Bantana? Katandit? Bandikatana?!

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Since re-taking up playing about year ago I've been playing straight into a little Blackstar ID:Core practice amp, no pedals or anything like that. It's served me well, but I'm looking to move on.

I'm wanting to branch out a bit, and after debating between pedals and multi-FX I have decided to go multi-FX for their sheer versatility and built in looper option. I'm now starting to jam with others so need something that can make a decent amount of volume, and potentially play in small pub gigs at some point down the line if all goes well.

When searching here and elsewhere for best solid state/digital amps for me to upgrade to, the words Bandit and Katana seem to crop up over and over again. From what I gather, the Katana is obviously the en vogue new kid on the block, and seems to be the dog's danglies from everything I've read about it. The Bandit is the wily old veteran that can still potentially show the young uns a few tricks. I'm sure both are great amps in their own right.

My question is, which would serve me best as a decent volume clean amp to help me make the most of a multi-FX pedal, and potentially a more traditional pedal board set up in the future?  Anyone got real-world experience of both? Thanks in advance for your advice/opinions!

(BTW I know the new price of the Bandit is WAY higher than the Katana, but I'll be looking at the 2nd hand market)

monquixote

If you want to have a platform for a multi I'd go bandit.

Personally I'd ditch the multi and just use the Katana and built in fx.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

monquixote said:

If you want to have a platform for a multi I'd go bandit.

Personally I'd ditch the multi and just use the Katana and built in fx.

OK, one vote for the Bandit.

I see your point on the Katana, but I'm wanting something with a built in drum machine and looper, plus an expression pedal. 

I should have also said in the first post, if anyone wants to suggest anything else other than the Bandit and Katana, I'm all ears.

monquixote

I'd get a Katana and a zoom G3 but use them separately

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Well I've hopefully blagged myself a dirt cheap 2nd hand Digitech RP360XP from the internet that should be coming next week, so I'll be giving that a bit of trial for the time being to see how I get along with it. Obviously if I hate the tones it delivers I'll flip it and probably go down the Katana only route, but I'm hoping I'll get on with it and not need to move it on!

usedtobe

They’re both fine amps.

Sassafras

I'd go for the tried and tested Bandit but then I'm a Luddite.

DesVegas

I love my Bandit but then it us the only amp I've owned (except for a no name 10 watter I use at home) i guess wait until you gear from @ICBM
The Katana might well save you a fortune and heartache if you go down the pedal rabbit hole.

Legionreturns

I used to run a katana with a traditional pedal board, with a few boss pedals saved into the channel slots switchable using the GAFC. I've recently cleared out all the pedals and gone mfx with a pod hd 500. Both worked absolutely brilliantly. I've got a friend with a bandit and he runs a combination of pedals and the built in effects using the foot controller. It also sounds great. It weighs a lot more than the katana but other than that I can't say one is better than the other. On that basis, and with the price of the katana on the rise I'd say it'll probably cost you less over the life of your ownership. 

FYI re drums, I use a trio+ with my katana and that's great too. 

ICBM

DesVegas said:

I love my Bandit but then it us the only amp I've owned (except for a no name 10 watter I use at home) i guess wait until you gear from @ICBM

The Bandit is a great amp - one of the best old-school analogue solid state amps there is, in any version. It's extremely reliable as well as being good-sounding and with plenty of volume. Earlier versions are probably best for clean sounds with pedals, Transtube version have good overdrive channels too.

I have still to try a Katana also I can't really comment, but they're getting almost universally great reviews.

midlifecrisis

ive had an old bandit, teal stripe and it was great. i currently have a katana which i gig regularly, i use the onboard effects but the zoom g3 sounds great through it too.  For me the katana sounds less solid state than the bandit, plus its a bit lighter to carry.