Thinking about an upgrade... Boss Katana?

Legionreturns

I've been thinking for a while that I'd like to trade up from my Mustang ii v2, and the two options realistically seem to be the Boss Katana vs one of the new GT mustangs. 

I'm still very much a beginner but have been using either multi effects (Boss ME80) or my own mini pedal board with a mild bluesy distortion, a delay and a looper for practice. I want an amp has has a bit more chunk, as I'm starting to play with others now and I want some bigger sound. The Mustang ii doesn't like pedals much either...

I've not tried either amp yet, but came across this today. From this, the mustang sounds vastly inferior. Is that just my ears or has he deliberately messed with the sound because reasons? 



Anyone tried both or either and care to give me their tuppence worth?

monquixote

Check out the "In The Blues" review of the Mustang. It's not favourable.

I've played the old Mustang and the Katana and I'd go Katana based on that. 

Legionreturns

monquixote said:

Check out the "In The Blues" review of the Mustang. It's not favourable.

I've played the old Mustang and the Katana and I'd go Katana based on that. 

Thanks, that's probably more useful than comparing to the GT. The price point I'm looking at will mean I'm looking at comparing apples and oranges as the GTs seem to be way more expensive when compared by power and speakers. 

tony99

I've got a katana and it's totally changed how I approach guitar

I mean literally, it's bigger than my last amp so I have to sort of step around it to get at my strat

fftc

So you've got an ME-80 and a pedal board?
So you don't really need an amp with effects, but you do need one that takes pedals well.
That sounds like a Peavey Bandit to me.

Legionreturns

fftc said:

So you've got an ME-80 and a pedal board?
So you don't really need an amp with effects, but you do need one that takes pedals well.
That sounds like a Peavey Bandit to me.

Sadly out of my price range. I don't always use the pedals or mfx. I also regularly use the app for recording using the usb and headphones. 

Marktigere1

The Katana takes pedals very well.

My son uses an SD1,DS1 and BD2 into the front and it sounds great.

ThePrettyDamned

Legionreturns said:

fftc said:

So you've got an ME-80 and a pedal board?
So you don't really need an amp with effects, but you do need one that takes pedals well.
That sounds like a Peavey Bandit to me.

Sadly out of my price range. I don't always use the pedals or mfx. I also regularly use the app for recording using the usb and headphones. 

Check local classifieds and eBay. I've seen bandits and solos (the 60 watt little brother iirc) go for well under £100 and a solo for as little as £60 in my local shop in amazing condition.

Musicman20

Boss Katana 100 1x12. Bargain IMO.

HAL9000

fftc said:

So you've got an ME-80 and a pedal board?
So you don't really need an amp with effects, but you do need one that takes pedals well.
That sounds like a Peavey Bandit to me.

^This. If you want an amp that takes pedals well then my, admittedly limited, experience suggests analogue is better than digital. Doesn't have to be a Bandit - other analogue options are available. Something like the Orange CR35RT for instance is analogue, has an effects loop, and a headphones/line out which could be used for recording.

Legionreturns

I have a sort of plan, which I think is achievable with a bit of jiggery pokery... Can you knowledgeable types sense check it for me? 

Current setup: 

Mustang ii v2
Boss ME80
Pedal train nano+ with tuner, sweet cream (tone city), joyo quattro delay and a decent dual looper. 

I tend to use compression and occasionally either chorus our flanger from the ME80 and the expression pedal for swells or wah. I also use the Boss for reverb and occasionally if I want more distortion than the sweet cream provides. 

I want to achieve a better amp, and I know I need a noise gate and to cover the things I actually use from the ME80. 

So I'll need a bigger pedal board, plus a comp, chorus, expression pedal and noise gate.

So I could sell the me80, nano+ and mustang and put the funds towards the pedals, amp and board. Sound doable? What should I be looking to raise / spend? Is there anything else I'd miss? Also 100 vs 50?

I know these are newbie questions. I'm told that's ok! 

Legionreturns

HAL9000 said:

fftc said:

So you've got an ME-80 and a pedal board?
So you don't really need an amp with effects, but you do need one that takes pedals well.
That sounds like a Peavey Bandit to me.

^This. If you want an amp that takes pedals well then my, admittedly limited, experience suggests analogue is better than digital. Doesn't have to be a Bandit - other analogue options are available. Something like the Orange CR35RT for instance is analogue, has an effects loop, and a headphones/line out which could be used for recording.

I particularly like the usb option for recording, as the soundcards in my computers are gash. 

fftc

ThePrettyDamned said:

Legionreturns said:

fftc said:

So you've got an ME-80 and a pedal board?
So you don't really need an amp with effects, but you do need one that takes pedals well.
That sounds like a Peavey Bandit to me.

Sadly out of my price range. I don't always use the pedals or mfx. I also regularly use the app for recording using the usb and headphones. 

Check local classifieds and eBay. I've seen bandits and solos (the 60 watt little brother iirc) go for well under £100 and a solo for as little as £60 in my local shop in amazing condition.

What he said.
And if you want to get rid of the Mustang once you have a new amp you can record out of the ME-80 can't you?

Legionreturns

Yes I can record out of the ME80, but not with any of my additional pedals, including the vastly better looper than the 40 second one built in to the ME80. 

Thanks for the tips on the Peavey though, I'll have a look around

monquixote

Personally I'd go one of two ways:

Stick with the pedalboard and get either an inexpensive secondhand valve amp like a Jet City or an SS like a Bandit or Tech21 TM60. 

Go entirely digital and get the best modelling thingy you can afford maybe a Katana and sack off everything else. 

In my experience combinations of digital and analogue things, or multiple digital things just ends up being complicated and never sounds all that great. 

Legionreturns

monquixote said:

Personally I'd go one of two ways:

Stick with the pedalboard and get either an inexpensive secondhand valve amp like a Jet City or an SS like a Bandit or Tech21 TM60. 

Go entirely digital and get the best modelling thingy you can afford maybe a Katana and sack off everything else. 

In my experience combinations of digital and analogue things, or multiple digital things just ends up being complicated and never sounds all that great. 

Yeah that all makes sense. The thing that's holding me back is that the looper and the quattro are probably my two most used pedals. The ME80 does have a looper and delay "section", but neither of them are as good as the individual pedals. 

Currently I run the mustang on a completely clean setting which is a patch I've saved. I get everything else from the pedals. What's appealing to me about the katana is the rave reviews about tone quality, good reviews when used with pedals, the channels that include a very nice clean and an acoustic pre amp (Because I don't have an acoustic amp but do play my electro acoustic quite often *through* the mustang but with the speaker off, so I can record it. It obviously sounds shite through the mustang when using the speaker), the price, and finally the variable power settings. I do a lot of home practice so the ability to reduce the head room and play at low volume would be useful. 

To be honest, pretty much anything I do right now will be a compromise, because I can't afford multiple solutions. I therefore want something that does most things fairly well and will last me as I start to play more often with others, and at louder volumes in bigger rooms. 

As nice as a quality valve amp would be, it will limit some areas of my use at the present time. 

bingefeller

Katana sounds great, plus you have extra "Sneaky Amps" hidden in there.   You could use your ME80 with the Katana and be able to cover a lot of ground.  

ellwood

monquixote said:

Personally I'd go one of two ways:

Stick with the pedalboard and get either an inexpensive secondhand valve amp like a Jet City or an SS like a Bandit or Tech21 TM60. 

Go entirely digital and get the best modelling thingy you can afford maybe a Katana and sack off everything else. 

In my experience combinations of digital and analogue things, or multiple digital things just ends up being complicated and never sounds all that great. 

I'd agree with the Tech21 here. Superb clean channel from which to do whatever you want.

monquixote

ellwood said:

monquixote said:

Personally I'd go one of two ways:

Stick with the pedalboard and get either an inexpensive secondhand valve amp like a Jet City or an SS like a Bandit or Tech21 TM60. 

Go entirely digital and get the best modelling thingy you can afford maybe a Katana and sack off everything else. 

In my experience combinations of digital and analogue things, or multiple digital things just ends up being complicated and never sounds all that great. 

I'd agree with the Tech21 here. Superb clean channel from which to do whatever you want.

Also has the advantage that it sounds great at all volumes and has a headphone and emulated recording out.

andyoz

Katana. It will allow to you explore effects as much as you want AND it won't get in the way of your practice. It's touch sensitive enough to tell you when you've nailed it or not.

The driven sound is very Marshally so bear that in mind. If you like that sound, you'll love the Katana.  You can easily lose yourself in GnR riffs whilst forgetting it's not a valve amp.

Legionreturns

I tried a katana this morning. Blown away! That thing is awesome!

I tried it with the footswitch and my mini pedal board and didn't lose anything, still sounded great at any volume. Plugged the ME80 into it and as predicted by others it didn't play nice. I'm sure I could fiddle with it and get a decent sound out of it but the amps own tones are so much better. So, I'm going for the katana plus footswitch and I'll supplement it with a couple of extras like an expression pedal and maybe a noise gate. 

Thank everyone for your help. Now got to try and sell the me80 and mustang. Wish me luck!