I've been a tube amp player all my life, but when I played thru this little monster it was like a religious experience. I love this amp, sounds like a Marshall tube amp.
What I like about Tom Quayle doing a demo is that he is SO unbiased about the products that he demoes and that is what makes his demoes so good. He just shows and tells the story and what the amp can and cannot do. He even suggest whether or not it is a product for the so called 'purist'.
I ended up selling my Boss Katana and I bought a Line 6 Catalyst 200 watt Guitar Amp I like it way better then the Katana way better I use the clean sound and I use my Boss ME -80 and it sounds Awesome if you get a chance Google a Line 6 Catalyst 200 watt Amp I like the 200 watt Amp it pushes out more air check it out they are Awesome Amps 😎🎸🤟
I will say that these Katana's surprised the hell out of me, reminds me of the old ADA MP-1, it just sounds great, cuts through, doesn't get lost in the mix. I never find myself thinking, "I wish I had brought my tube amp" in any gig or rehearsal I play.
Just bought one this morning - I have been watching a lot of videos, but THIS one (I've watched it a few times now) got me over the line - great work and thanks for your demos / info!
It’s interesting you bring that up. I have an Orange Rocker 15 combo that also has knobs on the top. I initially didn’t think anything of it, but then I realized how much of an issue that can be. I often have to lean it forward a little to see what I’m changing. Guess that’s why they call it the “rocker” lol
I have a Mesa Mark 2 B as well and ever since i bought my new Boss Katana Artist i have not touched my Mesa Boogie its in the closet collecting dust i use a Boss GT 100 with it life doesnt get any better for me lol its the best $586 dollars that i have ever spent plus i got a cover and the foot switch and a 2 year warranty.
I have a Boss Artis and it kicks ass. I play a lot of country, rockabilly and gospel . Works great and it has a acoustic switch and I us it. It is a great amp. Keep up the great work.
Whether I try one is not the issue. An amp at this price range is attractive. And if you can play and have an ear for tone you should be able to coax an acceptable enough sound from it. I like the weight thing frankly. Practicality. If you are OK with a decent sound rather than 100 % what you want it's probably fine. I take my fave tube and out, it's not always perfect. Tone hounds are never really happy! The room's acoustics and the band flavour things. And if you are micd up.... You can't control everything. I'm not into the tube Vs SS argument. This must be good value, don't expect the same as from a 10 times more expensive tube and, that's all.
@@The_Invisible_Self The music store vendor,which is the biggest in Canada, said a month ago when I ordered it, that they were told by whoever they import them into Canada that they are on back order and it would likely take about 3 months to get it. I am very much looking forward to getting it. It will be a big upgrade on my old Fender 85 amp (I bought it many years ago) and my newer Fender Mustang LT25. I want to be able to create Doug Gilmour, SRV, Garry Moore and Jimi Hendrick tones. I don’t have any separate pedals and from what I have researched the Katana Artist, together with its Tone Studio, should enable me to create reasonable facsimiles of their tones.
Keep in mind the videos on you tube are examples of some of the sounds and are what the person chose to showcase but actually play through one on a preset you tweek yourself before judging the product. Also keep in mind that the feeling and reaction that happens between the amp and guitar is a lot of the experience that katana represents. But I guess haters gonna hate.
I took my boss Katana 100 head and Marshall Jvm 100 plus Marshall 1936 2x12 cab to a gig, I'd never gigged the boss, I thought I'd just try it for the first set, the jvm didn't get turned on, the boss wasn't better, but it was really good, didn't notice the lack of valves at all and I only needed the 50watt setting... amazing, and I love tinkering with the tone studio
What a superb review. Thanks very much. Man that was SO interesting and underlines my recent decision to get one really beautifully. I learned stuff from you that no other (of the great reviews) have covered. Job done bro....Oh also...fkn awesome playing!
I think the cleans sound excellent, and the higher gain settings are decent. It really shows its true SS colors when you upped the gain on the clean channel, that fizzed out crunch isn't fooling anyone.
After seeing the KA at NAMM I bought one of the first in the US in early February. I play through a Fucks Blackjack 21 head and a 212 cab with eminence Texas Heats, that will always be my "number 1" but I have to say with out any hesitation that for an amp under the $600 US, my KA is a solid "number 1.5"... Cheers!
Just bought a katana 50 and I'm loving it,the tone studio was a bit of a fiddle to sort out but when your installing the software, just read the stuff on the boss page that your Downloading from and as long as you do what it says you shouldn't have any bother,great amps and definitely my go-to these days,I was a bit hesitant because of it having the controls on the top but I always play sitting on a chair so that wasn't a problem either,can't recommend these amps enough
New subscriber here, thank you for the excellent run through of Katana Artist MKII, on an impulse I bought this last night, it will be delivered next week. I was hoping to find well thought out reviews of this amp and you did a great, detailed job explaining everything I wanted to know and more. Thank you, great job!
It feels different. After using for years to imitate an amp, the direct feel of the amp is far better than a guitar processor. I have a Roland Ready Strat and a GP-10 and I tried to hook up this to my Artist. I was able to get decent sound but the feel was not the same. So after 5 minutes I turned off the GP-10, put the cable directly into my guitar and proceeded with dialing in tones on the amp.
After enjoying this amp for over a month I am very happy with it. I have invested in a few pedals to go in front of the amp which it handles very well. The Sneaky Amps allowed me to create and adjust the sound for several Fender amps as well as 3 high gain wild distorted patches. I am amazed at how great the tone is and it feels great to play. I do hope they improved the firmware a bit. I want a compressor and more than one boost at a time, but you have only one boost and if used you cannot use that one of three settings. There is another application called FxFloorBoard which allows you to do this, but I think it should be native. Also, they need to do more with the floor controller. Regardless, this amp sounds incredible and I am very happy with it.
Great review. I wish they would make a head version... but then you'd obviously lose the Waza speaker mojo and it seems that this amp was very much designed with that speaker in mind. Have to say.... You are absolutely correct in saying that you shouldnt waste brain cells on thinking "Oh, this isnt a tube amp". I'm pretty confident that it doesnt matter. It sounds really really good and thats all that matters.
Question for anyone who may know..I've yet to see a comparison or anything mentioning this. How would the Katana Artist compare with the Katana head + Greenback cab? Having trouble deciding which to buy. I already have a Greenback cab so..
Excellent review, thank you, Tom! This feels punchy (OD), and offers a good package with rich cleans, as well as very good note separation & dynamics. Colour me impressed!
In my mind it is between the Katana Gen 3 Artist (c£1,180 100w head and Waza 2x12 Cab) and the Marshall JTM Studio (£1250 20w head and 2x12 Cab). In that regard very little difference but the Katana brings all the tech. Expect where the real value and “tonal bang for buck” is in the Katana 100w Gen 3 Combo @ £690 you can’t really beat it.
Great amp, love the sound and the features but it's going to sound exactly the same when feeded by line-out of a Katana 100. Must be just the speaker and the box design... Nice review and wonderfull playing - Thx.
I have the katana 100 head great features but the tone studio is very limited in regards to tones you can download coming from the Blackstar id15tvp it was a downgrade in that regard. But the boss effects are way way better and more of them.
I have the regular Katana 1x12...can you tell it's SS? Yes.....but the overdrive/distortion tone is excellent! Overall just have keep high's in check...I won't part with it
i'd love to know which guitar model that is. i think this review/pieces of music gear is top ten on the planet, btw. ok-duhn-he just said gtr ps-i ended up deciding on an ibanez ar720-bsq after starting a search based on this gtr. came here for amp review. also have decided on this amp. unless it somehow gets topped againg before i can afford it. this dude is a pretty big recording artist, it turns out, in case you didn't know- that gtr is his sig. and worth a lotski.
Just got one, and while I love the concept, i have to agree with troll fiddler, this amp has a nasty high harmonic buzz or fizz in gain channels. It nearly made it completely unusable for me. I had to put an EQ in the FX loop to get rid of the fizz. It’s like they forgot to put a digital filter on this... And spare me about not knowing about tube amps, I’ve been playing for over 50 years and have had just about every tube amp you can name. My main rig is an AXE/FX and my go to tube amp is an original hand wired BUDDA Stringmaster. This amp sounds totally digital without external eq. I used a Klark technic tube parametric to cut the fizz and give it some much needed warmth.
I have the same amp, same firmware - my katana artist doesn't have 1/2 the gain than his and my pickups are pretty hot - there's got to be something in between the mics and the interface which make the amp sound gainer/ballsier. Anyhow ... the rest sounds very similar, guitar's woods aside. I won't argue that for (US) $599(ish), this is an extremely versatile, full of features and 120% tweakable amp; but i can't agree with the statement that this sounds like a boutique valve amp, and just a regular tubes amp. Bottom line is that if you need the versatility and can compromise on tone (although that is extremely subjective) this is a no brainer when compared to valves at the same price range (Marshall DSL20CR, Blackstar HT 20 mkii etc..) but if you are looking for true tube tone (i am by no means a tone-ologist, but I can distinguish between the two when sober) and do not need "8" virtual channels (4 x 2 banks + panel) , get a Blackstar HT 20 mkii or something alike. I gigged with this amp several times now. It is friendlier than spongebob - specially with the 6-switch pedal - that's it, you don't need anything else , except specialized effects (read Digitech Whammy etc..) - but i can't say I am happy with its sound - the speaker, in my case, does not respond well to cranked mids and treble - in my opinion, sounds like cheap paper being crunched. Like everything, it does take tweaking - one feature I love are the boosts one can choose from. They are actually quite different in terms of coloring, gain and emphasis. A tube screamer can be distinguished from a regular overdrive quite easily.
@Dr Albert Smythe Jr Thanks for the tip man! I ended up swapping the katana, a while back, for a Blackstar HT 40 Venue MKii, perry happy with it - my issue was not really gain, but how bad it would sound at gig volume level when playing out. Check out my videos, I recorded them with the Blackstar, you will notice the difference right away.
Those crunch and high gain sounds are ok in the bedroom, but in a gig situation the guitar won't cut through the mix with that amount of distortion. Players will end up reducing the gain to achieve a decent sound. This applies to both solid state and valve amps. I do look forward to seeing someone gigging with one of these, and having used both solid state and valve amps myself, there's no reason why this shouldn't sound ok. I'll be surprised if it comes close to a Fender valve amp though.
howardsinclair Tubes react to your playing, these solid state digital fart boxes are home amps for practice, IMO. I’ve tried just about all of these amps and I’ve decided to just skip the amp altogether and use a Kemper for gigs and just send the signal thru an aux into my in-ear monitors. I know, I know, a Kemper is a lot more money but it’s worth it to have the sounds you want and all I carry around is a small rack!
I have the Bugera G20 head which is the LAST amp I THOUGHT I would buy...but I found one used in GC for $199 and it sounded AWESOME. I paired it with a 2X12 cab and at 20 watts it KILLS...even in front of a LOUD band!
looks good, I like the clean tones but the crunch sounded fizzy and not at all tube like to me. I'm sure it's good value for money but I would never buy one. I don't really like all the integrated fx, I think Boss should have kept that external and just made a tube amp, I think they would sell a lot more.
I am disabled and only play only at home, also write & record my own original music. Is the Katana Artist overkill for me, or will I be limiting myself by just going Katana 50/100 1x12? Am I going to be second-guessing myself a year or two later?
Tony's Fishing, Gaming & Guitars I would go for the boss katana 50 for your purposes. It sounds very very close to this and is amazing for recording. I myself have the boss katana 100
NO. It's the same amp with a few extra features. I have the 100 112. It is a great amp. I stopped using tube amps years ago. The inconsistent response to power sources drove me crazy!
Tony's Fishing, Gaming & Guitars hey Tony I'm disabled also I'm legally blind I'm almost completely blind and I was thinking of making a channel for disabled guitarist what do you think I think that might have a side of people being interested and I agree I have the same problem I ever see katieanne100 but I'm actually been thinking of swapping out the speaker and having a speaker output into it it would still be cheaper than the artist Just Thoughts
@@bobtheblindbedroomguitaris8742 I like the idea of the channel. I’m also disabled (panic, depression, hypoglycemia, heart disease). Thanks for sharing.
I don't know. I have a few practice amps that have connectibility to computer to change effects etc. I get confused and lose my way. In the end it's frustrating even though I was very enthusiastic. Horses for courses.
This one’s easier to use. Once you install all the drivers and such, the program itself is very intuitive. Besides, the amp’s onboard effects are plenty useful without a computer. You just won’t have access to your full tone bank or the parametric EQ and will have to use the three stomp boxes assigned to each button. ( there’s something like 10 available through the program).
Or even a second power amp section with an output jack for an extension cab, like the old Line 6 Flextone III XL 112. That was mono out as-is, or add an extension cab for stereo. The extra separation when you ran it in stereo was really enjoyable, and of course the extension cab was much lighter than carrying a second combo amp.
It’s not stereo if there’s only one instrument. It’s dual mono. It also causes phase cancellation and if you’re more than a few feet from the amp, no one but you can tell that it’s dual mono or stereo or whatever. Yes, it sounds cool when you’re sitting in front of the amp but honestly, it’s more problem than it’s worth in live performance. There’s a very good reason that guitar amps aren’t “stereo”.
Wonderful demo and presentation, no question. But what you call "warmth" is basically a transistor preamp wiping out all top harmonics. Sorry the woolen blanket sound is not for me.
Well, I'm not going to argue with a guy of Tom's caliber. In any case he didn't say it was the death of the valve amp, just that it's the end of the debate (presumably, as to which is better). But you're probably correct in that the 'vintage snobs' are still going to debate it. I have nothing against tube amps... I still own one and like it a lot. But I also own two SS amps and a class D Tech 21 Power Engine 60. I just use whatever is the most practical at a gig because they all sound good with the gear I have.
Name - I used to use TH2... I liked it a lot. I still occasionally mess around with Amplitube and Guitar Rig. I really like Kuassa Amplification One for Classic Rock stuff. On the iOS side, I use Jamup and Bias. Truly, there has never been more choice, nor so many great-sounding options available.
ha! the end of the tube vs solid state. ha! also if you roll the bass down a bit it wont dick with your mic diaphragm. tone is a journey. tell me what you think in ten years.
It is probably better to buy Katana 100 and hook it up to a 4x12 cabinet. The only difference between Katana and katana artist is the speaker. The rest is the same. That extra money for the speaker could be spent better when choosing a cabinet of your choice with your favorite sound.
Unfortunately, there are always those who's minds are totally clouded when it comes to realistically being able to argue constructively between the difference between tube and solid state amps. As long as the glow of the tubes and amp logo is still present, some folks have a totally closed mind on this issue.
it sounds flat/muffled compared to my 212, nothing that EQ can't handle. but besides the front panel, 2 extra knobs, midi and speaker output can't see a difference. it's the katana model for the advertising's victims.
you keep saying it sounds like a tube amp but it doesnt sound like one to me. it kinda sounds generic. maybe its just me but it sounds solidstate and im not saying it sounds bad. it sounds pretty decent but not like a tube amp. what makes it sound like a tube amp to you?
9:07 "It crunches up very nicely" Uhhh....if you like the sound of a fart, yes it does. The cleans are very nice sounding, but it sounds nowhere near a good tube amp on the crunch or overdrive sounds in my opinion. Of course it's always difficult to realy hear what it sounds like through a YT vid, but still, compared to other tube amp vids on YT this does not come close at all to my ears.
André Orsel very floppy and farty on the low end. Seems like just another “modeling” amp with built in crappy FX. I’m sure it sounds better in person but it’s not something I’d buy. I can get absolutely mind blowing tones out of my Axe FX, Kemper, and even my small pedal board with the Atomic Amps rig. This just sounds like another Line 6 clone to me! I wish this guy could play.....🤪! Toms a beast!
On the link below..It initially sounds good with a Strat but at 6:45 when he plays the Tele the overdrive is awful. ruclips.net/video/4t_GlWci6xM/видео.html I had a Katana 50 for about 4 hours. Sounded like crap. Good for kids because it's cheap. I also had a Blues Cube Artist - didn't like it - got it used for $500 - sold it for $600 3 weeks later - sounded "ok" but I didnt feel like paying another $200 for a "Tone Capsule" to make it sound better. I don't think solid state is "there" yet for guitar amps. Good for clean - jazz players love solid state. Give me a Fender Deluxe Reverb and a Timmy pedal and I'm happy.
@@utmotrix don't have the Timmy pedal yet...are u still loving it? On fixed income and damn! It's hard be to buy anything ,always some random surprise bill or buzzkill to screw up plans. Sorry for venting...but I'm dying to get budget friendly gear plus my pawn shop gear and crank,crank, listen,learn, even at my advanced age.
I am actually not an expert, but I am going to profess that the emperor has not clothes. In my opinion, solid state amps have always sounded shitty with crunch and distortion even since I bought my first Crate GX-60 back in the nineties. This technologically advanced amp does not sound much better with its crunch and distortion. And Boss distortion, as legendary as it may be, always always sounded shitty to me as well. And Ibanez, which was my first electric back in the nineties, while great for metal and shredding always had a sterile sound lacking character like a strat or les paul. So playing an Ibanez, through an SS amp with Boss effects is like taking a triple runny shit regarding tone. Does anyone know what I am talking about, or is it just me?
@Dr Albert Smythe Jr We all age, so ageist remarks are just unseemly. Couple that with being way off in your assessment, and you end up looking like a stupid douchebag.
I've been a tube amp player all my life, but when I played thru this little monster it was like a religious experience. I love this amp, sounds like a Marshall tube amp.
What I like about Tom Quayle doing a demo is that he is SO unbiased about the products that he demoes and that is what makes his demoes so good. He just shows and tells the story and what the amp can and cannot do. He even suggest whether or not it is a product for the so called 'purist'.
I ended up selling my Boss Katana and I bought a Line 6 Catalyst 200 watt Guitar Amp I like it way better then the Katana way better I use the clean sound and I use my Boss ME -80 and it sounds Awesome if you get a chance Google a Line 6 Catalyst 200 watt Amp I like the 200 watt Amp it pushes out more air check it out they are Awesome Amps 😎🎸🤟
8:12 for those who want to skip to the part where he starts playing
Thank you!!!
Absolute lifesaver dude
I will say that these Katana's surprised the hell out of me, reminds me of the old ADA MP-1, it just sounds great, cuts through, doesn't get lost in the mix. I never find myself thinking, "I wish I had brought my tube amp" in any gig or rehearsal I play.
Yes
And I don't have to worry as much about it getting bumped around a little in transit
Just bought one this morning - I have been watching a lot of videos, but THIS one (I've watched it a few times now) got me over the line - great work and thanks for your demos / info!
The knobs on the front is a deal-maker...I have a Cube, and love it, but the knobs on the top are a bother.
Yeah. And u have no chair then either :)
It’s interesting you bring that up.
I have an Orange Rocker 15 combo that also has knobs on the top. I initially didn’t think anything of it, but then I realized how much of an issue that can be. I often have to lean it forward a little to see what I’m changing. Guess that’s why they call it the “rocker” lol
I agree fully with Tom. I got the 50 and have gigged with it and find it sounds better than any amp I've used in the past. Want a 100 212 asap.
I have a Katana 50 and it's the best little amp I've ever owned. No doubt the Katana Artist is awesome.
Oletta Liano i impulsively bought the katana 100 and it’s awesome.
Oletta Liano I agree to that and this model is for when we are old and grey
Oletta liano.. yep the katana 50 is a good amp.
I've had it about a week or so.. Glad I waited.. I have a mesa mark 3 , fender twin , old peavey classic, mustang 3 &4 , The Artist sounds great ..
I have a Mesa Mark 2 B as well and ever since i bought my new Boss Katana Artist i have not touched my Mesa Boogie its in the closet collecting dust i use a Boss GT 100 with it life doesnt get any better for me lol its the best $586 dollars that i have ever spent plus i got a cover and the foot switch and a 2 year warranty.
I have a Boss Artis and it kicks ass. I play a lot of country, rockabilly and gospel . Works great and it has a acoustic switch and I us it. It is a great amp. Keep up the great work.
Ok, so melted my face tf off from 13:41 to 13:47!!! How in the hell does anyone move thir fingers like that MY GOD!! Awesome chops man.
Seriously.
Whether I try one is not the issue. An amp at this price range is attractive. And if you can play and have an ear for tone you should be able to coax an acceptable enough sound from it. I like the weight thing frankly. Practicality.
If you are OK with a decent sound rather than 100 % what you want it's probably fine. I take my fave tube and out, it's not always perfect. Tone hounds are never really happy! The room's acoustics and the band flavour things. And if you are micd up.... You can't control everything.
I'm not into the tube Vs SS argument. This must be good value, don't expect the same as from a 10 times more expensive tube and, that's all.
I have a Katana Artist Mk ll on order and I can’t wait to play through it. All the reviews on RUclips give this amp very high marks.
@@The_Invisible_Self The music store vendor,which is the biggest in Canada, said a month ago when I ordered it, that they were told by whoever they import them into Canada that they are on back order and it would likely take about 3 months to get it. I am very much looking forward to getting it. It will be a big upgrade on my old Fender 85 amp (I bought it many years ago) and my newer Fender Mustang LT25. I want to be able to create Doug Gilmour, SRV, Garry Moore and Jimi Hendrick tones. I don’t have any separate pedals and from what I have researched the Katana Artist, together with its Tone Studio, should enable me to create reasonable facsimiles of their tones.
I'm seriously looking at getting one of these. If only it had a wee button that one could press in order to access Tom's skills ;)
The Waza Craft speaker is a beast! That's why I bought it👍❤️
Bought the Artist, after they released the 2. Got a hell of a deal. I don't get paid to play ... This amp is fantastic! Tube-ville baby! On a budget!
Yes! I have been dying to see Tom play through the Katana Artist!
This cat's playing is phenomenal 🤘...the Artist sounds fabulous 👌
Keep in mind the videos on you tube are examples of some of the sounds and are what the person chose to showcase but actually play through one on a preset you tweek yourself before judging the product. Also keep in mind that the feeling and reaction that happens between the amp and guitar is a lot of the experience that katana represents. But I guess haters gonna hate.
very well said. all the haters probably have tube amps that they paid an arm and a leg for.... and then hook pedals up to...lol
I took my boss Katana 100 head and Marshall Jvm 100 plus Marshall 1936 2x12 cab to a gig, I'd never gigged the boss, I thought I'd just try it for the first set, the jvm didn't get turned on, the boss wasn't better, but it was really good, didn't notice the lack of valves at all and I only needed the 50watt setting... amazing, and I love tinkering with the tone studio
What a superb review. Thanks very much. Man that was SO interesting and underlines my recent decision to get one really beautifully. I learned stuff from you that no other (of the great reviews) have covered. Job done bro....Oh also...fkn awesome playing!
Glad it was helpful!
I think the cleans sound excellent, and the higher gain settings are decent. It really shows its true SS colors when you upped the gain on the clean channel, that fizzed out crunch isn't fooling anyone.
Tom Quayle has a Tom Quayle poster ...that is Rad
cogdog69 that’s like a playboy centerfold having her own centerfold on the wall lol!
Richard Wallace it’s 2019. Playboy is irrelevant lol
Haha 😆
didn't you know he jerks off over his own poster.
After seeing the KA at NAMM I bought one of the first in the US in early February. I play through a Fucks Blackjack 21 head and a 212 cab with eminence Texas Heats, that will always be my "number 1" but I have to say with out any hesitation that for an amp under the $600 US, my KA is a solid "number 1.5"... Cheers!
Just bought a katana 50 and I'm loving it,the tone studio was a bit of a fiddle to sort out but when your installing the software, just read the stuff on the boss page that your Downloading from and as long as you do what it says you shouldn't have any bother,great amps and definitely my go-to these days,I was a bit hesitant because of it having the controls on the top but I always play sitting on a chair so that wasn't a problem either,can't recommend these amps enough
Excellent demo and excellent guitar playing..well done
New subscriber here, thank you for the excellent run through of Katana Artist MKII, on an impulse I bought this last night, it will be delivered next week. I was hoping to find well thought out reviews of this amp and you did a great, detailed job explaining everything I wanted to know and more. Thank you, great job!
Welcome aboard!
Getting mine this afternoon. Cannot wait to dig into it. :)
Marc Pike Congrats. Seems like a real nice amp. Let me know how you like it.
How does it feel to play?
It feels different. After using for years to imitate an amp, the direct feel of the amp is far better than a guitar processor. I have a Roland Ready Strat and a GP-10 and I tried to hook up this to my Artist. I was able to get decent sound but the feel was not the same. So after 5 minutes I turned off the GP-10, put the cable directly into my guitar and proceeded with dialing in tones on the amp.
After enjoying this amp for over a month I am very happy with it. I have invested in a few pedals to go in front of the amp which it handles very well. The Sneaky Amps allowed me to create and adjust the sound for several Fender amps as well as 3 high gain wild distorted patches. I am amazed at how great the tone is and it feels great to play. I do hope they improved the firmware a bit. I want a compressor and more than one boost at a time, but you have only one boost and if used you cannot use that one of three settings. There is another application called FxFloorBoard which allows you to do this, but I think it should be native. Also, they need to do more with the floor controller. Regardless, this amp sounds incredible and I am very happy with it.
This guy has some really smooth and nice hammer ons and pull offs. And some great chicken pickin too. Amps sweet as well
Great review.
I wish they would make a head version... but then you'd obviously lose the Waza speaker mojo and it seems that this amp was very much designed with that speaker in mind.
Have to say.... You are absolutely correct in saying that you shouldnt waste brain cells on thinking "Oh, this isnt a tube amp". I'm pretty confident that it doesnt matter. It sounds really really good and thats all that matters.
They do make a 100 watt head
Ooof. That crunch sound with the boost is tasty!!
Excellent review, Tom, thanks! I'm on my way to getting one. :-)
Thank you for your excellent review!
Question for anyone who may know..I've yet to see a comparison or anything mentioning this. How would the Katana Artist compare with the Katana head + Greenback cab? Having trouble deciding which to buy. I already have a Greenback cab so..
Have a mess wide body 1 12 shadow speaker, and thinking bout just the head to save 250.00, gotta remember, the footswitch us over a hundy
Excellent review, thank you, Tom! This feels punchy (OD), and offers a good package with rich cleans, as well as very good note separation & dynamics. Colour me impressed!
Great video. Why do you think they made the line out 1/4 instead of XLR?
In my mind it is between the Katana Gen 3 Artist (c£1,180 100w head and Waza 2x12 Cab) and the Marshall JTM Studio (£1250 20w head and 2x12 Cab). In that regard very little difference but the Katana brings all the tech.
Expect where the real value and “tonal bang for buck” is in the Katana 100w Gen 3 Combo @ £690 you can’t really beat it.
Tom Quayle could make a hamster cage rock lol! Amazing guitarist and amp..
FINALLY! the Artist used with an Ibanez!
Are you able to set the numerical values of the effects in the software?
I am going to have check this amp out.
Great amp, love the sound and the features but it's going to sound exactly the same when feeded by line-out of a Katana 100. Must be just the speaker and the box design...
Nice review and wonderfull playing - Thx.
Can you provide the tabs for that fast run you did using the vintage sound?
Improve Your Guitar Skills and Sound
I agree. That was amazing
Yep a Boss Katana 50 is fine for me too!
I have the katana 100 head great features but the tone studio is very limited in regards to tones you can download coming from the Blackstar id15tvp it was a downgrade in that regard. But the boss effects are way way better and more of them.
Nice work Tom 😎
This amp is amazing !!
Nice video! How word you rate it VS the JC40?
Boss/Roland yeah these seem to be a Swiss Army Knife. This needs a heads on review with a JC-40.
I have the regular Katana 1x12...can you tell it's SS? Yes.....but the overdrive/distortion tone is excellent! Overall just have keep high's in check...I won't part with it
Nice amp but not sure I'd pay double the price of my standard Katana which I already have and does the job
i'd love to know which guitar model that is.
i think this review/pieces of music gear is top ten on the planet, btw.
ok-duhn-he just said gtr
ps-i ended up deciding on an ibanez ar720-bsq after starting a search based on this gtr. came here for amp review. also have decided on this amp. unless it somehow gets topped againg before i can afford it.
this dude is a pretty big recording artist, it turns out, in case you didn't know- that gtr is his sig. and worth a lotski.
Just got one, and while I love the concept, i have to agree with troll fiddler, this amp has a nasty high harmonic buzz or fizz in gain channels. It nearly made it completely unusable for me. I had to put an EQ in the FX loop to get rid of the fizz. It’s like they forgot to put a digital filter on this... And spare me about not knowing about tube amps, I’ve been playing for over 50 years and have had just about every tube amp you can name. My main rig is an AXE/FX and my go to tube amp is an original hand wired BUDDA Stringmaster. This amp sounds totally digital without external eq. I used a Klark technic tube parametric to cut the fizz and give it some much needed warmth.
you sound very lucky in the amp dept.
Lol it has 3 parametric EQ in the app.
Avant de critiquer il aurait été bien d'apprendre à l'utiliser !
I would have loved to hear the sound of the direct out. Of course the amp is going to sound its best when you mic it up with a $1300 Royer ribbon mic.
Do you think the Artist MK1 is still worthy?
I think it can be updated to have MK2 specs. Just download the update over on their site
I this a good amp for beginners?
I have the same amp, same firmware - my katana artist doesn't have 1/2 the gain than his and my pickups are pretty hot - there's got to be something in between the mics and the interface which make the amp sound gainer/ballsier. Anyhow ... the rest sounds very similar, guitar's woods aside. I won't argue that for (US) $599(ish), this is an extremely versatile, full of features and 120% tweakable amp; but i can't agree with the statement that this sounds like a boutique valve amp, and just a regular tubes amp.
Bottom line is that if you need the versatility and can compromise on tone (although that is extremely subjective) this is a no brainer when compared to valves at the same price range (Marshall DSL20CR, Blackstar HT 20 mkii etc..) but if you are looking for true tube tone (i am by no means a tone-ologist, but I can distinguish between the two when sober) and do not need "8" virtual channels (4 x 2 banks + panel) , get a Blackstar HT 20 mkii or something alike.
I gigged with this amp several times now. It is friendlier than spongebob - specially with the 6-switch pedal - that's it, you don't need anything else , except specialized effects (read Digitech Whammy etc..) - but i can't say I am happy with its sound - the speaker, in my case, does not respond well to cranked mids and treble - in my opinion, sounds like cheap paper being crunched. Like everything, it does take tweaking - one feature I love are the boosts one can choose from. They are actually quite different in terms of coloring, gain and emphasis. A tube screamer can be distinguished from a regular overdrive quite easily.
@Dr Albert Smythe Jr Thanks for the tip man! I ended up swapping the katana, a while back, for a Blackstar HT 40 Venue MKii, perry happy with it - my issue was not really gain, but how bad it would sound at gig volume level when playing out. Check out my videos, I recorded them with the Blackstar, you will notice the difference right away.
Wow they managed to get the controlls in a useable place ! Thank god the other guys had imput on this
What a great review.
To anyone who owns this amp, does the "deep" mode make a big difference in the low end?
yes, i find it gives it a fuller sound especially at the low end, without bloating. Great for my op-amp big muff.
@@petebacken Ok. Thanks. 👍
Those crunch and high gain sounds are ok in the bedroom, but in a gig situation the guitar won't cut through the mix with that amount of distortion. Players will end up reducing the gain to achieve a decent sound. This applies to both solid state and valve amps. I do look forward to seeing someone gigging with one of these, and having used both solid state and valve amps myself, there's no reason why this shouldn't sound ok. I'll be surprised if it comes close to a Fender valve amp though.
howardsinclair Tubes react to your playing, these solid state digital fart boxes are home amps for practice, IMO. I’ve tried just about all of these amps and I’ve decided to just skip the amp altogether and use a Kemper for gigs and just send the signal thru an aux into my in-ear monitors. I know, I know, a Kemper is a lot more money but it’s worth it to have the sounds you want and all I carry around is a small rack!
I fell for the hype and went and bought one returned it got me a Bugera vintage 22 and never looked back.
I have the Bugera G20 head which is the LAST amp I THOUGHT I would buy...but I found one used in GC for $199 and it sounded AWESOME. I paired it with a 2X12 cab and at 20 watts it KILLS...even in front of a LOUD band!
Hey Tom do a Comparison with the Orange Cr-212 combo
How much bass response does the Deep mode give?
What guitar model do you use?
The hilarious part is that the Royer ribbon mic he's using costs twice as much as the amp he's micing up.
i thought that mic looked good.
looks good, I like the clean tones but the crunch sounded fizzy and not at all tube like to me. I'm sure it's good value for money but I would never buy one. I don't really like all the integrated fx, I think Boss should have kept that external and just made a tube amp, I think they would sell a lot more.
Great amp!
What mics are you using please ?
I have a SM-58 and want to add a second mic so looking for suggestions
I swear that I saw this video already for the katana artist, is this a re upload?
I am disabled and only play only at home, also write & record my own original music. Is the Katana Artist overkill for me, or will I be limiting myself by just going Katana 50/100 1x12? Am I going to be second-guessing myself a year or two later?
Tony's Fishing, Gaming & Guitars I would go for the boss katana 50 for your purposes. It sounds very very close to this and is amazing for recording. I myself have the boss katana 100
NO. It's the same amp with a few extra features. I have the 100 112. It is a great amp. I stopped using tube amps years ago. The inconsistent response to power sources drove me crazy!
Tony's Fishing, Gaming & Guitars hey Tony I'm disabled also I'm legally blind I'm almost completely blind and I was thinking of making a channel for disabled guitarist what do you think I think that might have a side of people being interested and I agree I have the same problem I ever see katieanne100 but I'm actually been thinking of swapping out the speaker and having a speaker output into it it would still be cheaper than the artist Just Thoughts
Robert Sutton I’m legally blind and a guitarist too bro. Guitar saved my life. Hang in there!
@@bobtheblindbedroomguitaris8742 I like the idea of the channel. I’m also disabled (panic, depression, hypoglycemia, heart disease). Thanks for sharing.
What Ibanez guitar is he playing?
Ibanez TQM1-NTF Tom Quayle Signature
best craftsmanship
there is an ax fx at the left and a mesa boogie preamp... lol
I don't know. I have a few practice amps that have connectibility to computer to change effects etc. I get confused and lose my way. In the end it's frustrating even though I was very enthusiastic.
Horses for courses.
This one’s easier to use. Once you install all the drivers and such, the program itself is very intuitive. Besides, the amp’s onboard effects are plenty useful without a computer. You just won’t have access to your full tone bank or the parametric EQ and will have to use the three stomp boxes assigned to each button. ( there’s something like 10 available through the program).
Sounds great but i'll stick to my CR120 until the Waza Amp makes an amp under 1k.
Should have been a 2x12 with stereo output to the speakers. Another missed opportunity :/
FastRedPonyCar Yeah, stereo (especially for effects like chorus) is underrated in guitarland.
Or even a second power amp section with an output jack for an extension cab, like the old Line 6 Flextone III XL 112. That was mono out as-is, or add an extension cab for stereo. The extra separation when you ran it in stereo was really enjoyable, and of course the extension cab was much lighter than carrying a second combo amp.
Yes. Definitely.
It’s not stereo if there’s only one instrument. It’s dual mono. It also causes phase cancellation and if you’re more than a few feet from the amp, no one but you can tell that it’s dual mono or stereo or whatever. Yes, it sounds cool when you’re sitting in front of the amp but honestly, it’s more problem than it’s worth in live performance. There’s a very good reason that guitar amps aren’t “stereo”.
Andy Orr Guitar amps aren’t stereo? Mesa Boogie Simul 395, 295, 290?
Which serie of Ibanez is this guitar?
Alex de Zwart AZ series
I'm a strat guy, I'm trying to decide between katana artist and fender champion. help me guys! I play almost any style except death metal.
Im a strat guy as well. Go with the Katana. Im thinking about the Katana 212.
What a guitar!
Wonderful demo and presentation, no question. But what you call "warmth" is basically a transistor preamp wiping out all top harmonics. Sorry the woolen blanket sound is not for me.
8:14 min mark is where he actually plays the amp. 🎸🇺🇸
I want to lug around a heavy tube amp.
i wouldn't pay nearly £500 for a ss type amp,might have a go with the normal katana 100 though,£350 with fc,hmm still debatable lol :)
4:12 - "So what this represents, for me, is the death of the solid state vs. tube amp discussion...". Yeah, good luck with that... : )
You're probably at home sitting on a tube up your bump. These SS amps and getting REAL good.
Well, I'm not going to argue with a guy of Tom's caliber. In any case he didn't say it was the death of the valve amp, just that it's the end of the debate (presumably, as to which is better). But you're probably correct in that the 'vintage snobs' are still going to debate it.
I have nothing against tube amps... I still own one and like it a lot. But I also own two SS amps and a class D Tech 21 Power Engine 60. I just use whatever is the most practical at a gig because they all sound good with the gear I have.
Name -
I used to use TH2... I liked it a lot. I still occasionally mess around with Amplitube and Guitar Rig. I really like Kuassa Amplification One for Classic Rock stuff. On the iOS side, I use Jamup and Bias. Truly, there has never been more choice, nor so many great-sounding options available.
Name. Yeah.... I agree. The th3 has the tube tone.
Just stick a BK Butler tube driver in front. And there’s other 12ax7 stomp boxes, too; check out ‘That Pedal Show’ on youtube
ha! the end of the tube vs solid state. ha! also if you roll the bass down a bit it wont dick with your mic diaphragm. tone is a journey. tell me what you think in ten years.
Yeah tubes rule, the end.
It is probably better to buy Katana 100 and hook it up to a 4x12 cabinet. The only difference between Katana and katana artist is the speaker. The rest is the same. That extra money for the speaker could be spent better when choosing a cabinet of your choice with your favorite sound.
I would say get the 4×12 cab. If you already have the Katana 100 watt amp.
Why does it sound spikey to me?
great!
drink a shot every time he says "tube amp"
Tube amp
tewb ump
real crafftmanship
I think he should have touched on the fact that it a class a/b amp.
Yo what does that mean
Unfortunately, there are always those who's minds are totally clouded when it comes to realistically being able to argue constructively between the difference between tube and solid state amps. As long as the glow of the tubes and amp logo is still present, some folks have a totally closed mind on this issue.
Sorry did you have a point in there? Get real and realise that valves rule, end of story.
Nice review, but I'd practice a little bit on learning how to play the guitar and some chords and whatnot before attempting again.
Lol...that's ridiculous. What he's playing is more advanced than open cowboy chords and campfire strumming that you must be looking for.
it sounds flat/muffled compared to my 212, nothing that EQ can't handle.
but besides the front panel, 2 extra knobs, midi and speaker output can't see a difference.
it's the katana model for the advertising's victims.
is it a REAL 100 watts or is it 77 watts ?
you keep saying it sounds like a tube amp but it doesnt sound like one to me. it kinda sounds generic. maybe its just me but it sounds solidstate and im not saying it sounds bad. it sounds pretty decent but not like a tube amp. what makes it sound like a tube amp to you?
9:07
"It crunches up very nicely"
Uhhh....if you like the sound of a fart, yes it does.
The cleans are very nice sounding, but it sounds nowhere near a good tube amp on the crunch or overdrive sounds in my opinion.
Of course it's always difficult to realy hear what it sounds like through a YT vid, but still, compared to other tube amp vids on YT this does not come close at all to my ears.
André Orsel very floppy and farty on the low end. Seems like just another “modeling” amp with built in crappy FX. I’m sure it sounds better in person but it’s not something I’d buy. I can get absolutely mind blowing tones out of my Axe FX, Kemper, and even my small pedal board with the Atomic Amps rig. This just sounds like another Line 6 clone to me! I wish this guy could play.....🤪! Toms a beast!
Thats 100% just poor recording technique and recording EQ. You can hear many other demos where it sounds nothing like that.
get back
ruclips.net/video/e_Jdnh9Y1xo/видео.html
On the link below..It initially sounds good with a Strat but at 6:45 when he plays the Tele the overdrive is awful. ruclips.net/video/4t_GlWci6xM/видео.html
I had a Katana 50 for about 4 hours. Sounded like crap. Good for kids because it's cheap. I also had a Blues Cube Artist - didn't like it - got it used for $500 - sold it for $600 3 weeks later - sounded "ok" but I didnt feel like paying another $200 for a "Tone Capsule" to make it sound better.
I don't think solid state is "there" yet for guitar amps. Good for clean - jazz players love solid state. Give me a Fender Deluxe Reverb and a Timmy pedal and I'm happy.
@@utmotrix don't have the Timmy pedal yet...are u still loving it? On fixed income and damn! It's hard be to buy anything ,always some random surprise bill or buzzkill to screw up plans. Sorry for venting...but I'm dying to get budget friendly gear plus my pawn shop gear and crank,crank, listen,learn, even at my advanced age.
I am actually not an expert, but I am going to profess that the emperor has not clothes. In my opinion, solid state amps have always sounded shitty with crunch and distortion even since I bought my first Crate GX-60 back in the nineties. This technologically advanced amp does not sound much better with its crunch and distortion. And Boss distortion, as legendary as it may be, always always sounded shitty to me as well. And Ibanez, which was my first electric back in the nineties, while great for metal and shredding always had a sterile sound lacking character like a strat or les paul. So playing an Ibanez, through an SS amp with Boss effects is like taking a triple runny shit regarding tone. Does anyone know what I am talking about, or is it just me?
inquisitor just you.
So, it's an amp review but we don't hear the amp for 8 min? Ya gotta play it, get us interested, *then* go over its features.
@Dr Albert Smythe Jr We all age, so ageist remarks are just unseemly. Couple that with being way off in your assessment, and you end up looking like a stupid douchebag.
Are you making any money or any form of rembursment for doing this demo? Im just gonna slap an Swamp thang in my 100