Can a Boss Katana Beat a Tube Amp like a Mesa Boogie? 

Actually, a Katana MKII 100w 1-12 has retired my Mesa MKV. What sounds good or bad, right or wrong can be highly subjective. My Katana sounds great on it's own merit, and doesn't need to prove itself against a boutique amp. The build quality of the Mesa is tough to top. On the other hand, I can't haul 75 lb. amps around any more, and the Katana is much more versatile in my experience. The one thing I don't like on the Katana is the delay times are in MS rather than BPM. How do you tap tempo a dotted 8th in MS? If you use the tap switch in tempo, you're changing MS values, not BPM. So I still have to use my trusty TC Nova Delay in the effects loop. Playing since 1966.

I believe the katana is one of the best amps for the money. I bought it as an intro to effects. Within a year I had a full pedalboard and was just running it clean. Still loved it. And like Beebs said, the acoustic capability is handy. Being able to maintain clarity at low volumes is also VERY handy. As always magnificent playing!

Another great comparison, with superb playing. I used to have a Mesa Boogie Triple Crown combo, and then bought a Katana 50 Mkii combo and was blown away, I promptly sold both, and upgraded to a Katana Artist Mkii combo with more facilities and a better speaker. I don't miss anything about the Boogie at all. However, once you delve into the depths of the software it's easy to lose sight of actual playing when tempted to keep trying to create "better" sounds.

Funnily enough, Kirk Hammett used a Boss Katana on Blackened 2020 instead of his usual Mesa Boogie. Sounded just as good to my ears. Great video🎸

I have to add: though your videos are interesting on many levels, the main reason I keep listening is your beautifully conceived and executed musical phrasing in your playing. The reason I love it so much is that before I heard you play it , I heard sounds like that in my head for a long time. I haven't been able to channel this into my playing, nor have I heard anybody else (hardly) that does it well, so it's kind of combination of discovery and recognition that I hear in what you play. I absolutely love it!

I was sure A was the valve amp!!! Is sounded so natural and smooth. Amp B was fizzy at the top but still great. I'm a Marshall guy so maybe thats why I liked A but wow I'm already buying a Katana!

I could tell in 10 seconds Amp A is the Katana. You can tell because of the lack of dynamics. I bought one and sold it after a couple months. It lacks in the very top high end and the low bottom. It's hard to explain but when compared to a tube amp in the room the difference is noticeable. It also does not feel like a tube amp to play. I recorded a song direct to my interface using the 1/4" out with the stock IR and it sounded weird. I ended up re-recording all those parts with another amp. It's a dang good amp for the money but it's just not the same as a tube amp.

I have been using the Katana MK2 Artist 100 head through a Marshall Cab for a month now. I can honestly say and so can all the guys in our band that the Katana Artist stands up to just about anything I've used before, that includes the EVH 100-watt 6L6 head. Were a bunch of OG's so this isn't coming from kids playing in their first band.

I have to say, in every instance, the Katana sounded tighter and less flabby. I thought it was the M/B. If all I had to go on was these demos, I'd pick the Katana. Very impressive.

The Katana stock is very clear with lots of definition at the high end. I think what people miss is the "warmth" of the Mesa, for example, where there is less definition at the highs. A different speaker suits some people's taste better, from what I've read about it. Love my 100W Katana, very versatile for this non-pro.

Your talent makes up for any difference in the two amps. It's all in the hands. Money can't buy that. Keep up the good work!

I have a decent tube amp (Fender Bassbreaker 30r), which I'm more than happy with, however I couldn't resist purchasing a Katana as a practice amp. Turns out I'm gonna be using the Katana for certain occasions live

I bought the Katana 1 year ago and I absolutely love it. The sounds it brings are beautiful, both clean and lead sounds. The effects are infinite and with the computer app you can access millions of effects of excellent quality. Currently I use it as the best pedal platform I ever dreamed of: JHS morning glory - JHS AT - Katana with delays and reverbs configured as used by Andy Timmons. I have never been happier with my tone!.

I have a Katana Artist MkII and it has proven to be exactly what I needed. It has a huge array of available built in sounds which take a while to investigate and get used to to find what you need. For me and my gigs I cannot see the point in downloading any of the available sounds. I find the reduced weight of the Katana fantastic. My other 2X12 combo's are extremely heavy. One of the Great things about the Katana is it so easy to use at home or in the studio as you can still get the tones at a very reduced level. The reason I have the Artist is for the front facing controls for ease of access. It will also work well with pedals that I have tried but they are not needed for me other than the occasional compressor. I love the optional foot pedal that enables me to set up a number of different sounds and turn on and off the effects. However I do need my feet to stand on not to dance around pedals!!! My other amps are a Fender Twin, Fender Bassbreaker 45 and Vox AC30, now hardly used.

Great video on the Katana, they are getting a lot of attention lately. BTW I listen to the Studio Rats all the time, someone mentioned your name on the live chat to Paul, of course they were flattered and also fans of your work. Would be amazing to see you drop in some Wednesday to their YT live show at 8pm on Wednesday UK time.

I have 2 Katana Artist Mk2 amps and have gigged them live and they work fine HOWEVER… I have gone back to a BlackStar Club 40 valve combo because the feel and and drive is definitely different which I find more pleasing. The 40 headroom is fine for stage as is the Katana which has massive volume and take heads off. I just like the smoothness of the valve drive and it takes my pedals beautifully. Thanks for your great videos John,

Both do their things right. And the Katana is simply stunning! Via Contour you get basically 4 different Amps (including Off), you can add EQ's on In's and Out's or the whole Amp, you have different recording Options (incl. USB) and they sound damn close to the mic'd up Amp (done some comparisions - personally prefering the Live Air feel + Stock Custom Settings) and at least the Artist Series (which i own) has a very decent Speaker built in. Not to mention the Power Amp which goes from 0.5W to 50W to full 100W - and this damn thing is LOOOOUUUD! The Mesa on the other hand is a legendary tube Amp. But for the Money and possibilities i will always go with the Katana!

I’ve been a Katana Mk2 50 user since it came out. My take: if you try in a band setting you need to dial the mids WAY back to get the same tones you hear at home. But I guess that’s the same for a lot of valve-like amps that aren’t actually valve. At home, the sound this thing produces is perfect. I couldn’t ask for anything better. I’m going to add a 2x12 100w Katana or the Artist head to my arsenal and incorporate the GA-FC EX foot switch. Really excited for that.

I gave up making my Katana 100 into the other names out there. I dialed in tones I liked and used those and have never been happier. It’s not a Mesa, Fender, Marshall or Vox, it’s me on a Katana and I really love what it does.

WOW! I was fooled...I also thought A was the real thing (probably because I preferred its sound!). B had that wooly/buzzy sound on lower strings which I always associate with digital emulation (plugin or hardware).

I picked the difference and you were spot on in your description. Katana had less bass and the Mesa had more dimension to the way it breaks up. I use a Katana mkii with a HX Stomp via the power amp input at home and super happy with it.

I'm sure that the difference in the sound are because the tube amp delivers an inconsistent (ie :dynamic) "sweep" through the frequencies so the bass takes longer to be compressed, amplified and expanded so the finer details of the high end are less likely to be masked as a result of being compressed rather arbitrarily flat , to make processing easier, but having all frequencies available to the ear by being staggered as they would be in nature, therefore more downloadable to the human ear as a more detailed and sculpted shape to the front edge of the sound...sort of!!!

I honestly really like the sound of both. I slightly prefer what I consider to be less harshness in the Mesa, and more low end. But really I could use either and love it.

With judicous use of all the various 10-band and parametric EQs available on the Katana, it can be made to sound like anything, either home, studio or live. The SOLO function even has its own dedicated EQ (+ also dedicated delay on the Mk2 Artist). For me, what seems to be very overlooked and under-appreciated on the Katana is the PRESENCE control. I don't hear many people talking about it in the context of tone, but it can colour the dialled-in tones more subtly than the EQs and make a good tone into a great tone very quickly.

Thanks John another outstanding vid, beautiful playing! As someone who played only tube amps for fifty years, and just recently started exploring modelers and digital amps I can say there are definitely differences, but they get smaller year by year! For an old guy who can't lug around a Marshal stack or a young musician that can't afford a boutique tube amp, the digital stuff is amazing! Like someone else commented, just the fact that so many are comparing the digital amps/modelers to the tube amps is telling! The weight, price, maintenance and sound makes the digital stuff a great value! Thanks again John!

Great comparison video John and great playing as well. Always diggin' on your EJ inspired creations. This is the most clear cut comparison I've heard so far finding a clear contrast almost entirely on just the top strings between the attack and natural tube amp sag happening at 4:20 with the Mesa that drastically changes to a bit of digital stiff harshness at 4:24 when switched to the Katana. That captured it for me right there. Although nowhere near as harsh and brittle as some of the latest digital 'hoozy whatzits' on the market, still noticeable. The low's and mid's comparison however was scary close between the two. It's the high register that reveals the weakest link in modeling to date so far, ...I think. If and when these modeling creators get a handle on simulating all that rich harmonic magic that amps and tubes create naturally in the high register (and they will eventually),..will be a good day. Will likely grab one of these heads anyway since it will serve a needed purpose. Great channel and great playing!!

great vid! the katana held its own to my ear.mesa sounded a bit fuzzy on the low end notes.great tones again sir.impressive that katana!cheers

I used the mk 11 head through a mesa 2x12 halfback live for a year after I got tired of being told to turn down my jcm 2000. After the katakana I used a evh 5150 stealth 50w, and then an SLO-30. In all honesty the katakana head gave me the best live tone, and experience out of all of them. As well as the best live tone I recorded from that band. I am now on my 4th version because I keep selling/ trading them, and regretting it. Gear math is hard....

I've probaby done about 300 gigs with the boss katana 112 100 watt first version. I have customized the eq and use it as a pedal platform. The weight was my main reason to ditch the tube amps. Sometimes in 2 guitar band settings if the other guitarist has a bigger cabinet they are playing thru then my Katana will sound a bit weak in comparison. But a lot of that low cab resonance you feel on stage doesn't really translate out very far and doesn't make much of a difference if playing with a bass player. I've used it for solo acoustic gigs, large club stages, pop, rock and metal. Metal is the only style I'm not as satified with for live use. In my experience the more money a gig is paying the less loud my amp can be and the more I am running thru the PA and volume is controlled by an engineer, so a lot of that extra presence from a bigger, low resonant cabinet doesn't get to be utilzed.

Recorded, the difference is unnoticeable. Using modelers/digital amps live however, to me feels differentfrom tubes (for the player - certainly not for the audience). I used to play live with a Kemper, and it just could keep up with the other guitarists Blues Deluxe in terms of “sonic presence” on stage - it’s hard to put into words. But yI definitely felt the difference. Went back to tubes, never looked back.

I love the sound of the Katana! I had a Blackstar tube amp, but sold it to buy a Katana MK1. Then I sold the Katana to buy an amp modeller, 'cause it is easier to gig with. But I really missed my Katana, so I got a MK2! Now I use it as an FRFR speaker, going into the power amp input via my amp modeller and it sounds AMAZING! I feel I've hit the sweet spot regarding tone and flexibility.

Love that you’re doing some Katana vids. I’ve been gigging an Artist combo for about a year now. I’ve mostly been using it as a pedal platform, but with “preamp”-style pedals (BE-OD and Vox Mystic Edge)… for that application, I actually prefer the acoustic channel. It’s really just a flat-ish preamp, so it lets the preamp pedals do their thing without much color from the amp’s preamp, other than anything you might do with the amp EQ (pretty useful). Lately, though, I’ve been working on getting some gig-worthy patches from the Katana on its own. I’ve found a few that I really enjoy, and I’m starting to work them into my gig sounds. My faves are the Brown (variation) with the Mid-Boost from the booster section for leads, and the Clean (variation) with or without boosts for nearly everything else. Those have translated best, at gig volume, for me. Thus far, it’s more flexible, durable, consistent, and far easier to replace than my tube amps… and it’s most of the way there, tonally. It doesn’t have that weird, “plastic-y” feeling that I’ve experienced with loud solid-state amps… It feels natural, to me. The one thing I’m still working on, though, is getting it to “poke out” better at gig volume. I feel like I need to have my overall volume a bit higher than I’m used to, to get to my desired “spot” in the mix. I’m still getting used to the high end from the amp, and I think that is where the answer lies. I haven’t yet dived into the global EQs in the app, so I need to get to work on that. My $0.02… this is absolutely a gig-worthy beast (so, so loud if it needs to be). It’s not perfect, but it’s close enough for me to the extent that its flexibility/capability more than make up for its shortcomings. My tube amps are mostly sitting at home, for the moment.

B was clearly the tube amp because it had the flexy tube compression on harder picking. It sounded better to me by far. The katana sounded a bit stiff and 2 dimensional. I have 2 boogies and the katana artist. I love them all. The artist combo clean channel is super sweet and hi fi for the money, it has good built in effects, and only weighs 42 lbs and costs 1/4 of a boogie. I would experiment with a tube preamp/drive running over 200 volts like a Kingsley in front for lead stuff on the artist.

I just did a video on changing the grill cloth on a katana so nobody knows… if they don’t read BOSS they’ll think it’s $3,000! Also. Incredible playing….. that helps too.

Could hear the warmness from the mesa from the opening a/b. Yes, the katana is amazing for what it is, but there’s no comparison.

After two hernia operations, I stopped using my Rivera Hundred Duo Twelve 100 and bought a Katana 100. Very pleased with it. I use it live for every job. It has plenty of volume. I boosted the effects send to 75% and it has enough power to use the amp on .5 watts.

I've been gigging with Katana 100w heads for years now. Got the MKII a year or so ago. Love it. (I thought I'd try a pedal thing and bought a POD GO. Hate it.) Just included a TC Electronics Impulse IR loader in the Katana FX loop and it's amazing. Installed some Celestion IRs and just sheer joy for the direct PA feed as well as everything else. The amp has been incredible, but with the Impulse, it's all that and some more better. I don't use global EQ. I hate the idea. Just get a good amp and go with it. I hate fussing over tone controls too much. But that's just me. Katana is it and I can't see any reason to look further, especially now with the Impulse box. My in-ears never sounded better.

I have the Katana and having the ability to plug in to my computer is legendary.

A tube amp would smoke the Katana in a band situation. Tubes are way louder. However, the Katana is much more versatile and does so much more. I own a Katana and many other amps. When it comes to choosing an amp for gigs, I take my Marshall because I know it will get the job done and be able to cut through any mix. Still, I love my Katana and have gigged it a few times with good success.

That is the most honest and fair comparison so far.

Its nice that people can get into a decent amp with effects and a guitar for less than $500 these days.

Reverb on the intro clips helped me identify the Mesa. It would have been more difficult to distinguish for me if you had no reverb. I have a Katana head and a Mesa Mark 5:25. I love them both. The only difference is that if the Mesa fails, I'll pay to fix it. If the Katana fails it will go to the landfill and I might buy a new one.

I was able to match my EVH 50W sound perfectly sound and feel wise with a Katana. It did require a bit of a deep dive, the use of an additional gate pedal in front of the amp, and subtle use of the built in gate due to dirty power here in Asia. Love the little beast! I roll back the volume to clean up and change volume as I go for gain needed. Contrary to what maybe common sense with the amp. I use the crunch channel. This gives me all the detail. I put the internal Tube Screamer in the chain before the gain stage( Just like a normal amp getting hit from the front end ). The gain presets seemed to compress to much especially as you turn up. You will loose definition and fight to cut through with them. Use you ears and experiment.

Katana has better clarity/definition but seems sterile and cold. Mesa sounds warm and natural but also wooly, fizzy and slightly flubby. I'd need to cut lows before that Mesa (always the case with Mesa). But after doing so...might be my choice for recording. Live though, I go with whatever is lightest and allows easy play feel, sound quality is lower on the list (usually modeller into PA without amp). I think you have a good point about the more complex tone of the Mesa being easier to hear in a live setting. The take-away for me is to try loosenig/fattening up my modeler preset into something I might not normally like by itself, but less likely to be lost in a live mix.

Excellent playing John Thanks for making this video. I have similar beasts. Yes, I agree about capturing the actual sound. My Mesa has a focus about 10 ft away. Sure, it fills a room and both supports and cuts through a mix, depending on what it required. I so love it! It's got so many options. My Katana Head is even more versatile, especially for gigs where I'm predominantly playing in the background. It takes pedals so brilliantly well in addition to all the connection capability, which is so, so very good. It's even easier with the optional GA-FC. You don't need to take pedals which is great if you're on and off stage reasonably quickly, it's so efficient.

Been playing 30 years and I'll say this. When i bought the katana based on the hype i was a bit disappointed. Just played my POD through it until i got into the software and tweaking and boy was i surprised at the tones i was getting out of it. Ive had and played many tube amps and it has replaced all my gear with exception of the looper and reverb. It may lack some of the character or tone bleed of some of the amps but it's a friggen chameleon and can do anything 90% as good as anything else if not better. Most of us semi professional to even the pros could use this amp with no problems and i have to admit. I really love this amp.

This is encouraging. I’m looking at getting a Katana. Also, awesome to shout out The Studio Rats. Great channel

Could watch u play all day dude. So nice as well as being so incredibly sick. Freakin phenomenal. U should cut an Album. I’d buy it right now.

Owned a Katana 50. For me the very fact that the Katana is mentioned in the same breath as much more expensive amps is enough. For gigging, ran clean with a pedalboard its amazing, then for recording you've got the versatility of a modeller with, as you say, ballpark valve tones. Was always a no brainer...... until I stopped gigging. Now? I'm realising I stick to a few core, favourite tones (mostly Marshall), so the zero compromise solution for me was just to go out and get a DSL1, which works better in this limited scenario although has nowhere near the versatility.

Just the thing that you are comparing Katana and Friedman is a big thing! Look at the price difference! In that segment, were the Katana is placed, Katana has won the gold medal. Thanks for a great video, keep up the good work!

I moved to using Katana’s live and in the studio once I purchased the mk1 100. I have since got hold of an Artist mk2. This I love and play it all the time. I have used it as a pedal platform as well as having multiple patches setup inside it. For live use I recommend that you use GAFC controller so you can switch between patches, turn effects on and off etc. overall a great sounding amp that is more versatile than any other amp I have or have had. Incidentally I figured that A was the Katana in the intro comparison as I recognised the sound. I did also like the Mesa sound but way too expensive for my needs. Great video BTW

The cool thing about the Katana is that you don't have to swap it for your tube amp. Just add it to the collection. Boom!

Ive been gigging with a katana 50 mkll for several years and have gotten through without any hassles...ive even gotten compliments about the nice tone...im now using a headrush frfr108 with it and people cant believe the sound i get...mean while i dont carry large cabs to sound super at any size gig.

I am mega impressed with the string to string definition of the Katana, been looking into buying one for about a year, I'm all in at this point!! I'm 66 and been playing tube amps my entire life, nuff said! Btw, love your playing.

I've finally found a valve amp which is a Katana beater . It's about same size as a mk2 100w combo and you get to choose between either 6L6 or EL34 valves .. This valve amp cost more than a Katana but not like 3 x as much.. This valve amp is as technically cuting edge as the katana is and will surely be setting a new standard for all other valve amp manufacturers . This tiny 50watt light weight amp is the Black Star st james amp combo or head and cab.... Friggin unbelievable amp

Oh interesting, we didn't talk about this. But yea, the crunch channel was my fav for amp overdrive, and yea that boosted is a pretty decent full tone. The lead and brown channels whilst good tonally felt a little bit more aenemic. Clean and crunch though have more of that low end the mesa has perhaps.

I gig with a pub rock covers band with Artist MKII. Very happy with it, also you can set up some global eq setting at home and then try them out live with a simple button press without being committed to that sound. The waza speaker makes a big difference as does the more solid cab of the Artist. I swaped the grill cloth for fender cloth, put a learher handle on and changed the corner protectors to chrome…. People think I have a boutique amp. The solo function is v useful for spotlight time. I am definitely. NOT famous😂

It’s pretty easy to figure out which is which. A (Katana) has a harshness to it. Somewhat of a brittle sound. B (Boogie) seems more warm or smooth. Tubes have a feel or tone that is polished / pleasing. Digital has a harshness or shrillness that has yet to be eliminated from these types of amps. I own a katana and it is a descent amp but by no means does it compare to my high end tube higher end tube amps

I would be willing to bet that a lot of famous players own Katanas and could very well rely on them for practice/rehearsal amps or at the least, a backup. why we don't see them on stage is probably because modelers seem to be king these days and most famous artists have road crews to haul racks with guitar heads. But as James Lugo said in his video, the Katana combo is a hugely popular gigging amp in Nashville because it's got everything in one grab and go package. I've got an Artist MKI combo and MKII head and I would agree with him. Having everything in one fairly easy to carry 1x12 combo and just running a TRS cable to the GAFC controller or a midi cable to a midi controller is a dead simple setup that's taken me all of 2 minutes to collect and be ready to sound check. Edit: The low frequency issue you mention with the Katana is something that can and should be addressed with the software's 10 band EQ. It is incredibly powerful.

That's amazing tone out of both amps. hey, i like your playing too. I also would have cut a little bass out of the Mesa and ended up with the Katana tone. i used a Vht 12/20 RT (6L6) with Rob Robrobinette mods, a few pedals, and a 4x12 cab to achieve my tones. For gigging i used a pedal board and DI into the mixer. Obtained my Boss Katana 100 mrkii about 6 months ago and found that, over time, I could get ALL of my tones out of the Katana. I even added 2 new tones, Jeff Beck and Gary Moore (still got the blues). So now I use the Katana and the rest is collecting dust. I've found too that you have to adjust your tone to match the venue anyway, and the Katana makes that an easy task. Thank you so much for your videos. Excellent job!!!

There is a reason the Katana is the biggest selling amp over the past 5 years or so. It does a lot of things well. I had one and couldn't fault it. Takes pedals well, sounds great both at home and live. As guitarists we constantly chase tone and feel, most crowds don't care, so in a live situation it stands up well. For £350, you can't really go wrong.

“A” is definitely the real amp. Now I’m going to watch the rest of the video. I hope I’m not embarrassing myself!

Excellent video, thank you. I have a Mesa F-50 and a Boss Katana 100w. Your observations are accurate, by my experience. I did add a back to the Katana to close it and that's added some punch. I really like the Katana, it does take some tweaking in Tonestudio and the boosters and I'm very happy with it. I also will use an A/B switcher and run them both when I can and the combination is great. I find running it loud, attenuated at 100w sounds best to my ear. I'm not a fan of all the little lights and knobs and multi functions but the Katana does a lot with it and the end result makes it worth it. At 22 pounds and with the GAFC and an expression pedal, it's a great amp and a great value.

The thumbnail made me think Lionel messi was about to tell me about the katana🤣🤣

Funny at the end the Boogie loses note definition on the lower strings and the Katana has clarity. 😮

I have a Katana MK II 100 head I run though 2X12 cab with Celestion vintage 30s and it sounds amazing. If I could only have one amp, this would be it. It can do it all.

I thought that A was the Katana and B was the Mesa. The Katana is still very usable but there was an energy to the Mesa that I definitely prefer. Modeling and inexpensive amps have come a long way but I’m definitely of the opinion that every guitarist should own at least one tube amp (preferably a Mesa but I am definitely an amp snob)

I have checked out quite a few new style amps and found most can achieve the sound you are looking for. You have to spend time experimenting with the settings, understand any configurable modulations and refine to your preferred sound. Most gigs now mic up your amp so the age of massive stacks are gone. My son has the Fender GTX100, this is a beast and very loud but it never needs to be more than 4 on volume. The power is simply not needed. Also we found with valve amps is that they do sound different at full volume and really hard to beat. However, the new modulating amps can replicate that max sound at much lower volume. The katana MK1 & 2 are a fantastic set of amps by Boss but you only need the 50w. The new Blackstar amps are also equally as good. Not knocking the Mesa boogies, they are at the top but very expensive. You paying for years of development and research. But in its shadow are all these new amps that are much cheaper. Do your set up with your own amp, take time to squeeze out the best and stick with it. Remember, pick ups also make a massive difference to your sound.

Katana fan since I bought the first of the 100w. I no longer yearn for actual tube driven amps. I’ve had a few but the katana does it all for my requirements. I only use the onboard effects, binned the pedal board in favour of a GF-FC… that was 5 years ago, still going strong. I’m a rhythm player/vocalist so, perhaps, not one to chase tone as a lead player might do…. Having said that our lead guitarist, a long time tube aficionado, has binned his stuff in favour of a Tech21 Fly-rig (Kotzen) into a Matrix power amp and FRFR cab.

Very nice informative video! My nephew has a MKII 100 combo. It's great for practising and recording. But as you say, it does not have the oomph on the low notes nor the way notes envelop and bloom on a good tube amp, like my Rockerverb. I think the Katana's bandwith might narrower, resulting in a boxier sound. I've done quite some big open air gigs last summer. I wonder if the Katana could hold on in such situations. That said, for this money the portable Katana is unbeatable in his class. Good sounds, loads of effects, enough presets, easy to dial in and a smart footswitch. I might get me a MK II head, as spare head, als I sold my other tubehead (Diezel).

Device A was more appealing to me. the only thing I could describe is the sound being more open. Listening with headphones, I am sure it is so different in the room.

Got the 50w. Liked it so much I got a 100w. Been playing 30years these are some of my favorite amps ever.

I knew immediately that Device A was the Katana… but that’s only because I have one and know its sound really well.

I have two tube amps. One I hate, and one I love. I would really like to get one of these in the 100w 212 version. Amps are very subjective, but my main issue is quality and reliability. tube amps are expensive to maintain and repair. I also have a ridiculous amount of money tied up in pedals which Is why I need the 100W. I wish they made a 50 with an effects loop. The amp I love is a Blackstar HT 60 MK2. The amp I absolutely despise is a Fender Hot Rod Deville 212. Never have I owned a less reliable piece of junk in my life. I'm ready to try the Katana. For the price I can afford to replace it yearly, whereas the Fender needs more maintenance than a Ferrari made by Ikea and costs more than the Ferrari, or the original price tag on the amp just to repair it every year. The Blackstar needs new valves every two or three years as well. This is a great argument for the Katana.

Very good points raised. I have the 50W MK2. It's not a bad amp but the speaker lets it down. You can swap the speaker but they made an odd connection there so you cannot swap speakers without any issues. Boss pushed out the Katana to RU-vidrs without them coming forward and showing support and enthusiasm about the amp. In terms of marketing in my eyes they failed with the Nextone and that's why not many know about it

I have a MKII and I swapped out the stock speaker for a Celestion Cream back heavy. That was a huge improvement.

I’m have that common disease where I buy lots of unnecessary items! I own about 10 amplifiers including vintage types by Fender, Vox, Mesa, Roland alongside modern counterparts inc Marshall DSL 40 and Katana Mk2 100w. I adore all of the amps but if I had to live with just 1 …….it would have to be the Katana due to flexibility, weight , size, tech, vibe. Gotta add the Marshall would also be in top 3! So much choice but ultimately all in the fingers. ❤

I own and gig with a katana artist. I sold my 1975 musicman 65-210. Is the katana better? Absolutely not. The tones of the musicman were way more lively, sparkling without being brittle. But the katana is far more versatile in sounds, whereas the musicman is more a one trick pony. Excellent, but limited. Besides, old tube amps (mm preamp is solid state btw) weigh a ton, are unreliable and cost a lot in maintenance. So I never regretted the switch and I don’t look back. If I ever long back for an old tube amp, I will buy one. So far.. not interested. I am happy with the artist. Good video!

Katana has no frequency dynamics. What I mean by this is, it sounds always 100% full tone, including sparkly brightness, whatever note you play. The Mesa tames those high sparkles, where it sounds more rounded, less aggressive, and a bit more muted, but with that sweet mesa tone. I'm sure you can dial out a bit of that aggressive highs on the Katana if you want on, but then you lack them when you need. With the Mesa it's great as is, or you can always crank up treble or pick intensity if you need it and tame it on the guitar tone knob. With the Katana, wherever your guitar volume is, your tone will remain exactly the same. It all comes down to preference and usage. Katana sounds great, but different.

I personally am interested in it for 4 things. The 50 watt EX has the capability of using a foot switch the same one the artist model uses so no need for pedals at gigs, less stuff to bring. Also a line out that didn’t exist on the mark 1 so no mic for means more gear I can leave at home. With it being solid state I don’t have to worry about cranking the amp do you get that sweet spot where the tones just right so when the sound man tells me I’m too loud and I need to cut my volume down on my amp I’m not sacrificing my tone. In my final reason that I like the katana and I’m looking into getting one is just the sheer versatility of having five guitar amps at my discretion and an acoustic sound. It is very hard to beat this package deal as small as it is and if you go with the 50 W katana we’re talking about a 19 pound amplifier so it’s not gonna break my back. Let’s be real here if you’re using pedals for your overdrive sounds you’re already using solid state. A lot of your Marshall amps such as the JCM 900 or the JCM 2000 or the JVM all use transistors to get their heavy saturation on the gain sounds. If you are not getting power amp overdrive from your tubes you’re missing out and in today’s society playing pub gigs odds are you’re never going to push your amp the way it’s intended to be run to get good power amp tube distortion. I’m not sure why and guitar players are so slow to embrace new technology.

I love my 50W MKII, but I mainly use the power amp and speaker alone on it, and preamp through the effects input. The speaker is really good on them. I love mine.

As an FRFR, the katana 50 and the 100 make every modeller I put through them sound really good and fat (Pod 2.0, Pod XT, HX Stomp XL, Nux MG300, Boss ME80 with onboard cabsim engaged), so much so that it makes up for any deficiencies the modellers might have when they're being monitored through headphones or studio monitors. I haven't really felt compelled to pick up a "legit" FRFR, and they work great for rehearsal because the volume can be dialled in very precisely so that everyone feels comfortable.

I will certainly have to revisit this amp now. I bought the first edition of it when it came out and didn’t keep it because of the two things that should have been on it from the get-go (line out and footswitch capability). I didn’t want or need the 100 watt version.

Great playing. I have a Katana that I bought to play while I’m away working til I get home to my real amplifiers. I can’t make it sound like a good amp. I mean it has effects and all of this stuff but it doesn’t sound like a real amp to me. In the room I mean. When I get home to my Princeton/ AC15 etc. Then I’m much happier. It may be all in my head. Mesa Boogie? Only played one once. It weren’t fer me

I recently got a Katana and have found if you crank the master up and use the levels to control volume you get a lot better bass response. In other reviews I heard boss recommends this as well.

I traded a Bugera Trirec for a Katana MK2 head and use it as a desktop amp with the built-in 4in speaker. I couldn't be happier with the Katana and I think people who are interested in modeling stuff should get a Katana 100 with the foot switch and experiment with using the app or tone studio. It's a great portable all in one that wouldn't be a huge deal if it gets damaged or stolen.

Neither one sounds as good as the tones you get with modelers 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

I used to have a katana 100 watts 2x12 ... Traded it for a catalyst line 6 200 watts 2x12.... Katana sits comfortably as a great not too expensive modelling amp and there is little wrong to say about it ... I think the catalyst is as good with maybe more interesting effects ... I use it as a power amp and have a mesa flying v preamp that gives me thickness/warmth for rock /edgy bluesy vibes... There's always going to be a place for valves but nowadays these modelling amps like katanas ...catalyst etc etc offer interesting and lighter possibilities for gigging /recording especially if linked with cool edge of break up pedals

Katana had tighter attack, more bark and growl while the Mesa was a little looser and flubby. The notes on the Mesa also didn't sustain as well and sound consistent in volume during legato runs but it did sound more "organic". I would be happy with either one because I have both of those amps.

From the very beginning I knee Device B was the Mesa Boogie and I liked the Mesa Boogie significantly better in every single take. I know sometimes modeling does the job, but in this case I think it’s not even close.

Great comparison John! And I thought that the Katana did very well here. Very surprising considering a high end Mesa Boogie vs an very affordable Katana. I find that extra low end thump doesn’t work well in a high volume gigging situation so in that respect I find that the Katana provides more that enough low end. Also there are a lot of demos on digital amp technology where they are referred to as “practice” amps and it’s kind of funny because who needs a blistering 100 watt amp for practice? John is not really referring to them as practice amps but I do hear that a lot. I think that the Katana 100 mk2 is also a great gigging amp. Now that being said the amp wattage is switchable to bedroom volume so in this regard it’s also a great practice amp. In my opinion as for the reason that the famous artists don’t use them is simply a matter of the stigma associated with affordable digital amp technology versus vintage and boutique tube amps of the stars. I will admit that the old digital stuff wasn’t very good though. But it’s come a heck of a long way.

Play some chords clean and edge of breakup and the Mesa advantage becomes clearer. Not a fan of Boss distortions but for cleans its not bad. I prefer Headrush hi gain PG Spark too.

I read all the comments. Hilarious. One persons fuzzy flubby mud is another person's "real tube warmth". Kudos to JNC. It's pretty hard to make one amp sound EXACTLY like another. Studio Rats did an another good compare. That its a close as it is - well, that's amazing. And then there is weight, price, etc. And versatility.... I have and like tube amps, and with that I'll say that the "cork sniffing tube amp snobbery" is getting a little tired. Your "better" might be someone else's "worse". Confirmation bias is always confirmed in these RU-vid comparisons.

I have the Katana MKll artist head plus the katana waza 2×12 speaker cab and it sounds AMAZING

The Katana has a quicker attack at the beginning of the note, less compression. The Mesa is softer in its initial attack. Bother sound really good.

I have played with guys who were using katanas at different events . At smaller gigs I use a dsl 20 . (I put more faith in a a live comparison than utube low fidelity) . The katana sounds about like what an amp at a low price point sounds like. If you can’t tell the difference between a katana and a good tube amp , you either haven’t been playing very long or boss has been kind too you

Glad you didn’t mention the price. It’s great for “The Price” “Bang for buck” type of demo. I know your guest mentioned what he paid, but it was part of his story.

Damn! I actually liked the Katana better. It cut through the mix better and the Mesa Boogies sounded muddy in a way. I thought the A when I first listened to it was also much more responsive, like valves. Now I am not sure what it sounds like in the room. I had a Blackstar for a while and hated it, but I also had bad speakers and didn't know it at the time and ended up replacing my V30 and Creamback H in my 2X12 cabinet and presto! Amazing tone! I now play with my Marshall DSL100HR head and it just kicks ass. I have done gigs with solid state before and they just get drown out by another tube amp if you have another player on stage with you. They do work great in rehearsal, but not live unless both players are using them and cannot drown each other out. Valve just cuts through at higher volumes to me much better.

I bought one not long after they first came out for my students to use. I've moved my studio space within my house once but it's never left my property so it's had an easy life. But it glitches. Occasionally it won't make sound at all. Sometimes the volume is super low. It does weird things when you change presets sometimes. These problems started presenting not even six months after I got it. It does sound fine, though. I wish I would have had an amp that good at 13. They're so cheap and versatile, too. So thumbs up for sure but I don't think I'd play a show with one.

I brought the katana mk2 head and use it with a Marshall 2x12 cab. It is my first and only amp I have ever played. For the price it’s perfect as a beginner amp I have no regrets getting one. I have some really great tones some of which I downloaded and tweaked others I made myself. I would love to try a tube amp though next on my list. You play amazing btw!