Katana 50 impressions please?

Voxman

clarkefan said:

Installing a speaker jack should be straightforward, might be worth looking into at least?

1. It would void the warranty
2. It would be inconvenient as I'd have to take it to an amp tech and pay for the work, and
3. I shouldn't have to..Boss should have included one! 

clarkefan

1. It's a two hundred quid combo not a Porsche

2. Doubt you'd need to if you can solder, it would just be a new jack probably

3. Agreed, that part is pretty stupid, but not something that should be a deal breaker

Alnico

I've got a couple of 12" speakers doing nothing at the moment, A V30 and a G12-T100 but they're both 8 ohms and the Katana 50 apparently runs 50w into a 4-ohm standard speaker.

What would happen if I fit an 8-ohm speaker? Would it mean the amp doesn't have the same amount of volume or would it hurt the amp?

Glacial_Pace

Voxman said:

I've been watching Katana demos and been doing some research on these. Couple of practical observations.

1. The 50 doesn't have connectivity to the Katana floor pedal...vital imo if you want to use it live
2. None of the Katana combos have an extn cab out.

For these reasons I wouldn't buy the 50 as I'd want it for rehearsals and gigging.

Its annoying that neither the Fender Mustang III v2 nor the 1x12 Katana 100 have an extn cab out. The 1x12 Katana weighs 32lbs, but the 2x12 is 50lbs which is too heavy for my needs ( bad back and getting on).

Although the Katana 100 has a good heavy magnet speaker, any 1x12 has sonic limitations and a 2x12 or 4x12 will always push more air and sound fuller.

The lack of extn cab out is why I passed on the Mustang III ...looks like I'm going to have to pass on the Katana 100 for the same reason. I'd want a 1x12's lightness and power but with the option to plug into a larger cab.

Get the head? It has a small speaker in it for practise so doesn't need to be connected to a cab, Also has MIDI so if you have a complex foot switching system using midi you can control the amp channels as well.

sweepy

I'd get rid of my 50 and get the 100w combo, its handy having the footswitch options, if anyone wants a 50, mine is available

sweepy

I'd get rid of my 50 and get the 100w combo, its handy having the footswitch options, if anyone wants a 50, mine is available

sweepy

I'd get rid of my 50 and get the 100w combo, its handy having the footswitch options, if anyone wants a 50, mine is available

Modellista

Voxman said:

I've been watching Katana demos and been doing some research on these. Couple of practical observations.

1. The 50 doesn't have connectivity to the Katana floor pedal...vital imo if you want to use it live
2. None of the Katana combos have an extn cab out.

For these reasons I wouldn't buy the 50 as I'd want it for rehearsals and gigging.

Its annoying that neither the Fender Mustang III v2 nor the 1x12 Katana 100 have an extn cab out. The 1x12 Katana weighs 32lbs, but the 2x12 is 50lbs which is too heavy for my needs ( bad back and getting on).

Although the Katana 100 has a good heavy magnet speaker, any 1x12 has sonic limitations and a 2x12 or 4x12 will always push more air and sound fuller.

The lack of extn cab out is why I passed on the Mustang III ...looks like I'm going to have to pass on the Katana 100 for the same reason. I'd want a 1x12's lightness and power but with the option to plug into a larger cab.

Horses for courses here.  Point 1 - if you want to use more than two presets on the amp you need the footswitch.  If not, you don't.  I use mine on the clean channel and use pedals for everything so I don't need the footswitch.  So it's not vital by any means, only if you want to use three or more amp presets.  Another valid way to use it would be leave it in one of the gainy channels, clean up with the volume control and use a boost for solos.  Still the Boss footswitch isn't required.

Point 2 - having to lug another cab would completely defeat the object of a small light amp in the first place.  The 50 definitely doesn't need a speaker out, although maybe the 100 could do with one. But that's why they made a head.  There's four options in the Katana range, I don't think Boss can be faulted for offering limited choices.

If you're filling a room with just the amp and you need to go really loud, yes I agree more speakers are better.  If you're getting mic'd up (which happens 100% of time time except for tiny venues in my experience), it's irrelevant because they only mic one driver anyway.  What sort of gigs are you playing that you need to go really loud but they're not micing up the amp?  These days an amp is essentially just a tone generating device and a monitor so the guitarist can hear what they're playing, and the sound man decides how much air will be pushed.

usedtobe

I can get 4 sounds with my 50w. Clean and crunch on the amp, and a choice of 2 dirt pedals in front, through the clean channel. I don't really use effects, so I'm covered for any sound I'll ever want to make. There's always the panel as well, which you can have a separate, non switching sound, so that's 5..
Plenty, imho..

Modellista

usedtobe said:

I can get 4 sounds with my 50w. Clean and crunch on the amp, and a choice of 2 dirt pedals in front, through the clean channel. I don't really use effects, so I'm covered for any sound I'll ever want to make. There's always the panel as well, which you can have a separate, non switching sound, so that's 5..
Plenty, imho..

This.  While I can see why you *might* want to use four presets on the amp, two channel options and a few pedals will be all most people will need.

In the case above, you've actually got eight choices (2x channels, plus each pedal on its own, plus both pedals together).  More than enough for most practical purposes.  I use the clean channel with three overdrives in various combinations which gives loads of options without having to change anything on the amp.

Nikko

I seem to have said this quite a few times now on various Katana threads, but I don't mind saying it again . I have the 50, and absolutely love it. It does everything I need.

Its great for home use as it can be used on the 0.5watt setting, without deterioration of tone/effects etc by way of keeping the master volume maxed out, and using the other volume knob for..well..volume.

I go to a jam night once, sometimes twice per week, and use it on the 50watt setting on the clean channel and a Zoom G3XN unit in the front. It takes the Zoom fantastically well, and is more than adequate volume wise in the mix with the rest of the guys. Drummer, other guitarist and bass player.

Best £169 ive spent in a long while.

Alnico

Any single button footswitch toggles between the 2 channels on the 50w.
The only thing that could be considered a problem is if you want to go back into panel mode you have to press the button on the top of the amp. The footswitch will pull it out of panel mode but not put it back. If it's in between songs then it's no problem to press one button!

Kebabkid

My mate brought over his 50w for "my consideration" on a swap and I've played with it for most of the day and have really enjoyed it. Bottom line, it's a cracking little amp for the money and plenty loud with good sounds to boot.

Although my preference for guitar is a valve amp, I've had a good run on Roland amps (same as Boss I suppose) and solid state amps and currently use and love a Roland Bass Cube and I've had a Micro Cube since they came out and like it for what it is and lined out, I use it as my acoustic preamp. I've also had and gigged a Roland Cube 60 for many years and that delivered and it's currently serving my guitarist in our Ska band very well and I've not had any reliability issues. Based on what I've heard today, this amp tops the guitar Cubes, the Vox Valvetronix, old Session Amps and smaller Yamaha THR amps.

Thoughts:

• It's got a decent amount of bottom end for it's size and just sounds bigger (open backed)

• The scaling is a great feature and I love that this works so well for at home, which if I nab it, is where I see myself using it and it's nice to get such a decent and full sound at such a low volume. I did max out the Master and controlled the channel volume and used the guitar volume as well.
  

• The amp models were ok but the Clean and the Brown channels stuck out for me and thought they were the best of the bunch. In fact, my favourite setting was employing the Clean Channel and adding one of the in-built Overdrive pedals - all 3 were good. The Distortion Pedal with the gain at half way with some delay and reverb got me some great, big 80s/AOR leads and lowering the gain gave a good classic rock sound that I'd be happy to use. The sounds also react well to your guitar volume and don't sound odd, thin and digital when you turn down. You can also dig in with you pick and get the pleasing pick attack sound and it doesn't sound like any other solid state amp I've played.
  

• I tried the Acoustic channel with my acoustic guitar and didn't think it was as good as the Micro Cube acoustic simulation or the Roland AC amps. In fact, putting an acoustic though the Clean Channel and knocking back the Middle yielded better results IMHO.

• The FX are good and not as over-cooked as on the Cube series. I didn't hook up a USB to access all the other ones but for me, things benefited from a compressor being in the chain (used my Keeley). I had some fun with the Octaver and Auto-Wah, too.
  

• At a comfortable low, home volume, I tried a bass and it took it really well and sounded fine

• Once again to the Clean Channel and it took my pedalboard really well and loved my own overdrives (808 and OCD) but was fine with the rest of the board.

• EDIT: Fine on single coils, particular a Strat neck position and inbetween sounds. Not the warmest of clean sounds but you can dial in a nice sound. I found it liked humbuckers better.
  

• Great, light and portable size

• Sadly omitted on this model are a Line Out and Extension Speaker Out but come on? £169 for all this and the ability to access many more fx make it fantastic value.
  

Anyway, need to get back to playing it, which I can at 8.45pm without disturbing anyone, to see if this still continues to put a smile on my face

One to audition folks and I'd look at the 100w for a few quid more and the additional volume and features if you wanted to gig this but as I said, it sounds pretty loud and others have gigged it and say it keeps up with a drummer. If not quite there for you, mic it up.

andyoz

I'd agree regards the Clean and Brown channels. Never use the Lead...still figuring out Crunch but apparently it's best to max out the master volume and work the gain/guitar volume.

usedtobe

I finally got round to trying my acoustic through my k50, yesterday. I'll give it a go through the clean channel, today, and compare. Thanks for the tip!

chickenchaser

I'm really interested in getting a katana purely for home use. I'm currently using a THR10c which is great but on occasion when I want to turn it up a bit, it gets a bit distorted. I'd also like to use a loop pedal with it but that puts me into the 100w range due to the effects loop. I must go and try one and see what they're like.

Alnico

chickenchaser said:

I'm really interested in getting a katana purely for home use. I'm currently using a THR10c which is great but on occasion when I want to turn it up a bit, it gets a bit distorted. I'd also like to use a loop pedal with it but that puts me into the 100w range due to the effects loop. I must go and try one and see what they're like.

You'll like it.
They're very impressive.

  @Legionreturns has the 100W and he seems to love it.
Does the lowest power setting go down to 25w? I can't remember?

My 50w had a 25w setting and that was fine at home, it just meant keeping the channel volume lower. It's better to run the master volume maxed out, for some mythical reason that only BOSS seem to know about but it works.

When I was in the shop buying my 50, I found the size of the 100w 1x12 combo very easy to carry and would be fine to live with at home. The 50w I owned was positively small so the 100w 1x12 combo was just 'Normal' 1x12 combo size to my eyes.

For the money you can't really go wrong either.

Alnico

 @Chris777 .......how are you getting on with the 50w Katana you bought from me?
Your input here would be very valid as you're returning to playing electrics after quite some time away from it all ?

What's your impression of the 50w Katana?

Legionreturns

The 50w has 3 power settings: 50/25/0.5 
The 100w has 100/50/0.5 

I'm not convinced on the scaling though to be honest. I think the 0.5 is still very loud if you crank it and I've used it with a drummer. 

Definitely the best approach is to have the master set on full then adjust the channel volume to suit. The only drawback to this is if you're jamming with a baking track in the aux as that uses master volume. You have to adjust the volume with your other device our it's just too loud. 

I have the footswitch which I think is only for the 100w and upwards, and I have a volume pedal connected to that for adjusting on the fly when you change settings or channels, or for when I turn a pedal on or off. Works very well for me. 

Modellista

chickenchaser said:I'd also like to use a loop pedal with it but that puts me into the 100w range due to the effects loop.

You'd only need the effects loop for a looping pedal if you're using the on-board effects.

I've done loads of looping and never used/needed an effects loop, having said that my drives and delay are coming from pedals, not the amp.