Yet another bedroom and rehearsal amp advice thread...

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TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3132
edited October 2017 in Amps
After selling a few bits I’ve a couple of hundred in the paypal and am trying to work out what I really ‘need’. Despite the fact that GAS usually overwhelms my entire decision making process, I am trying to be sensible and a little more forward thinking than usual. 

Baby is almost here and I have often considered a ‘quieter’ amp for home use, cue the usual Yamaha thr and helix lt with headphone options (the latter being a several hundred more than I have to spend).

However, another consideration has come into play: the other week I had my first rehearsal with a country band on pedal steel and confirmed what I’d known for some time -my 18 watter is lush but not for pedal steel! So I wondered if there was a middle ground something that could cover both ‘bedroom’ and rehearsal (maybe even gig) use. Be used with both guitars and pedal steel.

My final realisation came came last night when I triouped off to the studio for the normal band and realised how little space that flipping child seat has left in the car after guitars and pedal board. Cue need an even smaller (dimension) combo -to be fair there’s a lot of wasted space on an 18 watter.

So, I’m left with two thoughts Boss Katana 50 (in budget, lightweight, different power levels and glowing reviews) or an amp I’ve wondered about a number of times the Award-session blues baby. I’ve noticed these come up secondhand for about 250 several times and have only heard positive opinions of them. For most factors (bar the bedroom option with the award-session) they both seem to tick the boxes of what I require. 

Thoughts, opinions, other suggestions, got one to move on, all would be wicked. Cheers!
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  • Assume a mini head and a cab you leave at home would be no use? Got a HT5R Head sitting around

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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3132
    It’s whether the HTR5 would meet the pedal steel need @Legionreturns got my doubts there but cheers all the same. It’s why I wonder if the increased wattage of the two mentioned above might be more practical?
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  • It’s whether the HTR5 would meet the pedal steel need @Legionreturns got my doubts there but cheers all the same. It’s why I wonder if the increased wattage of the two mentioned above might be more practical?
    Yeah I get that. Never tried obviously. I have run the HT5R through both a 2x12 and a 4x12 at gig volume and it works great and cuts through fine but never tried it on a 1x12 which I think is what's the norm for it.

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  • katana 50 goes down to 0.25w, i have the 100 and it has a 0.5w setting
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3132
    katana 50 goes down to 0.25w, i have the 100 and it has a 0.5w setting
    Which just seems a great practicality for home use. Gotta say I’m swayed in that direction -just wish it looked a little less ‘modern’.
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  • katana 50 goes down to 0.25w, i have the 100 and it has a 0.5w setting
    Which just seems a great practicality for home use. Gotta say I’m swayed in that direction -just wish it looked a little less ‘modern’.
    take the front badge off! i play my 100w combo at home on 0.5w and it still sounds great turned down low.
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  • darthed1981darthed1981 Frets: 11670
    Another vote for the Katana here, if doing gigs maybe go for the 100 but a lot of accounts say the 50 handles pub gigs just fine.

    If you have a Cab the Katana Head has a little speaker in it, so that might be an option to tick a lot of boxes?
    We have to be so very careful, what we believe in...
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  • mrkbmrkb Frets: 6637
    edited October 2017
    Another vote for the Katana here, if doing gigs maybe go for the 100 but a lot of accounts say the 50 handles pub gigs just fine.

    If you have a Cab the Katana Head has a little speaker in it, so that might be an option to tick a lot of boxes?
    Are you bringing that to the Northants jam @darthed1981 ?
    Karma......
    Ebay mark7777_1
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3132
    Certainly all the evidence and advice points towards the Katana.

    Having used valve amps over SS for so long I’m out of touch with the volume difference between the two. I know my all valve 18 watter never goes over 10pm on the master volume live and is usually quieter and miced up, so I’d imagine 50watts should do it. The days of deafening stage volumes being well behind me. :)
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  • mrkb said:
    Another vote for the Katana here, if doing gigs maybe go for the 100 but a lot of accounts say the 50 handles pub gigs just fine.

    If you have a Cab the Katana Head has a little speaker in it, so that might be an option to tick a lot of boxes?
    Are you bringing that to the Northants jam @darthed1981 ?
    I'll be bringing a katana head Mark. I'll just plug it into one of @Sasquatch_Bob ; cabs

    My Trading Feedback    |    You Bring The Band

    Just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3132
    Katana ordered, lets see how this pans out.

    Thanks for the advice folks.
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  • Musicman20Musicman20 Frets: 2296
    Definitely Katana.
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  • darthed1981darthed1981 Frets: 11670
    mrkb said:
    Another vote for the Katana here, if doing gigs maybe go for the 100 but a lot of accounts say the 50 handles pub gigs just fine.

    If you have a Cab the Katana Head has a little speaker in it, so that might be an option to tick a lot of boxes?
    Are you bringing that to the Northants jam @darthed1981 ?
    I'm bringing my Katana 50, not sure if it's backline material with some of the kit that's coming but I'm going to crank it to the max see how it keeps up :)

    I might fold and buy a head and cab  or a 2 x 12 by then and if I do I'll bring those :)
    We have to be so very careful, what we believe in...
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  • darthed1981darthed1981 Frets: 11670
    Katana ordered, lets see how this pans out.

    Thanks for the advice folks.
    I think you will be a happy camper - which one did you go for @Teyeplayer ; ??
    We have to be so very careful, what we believe in...
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3132
    Katana ordered, lets see how this pans out.

    Thanks for the advice folks.
    I think you will be a happy camper - which one did you go for @Teyeplayer ; ??
    Went for the 50. Just seems great value for money, and practical in terms of space/size needs.
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  • good call, i dropped on an almost new 100 combo for £155, i couldnt get in the car fast enough :smile: 
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3132
    Flipping heck @amarok1971 no wonder, I bet you drove away watching your mirrors to check you weren’t being followed! :)
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  • I certainly did! He was an old geezer who couldn't get to grip with these new fangled gadgets :smile:  It was a month old and had about an hour on it....
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  • andyozandyoz Frets: 718
    edited October 2017
    There has been a big buzz about Katana over here in Ireland since release.  It's finally filtered onto the Fretboard.  A few influencial players here posted amazing videos early days of what it could do.

    The only extra I suggest trying is a Tubescreamer type pedal into the front end.  I really couldn't tell it from a valve amp once I hit the sweet spot.
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3132
    Flipping heck, you guys weren’t kidding were you -this is so far from what I expected from modelling or a solid state amp in general. Even on half a watt there are some very decent sounds to be had. I’ve only had time for a 30 minute mess around but I am sorely tempted to return it and upgrade for the 100!

    Thank you all for your advice.
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