎸 🔥. I'll check out the top 10 list too.
Hi Elmo, your opinion of the Gen3 or Katana Boss is quite Harsh.. The Katana 100W version doesn't sound like a plastic box at all and I have a few good amps to compare with.. The gain tone is actually one of the best I have heard on the Brown channel along with some Marshall and some of the clean patches out there are of professional quality.. At least to my ears..Also, the possibility of converting it to an acoustic amp is a bonus in itself..
I had to do some tweeking in the Boss Tone studio to get it to kick ass. I was successful. 1 . Adjust the tube screamer settings very little gain somewhat high output. For Either Brown or lead. 2. Add Graphic. EQ in chain drop frequencies a bit..around 250 hz and slight boost at 3k for a bit of sizzle. The lead channel is great for a mk2c+ Petruci vibe. Brown is more mod Marshall. At louder volumes I like the 50 watt setting. Mine is the 100 combo
I've experienced the same thing in the store with the prior generations. It wasn't till I plugged into the 2*12 100 Watt combo that it opened up. It made a difference. The Artist series has a better speaker, a 'bloom' feature which resembles a mild treble boost and compressor which mimics a tube amp softening the initial attack, and some EQ tweaks. And yes, this is very much a 'your mileage will vary' amp. Try it before you buy it.
Just got to plug into the Artist Gen 3 combo. It's buzzy. Tried the MK II head into a 2*12 cab and everything smooths out dramatically. The takeaway is to get the head and a decent cab and speaker. It's definitely a price point thing. I thought about getting the Artist head, but it was way too much of a premium over the stock head and from what I can see, you can do everything from the editor.
I have a Katana 100 mkii. Wasn't impressed in the shop but most people say you have to twiddle with Tone Studio. I thought it was better after twiddling, but after some time I've reverted to thinking it's average. I now use the clean setting with my drive pedals, which makes it sound better. I play low volume at home, and find the Spark Mini is more suitable for my needs. My old Yamaha THR 10C with the drive pedals sounds good too. So, whilst the Katana isn't bad, I agree the hype is overdone. I've lent my Cube 80GX to somebody and must get it back!
I’m amazed at the comments saying the cleans in this amp aren’t that great. I get great cleans just by adjusting the mids to the guitar that I’m playing. It’s all about spending time with the amp to dial in the sound which is what you have to do with most tube amps anyway.
So I eventually did buy the 'box of plastic' 😂 because it best met my criteria. Tbh even for a noob like me I did hear that 'boxy' 1x12 thing, plus a nasty top end 'fizz' using distortion - I hear what Elmo is talking about. But - this was all handily dealt with in Tone Studio using the very powerful Graphic and/or Parametric EQs at the Global and/or patch levels. You can really get as general or granular as you like. Loving it very much :)
I have numerous Roland/Boss products, including a Blue Cube Artist, purchased in 2015 and gigged a fair amount. I found it very usable, although it lacked some of the organic feel of the best tube amps I've owned. When the Katana came out, I tried one for a few days. I wasn't able to bond with the amp. If the BC lacks the organic quality of tubes, the Katana feels completely antiseptic. I also found the plethora of settings distracting.
THANK YOU. Together with the reveal comments, I can see the actual unvarnished facts of the matter. While listening to this video, I was constantly on edge, waiting for the holy audio grail. It never struck me as a sound I needed to have.
Interesting opinion, personally I don't own a Katana, but I've played lots of them in gigs and rehearsal studios, and I thought for the price they are really good, particularly the head. I have less experience with the combo version, but I suspect it isn't much different. The speaker can actually make a massive difference though, so there's that.
Good and honest review. Had to chuckle on the buzzy box of plastic. I don't play solid state amps anymore, but I had the Roland Cube too. It was pretty good, tbh. Other good ones (imo) are the Peavey Bandit and Studio Pro 112 (red stripe). You could change the speaker and it'd still be cheaper than the Katana. And MUCH better (again, imo).
I have a Peavy bandit that I spliced a 1/4 inch Jack into and plugged it into a 4x12 cab and it sounds great. Had it 35 years and still works same as ever.
A box of plastic. I kind of agree. I used to have a Roland blues cube and to my ears the tones from it while not as versatile were much better. There was a definate fender tweed vibe there and amazing clarity. That's not to knock the katana. For the price it's amazing. It's great that new players in particular can get one of these and learn tones and settings
I agree with Elmo completely about the Katana and amps of it's genre. I am in my 70's. However, many months ago, a friend gave up forcing me to buy a Spark40. One day after his surrender, a brand new Spark40 was delivered to my door by Fedex. Truthfully, I use the Spark 98% of the time. Do I have great vintage amps? I am surrounded by them. But the Spark is next to my desk PC. It makes me want to play more. The Katana 50 does not inspire me. But, for kids or newbe's the Katana is a great worry free choice. -- Thanks Elmo.
Hi. I really like Your honesty reveiws and in this case I agree. I bought a 50 Watt and the first I did was to put in another speaker. A brittish H/H speaker and I put up the original speaker on the wall as a dekoration. It sounds much better but it´s still kind of a sterile sound and it´s uninspiring. Know I kept it as a backup if my tubeamps will break when we have a gig. Thanks for Your inspiring content😀👍
Wow...I did not realize that Roland and Boss had merged. I wondered what happend to the Cube line of Amps?? We learn someting new every day! The Roland line of amps had something for everyone and they were very user friendly! I had a Cube Micro and it was an amazing little amp. Another great video Elmo! Thanks :)
BOSS was an MEG effects group within Roland since 1973, I believe. It has since become Roland's guitar centric brand. It has always been a part of Roland. Hope that helps.
Love your reviews, no bullshit. I have a Mk1 50, which I love for what it is, but it's not the same as my 30W valve amp. It lacks the "gut punch" you get from valves. It's a great prctice amp, but it's no match for valves on full angry. Keep those honest reviews coming, God knows, the internet needs it.
Interesting and honest appraisal, I’m old and have always liked valve amps. I have a JCM800 2203 head from 1981 and a Cornell Plexi 45/50 head which I use with old Marshall 4x12 cabs or a Zilla Super Fatboy in the house. These give me the breakup I like which I can boost with a Keeley Katana or roll back the volume for a clean (ish) sound. This gives me what I want, I have had a lot of transistor amps some old school namely a Peavey Bandit 65 and several Sessionettes which are OK but not much more. I had a Line 6 Flextone III which was horrible so I’m with you on this one it did sound plastic and fake to me. The crazy thing is I also follow Dave Simpson who like yourself is a phenomenal player but he only uses transistor amps and loves the Katanas but he uses the acoustic setting and gets his distortion from pedals has the strangest settings for EQ but it works for him and he sounds great with his set up. I guess it’s horses for courses but nothing smells as nice as a warm Marshall, I always give a good sniff my warm valves before I power off. I do have a Katana Mini but just use the clean sound when noodling in my wilderness cabin.
katana has become the iphone of guitar world. the new one comes out every few years or so with not a lot of update and people are hyped to get a new one.
To be fair, there really wasn't that much hype surrounding this amp aside from RUclips reviewers. If you read the comments on a lot of those review videos and the various forums discussing the Gen 3, most people were underwhelmed and disappointed with the "updates" Boss added to the Katana.
@@vmx23 what are you talking about? The first guy didn't say how often specifically, he wrote "every few years", which can be 3. Nobody forces you to change to new Katana, but it's the same with iphones, I don't see what is your point. When I heard the Katana face to face, I just couldn't listen to that speaker in it, the crunch sounds were really synthetic.
Yep, easy to get caught up in the hype, respectable players saying they use them live and its their main amp (Marty Schwartz being one). Rob chapman saying its better than other amps that sound clearly better. Boss gotta be paying! Hence why this channel is the only genuine one i have found reviewing equipment! The rest seem to make out everything they review is excellent! Elmo gives a true opinion and will save us all money.
You never edited anything inside the amp. That is where the "best" tweaking is. For the love of God connect a computer and modify the master EQ out and add a noise gate.
This is a very fair review and connects with other criticisms I've heard from other Katana owners. I think you really have to love the clean, brown, and now pushed channels. Forget the effects for a second, or the amount of tweakability with the software. If you just hear those channels as they are and they don't irk you, then it's the no brainer amp for you. You can dig into the EQ and tone shaping controls through the software, but that's only worth the time investment if you already like the stock tone of those channels. I tried but tonally it just wasn't for me. I would not say it's a bad product, people seem to parrot disdain for the Katana because of its ubiquity which is nonsense. It's affordable, gives you a ton of options, and is durable. But whether or not it sounds good to you or in your use case.. different story. Appreciate the review!
With third party softwares you can access plenty of more "hidden" channels. I can get nice full high gain sound with a stock Squier with single coils by shaping the tone with the amp.
@@veikkajoensuu yep, I tried the hidden channels as well but I think the same thing applies. If the general tone of the Katana sounds good or even just ok to your ear you can really dig into the software and customize to your liking. I see the value of the Katana for certain, just didn't get alone with the overall sound. Even with pedals.
Elmo, I have had the 50, 100 stock, 100 with the WAZA speaker and Artist. When it comes to Modelling amps, Speaker does have a lot to do with tone. I didn't like the 50 either. The 100 did fix the boxiness and reduced the 'modelled' overtones of the 50. But, it wasn't until I put the WAZA speaker (Boss version of a Greenback) that I actually liked the amp. MIND you, imho, you have to still set a Global High and low cut filter via the software. The Modelling engine produces some frequencies that don't work and play well with what amounts to be a flatish guitar speaker in the stock speaker, and a Greenback in the WAZA. But that combo gets expensive. I also really prefer front of amp controls. So I Sold the WAZA speaker and Katana 100 and bought a used Artist 100 Mark 2, for only a little more than a new Katana 50 mk2, and less than the Gen 3 go for now in the states. Is it the greatest amp ever? No. In fact, for some tones I prefer the Catalyst 100. But it's serviceable, giggable, and the Acoustic amp actually sounds good with my Fender Acoustasonic on some of the acoustic sets we do (talking cofee house, restaurant gigs, nothing special). It also works great as a power amp and CAB for my Friedman IR-D.
For the younger players. This kind of Amp is a dream come true. A NOT lot of money. No need to buy expensive pedals. They can just plug it in to the PC. Do crazy stuff with the sound. Even up/download other players sounds.
Elmo. I love the channel. But I truly don’t get your dislike of the Katana. You should get together with Paul from the Studio Rats and do a joint video with him dialing in a katana for you. It’d be great content!!
Good and honest, the man we need. 👍 I'd love a comparison to thenew Laney Lionheart Foundry, which pushed to the Katana price range as a no frills one amp two channels thing. How it stacks against katana, or mighty 15 from HB, or the other small tube amp from HB?
Thank you for your honest review. Like the Marmite, Boss Katana "love it or hate it". 🤣 I hat the chance of attentively listening to live. Most probably I'm going to sell a good deal fo my current gear and buy a Gen 3. Obviously it doesn't have the sex appeal of renowned tube amplifiers, I want to play with as much versatility and simplicity as possible and not worship fetishes.
I brought a MK2 after selling my spark, sounded so much better, it allowed me to experiment with effects and hone my sound, I now play through a Dsl 20 and a pedal board, the katana sticks around for a headphone platform. I'm buying a silver jubilee or engl fireball for not a lot more than a katana artist
Honest opinion. I think the market is so saturated that they have to fill it with new models having features which are not actually needed or give much more anything valuable. To keep market and sales running...and of course the new one is more expensive. Nice that mentioned Micro Cube - the amp has all one needs for a practice amp ; )
Your a awesome player and honest person, Like you I own a lot of nice bucket list heads and cabs, but unlike you i cant play as good. That being said I find my boss katana 50 a great living room practice amp and it takes simple pedal boards very well. Also i have never used the tone studio part of it, but just using the panel with headphones for late night noodeling without hooking up my 7 indevidual pedals makes it nice. Cheers and you got my sub!!
Juca Nery says use the Global EQ and put a 5k cut on the highs, that'll make it sound better, and also adjust what cabinet settings you are using, that helps also.
Thanx Elmo for your honest Review.I feel the same-Plastic!I´m wondering how so many Guys on YT could say that the Katana Series sounds amazing?Keep goin....
You're on point with the 50 watt. I couldn't get a sound I liked to save my life, it is exactly what you said. Sounds like a box of plastic. HOWEVER. The Artist model, both head and combo are completely different animals. I have the head plugged into a 2x12 v30 cabinet and it sounds absolutely killer. But yeah the 50 and 100 watt combos, I'm not impressed with either. If anyone's looking for a small combo for close to the same price go for the Marshall DSL5CR. Those are incredible.
Thanks for the honest review, Elmo. I had a Cube years ago (that finally died) and did like that. Since then I have been pretty happy with the THR II for practice, but it was way overpriced. I think it sounds better than the Katana overall. It's tough, though. All of the practice amps lack something. I totally agree with the box of plastic characterization for this one.
I’d like to hear a professional opinion. Which amp would you recommend for Neo-soul, R&B, and Lofi music? I’ve previously used a Roland Micro Cube GX, but I’m now looking for something with better sound quality. I’m currently considering the Boss Katana-50 MkIII or the Fender Mustang GTX100, but I’m open to other suggestions if these options aren’t the best fit for my needs.
I've never been a fan of these amps, the cleans sound ok but that's it. What do you think of using a bass amp as a guitar amp? I've been using a Nux Mg-30 with a Fender Rumble bass amp and it sounds great.
Gosh - surprising conclusion and quite the opposite of my opinion (I have an artist combo mk1 which promptly resulted in my DSL20 (Creamback loaded) and tube 15 getting the boot as for me there really was no comparison then recently bought a mk2 50 as a very cheap second hand ultra portable practice amp, which I also like) but I guess we’re all different! Stellar playing as always my good man
Artist mk2 with the waza craft greenback speaker is a great amp imho! Ditched my blues junior and Marshall dsl40, get every tone I need from the knobs on th3 front. Check out Rob Chapmans videos on these!
I have a couple of boss katana 50s they ,the boss katana is a decent all around amp, many many possible tones and effects plus you can down load the tone lab and get just about anything you want, ive used mine with a band its loud enough and if it isnt you can input it to the pa ,simple simple, I love mine and they are cheap around 300 new around 150 used ,anyway great video take care stay safe ,god bless
There are 3 separate EQs that can be used in any patch (and a noise gate). If you know what you are actually looking for, you can do things like dial out the plastic sound. Use the Tone Studio or download some great patches.
The one thing I hated about my MK2 that made me sell it a month later was that it was so harsh and shrill sounding. I needed to turn down the treble a lot to make anything not harsh, and by then it would be too dark. This does seem a little better in that regard.
It's funny, I sold my Laney super cub 12 for a Katana 50 MK2 and couldn't be happier. Sounds great to me, and feels a lot simpler to get workable tones compared to other amps and pedal combinations.
Very good, fun video! I don’t use effects or clean tones. I’m just interested in a Ramones or Sex Pistols sound. I’m sure the Katana is very capable is getting those tones at a very light weight!
A week ago I sold my Orange Crush 20 which had a lovely, full sounding dirty channel but was a little bit muddy to me. After all that hype I've decided to get a Katana, partially because I wanted a 12" speaker (I was considering Crush 35, 60 was out of my budget). When I first turned it on I was shocked how shit it was, straight away I've reached out the shop if I could return that. I gave myself a weekend just to check the app, like everyone was advising. I got few presets like 5150 or Soldano from the High Gain Tones patch and I fell in love with the sound. Does it sound like a tube amp? Perhaps no. Does it sound good? To me, yes, but the stock sounds are crap as hell. Now, people saying I could get a Tube 15 or DSL5 for similar price, sure, but as a beginner who mostly plays on headphones with a 2 years old sleeping next room it's a no go.
An update on this one. After almost 3 weeks I have decided to return the Katana and ordered Orange Crush 35 and Vox VT40X and will pick between these two.
Hi Elmo, Greeting from Australia, thanks for the informative video as usual!!!! As a matter of interest I tried a gen 3 100w today and loved it, played and played and played, then tried the g3 50w and it just didn't happen!!!! Can you review the 100w I think it is a different amp!!! BTW my favourite home amp and mates jamming is the Mk1 microcube, love it! Cheers Jon
For home practice and recording plugins are the way to go. I have the free audio single neuron tube and it sounds great. I play it in reaper with a bit of processing . Couldn't be happier.
How do you compare it to Hotone Pulze, which one has best sound and feel? Hotone hasn't got to many outputs - pity, but I think I don't need them and I like it's little size and visual style 😅
@@MrPolevaulterThanks for your response and advice, I was just scrolling Spark bigger brother and I see it's more reasonable priced, has more power and more outputs. Based on reviews software is the same in both of them.
Did you check the blind review by Andertons with Rob Chapman testing amps he choose the Vox VTX series or the new Boss Katana 3 , I think this is what Rob was saying with VOX it's a proper hybrid with the 12 x7 preamp tube you get more of a realistic tube like sound , however I wish Vox updated the VTX series with a better speaker upgraded USB c and the ability to connect to your PC with your recording software, when BOSS came out with 50 gen 3 with all the uproar and fanfare then you hear it umm something is missing still a great amp another great review love the tshirt of a fellow Canadian Devin Townsend 😊
@@atticushexcel9567 At the end of the day it's just a cheap amp built with plastic with a crappy cheap speaker and the cabinet is cheap particle board. Sound is subjective and if you like it who cares what other people think. Use it and enjoy it.
Don’t listen to what Rob Chapman is saying. Those guys popped like mushrooms in a forest as excellent sales people with crappy musical sense. Go and try product yourself and decide otherwise you end up spending unnecessary amounts of money just chasing the tone that you may not be able find. It is literally a rabbit hole for god sake
I've never got the hype with these amps either. I had the Katana Artist and didn't like it at all, couldn't gel with the core tones at all. If it works for you then great. I'm glad it isn't just my ears. I currently have one of the competitors and with its new update it's a solid amp. But the Katana is a jack of all .
@@Olican71well said and I think most people get that now seeing as that man has gone from the hottest thing in RUclips land to virtually no associations now. An Olympic band wagoner and nothing more.
It looks like it hurts you so much to say bad things. It's ok Elmo. That's why we love you. You take a hit for the team when necessary. /hug :) I just don't think it's worth the price. As a beginner I NEED a single amp, at a good price, that can do a few things well. Quiet practice at home, slightly louder practice with a band, much louder at small gigs, somewhere in between to record. It doesn't need to be miraculous at anything but it can't be absolutely aweful at anything and this thing just seems to be too expensive relative to others that could fit the bill nicely. I wouldn't know a tube from a transistor if my life depended on it but I trust my ears, a dB meter and my wallet and this thing simiply doesn't thrill me. Thanks for all you do!
He has the master volume at full. The katana can go from insanely loud to barely hearable with minimal tone change if you dial back the master. The volume is definitely not the reason to pass this but if you don't like the tone then don't buy it.
With the katana series you really have to hook it up to the software to unlock its potential. There's so much locked behind that wall. I havent tried the combos. The head version with some good speakers and some time dialing it in... I think its a very versatile practical practice amp.
There is truth in this. However, the issue with the 50 is that the cabinet is too small, and the speaker is not their best one. The 50 is designed down to a price point and due to the limitations of its physical design, will always sound boxy and plastic. The 100 sounds MUCH better due to its much larger cabinet and much better speaker.
Decent honest review. They lack feel under the fingers. If it has to be digital and Roland then the Blues Cube series are much better. Probably based on the Technology of the old cube range!
I love boss petals, and the jazz chorus is a great amp. But, I have to agree. A 5 watt tube amp a ts n a reverb tank. That's all I need. N I prefer the blackstar fly over most amps 5 times the price
I have yet to test one. So I won't comment much. But I do notice that Boss is probably playing the marketing card the best, among all manufacturers. The amount of sponsored reviews is quite absurd. And the range of models they offer is so overwhelming that it makes the users confused and probably got bitten if went for the lowest end model. 13:37 I heard the Waza speaker is the trick. Perhaps you should try Katana Artist series?
I have a Katana 100 MK2 for home use. It’s spectacular. I had a 50 for about 24 hours and returned it. If you’re going to buy one get the 100. Just remember it’s an excellent modeling amp for home use and practice. It’s not a tube amp and will never sound as good. But it will sound great for home use, practice and experimentation with effects.
@atticushexcel9567 I believe your comment may have gotten deleted, but I can still read most of it through my notifications. The thing is my brother got me into guitar after he got into it very recently, he himself got the MK-II 50W since it was the most sold amp with good reviews on Thomann, and as for me after trying his amp and establishing a baseline as to what I'm looking for, I decided to go for the 100W model since it's more flexible and can do pedals and just slightly better... and it wasn't that much more expensive than the 50W. About a month or two after I got the MK-II, the Gen 3 got released, but neither me or my brother feel like we missed out because the Gen 3 ones are way more expensive than the prior MK-II that we'd never buy them in first place. We tested the MK-II 50W vs 100W side and side and there wasn't much difference, that I actually thought I could have saved money and gone with the 50W, but for future reference if or when I get better at guitar it's nice to have the extra features on the 100W.
@@Ben-ld1qi Yea, the 100 does have more features. One thing I needed but didnt have on the 50 was an effects loop for my looping pedal. I forgot that if I loop a clean track in the front it would be dirty and effected by the settings. For me I noticed a difference in tone. At GC it sounded good, but there was a crowd. Once I got it home it was ok but a bit boxy sounding. SO for those two reasons I returned it. The difference for me was big! I'm happy I went with the 100. I know some guys gig with them, but for people that want the tone of a pure tube amp, its not going to do that. Bottom line is this.....I get great tone at low volumes for home use. My Fender Deluxe Reverb....you gotta crank it and it will blow out the windows!
I bought the original Katana 50 new for 190€ after jumping on the hype train, after a couple of months i sold it, i really wanted to like it and loved the layout and easy of use but the sounds were a fizzy trebly wall to my ears, i kinda later regretted selling it cause later i found out that you had a para-EQ on the software which probably would have helped tame the Highs but out of the box it was very underwhelming, replaced it with a Yamaha THRX that sounded much better.
Check out the 10 BEST practice amps ever: ruclips.net/video/giuHVTZvUgY/видео.htmlsi=YVyGGGaDZLZMEKgJ
At least you're honest, good channel !
I have had a Roland Microcube since around Y2K. I bought it not only to have a practice amp for the livingroom, but because... BATTERIES! I loooove being able to play it outside without an extension cord! But it isn't loud enough to play with a drummer. A couple years ago I came across a Cube20XL and bought it for $100. It doesn't do batteries, but it has more features and way the heck louder. It also has a power soak, even though that is still pretty durn loud. So I use them both now. I've never recorded with them, but I think I will since along with my pedal board, I've really dialed in some excellent tones. Roland does clean sounds so deliciously. Too bad their bumping into Boss has disrupted it a bit too much.
@@TheCSteve Cheers!
I just ordered one and should be here tomorrow. Sounds good to me. I'm getting back into playing after 10+ years. This amp looks perfect for someone who doesn't play in a band or live.
Well what's the update bro how is it
@GOOSE-1334 I really like it. It doesn't have as many presets as my old Line 6 Spider or a built-in tuner (which is something I really liked). I do think the Boss sounds much better than the Spider. The "power control" is great. Sounds the same at .5w as it does at 25 and 50w. It gets pretty loud and surprisingly doesn't break up as quickly as othet solid state amps I've used. Great Amp, great price
$289 on Amazon.
$269 on Amazon and Sweetwater. My local guitar store price matches and has a 15% amp sale. I just got a Gen 3 50 watt for $229. 😂
@@paulkline3011 you got a real good price!
Great video, thanks for the upload! I just bought the Katana Mk3 50 at Sweetwater Music for $269.99. I fell in love with my friends Boss Katana 100 that I tried out, but I didn't need that much power, so I bought the 50. This amp will be a huge upgrade to the Vox Mini-5 rythm that I had been practicing on for the past four years. Now I just have to figure everything out with this new amp I bought.
Thanks for your honesty, and yeah, you can hear the sounds well enough in the vid to back it up.
Nothing wrong with honesty Elmo…solid review and that’s why I come here!! I’m sure Boss will sell them by the boat load..I have one..the older 100w MkII..play it at the 50w setting using the clean channel with boost, gain, and it’s perfect for my band practice amp..cuts through easy enough.. live situations it’s my 5150 Icon 40w and it brings more than enough to the band mix..reverb isn’t to my taste but I have my TCE Hall of Fame 2 for that fill!! Thanks again and nice day Elmo!!
Thanks for your honest opinion Elmo, too many youtubers just follow the money on gear, it's very refreshing.
I have 2 Katana 100's in stereo and they sound incredible. I gave my katana 50 to my nephew.
I’m just getting into the guitar. Picked one of these up and am more than happy with it. Leaps and bounds better than the junk little beginner Silvertone amp I had. From the perspective of someone who hasn’t developed an ear for what a good amp should sound like, I think it more than fits my needs! Most importantly, having a better amp has made learning a lot more fun!
From what I sat, it didn't sound so bad at all. And you can add a noise gate and fine-tune to taste through the software.
Fair enough.
@@MrPolevaulter not really a fanboy myself of boss katana (I prefer tube amps) but I have tried them in the past and know the best tones come from tweaking in the Boss Tone Studio. Cheers
I'm a newbie and don't know what I'm doing. But I took my guitar to the music store, plugged it into a handful of the amps on display, and this made the cool noises I wanted it to make so I bought it. I had no idea there was hype about it. Just liked the sound and price
Love your honesty Tickle Me Elmo! I felt that way about the Fender Mustang.
When you said "it's the same amp, through different overdrives" that's the impression I got from Fender's Champion series. I don't think Katana is a modeling amp until you hook it up to your computer.
Unfortunately I got sucked into the hype and bought the second version of the 50 watt katana amp. I gave the amp and the speaker 30 hours of loud playing and the sound did not improve. And you said it right, the only thing I heard out of my amp was a sterile plasticky sound. And I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. Thank you so much for your thorough and honest review of this series amp, Elmo.
Cheers!
I didn't like the Katana either.
@@bestregardsband6912 yeah, maybe after the speaker was broken in and if you could get into the software you could make it sound good. But I don't have a computer so I don't have that capability.
Hello! did you find good alternatives to katana? I am planning to buy an amp for home practice, so i guess tube amps will be too loud (but if there are some good examples sounding well with low volume - please tell me).
Spark better than katana
I have a bunch of valve amps, Cornford Hurricane etc, and Roland Blues Cube Artist which is great but I regularly gig a Boss Katana 50 ex with a GA-FC footswitch. You really need to use editing software to get it to really shine. I use Juca Nery's Librarian app. It takes pedals fine. As a lightweight portable grab and go amp it is unbeatable. I also run the line out to FOH. I take a tuner, clean boost and a Sweet Honey overdrive as well as the GA-FC. I have a Mk 1 100 watt too as a back up. Started on playing valve amps in 1970.
Nice!! The sounds reminded me a lot of my Spider Jam from back in the day🎸
I’ve bought amps recommended on this channel that were sent back to the shop so I guess it’s down to your taste as Elmo has told us many times. I like Gen3. It’s great.
Absolutely. Tastes vary, and that's good.
Thanks for this video Elmo. I have tried my best to like the Katana over several years and owned about4 of them. Yep I always find them pants and take em back to the shop withing a few weeks. Thought it was just me not getting it but they are not my cup of tea and so glad to see I am not alone! Thanks for the warning shot! :) XXX
Ha, it's like you're in my head, I do exactly the same thing. And as soon as I get rid of one I decide I want another one, maybe a 50 after having the 100. And then I find I don't really play it so I get rid of it again and swear I'm out of the Katana universe forever. And so it goes on...!
@@littlespaceman lol you too! Im done with em for sure. No more! I either play small tube amps now or my Helix into a power cab. So so much better! :) XXX
@@jehannedarc1431 No more...except I bought a Boss Dual Bluetooth Adaptor at a really good price the other day, just in case I succumb again...😳 No, you're right, I must no do that, I must not!
I generally play my Quad Cortex through either a Fender FR10 (I actually sold my Powercabs as soon as I tried the FR10, I thought it sounded so much more like a 'real' amp) or through some Yamaha HS3 monitors - the HS3's sound absolutely amazing. Or I have a Laney Supercub 12, a little valve amp which is fun. And if I just want a grab and go I have a Yamaha THR 30 MkII...
Fair assessment for your tastes. I've just replaced a busted Fender Mustang with one of these and I like it a lot for home noodling. As others have said it really opens up with the Tone Studio software, a tweakers delight. Although I understand why some people don't want to add a PC or mobile app into the creative process. And asking extra for the bluetooth dongle is taking the mick IMO.
I trust Elmo’s opinion over GuitarWorld, etc. any day. With that said, if ‘you’ liked the tones then it’s a great amp, for you. Some people hate vintage Marshall tones and like Diezel high-gain, and vice versa. There’s a reason there are so many choices.
It’s great unbiased information for you to use to inform your buying decisions.
Cheers!
A fair review as always. I see many comments about not comparing it with a tube amp etc. That's Elmo's opinion and that's that. Nobody ever said anything about comparisons or price relativity. He says he didn't like it and he was kind enough to tell you what he did like subjectively. What's not to understand?
Thanks! Yeah, people can get really worked up over gear.
You’re such an awesome player! You’ve got the best personality for gear reviews also.
Should do some more Cort guitars! I’ve been obsessed with some of their models
Thanks! I might do more Cort at some point.
I'm new to electric guitar and thus not wedded to the holy grail of tube sound.
To me it sounded great for a practice amp. And I know from katana GO how powerful the BTS software can be.
Great demo as always 🎸 🔥. I'll check out the top 10 list too.
Cheers!
Hi Elmo, your opinion of the Gen3 or Katana Boss is quite Harsh.. The Katana 100W version doesn't sound like a plastic box at all and I have a few good amps to compare with.. The gain tone is actually one of the best I have heard on the Brown channel along with some Marshall and some of the clean patches out there are of professional quality.. At least to my ears..Also, the possibility of converting it to an acoustic amp is a bonus in itself..
I had to do some tweeking in the Boss Tone studio to get it to kick ass. I was successful. 1 . Adjust the tube screamer settings very little gain somewhat high output. For Either Brown or lead.
2. Add Graphic. EQ in chain drop frequencies a bit..around 250 hz and slight boost at 3k for a bit of sizzle. The lead channel is great for a mk2c+ Petruci vibe. Brown is more mod Marshall. At louder volumes I like the 50 watt setting. Mine is the 100 combo
I've experienced the same thing in the store with the prior generations. It wasn't till I plugged into the 2*12 100 Watt combo that it opened up. It made a difference. The Artist series has a better speaker, a 'bloom' feature which resembles a mild treble boost and compressor which mimics a tube amp softening the initial attack, and some EQ tweaks. And yes, this is very much a 'your mileage will vary' amp. Try it before you buy it.
Just got to plug into the Artist Gen 3 combo. It's buzzy. Tried the MK II head into a 2*12 cab and everything smooths out dramatically. The takeaway is to get the head and a decent cab and speaker. It's definitely a price point thing. I thought about getting the Artist head, but it was way too much of a premium over the stock head and from what I can see, you can do everything from the editor.
I have a Katana 100 mkii. Wasn't impressed in the shop but most people say you have to twiddle with Tone Studio. I thought it was better after twiddling, but after some time I've reverted to thinking it's average. I now use the clean setting with my drive pedals, which makes it sound better. I play low volume at home, and find the Spark Mini is more suitable for my needs. My old Yamaha THR 10C with the drive pedals sounds good too. So, whilst the Katana isn't bad, I agree the hype is overdone. I've lent my Cube 80GX to somebody and must get it back!
The Cube is better imo.
I’m amazed at the comments saying the cleans in this amp aren’t that great. I get great cleans just by adjusting the mids to the guitar that I’m playing. It’s all about spending time with the amp to dial in the sound which is what you have to do with most tube amps anyway.
So I eventually did buy the 'box of plastic' 😂 because it best met my criteria. Tbh even for a noob like me I did hear that 'boxy' 1x12 thing, plus a nasty top end 'fizz' using distortion - I hear what Elmo is talking about. But - this was all handily dealt with in Tone Studio using the very powerful Graphic and/or Parametric EQs at the Global and/or patch levels. You can really get as general or granular as you like. Loving it very much :)
I have numerous Roland/Boss products, including a Blue Cube Artist, purchased in 2015 and gigged a fair amount. I found it very usable, although it lacked some of the organic feel of the best tube amps I've owned. When the Katana came out, I tried one for a few days. I wasn't able to bond with the amp. If the BC lacks the organic quality of tubes, the Katana feels completely antiseptic. I also found the plethora of settings distracting.
THANK YOU. Together with the reveal comments, I can see the actual unvarnished facts of the matter. While listening to this video, I was constantly on edge, waiting for the holy audio grail. It never struck me as a sound I needed to have.
Interesting opinion, personally I don't own a Katana, but I've played lots of them in gigs and rehearsal studios, and I thought for the price they are really good, particularly the head. I have less experience with the combo version, but I suspect it isn't much different. The speaker can actually make a massive difference though, so there's that.
Good and honest review. Had to chuckle on the buzzy box of plastic.
I don't play solid state amps anymore, but I had the Roland Cube too. It was pretty good, tbh.
Other good ones (imo) are the Peavey Bandit and Studio Pro 112 (red stripe). You could change the speaker and it'd still be cheaper than the Katana.
And MUCH better (again, imo).
I have a Peavy bandit that I spliced a 1/4 inch Jack into and plugged it into a 4x12 cab and it sounds great. Had it 35 years and still works same as ever.
A box of plastic. I kind of agree. I used to have a Roland blues cube and to my ears the tones from it while not as versatile were much better. There was a definate fender tweed vibe there and amazing clarity. That's not to knock the katana. For the price it's amazing. It's great that new players in particular can get one of these and learn tones and settings
I need to try a Blues Cube.
See if you can find one to check out that has been tweaked with the "Boss Tone Studio Software"
I agree with Elmo completely about the Katana and amps of it's genre. I am in my 70's. However, many months ago, a friend gave up forcing me to buy a Spark40. One day after his surrender, a brand new Spark40 was delivered to my door by Fedex. Truthfully, I use the Spark 98% of the time. Do I have great vintage amps? I am surrounded by them. But the Spark is next to my desk PC. It makes me want to play more. The Katana 50 does not inspire me. But, for kids or newbe's the Katana is a great worry free choice. -- Thanks Elmo.
Its like a gt-1000 with a speaker added! Sounds great with you on guitar!
Thanks!
Hi. I really like Your honesty reveiws and in this case I agree. I bought a 50 Watt and the first I did was to put in another speaker. A brittish H/H speaker and I put up the original speaker on the wall as a dekoration. It sounds much better but it´s still kind of a sterile sound and it´s uninspiring. Know I kept it as a backup if my tubeamps will break when we have a gig.
Thanks for Your inspiring content😀👍
Glad you liked it :)
Wow...I did not realize that Roland and Boss had merged. I wondered what happend to the Cube line of Amps?? We learn someting new every day! The Roland line of amps had something for everyone and they were very user friendly! I had a Cube Micro and it was an amazing little amp. Another great video Elmo! Thanks :)
Actually Boss is a division of Roland. Cheers!
@@MrPolevaulter Ahhhhhh I see Thanks Mate :)
BOSS was an MEG effects group within Roland since 1973, I believe. It has since become Roland's guitar centric brand. It has always been a part of Roland. Hope that helps.
I have the Gen 3 100 watt version and I think it sounds great, but I had to do some minor tweaks in Tone Studio
Yeah I tweaked my 100 watt head and it totally rocks !
Love your reviews, no bullshit. I have a Mk1 50, which I love for what it is, but it's not the same as my 30W valve amp. It lacks the "gut punch" you get from valves. It's a great prctice amp, but it's no match for valves on full angry. Keep those honest reviews coming, God knows, the internet needs it.
Thanks!
Interesting and honest appraisal, I’m old and have always liked valve amps. I have a JCM800 2203 head from 1981 and a Cornell Plexi 45/50 head which I use with old Marshall 4x12 cabs or a Zilla Super Fatboy in the house. These give me the breakup I like which I can boost with a Keeley Katana or roll back the volume for a clean (ish) sound. This gives me what I want, I have had a lot of transistor amps some old school namely a Peavey Bandit 65 and several Sessionettes which are OK but not much more. I had a Line 6 Flextone III which was horrible so I’m with you on this one it did sound plastic and fake to me. The crazy thing is I also follow Dave Simpson who like yourself is a phenomenal player but he only uses transistor amps and loves the Katanas but he uses the acoustic setting and gets his distortion from pedals has the strangest settings for EQ but it works for him and he sounds great with his set up. I guess it’s horses for courses but nothing smells as nice as a warm Marshall, I always give a good sniff my warm valves before I power off. I do have a Katana Mini but just use the clean sound when noodling in my wilderness cabin.
I like it for home use. Depends what you are looking for in an amp. Takes pedals well.
Respect Elmo for the honesty!
Good luck dealing with the Katana cult ;)
...but don't forget that there's also the tube cult 🤷♂️😂
Thanks! All sorts of cults around. Like the Marshall Code cult.
@MrPolevaulter Oh no, are the Marshall Code Cult still a thing? Haha
Finally, an honest review!!!!
Thanks so much for this review. I honestly was wondering about the hype....
katana has become the iphone of guitar world. the new one comes out every few years or so with not a lot of update and people are hyped to get a new one.
Get your facts right noob. The katana was last revised three years ago. And nobody forced you to even change them everytime they revised it.
To be fair, there really wasn't that much hype surrounding this amp aside from RUclips reviewers. If you read the comments on a lot of those review videos and the various forums discussing the Gen 3, most people were underwhelmed and disappointed with the "updates" Boss added to the Katana.
@@vmx23 what are you talking about? The first guy didn't say how often specifically, he wrote "every few years", which can be 3. Nobody forces you to change to new Katana, but it's the same with iphones, I don't see what is your point. When I heard the Katana face to face, I just couldn't listen to that speaker in it, the crunch sounds were really synthetic.
@@computerman900 you should get your ears checked.
@@vmx23he’s absolutely right,out of the box it sounds like shit
I bought a simple amp from Roland, the Blues Cube and it sound great. Keep it simple.
Yep, easy to get caught up in the hype, respectable players saying they use them live and its their main amp (Marty Schwartz being one). Rob chapman saying its better than other amps that sound clearly better. Boss gotta be paying! Hence why this channel is the only genuine one i have found reviewing equipment! The rest seem to make out everything they review is excellent! Elmo gives a true opinion and will save us all money.
You never edited anything inside the amp. That is where the "best" tweaking is.
For the love of God connect a computer and modify the master EQ out and add a noise gate.
This is a very fair review and connects with other criticisms I've heard from other Katana owners. I think you really have to love the clean, brown, and now pushed channels. Forget the effects for a second, or the amount of tweakability with the software. If you just hear those channels as they are and they don't irk you, then it's the no brainer amp for you. You can dig into the EQ and tone shaping controls through the software, but that's only worth the time investment if you already like the stock tone of those channels. I tried but tonally it just wasn't for me. I would not say it's a bad product, people seem to parrot disdain for the Katana because of its ubiquity which is nonsense. It's affordable, gives you a ton of options, and is durable. But whether or not it sounds good to you or in your use case.. different story. Appreciate the review!
With third party softwares you can access plenty of more "hidden" channels. I can get nice full high gain sound with a stock Squier with single coils by shaping the tone with the amp.
@@veikkajoensuu yep, I tried the hidden channels as well but I think the same thing applies. If the general tone of the Katana sounds good or even just ok to your ear you can really dig into the software and customize to your liking. I see the value of the Katana for certain, just didn't get alone with the overall sound. Even with pedals.
Elmo, I have had the 50, 100 stock, 100 with the WAZA speaker and Artist. When it comes to Modelling amps, Speaker does have a lot to do with tone. I didn't like the 50 either. The 100 did fix the boxiness and reduced the 'modelled' overtones of the 50. But, it wasn't until I put the WAZA speaker (Boss version of a Greenback) that I actually liked the amp. MIND you, imho, you have to still set a Global High and low cut filter via the software. The Modelling engine produces some frequencies that don't work and play well with what amounts to be a flatish guitar speaker in the stock speaker, and a Greenback in the WAZA. But that combo gets expensive.
I also really prefer front of amp controls. So I Sold the WAZA speaker and Katana 100 and bought a used Artist 100 Mark 2, for only a little more than a new Katana 50 mk2, and less than the Gen 3 go for now in the states. Is it the greatest amp ever? No. In fact, for some tones I prefer the Catalyst 100. But it's serviceable, giggable, and the Acoustic amp actually sounds good with my Fender Acoustasonic on some of the acoustic sets we do (talking cofee house, restaurant gigs, nothing special). It also works great as a power amp and CAB for my Friedman IR-D.
For the younger players. This kind of Amp is a dream come true. A NOT lot of money. No need to buy expensive pedals. They can just plug it in to the PC. Do crazy stuff with the sound.
Even up/download other players sounds.
Elmo. I love the channel. But I truly don’t get your dislike of the Katana.
You should get together with Paul from the Studio Rats and do a joint video with him dialing in a katana for you.
It’d be great content!!
Thanks a lot for your honesty !!!
My pleasure.
Good and honest, the man we need. 👍
I'd love a comparison to thenew Laney Lionheart Foundry, which pushed to the Katana price range as a no frills one amp two channels thing. How it stacks against katana, or mighty 15 from HB, or the other small tube amp from HB?
Elmo, like that Hevy Devy shirt!💯
🔥🎸🔥
👍
The new katana 50 dx has the stereo expand feature
Good review!
Especially, dialing through amp types and EQ with sound.
Yes, didn't impress me either, IHMO.
Cheers!
Thank you for your honest review.
Like the Marmite, Boss Katana "love it or hate it". 🤣
I hat the chance of attentively listening to live. Most probably I'm going to sell a good deal fo my current gear and buy a Gen 3.
Obviously it doesn't have the sex appeal of renowned tube amplifiers, I want to play with as much versatility and simplicity as possible and not worship fetishes.
I brought a MK2 after selling my spark, sounded so much better, it allowed me to experiment with effects and hone my sound, I now play through a Dsl 20 and a pedal board, the katana sticks around for a headphone platform. I'm buying a silver jubilee or engl fireball for not a lot more than a katana artist
Honest opinion. I think the market is so saturated that they have to fill it with new models having features which are not actually needed or give much more anything valuable. To keep market and sales running...and of course the new one is more expensive. Nice that mentioned Micro Cube - the amp has all one needs for a practice amp ; )
I use the Katana 50 MK1 in all of my videos! So i can only recommend the whole series :D
Good video! :)
I have one of these in a closet somewhere. I honestly don't know how. It sounds so boxy. The 100 is fine but the 50 is a bag of suck.
@@iancurrie8844 If you look at my videos, sound is done by Katana mk1 50. Its my favorite amp.
I EQ Modified it via the Boss Tone Studio.
Your a awesome player and honest person, Like you I own a lot of nice bucket list heads and cabs, but unlike you i cant play as good. That being said I find my boss katana 50 a great living room practice amp and it takes simple pedal boards very well. Also i have never used the tone studio part of it, but just using the panel with headphones for late night noodeling without hooking up my 7 indevidual pedals makes it nice. Cheers and you got my sub!!
Juca Nery says use the Global EQ and put a 5k cut on the highs, that'll make it sound better, and also adjust what cabinet settings you are using, that helps also.
Thanx Elmo for your honest Review.I feel the same-Plastic!I´m wondering how so many Guys on YT could say that the Katana Series sounds amazing?Keep goin....
You're on point with the 50 watt. I couldn't get a sound I liked to save my life, it is exactly what you said. Sounds like a box of plastic. HOWEVER. The Artist model, both head and combo are completely different animals. I have the head plugged into a 2x12 v30 cabinet and it sounds absolutely killer. But yeah the 50 and 100 watt combos, I'm not impressed with either. If anyone's looking for a small combo for close to the same price go for the Marshall DSL5CR. Those are incredible.
Thanks for the honest review, Elmo. I had a Cube years ago (that finally died) and did like that. Since then I have been pretty happy with the THR II for practice, but it was way overpriced. I think it sounds better than the Katana overall. It's tough, though. All of the practice amps lack something. I totally agree with the box of plastic characterization for this one.
I’d like to hear a professional opinion. Which amp would you recommend for Neo-soul, R&B, and Lofi music? I’ve previously used a Roland Micro Cube GX, but I’m now looking for something with better sound quality. I’m currently considering the Boss Katana-50 MkIII or the Fender Mustang GTX100, but I’m open to other suggestions if these options aren’t the best fit for my needs.
I've never been a fan of these amps, the cleans sound ok but that's it. What do you think of using a bass amp as a guitar amp? I've been using a Nux Mg-30 with a Fender Rumble bass amp and it sounds great.
Gosh - surprising conclusion and quite the opposite of my opinion (I have an artist combo mk1 which promptly resulted in my DSL20 (Creamback loaded) and tube 15 getting the boot as for me there really was no comparison then recently bought a mk2 50 as a very cheap second hand ultra portable practice amp, which I also like) but I guess we’re all different! Stellar playing as always my good man
Cheers!
I have the little Marshall myself, but am giving serious thought to doing the artist also.. hmmm
@@rickwoods5313worth trying at least I’d say. Great value as a second hand purchase
Artist mk2 with the waza craft greenback speaker is a great amp imho! Ditched my blues junior and Marshall dsl40, get every tone I need from the knobs on th3 front. Check out Rob Chapmans videos on these!
I have a couple of boss katana 50s they ,the boss katana is a decent all around amp, many many possible tones and effects plus you can down load the tone lab and get just about anything you want, ive used mine with a band its loud enough and if it isnt you can input it to the pa ,simple simple, I love mine and they are cheap around 300 new around 150 used ,anyway great video take care stay safe ,god bless
Hello, good video how you managed to eliminate the noise from the amplifier??
There are 3 separate EQs that can be used in any patch (and a noise gate). If you know what you are actually looking for, you can do things like dial out the plastic sound. Use the Tone Studio or download some great patches.
I've just bought the spark 2 50w and I love it
I wonder how the head sounds paired with a decent cab
I like my Katana Mk.2 100. We are all different.
I’m very different, i also really enjoy my mk2 100 im looking at adding the gen 3 head to my rig, mainly for the Bluetooth
@@PooNinjayou can just buy the Bluetooth midi adapter ir cos t like 50 bucks. It’s called widi usb or something like that.
Absolutely, and variety is good.
tienes toda la razón Elmo!
The one thing I hated about my MK2 that made me sell it a month later was that it was so harsh and shrill sounding. I needed to turn down the treble a lot to make anything not harsh, and by then it would be too dark. This does seem a little better in that regard.
Same thing happened for me. I don’t regret selling mine
It's funny, I sold my Laney super cub 12 for a Katana 50 MK2 and couldn't be happier. Sounds great to me, and feels a lot simpler to get workable tones compared to other amps and pedal combinations.
It looks like they eliminated the duel control knobs on the effects? that's what it looks like that would be a step back from the mark 2
Very good, fun video! I don’t use effects or clean tones. I’m just interested in a Ramones or Sex Pistols sound. I’m sure the Katana is very capable is getting those tones at a very light weight!
Sounds great. Very popular amp.
Great T-shirt :)
Great review as always! I thank you for posting this.
And thank you :)
A week ago I sold my Orange Crush 20 which had a lovely, full sounding dirty channel but was a little bit muddy to me. After all that hype I've decided to get a Katana, partially because I wanted a 12" speaker (I was considering Crush 35, 60 was out of my budget). When I first turned it on I was shocked how shit it was, straight away I've reached out the shop if I could return that. I gave myself a weekend just to check the app, like everyone was advising. I got few presets like 5150 or Soldano from the High Gain Tones patch and I fell in love with the sound. Does it sound like a tube amp? Perhaps no. Does it sound good? To me, yes, but the stock sounds are crap as hell. Now, people saying I could get a Tube 15 or DSL5 for similar price, sure, but as a beginner who mostly plays on headphones with a 2 years old sleeping next room it's a no go.
An update on this one. After almost 3 weeks I have decided to return the Katana and ordered Orange Crush 35 and Vox VT40X and will pick between these two.
Hi Elmo, Greeting from Australia, thanks for the informative video as usual!!!! As a matter of interest I tried a gen 3 100w today and loved it, played and played and played, then tried the g3 50w and it just didn't happen!!!! Can you review the 100w I think it is a different amp!!! BTW my favourite home amp and mates jamming is the Mk1 microcube, love it! Cheers Jon
For home practice and recording plugins are the way to go. I have the free audio single neuron tube and it sounds great. I play it in reaper with a bit of processing . Couldn't be happier.
How do you compare it to Hotone Pulze, which one has best sound and feel? Hotone hasn't got to many outputs - pity, but I think I don't need them and I like it's little size and visual style 😅
The Hotone is much better imo. But to be fair, I'd probably go for a Spark Mini over anything else.
@@MrPolevaulterThanks for your response and advice, I was just scrolling Spark bigger brother and I see it's more reasonable priced, has more power and more outputs. Based on reviews software is the same in both of them.
Here in the US of A, the Boss Katana Generation 3 (yeah, that's what it's called) sells for $350.
Did you check the blind review by Andertons with Rob Chapman testing amps he choose the Vox VTX series or the new Boss Katana 3 , I think this is what Rob was saying with VOX it's a proper hybrid with the 12 x7 preamp tube you get more of a realistic tube like sound , however I wish Vox updated the VTX series with a better speaker upgraded USB c and the ability to connect to your PC with your recording software, when BOSS came out with 50 gen 3 with all the uproar and fanfare then you hear it umm something is missing still a great amp another great review love the tshirt of a fellow Canadian Devin Townsend 😊
I did, yeah (after I filmed this). Devin is a seriously great musician and singer.
@@atticushexcel9567 At the end of the day it's just a cheap amp built with plastic with a crappy cheap speaker and the cabinet is cheap particle board. Sound is subjective and if you like it who cares what other people think. Use it and enjoy it.
Don’t listen to what Rob Chapman is saying. Those guys popped like mushrooms in a forest as excellent sales people with crappy musical sense. Go and try product yourself and decide otherwise you end up spending unnecessary amounts of money just chasing the tone that you may not be able find. It is literally a rabbit hole for god sake
I've never got the hype with these amps either. I had the Katana Artist and didn't like it at all, couldn't gel with the core tones at all. If it works for you then great. I'm glad it isn't just my ears. I currently have one of the competitors and with its new update it's a solid amp. But the Katana is a jack of all .
@@Olican71well said and I think most people get that now seeing as that man has gone from the hottest thing in RUclips land to virtually no associations now. An Olympic band wagoner and nothing more.
It looks like it hurts you so much to say bad things. It's ok Elmo. That's why we love you. You take a hit for the team when necessary. /hug :) I just don't think it's worth the price. As a beginner I NEED a single amp, at a good price, that can do a few things well. Quiet practice at home, slightly louder practice with a band, much louder at small gigs, somewhere in between to record.
It doesn't need to be miraculous at anything but it can't be absolutely aweful at anything and this thing just seems to be too expensive relative to others that could fit the bill nicely.
I wouldn't know a tube from a transistor if my life depended on it but I trust my ears, a dB meter and my wallet and this thing simiply doesn't thrill me. Thanks for all you do!
He has the master volume at full. The katana can go from insanely loud to barely hearable with minimal tone change if you dial back the master. The volume is definitely not the reason to pass this but if you don't like the tone then don't buy it.
And thank you!
The Spark Mini sounds much better to my ears!.. Thanks for the honest review.
With the katana series you really have to hook it up to the software to unlock its potential. There's so much locked behind that wall. I havent tried the combos. The head version with some good speakers and some time dialing it in... I think its a very versatile practical practice amp.
There is truth in this. However, the issue with the 50 is that the cabinet is too small, and the speaker is not their best one. The 50 is designed down to a price point and due to the limitations of its physical design, will always sound boxy and plastic. The 100 sounds MUCH better due to its much larger cabinet and much better speaker.
Decent honest review. They lack feel under the fingers. If it has to be digital and Roland then the Blues Cube series are much better. Probably based on the Technology of the old cube range!
I'm still yet to try a Blues Cube. I need to get around to it.
@@MrPolevaulterthe blues cube is Fantastic!! Hope you can try one
Harsh review. But that's what we're here for. Also the awesome axemanship.
Cheers!
@@MrPolevaulter Absolutely unrelated question: How did you get this alias MrPolevaulter? I've never noticed this on YT before.
I love boss petals, and the jazz chorus is a great amp. But, I have to agree. A 5 watt tube amp a ts n a reverb tank. That's all I need. N I prefer the blackstar fly over most amps 5 times the price
Hope you can try the Blues Cube amp. Is fantastic.
I tried the catalyst and katana and I found were like meh.
Blues Cube is legit
Should do that at some point. So much gear to try.
I have yet to test one. So I won't comment much. But I do notice that Boss is probably playing the marketing card the best, among all manufacturers. The amount of sponsored reviews is quite absurd. And the range of models they offer is so overwhelming that it makes the users confused and probably got bitten if went for the lowest end model.
13:37 I heard the Waza speaker is the trick. Perhaps you should try Katana Artist series?
I have a Katana 100 MK2 for home use. It’s spectacular. I had a 50 for about 24 hours and returned it. If you’re going to buy one get the 100. Just remember it’s an excellent modeling amp for home use and practice. It’s not a tube amp and will never sound as good. But it will sound great for home use, practice and experimentation with effects.
it's exactly the same one i got. I'm just a beginner guitar player.
Great comment
Okay pal
@atticushexcel9567 I believe your comment may have gotten deleted, but I can still read most of it through my notifications. The thing is my brother got me into guitar after he got into it very recently, he himself got the MK-II 50W since it was the most sold amp with good reviews on Thomann, and as for me after trying his amp and establishing a baseline as to what I'm looking for, I decided to go for the 100W model since it's more flexible and can do pedals and just slightly better... and it wasn't that much more expensive than the 50W.
About a month or two after I got the MK-II, the Gen 3 got released, but neither me or my brother feel like we missed out because the Gen 3 ones are way more expensive than the prior MK-II that we'd never buy them in first place.
We tested the MK-II 50W vs 100W side and side and there wasn't much difference, that I actually thought I could have saved money and gone with the 50W, but for future reference if or when I get better at guitar it's nice to have the extra features on the 100W.
@@Ben-ld1qi Yea, the 100 does have more features. One thing I needed but didnt have on the 50 was an effects loop for my looping pedal. I forgot that if I loop a clean track in the front it would be dirty and effected by the settings. For me I noticed a difference in tone. At GC it sounded good, but there was a crowd. Once I got it home it was ok but a bit boxy sounding. SO for those two reasons I returned it. The difference for me was big! I'm happy I went with the 100. I know some guys gig with them, but for people that want the tone of a pure tube amp, its not going to do that. Bottom line is this.....I get great tone at low volumes for home use. My Fender Deluxe Reverb....you gotta crank it and it will blow out the windows!
What was that riff at 9:50? Sounds familiar.
The Loner by Gary Moore.
best modeling tones for me will always be the Line 6 2x2 combo i had yrs ago. MONSTER TONE ... (even the lil Spider 1x12 combo i had once was killer)
I bought the original Katana 50 new for 190€ after jumping on the hype train, after a couple of months i sold it, i really wanted to like it and loved the layout and easy of use but the sounds were a fizzy trebly wall to my ears, i kinda later regretted selling it cause later i found out that you had a para-EQ on the software which probably would have helped tame the Highs but out of the box it was very underwhelming, replaced it with a Yamaha THRX that sounded much better.
The Boss FS-6 is not fully compatible with Boss Katana 50w gen3. You cannot switch banks using the footswitch, only channels. What a shame.