Been using a katana for almost 2 years now. I kinda stumbled into the sneaky amps on accident because I didn't have a computer to use tone studio, so I've heavily used Katana Librarian on Android. With some of the sneaky amps sounding "fuzzy," I've had the most luck not turning the gain any higher than 50, and using an OD/distortion in the booster menu. Another trick I've picked up that I've really enjoyed is using the T-scream, turning the drive mostly if not all the way down, then diming the tone on it. Can dial tone back a bit if it gets too brittle depending on other settings, but it gives things a really nice kick in the ass without getting muddy. If I remember right, I learned that t-screamer trick from the studio rats channel. Great video, keep rockin! 🤘🤘
Some companies curate amps for you. Boss has some starting points, but then gives you a sh@t-ton of sound modifiers to get you where you want to go. If you don't know what you want, you're probably better off with sound packs or an amp/mfx unit with "named" amps. There are so many EQs in the Katana, it's nuts.
I use both the Gumtown updated Katana floorboard and the Boss Katana Tone Studio and have not found any issues even when I have them both up on my computer
@@rpape2601 i used them on my mk1 katana when i had it and it didn’t treat me very well. maybe it’s different for the mk2 or i just had a very bad laptop at the time. either way the only really good benefit of the gumtown one is that you can change the sneaky amps without starting over.
Thanks man ! I couldnt find the sneaky amps 2 , I looked everywhere and you hooked me up !! Just got my Katana Mk2 artist. Im 61 and a begginer , loving it !
hell ya! the sneaky amps are pretty much the same as the MK1 versions. a couple don’t work on the MK2s. i already went ahead and removed the broken ones.
Weird question, but what happens when you select another amp channel when you're inside the sneaky amp? I dialed in a tone i like with the T-Amp, but i changed it to the brown amp instead of lead, so I cant tell if it's actually the sneaky amp sound or just placebo lmao
@@lazaromurillo9212 it removes the sneaky amp entirely and unless you’re using 3rd party tone studios you’d have to start over with the sneaky amp or go back to a previous saved preset with it.
I find the clean katana to be kind of flat for me... Once i tried a Roland bluescube artist and it's clean was mindblowing. They should have added that same voicing in the katana, considering it's the same brand and the katana is the sucessor of Bluescube series. I think that BR Tweed is kinda closer to that feeling.
@@luxiously i only use like 3 or 4 of them usually. mostly the rectifier ones and some of the brown channel ones. regular katana does cleans a bit better i think
Word is that the SNEAKY AMPS don't work on the new Gen3 Katanas. apparently, they changed the hardware architecture, and it can no longer use these. Can anyone confirm or otherwise ?
@@kevinmcguinness1113 i’d like to also say that the only improvement i’ve truly seen with the gen3 is how you can move the chain around however you please. other than that i haven’t seen any REAL reason to upgrade. The sneaky amps should work.
@Synthedelic not sure I would rely on "should" as a recommendation tbh. I've heard they don't, was looking to see if anyone could actually confirm. Depending on which block you want to move in the chain, there are restrictions on where you can move it to, you can't just drag and drop it into *_any_* position. Agree though, I haven't seen anywhere near enough in the Gen3s to want to upgrade from my Mk2 Artist.
Have you tried using BG lead for a metallica tone? I've been trying it with a 1k boost in the front then scoop 250hz and 1k,boost 6k 80hz trying replicate the 5 band. with the headphone output It sounds pretty close to a mesa but the distortion caracteristics arent right I think its down to the input eq the iic+ center mid freq point is 280hz, 315hz gets close but not exact. Also I feel 1k is closer to how the 750hz slider sounds on a mesa I think they labeled it wrong because 800hz doesnt get that crunch that you get when you put the 750hz down like half way on a mesa.
yea when i was going for my metallica tones i tried to use the BG sneaky amps but they sounded so off. They’re too Fuzz pedal-y. i usually go with power drive for metallica.
you could start with the twin reverb and use a HM-2 or a Metal DS. less distortion is better so you can hear the strings still. I never thought to make a nirvana tone, im adding it to my list of tones to do.
So glad I ran into this. Ive been trying to replicate JC120 clean(Johnny Marr..The Smiths and some Andy Summers/Police) and JC120 chorus(Robert Smith..The cure) and failing. Thought I would need to bite the bullet and buy a 120$$$ , maybe not. Thanks
First of all thank you for the info and great video also, just one thing, these sneaky amps are the same model that you have when using tone studio? because I have used the ones in tone studio and as far as I know there are more amps models on tone studio. It makes me curious as form where you got the from.
these are the same sneaky amps i’ve had since they were a really a thing. There are like 2 or 3 more models you can choose from (only if you use the katana floorboard editor) But for the tone studio on the MK2s. This video has every working one in it. I originally downloaded the sneaky amps from a sneaky amp guide website.
The 2 options that are supposed to be boogies don’t sound like boogies to me. id say the 2 r-fires could get closest. the last few distorted amps could also be good.
that screen shot of the Katana FxFloorBoard editor is an incredibly old firmware 1 version, it has not looked like that for years, the latest works great with USB cable or wireless Bluetooth through the Airstep. The Sneaky Amps files for Mk2 actually originated from FxFloorBoard.
After looking at the new Ui. The old Ui looks about the same. it looks like a 1995 version of Tone Studio or something... or dark web tone studio... i just googled the FxFloorboard and just grabbed the first pic from google images for the video. Me personally i was never able to get it to work properly. The few PROs never outweighed the CONs. I liked being able to switch any sneaky amp without starting over (the only reason id use this over regular tone studio) I disliked the chain system because it kept muting my amp (this might be fixed now) I liked how you could move everything around. also, it still does make the regular tone studio stop working. you cant use both at once, and if you want to go back and forth, you have to turn off the katana and close FXfloorboard from the task manager. then when opening regular tone studio it can "see" the katana again. Maybe most of my difficulties came from the UI itself being very different from actual tone studio. im sure some people would love the couple extra things it offers, but it just wasnt for me.
Sorry for asking this in such an old comment, but how do you get airstep to work through fx floorboard? I bought a BT adapter for my PC but I can't just figure out how to get it connected to the Airstep.
@joelh431 i’m not sure how the airstep actually works (or much about it) if you leave a comment on guitarnivores video about it he should be able to know the answer
@@joelh431 First thing is to "pair" the Airstep with Windows (must be not be paired/connected to any other device nearby), once paired, run the KatanaFxFloorBoard app, go into the Preferences > midi/Bluetooth connectivity settings and select "Bluetooth" and then you should see the "Airstep" as an option to select, then hit OK. the app will restart, but might take a minute to find the Airstep during startup. Windows is a bit finicky with BLe bluetooth, and sometimes requires a restart if things don't connect at first (a Windows operating system issue).
ironically with the JC-120 u might have been using the regular clean tone of the katana because i think the JC-120 was removed from the MKII version so the preset just puts u into clean
@@Synthedelic i thought so too but it might just be our minds trying to tell us that it is. Because it is not on FX Floorboard (the one that lets you change sneaky amps at will), and I decided to compare the preset, and then resetting the "sneaky amp" by turning the knob to another amp and back to clean and recorded it back to back and sounded the exact same. Then I decided to do it again on FX Floorboard and I tried everything i could and I couldnt get it to get to that old JC-120 preset. There actually is a amp type that just says "custom" and gives multiple amp options that are completely mute, and one of them happens to be called "JC Clean". TL:DR: I think theyre gone and our brains are tricking us into thinking its different because after trying everything from using the presets to using FX Floorboard to trying the mute amps I can assure you that is most definetly just the default clean option (which goes to show just how good this amp clean channel is) Just remember to use the regular clean, not the variation
@@Synthedelic okay and actually i forgot to mention something that acctually made me even more mad. The BR Tweed is also gone because that one also defaults to the crunch channel.
@@Synthedelic Awesome, I guess what I’m still trying to figure out is if it’s possible to use the sneaky amps as a pedal platform inside of tone studio as well(e.g. is it possible to add a muff fuzz effect from tone studio on top of the sneaky amp or would that change the sneaky amp completely?)
@@Synthedelic hey man i managed to get it and I’m trying to recreate your rust peace tone and on the mk1 there isn’t a centa od like the one you used , is there any other similar one ?
@@Synthedelic hey man it’s me again lol , tone sounds killer , I’ve got a problem tho , how do I add the sneaky amp to the katana panel , because it seems to me that that’s the only way that I can save a tone , unless there’s another way ? Thanks
Hey man. Great video! Is it possible to create a Smashing Pumpkins tone? I know Billy Corgan was pretty heavy on effects during his Siamese Dream days (and still now). Not sure if it’s possible to replicate his sound with jumpstart the Katana. Thanks again!
i’m the other way round, i think the stock amps are much harder to deal with. just for me. but they’re just different sounds you could choose from. just cuz it’s bad doesn’t mean it has to stay bad. you can take a mediocre tone and turn it into a good one.
I've got a bunch of top grade amps I've used professionally for over 40 years including guitars to drool and cry for, I tested the Katana very carefully for a while ( a new 50 was available to me ) it's a great small amp and very usable for live and recording purposes, I personally have replaced my main live units with instead their GT1 into a small silent flat mixer unto a pair of 15'' 2 way full range enclosures and I'm not going back...not ever! I found my Holy Grail tone after about a fortnight of very careful tweaking under the right conditions with the right axe for my styles played, I know I've got it right because my GT1 is under lock and key and wraps when live and in the studio and I'm often asked to reveal my tweaks by other players...my answer is....winners are grinners, sorry, -bite ya bum. 😎
i respect that 😂 that does sound like a holy grail rig. i don’t think i’ll need any other amps for a long time. and i enjoy sharing videos like this about the amp im quite familiar with.
this video is mainly showing what each sneaky amp sounds like with init settings 👍
Been using a katana for almost 2 years now. I kinda stumbled into the sneaky amps on accident because I didn't have a computer to use tone studio, so I've heavily used Katana Librarian on Android. With some of the sneaky amps sounding "fuzzy," I've had the most luck not turning the gain any higher than 50, and using an OD/distortion in the booster menu. Another trick I've picked up that I've really enjoyed is using the T-scream, turning the drive mostly if not all the way down, then diming the tone on it. Can dial tone back a bit if it gets too brittle depending on other settings, but it gives things a really nice kick in the ass without getting muddy. If I remember right, I learned that t-screamer trick from the studio rats channel. Great video, keep rockin! 🤘🤘
That OD into less than 50 gain works really well for me too!
and thanks!
Some companies curate amps for you. Boss has some starting points, but then gives you a sh@t-ton of sound modifiers to get you where you want to go. If you don't know what you want, you're probably better off with sound packs or an amp/mfx unit with "named" amps. There are so many EQs in the Katana, it's nuts.
I use both the Gumtown updated Katana floorboard and the Boss Katana Tone Studio and have not found any issues even when I have them both up on my computer
@@rpape2601 i used them on my mk1 katana when i had it and it didn’t treat me very well. maybe it’s different for the mk2 or i just had a very bad laptop at the time. either way the only really good benefit of the gumtown one is that you can change the sneaky amps without starting over.
Thanks man ! I couldnt find the sneaky amps 2 , I looked everywhere and you hooked me up !! Just got my Katana Mk2 artist. Im 61 and a begginer , loving it !
hell ya! the sneaky amps are pretty much the same as the MK1 versions. a couple don’t work on the MK2s. i already went ahead and removed the broken ones.
Dude literally travelled back in time to the 70's to go shopping.
Weird question, but what happens when you select another amp channel when you're inside the sneaky amp? I dialed in a tone i like with the T-Amp, but i changed it to the brown amp instead of lead, so I cant tell if it's actually the sneaky amp sound or just placebo lmao
@@lazaromurillo9212 it removes the sneaky amp entirely and unless you’re using 3rd party tone studios you’d have to start over with the sneaky amp or go back to a previous saved preset with it.
@@Synthedelic Awesome, I appreciate it! I guess it really was placebo lmfao
Thanks for this! I recently heard about sneaky amps but didn't really understand what it would do or if they were legit.
Glad I could help!
I find the clean katana to be kind of flat for me... Once i tried a Roland bluescube artist and it's clean was mindblowing. They should have added that same voicing in the katana, considering it's the same brand and the katana is the sucessor of Bluescube series.
I think that BR Tweed is kinda closer to that feeling.
Jeez I’m up to the 9th tone they all sound so fake and digital I thought it would atleast sound sort of like some of these amps why’s it sound digital
@@luxiously i only use like 3 or 4 of them usually. mostly the rectifier ones and some of the brown channel ones. regular katana does cleans a bit better i think
Can these sneaky amps loaded into the MKI or would I need an MKI version of it?
these should work fine. but; there are more available on the mk1s from this website www.electrikjam.com/boss-katana-sneaky-amps-guide/
I love ur metallica patch dude, i use only yours for play. Can u do a patch for the james's clean tone?
yes, that’ll come at some point soon
Thank you for the detailed video! First one i see with so much detail!
Yea, Ive never seen a video going through every single one, so i just made it 😎
@@SynthedelicThat's some certified punk sh*t
Word is that the SNEAKY AMPS don't work on the new Gen3 Katanas. apparently, they changed the hardware architecture, and it can no longer use these.
Can anyone confirm or otherwise ?
@@kevinmcguinness1113 i’d like to also say that the only improvement i’ve truly seen with the gen3 is how you can move the chain around however you please. other than that i haven’t seen any REAL reason to upgrade.
The sneaky amps should work.
@Synthedelic not sure I would rely on "should" as a recommendation tbh. I've heard they don't, was looking to see if anyone could actually confirm.
Depending on which block you want to move in the chain, there are restrictions on where you can move it to, you can't just drag and drop it into *_any_* position.
Agree though, I haven't seen anywhere near enough in the Gen3s to want to upgrade from my Mk2 Artist.
Thanks for posting this just for me to use only the jc120 forever for a pedal platform clean tone u real for that
Have you tried using BG lead for a metallica tone? I've been trying it with a 1k boost in the front then scoop 250hz and 1k,boost 6k 80hz trying replicate the 5 band. with the headphone output It sounds pretty close to a mesa but the distortion caracteristics arent right I think its down to the input eq the iic+ center mid freq point is 280hz, 315hz gets close but not exact. Also I feel 1k is closer to how the 750hz slider sounds on a mesa I think they labeled it wrong because 800hz doesnt get that crunch that you get when you put the 750hz down like half way on a mesa.
yea when i was going for my metallica tones i tried to use the BG sneaky amps but they sounded so off. They’re too Fuzz pedal-y. i usually go with power drive for metallica.
👍👍 Well done! Many thanks!
thanks bro, I want to use the Twin reverb for nirvana tone, there are not nirvana tones of the boss katana so I want to make it
you could start with the twin reverb and use a HM-2 or a Metal DS. less distortion is better so you can hear the strings still.
I never thought to make a nirvana tone, im adding it to my list of tones to do.
says the file is not supported by mk2
disregard I figured it out
I'd like to try recreating Randy Rhoads Quiet Riot tone. Peavey PA head, MXR pedals,and Altec 417s.
So glad I ran into this. Ive been trying to replicate JC120 clean(Johnny Marr..The Smiths and some Andy Summers/Police) and JC120 chorus(Robert Smith..The cure) and failing. Thought I would need to bite the bullet and buy a 120$$$ , maybe not. Thanks
i plan to make a overall jc120 preset. make sure to add some bass to the sneaky amp! i think it’s a bit frail compared to the real thing
@@Synthedelic very cool. Already subbed.
Hey coming back to ask what your favorite drive tone from this pack is
@@playboimarty the Marshall ones and the dual rec ones. and power drive
@@Synthedelic ty king keep tone-ing u rock
It won't let me download to katana..will this work on the katana 50mk2?
yes it works with all katanas. you have to unzip the file before the the katana can import them.
First of all thank you for the info and great video also, just one thing, these sneaky amps are the same model that you have when using tone studio? because I have used the ones in tone studio and as far as I know there are more amps models on tone studio. It makes me curious as form where you got the from.
these are the same sneaky amps i’ve had since they were a really a thing. There are like 2 or 3 more models you can choose from (only if you use the katana floorboard editor) But for the tone studio on the MK2s. This video has every working one in it. I originally downloaded the sneaky amps from a sneaky amp guide website.
Hell yeahh, thanks
Bro, thank you so much!
No Problem!
Another awesome video - great job! (and not at all boring!!)
Thanks!
Hi, is the sneaky amps available for Boss Katana Artist MK II or just the Standard 100w only?
they work with all mk2s and 1s i believe. not sure about the newest amps they put out
Hi I can't download the sneaky amps. The link in the description doesn't work...
the downloads working fine for me when i try it. what part isn’t working.
@@SynthedelicSorry now it works. I don't know why it before gave me error. Thanks you for your wonderful videos
@@francescosyn_guitarist 👍👍 more vids to come :)
Which one is the best for a Mesa Boogie Mark iv sim?
The 2 options that are supposed to be boogies don’t sound like boogies to me. id say the 2 r-fires could get closest. the last few distorted amps could also be good.
Bro, this sneaky amp works at katana 100mk1???
yes they work with the mk1s
@@Synthedelic really uh??? Tq bro, will install.. i love you brother... Ready to rock n roll🤟
Sifuuuu🙏.. one other question, this amp sneaky can use for katana 50mk1?? Cause i cant get that amp.. please@@Synthedelic
Does this work on the mk 1?
yes!
Very cool, thank you for posting this!
thank you!
👍
that screen shot of the Katana FxFloorBoard editor is an incredibly old firmware 1 version, it has not looked like that for years, the latest works great with USB cable or wireless Bluetooth through the Airstep. The Sneaky Amps files for Mk2 actually originated from FxFloorBoard.
After looking at the new Ui. The old Ui looks about the same. it looks like a 1995 version of Tone Studio or something... or dark web tone studio... i just googled the FxFloorboard and just grabbed the first pic from google images for the video. Me personally i was never able to get it to work properly. The few PROs never outweighed the CONs. I liked being able to switch any sneaky amp without starting over (the only reason id use this over regular tone studio) I disliked the chain system because it kept muting my amp (this might be fixed now) I liked how you could move everything around. also, it still does make the regular tone studio stop working. you cant use both at once, and if you want to go back and forth, you have to turn off the katana and close FXfloorboard from the task manager. then when opening regular tone studio it can "see" the katana again. Maybe most of my difficulties came from the UI itself being very different from actual tone studio. im sure some people would love the couple extra things it offers, but it just wasnt for me.
Sorry for asking this in such an old comment, but how do you get airstep to work through fx floorboard? I bought a BT adapter for my PC but I can't just figure out how to get it connected to the Airstep.
@joelh431 i’m not sure how the airstep actually works (or much about it) if you leave a comment on guitarnivores video about it he should be able to know the answer
@@joelh431 First thing is to "pair" the Airstep with Windows (must be not be paired/connected to any other device nearby),
once paired, run the KatanaFxFloorBoard app, go into the Preferences > midi/Bluetooth connectivity settings and select "Bluetooth" and then you should see the "Airstep" as an option to select, then hit OK.
the app will restart, but might take a minute to find the Airstep during startup.
Windows is a bit finicky with BLe bluetooth, and sometimes requires a restart if things don't connect at first (a Windows operating system issue).
@@Synthedelic Thank you, I'll ask him
ironically with the JC-120 u might have been using the regular clean tone of the katana because i think the JC-120 was removed from the MKII version so the preset just puts u into clean
i think it sounds different than the basic clean. It has more string sound. feels more acoustic.
@@Synthedelic i thought so too but it might just be our minds trying to tell us that it is. Because it is not on FX Floorboard (the one that lets you change sneaky amps at will), and I decided to compare the preset, and then resetting the "sneaky amp" by turning the knob to another amp and back to clean and recorded it back to back and sounded the exact same. Then I decided to do it again on FX Floorboard and I tried everything i could and I couldnt get it to get to that old JC-120 preset. There actually is a amp type that just says "custom" and gives multiple amp options that are completely mute, and one of them happens to be called "JC Clean".
TL:DR: I think theyre gone and our brains are tricking us into thinking its different because after trying everything from using the presets to using FX Floorboard to trying the mute amps I can assure you that is most definetly just the default clean option (which goes to show just how good this amp clean channel is)
Just remember to use the regular clean, not the variation
@theDragoon007yaboiCJ i’ll try both out back to back to test this for myself when i get back home.
i could swear they sound different.
@@Synthedelic okay and actually i forgot to mention something that acctually made me even more mad. The BR Tweed is also gone because that one also defaults to the crunch channel.
@@Synthedelic and ironically the combo crunch actually IS its own amp lmao
Is there a Carlos Santana tone?
i haven’t made one no, you could check the tone exchange website
@@Synthedelic Cool. Thanks, man!
Which one sounds like an eVh 5150?
probably the dual rec ones. or power drive for a more vintage feel.
What do I need on laptop to open TSL files?
as long as you have tone studio. you just import them with the librarian. if you were to open the tsl file, it would just be a bunch of code.
@Synthedelic ok so sneaky amps is in tone studio? Cuz I haven't found it, but thanks for the info I'm a noob to the Katana
@@goop3213 the sneaky amps are a liveset. i have them in my description. you just need to import them and youre good 👍 👍
Thanks so much.. I did finally figure it out and it was so simple...jeeez much appreciated 🤘🤘🤘
Awesome video! Stoked about that jc120. Is there a way to add effects with the “sneaky amps” as the base? Sorry if it’s a dumb question
not a dumb question, if you drag the sneaky amp you want to your channel bank. you can then save the preset with all the effects.
@@Synthedelic Awesome, I guess what I’m still trying to figure out is if it’s possible to use the sneaky amps as a pedal platform inside of tone studio as well(e.g. is it possible to add a muff fuzz effect from tone studio on top of the sneaky amp or would that change the sneaky amp completely?)
@escxpism4105 it should work.
the only way the sneaky amp will get taken away is if you change the amp type knob or click variation.
@@Synthedelic Sick! Thank you🙏🏼
I’m a simple man, I see a Fender, I skip the video.
@@CrazyKnkb By the grace of god he has left me this perfect guitar
Is there something like this for mk1?
they are the same for the mk1. these specific tsl files “should” work on mk1s
also check out www.electrikjam.com/boss-katana-sneaky-amps-guide/
@@Synthedelic hey man i managed to get it and I’m trying to recreate your rust peace tone and on the mk1 there isn’t a centa od like the one you used , is there any other similar one ?
@@Ok-lm4is the tscreamer is the most similar!
@@Synthedelic thanks man you’ve been alot of help
@@Synthedelic hey man it’s me again lol , tone sounds killer , I’ve got a problem tho , how do I add the sneaky amp to the katana panel , because it seems to me that that’s the only way that I can save a tone , unless there’s another way ? Thanks
Hey man. Great video! Is it possible to create a Smashing Pumpkins tone? I know Billy Corgan was pretty heavy on effects during his Siamese Dream days (and still now). Not sure if it’s possible to replicate his sound with jumpstart the Katana. Thanks again!
ill add it to my list and see what i can do 👍
Thanks for the video and link, HOWEVER I think every one of them sucks
gotta play with them a bit. the EQ controls work differently on every one of them
Hi Mason, thank you so much for doing this show & tell on "Sneaky Amps", it's been a great help. Greetings from Glasgow, Scotland.
glad i could help!
I have a Mk2 Artist katana and I tried these. There were like 2 amps that werent BAD. The stock katana sounds better. Reloaded those.
i’m the other way round, i think the stock amps are much harder to deal with. just for me. but they’re just different sounds you could choose from. just cuz it’s bad doesn’t mean it has to stay bad. you can take a mediocre tone and turn it into a good one.
I've got a bunch of top grade amps I've used professionally for over 40 years including guitars to drool and cry for, I tested the Katana very carefully for a while ( a new 50 was available to me ) it's a great small amp and very usable for live and recording purposes, I personally have replaced my main live units with instead their GT1 into a small silent flat mixer unto a pair of 15'' 2 way full range enclosures and I'm not going back...not ever! I found my Holy Grail tone after about a fortnight of very careful tweaking under the right conditions with the right axe for my styles played, I know I've got it right because my GT1 is under lock and key and wraps when live and in the studio and I'm often asked to reveal my tweaks by other players...my answer is....winners are grinners, sorry, -bite ya bum. 😎
i respect that 😂 that does sound like a holy grail rig.
i don’t think i’ll need any other amps for a long time. and i enjoy sharing videos like this about the amp im quite familiar with.