Both are are extremely capable amps and it’s understandable why certain gear snobs feel the need to trash talk katanas. Basically the artist runs $600 American and will stand toe to toe with any tube combo in it’s form factor category in terms of pure tone from the air being pushed and then has all the toys and whistles included with tone studio so yeah if I spent 2k on a tube combo amp and it sounds just as good as a $600 I might be a little sensitive about it. I’m just comparing the two katanas as was done here it doesn’t tell the whole story because anyone buying one of these amps isn’t doing to it to play everything at noon. Where the artist excels over it’s brothers is the cab and waza speaker are tuned to the amps output circuitry so no matter what amp types, boosters or effects being utilized the speaker is outputting it at its best the 100 and 212 sound great in their own right so I am not being snobby about it. When it comes to direct recording the amps are identical in what they send out to the recorder or interface so either will serve equally well for that purpose but when it comes to playing live or jamming the artist is the better of two. That of course is just my opinion but I have played through both at gig volumes and I prefer the artist by a wide margin.
I own both the Artist and the 100 head which i put through a Johnson Millennium 212 cabinet. I gig with the Artist and practice with the head combo. The Boss tone studio has them both with same patches. Besides the weight factor, the warm sound out of the single 12 in WAZAA craft makes the difference. JMO.
Just got the artist and it’s the best amp I’ve owned in a long time ..the tone is amazing for not being a tube amp and the versatility with the effects ext is great
I've had my Artist for a few months now but I still browse YT for vids because I'm just so amazed by this amp. I sold a Mesa Express 5 25 for this amp after I played it and haven't regretted it yet.
I really think there is a little difference in clarity, but not enough to spend 200-300 more dollars. I’m perfectly happy with the regular katana sound
Yeah, they say they’ve “re-voiced” the Katana Artist” but I don’t really think so. I believe the biggest difference you’re hearing tone wise is the Waza speaker. I saw the video where this guy ran the regular Katana through the Waza speaker in the Artist and it sounded the same to my ears. Of course he had to make a speaker out for the regular Katana because it doesn’t have one. Either way, I think for the extra features on the Artist such as speaker outs and cabinet resonances, it makes it worth the extra.
Just got finished watching the same video and I agree 100%. To me the only difference between the two in that video is the waza speaker and the can design of the artist.
I actually did this test myself and ended up going with the Katana 2x12, but mainly because they both sound awesome and the 2x12 is considerably cheaper (At least here in Australia)
Was the 2x12 more of a full sound? I returned my katana mk2 100 watt as the low end in all the channels except clean had no bottom end and sounded playing thru a ton can. But still wondering if the artists waza speaker may sound more full.
@@AlesRastakGuitar It's really loud because it doesn't have 0,5 watt option but it's great because u can turn down the volume and still get good tone. I have katana 50 and i think it's a very good amplifier for the money so i would assume that the artist is just pure magic for the money
I was dead set on buying a 2 x 12 amplifier for my next amp. However after hearing a lot of reviews I bought the Artist and I have no regrets. I’ll just buy another cabinet or amp with a waza speaker down the road when I want to Expand my speaker range.
Comparing MkII 100W 212 to the Artist...which is the winner? Bearing in mind that both have Cabinet Resonance but the Artist lacks the Amp Variation and the "double knobs" for effects.
Man those were some blistering licks guys ! They both sound amazing ,I'd call it a tie but I would probably go with the Artist to get the Waza Craft speaker,either way you can't go wrong ! Thanks guys ! :-)
Update on my post from a month ago...I did pull the trigger on the Artist Mark II. I love it and I haven’t even had the time (work!) to dive in as much as I’d like.
I was looking for this comparison! Actually was contemplating the 100 head and 212 cab vs the artist. Now I’m ready for Shane to speaker swap that 212 Katana and see how that compares with the artist!
I run the head with either a vintage jenson 12 inch speaker or my 2x 15 bassman cab with Eminence legends in it. Don't use my vintage amps anymore. It sounds fat with the 2x15 set up. Get lots of comments from oldies that are not up on solid state technology saying what a great tone it produces.
After watching this, the Artist seems tempting compared to my regular Katanas (a 50 and a 100, both 1X12). But when I last checked, I think the Artist was a little pricey, plus I'm curious about how much they weigh. I love the thought that my two 1X12 Katanas are so light!
There's only a $100 difference between the Katana Artist and the Katana 212 here in America. I think the Artist is worth the extra money. The Artist seems to be just bit more open and the frequency response is a little broader. The speaker is better in the Artist.
I just bought an Artist as well! I traded in a Fender Frontman, Roland JC-120 & a 2X12 Crate amp & walked away with a brand new “Boss Katana Artist” amp & it’s AWESOME!!!👏🏽 But I have to admit that the NEW “Fender Twin Reverb” is FIIIIIIIIRE & it weighs about 35lbs & sounds just like the original Twin!!!!
Love the opening jam!!!! 😎😎😎 Both amps sound fantastic so it boils down to the individual features of each amp that set them apart. Great video guys!!!! Cheers!!!🤙🏾🎸🤙🏾🎸
Nice review, both sound great! I’m thinking of getting an Artist but want to see how it compares to the new huges and kettner black spirit 200... Maybe a future review?
You all at making love the artist, I own the Katana MK-II 50W, wanting to upgrade to something more for playing shows.... thanx for the video, great jam as well!!!
I did the same. Loved the flexibility of the 50w but was underwhelmed with the sound. The artist 100w was a huge upgrade in that department. Especially being a metal player, got rid of the fizziness on the distorted sounds and I can get some exceptionally tight sound. And I can carry it to and from gigs no sweat.
Good video! Thanks for sharing. I’m looking at purchasing the Gen 3 100 head and the Waza 2x12 cabinet. I like the added feature of the 5” practice speaker on the Gen 3 100 head over the artist. But I think the more rounded smoother tone of the Wazas is desirable.
I have the Katana 100 watt head and I find it the most versatile. Right now I'm pushing it through a Marshall 1 x 12 cab. I can use the head alone as a practice amp with it's internal speaker, use the 1 x 12 cab for rehearsals and small gigs, and if need be hook up to a 4 x 12 cab. To be honest at this point a 4 x 12 is overkill. The 1 x 12 is plenty loud and it's only rated for 80 watts at 16 ohm. I plan on replacing the speaker with a 100 watt, 8 ohm speaker. That should do me just fine.
Just bought the Artist last week..set 4 presets and took it to gig. Risky since it was so new to me…but it performed awesome. Only needed the 50w setting and it cut through the mix and blended super well with my other guitarist who used a Helix. 1st time I’ve ever gigged without a tube amp…I was pleasantly surprised.
Clean sounds sound quite comparable, but after that I believe the Katana took off in front as far as maintaining the mid ground. The 212 sounded a bit more scooped, to me.
Im purchasing a boss Artist. As soon as I get my Fender strat paid off it's been on my bucket list for awhile 😎👍👌💯🎸🎸. I like the control! Panel facing towards me instead of on top of amp
The Artist by a long shot! It sounds fuller/warmer and not to mention all the extra features! Now (6 years later) its the Gen 3 and I still think the Artist has the 2x12 100 beat. Thanks for the review! 😁🤘🎸
The Artist sounded warmer and had more bottom end. But I'm fine with my 1X12 Katana 100 and Katana 1X12 50 watt. In fact, I was amazed to do a gig with that little 50 watt, and at about 3/4 of the way full (with no Middle, just my preference) the thing was loud enough!
I have both. The Artist is superior. 1) Having the controls on the front is a clear choice by itself. 2) Just the 1 WAZA speaker sounds bigger, louder, warmer, heavier, crispier, and overall more "colorful" than 2 standard Katana speakers. I keep both for running in stereo. But if you can only have one, if you settle for the 100/213 you'll wish you had the Artist, but if you get the Artist you'll be happy you did.
I own both the 100w and the artist. I've played them side by side many times and the artist is a very different animal. Don't listen to all the comments that say it's all down to the speaker, it really isn't. The 100w sounds a bit fizzy and brittle compared to the artist. The noise suppression on the artist actually works unlike the 100w which kills the tone. The EQ and cab resonance on the artist is far superior. I own both so I'm not biased, just offering cold hard facts.
I think the 100 watt 212 sounds wider and has more woof where the artist has a tighter slicing sound profile. Both are great amps but for ease of use and portability it's the artist all the way. Try lugging the 212 down the stairs, or even getting it into your back seat. Gig each one three days in a row at different upstairs venues and tell me what you think.
The guy with the strat I love his faces while playing. He seems to have so much feel and emotion its great to see that. I feel like its lost alot today
Some damn fine playing there gents (other than the Darkness, just NO!) Also a Tele I almost like :). Both amps sounded good. I guess it's down to do you need the extra features and versatility of the Artist Vs the regular Katana.
Hi, this is exactly the video i was looking for, thank! Don't you think there's a chance to at least partialy 'compensate' the speaker voicing difference with Eq ?
I've got the Katana 100 212, the artist wasn't out when I bought it. There's really not that much difference between the two other than the speaker choice (and $300). Personally I liked the Katana speakers which really suit the amp, especially on the cleaner tones. The Waza speaker seems to sound a bit mushy with the gain cranked, then sounds too shrill if you change the cab setting -clean it sounds nice. The one thing I found on these is the crunch sound is more clean, the lead sound is more crunch for me. And while these are nice sounding amps, I still find there's something missing compared to a tube amp (which I can't quite put my finger on). I think if you're used to using Boss pedals in front of a clean amp, then you won't mind these amps. Nice Darkness riff at the end Dr Ric!.
I had the 212 for a couple of months but sold it for the artist because there was something miss. The 212 has more low end but i find the artist sounds more well rounding and much tighter especially for high gain stuff. Could be just my ears and guitars though. The 212 is a beast of an amp regardless.
Yeah, I think you could definitely do worse than the 212. I listened to some comparisons between the two and honestly, if it wasn't for the Waza speaker, I'd swear nothings changed circuit wise. Personally, I'm enjoying my Blackstar TVP a bit more these days.
Christopher: Yeah, it sounds much more natural and I can pretty much forget I'm not playing a tube amp. I've been playing a marshall for 20 years, same songs so you get accustomed to how tubes sound and feel. That's what was missing when I played the same songs on the Kat (like I was playing through pedals). The TVP sounds great (although the background hiss is a little noisy). In comparison theres a heap of tube emulations (from EL34/84s, KT66 etc), 12 banks to play with (not 4), has the computer software if you want to muck around with it. I got the 60W head and just run it into a cheap harley benton 2x12. It's nearly as loud as my 60W Marshall.
Everytime they switch to the artist, I think “where’s the mids go?”..........I got the standard 100 and 50 and both sound amazing, full but a nice body of mids to cut
I need to stop getting sucked in to these Katana videos. I have a Mustang III V2 which is great but these Katanas seem stellar. I thought more tonal options was a plus but I find myself fiddling more tha playing sometimes.
I moved from the Mustang head to the Katana head. It cuts through better with a band. The mustang was still great though and for Fender tones or recording is up there.
I had the Mustang 3 V2 for a while a few years back. What does my head in is if you want to adjust something you have to remember how to navigate to what you want. Mustang has a beautiful clean tone. I went through a couple of valve amps then bought a Katana 50. Sold my valve amps and I'm happy. Katana really is good enough. No valve issues /biasing etc $$$, just reliable, great tones (especially metal) and SIMPLE TO USE. Yet hook it up to a pc and you can customize it as much as with a Mustang. Katana 50 weighs nothing and is the price of a practice amp. Only amp I am tempted by now is a bigger Katana (Artist) but not because I need it Get the 50 if you have a few spare dollars laying around. You'll be kissing that complicated Mustang goodbye.
I agree, katana head going Into a 4x12 with some nice speakers is golden... However, the artist can also line out to a cabinet. Witch does make it more appropriate for gig uses.
I'm a 2x12 kinda guy so to me it sounds a wee bit better than the Artist for a lot less money. That extra dough isnt money wisely spent, at least to me. The MkII 2x12 sounds eve better and does have the resonance controls
I have the first katana artist. I'm thinking about buying the MkII 100 212 I'm sure it will be great. It just makes sense to have two speakers instead of one.
The Katana non artist also has the Vintage, Modern etc, but you can only set it in the Tone Studio software for the patch you're working on. I use the 1x12 Katana 100, because it sounds fantastic and its light and loud. I can be set up in less than 1 minute, and better yet, tore down in less than 1 minute for those "quick escapes" for when Patty Pantsdown is stumbling over to hit on you (which wouldn't be bad except she's ugly as a train wreck).
I have a question: if I have the Katana Mk II head and cabinet (2x12), can I upgrade the cabinet with waza speakers? It would be interesting a comparison between the Artist and the Head 😉
Neither one sounds good to me. They just sound dead. Thanks for the comparison but I won't be purchasing either one of these. ;( BTW, Nice playing guys!
Straight away seeing the controlls without contorting yourself into position is priceless , points for the stupedest designed controll pannel goes to boss
I've come to the conclusion that the 100 and the artist 100% have the same electronics inside and that the WAZA and the cab design of the artist is the only difference. That being said, I'm glad that I have the mark II 100w head on the way and I dont feel like I will be missing out if/when the artist mark II comes out.
I think Dr Ric needs a doctor! He’s playing a SQUIER and he thinks it’s fantastic! 😂 Great review lads you definitely make a great team! Shane it was quicker than I thought trying to get Dr Ric to start like these bargain guitars! Welcome to the world of “Best bang for your buck “ Dr Ric 👍😎!
I got the artist only regret for a flagship model I think it should have had 2 x 12 speakers still a good amp or speaker out and boss release a cab with waza speaker to connect it to
Alright guys, I am bashing my head trying to figure out which one to buy, the 2x12 or the Artist. I saw in the comments that some just prefer the Waza speaker. Is it possible to buy upgrade the speakers in the 2x12? Are there extra features in the Artist that make this amp worth the extra 150?
I'm in exactly same position. The less important differences, to me, are; Front facing controls vs. top mounted controls Cabinet resonance control on the artist (basically controls how much the low end fills the room) Speaker out on the artist There isn't any difference on the software side, its not like you have access to more customization via the computer with the artist. I've played the artist in person, and was very impressed by the warmth of the sound, but there was no 2x12 katana there to compare. I wonder how much of the tonal difference is to do with the Waza speaker as opposed to the semi-closed cabinet. During this shopping/research rabbit hole, I've found I much prefer the sound of a closed back or semi-closed back cabinet to an open cab. They're warmer (to use that term again) and have a natural compression about them that I like. I think the single 12" Waza speaker in that semi-closed cab is at least as punchy in the low-end as the stock 2x12"s in the normal open cab, and the mids seem to ring out more. Because of that, I'm leaning towards the Artist. To answer one of your questions directly, you could definitely swap out the speakers in the 2x12. But, you'd end up paying more than you would have had you just bought the artist. If you're still willing to do that, I'd say the decision comes down to which style cabinet sounds better to you. Not sure if this was helpful or not, but hopefully a little bit. Because they're both so feature-heavy, I'm deciding purely on sound, and they're so close it's like splitting hairs.
Aren't they essentially the same except for the speaker and the Artist has more jacks on the back? They should sound almost identical if they're EQ'd the same.
No efx loop on the 50, I say it's worth the extra $ , I use mine to drive a Helix - power section only, but it also can work standalone, so it works for me ;-) the newest software gives me 8 different amps so I'm covered for all situations (sneaky amp mod).
Great review/demo. But why use "juicy" to describe a sound. Imagine if people did that all the time. "That fart sounded juicy. " that sound wouldn't be a good thing. JMO peace
After watching a few of these videos, I like the Katana 100 better. The Artist sounds a bit more like Line 6 to me and I don't prefer that sound. I have the Katana 50 and I made it have the tube amp sound by using a really nice preamp.
Katana 100-212 4:42 / Artist 5:10
Artist 5:38 / Katana 100-212 6:58
Katana 100-212 8:01 / 8:46
7:08, 7:46 the tone of the guitar doesn't come from the players hands or equipment. It comes from the face of the player
Picked up a used MK2 Artist. Couldn't be happier 👍
Both are are extremely capable amps and it’s understandable why certain gear snobs feel the need to trash talk katanas. Basically the artist runs $600 American and will stand toe to toe with any tube combo in it’s form factor category in terms of pure tone from the air being pushed and then has all the toys and whistles included with tone studio so yeah if I spent 2k on a tube combo amp and it sounds just as good as a $600 I might be a little sensitive about it.
I’m just comparing the two katanas as was done here it doesn’t tell the whole story because anyone buying one of these amps isn’t doing to it to play everything at noon. Where the artist excels over it’s brothers is the cab and waza speaker are tuned to the amps output circuitry so no matter what amp types, boosters or effects being utilized the speaker is outputting it at its best the 100 and 212 sound great in their own right so I am not being snobby about it. When it comes to direct recording the amps are identical in what they send out to the recorder or interface so either will serve equally well for that purpose but when it comes to playing live or jamming the artist is the better of two. That of course is just my opinion but I have played through both at gig volumes and I prefer the artist by a wide margin.
The Katana Artist was really smooth and well balanced. I went into this leaning toward the Nextone, but the Artist earned my respect all the way.
Thanks but shouldn't you compare them with the same guitars.
I own both the Artist and the 100 head which i put through a Johnson Millennium 212 cabinet. I gig with the Artist and practice with the head combo. The Boss tone studio has them both with same patches. Besides the weight factor, the warm sound out of the single 12 in WAZAA craft makes the difference. JMO.
Im purchasing a boss Artist. As soon as I get my Fender strat paid off it's been on my bucket list for awhile 😎👍👌💯🎸🎸
X2
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms and Snowy White - Bird of Paradise; two of my favorite songs ever! :)
I have the Katana Artist 100. I like the clean and Acoustic sound. I play mostly Rockabilly and Country. Works for Me.
Just got the artist and it’s the best amp I’ve owned in a long time ..the tone is amazing for not being a tube amp and the versatility with the effects ext is great
I've had my Artist for a few months now but I still browse YT for vids because I'm just so amazed by this amp. I sold a Mesa Express 5 25 for this amp after I played it and haven't regretted it yet.
Lol I did the same thing,same amps
YT?
@@riccardobasso5578 RUclips
@@monkeymonkerson 🤦🏻♂️
Sorry
The Artist for me , with the knobs in front, easier to use.
Respect the hell out of both amps, but definitely this, Alain.
I really think there is a little difference in clarity, but not enough to spend 200-300 more dollars. I’m perfectly happy with the regular katana sound
You can replace the speaker with a celestion gtk
Yeah, they say they’ve “re-voiced” the Katana Artist” but I don’t really think so. I believe the biggest difference you’re hearing tone wise is the Waza speaker. I saw the video where this guy ran the regular Katana through the Waza speaker in the Artist and it sounded the same to my ears. Of course he had to make a speaker out for the regular Katana because it doesn’t have one. Either way, I think for the extra features on the Artist such as speaker outs and cabinet resonances, it makes it worth the extra.
Just got finished watching the same video and I agree 100%. To me the only difference between the two in that video is the waza speaker and the can design of the artist.
The Guitar Geek! I seen the same vid. Lol
I have both of these amps and can honestly say that the artist sounds better in case someone is taking votes
Interesting. I liked the 2x12 more which surprised me. I'll have to try to find them in real life to try. Also want to try a waza head.
Oh and blues cube!
I actually did this test myself and ended up going with the Katana 2x12, but mainly because they both sound awesome and the 2x12 is considerably cheaper (At least here in Australia)
What did you like more about the 212 mate as I'm thinking of buying one myself
@@musicman8138 He clearly stated that he bought it because it was much cheaper
Was the 2x12 more of a full sound?
I returned my katana mk2 100 watt as the low end in all the channels except clean had no bottom end and sounded playing thru a ton can. But still wondering if the artists waza speaker may sound more full.
@@hogger88 You need a 2 x 12 for a fuller sound (and more punch)
Surprisingly good! Steve from Paradise Flats plays a Katana, not sure which model but it's 1 of the smaller models & he gets a good sound out of it!
I have the Katana Artist. It's an awesome amp! I think of it as a valve amp without valves :)
would you recomend it as room amp ?
@@AlesRastakGuitar It's really loud because it doesn't have 0,5 watt option but it's great because u can turn down the volume and still get good tone. I have katana 50 and i think it's a very good amplifier for the money so i would assume that the artist is just pure magic for the money
the mk2 version has 0,5 watt option so it's perfect for playing in room for low volumes.
@@antondoesmusic4807 I have the first Katana Artist (MK1) and it has 3 options - 0.5w, 50w and 100w).
The Darkness!!! Lol I love it!! Just be careful with those ridiculous copyright issues. Great video, guys.
I was dead set on buying a 2 x 12 amplifier for my next amp. However after hearing a lot of reviews I bought the Artist and I have no regrets. I’ll just buy another cabinet or amp with a waza speaker down the road when I want to Expand my speaker range.
Comparing MkII 100W 212 to the Artist...which is the winner? Bearing in mind that both have Cabinet Resonance but the Artist lacks the Amp Variation and the "double knobs" for effects.
Man those were some blistering licks guys ! They both sound amazing ,I'd call it a tie but I would probably go with the Artist to get the Waza Craft speaker,either way you can't go wrong ! Thanks guys ! :-)
I also gotta have the front control panel. I will be pulling the trigger soon on the artist, Mark II.
Could throw the waza in the katana 100 too!
Update on my post from a month ago...I did pull the trigger on the Artist Mark II. I love it and I haven’t even had the time (work!) to dive in as much as I’d like.
I struggled with the decision ... annnnd so i bought both and two GA-FC's to have 100watts of STEREO !! 😀
Don't brown sound into your spandex. 🤪🎸👍 Great video, love the chill playing. Ric that Squier Custom shop looked good on you!
I was looking for this comparison! Actually was contemplating the 100 head and 212 cab vs the artist. Now I’m ready for Shane to speaker swap that 212 Katana and see how that compares with the artist!
I run the head with either a vintage jenson 12 inch speaker or my 2x 15 bassman cab with Eminence legends in it. Don't use my vintage amps anymore. It sounds fat with the 2x15 set up. Get lots of comments from oldies that are not up on solid state technology saying what a great tone it produces.
After watching this, the Artist seems tempting compared to my regular Katanas (a 50 and a 100, both 1X12). But when I last checked, I think the Artist was a little pricey, plus I'm curious about how much they weigh. I love the thought that my two 1X12 Katanas are so light!
There's only a $100 difference between the Katana Artist and the Katana 212 here in America. I think the Artist is worth the extra money. The Artist seems to be just bit more open and the frequency response is a little broader. The speaker is better in the Artist.
i own the 100 Head. I love the Katana. I have seen videos putting up against a Marshall 100w Head and it sounding identical through the same 4x12.
Great playing and sounds who cares if there's valves or not
I have one of those Squier Tele Contemporary guitars. It's so much fun to play. Candy Apple Red, of course. ❤️🎸😃
Both sound good but the Artist is that more open and expensive I upgraded to the Artist I bought it at Sky music
I just bought an Artist as well! I traded in a Fender Frontman, Roland JC-120 & a 2X12 Crate amp & walked away with a brand new “Boss Katana Artist” amp & it’s AWESOME!!!👏🏽 But I have to admit that the NEW “Fender Twin Reverb” is FIIIIIIIIRE & it weighs about 35lbs & sounds just like the original Twin!!!!
Love the opening jam!!!! 😎😎😎
Both amps sound fantastic so it boils down to the individual features of each amp that set them apart. Great video guys!!!! Cheers!!!🤙🏾🎸🤙🏾🎸
It's an improvisation on Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms. :)
Rics guitar faces crack me up 😀🤘
I love my Artist, to hear Dr Rick trash it was special. Thanks guys.
Nice review, both sound great! I’m thinking of getting an Artist but want to see how it compares to the new huges and kettner black spirit 200... Maybe a future review?
Two Brothers in Arms.
You all at making love the artist, I own the Katana MK-II 50W, wanting to upgrade to something more for playing shows.... thanx for the video, great jam as well!!!
I did the same. Loved the flexibility of the 50w but was underwhelmed with the sound. The artist 100w was a huge upgrade in that department. Especially being a metal player, got rid of the fizziness on the distorted sounds and I can get some exceptionally tight sound. And I can carry it to and from gigs no sweat.
Good video! Thanks for sharing.
I’m looking at purchasing the Gen 3 100 head and the Waza 2x12 cabinet. I like the added feature of the 5” practice speaker on the Gen 3 100 head over the artist. But I think the more rounded smoother tone of the Wazas is desirable.
I have the Katana 100 watt head and I find it the most versatile. Right now I'm pushing it through a Marshall 1 x 12 cab. I can use the head alone as a practice amp with it's internal speaker, use the 1 x 12 cab for rehearsals and small gigs, and if need be hook up to a 4 x 12 cab. To be honest at this point a 4 x 12 is overkill. The 1 x 12 is plenty loud and it's only rated for 80 watts at 16 ohm. I plan on replacing the speaker with a 100 watt, 8 ohm speaker. That should do me just fine.
can you use the katana head at 0.5 watts using its own speakers?
Great demo! Artist all day long. I tried a Katana 50 a while ago still a great amp for the money though.
that tele looks gorgeous
Just bought the Artist last week..set 4 presets and took it to gig. Risky since it was so new to me…but it performed awesome. Only needed the 50w setting and it cut through the mix and blended super well with my other guitarist who used a Helix. 1st time I’ve ever gigged without a tube amp…I was pleasantly surprised.
So are you guys a fan of katanas yet??
Clean sounds sound quite comparable, but after that I believe the Katana took off in front as far as maintaining the mid ground. The 212 sounded a bit more scooped, to me.
212?
Im purchasing a boss Artist. As soon as I get my Fender strat paid off it's been on my bucket list for awhile 😎👍👌💯🎸🎸. I like the control! Panel facing towards me instead of on top of amp
The Artist by a long shot! It sounds fuller/warmer and not to mention all the extra features! Now (6 years later) its the Gen 3 and I still think the Artist has the 2x12 100 beat. Thanks for the review! 😁🤘🎸
The Artist sounded warmer and had more bottom end. But I'm fine with my 1X12 Katana 100 and Katana 1X12 50 watt. In fact, I was amazed to do a gig with that little 50 watt, and at about 3/4 of the way full (with no Middle, just my preference) the thing was loud enough!
JoeSzilagy/ aka: Joe Slant is there a big gap between the 50 and 100?
Waiting for an Artist to pop up on Craigslist.
Boxcar Stewart just scored an Artist for $500 in Aus. Perfect condition so happy as...
I have both.
The Artist is superior.
1) Having the controls on the front is a clear choice by itself.
2) Just the 1 WAZA speaker sounds bigger, louder, warmer, heavier, crispier, and overall more "colorful" than 2 standard Katana speakers.
I keep both for running in stereo. But if you can only have one, if you settle for the 100/213 you'll wish you had the Artist, but if you get the Artist you'll be happy you did.
I own both the 100w and the artist. I've played them side by side many times and the artist is a very different animal.
Don't listen to all the comments that say it's all down to the speaker, it really isn't.
The 100w sounds a bit fizzy and brittle compared to the artist.
The noise suppression on the artist actually works unlike the 100w which kills the tone.
The EQ and cab resonance on the artist is far superior.
I own both so I'm not biased, just offering cold hard facts.
Really enjoyed the video thanks guys !
Gotta love some Kravitz Dr. Ric! Sounding awesome both of you - that must have been loud 😂😂😂
For me, katana artist sounds way better than 100/212
Great amp I have the Boss Katana MKII 100 2×12 amp and I can't say enough good things about it
I think the 100 watt 212 sounds wider and has more woof where the artist has a tighter slicing sound profile.
Both are great amps but for ease of use and portability it's the artist all the way.
Try lugging the 212 down the stairs, or even getting it into your back seat.
Gig each one three days in a row at different upstairs venues and tell me what you think.
The guy with the strat I love his faces while playing. He seems to have so much feel and emotion its great to see that. I feel like its lost alot today
Great demo! Did you keep the amp settings at 12 o’clock for all the different settings? Thanks.
I believe a thing call love~~~ yeah !!
For real guys that was one incredibly sick Jam
This is possible with the Boss Katana amplifiers!!
I’ve got both these amps! Run them both live! I’ve had countless people ask me if my amps are tube!
Which one would you say is more worth it?
I didn’t think there was a great amount of difference between them and for the money I went for the Katana 100 and think it will be a keeper.
Artist sounds beefier but the Katana is clearer and more articulate to my ears..
Will these amps do metal???
I have katana mk2 head 100 watt, should i change it and get the artist head version? I play Metallica songs most of the times and maiden songs
I love the cheaper guitars! It just shows y’all aren’t plain gear snobs, but true musicians!!
Good video guys I have the Boss katana 50 MKII and The 100 MKII I'm thinking about getting the Artist MKII aswell
A 4/12 cab is the secret sauce .
Great opening licks, well done !
It's an improvisation on Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms. :)
Some damn fine playing there gents (other than the Darkness, just NO!) Also a Tele I almost like :). Both amps sounded good. I guess it's down to do you need the extra features and versatility of the Artist Vs the regular Katana.
Holy shit! Nice playing guys.
Hi, this is exactly the video i was looking for, thank! Don't you think there's a chance to at least partialy 'compensate' the speaker voicing difference with Eq ?
Wow tone for days from two Squiers. Who would have thought?
Me!
There's nothing wrong with squier. It's just peoples brand snobbery getting in the way. 🙂
got both amps i prefer the “artist” for recording and gigs! 🤩🤘🤩🤘🤩
I had the 212 and sold it for the artist. I also prefer it!
LOL! I remember commenting on your post on the Katana Facebook group and asking which one you like better :P
I just got mine amazing garden of tone RKCMUZIK !
Asian dude surely tot the feelz
He isn't asian lmao.
He is of the native race in New Zealand
@@rubberthe3 my bad
I've got the Katana 100 212, the artist wasn't out when I bought it. There's really not that much difference between the two other than the speaker choice (and $300). Personally I liked the Katana speakers which really suit the amp, especially on the cleaner tones. The Waza speaker seems to sound a bit mushy with the gain cranked, then sounds too shrill if you change the cab setting -clean it sounds nice. The one thing I found on these is the crunch sound is more clean, the lead sound is more crunch for me. And while these are nice sounding amps, I still find there's something missing compared to a tube amp (which I can't quite put my finger on). I think if you're used to using Boss pedals in front of a clean amp, then you won't mind these amps. Nice Darkness riff at the end Dr Ric!.
I had the 212 for a couple of months but sold it for the artist because there was something miss. The 212 has more low end but i find the artist sounds more well rounding and much tighter especially for high gain stuff. Could be just my ears and guitars though. The 212 is a beast of an amp regardless.
Yeah, I think you could definitely do worse than the 212. I listened to some comparisons between the two and honestly, if it wasn't for the Waza speaker, I'd swear nothings changed circuit wise. Personally, I'm enjoying my Blackstar TVP a bit more these days.
Peter Schmidt I almost bought the tvp 260. Is the tvp much better than the kat?
Christopher: Yeah, it sounds much more natural and I can pretty much forget I'm not playing a tube amp. I've been playing a marshall for 20 years, same songs so you get accustomed to how tubes sound and feel. That's what was missing when I played the same songs on the Kat (like I was playing through pedals). The TVP sounds great (although the background hiss is a little noisy). In comparison theres a heap of tube emulations (from EL34/84s, KT66 etc), 12 banks to play with (not 4), has the computer software if you want to muck around with it. I got the 60W head and just run it into a cheap harley benton 2x12. It's nearly as loud as my 60W Marshall.
Tune your guitars, gentlemen. Other than that, I love the show! Nice jamming! 🤘🤘
Everytime they switch to the artist, I think “where’s the mids go?”..........I got the standard 100 and 50 and both sound amazing, full but a nice body of mids to cut
My dude had that stank face
I need to stop getting sucked in to these Katana videos. I have a Mustang III V2 which is great but these Katanas seem stellar. I thought more tonal options was a plus but I find myself fiddling more tha playing sometimes.
I moved from the Mustang head to the Katana head. It cuts through better with a band. The mustang was still great though and for Fender tones or recording is up there.
I had the Mustang 3 V2 for a while a few years back. What does my head in is if you want to adjust something you have to remember how to navigate to what you want. Mustang has a beautiful clean tone. I went through a couple of valve amps then bought a Katana 50. Sold my valve amps and I'm happy. Katana really is good enough. No valve issues /biasing etc $$$, just reliable, great tones (especially metal) and SIMPLE TO USE. Yet hook it up to a pc and you can customize it as much as with a Mustang. Katana 50 weighs nothing and is the price of a practice amp. Only amp I am tempted by now is a bigger Katana (Artist) but not because I need it Get the 50 if you have a few spare dollars laying around. You'll be kissing that complicated Mustang goodbye.
Can't get any of these tones out of mine, probably never will, so home use only , JVM for giggs
The artist has a more professional sound thinker and not louder but just sounds better
Lol. Nice review and demo guys thanks
Katana Head and with a good cabinet you will have better amp then the Artist..
I agree, katana head going Into a 4x12 with some nice speakers is golden...
However, the artist can also line out to a cabinet. Witch does make it more appropriate for gig uses.
Honestly couldn't hear much difference between them. Nice jam guys.
I'm a 2x12 kinda guy so to me it sounds a wee bit better than the Artist for a lot less money. That extra dough isnt money wisely spent, at least to me. The MkII 2x12 sounds eve better and does have the resonance controls
I have the first katana artist. I'm thinking about buying the MkII 100 212 I'm sure it will be great. It just makes sense to have two speakers instead of one.
What the hell was Dr Rick doing. It sounded like he was having some sort of spastic breakdown. lol
I say this with total love for the gib guy.
The Katana non artist also has the Vintage, Modern etc, but you can only set it in the Tone Studio software for the patch you're working on. I use the 1x12 Katana 100, because it sounds fantastic and its light and loud. I can be set up in less than 1 minute, and better yet, tore down in less than 1 minute for those "quick escapes" for when Patty Pantsdown is stumbling over to hit on you (which wouldn't be bad except she's ugly as a train wreck).
I was ready to buy but can't take the risk with Patty Pantsdown out there
I have a question: if I have the Katana Mk II head and cabinet (2x12), can I upgrade the cabinet with waza speakers? It would be interesting a comparison between the Artist and the Head 😉
Neither one sounds good to me. They just sound dead. Thanks for the comparison but I won't be purchasing either one of these. ;( BTW, Nice playing guys!
Straight away seeing the controlls without contorting yourself into position is priceless , points for the stupedest designed controll pannel goes to boss
I've come to the conclusion that the 100 and the artist 100% have the same electronics inside and that the WAZA and the cab design of the artist is the only difference. That being said, I'm glad that I have the mark II 100w head on the way and I dont feel like I will be missing out if/when the artist mark II comes out.
I think Dr Ric needs a doctor! He’s playing a SQUIER and he thinks it’s fantastic! 😂
Great review lads you definitely make a great team! Shane it was quicker than I thought trying to get Dr Ric to start like these bargain guitars! Welcome to the world of “Best bang for your buck “ Dr Ric 👍😎!
I got the artist only regret for a flagship model I think it should have had 2 x 12 speakers still a good amp or speaker out and boss release a cab with waza speaker to connect it to
great video guys
Alright guys, I am bashing my head trying to figure out which one to buy, the 2x12 or the Artist. I saw in the comments that some just prefer the Waza speaker. Is it possible to buy upgrade the speakers in the 2x12? Are there extra features in the Artist that make this amp worth the extra 150?
I'm in exactly same position. The less important differences, to me, are;
Front facing controls vs. top mounted controls
Cabinet resonance control on the artist (basically controls how much the low end fills the room)
Speaker out on the artist
There isn't any difference on the software side, its not like you have access to more customization via the computer with the artist. I've played the artist in person, and was very impressed by the warmth of the sound, but there was no 2x12 katana there to compare. I wonder how much of the tonal difference is to do with the Waza speaker as opposed to the semi-closed cabinet. During this shopping/research rabbit hole, I've found I much prefer the sound of a closed back or semi-closed back cabinet to an open cab. They're warmer (to use that term again) and have a natural compression about them that I like. I think the single 12" Waza speaker in that semi-closed cab is at least as punchy in the low-end as the stock 2x12"s in the normal open cab, and the mids seem to ring out more. Because of that, I'm leaning towards the Artist.
To answer one of your questions directly, you could definitely swap out the speakers in the 2x12. But, you'd end up paying more than you would have had you just bought the artist. If you're still willing to do that, I'd say the decision comes down to which style cabinet sounds better to you. Not sure if this was helpful or not, but hopefully a little bit. Because they're both so feature-heavy, I'm deciding purely on sound, and they're so close it's like splitting hairs.
Aren't they essentially the same except for the speaker and the Artist has more jacks on the back? They should sound almost identical if they're EQ'd the same.
Get the 50 W version and save some money. Only 200 bucks and has all the same features. Also plug this thing into a 4x12 cabinet. Godlike!!!
I thought the 50 you cant use the footswitch
No efx loop on the 50, I say it's worth the extra $ , I use mine to drive a Helix - power section only, but it also can work standalone, so it works for me ;-) the newest software gives me 8 different amps so I'm covered for all situations (sneaky amp mod).
Great review/demo. But why use "juicy" to describe a sound. Imagine if people did that all the time. "That fart sounded juicy. " that sound wouldn't be a good thing. JMO peace
After watching a few of these videos, I like the Katana 100 better. The Artist sounds a bit more like Line 6 to me and I don't prefer that sound. I have the Katana 50 and I made it have the tube amp sound by using a really nice preamp.
They are very loud amps