Your amp comparison videos are great. Using the looper so you can exact A/B of sounds and the text overlays instead of just talking is fab. Thank you for your work.
Changing the global EQ settings on the GT40 completely transforms the amp, and increases clarity exponentially. The guitar focus, bright boost, and lo cut options all sound WAY better than the flat EQ setting
I have the GT40, and for what I bought it for, I love it. I haven't played the Katana, but it definitely sounds better in most of these review videos, no doubt about that. Not all of the settings on the Fender sound that nasal though. The settings I use most are the 57 Deluxe, Twin Reverb, and Bassman. The Princeton setting sounds terrible. I've also really enjoyed the bluetooth connectivity and how compact it is. Very happy with the amp... but I bought it just to be a practice amp that was easy to bring with me when traveling for work.
Max Westbrook hey max. As a Bluetooth speaker it's great. As a small practice amp I think it could be useful. I was just very disappointed with it. If it serves your purpose well then that is awesome.
great video review! the use of the looper pedal really demostrates the differences side by side. The Katana most for sure has the truer sound. I have a gt40 and i love it. If you add a pre-fx EQ to the fender the tone and voice can be significantly improved. I feel that there are so many featurespacked into the amp that it is much more of a "get to know it amp" than an out of the box performer. I do also love the katana. thanks for your content!
Your analysis is spot on but you had the Mustang playing from its weakness (British sound). The strength of the Mustang is a clean fender sound, when you compare them then it sounds much better but not great. The Boss has a much warmer clean similar to a tube amp...
Well I played them both clean too... I also did a LOT more with them but it's not in the video as it was clear to me that I was just wasting my time. The Katana also does great cleans and takes pedals superbly. The Mustang is just not a good product and will prey on the uninformed.
@@TheGuitarGeek the only good thing on fender low range amps, is their clean channel, sounds good, but JUST that, the guitar sounds good, clean, and that's it, the clean channel doesn't take pedals well, and its best modeling sound its british, it sounds ok, the other ones sound really bad, effects bad, pedals bad, basically are amps to play clean guitar,
Katana - hands down winner. I might be selling my tube amp finally. Well, probably not, but Katana is finally answering the call for solid state amps after all these decades.
I had a Katana 50 and returned it for a 100... why? effects loop and 4 presets. I found after a gig this weekend the 2 extra would have been really beneficial. I've only had the 100 a few hours but the sound pretty much the exact same. There is a presence control on the 100 so there might be a few small variation tweeks but both are more than loud enough for small gigs. The magnet looks bigger on the 100 but again the sound, at least to my ears so far, is almost exactly the same. I have been playing through an Blackstar HT40 with an extra cab for the past few years. I got the Katana for Church due to the Acoustic setting... but it has blown me away for rock and metal. I'm not planning on giving up the HT40 but the Katana sounds so good, it's making me question how often I'll drag it out in the future... Bottom line - the Katana 50 or 100 are amazing for small gigs and very easy to use. I loved your review, not sure why Fender crippled the Mustangs, I use to have a MIII v2 before the HT40 and it was a great amp... these new ones sound terrible though. I agree with everything you said!
Marb's Music that's pretty much what everybody is saying about the katana. they don't want to replace the valve amps but the katana is just so convenient. but Mustang on the other hand is absolutely awful. have you tried the secret settings on the katana?
Good, fair video! I own both these amps and enjoy both. I'm a bedroom player and i bought the Fender simply to play around with the multitude of built in effects and on that score it does not disappoint. Yes, the Katana does sound better but playing along to a backing track through the Fender with headphones is good enough for me. Would be totally different in an on stage, playing live setting.
Hi Geek, I boughtt a 50w a few months ago and It's superb for the money, any player young or not so, who has limited funds should get the cash together to buy one of these, whether it be the 50 or the 100 in it's various options, all of these amps are comparative if not better than kit twice ( nay thrice ) the price. A beautiful piece of engineering with musicians in mind. Try the rest then buy a Katana. you won't be disappointed.
The Katana is just so easy to get great sounds out of. The 50w would have been a dream amp when I started playing in the 90s. New players are spoilt for choice these days but I would recommend a Katana for price and usablilty.
Just bought a used GT40 on impulse to have a quite(ish) jam at home to some favourite backing trax. Normally i research the fuck out of things before i splash cash, but it was less than half of street price so i thought id give it a go and make my own mind up. I know its not gonna match any of my tube amps. That's not what its for. Its a $200 digital portable practice amp, with built in sounds so you can jam along with shit and switch sounds on the fly. The bluetooth functionality is absolutely unreal. Flick through (nearly) every option with your phone or iPad on your lap. Next level. Watch everyone else follow suit with this now. Its the way forward for amp modelling. The amp selection, and built in effects are great. It's got everything you need. Clean tones are great, but start stepping in to dirty street, and then it falls on its arse. At the end of the day, it's all about the sound it pumps out. There is a fundamental tuning problem with this thing. As others have said, it sounds like it is covered in a blanket, and no amount of tweaking can seem to get it sounding anywhere near reasonable. The built in EQ is very limited. Cant comment on the bigger GT's, but this little thing defo leaves me unsatisfied, sadly. It's going back on Gumtree tonight. 10 out of 10 for the idea, and the functionality, but a shitty 2 out of 10 for the sound.
I think you summed it up far better than I did. I really wanted to like the Mustang and it could have been amazing but it lets itself down on what I think is the most important part - the sound. Thanks for your input man. Maybe you'll make a profit?
I think most people share your sentiment. However, the time needed to get to know the mustang is well worth it. I haven’t really been impressed with most of the settings right out of the box. The versatility it gave me to tune each setting, each spec, and after a very, very long learning period. I wouldn’t trade it for any other small modeling amp on the market. With that said, your not going to unbox it, and go head to head with other amps at the same price point. My recommendation is to save up a little more cash and get a PRS Sonzera 50. Much better combo amp. Well worth saving up a little more dough.
Most reviews of this amp are bad. I read comments about it saying it has a very mushy, distant, boxy etc. sound. Truth is, this amp is great and i figured that configuring "global eq" under the amp settings really made the tone brighter especially if you select "guitar focus 2". Im just sharing my experience and trying to help people out there who are doubt about this great amp! Cheers!
Hey John! Thank you so much for your input. I think they added that option in a later firmware update. Is that right? I did my best but at the time it just didn't do it for me. Thanks for helping people out and I hope people get to see what you wrote.
For years I've been a Boogie user, I'm a full time professional. I picked up a Katana for the house as a practice amp, and decided last night to use it live for a medium sized gig, ran the line out through my speaker Sim and into the desk for my IEM's, blended with the natural tone, and it bloody did the job - Extremely well! As a Valve tone snob, it's really changed my view. Great wee amp for the money.
I don't think the bubble will burst as long as the technology keeps moving at this rate. We've definitely turned a corner in recent years with modelling and affordability. I bought my first amp in 1992, it was a horrendous Carlsbro thing, and cost me £400! - As for why the Katana is so good? I think not focusing on loads of amp models, just saying, right, lets make this thing sound as good as we can and focus on the effects (which we are great at) and really matching the tone to the cabinet and speaker combination.
I TOTALLY AGREE!!!! I now am a VERY happy owner of a Katana 50. Wouldn´t trade it for all the Money in the World :) No, but it´s an Amazing amp for the Money. Thanx for a great demo. Cheers
No competition! The Fender sounds like it has a blanket over it whereas the Boss is just so 'open' sounding. I have tried the Boss 100W 1x12 in my local music shop and was very impressed with how dynamic and responsive it is. Like Marb's Music I also have a Blackstar HT40 which I will probably sell and buy the Boss - my wife won't let me keep both LOL. Thanks for the review. Phil.
Philip Hawthorne hey Phil. the marketing tag line of the katana is that it cuts through. it honestly does. I'm going to play it in a band situation and do an in the room recoding
Hey Andrew Shane of Intheblues took his Mustang GT 200 back to the store. All non-store reviews have disliked the Mustang full stop. I am thinking that I will most probably get the Katana 50 when I have the money.
Thanks for this video, helped me choose the Katana. So much more sound. Fender sounded like it was made from cardboard. Two 6.5" speakers just do not cut it.
I just got a Katana Head for a very nice price and I am super impressed with it. Plug it in a nice 1x12 pine cab with a Swamp Thang speaker on it and it is so live and rich!
I though the same thing, and I was thinking about the Katana 100, but I got a so good of a price in the head that I couldn't pass on :D Also, the head has a tiny speaker on it! So funny! It can be used as a mini practice amp too!
before you return the GT 40 is there any chance you can kill the Global EQ setting as well as turn off cab sim and do another quick A/B? Also to be fair the Boss is capable of waaayyy more volume, please make sure the Mustang ISN'T cranked to try and reach the same levels. I'm having a really tough time deciding. I really want this to be a slam dunk, as the features are just not there for me on the Boss. I don't expect you to spend an hour trying to dial in the same exact tone, but to be honest, if that's all you think it COULD take, that would be enough for me to feel ok buying the GT 40 over the Boss. The Boss is TOO loud of my uses unless I keep it on the lowest wattage setting, and I'm not happy with the amount of effects available, or needing to plug my amp into my PC to get the most out of editing the effects. I shouldn't have to choose between delay OR Wah, Overdrive OR Chorus.
Sorry the GT40 is going back. I've played with it for hours and nothing I do gets it even close to anything I would call acceptable or appropriate. The mustang has many features but its wrapped up in something that just doesn't deliver. If you get one and manage to get a good sound, please let me know.
TheGuitarGeek don't be sorry, it's your money and your gear. I'm seeing the same response to the gt 40 by everyone who didn't get the amp for free from Fender.
Since I've started playing the guitar I have played on 30 yrs old marshall. Now I want to buy a new one. Which one is better? I often practice in my flat, want to put headphones on and play a backing track somtimes. Love to play indie rock. Katana or GT 40? Thank you guys for the answers 😊
well.. tone of voice can not be recorded in text response. so interpretation can very loose. thank god for youtube reviews was my thanking your attempt.. that to me does not convey a waist of time. competition in this arena is very tough. not just the gear but in the demos as well. I am disappointed by the performance of the gt 40. I have two amps one of them I want replaced. bluetooth is a big thing for me..I have a bluetooth adapter hooked up to both. at first glance I was thinking the fender gt was the ticket. but after numerous reviews it was found lacking. your fast response to my post tells me you are very concerned about what is said such and so forth. I am thankful thank you. the story is fare from over because now I am wondering what can be done to fix the gt line because it is being systematically hammered by every one. it still is a good idea. what went wrong what can be done to fix it . like and subscribe
Damon Rothermel welcome to the channel Damon. I do care what happens here very much. I knew what you meant in your first comment, I was just being cheeky. I'm still really upset by the mustang. it was really hard to make this video as I could have finished after a few seconds of turning on the mustang. I pride myself on making honest videos but I wanted to give it a fair chance. it let me down so I had to cut the video short in order to be honest. it's on its way back to the shop tomorrow
TheGuitarGeek I've seen 3 youtubers by now get a GT series amplifier and return it. considering how "little" money these are.... I can only imagine that they are offensively bad.
MEDium Studios I am angry at how bad they are. there are too many retailer videos singing it's praises but us guys that stand to earn or lose nothing are unhappy with the amp
Kevin McVann cheers Kevin. the new mustang is a joke and there are too many people that stand to make money from it for it to get fair reviews. share this Video with the uninformed
I've got various boss cubes, and the gt10 multifx - but the katana is way ahead on sound quality. Just be aware that the katana speaker needs to be played in - it can sound like it has too much presence and treble for the first few days. Then it shows its true tone (which is amazing). This probably explains the occasional bad comments about the katana sounding poor - either that or they are tone deaf...
I learned long ago recording quality may not sound the same as live, I feel the recorded sound of the fender sounds way more refined, whereas the boss has too much noise, muddy-ness, and maybe even more distorted sound. Based on this recording of course.
BTW, I used to detest Fender Amps, my decision was based on just a single bass amp purchased 30 years ago which lasted a couple hours. I do love Peavy amps, but it was the Fender G-Dec that got me interested in Fender amps. Personally I have a Fender Mustang GT 200 and it works for me and makes my guitars sound awesome. I do have sensitive ears so I could never own something like a Marshall.
GT 40 is better just got it today and it does it's job it hold it's own and I think the sound is fine. I think you could look at it as just a practice amp rather than your main amp. If you are patient with adjusting the volume and gain it has a good sound. I don't worry about the different pre-sets for a stomp box. I just use individual pedal effects.
Comparison for any potential buyer would be Mustang GT Vs Boss Katana Vs Marshall Code Vs Line6 Spider V if there is going to be a single video comparing this it will be too good. Also Vox will also join the game I think in some time.
I had the Katana 50 and returned it because I was looking to record directly w my interface. The Toneworks to get the drivers was a lot of steps for the year 2017. Nothing went right dead ends and yes I followed the directions. Adobe Air? Where did it go after download? 3.0 USB ports is all I have! grrr. The amp alone w/o the recording part sounded fizzy and just bad. If I were a 15 yr old on a 200 budget it would be awesome I suppose. I wanted to like it so I'm going to buy it again and see if I can't get the Toneworks working . Wish me luck lol
I’m researching amps right now and was looking for a video on the Boss Katana vs the Fender Mustang 25 because I was looking for a under 200 practice amp and found that the Katana 50 isn’t that much over my budget. Well, you solved my problems mate. I imagine the Fender Mustang 40 has more features than the 25w model yet I can’t imagine the sound being a better quality. I’ve watched more than a few videos on the Boss Katana and I’m convinced it has the clean sound arsenal I’m looking for. I believe it may even double quite well as an acoustic amplifier. Any thought on that? Much appreciation for your straight to the point video my friend. Cheers !!!
You hit the nail on the head. The speaker is a hifi in the fender. It sounds good through the daw. I didnt buy the cab and use an old "15 alnico speaker it sounds better than the katana.. But if you like boss effects there ya go.
Hello, I want to buy this amplifier (katana) but I have an electro acoustic guitar and I want to play with the effects, do you recommend that I buy this amplifier? Thank you 
Thanks for the scientific review - very few of those on TH-cam, I must say. A quick question: is the clean channel on Katana really clean? That is, can I turn the gain knob to zero and just use the volume knob? I want my cleans really "clean"; for OD I use pedals. I currently have a Blackstar Core ID and it has this problem - clean is not rally clean as it engages the gain knob to produce sound! I try to keep the gain at 1/10 and volume to 7/10 to get a clean, but when I strum hard, distortion creeps in. Is it possible to avoid this in Katana? If not, do you known of good and reasonably priced single channel (clean) SS amp? On board reverb and delay are preferred, but not necessary. Forgot to mention that I do have such an amp with a clean channel with only volume and 3-band EQ (ie, Roland Cub 15XL) but am not happy with the sound, so want to avoid Roland.
On papers blackstar id core 40 sounds lucrative bcoz of the price range but im not into hard/metal rock that much . Blues rock is what im looking for and clean tone.
Must say that the Boss sounded pretty good for a €200 amp. Built in FX are usually a bit meh, I'd recommend a cheap multiFX like a Boss GT-1 and FS-6 if needed. Another contender might the VOX AC10C1 at €499 still affordable and very interesting for home use.
Think that as long you don't have big amp simulations on small combo's the Marshall and Vox can be a lot of fun. Will you make a video about the Marshall?
I wanna like the fender gt so bad. It looks really slick, yet every review on youtube says it's a terrible amp. However, if I just wanted it for practicing would it be worth it?
Hi, only you can answer that! I wouldn't want to use it but maybe it's the perfect amp for you. I can only suggest you go try one. Sorry I can't be of more help.
i have a gt40 rn but im looking to get a katana 50 so i stumbled upon this video, BUT i have to say you should redo this video with the fender app for the gt40 because once you change the cabs for each model and change the global EQ in the on-board display, the gt doesnt sound as bad as it sounds in this video kinda making me reconsider even getting the katana now haha, but yeah thanks for the help with the katana, will probably still buy
William Taylor more headroom. effects loop, 4 presets over two. better speaker. bigger cab, better bottom end frequency response. I do still like the 50 but the 100 can do a little more
Just got a Katana 100 1x12 and it is amazing! As for Fender, they really messed up with the new GT line. The Mustangs were really good, but even the bigger GT amps sound bad (to me at least).
its sad what happens with fender amps, I think its a well recognized brand and you would think that something has quality just by having its name on it, but oh boy, his amps these days are so lame, I ordered a champion 40 online, new, I got it in my house, I opened it, I tried it, and maan, I thought the same, "is something broken"?, it has a damn muddy filter in everything, no matter how you tweek it, sooo, after a few minutes of trying all the mods, there you go, I put it back in its box, and call the store to return it, the same day, after just minutes of playing it...
Really digging your channel man. I'm so disappointed the fender ended up sucking so much ass. I was set on buying one after seeing the specs and the first (store) reviews that made it sound like the greatest thing ever. Then luckily I kept digging and ran across your videos and a couple other actual user videos and see the truth. I have always loved Fender's clean tones, and I'm looking for a new practice/home amp with the usual "home use" features (aux, headphone jacks etc), and the gt seemed perfect. The Boss sounds really nice and has made it on my new list. Have you any experience with Fender's champion line? Thinking the 40 watt might be my best option for what I'm looking for, and I'll just have to use pedals for any effects I use. Thanks for the vid!
I'm sold after this demo katana is for me I been holding out a while for a new practice amp and this review/AB confirms it. fender can't release something this bad surely. most guitarist will want a solid good sound over features I would of thought and boss seem to have achieved this.
I know I'll be forever cast into the depths of hell by valve-amp purists for saying this, but I'm actually trying to sell my Marshall JCM900 and Peavey Classic 30 amps, since buying a Boss Katana 100 and a Katana 50. The Marshall and Peavey are great amps (especially the Marshall!), but I'm tired of lugging big heavy amps around, now that I've found something that can get pretty damned close in sound with a little effort! Hell, I'd keep those tube amps if I were some famous guitar player and had roadies to lug them around, but that's rock star multi-millionaire life, not mine!
I think that is the appeal of the Katana. I injured my back two years ago and still recovering. There's no chance I could even take my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe out of the studio so the Katana gets close enough that the 100 does absolutely everything I need it to do. I was tempted to buy both the 50 and 100...
I just picked up one of these used and it sounds fine (supposedly firmware updates fixed a lot of the problems) but 2 6 1/2 inch speakers isn't going to beat a 12 inch speaker ever. It's good for a little practice amp and playing with all the settings is fun, but if I want better sound at home, my Peavey Vypyr is the go to.
Did you decide to keep the Katana 50 instead of the 100? If so, why? I'm most likely buying the 100 before end of the week. I'm getting tired of researching amps at this point and have brain fry. Also, I like your take and thoughts on this amp. It seems I can trust your down to earth opinion compared to the stores / expert review videos that are out there.
The reason why I went for Katana 100 was that 100w have some more connection possibility. You will not regret the 100w. Katana 100 is also good for bedroom play, play nice on low volume, and it still fun.
The Katana 100 is stupid good value for money. I got the 212 version and could not be happier. Will it replace the 65 twin reverb? The rockerverb 50? The JCM 410c? Nope..... but I'd happily gig it alongside them no problem. For what it is, the Katana is simply a very affordable amp with unaffordable tone. It's a no brainer as far as I'm concerned.
I ordered the 1x12 100 yesterday. I decided to order the foot pedal along with it. I don't gig anymore but hey, I can have fun at home, right? Can't wait to have some fun with this thing.
I had the Katana for 1 week thought it must be me the clean was horrible I changed for a GT40 happy with it also the software is a lot more intuitive than the Katana as usual it comes down to what type of music you wish to play clean = Fender metal = Boss
Well I am a beginner so I do not have all the technical terminology but the cleans were not clean clear or crisp compared to the GT40 I even took it back to the local music thinking it must be me we put them side by side the guy is a seasoned guitarist and agreed
I bought the Katana and it sounds NOTHING like a tube amp, nor did it sound warm - I'd say cold and sterile. Lots of hype surrounding them, but mostly just that... hype - and this review just feeds into that nonesense. To describe the Mustang as 'not cutting the mustard' is a meaningless conclusion. The real difference is that the Mustang, with 6.5" speakers, is an 'at home' amp, whereas the Katana is for cutting through the mix and gigging. It's actually a pointless comparison, because there isn't one.
....this was connected by the headphone socket on GT and aux on V2. I am on a mission to get Fender to put the electronics of the GT into the V2 amp and casually it the V3. I would love you or other people to try out what I have done and see if you agree or disagree if it is an improvement. Your video reaffirmed what I felt about the GT in it's present format. Thanks for voicing what a lot of us is feeling.
That's an interesting idea. I have no idea why Fender changed something that wasn't broken. They should have just added Bluetooth and maybe wifi to the V2 Mustang range. I've sent the GT40 back but if I see one in a shop, I'll try it.
Yes. I have same gt mustang. Does sound boxy. I think it has to do with how it processes sound digitally. Comes off overly processed/digitalized. A bit fake. Maybe i should return it while the warranty's on andnget the Katana.
The presets are shit on both the GT and katana but with some tweaking you can get it sound pretty much any way you want. It blows cleans out of the water compared to the katana but the katana has better distortion. Both amps have a place for the bedroom guitarist but I think the GT series gets the win for my needs. I have a katana 100 and a gt40 and the Fender gets way more use. I’m very happy with both of them though and it’s amazing to see how much the technology has progressed!
TheGuitarGeek much happier after I swapped out the speaker in the katana with a better one lol but just look at your own evolution with the Katana at getting it to sound great with different mods. Out of the box the katana and the gt are both brutal lol I think if you spent a bit of time with the gt in a “only have this in a bedroom scenario”, you might find you actually like it. Keeps getting better with the software updates too and it’s a lot easier to make good metal tones now vs when it first came out. I flip flop around a lot but I like both amps very much for home use!
TheGuitarGeek yup I agree for sure but I think the biggest thing was the implementation of wifi directly into the amp for fast updates and having the cloud of sounds accessible directly through the amp. Every single parameter is tweakable without needing to hook up a computer or use the app. It’s hard for people like you though to really dive deep into an amp when you see so many of them unless it’s something like the Katana that really turned heads. So I can’t fret you for giving something a bad review that legitimately blows asshole until a fair bit of time is put in lol I’m interested in seeing what cool mods/hacks you could come up with. Like adding an external out to the 40 like you did to the Katana mini or swapping the 2 speakers for a single 12” and seeing how it holds up. The GT 100 and 200 both have an effects loop that might prove interesting to play around with too. Would be funny to see it become a hybrid tube amp or something. I’d do it but I’m a broke musician and I need my toys lol
I have just sold my Fender HRD in favour of a new setup. I loved that amp but it never cut through the mix enough for me. Excluding the new GT series, Fender make great amps.
Had the Katana and it was awful. I tried everything. Now the GT40 (headphone out) on the other hand is absolutely heavenly. I have mesa’s, Marshall’s, oranges….the GT40 replaces them for me.
I went though this with my Rivera 55 112. It had a boxy sound that nothing would get rid of it and they ended up discontinued because of it. The cab wasn't deep enough which will kill.... down right murder the tone. The closest fix was to drop the 400hz all the way down with a eg pedal. Even that didnt work 100% so turned out I simply had to use a ext. cab and now its epic. I think they botched the cab size to speaker size and made a mess of the Gt. Also 400 sits between mid and bass so ya cant dial it out. If I had one of these that is the first thing I would try. $45 will get ya a eg pedal. If someone trys it let me know how it works.
I would put money on it. I have since heard this jacked in directly on another review and it sounded way way better. Its got to be the cab or speaker and because I fought with this sound for 2 years I know it well. There is no fix for it. Maybe they could do a firmware update to cut out that box sound but it would kill everyone presets and might not work with all there patches as they are. I doubt they care as the amps rep is torn to sheds. I only had a 7 band eq so 400hz so its somewhere in that area. If you mic the cab and play with a good eq vst you should find it pretty quickly. Comment when you have done it so I can come check it out.
I can't believe fender put it out. rubbish .boss hit it out the park with the katana mind you fender must know now it's not advertised or pushed at all .i don't gig at all just home use I do like the Marshall dsl -1 I have but the katana takes pedals much better .it is a steal at the price .keep up the good work your honest reviews are really getting noticed ..
Your amp comparison videos are great. Using the looper so you can exact A/B of sounds and the text overlays instead of just talking is fab. Thank you for your work.
Thank you! You're welcome
Changing the global EQ settings on the GT40 completely transforms the amp, and increases clarity exponentially. The guitar focus, bright boost, and lo cut options all sound WAY better than the flat EQ setting
Love how honest this video is, he really cuts to the chase!
I have the GT40, and for what I bought it for, I love it. I haven't played the Katana, but it definitely sounds better in most of these review videos, no doubt about that. Not all of the settings on the Fender sound that nasal though. The settings I use most are the 57 Deluxe, Twin Reverb, and Bassman. The Princeton setting sounds terrible. I've also really enjoyed the bluetooth connectivity and how compact it is. Very happy with the amp... but I bought it just to be a practice amp that was easy to bring with me when traveling for work.
Max Westbrook hey max. As a Bluetooth speaker it's great. As a small practice amp I think it could be useful. I was just very disappointed with it. If it serves your purpose well then that is awesome.
great video review! the use of the looper pedal really demostrates the differences side by side. The Katana most for sure has the truer sound. I have a gt40 and i love it. If you add a pre-fx EQ to the fender the tone and voice can be significantly improved. I feel that there are so many featurespacked into the amp that it is much more of a "get to know it amp" than an out of the box performer. I do also love the katana.
thanks for your content!
Your analysis is spot on but you had the Mustang playing from its weakness (British sound). The strength of the Mustang is a clean fender sound, when you compare them then it sounds much better but not great. The Boss has a much warmer clean similar to a tube amp...
Well I played them both clean too... I also did a LOT more with them but it's not in the video as it was clear to me that I was just wasting my time. The Katana also does great cleans and takes pedals superbly. The Mustang is just not a good product and will prey on the uninformed.
@@TheGuitarGeek the only good thing on fender low range amps, is their clean channel, sounds good, but JUST that, the guitar sounds good, clean, and that's it, the clean channel doesn't take pedals well, and its best modeling sound its british, it sounds ok, the other ones sound really bad, effects bad, pedals bad, basically are amps to play clean guitar,
Katana - hands down winner. I might be selling my tube amp finally. Well, probably not, but Katana is finally answering the call for solid state amps after all these decades.
I agree there. I sold my fender hot rod deluxe when I got the 100
Excellent review, no messing about just a nice straight to the point review, perfect.
I had a Katana 50 and returned it for a 100... why? effects loop and 4 presets. I found after a gig this weekend the 2 extra would have been really beneficial. I've only had the 100 a few hours but the sound pretty much the exact same. There is a presence control on the 100 so there might be a few small variation tweeks but both are more than loud enough for small gigs. The magnet looks bigger on the 100 but again the sound, at least to my ears so far, is almost exactly the same. I have been playing through an Blackstar HT40 with an extra cab for the past few years. I got the Katana for Church due to the Acoustic setting... but it has blown me away for rock and metal. I'm not planning on giving up the HT40 but the Katana sounds so good, it's making me question how often I'll drag it out in the future...
Bottom line - the Katana 50 or 100 are amazing for small gigs and very easy to use.
I loved your review, not sure why Fender crippled the Mustangs, I use to have a MIII v2 before the HT40 and it was a great amp... these new ones sound terrible though. I agree with everything you said!
Marb's Music that's pretty much what everybody is saying about the katana. they don't want to replace the valve amps but the katana is just so convenient. but Mustang on the other hand is absolutely awful. have you tried the secret settings on the katana?
TheGuitarGeek I haven't as I really just started playing with all the settings, not sure I know what they are but will look it up right now!
Do you mean the different Amp types hidden in the software? I didn't know about that until after you ask... dang now I'm really excited!
Enjoy!
Go search it out. If you need help working with it, let me know.
Good, fair video!
I own both these amps and enjoy both. I'm a bedroom player and i bought the Fender simply to play around with the multitude of built in effects and on that score it does not disappoint. Yes, the Katana does sound better but playing along to a backing track through the Fender with headphones is good enough for me. Would be totally different in an on stage, playing live setting.
Hi Stevie, Welcome! Thanks for saying it's fair. I've been getting a bit of stick for this video. Through headphones I can see this amp being great!
Hi Geek, I boughtt a 50w a few months ago and It's superb for the money, any player young or not so, who has limited funds should get the cash together to buy one of these, whether it be the 50 or the 100 in it's various options, all of these amps are comparative if not better than kit twice ( nay thrice ) the price. A beautiful piece of engineering with musicians in mind. Try the rest then buy a Katana. you won't be disappointed.
The Katana is just so easy to get great sounds out of. The 50w would have been a dream amp when I started playing in the 90s. New players are spoilt for choice these days but I would recommend a Katana for price and usablilty.
Just bought a used GT40 on impulse to have a quite(ish) jam at home to some favourite backing trax. Normally i research the fuck out of things before i splash cash, but it was less than half of street price so i thought id give it a go and make my own mind up. I know its not gonna match any of my tube amps. That's not what its for. Its a $200 digital portable practice amp, with built in sounds so you can jam along with shit and switch sounds on the fly.
The bluetooth functionality is absolutely unreal. Flick through (nearly) every option with your phone or iPad on your lap. Next level. Watch everyone else follow suit with this now. Its the way forward for amp modelling.
The amp selection, and built in effects are great. It's got everything you need. Clean tones are great, but start stepping in to dirty street, and then it falls on its arse. At the end of the day, it's all about the sound it pumps out.
There is a fundamental tuning problem with this thing. As others have said, it sounds like it is covered in a blanket, and no amount of tweaking can seem to get it sounding anywhere near reasonable. The built in EQ is very limited. Cant comment on the bigger GT's, but this little thing defo leaves me unsatisfied, sadly. It's going back on Gumtree tonight.
10 out of 10 for the idea, and the functionality, but a shitty 2 out of 10 for the sound.
I think you summed it up far better than I did. I really wanted to like the Mustang and it could have been amazing but it lets itself down on what I think is the most important part - the sound. Thanks for your input man. Maybe you'll make a profit?
I think most people share your sentiment. However, the time needed to get to know the mustang is well worth it. I haven’t really been impressed with most of the settings right out of the box. The versatility it gave me to tune each setting, each spec, and after a very, very long learning period. I wouldn’t trade it for any other small modeling amp on the market. With that said, your not going to unbox it, and go head to head with other amps at the same price point. My recommendation is to save up a little more cash and get a PRS Sonzera 50. Much better combo amp. Well worth saving up a little more dough.
Cheers Dan
Most reviews of this amp are bad. I read comments about it saying it has a very mushy, distant, boxy etc. sound. Truth is, this amp is great and i figured that configuring "global eq" under the amp settings really made the tone brighter especially if you select "guitar focus 2". Im just sharing my experience and trying to help people out there who are doubt about this great amp! Cheers!
Hey John! Thank you so much for your input. I think they added that option in a later firmware update. Is that right? I did my best but at the time it just didn't do it for me. Thanks for helping people out and I hope people get to see what you wrote.
I have not seen one non guitar store review of the mustang gt amps that is favourable. It cannot be a coincidence. Your videos are great!!
Hey Hugh, thank you. I would be hiding in shame if I was Fender right now.
Im definitely buying the katana. Amazing!
It's great value for money and simply great.
For years I've been a Boogie user, I'm a full time professional. I picked up a Katana for the house as a practice amp, and decided last night to use it live for a medium sized gig, ran the line out through my speaker Sim and into the desk for my IEM's, blended with the natural tone, and it bloody did the job - Extremely well! As a Valve tone snob, it's really changed my view. Great wee amp for the money.
That's really cool to hear. I'm waiting for the bubble to burst on these Katanas. How are they so good!?!
I don't think the bubble will burst as long as the technology keeps moving at this rate. We've definitely turned a corner in recent years with modelling and affordability. I bought my first amp in 1992, it was a horrendous Carlsbro thing, and cost me £400! - As for why the Katana is so good? I think not focusing on loads of amp models, just saying, right, lets make this thing sound as good as we can and focus on the effects (which we are great at) and really matching the tone to the cabinet and speaker combination.
Northern Star I totally agree. its the package as a whole that makes it great. I'm looking forward to having some more time with it just to play
I can’t wait to do my review of my GT 40 I absolutely love it!
Good for you Travis!
I TOTALLY AGREE!!!! I now am a VERY happy owner of a Katana 50. Wouldn´t trade it for all the Money in the World :) No, but it´s an Amazing amp for the Money. Thanx for a great demo. Cheers
You're welcome. Great amp in the price range.
I like the sound of the GT 40 if I'm honest I don't see the problem at all
If you like it then there is no problem dude
No competition! The Fender sounds like it has a blanket over it whereas the Boss is just so 'open' sounding. I have tried the Boss 100W 1x12 in my local music shop and was very impressed with how dynamic and responsive it is. Like Marb's Music I also have a Blackstar HT40 which I will probably sell and buy the Boss - my wife won't let me keep both LOL. Thanks for the review. Phil.
Philip Hawthorne hey Phil. the marketing tag line of the katana is that it cuts through. it honestly does. I'm going to play it in a band situation and do an in the room recoding
TheGuitarGeek I'm looking forward to hearing how it sounds with the band.
Hey Andrew
Shane of Intheblues took his Mustang GT 200 back to the store.
All non-store reviews have disliked the Mustang full stop.
I am thinking that I will most probably get the Katana 50 when I have the money.
Get the Katana 100w for the extra input, you will not regret.
100% agreed! :)
Yup! That's it.
Sounds like the Katana is the clear winner!
Thanks!
Richard Brubaker the fender didn't even come close. thanks for watching
agree with you i try, vox valvetronics, mustang and the clear winner is the boss
Glad I can be of service :)
Thanks for this video, helped me choose the Katana. So much more sound. Fender sounded like it was made from cardboard. Two 6.5" speakers just do not cut it.
Rick Stokell you're welcome. It had some firmware updates but the Katana is still doing it for me
The Fenders actually a great amp fine tuned .I got mine for £100 no box literature . I doubt I need a Katana. The Katana isnt £90 better!
The cleans are ok but everything else is sub par
totally agree just bought a katana 50, unbelievably good
Great amps aren't they
I have a THR10x and it's simple puts out great recording direct to the Ableton.
I just got a Katana Head for a very nice price and I am super impressed with it. Plug it in a nice 1x12 pine cab with a Swamp Thang speaker on it and it is so live and rich!
That's a great setup. I bought the Katana for the portability but I may get a really good cab and speaker for some at home/studio tones
I though the same thing, and I was thinking about the Katana 100, but I got a so good of a price in the head that I couldn't pass on :D
Also, the head has a tiny speaker on it! So funny! It can be used as a mini practice amp too!
I didn't realise that until after I bought the combo. You can't turn a good deal though. Nice one!
definitely the boss... Thanks for the review : now, everything is clear ^^ !
before you return the GT 40 is there any chance you can kill the Global EQ setting as well as turn off cab sim and do another quick A/B? Also to be fair the Boss is capable of waaayyy more volume, please make sure the Mustang ISN'T cranked to try and reach the same levels. I'm having a really tough time deciding. I really want this to be a slam dunk, as the features are just not there for me on the Boss. I don't expect you to spend an hour trying to dial in the same exact tone, but to be honest, if that's all you think it COULD take, that would be enough for me to feel ok buying the GT 40 over the Boss. The Boss is TOO loud of my uses unless I keep it on the lowest wattage setting, and I'm not happy with the amount of effects available, or needing to plug my amp into my PC to get the most out of editing the effects. I shouldn't have to choose between delay OR Wah, Overdrive OR Chorus.
Sorry the GT40 is going back. I've played with it for hours and nothing I do gets it even close to anything I would call acceptable or appropriate. The mustang has many features but its wrapped up in something that just doesn't deliver. If you get one and manage to get a good sound, please let me know.
TheGuitarGeek don't be sorry, it's your money and your gear. I'm seeing the same response to the gt 40 by everyone who didn't get the amp for free from Fender.
I am so disappointed. I wouldn't even take this amp for free. I hope the GT100 is better.
its nice video dude, thank you it really help me
Since I've started playing the guitar I have played on 30 yrs old marshall. Now I want to buy a new one. Which one is better? I often practice in my flat, want to put headphones on and play a backing track somtimes. Love to play indie rock. Katana or GT 40? Thank you guys for the answers 😊
Go for the katana.
@@TheGuitarGeek thanks mate
yes its common knowledge by now the fender gt 40 is not cutting it. its a good idea.. it just doesnt work. thank god for youtube reveiws...
you say that like I've wasted your time.... ;) sorry!
well.. tone of voice can not be recorded in text response. so interpretation can very loose. thank god for youtube reviews was my thanking your attempt.. that to me does not convey a waist of time. competition in this arena is very tough. not just the gear but in the demos as well. I am disappointed by the performance of the gt 40. I have two amps one of them I want replaced. bluetooth is a big thing for me..I have a bluetooth adapter hooked up to both. at first glance I was thinking the fender gt was the ticket. but after numerous reviews it was found lacking.
your fast response to my post tells me you are very concerned about what is said such and so forth. I am thankful thank you. the story is fare from over because now I am wondering what can be done to fix the gt line because it is being systematically hammered by every one. it still is a good idea. what went wrong what can be done to fix it . like and subscribe
Damon Rothermel welcome to the channel Damon. I do care what happens here very much. I knew what you meant in your first comment, I was just being cheeky. I'm still really upset by the mustang. it was really hard to make this video as I could have finished after a few seconds of turning on the mustang. I pride myself on making honest videos but I wanted to give it a fair chance. it let me down so I had to cut the video short in order to be honest. it's on its way back to the shop tomorrow
TheGuitarGeek I've seen 3 youtubers by now get a GT series amplifier and return it. considering how "little" money these are.... I can only imagine that they are offensively bad.
MEDium Studios I am angry at how bad they are. there are too many retailer videos singing it's praises but us guys that stand to earn or lose nothing are unhappy with the amp
Good review ..Well done your absolutely right
Kevin McVann cheers Kevin. the new mustang is a joke and there are too many people that stand to make money from it for it to get fair reviews. share this Video with the uninformed
That Fender sounds like a TOY AMP .....KATANA HANDS DOWN WINNER
Yup.
I've got various boss cubes, and the gt10 multifx - but the katana is way ahead on sound quality. Just be aware that the katana speaker needs to be played in - it can sound like it has too much presence and treble for the first few days. Then it shows its true tone (which is amazing). This probably explains the occasional bad comments about the katana sounding poor - either that or they are tone deaf...
A M Guitar Tuition that's great advice, thank you. I think some people are adverse because it's cheap and is without tubes
I learned long ago recording quality may not sound the same as live, I feel the recorded sound of the fender sounds way more refined, whereas the boss has too much noise, muddy-ness, and maybe even more distorted sound. Based on this recording of course.
BTW, I used to detest Fender Amps, my decision was based on just a single bass amp purchased 30 years ago which lasted a couple hours. I do love Peavy amps, but it was the Fender G-Dec that got me interested in Fender amps. Personally I have a Fender Mustang GT 200 and it works for me and makes my guitars sound awesome. I do have sensitive ears so I could never own something like a Marshall.
GT 40 is better just got it today and it does it's job it hold it's own and I think the sound is fine. I think you could look at it as just a practice amp rather than your main amp. If you are patient with adjusting the volume and gain it has a good sound. I don't worry about the different pre-sets for a stomp box. I just use individual pedal effects.
Hey if does what you need then that is great.
just got the katana 100 and so far very impressed. man the Gt 40 sounded horrible! thin and blah :) cool video!
Thanks man, I think there's a clear winner here
Comparison for any potential buyer would be
Mustang GT Vs Boss Katana Vs Marshall Code Vs Line6 Spider V
if there is going to be a single video comparing this it will be too good. Also Vox will also join the game I think in some time.
You seem to have read my mind ;)
Yes I need this
I had the Katana 50 and returned it because I was looking to record directly w my interface. The Toneworks to get the drivers was a lot of steps for the year 2017. Nothing went right dead ends and yes I followed the directions. Adobe Air? Where did it go after download? 3.0 USB ports is all I have! grrr. The amp alone w/o the recording part sounded fizzy and just bad. If I were a 15 yr old on a 200 budget it would be awesome I suppose. I wanted to like it so I'm going to buy it again and see if I can't get the Toneworks working . Wish me luck lol
But why would you compare a 40-watt to a 50-watt amp? Are they on the same price range?
Yes. If i remeber correctly the Katana Mk 1 was actualy cheaper than the Fender GT 40. Either way they were in the same price range.
I’m researching amps right now and was looking for a video on the Boss Katana vs the Fender Mustang 25 because I was looking for a under 200 practice amp and found that the Katana 50 isn’t that much over my budget. Well, you solved my problems mate. I imagine the Fender Mustang 40 has more features than the 25w model yet I can’t imagine the sound being a better quality. I’ve watched more than a few videos on the Boss Katana and I’m convinced it has the clean sound arsenal I’m looking for. I believe it may even double quite well as an acoustic amplifier. Any thought on that? Much appreciation for your straight to the point video my friend. Cheers !!!
Dave Koz hey Dave you are welcome. Yes it works really well for acoustics. There is a dedicated acoustic channel
TheGuitarGeek Thanks. I’m ready to roll (purchase) with the Katana.👍
Thanks for the video mate it helped me decide to buy the katana. Hoping it sounds good with my jagstang. Nice t-shirt btw
You're welcome Glenn. Thank you !
Where is your Squire Mustang HH ? Love your honesty, thanks .
Good question! It gets played but my kids mostly but I need to bring it back.
Another great review...too bad Fender missed the mark with the Mustang. Keep up the great work and reviews!
Yeah, I expected a lot from Fender. I've just added the GT100 vs Katana 100 here - th-cam.com/video/7CR8s6ej2Qg/w-d-xo.html
You hit the nail on the head. The speaker is a hifi in the fender. It sounds good through the daw. I didnt buy the cab and use an old "15 alnico speaker it sounds better than the katana.. But if you like boss effects there ya go.
Hello, I want to buy this amplifier (katana) but I have an electro acoustic guitar and I want to play with the effects, do you recommend that I buy this amplifier? Thank you

Thanks for the scientific review - very few of those on TH-cam, I must say. A quick question: is the clean channel on Katana really clean? That is, can I turn the gain knob to zero and just use the volume knob? I want my cleans really "clean"; for OD I use pedals. I currently have a Blackstar Core ID and it has this problem - clean is not rally clean as it engages the gain knob to produce sound! I try to keep the gain at 1/10 and volume to 7/10 to get a clean, but when I strum hard, distortion creeps in. Is it possible to avoid this in Katana? If not, do you known of good and reasonably priced single channel (clean) SS amp? On board reverb and delay are preferred, but not necessary. Forgot to mention that I do have such an amp with a clean channel with only volume and 3-band EQ (ie, Roland Cub 15XL) but am not happy with the sound, so want to avoid Roland.
The katana has an acoustic channel. This is probably really clean.
which better boss katana 50 or marshall mg30cfx?
Can you help me with the comparison of blackstar id core 40 vs katano 50 . ?
ateamrohan its unlikely but if I can get my hands on one, yes!
On papers blackstar id core 40 sounds lucrative bcoz of the price range but im not into hard/metal rock that much . Blues rock is what im looking for and clean tone.
I like the katana. The fender seems laser focused on some lower mid-range tone.
The katana does win this round. Welcome to my channel!
In all reviews I find the Fender lacking. What about a Marschall DSL1CR as a little practicing amp?
I need to try that one!
Must say that the Boss sounded pretty good for a €200 amp.
Built in FX are usually a bit meh, I'd recommend a cheap multiFX like a Boss GT-1 and FS-6 if needed.
Another contender might the VOX AC10C1 at €499 still affordable and very interesting for home use.
Ok I have a Marshall on the way. Good shout on the Vox!
Think that as long you don't have big amp simulations on small combo's the Marshall and Vox can be a lot of fun.
Will you make a video about the Marshall?
I wanna like the fender gt so bad. It looks really slick, yet every review on youtube says it's a terrible amp. However, if I just wanted it for practicing would it be worth it?
Hi, only you can answer that! I wouldn't want to use it but maybe it's the perfect amp for you. I can only suggest you go try one. Sorry I can't be of more help.
The Katana is SO MUCH BETTER! My first amp was a gt 40... it was very boxy.
Pro tip: get the boss katana 50
Not a pro tip.
Have anyone used katana50 with pedals like tube screamer and rat How does it sound? Is it good with pedals
This video should be updated with the latest firmware of the gt-40.
They have solved most of the problems.
i have a gt40 rn but im looking to get a katana 50 so i stumbled upon this video, BUT i have to say you should redo this video with the fender app for the gt40 because once you change the cabs for each model and change the global EQ in the on-board display, the gt doesnt sound as bad as it sounds in this video
kinda making me reconsider even getting the katana now haha, but yeah thanks for the help with the katana, will probably still buy
Hya Andrew
Putting money aside for the moment, what would the dis/advantages of getting the Katana 100 over the 50 be?
William Taylor more headroom. effects loop, 4 presets over two. better speaker. bigger cab, better bottom end frequency response. I do still like the 50 but the 100 can do a little more
Mmmmm....
Down the longer term slightly, a 100 watts would be better with a full church band of very loud piano, guitar, bass and drums?
The pianists get very exuberant! 😂😂
William Taylor yes totally. the 100w also has a lineout. the 50 does not
TheGuitarGeek Ah.....
Just got a Katana 100 1x12 and it is amazing! As for Fender, they really messed up with the new GT line. The Mustangs were really good, but even the bigger GT amps sound bad (to me at least).
its something in their system, no matter the size, I guess the champion 20 has the same issues as the 50 and even 100, just as the mustang line,
its sad what happens with fender amps, I think its a well recognized brand and you would think that something has quality just by having its name on it, but oh boy, his amps these days are so lame, I ordered a champion 40 online, new, I got it in my house, I opened it, I tried it, and maan, I thought the same, "is something broken"?, it has a damn muddy filter in everything, no matter how you tweek it, sooo, after a few minutes of trying all the mods, there you go, I put it back in its box, and call the store to return it, the same day, after just minutes of playing it...
Really digging your channel man. I'm so disappointed the fender ended up sucking so much ass. I was set on buying one after seeing the specs and the first (store) reviews that made it sound like the greatest thing ever. Then luckily I kept digging and ran across your videos and a couple other actual user videos and see the truth. I have always loved Fender's clean tones, and I'm looking for a new practice/home amp with the usual "home use" features (aux, headphone jacks etc), and the gt seemed perfect. The Boss sounds really nice and has made it on my new list. Have you any experience with Fender's champion line? Thinking the 40 watt might be my best option for what I'm looking for, and I'll just have to use pedals for any effects I use. Thanks for the vid!
George Hale hi and welcome to my channel. I haven't tried the champ series in a long time. What about a Mustang II v2?
thank you for this nice demonstration.plz make a peavey vypyr 30 vs katana 50 shoot out
You're welcome! I don't the Vypyr 30 is available anymore.
I'm sold after this demo katana is for me I been holding out a while for a new practice amp and this review/AB confirms it. fender can't release something this bad surely. most guitarist will want a solid good sound over features I would of thought and boss seem to have achieved this.
Simon Gummer thanks man. glad I can help. I an truly shocked by the mustang gt series. I have a test of the mustang 100 versus katana 100 coming up.
im planning to get the katana 50 but how about the response to the headphone? thanks ;)
I'm not sure what you mean but I find the headphone sound to be very useful and representative.
ok thank you...
You're welcome
Awesome Demo!
Thanks. It was not fun if I'm honest. I had to find something good to say about the Mustang but just had to give up on it.
I know I'll be forever cast into the depths of hell by valve-amp purists for saying this, but I'm actually trying to sell my Marshall JCM900 and Peavey Classic 30 amps, since buying a Boss Katana 100 and a Katana 50. The Marshall and Peavey are great amps (especially the Marshall!), but I'm tired of lugging big heavy amps around, now that I've found something that can get pretty damned close in sound with a little effort! Hell, I'd keep those tube amps if I were some famous guitar player and had roadies to lug them around, but that's rock star multi-millionaire life, not mine!
I think that is the appeal of the Katana. I injured my back two years ago and still recovering. There's no chance I could even take my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe out of the studio so the Katana gets close enough that the 100 does absolutely everything I need it to do. I was tempted to buy both the 50 and 100...
If i want to use a loop pedal do i need the Katana 100W version?
If you want to record say a clean loop and then solo with overdrive over top, you'll need to use the effects loop which the 50w doesn't have.
TheGuitarGeek thanks for responding. But would that be too loud for home use?
Not if you switch it to 0.5 mode
I thought you would Love the Katana 100!! Nice
shfnderrock this is the 50 but I also have the 100
Completely agree about the gt40. It sounds fake. That little 6 inch speaker just can’t hang with a real guitar amp
I just picked up one of these used and it sounds fine (supposedly firmware updates fixed a lot of the problems) but 2 6 1/2 inch speakers isn't going to beat a 12 inch speaker ever. It's good for a little practice amp and playing with all the settings is fun, but if I want better sound at home, my Peavey Vypyr is the go to.
what's up with the Mustang...? or is the boss just so good
Simon Gummer It's a combination. The Mustang is terrible and the katana is fantastic
TheGuitarGeek that explains the big gap in sound between the two I guess. have you played a Yamaha thr I would love your opinion on these..?
Did you decide to keep the Katana 50 instead of the 100? If so, why? I'm most likely buying the 100 before end of the week. I'm getting tired of researching amps at this point and have brain fry. Also, I like your take and thoughts on this amp. It seems I can trust your down to earth opinion compared to the stores / expert review videos that are out there.
Pezmed nope I kept the 100. the 50 is fantastic value for money but I had enough reason to spend more
Pezmed and thanks for saying that. means a lot to know that I'm connecting with people
The reason why I went for Katana 100 was that 100w have some more connection possibility. You will not regret the 100w. Katana 100 is also good for bedroom play, play nice on low volume, and it still fun.
The Katana 100 is stupid good value for money. I got the 212 version and could not be happier. Will it replace the 65 twin reverb? The rockerverb 50? The JCM 410c? Nope..... but I'd happily gig it alongside them no problem. For what it is, the Katana is simply a very affordable amp with unaffordable tone. It's a no brainer as far as I'm concerned.
I ordered the 1x12 100 yesterday. I decided to order the foot pedal along with it. I don't gig anymore but hey, I can have fun at home, right? Can't wait to have some fun with this thing.
I had the Katana for 1 week thought it must be me the clean was horrible I changed for a GT40 happy with it also the software is a lot more intuitive than the Katana as usual it comes down to what type of music you wish to play clean = Fender metal = Boss
I do like the mustang get software but i didn’t like the amp at all. What was it about the katana clean that you didn’t like?
Well I am a beginner so I do not have all the technical terminology but the cleans were not clean clear or crisp compared to the GT40 I even took it back to the local music thinking it must be me we put them side by side the guy is a seasoned guitarist and agreed
Great video! Ty
wow !, the fender does have alot more bang for the buck an i kind of like the ballsey low end im looking to buy one of these and im stuck ??/
Brian Kulakowski without a doubt, go for the boss
Katana 50 beats Mustang 40 GT. No contest. How could Fender release something like this in the market is beyond me.
I bought the Katana and it sounds NOTHING like a tube amp, nor did it sound warm - I'd say cold and sterile. Lots of hype surrounding them, but mostly just that... hype - and this review just feeds into that nonesense. To describe the Mustang as 'not cutting the mustard' is a meaningless conclusion. The real difference is that the Mustang, with 6.5" speakers, is an 'at home' amp, whereas the Katana is for cutting through the mix and gigging. It's actually a pointless comparison, because there isn't one.
It’s great that we can have different opinions and still stay civil.
Recently I went to my friendly local dealer and we used the GT 40 as the head and the mustang 1 V2 as the speaker.
The results were brilliant.
....this was connected by the headphone socket on GT and aux on V2. I am on a mission to get Fender to put the electronics of the GT into the V2 amp and casually it the V3.
I would love you or other people to try out what I have done and see if you agree or disagree if it is an improvement. Your video reaffirmed what I felt about the GT in it's present format.
Thanks for voicing what a lot of us is feeling.
That's an interesting idea. I have no idea why Fender changed something that wasn't broken. They should have just added Bluetooth and maybe wifi to the V2 Mustang range. I've sent the GT40 back but if I see one in a shop, I'll try it.
Yes. I have same gt mustang. Does sound boxy. I think it has to do with how it processes sound digitally. Comes off overly processed/digitalized. A bit fake. Maybe i should return it while the warranty's on andnget the Katana.
The Vintage v6 and 100 guitars are the best kept secret.
Definitely, I have an SG jr that is getting overhauled soon. Great guitars
I wish fender will update a better version of mustang
We've got the same tshirt and hopefully we'll have the same amp soon , buying an affinity Tele and katana 50 as my first electric guitar and amp
That’s going to be a stellar setup
Same result as everyone else doing a comparison... Everyone is just so disappointed in the fender GT and very impressed by the Katana.
LarsJ1977 well it doesn't mean we are all right but it certainly looks that way. as always, try things for yourself but buyer beware
Andrew are you into metal?
And also how has your hand recovered my friend?
I'm more of a rock guy but I do like a bit of metal. I own an Ibanez if that helps ;)
It's doing a lot better. I can't play hard or fast at the moment but it's improving every day. Regular breaks are necessary. Thanks for asking.
TheGuitarGeek I ask because I was curious on your thoughts on different pickups specifically the Dimarzio Super Distortion.
The presets are shit on both the GT and katana but with some tweaking you can get it sound pretty much any way you want. It blows cleans out of the water compared to the katana but the katana has better distortion. Both amps have a place for the bedroom guitarist but I think the GT series gets the win for my needs. I have a katana 100 and a gt40 and the Fender gets way more use. I’m very happy with both of them though and it’s amazing to see how much the technology has progressed!
Glad you're happy with your purchase
TheGuitarGeek much happier after I swapped out the speaker in the katana with a better one lol but just look at your own evolution with the Katana at getting it to sound great with different mods. Out of the box the katana and the gt are both brutal lol I think if you spent a bit of time with the gt in a “only have this in a bedroom scenario”, you might find you actually like it. Keeps getting better with the software updates too and it’s a lot easier to make good metal tones now vs when it first came out. I flip flop around a lot but I like both amps very much for home use!
TheGuitarGeek would be cool to see you take on a make this thing sound good challenge series lol I’d watch that
That sounds like a good idea. The previous mustangs were great but the GT did nothing to break new ground, tonally speaking
TheGuitarGeek yup I agree for sure but I think the biggest thing was the implementation of wifi directly into the amp for fast updates and having the cloud of sounds accessible directly through the amp. Every single parameter is tweakable without needing to hook up a computer or use the app. It’s hard for people like you though to really dive deep into an amp when you see so many of them unless it’s something like the Katana that really turned heads. So I can’t fret you for giving something a bad review that legitimately blows asshole until a fair bit of time is put in lol I’m interested in seeing what cool mods/hacks you could come up with. Like adding an external out to the 40 like you did to the Katana mini or swapping the 2 speakers for a single 12” and seeing how it holds up. The GT 100 and 200 both have an effects loop that might prove interesting to play around with too. Would be funny to see it become a hybrid tube amp or something. I’d do it but I’m a broke musician and I need my toys lol
I'd hate to be rick Heinz...these mustangs sound terrible.did they not test them before releasing them?
I don't know what Fender are doing. I look forward to hearing something from them
ты че на фендере специально высокие частоты в ноль убрал
Mustang sounds like fake plastic poo
I can't disagree with that.
What the hell is fake plastic poo😂
This made me laugh
Honestly I haven't used the Boss Katana. I am a Fender guy.
I have just sold my Fender HRD in favour of a new setup. I loved that amp but it never cut through the mix enough for me. Excluding the new GT series, Fender make great amps.
tubelogic...sounds and feels like a valve amp...with none of the drawbacks as it doesn't have any...!!!👍
John Moore I'm going to have to test the katana against a few tube amps
Had the Katana and it was awful. I tried everything. Now the GT40 (headphone out) on the other hand is absolutely heavenly. I have mesa’s, Marshall’s, oranges….the GT40 replaces them for me.
I’m glad you found your amp!
I went though this with my Rivera 55 112. It had a boxy sound that nothing would get rid of it and they ended up discontinued because of it. The cab wasn't deep enough which will kill.... down right murder the tone. The closest fix was to drop the 400hz all the way down with a eg pedal. Even that didnt work 100% so turned out I simply had to use a ext. cab and now its epic. I think they botched the cab size to speaker size and made a mess of the Gt. Also 400 sits between mid and bass so ya cant dial it out. If I had one of these that is the first thing I would try. $45 will get ya a eg pedal. If someone trys it let me know how it works.
I am going to try this. I have the GT100 and that will be a fun test.
I would put money on it. I have since heard this jacked in directly on another review and it sounded way way better. Its got to be the cab or speaker and because I fought with this sound for 2 years I know it well. There is no fix for it. Maybe they could do a firmware update to cut out that box sound but it would kill everyone presets and might not work with all there patches as they are. I doubt they care as the amps rep is torn to sheds. I only had a 7 band eq so 400hz so its somewhere in that area. If you mic the cab and play with a good eq vst you should find it pretty quickly. Comment when you have done it so I can come check it out.
Will do! I'll take this recording and do the EQ work and make a new video. Great idea, thank you
Hmmm I forgot. Does the gt100 have the same sound problem the 40 has?
This is where your theory kinda falls down. I've only plugged into the 100 for a short while but it also suffers from a similar problem.
And the winner by a landslide BOSS KATANA yay.
It's quite a difference isn't it!
I think Boss Katana 50 is better so far.
I have watched this a few times now spot on mate I have owed both amps and LOVE ONE let's just say the one beginning in F..HAS F---ed off
Hey judd. I really wanted to like both but it was no contest
I can't believe fender put it out. rubbish .boss hit it out the park with the katana mind you fender must know now it's not advertised or pushed at all .i don't gig at all just home use I do like the Marshall dsl -1 I have but the katana takes pedals much better .it is a steal at the price .keep up the good work your honest reviews are really getting noticed ..
Thanks man. I hope fender fix the next series. Less gadgets, more tone
My getto blaster from the 80s has better speakers
I don't doubt that
Sponsored by boss?
I wish! No, the fender really was that bad
lol for me Fender sounds much sharper and better. Katana sounds warmer and deeper.
maybe size matters.. change it with gt100
There's another video of mine featuring the 100
No good review with different volume settings. Both are good amps!
I disagree.