Amp, Guitar, and some general inquiry from a beginner

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ruebsdruebsd Frets: 0
Hey guys,
Just another newbie looking to get started on this wonderful journey.
I have two questions though, and was wondering if anyone would be kind enough to give me some advice and suggestions.

AMP:  
While blues is the primary sound I'm after and definitely the highest in terms of priority, however, being a beginner who has yet to played around with the various tones or discovered his own tone, I'm thinking of finding an amp with some solid good blues tone but one that is versatile and well rounded enough   that'll allow me to play music in other genres as well (pretty much anything other than metal). The particular tones i like are: Mateus Asato's, David Gilmour's, Gary Moor's, John Mayer's, SRV's, (clean tone, blues, jazz, classic rock, blues-rock, etc). 

How's the Boss katana 100? 
I found these youtube videos of someoen using it and I'm quite impressed to be honest: 
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[MEDIA=youtube]8wQyaSAdqOc[/MEDIA]
Would the Boss katana 100 be a good one to consider?  What are some other ones I should perhaps look into or consider? THR10? I've heard a lot of praises on this amp as well, but the volume on it is quite low right as its main purpose is as a quiet practice amp? Can it even play loud enough for me to enjoy and get that full immersion while playing? (I wont be performing live or anything, so the amp will be mainly for home use, but at the same time, I would love for it to be loud enough so I can get that full guitar experience while playing and listening.) And while THR10 does sound pretty good from its direct recording through the USB, i wonder if the actual playing experience will be dramatically less enjoyable than an amp with perhaps a bit more volume?  
Anyways, let me know if you have any other suggestions! 

Guitar:
Ibanez RG220b (1998)
Got this guitar for free from someone (will be taking it to a guitar shop to make sure everything works and get it re-stringed and setup correctly). This is primarily a metal guitar right? Does anyone by any chance have some experience with it or know if it's capable of at least producing somewhat of an enjoyable blues sound?   
Since it's a free guitar, I figured I would use it to learn enough until I am ready for something a little better, but at the same time, I'm somewhat afraid that it's just going to sound like crap and affect my motivations to play - hopefully not. D 
Here are its specs: 
It does have a floyd rose tremolo bridge, these are a pain when it comes to changing strings right?  

If anyone have any other recommendations or tips, I'm all ears! Good strings to use, picks, or learning materials (books, youtube) that you would recommend?

Sorry for the lengthy post and thanks in advance!
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Comments

  • Both great choices. 
    You will find in time it’s more the player than the guitar that makes the difference. 

    But you have great options there, vastly better than what I learned on to start, rest assured your gear is good. 
    " Why does it smell of bum?" Mrs Professorben.
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  • jdgmjdgm Frets: 850
    The Boss Katana 50 would be equally as good for your purposes and is more than loud enough.

    Get the guitar set up with .009 or .010 strings  - D'Addario or Ernie Ball are 2 good brands - and explain to the set up guy that you are not going to use the trem much and you want it to stay in tune. Yes you can play blues on it and you will probably use the neck pickup more. Have you got a guitar tuner? You will need one.

    Good luck!   =)
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  • FuengiFuengi Frets: 2849
    Immersion - at least a 10" speaker I'd say you'd be fine.
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  • HAL9000HAL9000 Frets: 9553
    Katana is a great amp choice, and will sound good at anything from bedroom volumes all the way up to small gigs. I'd agree with @jdgm that the 50W version would be more than loud enough.

    Never owned an Ibanez but regularly used a borrowed one some years ago. My memory is that it was nicely built and had a very fast neck. Maybe a bit too 'metal' for my tastes but nonetheless a good instrument that should serve you well until you find something more 'bluesy'.
    I play guitar because I enjoy it rather than because I’m any good at it
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  • Not really much I can add here that hasn't been said already. I've got a Katana 50 and I'd heartily recommend it. If you were to go for the THR10 though, yes it would definitely get loud enough for you to immerse yourself in the sound 
    Too much gain... is just about enough \m/

    I'm probably the only member of this forum mentioned by name in Whiskey in the Jar ;)

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  • Agree, Katana 50 is more than plenty for at home.  But sufficient for jamming with friends or a small pub gig in a month or two time when you are competent !  Ibanez is a great starter.
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  • DeeTeeDeeTee Frets: 764
    The Katana 100 has more channels, an effects loop, extra footswitch capability, and a slightly better speaker. The only pedal I have with it is a wah, and that goes in front of the amp, so the loop isn't an issue for me. I couldn't justify the extra expense for the other differences, because they weren't too relevant for me.
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  • Simon_MSimon_M Frets: 542
    I have a Katana 100. It’s brilliant. The tonal capabilities of such a small amp at the price is just unrivalled. The 50W version will do you fine - I only really got the 100W version for the fx loop and extra channels. It’s very loud!

    I tried a few modelling products around the time the original Line6 Pod came out (early 2000s maybe?) and a few amps with built in fx and was fairly underwhelmed. After that I purely used valve based tanks until I bought my Katana. I can only imagine the quality of high end modelling now when a reasonably inexpensive amp like the Katana sounds like this good.
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  • baldybaldy Frets: 195
    edited January 2019
    Another vote for the Katana 50, I have one, & your Ibanez will be fine.
    Watch this youtube video from Dave Simpson if you want to know what tones you can get from the Katana 50 itself, without even using the tone lab app

    In the video he suggests amp settings for various tones including Gary Moore, SRV & Peter Green which might interest you.
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  • I'm also a Katana 50 owner and agree it's a great amp.  

    “Theory is something that is written down after the music has been made so we can explain it to others”– Levi Clay


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  • dazzajldazzajl Frets: 5654
    The only thing I’d add to all the good advice is you might want to look at getting your own guitar sometime soon. The Ibby will be absolutely grand and play anything you want. 

    BUT...

    Taking up any instrument can be a bit of a slog at the beginning. Working through newbie frustration will be easier if you’re emotionally attached to thing you’re playing. So if the one you have only feels like a generic tool to you, consider getting one you want to just gaze at whenever you’re not able to be playing it. 

    Its all about the love and nothing much to do with the gear 
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  • steersteer Frets: 1161
    I have a THR10, and it is plenty loud enough for home practice, which is really what it is mainly designed for. It sounds good at modest volume levels, which is ideal for practice. . You would only need louder if you were actually in a band competing against bass and drums.

    Not played a Katana, but everyone semes to love them .

    Either amp seems like a good choice.
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