Cool video. I bought my boss katana head two years ago and absolutely love it. I have been a tube amplifier player for about 20 years and got tired of hauling them to gigs and spending hundreds of dollars to repair and put in new tubes. The cool thing about the boss katana is that it doesn’t feel like it is trying to model specific amplifiers. It feels like there are certain characteristics but it feels like it is doing its own thing in my opinion. I run the head through a 2 x 12 cabinet that has Celestion‘s in it and it sounds incredible. Perfect for gigs. I played an outdoor gig and it blew people out of the water. I even played it at a venue where the microphones had been stolen so no pa. I said that’s fine and I just cranked the amplifier to almost halfway and it was more than loud enough. The thing also weighs like 20 to 30 pounds compare to my fender twin that is like 80 pounds. My dual rectifier is probably 50 pounds. As I get older, I don’t want to be hauling super heavy gear around. The katana fits nicely in the back of my car and doesn’t take up that much room. Love the thing
I'm running mine with a Harley Benton 2x12 vertical cab , working great here too ,I did take the V30s out and put them in a different cab and threw some WGS Retro 30s in it
Thank you! I like them all, but I think the DR02 is my favorite. Someone shared your video to the Boss Katana Amps group, so I hope that will boost your views.
Thank you so much for this really interesting Vid. It's now 2023. I've just bought a Katana Air, and wanted some advice on setting it up with clean tones. I've twiddled a lot myself, but your settings have allowed me to copy much of what you've done, and now it sounds great.
Nice job! You got the Katana set pretty close to the DR. I think the Boss Katana is hard to beat for the price. No, it does not take the place of the DR. But at 1/5 the cost and weighing half as much as the DR it's a winner for many. As a full time working musician I carried heavy Fender tube amps for 35+ years and my back and knees feel it! I bought a Katana 100 watt MkII for it's light weight, versatility, low maintenance and I love it!
Yes it can take the place of a DR and is superior in certain aspects....... Do you know what the problem is.? ..... egos and elitism.... And yes.. I may have a opinion as I own a 800 and 900 and vox ac30. ..... Fuck! Statements like that really piss me off.....and it normally comes from people with really shit guitar tone.
Thank you for this video. I’ve been wanting to get my original Katana 100 1-12 to sound close to my SF Deluxe Reverb ever since I bought it. I have a bad back and the Katana is much easier to carry up and down the stairs when I go play gigs. Anyway, this gave me a very good start at cloning the sound. Using the Tone Studio, I tweaked the EQ to match what you had done and then I tweaked it a bit more as I have a C-Rex speaker in my SFDR and my Katana speaker is different than the one found in the 50 watter. Anyway with this video and some tweaking I am happy to say that I’m about 90-95% there. Thank you so much.
I’ve gigged with the Katana ,a 1972 Super , a TRRI. For recording the Tube amps seem to win . However,I prefer the Katana for practice,rehearsal and gigs. If you take your time in the software you can find amazing stuff. It’s not just 3 kinds of Flangers. Way more than that. I hope to get better results recording the Katana involving some IR’s. The tube amp is so loud at the sweet spots it’s just too much for performance in the small gigs I play. It cuts through at lower volume and they’re just fun. Great video.
Just a quick thanks for the patch - I love the DR one - I seem to struggle to dial in great tones in the Katana, was about to give up & this gave me a great starting point. Many thanks.
I have the Head MKII with a 1x12 Diamond cab (very nice baltic birch construction). And what I can say is that the size of the cab makes a difference (+ the celestion speaker). It is nearly impossible to emulate the air displacement of a larger cab (a DR is wider than a Katana). This being said, I find the Katana head much more versatile than the DR. I used to have fancy boutique amps (Swart, Milkman, Tone King, Carr, Suhr, Fuchs) and I made the plunge to digital. Much more fun, versatile and you can modify the tone with Boss Studio. And to practice without breaking your lease is more convenient with a Digital amp.
I have the 100 MK2 katana and it is my favorite amp of all time! I absolutely love the sound of this thing and I have had many amps many tube amps. They did a hell of a job with this amp
@@jimmyjames7946 Agreed. I've had mine for a couple years now and I'm still enjoying it. Also, I think they will only get better from here on, which is exciting for the future.
Downloaded the patches and they are great. I saved the original download and uploaded copies to my Kantana. The patches are very close to perfect- I am sure some of the folks tone depends on equipment they're using but most folks that like the DR will like these tones. I did tweak the volume on a couple but other than that I'm just play them. Thank you very much.
I think you just saved me a ton of money. I have a reissue Twin reverb and was looking at a Tonemaster twin reverb to buy. I have a Katana MKII head into a 2X12 cab with V30 and a Creamback. I just loaded up your patches and they sound great. I like your comment about having to repair a katana. Not easy to fix but your reissue is easier with a Tech. Im loving the Katana but love my Reissue twin more. In saying that, the katana will do and I don't feel the need for a Tonemaster now. I have subscribed to your channel and look forward to learning more...
The speaker makes a big difference. I have a Mk II 1x12 100w, and I just picked up a Mk II Artist. I love the Waza sound, there is a noticeable difference. The cabinet also makes a difference, since the Artist is considerable larger, and semi closed back. Someone had posted on a group on FB that their Katana broke when it hit the floor, and the cab is made of particle board, so there's part of the sound quality difference. I had been considering replacing the 1x12 speaker, but now that I have the Artist, hearing such a difference, I am decided that I will replace the speaker, and I am going to build my own cabinet out of Baltic Birch. From what I've heard (on Jensen's site) I'm thinking that the Jensen Jet Tornado will be an awesome replacement. While it is crazy expensive (I live in Wpg & the "non-stealth" version of it retails for $260 + taxes), considering the original cost of the Katana Mk II ($500 for the entire amp/cab/speaker), the replacement will make it sound very much like your amp - Jensen makes speakers for Fenders and (at least some) Mesa Boogie cabs these days. I won't be surprised if it sounds good enough to record - at least, I hope it will be, since it is a special order, and that's a lot of money for a speaker that might not sound as good as I think it will... But anyway 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver Your settings sound great on my Artist, and my Mk II 100w 1x12. I had settings that made it sound similar, but yours are better than what I had, so I'm using yours as my default now. Also, I'm using a Kingsley Constable at the end of my pedal chain, going into the front of the amp, and it takes it to the next level. Very small and light (ie portable), it gives us the tube preamp sound of a Fender Bassman on one setting, and a Marshall Plexi on the other - and with your patch settings, it sounds even more glorious than it did before.
@@BitsOfEternity Cool! Glad it's working for you. That Kingsley Constable looks awesome -- actual tubes in there. I haven't seen one of those before. They're not cheap, but I'll keep an eye on the used market for one.
Sounds good, great work! Cool to see how you compared tones scientifically. Definitely interested in more Katana mk2 tone videos and iso track guitar tone investigations. Thanks!
This was a very unique video, I enjoyed the science behind it. Have you looked at the Boss Artist MkII 100w? Has a green back GT12W speaker. think I will be using it for home and small gigs easily.
A very interesting comparison. The beauty (and pain) of the Katana is the infinite tweaking you can do with so much eq available. Have you tried using the acoustic channel? It just dawned on me the other day with my K Artist what could I make it sound like with my electric into the acoustic channel with the gain set to max and much adjusting of eq 1 and eq2. The results really amazed me. Have a play, you won’t be disappointed.
I was trying a katana at guitar center because I've been thinking about buying one, and putting a little boost on the clean channel was like "OH this is starting to sound cool"
I think it has tons of good sounds, but like most things you have to play around with it to get what you want. There are so many options on these amps you are bound to find several sounds you will like if you give it the time.
I have also now created a Vox AC15 patch. Watch the video on the Vox here: th-cam.com/video/Hu8ANWZa-cc/w-d-xo.html 😎 Also, you can download all the Boss Katana patches I've created from my website: www.bluemorris.com/katana 🎸
I agree, in fact I did finally play a gig with it. The sound engineer, not knowing what the amp was, said, "that sounds great. All I did was pop a mic in front and turn it up."
Killer job, you should dial in the AC15! Then two more classic amps. Sell them on your website! And I would print out labels for my ga-fc switch to have 4 classic amps. The depth you go with reverb etc would sell
I would love to buy a Fender Reverb Deluxe, if it weren’t for my noisy living conditions. I do play to several Fender tube amps in the rehearsal studio’s where I practice, and I love that sound. I’ve been on a quest for the best Fenderesque patches, and yours are the best I have found so far! Thanks for that! I suppose if you play a Katana next to a Fender, you’ll hear a difference. But with your patches on a stand-alone Katana the sound is just fine!
You got darn close. I know as a player the 'feel' of the amp is the thing, I've had various tubes, blues jr., Marshall JMP, twin twelve ampegs at about 80 pounds of lead and several others and as a young man I'd hoist them things in the truck no problem. These days, Its all I can do to get the Katana where I want to go and I'm not actively gigging anymore. Here's the thing from a audience perspective I'll let some of you know that unless you drop dead and stop playing the vast majority of people listening in the audience will have no clue and don't care especially if its a bar where people are getting hammered lol. It is a feel thing though I get that, we had a few where the bartender couldn't hear her cell phone so we'd get the worst two words a guitar player can hear. Turn Down! Seriously she had us turn it down where the amp had no nuts at all and at that point your enthusiasm goes out the window. We quit playing there, I mean if its a wedding gig and your making big money hey you bet whatever you wish. But some jive blues bar you drove quite a ways to make 50 lousy bucks, nah... Good luck I hope your gigs treat you well. God Bless!
An important factor that nobody addresses is the Cost to Repair the Katana versus the Fender Deluxe Reverb or any other tube amp. My experience with solid state amps is the cost to repair out weighs any other benefit. The Katana 50 is an attractive bargain since the amp is so cheap and can be replaced to out weight the high repair costs.
Nice work on the tone matching. I use both amps and the Katana is more versatile. I also use a Mustang III v2 and it delivers a great bang for the buck.
I don't understand why a Katana needs to sound like another amp. I have one and have gigged with it for six years. All I care about is that it sounds good, and it does. I don't try to make my Fenders and Marshall sound like each other either. Katana sounds like a Katana, and that is a bona-fide good sound.
I kind of wish you'd dialed up the volume a bit on the Deluxe so I could be sure, but at 63 years of age with 50+ years of playing every vintage instrument and amp under the sun, I think I liked the overall performance of the Katana during your demo. They weren't the same, but similar enough. You seem to have invoked some sort of voodoo to coax an impressive slightly driven clean tone from the MKII. I just bought one a few days ago. I have not been overly impressed with the preloaded tone selection, but the clean channel driven by my Mark Knopfler inspired pedal array hasn't been half bad. I run a CS-3 coupled with the other two (for Santana, not Knopfler), the other two being a BD-2 alongside a Behringer Delay to closely approximate Mark's tone selections. I wasn't worried about the effects channels on the Katana. I just wanted the power control (.5, 25, 50W) and a twelve-inch speaker for my pedals. They'll work with even the cheapest 8-inch combo's clean channel. I'm perched on the edge of buyer's remorse, but I haven't downloaded the tone studio yet. I just picked up a USB printer cable yesterday, so I'd best get to tweaking before I go overboard on the regret. Yours sounded fantastic. Subscribed, liked and bell rung. I currently hail from Bangkok. I lived in Thorn Hill (outside of Toronto) during the late 70's. Love your country.
Update: Through the tone studio (and a lot of hit and miss) l was able to conjure a tube-like R&R clean channel that fully exploits my pedal array at all power settings. I play for hours on end in utter amazement. Mission accomplished. Don’t give up folks. There’s a monster amp in there. Just don’t expect the internal overdriven sounds (tones) to be anything more than something to play around with when you are bored. Pedals are what this amp was born for - but only after you find the well-hidden-but-spectacular clean channel.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver It can, and it did. But man was it worth it. I basically have the old Musicman amp now. I’m still pretty amazed. But it took a lot of heartache to get there. At one point early on, it got so bad l was convinced l’d somehow blown the speaker. Conversely, I am still astounded at just how useless the amp’s onboard preset channels are. I mean, all of them. But if you are a pedal guy and you work through it, there is a tube-driven amp in there. It’s f*cking amazing, once you develop a proper clean channel, which apparently no one on TH-cam has legitimately done. At least not anyone I’ve seen. They all sound convincing until you copy their settings and hear them first hand. I have the file, if anyone is interested.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver You can also click on the "business opportunities" link on my "About" section to get my email. Just put "Patch" in the header so I can find the email. I will send it to any of your subscribers who do that, as well.
Katana sounds better, more compressing, and with more body. Though the Fender amp doesn't use it at 40% on its sweet tone ( in the clean comparasion) You need heat for these valves, or won't work as it should. Great video, thanks you!
Thanks Tim! The amp is well worth the low cost they charge for it, especially once you get the settings that you like. I have used it on tour: th-cam.com/video/OJtNRcix-Mc/w-d-xo.html
Great job 👍👍 I have the mk2 katana 100.. honestly it's my favorite of all time! I've been a tube guy for years and had many but dor the type of music I play "high Gain van Halen type" I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE SOUND!! You did a hell of a job dialing in that sound it sounds amazing!
The Katana Mk2 100 excels at emulating artist more than emulating other digital SS amps. Like Katana's ability to cop a great SRV tone. I have yet to hear the Deluxe get .
Thanks! The Katana tone does seems a touch brighter. But it’s as tasty nevertheless. Do you run your effects into this particular patch, does that work.
I had a Fender Pro Junior IV tube amp, really liked the sound but the tubes were bad out of the box, traded it for the Katana MKII 100 and I have to say, the Katana is nice but it really misses the high end twang that the Fender has. I normally end up with treble at 100 and mid and bass below 50 to try to get the rockabilly twang I am looking for. I will try your patch and also the treble boost instead of treble 100.
I understand what you mean, but for me with that treble boost as I have it on my katana patches, that fixed exactly what I was looking for. Try it, you might like it too.
Lol this exactly what I did with my katana artist & with my orange amp. The katana’s default eq is definitely scuffed. But after you fix it it is definitely an amazing amp.
I have the same Deluxe reverb and the Boss Katana this is a great video. The Katana sounds really good. I like your settings better then the sneaky amps version of Deluxe Reverb.
The Boss still sounds very good, surprisingly good, but I prefer the Fender. I've never owned a Boss amp but owned a lot of their pedals and I do like the Katana and the Nextone and Waza amps, and of course their GT pedal systems. The weight issue is a winner for the Katana because Fender amps can be super heavy. Also, tubes can be very problematic, as I know from 40 years of personal experience with tube amps. I probably gigged more with a solid state Randall RG75 combo in the 80s (L.A. hair metal scene, don't laugh) than any other amp. It was loud enough to keep up with some very powerful drummers and absolutely filled the room. Also recorded very well. And it never had ANY issues. But tube amps I've used, from Marshalls to Laneys had a lot of problems.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver im waiting If Boss Katana MKIII, is coming, i would Like The Boss katana 50 having The option For use the footswitch GA-FC, and having Bluetooth conection For Smartphone wathever is Android or iphone, because the Boss Katana MKII 100W it's have that option For the footswitch but it's more heavy The amp, and more bigger.
@@Junior1385 Yeah, hard to say when they will have a mk3, if ever. This Airstep footswitch works with Katana. Maybe that will do what you need it to: xsonicaudio.com/pages/airstepkatedition
Thank you for this, I’ll try your patch on my Katana. I’m considering buying a Fender DR for my modest home studio - but am unsure if I’ll be able to use its amazing tones at lower volumes - could I ask what you on that subject? Cheers. Gary
Hi Gary, the DR still sounds pretty good at lower volumes, but of course like any tube amp, it's starts to sound really good once you get above 4 on the volume dial. That's still not that loud, but if you live in an apartment and have thin walls it's loud enough to annoy neighbours. If you can record in only two or three takes you're probably fine. It really depends on your neighbours.
Gary, if you have the budget for it, consider the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb. It has power attenuation which allow you to get DR tones at low volumes that are normally only accessible by turning up.
@@cmeimgee That is also a good option. And I love that the Tone Master looks almost exactly like the original. Only thing is that it's a lot more expensive than the Katana. Like a lot...
Hi - great stuff....I downloaded your Fender Deluxe patches and my Katana sounds totally different...like a Fender amp. But the again: what should I do to the tone using the Katana 100/212 mkII? I bought this one just for the fabulous clean sound instead of the 1x12 . Any suggestions would me more than welcome.
If I had the 2x12 I would probably still just use that Fender Deluxe patch. Then it would be like you have a Fender Twin :) You can try turning down the compressor setting I have on it, or turning it off. Sometimes I've been doing that since it can make the amp a little noisier with single-coil pickups. Put a nice overdrive pedal in front of it, that's all you need for millions of songs :)
I found that a joyo American sound pedal sent into katana saved endless fiddling and made a huge difference to sound from the katana voice. I found it rather uninspiring until I cheated with the joyo pedal effectively reinventing the available clean( or dirty) sounds
Watching this got me thinking. What if I went into the global EQ settings on my Katana 100 MKll and did the same adjustments? Could I turn my Katana into a Fender Deluxe Reverb?
You could change the global EQ, but I changed more than that to get it to sound like the Deluxe Reverb. The little bit of compression I think is important, and I also tried adjust the Spring Reverb to match as best as I could. I'm personally reluctant to change the global EQ as it will affect all tones you load up, which you might not want.
I'm about to start watching this video but an opinion before I start: I've got a blonde deluxe reverb and a Kat MKII head with matching 2x12 waza cabinet. In the room, I can't get it even close. Not close. Sneaky amps, presence, resonance, curves, etc. In the room, it just doesn't even come close. The katana always seems to have this strange "waxy" layer over everything.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver I might. I've tried the 50 watt that you used to make the patch and it sounds TOTALLY different to the artist with 2x12 waza cab so I doubt it would translate it but I might try.
If you play gigs or do any recording, I would still go with the Fender Deluxe. But if you play for fun, jam with friends etc., I would go with the Katana. Or you could buy one now and save up for the other? The Katana 50 is certainly a lot cheaper than the Deluxe.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver I had a Blues Junior, sold it for whatever reason to buy a Helix and Powercab. It was ok, but I sold that and just bought a Katana Mk2 100W thinking that would be sufficient. I’m only a home player, etc, but I don’t know. Used DRs are sitting at $800 or so, it might be worth the $500 jump up from the Katana.
I play Hawaiian steel guitar, and what my rock-blues guitar friends don't seem to get, is that I don't want any dirt in my sound. So, tubes? Why bother?
Hard to say. You'd have to create a patch specifically for the Artist amps because they have different speakers and other components that will react differently. So a patch could be created using my methods for the Artist... I don't have access to one of those amps though.
Thanks! I haven't made a video yet on matching an artist's tone, but I did make a Vox AC15 video if you're interested in that sound. th-cam.com/video/Hu8ANWZa-cc/w-d-xo.html ... I hope to make the video to match an artist's sound soon.
Glad I watched this video. I was considering purchasing a Tone Master Deluxe Reverb but already have a Katana and now I will just update the tone.
Cool! Yeah I'm still using this patch every day. Still sounds great to me.
Cool video. I bought my boss katana head two years ago and absolutely love it. I have been a tube amplifier player for about 20 years and got tired of hauling them to gigs and spending hundreds of dollars to repair and put in new tubes. The cool thing about the boss katana is that it doesn’t feel like it is trying to model specific amplifiers. It feels like there are certain characteristics but it feels like it is doing its own thing in my opinion. I run the head through a 2 x 12 cabinet that has Celestion‘s in it and it sounds incredible. Perfect for gigs. I played an outdoor gig and it blew people out of the water. I even played it at a venue where the microphones had been stolen so no pa. I said that’s fine and I just cranked the amplifier to almost halfway and it was more than loud enough. The thing also weighs like 20 to 30 pounds compare to my fender twin that is like 80 pounds. My dual rectifier is probably 50 pounds. As I get older, I don’t want to be hauling super heavy gear around. The katana fits nicely in the back of my car and doesn’t take up that much room. Love the thing
Agreed. Sounds like you have a cool setup there. Thanks for commenting!
I'm running mine with a Harley Benton 2x12 vertical cab , working great here too ,I did take the V30s out and put them in a different cab and threw some WGS Retro 30s in it
@@darklight4815 Cool, that sound like a great setup. Would be fun to try out different speakers like that.
@@darklight4815 nice. I hear good things about the benton cabs.
Thank you! I like them all, but I think the DR02 is my favorite. Someone shared your video to the Boss Katana Amps group, so I hope that will boost your views.
Thanks Emil! I assume you mean the Facebook group. I'll check it out.
Off to the store to buy the Katana. First video of many that convinced me that the Katana can do convincing Fender tones with a Tele. Thanks!
Hi Hugh, cool, glad I could help. Hope you enjoy the Katana as much as I do.
Thank you so much for this really interesting Vid. It's now 2023. I've just bought a Katana Air, and wanted some advice on setting it up with clean tones. I've twiddled a lot myself, but your settings have allowed me to copy much of what you've done, and now it sounds great.
Cool glad it helped! I'm still using this patch on my Katana 50 every day.
Nice job! You got the Katana set pretty close to the DR. I think the Boss Katana is hard to beat for the price. No, it does not take the place of the DR. But at 1/5 the cost and weighing half as much as the DR it's a winner for many. As a full time working musician I carried heavy Fender tube amps for 35+ years and my back and knees feel it! I bought a Katana 100 watt MkII for it's light weight, versatility, low maintenance and I love it!
Totally agree!
Yes it can take the place of a DR and is superior in certain aspects....... Do you know what the problem is.? ..... egos and elitism....
And yes.. I may have a opinion as I own a 800 and 900 and vox ac30.
..... Fuck! Statements like that really piss me off.....and it normally comes from people with really shit guitar tone.
Thank you for this video. I’ve been wanting to get my original Katana 100 1-12 to sound close to my SF Deluxe Reverb ever since I bought it. I have a bad back and the Katana is much easier to carry up and down the stairs when I go play gigs.
Anyway, this gave me a very good start at cloning the sound. Using the Tone Studio, I tweaked the EQ to match what you had done and then I tweaked it a bit more as I have a C-Rex speaker in my SFDR and my Katana speaker is different than the one found in the 50 watter. Anyway with this video and some tweaking I am happy to say that I’m about 90-95% there. Thank you so much.
Glad I could help. I'm trying to take care of my back. That Katana is worth it.
I’ve gigged with the Katana ,a 1972 Super , a TRRI. For recording the Tube amps seem to win . However,I prefer the Katana for practice,rehearsal and gigs. If you take your time in the software you can find amazing stuff. It’s not just 3 kinds of Flangers. Way more than that. I hope to get better results recording the Katana involving some IR’s. The tube amp is so loud at the sweet spots it’s just too much for performance in the small gigs I play. It cuts through at lower volume and they’re just fun. Great video.
Thanks for the comment. I agree with you on all that. Nice to hear from someone else with similar experiences.
Just a quick thanks for the patch - I love the DR one - I seem to struggle to dial in great tones in the Katana, was about to give up & this gave me a great starting point. Many thanks.
Glad I could help! Thanks for the comment
Thanks for putting the work into the matching and video posting. I'll be giving this a try tomorrow!
I have the Head MKII with a 1x12 Diamond cab (very nice baltic birch construction). And what I can say is that the size of the cab makes a difference (+ the celestion speaker). It is nearly impossible to emulate the air displacement of a larger cab (a DR is wider than a Katana). This being said, I find the Katana head much more versatile than the DR. I used to have fancy boutique amps (Swart, Milkman, Tone King, Carr, Suhr, Fuchs) and I made the plunge to digital. Much more fun, versatile and you can modify the tone with Boss Studio. And to practice without breaking your lease is more convenient with a Digital amp.
The Katana definitely has a lot more options, which is fun for practicing at home in different styles. Thanks for the comment!
I have the 100 MK2 katana and it is my favorite amp of all time! I absolutely love the sound of this thing and I have had many amps many tube amps. They did a hell of a job with this amp
@@jimmyjames7946 Agreed. I've had mine for a couple years now and I'm still enjoying it. Also, I think they will only get better from here on, which is exciting for the future.
Downloaded the patches and they are great. I saved the original download and uploaded copies to my Kantana. The patches are very close to perfect- I am sure some of the folks tone depends on equipment they're using but most folks that like the DR will like these tones. I did tweak the volume on a couple but other than that I'm just play them. Thank you very much.
Thanks so much! Glad you like them. I will have another one coming soon, hopefully next weekend. Might be an SRV patch based on the UA Dream 65.
Thanks! I'm using the first setting with a Strat on the bridge pickup pretty much exclusively now and my Katana has never sounded better.
Nice! Glad it's sounding good for you. I use this Katana patch every day!
Thanks for the patch, it sounds sweet! And yes, I think it'd be cool to do the single song "tone chase"..subscribed. 😀😎
I think you just saved me a ton of money. I have a reissue Twin reverb and was looking at a Tonemaster twin reverb to buy. I have a Katana MKII head into a 2X12 cab with V30 and a Creamback. I just loaded up your patches and they sound great. I like your comment about having to repair a katana. Not easy to fix but your reissue is easier with a Tech. Im loving the Katana but love my Reissue twin more. In saying that, the katana will do and I don't feel the need for a Tonemaster now. I have subscribed to your channel and look forward to learning more...
Nice! Glad you are enjoying the patch!
Very impressed ,Nice video unfortunately the patch doesn't work on my katana mk1😢
Yeah sorry it's only MkII. You could try copying the settings I've shown on the screen.
Great vid, thanks for taking the time.
Thanks for watching!
The speaker makes a big difference. I have a Mk II 1x12 100w, and I just picked up a Mk II Artist. I love the Waza sound, there is a noticeable difference. The cabinet also makes a difference, since the Artist is considerable larger, and semi closed back. Someone had posted on a group on FB that their Katana broke when it hit the floor, and the cab is made of particle board, so there's part of the sound quality difference. I had been considering replacing the 1x12 speaker, but now that I have the Artist, hearing such a difference, I am decided that I will replace the speaker, and I am going to build my own cabinet out of Baltic Birch. From what I've heard (on Jensen's site) I'm thinking that the Jensen Jet Tornado will be an awesome replacement. While it is crazy expensive (I live in Wpg & the "non-stealth" version of it retails for $260 + taxes), considering the original cost of the Katana Mk II ($500 for the entire amp/cab/speaker), the replacement will make it sound very much like your amp - Jensen makes speakers for Fenders and (at least some) Mesa Boogie cabs these days. I won't be surprised if it sounds good enough to record - at least, I hope it will be, since it is a special order, and that's a lot of money for a speaker that might not sound as good as I think it will... But anyway 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the posting. I haven't had the chance to try the Katana with a different speaker or cabinet yet.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver I wonder how hard it would be to remove the Jensen from your Fender to try it in the Katana. Might be pleasantly surprised.
@@BitsOfEternity That is a cool idea. I'll look into it :)
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver Your settings sound great on my Artist, and my Mk II 100w 1x12. I had settings that made it sound similar, but yours are better than what I had, so I'm using yours as my default now. Also, I'm using a Kingsley Constable at the end of my pedal chain, going into the front of the amp, and it takes it to the next level. Very small and light (ie portable), it gives us the tube preamp sound of a Fender Bassman on one setting, and a Marshall Plexi on the other - and with your patch settings, it sounds even more glorious than it did before.
@@BitsOfEternity Cool! Glad it's working for you. That Kingsley Constable looks awesome -- actual tubes in there. I haven't seen one of those before. They're not cheap, but I'll keep an eye on the used market for one.
Sounds good, great work! Cool to see how you compared tones scientifically. Definitely interested in more Katana mk2 tone videos and iso track guitar tone investigations. Thanks!
Thanks. I hope to have more soon. Just need a free day to put it together.
This was a very unique video, I enjoyed the science behind it. Have you looked at the Boss Artist MkII 100w? Has a green back GT12W speaker. think I will be using it for home and small gigs easily.
Great video. Just what I was looking for to get a Fender DR type sound. Excellent work. Now I'll check out the patches.
Cool, glad you like it thanks!
A very interesting comparison. The beauty (and pain) of the Katana is the infinite tweaking you can do with so much eq available. Have you tried using the acoustic channel? It just dawned on me the other day with my K Artist what could I make it sound like with my electric into the acoustic channel with the gain set to max and much adjusting of eq 1 and eq2. The results really amazed me. Have a play, you won’t be disappointed.
I haven't tried the acoustic channel much. Maybe I'll give that a shot. Thanks for the suggestion.
I was trying a katana at guitar center because I've been thinking about buying one, and putting a little boost on the clean channel was like "OH this is starting to sound cool"
I think it has tons of good sounds, but like most things you have to play around with it to get what you want. There are so many options on these amps you are bound to find several sounds you will like if you give it the time.
I have also now created a Vox AC15 patch. Watch the video on the Vox here: th-cam.com/video/Hu8ANWZa-cc/w-d-xo.html 😎 Also, you can download all the Boss Katana patches I've created from my website: www.bluemorris.com/katana 🎸
So glad I picked one up. Great info Thanks
Glad I could help.
Katana sounded great. Very nice playing! The audience will never know the difference unless they are all guitar/amp nerds!
I agree, in fact I did finally play a gig with it. The sound engineer, not knowing what the amp was, said, "that sounds great. All I did was pop a mic in front and turn it up."
Traded my Katana 100 for a spark amp to practice with and traded my Blues junior and looking to pick up a Deluxe Reverb to jam and use pedals with.
I've heard those Spark amps are cool for practice amps.
Killer job, you should dial in the AC15! Then two more classic amps. Sell them on your website! And I would print out labels for my ga-fc switch to have 4 classic amps. The depth you go with reverb etc would sell
Thanks Tom. I'm going to start working on the Vox AC15 patch soon.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver yes!! Looking forward to that!!
I would love to buy a Fender Reverb Deluxe, if it weren’t for my noisy living conditions. I do play to several Fender tube amps in the rehearsal studio’s where I practice, and I love that sound. I’ve been on a quest for the best Fenderesque patches, and yours are the best I have found so far! Thanks for that! I suppose if you play a Katana next to a Fender, you’ll hear a difference. But with your patches on a stand-alone Katana the sound is just fine!
Thank you! The differences are minimal and both sound great, so I think the Katana wins based on price and weight
You got darn close. I know as a player the 'feel' of the amp is the thing, I've had various tubes, blues jr., Marshall JMP, twin twelve ampegs at about 80 pounds of lead and several others and as a young man I'd hoist them things in the truck no problem. These days, Its all I can do to get the Katana where I want to go and I'm not actively gigging anymore. Here's the thing from a audience perspective I'll let some of you know that unless you drop dead and stop playing the vast majority of people listening in the audience will have no clue and don't care especially if its a bar where people are getting hammered lol. It is a feel thing though I get that, we had a few where the bartender couldn't hear her cell phone so we'd get the worst two words a guitar player can hear. Turn Down! Seriously she had us turn it down where the amp had no nuts at all and at that point your enthusiasm goes out the window. We quit playing there, I mean if its a wedding gig and your making big money hey you bet whatever you wish. But some jive blues bar you drove quite a ways to make 50 lousy bucks, nah... Good luck I hope your gigs treat you well. God Bless!
An important factor that nobody addresses is the Cost to Repair the Katana versus the Fender Deluxe Reverb or any other tube amp. My experience with solid state amps is the cost to repair out weighs any other benefit. The Katana 50 is an attractive bargain since the amp is so cheap and can be replaced to out weight the high repair costs.
Good point. I've had my Fender DR repaired once. It was about $200... or more than half the cost of what I paid for the Katana.
Techs charge stupid money to fix valve amps. People are scared to do it themselves but they really are simple and the parts are cheap.
Nice work on the tone matching. I use both amps and the Katana is more versatile. I also use a Mustang III v2 and it delivers a great bang for the buck.
Thanks, glad you liked it.
I don't understand why a Katana needs to sound like another amp. I have one and have gigged with it for six years. All I care about is that it sounds good, and it does. I don't try to make my Fenders and Marshall sound like each other either. Katana sounds like a Katana, and that is a bona-fide good sound.
It is a good sound on its own I agree.
Thanks for the patches!
My favorite: Bluemorris-DR02 with the clean channel variation on the Katana. I think an important key is the treble boost.
Cool, glad you like it. I agree, if I turn the treble boost off, it doesn't quite sound Fender enough.
Hi I like the DR patch especially the DR04. That's awesome!
But I found the pedal platform patch is stuck when exporting.
Thanks, that's strange. I'll try it out again for you to make sure it's working on my system.
Thank you so much - great video and great tone.
Thanks for watching!
I kind of wish you'd dialed up the volume a bit on the Deluxe so I could be sure, but at 63 years of age with 50+ years of playing every vintage instrument and amp under the sun, I think I liked the overall performance of the Katana during your demo. They weren't the same, but similar enough. You seem to have invoked some sort of voodoo to coax an impressive slightly driven clean tone from the MKII. I just bought one a few days ago. I have not been overly impressed with the preloaded tone selection, but the clean channel driven by my Mark Knopfler inspired pedal array hasn't been half bad. I run a CS-3 coupled with the other two (for Santana, not Knopfler), the other two being a BD-2 alongside a Behringer Delay to closely approximate Mark's tone selections. I wasn't worried about the effects channels on the Katana. I just wanted the power control (.5, 25, 50W) and a twelve-inch speaker for my pedals. They'll work with even the cheapest 8-inch combo's clean channel. I'm perched on the edge of buyer's remorse, but I haven't downloaded the tone studio yet. I just picked up a USB printer cable yesterday, so I'd best get to tweaking before I go overboard on the regret. Yours sounded fantastic. Subscribed, liked and bell rung. I currently hail from Bangkok. I lived in Thorn Hill (outside of Toronto) during the late 70's. Love your country.
Update: Through the tone studio (and a lot of hit and miss) l was able to conjure a tube-like R&R clean channel that fully exploits my pedal array at all power settings. I play for hours on end in utter amazement. Mission accomplished. Don’t give up folks. There’s a monster amp in there. Just don’t expect the internal overdriven sounds (tones) to be anything more than something to play around with when you are bored. Pedals are what this amp was born for - but only after you find the well-hidden-but-spectacular clean channel.
I agree it can just take a little work in tone studio
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver It can, and it did. But man was it worth it. I basically have the old Musicman amp now. I’m still pretty amazed. But it took a lot of heartache to get there. At one point early on, it got so bad l was convinced l’d somehow blown the speaker. Conversely, I am still astounded at just how useless the amp’s onboard preset channels are. I mean, all of them. But if you are a pedal guy and you work through it, there is a tube-driven amp in there. It’s f*cking amazing, once you develop a proper clean channel, which apparently no one on TH-cam has legitimately done. At least not anyone I’ve seen. They all sound convincing until you copy their settings and hear them first hand. I have the file, if anyone is interested.
@@maekong2010 Yeah, I'd love to try the patch. You can share it on the Katana facebook group if you are on there? facebook.com/groups/2098357327092217
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver You can also click on the "business opportunities" link on my "About" section to get my email. Just put "Patch" in the header so I can find the email. I will send it to any of your subscribers who do that, as well.
Katana sounds better, more compressing, and with more body. Though the Fender amp doesn't use it at 40% on its sweet tone ( in the clean comparasion) You need heat for these valves, or won't work as it should. Great video, thanks you!
It's true that the Fender likes to be at a certain volume. But maybe that's just one more advantage the Katana has over it. Thanks for commenting!
Thanks for doing this. I’ve wandered about the Boss. Lovely dog by the way. Chill pup.
Thanks Tim! The amp is well worth the low cost they charge for it, especially once you get the settings that you like. I have used it on tour: th-cam.com/video/OJtNRcix-Mc/w-d-xo.html
Great job 👍👍 I have the mk2 katana 100.. honestly it's my favorite of all time! I've been a tube guy for years and had many but dor the type of music I play "high Gain van Halen type" I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE SOUND!! You did a hell of a job dialing in that sound it sounds amazing!
Cool, yeah it's a great amp, especially for the money. Can't go wrong.
The question should be can i get my fender deluxe reverb to sound like my katana.
Haha nice one 👍
Good luck trying to get out a brown sound with the Fender hehe
And that is exactly it..... Why would I want the fender over the katana if the katana has the tone I want
Interesting. Are you referring to any particular Katana amp/sound.
Well done comparison. Also, adorable westie. I had one for 15 years. No better dog.
Thanks he's a good boy all right.
The Katana Mk2 100 excels at emulating artist more than emulating other digital SS amps. Like Katana's ability to cop a great SRV tone. I have yet to hear the Deluxe get .
I liked the video, but can't say "no bull." That longhorn on the wall is impressive.
It's hard to tell.
Nice song selection!
Thanks! The Katana tone does seems a touch brighter. But it’s as tasty nevertheless. Do you run your effects into this particular patch, does that work.
Yes effects sound great in this. I have another patch I also use as a pedal platform th-cam.com/video/OJtNRcix-Mc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=nkTXy6ig6I8X-E1F
What a brilliant video!!!
Thanks for watching!
thx, splendid base for my amp
loved the video! do srv pleeeease.
I already did an SRV patch: th-cam.com/video/w4oj79X5ldg/w-d-xo.html 👍😊
I had a Fender Pro Junior IV tube amp, really liked the sound but the tubes were bad out of the box, traded it for the Katana MKII 100 and I have to say, the Katana is nice but it really misses the high end twang that the Fender has. I normally end up with treble at 100 and mid and bass below 50 to try to get the rockabilly twang I am looking for. I will try your patch and also the treble boost instead of treble 100.
I understand what you mean, but for me with that treble boost as I have it on my katana patches, that fixed exactly what I was looking for. Try it, you might like it too.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! THIS IS AWESOME!
Glad you like it!
Lol this exactly what I did with my katana artist & with my orange amp. The katana’s default eq is definitely scuffed. But after you fix it it is definitely an amazing amp.
Nice! I'd be interested to hear your plugin or try it out if you have it shared somewhere.
Will some of these sound patches work for the original Boss Katana 50 mk1?
Not sure if the software is compatible. I made them in Mk ii.
I have the same Deluxe reverb and the Boss Katana this is a great video. The Katana sounds really good. I like your settings better then the sneaky amps version of Deluxe Reverb.
Thanks! That's cool you have the same Fender Deluxe too.
Please I would love someone to play some warm jazz tones through an archtop, that's what I want to hear.
Sorry I haven't got round to this. It's not something TH-cam algorithms would favor
Hi! Are the patches available for Mac OS? Thanks!
I think it should work you just need Boss Tone Studio to load it on your Katana amp.
Thank you!
Please, if you can, make more similar videos! Subscribed!
Thanks for the sub!
The Boss still sounds very good, surprisingly good, but I prefer the Fender. I've never owned a Boss amp but owned a lot of their pedals and I do like the Katana and the Nextone and Waza amps, and of course their GT pedal systems. The weight issue is a winner for the Katana because Fender amps can be super heavy. Also, tubes can be very problematic, as I know from 40 years of personal experience with tube amps. I probably gigged more with a solid state Randall RG75 combo in the 80s (L.A. hair metal scene, don't laugh) than any other amp. It was loud enough to keep up with some very powerful drummers and absolutely filled the room. Also recorded very well. And it never had ANY issues. But tube amps I've used, from Marshalls to Laneys had a lot of problems.
Nice to have the option
Siempre que tocó mi boss katana, siento que tiene un sonido entre un Fender y un Marshall
Sí, la Katana tiene su propio sonido, y es bueno, especialmente por el bajo precio.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver im waiting If Boss Katana MKIII, is coming, i would Like The Boss katana 50 having The option For use the footswitch GA-FC, and having Bluetooth conection For Smartphone wathever is Android or iphone, because the Boss Katana MKII 100W it's have that option For the footswitch but it's more heavy The amp, and more bigger.
@@Junior1385 Yeah, hard to say when they will have a mk3, if ever. This Airstep footswitch works with Katana. Maybe that will do what you need it to: xsonicaudio.com/pages/airstepkatedition
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver OMG i din't know about this, thanks for the idea.
Thank you for this, I’ll try your patch on my Katana. I’m considering buying a Fender DR for my modest home studio - but am unsure if I’ll be able to use its amazing tones at lower volumes - could I ask what you on that subject? Cheers. Gary
Hi Gary, the DR still sounds pretty good at lower volumes, but of course like any tube amp, it's starts to sound really good once you get above 4 on the volume dial. That's still not that loud, but if you live in an apartment and have thin walls it's loud enough to annoy neighbours. If you can record in only two or three takes you're probably fine. It really depends on your neighbours.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver Thank you. That’s helpful. 👍🏻
Gary, if you have the budget for it, consider the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb. It has power attenuation which allow you to get DR tones at low volumes that are normally only accessible by turning up.
@@cmeimgee That is also a good option. And I love that the Tone Master looks almost exactly like the original. Only thing is that it's a lot more expensive than the Katana. Like a lot...
@@cmeimgee Thanks Gary, I didn’t know of that amp - done a bit of reasearch now & it’s definitely a contender.
Hi - great stuff....I downloaded your Fender Deluxe patches and my Katana sounds totally different...like a Fender amp. But the again: what should I do to the tone using the Katana 100/212 mkII? I bought this one just for the fabulous clean sound instead of the 1x12 . Any suggestions would me more than welcome.
If I had the 2x12 I would probably still just use that Fender Deluxe patch. Then it would be like you have a Fender Twin :) You can try turning down the compressor setting I have on it, or turning it off. Sometimes I've been doing that since it can make the amp a little noisier with single-coil pickups. Put a nice overdrive pedal in front of it, that's all you need for millions of songs :)
I’d be interested in your vox setting. Great content
Thanks! The Vox video is here: th-cam.com/video/Hu8ANWZa-cc/w-d-xo.html
Fantastic, way better than the sneaky amp one!
Cool, thanks. Glad you like it.
I found that a joyo American sound pedal sent into katana saved endless fiddling and made a huge difference to sound from the katana voice. I found it rather uninspiring until I cheated with the joyo pedal effectively reinventing the available clean( or dirty) sounds
I agree, I have that pedal too and it sounds great as long as you keep the gain on the Katana low.
The Katana Artist kills it. Used around $400 is impossible to beat.
I'd like to try one. I've been thinking about.
Subbed quickly! Great tone!
Awesome, thank you!
It's called the Fender Gtx series...my gtx50 sounds pretty damn close to my 65 deluxe reverb reissue.
I haven't tried that amp. I'll check it out.
the katana sounds richer/better over my speakers , most likely not what it sounds like in real life though ...
Watching this got me thinking. What if I went into the global EQ settings on my Katana 100 MKll and did the same adjustments? Could I turn my Katana into a Fender Deluxe Reverb?
You could change the global EQ, but I changed more than that to get it to sound like the Deluxe Reverb. The little bit of compression I think is important, and I also tried adjust the Spring Reverb to match as best as I could. I'm personally reluctant to change the global EQ as it will affect all tones you load up, which you might not want.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver indeed, yes. It would effect all tones. But, if it's a great tone, that's all I need.
The links are not working :(
They are working now, sorry. Their servers must have been down temporarily: www.bluemorris.com/katana
I'm about to start watching this video but an opinion before I start: I've got a blonde deluxe reverb and a Kat MKII head with matching 2x12 waza cabinet. In the room, I can't get it even close. Not close. Sneaky amps, presence, resonance, curves, etc. In the room, it just doesn't even come close. The katana always seems to have this strange "waxy" layer over everything.
Try my katana patch. Link in the description. It's very close to my Fender
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver I might. I've tried the 50 watt that you used to make the patch and it sounds TOTALLY different to the artist with 2x12 waza cab so I doubt it would translate it but I might try.
Great work!!
Thanks Roger!
Interesting that you didn’t use the variation button. My understanding is that it is essentially a Fender blackface model.
I’m not sure but I think the variants can’t be edited in the tone studio. Which makes sense, because they’re probably more like tone studio presets
I'll try that, thanks for the suggestion. Honestly it didn't occur to me as I haven't yet experimented with that button.
should this patch work for kat 50 MK1, I downloaded it and it would not import. great video by the way
Hi Bill, I made this with the mkII. Sorry if it doesn't work in the mkI. I'm not sure how to do that without owning a mkI, or if I can.
@@bluemorris hey no worries you go over the settings so I can jump in TS and tweak, thanks
guess you need katana fw/sw update, i have kat I/100 and it works, I use tone studio..
Hi, thank you for your effort and good will to give this patch :) One question please, did you changed gobal EQ settings?
Hi Dragan, thanks for the comment. I did not change the global EQ. I'm reluctant to change anything there as it will affect all other patches as well.
I’m between these two amps. If you could only have one, which one would you choose?
If you play gigs or do any recording, I would still go with the Fender Deluxe. But if you play for fun, jam with friends etc., I would go with the Katana. Or you could buy one now and save up for the other? The Katana 50 is certainly a lot cheaper than the Deluxe.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver I had a Blues Junior, sold it for whatever reason to buy a Helix and Powercab. It was ok, but I sold that and just bought a Katana Mk2 100W thinking that would be sufficient. I’m only a home player, etc, but I don’t know. Used DRs are sitting at $800 or so, it might be worth the $500 jump up from the Katana.
Deluxe Rvrb Reissue 42 lbs $1700
Boss Katana 50 25.6 lbs. $300
Well said!
I like the katana
Me too great amp for the money
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver but if I had $700 just for an amp I would still get the katana.
I play Hawaiian steel guitar, and what my rock-blues guitar friends don't seem to get, is that I don't want any dirt in my sound. So, tubes? Why bother?
That's a great point. If you want more volume and a really clean tone, that's probably easier to do with a solid state amp.
Nice work but do you think that the Katana Artist would be even closer?
Hard to say. You'd have to create a patch specifically for the Artist amps because they have different speakers and other components that will react differently. So a patch could be created using my methods for the Artist... I don't have access to one of those amps though.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver thank you👍🏽
Great idea 💡 and great video ! Did you try to simulate a track from an artist ?
Thanks! I haven't made a video yet on matching an artist's tone, but I did make a Vox AC15 video if you're interested in that sound. th-cam.com/video/Hu8ANWZa-cc/w-d-xo.html ... I hope to make the video to match an artist's sound soon.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver I am very interested. I will be watching and thanks for hard work ! I love the science behind this with the levels.
You did it😁 katana sounds better 😎🤘🏻👍🏻
Glad you like it. You can also turn my compressor option down or off if you prefer. I find myself doing that now.
Thanks!! Suscribed!!
Awesome, thank you!
I actually probably the Katana the Fender sounds really thin
Good to know. The more I play the Katana, the more enjoy it's own sound too, just on the clean channel, no patch.
Try the Katana Artist MkII 100 watt. Waaaaayyyyy better than the 50 or 100. Super amp. But….HEAVY!
Thanks I would like to try one. But my Katana 50 sure is easy to carry to a rehearsal. We got a flight of stairs to our studio.
It sounds more like a tele on the katana for me
I bet you don't have to add firmware update to fender boss tone studio doesn't work keeps saying that old version
The tones sounded very thin to me...Lacked any lows...
Oh well it's not for everyone
Ethereum 🎸🎸
👍thanks for the comment
Omg katana sounds better
It's definitely a cool sound. A great amp for the price.
Both sound great... Boss's tech is fun to play though but not close to any legend tube amps ever.
Not exactly the same, no, but much lighter to carry
I bought a Katana 100mk2 in Dec 2023...sounds terrible. Really, really bad. Its going into the bin.
fender tonemaster
Yeah, they look cool. A lot more expensive though. Like 4 times the price of a Katana 50 here in Canada.
Yeah if boss can make the katana and sell it for what they do ,fenders over charging by a long shot
@@stewarttomkinson3356 I agree, and perhaps Boss regrets setting such a low price point. But let's not tell them :)
Katana sounds bigger and fatter...fender sounds gutless and weedy...lol
Why??