Does Anyone ACTUALLY Gig a Boss Katana - I think it could Beat off Most of my Gear
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2023
- For my Presets visit: johnnathancordy.gumroad.com/
For ArtistWorks courses: artistwork.prf.hn/click/camre...
For TrueFire courses and All Access Memberships: prf.hn/click/camref:1100lqzr3
Use the code JNC40 for a 40% discount off all courses, or JNC100 for $100 off all access membership!
Ok - so someone commented thinking the Katana wasn't very loud/needed pedals/didn't have an FX loop and some other things. Most of that isn't true, and so I decided to try and set up 4 presets with the GAFC EX footswitch for live use.
/ johnnathancordy get my lesson tabs and backing tracks here
www.buymeacoffee.com/johnnath... - if you like what I do and
only if you wanted, you could buy me a coffee!
Get my PADs bundle here: www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr... (this folder will grow, and I'd encourage you to ask for different keys/songs and stuff that might suit this type of preset?)
I've decided to make it possible to grab both my Helix/HX Stomp bundles (the expression bundle with freeze presets has always been separate) together - www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr... - I will then email you a link to both bundles!
Try my general patches for Helix or HX Stomp in this bundle using this link - I will then send out the patches! www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
You can get my EXPRESSION patches in this bundle using this link - I will then send out the patches! www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
Try my patches for Pod GO using this link - I will then send out the patches! www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
/ johnnathancordy get my backing tracks here
www.buymeacoffee.com/johnnath... - if you like what I do and
only if you wanted, you could buy me a coffee! - เพลง
May want to rethink that title. 😝
😂
I'm currently in two bands, and use the on-board Katana tones for the thrash metal band, and my Helix into the power amp in for the New Wave band. It's the 2x12 100w, and definitely gets the job done in both contexts. Dozens of gigs with both bands in the last few years, and the setup hasn't failed me. Good stuff.
Hey John, love your videos! I teach at Berklee and gig all over Boston/NY/New England area. I've used the Katana for many years, either clean with my pedals in front of it or as a powered speaker for my Quad Cortex, and it sounds better (and is more practical) thank most amps I've played! For smaller jazz gigs I don't even bring pedals, just use a preset I built with some verb and delay and it sounds great! I had a Mesa Mark V 25 - sounded great but had no headroom, had a Port City Pearl - tons of headroom but weighs a ton; the Katana just solves the problem and always sounds consistent. if it breaks you can get another one anywhere, but so far mine have survived quite the beating!
thanks for sharing you experience Caio! I have a Catalyst 2x12 and I keep thinking if I would be happier with a Katana, the PowerIn in Catalyst actually drops down the sound a bit and I need to count with the stock speakers (no cab sim), they are not that good and are 4 ohms so not easy to replace it with a FRFR one as in Katana. Have you tried Catalyst? What do you think?
I use my MK2 100 212 and a pedalboard for LOUD country band gigs and I love it. I leave my Mesa Lonestar at home and no longer buy tubes every year now, the Katana pays for itself.
I've gigged a 1x12 100watt mkII for the past 2 years. Changed the speaker to a Celestion red back 100watt. Zero faults, light weight, ample power, great tones, easy to set up.
And it takes pedals really well, right?
It does. I use only the CLEAN setting.@@nedim_guitar
Did the Red Back improve the clean tone and add headroom??
@@bobbyruggs808 Yes, it's a 100 watt speaker with plenty of headroom. I only every use the clean amp setting. The speaker is heavier but well worth it.
I've gigged a Katana Artist v1 for years and years before went with a Helix. Never had issues with it! Sounded great mic'ed up, or straight to the FOH.
I have gigged the Mark 1 50 watter many times. It cuts through the mix without any trouble and it sounds good - good enough that a typical audience won’t know the difference. When I’m playing with the 5 piece band I’m in I personally can’t tell much of a difference between it and the Mesa Mark V that I have. In isolation I do prefer the Boogie. But with a full band the difference is negligible to my ears.
This is an excellent point. Alone in your bedroom / studio you are listening for very different things, and you will often fall in love with tones that don't work live anyway!
@@Rockfish66Derek Trucks has talked about that when choosing amps. The ones he loves in the studio aren't the ones that work next to a Hammond organ in a 12 piece band. All that nuance that is great in the studio is lost or mud after us goes through a mixer and PA. His live amps sit in a specific place in the live mix.
Loved the opener. You're a very inspiring player.
John my friend John Bohlinger regularly does use his Katana combo for bar show gigs in Nashville -often with his vintage Les Paul plugged in …. 😎
But what does HE know about gear and tones?!? :-) (hint: More than 99% of us reading this on youtube)
I sold my 212 a few years ago after I went with a modeler although I'm in the market for the Line 6 Catalyst to compliment my Helix. Since I carry and run sound and lights a modeler just makes more sense than carrying one of my heavy tube amps.
Our band lead guitarist uses a MKii 100, almost always on "Clean" with about 8 pedals. I am always impressed with how good his tone is and we have never had a problem with enough volume when playing outside, adding just a little through his line out into our mixer/PA. Great piece of gear. Oh, and it's really light!
Our lead guitarist uses a 1987 G&L ASAT Tele so everything sounds good on pretty much every setting. He also has a 50w Peavy amp at home that is awesome, but the diff is not worth the additional 30 pounds in weight.@@user-zx5gg8od6l
@@user-zx5gg8od6l I find that the higher gain tones sound great at practice volumes, but get harsh and digital sounding when louder. Currently I'm using a MXR Super Badass distortion set as a clean boost, into a Plumes OD. Weird combo but the MXR has really high output and a 3 band eq, volume high, EQ scooped, and just a tiny bit of gain into the mid heavy Plumes... can generate super fat tones that retain their clarity.
@@bushleague3472IMO, the trick is to set it at a moderate gain and boost it with a nice external pedal in front of the amp. That’s how I’ve gotten the best sounding (to me at least) high gain sounds from my MKI Artist.
@@FastRedPonyCar Yeah, I too did this for quite some time, and I liked how it sounded. I still found that the tone suffered at higher volumes, so I started using the Plumes as basically a pre-amp. It gives me the moderate gain, then use a different pedal to push it. Just seems to retain its tone better as the volume go's up.
I use it regularly in a church context, now along with an ME-90. It’s a great versatile option and I’ve sold on amps and other gear as I’ve come to get over the idea that valve etc must be better.
Do you plug into the power amp?
@@RajorshiBhattacharyya that was the reason for selling my Mk1 and buying the Mk2, and I've tried for weeks to get it sounding the way I want it, but I find that going into the front of the amp has been better every time. I bought the ME-90 to go direct, but we're using a cheaper PA at the moment (meeting in a school) and the Behringer Speakers over-flow the high frequencies that I've just not been able to get it how I want it. So my hope was that the Katana Power Amp In would be a solution - it's definitely better than going direct but I still prefer the preamp tones of the amp compared to the ME-90, which is either too bass-heavy or trebly. It's a very reflective room, which doesn't help. If all I had was the ME-90 and a power-amp in I'm sure I'd be happy enough, but the fact that I can go in the front of the amp and then compare, I'd rather go that way.
Sir, this is a family show
I was hanging side stage at a P funk show a few weeks ago -
long story short one of their new guitarists was using a 50w katana combo with an extension cab the whole night and it sounded killer! To put it in context- all the other guitarists in the band were using Mesa Rectifiers
Lovely guitar playing. Nice tones too.
Really interesting to hear how you get on and to try out your presets. I’ve always found my Katana 100mk2 a bit ice-picky. Might just be the cab. I should experiment with recording direct and listening back through headphones vs the amp.
My most recent setup is Helix into two Katanas, one stock going straight in and the other with modded Celestion speaker, going into power amp in with Helix's Legendary Drive distortion pedal as the preamp. Absolutely huge sounds with stereo effects such as Trinity Chorus, Heliosphere in stereo for long delay.
I have a bandmate who is a full time pro - plays everything from large concert venues/festivals to local pubs. He uses a Helix through a Katana for his gigs and inspired me to switch from tube amps (to a Catalyst). The Katana sounds great (I own one, as well, actually). Tube amps crap out regularly. With the Katana, it seems to be light/portable/cheap to replace vs. a tube amp.
Hey bud, how do you like the Katana vs the Catalyst as an amp? Since you use the Helix wth the Katana, how do you like both as an FRFR?? Thanks!!
@@onlyguitars I prefer using my Line 6 Pod Go through my Catalyst (as an amp - plugged in through the front) for gigs, after lots of tests. The Katana has better dirt sounds on it's own, but the cleans on the Catalyst sound slightly better (maybe it's the reverb). I have tried using the Catalyst as an FRFR type setup, but it doesn't sound as "full" to me. My bandmate also runs his Katana as a normal amp (I suspect for the same reasons).
@@bgrierofficial cool thanks for the input!
I own and Gig a Katana 100 1x12 or a 100 2x12 Both MK 1 versions. These have been incredibly reliable over the last 4 years. They sound great and never had any issues. I sometimes play an Electro classical through the acoustic channel but most gigs are electric. I just set them to clean and use the tap delay reverb and boost with the GAFC1. I have been playing since 1970 and have owned and still own a vast array of Tube amps and cabs. Using pedals in the front end I can get everything and anything I need. I am that impressed that I will also buy a head this year. One thing that I learnt over the years is that so much of the sound is in the hands. I always sound like me, whatever guitar or amp set up I use. Keep up the good work!!
What cab speakers do you think will work well with the Kat head?
@@mkrj2576 I did connect the amp from a Kat Combo to several of my cabs and tbh it sounded great with all of them. Marshall 1936 cabs I have are loaded with Celestion G12 75T speakers. I also have a V30 2x12 which sounded great. Speakers are very subjective. Celestions have the midrange honk that suits rock/Distorted guitar but I prefer Eminence or EVs for pristine clean sounds. It's always a compromise!
I don't know how you do it, but your Katana presets are fabulous. I've had my MK II 50 watt for two years now and use it mainly as a power amp for my HX Stomp because I never could get any good tones out of it. Your JC Live presets are amazing. I didn't know that this little amp could produce such tones!
The First time I played through a Katana was at a Jam when I didn’t bring my Blues Jr. Or Pro Jr. The guy running the jam set me up with a first generation 100watt combo and I had a small pedalboard. I was in disbelief after I got done with my set that Katana really performed as well as it did. My two Gigging amps are my Supersonic 22 or my Blues Jr. The last gig with a band I did was last year after my area was devastated by a hurricane and I lost all my acoustic gigs for a few months. So I traveled 500 miles north to do a band gig with an old band mate and a couple solo acoustic gigs. My car was packed so I took my 100 watt Katana combo that I had bought used for $200. The amp performed great. I loved the way I could get feedback out of it just like a real tube amp. And I have seen many guitarists using them in bands around here in South west Florida .
I use a 50-watt mkII with a pedalboard. No complaints here...I love how light it is. The speaker is offset in the cabinet, which is pretty smart and makes mic'ing the amp easier.
My main rig is a Two-Rock Cardiff with its matching cab, and 9 boutique pedals in front of it. Top notch, nothing to add. My back up gear is a Boss ME-90 and a Boss Katana 50 mkII. It does the job, nothing to complain about it. Amazing video Mr Cordy!
I have. I've used an Artist and a K100. I've used them in stereo linked, as an FRFR with a modeller, just a single amp with the GA-FC, and with a modeller into the front end on the acoustic channel. I'd have to say that they're the most versatile amp I've ever used and sound great in any configuration! I own and have used several vintage tube amps, but I use the Katana in most situations where I'm not on in-ears. They're smaller, lighter, not $2000+ so they're easily replaceable and I've had no problems with them, not to mention the power scaling for every situation.
Was at a small pub last winter. Im sitting about 50 ' away. I hear this guy playing a lead. ( Slow blues. Im blown away by his tone. Walk up to the stage,& it was a katana. . It was very warm ,& round tone. It sounded awesome !!!
When I go to downtown Nashville on Broadway I see tons of guys using these. It’s bulletproof - the tubes don’t fail - it sounds amazing and it’s inexpensive. I just wish they made some color options for the body and grill.
This was one of the first things to convince me of how legit this amp is - if the guys on Broadway are using it, surely it'll work for me!
@@andycasile yeah, I mean don’t get me wrong. Everybody wants to have a great tube amp but then when you get one do you really wanna drag it downtown and get beer and puke all over it? So if you have another amp that’s easily replaceable and sounds almost just as good. Why not just use that? Or at minimum have one for a backup.
I have a Mk1 50 for students and it replaced my mesa amp for big band use. Great clean sound, much less background noise, loud enough, reliable and light to carry. No downside.
Bought the Katana MKII recently - enjoying your videos about this amp
I have gigged my MK 1 head as and amp and as a power amp for my modeller. It is a fantastic value amp. Last time I gigged it, I went straight to the desk and used IEM. Sounded good enough for pubs and clubs.
Cracking tune there John.....
Lovely playing and tones
Gorgeous intro dude 🥰
I’ve gigged the head by itself and then with a celestion cab.
Using the head by itself, I used the dyn421 emulation direct into FOH. I also used the internal speaker as a personal monitor. I used the many onboard eq’s to tailor the sound. I used the global eq’s to adjust for differences in my stage guitars.
Paired with a 2x12 celestion cab, it gets very loud, and it sounds great.
I bought the iOS katana librarian app and a widi (Bluetooth midi) for the rare case I needed to get into to deep edits while gigging.
The 100$ floor pedal, expression pedal, and extra tap switches really unleash the power of the katana. For example, I setup a dual delay patch having an analog delay and a reverse delay. I then setup the external tap switches so that I can tap different tempos for them. A lot of that is available on the main floorboard, but it requires multiple steps that can take too much time.
Overall, the katana is a great value for gigging musicians.
Great video thank you for making it. Currently using a cab m+ at the end of the board. Trying to decide whether it’s worth going for this or another product such as the Line 6 HX Stomp or maybe something like the amps in pedal format type thing. Doing similar stuff to yourself, what did you think?
The way you play your guitar makes me happy! I have to spend more time practicing!
I have a Katana 100 mk2. Set it clean and use the onboard delay and reverb…I use a crybaby, OCD or ODR-1 and a spark for solo boost. Sounds great.
Lovely guitar playing. Nice tones too.
Surprisingly dynamic sounds!
This, they’re surprisingly dynamic and responsive these things. They’ve really won me over the past couple of years. You can throw pretty much anything at one.
I’ve played in a rock covers band for years and I have used a katana for the past five years or more, starting with the 100w combo mk1 then upgrading to the artist mk11 00w combo over a year ago, it does everything I need it to, I have never understood the need to add any pedal to it, if you want to run your own pedal set up buy a, single channel amp and go for it.
We have two guitarists in our band and although the other guitarist loves his Marshall stack he has now purchased a katana head and 2 x 12 cabinet.
We have played jams both large and small, we don’t run the guitars through the p.a. And we are known for playing loud when needed, the katanas keep up with any other amp we have been near with no problem.
Do they sound like tube amps? Who cares, if it sounds good to you and people aren’t throwing shit at you or telling you constantly that your sound is terrible then go for it!
The reason known artists don’t use the cheaper range is usually down to sponsorship or maybe they have a preference for a Mesa boogie or whatever.
If I could afford any amp I wanted would I still own a katana, probably not.
I can tell you I have owned tube amps before and I don’t hear enough of a difference to put up with servicing, backache, warming up, cooling down, finding the sweet spot, etc.
All in all, buy what you want, sometimes we buy something we really can’t afford but life is for living, for me at the moment I’m happy with a Clapton Strat and the Katana.
Peace, and love your playing.
Greetings from New Zealand.
A bit different but I use the katana MK2 50 with the air step pedal, I set my cleans for my single coils and hum buckers through the air step. Then I get all my effects through my pedal board direct in, lots of power and it runs pedals great. It’s small and light to take anywhere and it’s perfect for stage volumes although you need a DI to run to front of house. It’s a small light set up that just works.
Looking forward to watching this and the comments too.
One question is a I see a lot of videos and love for the katana but not as much for the Line 6 catalyst.
Anyone used a catalyst or not?
Most of my jazz playing when I am playing locally I do with a katana. The tone quality is certainly there. It does a lead tone that reminds me of Allan Holdsworth’s DG Yamaha amps.
Some of the reason many pros don’t adopt them has to do with the routing options, lack of an IR Loader and limited stereo capabilities.
For me it is crazy that the only stereo output is the usb port and that it has no dual-stereo delays.
Just gigged a mk 2 100 watt , the 6 button foot switch is amazing
For home invader beating duties I would go with a valve amp yesterday today and tomorrow. It's the transformers that give it weight and body in comparison to a modeller.
I practice with the katana headphones. It’s really great. It makes me play and it’s super easy to play over backingtracks.
I Use a Katana 50 for its power amp feature only. I plug either a Helix LT or Boss ME-90 (wich sounds better than the Katana amps to me).
Normally, I only use a direct signal with my Helix to FOH. The Katana is for small gigs or practice only.
The cab in the combo Katanas is the thing that holds them back IMO. I have a 60s Ampeg Reverberocket that the circuit was beyond saving. Got it cheap with a JPB in it and sold the speaker for more than I paid for the whole amp. A couple years later I threw the Katane MkII 50 amp and speaker in the Ampeg cabinet and it was unbelievably good. Lead guitarist in my country band uses it exclusively. The pedal steel player picked up the Katane MkII 100 single 12 combo and gigs with it exclusively. They both sound great and knock it out of the park every gif. I think most people think if something is affordable it can't be good. Oh, and people rarely keep the Katana combos long enough to let the speaker to break in. It takes a bit.
I run Tonex into Katana Power Amp in and use American or British voiced speaker in external cab. Compared to Class D amp( Harley Benton), Boss Katana Power amp gives me that punch & feels good under my fingers.
I use a Katana 100 2x12 on the clean channel with my own pedal board. I have been gigging with it for years and it gets the job done. We play indoor and outdoor gigs and it never disappoints. I use a TC Spark to add some dynamics and it sounds great.
That TC Spark is a cool little pedal, I love that thing... recently though, I tried using my MXR Super Badass distortion set as a clean boost, and WOW. Between the high output and the 3 band EQ it can generate some pretty fat tone. Dont really like it as a distortion and was going to get rid of it, glad I stumbled on to using it as a boost.
I have played my MK1 in a large church setting and at some outdoor metal shows. It does a great job.
Which Katana model is this? I'm not familiar with their range and I'm very interested in it. Also intrigued by the Hotone Ampero II (saw your video with the problem you had with yours) and the IK ToneX.
You can buy a new Boss Katana MkII 100 Artist Head for £499.99 at a reputable guitar shop/online outlet in England atm
Another solid video - The Katana in my opinion - turn it on and go - sure you noodle with for ever but over all just great amp - the presets are a good starting point for greats tones 👍
About repairing. My church has a Boss Cube Street that had an issue. We sent it back to Boss for repair. It was after the warranty expired and they still fixed it and it wasn’t expensive. But I live in Japan. So there’s ease of getting it to Boss and you know actual customer service as opposed to what’s happening all over the west in regards to customer service.
I've been using a 100 watt Mark1 as a busking amp for years. I've had a Vox 30 watt valve amp, a Marshall Valvestate 2000, and a DSL 40 and this Katana is every bit their equal.
I have a MK1 Katana head with a Marshall MX212 vertical cab. It’s solves both my issues as it’s a desktop amp with the software. It’s a practice amp with the built in speaker and it’s a gigging amp when used with the 212 cab. Overall win win win for me. Katana is a great amp.
Two Videos in a day! Do you have some kind of time machine to make it all fit into 24 hours? Not complaining one bit, but I am astounded that you can manage it being a new dad, the family chef now, and a gigging musician who has to keep up with setlists!
The Katana head is becoming more and more attractive an idea to me. I have a pair of ported EVM12L loaded cabs so I could grab one and go with that head. I am an early adopter of Roland modeling (1997 Roland Gp-100 is still in my studio rack from my old rack rig) and I liked the sound, gapless switching (even back then!) And the effects.
Would love to hear what Mick would say if you gigged the Katana and he caught the set and he didnt know what head you were using, LOL.
I bought a Katana 100 Head in January 2017 for $250 and it has been the best gear purchase I have ever made. Other amps have come and gone but that Katana is the mainstay and I finally just quit looking for anything better.
14:36 - Plus it has a presence knob easily to hand on the panel to tweak for the room during soundcheck.
It makes a compelling case doesn’t it!
I do. Have a 100 combo. Use the clean channel with the master vol set to max and use the Vol control by the gain to set the on stage level. A small bit of the blues driver type boost, reverb and delay and it’s great with the Les Paul just working with the guitars vols and tones.
Yeah, I run LP special about the same. Between the Gibson's PUP blending capability and the P-90's you can do just about anything.
I’ve used a katana 100W mkII 1x12 combo for rehearsals and gigs with a jazz big band now for 2 years. Mainly use cleans but they work really well both for jazzy and funky stuff. Haven’t really fiddled with the dirty channels too much since I usually don’t take home the amp between rehearsals and it feels like that is one of the biggest downsides that you might need to hook it up to the computer to customise amp models and effects. (Being a mostly traditional jazz big band…I pretty much use heavy distortion on only 1 song on 1 gig each year 😅) variable power output is handy for different size spaces and headroom. But feels like basic sounds and effects are good. I really don’t like the knobs have no indication on their saved value in the presets though. Makes dialling in and saving presets much harder.
Have also used it a bit as power amp for HX stomp in other rehearsals and that worked well too.
Yes, I do Gig with a Mk1 100w combo Katana from about 7 years and love it
I’ve seen a lot of buzz around the Boss GT lately…would be cool to see you revisit it!
13:46 Thank you for doing the patch "gap" test...! I thought you would do it wearing clean socks on your foot, but this is fine 😁
I gig with the 100 watt head and 2x12 cab. It’s awesome and super loud!
Hi John. Is that a Strymon you have used on the backing track for the Pad sound ? Sounds just what i am looking for. Cheers.
The thing is, i really didn't like using the computer in order to adjust the FX settings. Compared to a modeler where you can see everything you're adjusting, i don't see a reason to use the Katana's effects. So really i just want a plain simple amp for a pedal platform, like a Roland Blues Cube Hot instead for example.
Right now I've got stereo Headrush FRFR 108s with either an analog pedalboard or an MX5 modeler.
yes. a MkII 100 single speaker. Must admit I'm bloody struggling with it. No pedals except a volume/expression thing.
Used Katana Head few years until i changed to Bluguitar Amp1 with Line 6 HXFX.
But Katana was great too, and light, and on some situations i just miked the internal speaker.
Stii have Head too, it is great.
And of course the GA-FC is must for live use.
Walk down Broadway in Nashville. You will see about as many katanas as you will deluxe reverbs at the live venues
I have been gigging for a year with a MkII EX 50 for. I have a second one for backup and a future stereo rig.
I was kinda hoping you would do a review of the new Katana air EX?
I'm surprised you use other cabs .. the few times I've tried out a Katana, it's really sounded at it's best with the Katana speaker .. any other speaker seems to make one of the sounds better and all the others worse .. Have you tried the Katana cab with it?
The katana librarian app is great for ad-hoc changes in a rehearsal/gig. You'll probably have your phone/tablet nearby so it's convenient to use. Unofficial but worth the ~£8
How do you connect to the amp? My katana's don't have Bluetooth.
As far as I know it takes a certain type of USB hook up. There's a lot about it online.
There is no problem with volume or headroom. I found the difference from my tube amps is it lacks high end dynamics. The tone is quite compressed. If your looking for. Fender glassy clean tone you probably will find it lacking. Apart from that it covers a lot of what you need and you will be happy. I only use the clean channel
I just saw a great cover band this past weekend. 2 guitar players .. one playing a mid size marshall stack the other a boss katana combo.
They were very loud. Drummer was super loud but I heard the katana cutting through just fine and sounding great on many different song genres.
How did you get the keyboard sounds?
Here's my hypothesis: The advantage that the Katana offers to a mid-tier gigging musician is mainly how many things it can do in a compact, affordable and reliable package. If you are an artist, the affordability and versatility doesn't matter nearly as much. If you are after convenience and versatility, you will probably go with a modeling unit, and if you are after an old-school vibe you will go with a tube amp with pedals. So it's not that the Katana isn't good enough for an artist to use, it's just that for most of their cases there is a better option for them.
What is mid tier lol? Pros also use this. I don't understand how budget equipment or Price friendly items are now considered low-tier or mid-tier.
So there are better tonal options if your willing to lug it around. True
That's kinda wild to put modeling and convenience in the same sentence.
@@matthewearl9824 Good point, that was a little vague. When I say "mid-tier", I'm referring to gigging, working musicians who don't play with big-time artists. People who need reliable gear and a wide variety of sounds, but don't have a large budget or space. It was a reference to players, not gear, and it isn't a knock - most working guitar players are in that category.
The point of my comment wasn't "The Boss Katana is mid-tier". It was that the Katana offers incredible features and reliability for the average gigging musician at an unbeatable price point (I know this because when I gig, I usually use a Katana). But while those features make it the ideal amp for me, it doesn't make it the best amp for someone playing on bigger stages with a bigger budget. Hopefully that clears this up a little bit.
@@ElmoRitter The convenience of a modeler is that instead of carrying a 30 lb amp and a 20 lb pedalboard to a gig, I can carry a 3 lb modeling unit, plug into the PA and have all the sounds I want right there. I'll agree that getting tones in a modeler is not nearly as convenient as it is in the real world. That said, which would I rather carry 1/2 mile from the parking garage to the gig?
could u make helix presets for the katana power amp please
I use the Artist II head and it’s bloody great with a good 2x12
What cab speaker you think go well with a Kat?
John - how is the preset switching? Is there a lag or latency switching between presets and/or banks, or is it fairly seamless?
Are your Katana presets compatible with the Librarian app? Thanks!
Man buying and owning a Katana is like buying a Truck from Ford or Toyota.
Solid build, always delivers and not super high maintainence.
Boss killed it with this Amp but then it's Boss. Whatever they come up with is nothing short of incredible.
I have seen @zacschulzegang a few months ago playing 50W Katana in a kind of open-air gig. At first, I thought he was playing with fuzz and his tone was good but then I saw he had just some boost pedal and a tuner on the floor. So, the harshness was kind of a "digital transient" thing (I guess). Does it matter? Probably not. If you like your sound and feel...
I also played once on a 30W version in a small club but I was using it as a clean platform. Worked well with my pedalboard.
I haven't tried beating off any of my gear, does it improve tone?
At the cost of your eyesight, but yes.
Many artists have a guitar tech and roadie crew, so they can use more complex rigs.
Even with that, I'm noticing more professionals using Fractal Audio gear, or Helix gear, in their live and studio rigs.
At my level, it's all about convenience, reliability, portability - but the rig has to sound good to me, in a mix.
I built a computer rig around PolyChromeDSP McRocklin Suite, which will be my main rig.
If I need a wide range of sounds, my current rig is a Mooer Prime P1 with F4 wireless floor controller. It works and sounds great, and nothing comes close to the simplicity and portability.
Cheers!
For what it's worth, I've read and seen anecdotal evidence of Katanas showing up at shows in Nashville. So, if its used at gigs there, it should survive outside the rarified air of that stringent environment.
My personal experience with Katana's is that I prefer the Clean Amp with and without the variation switch, driven to edge of breakup with the channel volume and gain, taming the volume with the master - bucking what was a fashionable trend of dimng the master. then I add onboard boost or a pedal board in front for preferred drive tones. I don't favor the crunch, lead, etc amps. I like crafting those on my own, based on the clean Amp. IMO, Studio Rats has some solid Katana advice.
Disclaimer: I primarily use a TK Imp Mk II so I'm not looking for truly high gain in any context, Katana or otherwise. The katana is a tremendous value and full of very usable tones and effects. Tone Studio is your best friend to get the best possible tones.
In the band I saw last night, the guitarist was using a katana combo, he had put vox-like grill cloth on it. Honestly didn't sound good but I don't blame the amp, because it sounded nothing like when you play it.
I've seen quite a few in pubs, a few with guys who I know to have beautiful amps collections - I use HX stomp and a mackie SRM 150 or 2 instead of my amp collection
I'm pretty similar to you. I used to have a Katana but now I've ended up with a Headrush MX5 and two FRFR108s for stereo
Good value for dollar, light weight, are a couple of reasons to use for gigs. Reasons I don’t use one, they all sound exactly the same, doesn’t feel like playing through tube amp, un repairable, cabinet is made from a pressed cardboard type material.
Pressed 'cardboard'?? You mean., like, MDF? That's an interesting way to describe it, I suppose... 😀
@@lescaster2179 I was looking at banged up one in a pawnshop, it had a large chunk missing out of it. The exposed cabinet was made from some kind of sawdust cardboard looking junk.
The artist series cab is “grown up” in fact they should start selling that waza speaker standalone.
Put the master on full and the channel volume to taste . Gives you a more real tube respons through the speaker
I was getting all set to dive in and comment on how those drive tones sounded muffled, but then you addressed that ..
I used a Katana Mk1 100 watt for any jam host or pickup gig for a while... until a knob broke off. Great for tones and ease of use, durability/road-worthiness, not so much. Bang for buck, this line is great, it just picks up dings and damage easily and is not something you can drop off at a repair shop to fix.
I toured with a guitarists that used a CRATE POWERBLOCK. All they needed to do was navigate a 90 min set with limited solos. I can’t see them spending any extra $$s. My backup amp is a ZD Lunchbox, which sounds ok with my 2x12. It wouldn’t be my main amp though.
I also saw that video by Psionic Audio about the cheaply produced circuit boards that can't be repaired and that led me to selling it.
I think the drawback to the combo amps is that the speaker isn't the best and sounds a bit muffled. So that's the biggest draw to spend for the Artist combo with the Waza speaker.
The flipside of that is the reality of the (general) higher reliability of that technology vs. Tubes and components. Its a solid state Amp with a ton of useful features for the price of a budget tube amp. The value proposition can be very high, for its intended primary target audience.
Interesting choice of words in the video title there, John.
Just seeing this video now. I replaced my Musicman 1974 tube (hybrid actually) amp with a katana artist mkII. The combo that is, with the Waza speaker inside. I am very content with the sounds I get and I always use the Katana for gigs. So I am a Katana gigger, yes. I did put both amps side by side once and in all honesty especially in the clean sounds the katana could not hold a candle to the old Musicman. But, the reliability of the MM wasn't that great. Having the tubes replaced, having to take it out for service etc it was all very costly and inconvenient. It also happened several times that actual smoke came out of the amp while in a session and I had to take it back for even more service. And I always took it to someone who was or claimed to be a specialist in servicing old tube amps. I am a player, not a tech myself. So all in all, very inconvenient, very costly and overall just not that reliable anymore. That is what drove me to try out the Katana. Having owned several Roland/Boss pieces of equipment before, like a GT8 for instance, I NEVER had an issue and found it super reliable. Hoping the Katana Artist is an equally reliable product, I hung on to both amps initially, but after a year or so, in which I had not used the MM anymore, I sold that one and am now now fully relying on the Katana. So far, so good. Like I said, I do really enjoy the sounds I can get from it (only using the onboard effects) and sound engineers, people in the audience have never complimented me more on my sound as they are doing these days. I am a happy Katana user and I don't feel any urge to own a vintage tube amp anymore.
Run 2 volume/expression pedals....I use 1 for Volume and 1 for delay/reverb
“Artitsts” tend to have “their sound” and they have an image to create. Covers bands want gear that sounds good and can be lugged from the car to the gig easily.
"for my one time in the set I need that." Same bro. My function band plays "shut up and dance." I'm waiting all night to press that one button.