Boss Katana-50 Gen 3 Guitar Amplifier

In my opinion, this is the best small-ish Marshall-esque modelling type combo that there is.The effects are manifold and excellent sounding, the various amp types reek of Bletchley inspired EL34 flavoured tones through and through.If you want an amp that has every effect conceivable played through every Marshall that ever existed this amp is it - look no further.It is not quite 100% there in emulating valve tones and simultaneously lacks a little warmth and depth whilst exhibiting a slightly hard edge to it's general tonality, but for the money it's really is incredible.It's responds very well to playing dynamics and to the guitar's volume control.I remember when £180 got you a two channel solid state combo back in the 1980s both channels being varying degrees ... MoreIn my opinion, this is the best small-ish Marshall-esque modelling type combo that there is.The effects are manifold and excellent sounding, the various amp types reek of Bletchley inspired EL34 flavoured tones through and through.If you want an amp that has every effect conceivable played through every Marshall that ever existed this amp is it - look no further.It is not quite 100% there in emulating valve tones and simultaneously lacks a little warmth and depth whilst exhibiting a slightly hard edge to it's general tonality, but for the money it's really is incredible.It's responds very well to playing dynamics and to the guitar's volume control.I remember when £180 got you a two channel solid state combo back in the 1980s both channels being varying degrees of appalling - what you get with the Katana for £180 is nothing short of incredible !The Katana takes a while to tweak to taste and the Boss Tone Studio software really helps in this respect but good tones are there for the taking and are astonishingly good.Give the speaker time to break in, it mellows and pushes out more bass after about 20 hrs use at room levels.For home use I would most certainly rather have a Katana 50 than the good majority of valve amps I have owned over the last 40 years, it simply has so much more to offer in such a compact lightweight portable package.

The Boss Katana 50 is fantastic value for money if you are looking to bag an amplifier that is both great for the home studio, and playing in small venues, it certainly does pack a punch. The amp is well built and the controls are well set out, it's easy to operate. There are several built in pedal effects which are fantastic (no more messing around with pedal boards). The sounds that come out of this are exceptional for a non valve amp. It is easy to connect and operate via your computer/laptop, this enables you to upload/download patches. The Boss tone website is well set out and although you get an instruction book with the amp, there are many easy to use instruction videos on site which are straight forward to understand if you are new to using with a computer. ... MoreThe Boss Katana 50 is fantastic value for money if you are looking to bag an amplifier that is both great for the home studio, and playing in small venues, it certainly does pack a punch. The amp is well built and the controls are well set out, it's easy to operate. There are several built in pedal effects which are fantastic (no more messing around with pedal boards). The sounds that come out of this are exceptional for a non valve amp. It is easy to connect and operate via your computer/laptop, this enables you to upload/download patches. The Boss tone website is well set out and although you get an instruction book with the amp, there are many easy to use instruction videos on site which are straight forward to understand if you are new to using with a computer. I am glad that I purchased this amp and would highly recommend it for all levels of playing ability.

Great amplifier, definitely Worth it.

If you have the katana mkii it's a really good amplifier, but the Gen 3 50 voicings are definitely a great welcome to the katana series. There's more low end, better mids and a smoother top end right out of the box. Not to say that there's anything wrong with the mki or mkii, as these are great as well, but the Gen 3 while retaining the previous voicings characters does give a nice more rounded tonality in general, whether clean or saturated high gain, and the new pushed voicing is a very sweet low to mid gain tonality suited to blue's and a More dynamic type of feel that also is a great platform tone to add in-built boost or OD pedals as well.

Lots of Features, But Couldn't Lock in a Decent Clean Sound

Oh, Boss Katana. Many YouTubers and forum folks love you so. And no offense: if this is your amp, I'm glad for you as it's a steal at its price. I was expecting to get a myriad of good tones out of it and that just wasn't my experience. I was assured by many an online review that it was tube like and if you fiddled around with the knobs and Boss Tone Studio enough, you could unlock greatness.Any time I tried to get a decent clean tone, I struggled. The bass response was flabby and had a warble to it and the highs were way brittle and harsh. It was always apparent that it was a solid state amp with digital processing or modeling. Even downloading patches and messing with the digital EQ didn't seem to help much. That said, there are some very well done effects built ... MoreOh, Boss Katana. Many YouTubers and forum folks love you so. And no offense: if this is your amp, I'm glad for you as it's a steal at its price. I was expecting to get a myriad of good tones out of it and that just wasn't my experience. I was assured by many an online review that it was tube like and if you fiddled around with the knobs and Boss Tone Studio enough, you could unlock greatness.Any time I tried to get a decent clean tone, I struggled. The bass response was flabby and had a warble to it and the highs were way brittle and harsh. It was always apparent that it was a solid state amp with digital processing or modeling. Even downloading patches and messing with the digital EQ didn't seem to help much. That said, there are some very well done effects built in the amp. The octaver, chorus, reverb, overdrive and many other effects are pretty darn impressive. Plus, the power attenuation, line out and headphone jack are great for recording and at-home practice.I think what happened with this amp is Boss was aimed at the value market and you can't do everything well at this price range. It seems they put the emphasis on digital modeling, which resulted in some great effects, but skimped on the speaker, cabinet construction and other components, which may explain why I was never happy with the clean tone.If this if your first guitar amp ever, it's a heck of a value. If you use a lot of effects or care more about high gain instead of blackface or tweed era tube sounds, it should suit you well.Hat's off to Musician's Friend for their excellent return policy. The took back the amp, which allowed me to get a Roland Blues Cube Hot. I know, Roland and Boss are one in the same, but you can tell that with the Katana, Boss tried to do too much and with the Blues Cube, they said, "We want to mimic a Fender Bassman and that's it." And that's exactly what I got with the Blues Cube. Something that amazingly mimics a tweed era amp without any tubes.

Probably the best amplifier at this price, ever

The Boss Katana is without a doubt the best amp I've ever owned, but also one of the most versatile, easiest to use, and powerful amps at this price point probably to ever have been made.Previously I used mostly Fender Mustangs, which are excellent amps in their own right and I highly recommended them. However, while the Fenders delivered sparkling cleans and great effects, they always fell short in terms of high gain metal sounds. The Katana offers no shortage of excellent tones, from great (if a little generic) cleans to roaring, warm distortion. This is probably the most "tube-y" sounding solid state amp south of a grand, and even then I'd have no problem putting it against extremely pricey gear like Kempers.I also have the Line 6 Helix and BIAS FX, which are ... MoreThe Boss Katana is without a doubt the best amp I've ever owned, but also one of the most versatile, easiest to use, and powerful amps at this price point probably to ever have been made.Previously I used mostly Fender Mustangs, which are excellent amps in their own right and I highly recommended them. However, while the Fenders delivered sparkling cleans and great effects, they always fell short in terms of high gain metal sounds. The Katana offers no shortage of excellent tones, from great (if a little generic) cleans to roaring, warm distortion. This is probably the most "tube-y" sounding solid state amp south of a grand, and even then I'd have no problem putting it against extremely pricey gear like Kempers.I also have the Line 6 Helix and BIAS FX, which are great and still used occasionally for the ease of deep editing banks of effects, but prefer the Katana for its warmth and accessibility to all the tones you need in the vast majority of situations without touching a computer. It's wonderful how almost all the effects you could need are right there on tap, and it doesn't waste your time fiddling around with settings for hours to dial in a solid sound.If you're looking for something for exclusively shimmering cleans, a Fender Mustang or other amp might do you just a little better in terms of tone. But for overall usability, sound, build, and design, the Boss Katana takes the cake almost every time.

Review of Boss Katana 50 1x12 Guitar Combo Amp

Learnt guitar quite a few years ago, then life gets in the way, but now hitting that middle age mark thought I'd try to be a rock god again. I'd seen the reviews of the Boss Katana in magazines and it sounded good, however searching though youtube I found Andersons review by Chappers and the Capt, didn't know who they were but the review was brilliant, funny and sold me on the Katana for my needs. I could play as badly as I do without the whole shop hearing me !. Now for the Katana, my music time was the 80's rock Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai and everyone else, but I struggled with lessons and practice as when I went home to my peavy amp it didn't sound like anyone, I had no effects, God I wish I had the katana then, if you're a beginner now you are so lucky with this ... MoreLearnt guitar quite a few years ago, then life gets in the way, but now hitting that middle age mark thought I'd try to be a rock god again. I'd seen the reviews of the Boss Katana in magazines and it sounded good, however searching though youtube I found Andersons review by Chappers and the Capt, didn't know who they were but the review was brilliant, funny and sold me on the Katana for my needs. I could play as badly as I do without the whole shop hearing me !. Now for the Katana, my music time was the 80's rock Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai and everyone else, but I struggled with lessons and practice as when I went home to my peavy amp it didn't sound like anyone, I had no effects, God I wish I had the katana then, if you're a beginner now you are so lucky with this amp, you can make it sound like anyone, which is one reason you want to play guitar right ?. The effects straight out of the box as superb and are easy to pick up quickly. I haven't delved into the area when you can program your own sequence of effects on a pc and upload them for you own personal sounds, but from what I've read seems pretty simple. The volume is a key thing being a bedroom guitarist, the 2.5W setting sold it for me and even that seems loud. I've tried the 25 & 50 W settings and they blown the roof off and you notice more clarity in the sound at the louder settings. What else? It's light to move around, clever design elements with the knobs on the top mean no neck bending or scrabbling on the floor to see and change settings and the leg that angle the amp upwards. Oh and the price, it's stupidly cheap, especially for a beginner, I would say they could sell it at double and it's still a bargain and it's not a taster to get you hooked to buy the more expensive ones the 100W version is also a great price. All throughout this I've said it's great for a beginner and it is, it will give you confidence with the sounds and allow you to understand how effects work, having said that I'm sure gig guitarist at small level would love it's versatility and weight. I'm in love with it and now off to put white tape in my guitar and pretend to be EVH ! Beginners buy it, anyone else buy it for a practice amp.

Review of Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 50w Guitar Amp Combo

A great little amp for the money. It sounds great cranked to full volume.Playing quiet sounds like you're playing out of a tiny box, but you'll get that with any solid state amp. Nevertheless, the 'tones' are infinitely playable for practice, and a modelling unit in the Power Amp In (I'm using the Headrush MX5) sounds great too. Can't complain for the money!

What a great amp!

This thing is fantastic. The basic "Clean" sound of it is exactly what I need most of the time, reminds me of an expensive Roland amp from the 90s, and the built-in FX replace my BOSS multi-effects unit that cost more than this whole amp! It can also sound like a dirty valve amp or anything else.It is very easy to get the sound you want just from the panel, with the amp set to the factory defaults.First choose an amp type, these are Acoustic, Clean, Crunch (Fender combo-ish), Lead (Marshall-ish) and Brown (stack of Mesa Boogies on fire). Set your gain and EQ and reverb to get the sound you want. If needed add 1 or 2 extra effects, using the Effects section. There is a Power Control knob which lets you reduce the output power from 50 watts down to as low as half a ... MoreThis thing is fantastic. The basic "Clean" sound of it is exactly what I need most of the time, reminds me of an expensive Roland amp from the 90s, and the built-in FX replace my BOSS multi-effects unit that cost more than this whole amp! It can also sound like a dirty valve amp or anything else.It is very easy to get the sound you want just from the panel, with the amp set to the factory defaults.First choose an amp type, these are Acoustic, Clean, Crunch (Fender combo-ish), Lead (Marshall-ish) and Brown (stack of Mesa Boogies on fire). Set your gain and EQ and reverb to get the sound you want. If needed add 1 or 2 extra effects, using the Effects section. There is a Power Control knob which lets you reduce the output power from 50 watts down to as low as half a watt, which is all I need at home.You could use the amp like this, straight from the box, never connect a computer to it, and be perfectly happy.Advanced stuff with your computer.If you want to update your amp's firmware, use FX that aren't in the factory set, or tweak detailed FX and amp settings you can download the Katana software to your Mac/Windows box and connect it with a USB cable. It's a shame there's no iOS app, or Bluetooth, you have to use a computer and a cable.The Mac software, which I use, does work, but is a little buggy (eg often it refuses to quit) and it takes a while to learn it.The computer editor is also the only way to turn on & adjust the noise gate, which is great with high-gain distorted setups even with humbuckers.I like that version 2 of the Katana firmware allows Reverb+Delay as the final step, enabling you to use 4 effects at once.Note: the CH1 & CH2 presets each have A and B slots with V2 of the Katana firmware. You switch by holding down the Panel button. Personally I hate presets, just use mine in Panel mode all the time and do everything by hand.

What an amazing amp!

I have been playing guitar for 30+ years, I have owned many amps, tube & solid state (Fender, Crate, Musicman, Peavey, Line 6, etc). I recently owned a Fender Mustang I V.2 & a Bugera G5 w/ matching cabinet...this amps sounds much better than both. I got rid of my other amps but I will never part with my Katana. It is that good. If you can't get a good sound, you are doing something wrong.* You may have to adjust your pickup height to get the best tone, I have passive humbuckers w/ coil split in my Schecter & active EMG's in my ESP...with some minor height adjustments I was able to get great tones from both.* Great metal tones, select clean channel & add the internal overdrive pedal of your choice, adjust the noise gate, EQ and any other perimeters to tweak your ... MoreI have been playing guitar for 30+ years, I have owned many amps, tube & solid state (Fender, Crate, Musicman, Peavey, Line 6, etc). I recently owned a Fender Mustang I V.2 & a Bugera G5 w/ matching cabinet...this amps sounds much better than both. I got rid of my other amps but I will never part with my Katana. It is that good. If you can't get a good sound, you are doing something wrong.* You may have to adjust your pickup height to get the best tone, I have passive humbuckers w/ coil split in my Schecter & active EMG's in my ESP...with some minor height adjustments I was able to get great tones from both.* Great metal tones, select clean channel & add the internal overdrive pedal of your choice, adjust the noise gate, EQ and any other perimeters to tweak your sound & select the chain that works best* Amazing clean tones, with some tweaking it would be very hard to tell the difference between this and a tube amp...great raspy blues tones as well!* You can save 4 presets via software & use the amp as a standalone in panel setting.* Standalone the amp is amazing, dive into the software and it get's even better. Get to know your pedals and learn how to tweak and adjust your chain accordingly.* The sound is crisp, clear and has plenty of volume for jamming with a drummer (the wattage setting is great for practicing at low volumes)* You get SOOO much amp for a small price tag. If your thinking of getting a cheap practice amp, I would encourage you to save the extra money and buy this. For a little bit extra, you get much more amp that will grow with you as a musician.* This amp does not have that digital fuzz that many modelers do, it reacts like a tube amp. Use the volume on your guitar to clean up the sound, or pick lightly for a cleaner tone, dig in for some grit. It responds very well and feels organic.Boss did a great job with the Katana 50, for the price you can't beat this amp.