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Shown up by a Katana

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Holy guacamole.

ive just jammed with a mates band for the first time with a view to joining them. I don’t currently have a ‘gig rig’ but thought my set up was good enough; I’ve got an AMT R1 rectifier preamp, a poweramp and I hired a Marshall 4x12 from the studio. It sounded pretty good I must say...


... but not Katana good. That little s*** drowned me out, and I don’t mean in volume. At the same volume level it sounded bigger, fuller and more present. It just sounded brilliant. We’re only talking the 50w combo here too. I used to rehearse in the same studio with my old band and between me and the other guitarist we must have owned and used about 12 different valve amps in that studio, yet that was the best sound I’ve heard in that room. And the worst bit? I sold him the Katana after I bought it at the Northern guitar show because I decided it sounded like a small amp compared to my Marshall SL5. I am an idiot. Katanas have gone up in price too, but I’ll happily buy one again and lose the money just to teach myself a lesson.

Check out my band Coral Snake if you like original hard rock!

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Comments

  • olafgartenolafgarten Frets: 1648
    They are astonishing amps, I just played one last week and am going to buy one now. 
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  • notanonnotanon Frets: 604
    They actually cheese me off, the best I can get for my Marshall now is £40, which I need to sell as I have just bought one . . . And think it's great :-)
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  • VaiaiVaiai Frets: 530
    Boss actually shared my old band's recent vid as Steve the guitarists got a Katana. He has an white Bogner Uberschall but was getting fed up carrying it around! So he got the Katana and it's certainly loud enough!:

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  • VoxmanVoxman Frets: 4718
    That sounded pretty darned good!  Do you know how high he had the volume cranked? 
    Also, curious re the tracks - the first two I know (Free, Wishing Well & Bad Company, Ready for love) - but although I recognised the riff in the song at 6:15 I can't quite place it? 
    I started out with nothing..... but I've still got most of it left (Seasick Steve)
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  • VaiaiVaiai Frets: 530
    Voxman said:
    That sounded pretty darned good!  Do you know how high he had the volume cranked? 
    Also, curious re the tracks - the first two I know (Free, Wishing Well & Bad Company, Ready for love) - but although I recognised the riff in the song at 6:15 I can't quite place it? 
    Correct on those 2 - also a Steel Panther track and Whitesnake Still of the Night at 6:15
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31369
    I just bought a Katana and it sounds great now I've tweaked the overall EQ to give me more range on the panel controls.

    First gig with it is on Saturday, and I'm going to stick an EQ in the loop just in case it's radically different at volume. 
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  • NeilNeil Frets: 3594
    I can't believe the plaudits I have read for the Katana, seems like a fantastic amp and for very little money.

    One question, is the 50w version OK for home volumes, is the sound still as good?
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  • Modulus_AmpsModulus_Amps Frets: 2569
    tFB Trader
    Vaiai said:
    Boss actually shared my old band's recent vid as Steve the guitarists got a Katana. He has an white Bogner Uberschall but was getting fed up carrying it around! So he got the Katana and it's certainly loud enough!:

    Not one boss compact pedal on the floor though, they are killing there own business.....

    I would not expect anything really crap from Boss.... and at that price you would be rude not to get one


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  • andyozandyoz Frets: 718
    I just updated my head to v2 firmware (easy job) and low and behold the factory preset on Bank B, Channel1 is EVH 'Unchained' vibe...it's a fecken hoot.  The whole amp is!
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  • But Boss pedal business competes with decades of its own output because they generally last. I didn’t realise how cheap the Katanas were until recently, they could pretty much dominate the low end of the amp price spectrum with these given how many people seem to rave about them. 
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  • andyozandyoz Frets: 718
    edited October 2017
    Yes, I pity the competition.  Boss have deep pockets and can burn most of them off.

    The first think I noticed with the Katana is the low end thump you get out of it.  It's not the typical spikey/fizzy mess you'd expect.
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  • AdamskiAdamski Frets: 1278
    I really, really like the 100w 1x12. Cracking price too. 
    I have a Bogner and a Friedman and I am tempted to sell one and get the Katana as my second amp. I think if you get the Footswitch and EQ to taste in the computer, it’s a very versatile rig. 

    Its possibly the best sub £300 amp that has ever existed. 
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  • andyozandyoz Frets: 718
    I've got a Friedman as well and I turn the Katana head on all the time at home.

    When I do turn on the Friedman it does 'that' thing it does so well but the Katana is 80% (or whatever) of the way there and sometimes you just want an easy life.
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  • JayGeeJayGee Frets: 1254
    I’m not going to say it’s “game over”, but on the basis of my Katana 100 2x12” and our other guitarists Marshall Code 100 2x12” (yes I know there are other players in that space but I haven’t had a chance to play with a current generation Fender Mustang or a Blackstar ID) I’d have to say that the writing is definitely well and truly on the wall at the commodity end of the valve amp market. 

    It really is very hard for me to see why anyone would pay a premium for something like, say a Blackstar HT or Fender HRD (and accept the extra weight, relatively fragility, and maintenance requirements) when commodity priced modelling based stuff can be this good....
    Don't ask me, I just play the damned thing...
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  • Do these sound better with the internal speakers or will the hear sound good with a v30 2x12 for example?
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7672
    Neil said:
    I can't believe the plaudits I have read for the Katana, seems like a fantastic amp and for very little money.

    One question, is the 50w version OK for home volumes, is the sound still as good?

    I've got the 50w combo and TBH for me the 1/2w setting is plenty loud enough in my lounge, let alone the 25w or 50w.
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    JayGee said:
    I’m not going to say it’s “game over”, but on the basis of my Katana 100 2x12” and our other guitarists Marshall Code 100 2x12” (yes I know there are other players in that space but I haven’t had a chance to play with a current generation Fender Mustang or a Blackstar ID) I’d have to say that the writing is definitely well and truly on the wall at the commodity end of the valve amp market. 

    It really is very hard for me to see why anyone would pay a premium for something like, say a Blackstar HT or Fender HRD (and accept the extra weight, relatively fragility, and maintenance requirements) when commodity priced modelling based stuff can be this good....
    Good points but the HRD and BS HT's are actually pretty much maintenance free for years .... I mean capable of hundreds and hundreds of gigs with no attention at all and that comes from personal gigging experience. I'm sure the Katana will be fine, Boss stuff is generally well designed but when it comes to fixing any of the 3 amps in question the Katana would probably be the biggest nightmare :)

    I must say though I'm interested in trying one. I have played alongside another guy with one but I never paid any attention to how it sounded at the time
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • Do these sound better with the internal speakers or will the hear sound good with a v30 2x12 for example?
    I use the head through a 2x12 Harley Benton with v30s. Once you dial it in it's breathtaking. For a combined spend of under £450 (The HB cabs are readily available second hand for a hundred or less) I genuinely don't think it can be beaten.

    My Trading Feedback    |    You Bring The Band

    Just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you
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  • MayneheadMaynehead Frets: 1782
    Vaiai said:
    Boss actually shared my old band's recent vid as Steve the guitarists got a Katana. He has an white Bogner Uberschall but was getting fed up carrying it around! So he got the Katana and it's certainly loud enough!:

    It sounds OK, but not amazing. Quite mid focused, nice for leads but makes the rhythm sound boxy and narrow. I like my amp to sound wide and open, with a crisp top end and a bit of umph in the bottom.

    Might just be the settings, but I wouldn't say it was the perfect live amp.
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534

    I'm interested in trying the 50 as a fun "everything else" sound box compliment to my way-too-thought-out-and-expensive main rig.

    I did pick up a Katana Mini a few weeks ago, I know not the same thing, but after the initial "that sounds pretty good for it's size" novelty has worn off, I think it sounds pretty poor TBH. Just sounds flat in clean and low gain and middy and honky in high gain. Probably best I don't sell it on here after those comments!

    And I do have realistic expectations, for example I'm a fan of the Blackstar Fly.

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