I greatly appreciate this. Not only is this different from the majority of “dialing in tone” videos, which are going for a much more generic electric guitar tone, I think you do a really good job of walking through the process and explaining it. I’d like to see another where you go through the process of using a parametric EQ. My biggest struggle is that even after 4 decades of this, I still find the differences that seem so drastic to others quite subtle. People always say, “just use your ears”, but my ear tends to lead me to extreme settings. I’m always afraid that what sounds fine to my ears sounds awful to others. 🙂
I just hated the katana and thought Boss paid a lot of extra money to RU-vidrs to get them to push this pile of junk. Katana-mania really turned me off to a lot of guitar RU-vid
The thing with Katana is that most people don't really use the power that is hidden in the Tone Studio, where you can customize EQ on a much more precise level than through knobs. Additionally, I often use a bit of boost, not as an overdrive, but to emphasize certain frequencies (there are many boost modes that you can choose from). All is editable and storable as presets, so effectively you can have several different sound scenes at your disposal, which can match different rooms/auditoriums. Tone Studio, for those who don't use Boss's products, is the software used on a PC (or a mobile, if you have Katana AIR). Worth checking is also the Octave effect hidden inside Katana, which, when set to "mode 4" is only applied to lowest three strings, so can be used to emphasize the bass line without making the sound muddy.
@@camp0017 Certainly! I just didn't feel like making it a 30 minute video with a huge section that most people can't follow so I decided not to go there.
@@Joakimfrank Yes, the presets are stored in the Amp. This works both for regular Katanas and the Katana Air (where you edit the parameters through an app on a smartphone).
While my Mesa Boogie amp was on repair (for quite a while, some 3 years) I tried out (and bought) the 100w 1x12 Katana. To me it sounded workable "as is" but after fiddling with the software I found that the "clean boost" set to minimum (but still turned on) got me in the fat and juicy land of clean tube amp tone, that chewie attack and warm sound with a little hair on it. Now I was really happy. After watching the Pat Metheny interview by Rick Beato a while ago I learned that part of the "Metheny Sound" is running the guitar at low to mid volume settings (much to be able to regulate the volume on stage after soundcheck) - this got me an even more workable tone. By the way, I sold the boogie.
I have a Katana 100 and really love it, just wanted to mention that the EQ on katana amps is only subtractive, so it's neutral if you put everything at max. It's not that bad to start off with everything at noon, you're just basically cutting the volume in half. That's why I hear many people complaining that the amp does not have the volume of a 100W amp.
I love my katanas! I had a 50 watt model but returned it for a 100 watt. The 50 sounded thin and I like the 100 watt model better, even though I never use the 100 watt setting. Also, I like to use the acoustic amp model for jazz, sometimes the clean. Another thing to try that you didn't really show is turning up the gain to between 2/3 and 3/4 on the amp. This helps warm up the clean tones a lot. Another trick, along with boosting the gain, that works for me on the Katana is to turn the Master up to about 2/3 and then use the volume next to the gain to control my over all volume.
Great video! I had the Katana for about a year, and had fun dialing in different tones. A couple of years ago, the Sydney (Austrlaia) Conservatorium Jazz school purchased a bunch of these to replace their aging Roland Cubes...they worked out really well.
Super interesting, learned a lot from your thought process! I had the same issues with thin sound on my katana for a few months until I encountered a tip suggesting to minimize the volume knob and increase the master instead. That made the sound way fuller at similar loudness levels, for some reason.
The overdrive thing is a solid tip. For metal players, through a JCM-800 the classic Tube Screamer setting is gain very low, and volume cranked. The volume is to push the pre-amp, but the gain is set very low so that you're using the screamer to shape the EQ. In that situation you're not trying to get a drive on top of drive. So by the same note, any overdrive with the gain very low will give you a different EQ curve. You can just keep the volume at whatever works out to unity. I am incredibly fond of the Klon Clone I put together, because even as a clean boost it gives you a very dynamic EQ control.
very interesting - finally someone who checks the Katana with Jazz. I use it that way and I am pretty happy with it. IMO there is not 'the best tone ever' because I want different sounds all the time. But here the Katana is a huge toolbox and allows me to explore all kinds of sounds
I really enjoyed this episode. I liked watching your process finding the tone and bringing in a distortion pedal as a tone shaping device. Thanks for presenting this info. I found it very useful.
I happily own a 100W version of the KATANA. I went from Fender to Marshall to Mesa, and now in my older age, the KATANA is an amazing blessing. I also own a KATANA-AIR as well. As mentioned by others, the Tone Studio app make all the difference in the world. I must say that your videos on tone and gear are nothing short of a breath of fresh air. You cover a much neglected spectrum of topics for those of us who love jazz and anything else that doesn't require high gain tonality. Just seeing you trying your son's Ibanez says a lot about your wider view of guitars, tone, and gear. By the way. The jabs of humor in your vids are just priceless!! Thank you so much!
So, I gave you a hard time about something or other a long time back. I wanted to let you know that I have found something very beneficial in your videos that aren’t found everywhere. I’m a Southern US Blues player, so we have a good amount of diversity in our playing style. But I can really appreciate what it is that you’re doing. Thanks 🙏 10:47
Teaching middle school Jazz band after school in the NYC area I've been using the small Fenders and Rolands that stay in the band room. They only have treble and bass knobs. I find that using one of the bass amps gives enough body and volume, but the little guitar amps don't. I turn the bass down completely and turn down the treble nearly all the way. This gets out of the bass player's way. It lets more mids come through and dominate the tone even though I can't specifically turn up the mids. I use no effects. The room itself sounds good. Also when teaching large sections to listen to each other and control their cutoffs I don't need a tail lingering on my own playing
Oh and I actually had asked Boss the question of what they modelled their amps from and this was the answer from a Roland Guitar Product Manager "All of the amp voicings are original sounds created by BOSS. But of course they take inspiration from what our engineers consider to be the holy grail - Edward Van Halen (hence Brown channel). Some nerdy reading here if you have time: rolandcorp.com.au/blog/developing-the-brown-sound Basically, in Katana Mk1, everything has a fair bit of British sound DNA except for Lead which came from Waza Amp and I guess is more in the vein of a smooth Mark series style sound. In MkII, the variation switch evolves those even further in a more modern direction, so for example if Brown started off in the vein of a hotrodded EVH style Marshall, then the variation mode takes that even further into modern high gain in a sort of 5150ish direction. But again it’s impossible to just say that any one channel is based off a specific amp, because they’re not."
@@jonpollard5592 Funny, because I am watching this video and playing through my '81 vintage JC-120 and wondering if I am missing out on anything without all this fancy modeling gear. Doubt it...
I have a Nextone Artist which I adore, and I run a Boss Me-80 in the loop. I’ve been learning a lot about gain staging and tone, and seem to keep moving toward a flexible setup for all kinds of music. Discovering the impact of gain on EQ was a game changer- but I suppose EQ itself is simply gain at different parts of the spectrum. Great video!
I have a Katana too. My amp for cleans is a Fender Twin and the Katana just does not compare. That being said, I changed the speaker in the amp and it improved. I also use more gain on the clean channel to get better dynamics. It does not necessarily break up and sounds much better. I set the EQ after I set the gain, volume and master. Then I use reverb and then I fine tune with the presence. In the end I get a decent clean sound. Thanks for the video
I agree with you regarding that tiny kind of bright sound. Boss has a tendency of starting with a base tone that is on the bright and fizzy side however once you start messing with the eq which you can select either parametric or the ge-10 graphic one it warms up the amp to the point of getting a nice jazz sound. The EQ can be applied before, after the preamp or both however after the preamp is when it has the biggest effect on the overall sound. It allows you the option of also boosting the amps headroom if you need more by pushing the volume slider on the GE-10 when you place it post preamp.
I did the same experiment a few years back with a Katana and came to the same conclusion. The blues drive is very usefull to give some body to a thin sound 👍
I'm a couple years late to the party but I use the Katana exclusively now since it's release. I've never been more satisfied with my tone, for all styles. And I'm no jazz expert but for my jazz tone I really like the Fender Reverb models with the bright switch off for whatever reason. Its one of the sneaky amps you need FxFloorBoard or Katana Library (I believe) to unlock a bigger selection of amp models. I stay on the Fender model almost permanently, with a little compression on top. And when I run an overdrive pedal for just coloring the tone I'll set the gain to zero. I've tried all variations of Katanas, 100w head, 100w 2x12, 100w MK2. I tested them all side by side, and in my opinion the MK1 blew the MK2 out of the water due to the difference in speakers. I would love the added features but the tone was just not comparable in my opinion, the MK2 was very flat sounding. And it could be that the speaker needed more breaking in. But I did not feel that way with the MK1 at any point. This amp can get some KILLER jazz tones with just a bit of fiddling! I never use the JC120 model, I really had to tweak that one to no end to get a tone that I was kind of satisfied with. Not the case with the Fender Reverbs
Thanks Jens! This was a really good breakdown of getting tone. Especially including a very popular current product (Katana). Appreciate your insight and would love to see more.
Great advice in this video which lines up with my own experience. I would encourage people to explore the full range of their EQ, particularly if you have a two-knob Treble and Bass EQ, as these are usually a "Baxandall" circuit, which can be thought of having a fixed mids EQ, and your treble and bass can be adjusted around that. For Jazz, this is important as you can get close to that nice full warm sound by turning the treble and bass way down (maybe to zero), resulting in a mid hump. I also fully agree with using an overdrive with the gain or drive turned down (but maybe not all the way down). I have a Klon-style EHX Soul Food that works really well with everything set at about 9 or 10 o'clock, particularly with my Telecaster. Trying out a Wampler Belle now just for fun, which has a really different EQ.
Thanks for the free patch. I use my Boss Katana as my practise amp and I was looking for a patch to play my semi-acoustics through when doing my Jazz practising. While getting to the download I noticed the heaps of stuff you give away free and took advantage of that work. Then I thought I better give something back and bought your Jazz Blues soloing course which I have to say is very inexpensive. Thanks for all the video's you post and I look forward to workign through your courses!
It's definitely a challenge to get a good jazz tone! I teach with the Katana at the music school i work at!! Since i also love the 80s jazz fusion guitar rack tone, i have the chorus affect and reverb on as well!
I built my studio amp inside the empy shell of an outdoor halogen projector. It makes the ideal tabletop amp for studying. Say that is stunning is a vast understatement
A local high-school kid plays jazz standards on a Stratocaster, through a Katana. And if you close your eyes, it sounds like he's playing an archtop through a Polytone. I think it's a Katana 100, and this young lad might even be playing a 3/4-size Strat. That convinced me that a Katana, and even a Strat, can nail "jazz" tone. Play the guitars you love!
Thank you for all your videos, Jens! I am using a Katana Artist 100 amp now, and I arrived at the same tone settings that you did! Whether using my deluxe strat or my 335 clone, these settings, particularly EQ, but also Plate Reverb and slight Delay, are the best for this amplifier. I still have my 1975 Super Reverb (6L6), PRS 20 combo (6V6), and Made in USA Crate 1999 Single Ended Class A 30w (4 EL84s) tube amplifiers in the studio, but, at 56, I have no desire to carry those around! Thus, I use the Katana, plus I use Amplitube modeling for Ableton Live recording - I have not gotten the Katana USB input to Ableton Live dialed in yet, but I'll let you know how it goes.
I recently bought a Katana Artist and am very impressed with it. To me it sounds just as good as my vintage Fender Deluxe. With my bigger jazz boxes it allows me to dial in the tone much more precisely. With the parametric eq you can kill those really ugly boomy frequencies.
I've used a Tube screamer to warm up my mids for ages. recently though i got gifted a boss blues driver and I've found that a bit easier to dial in and with a much sweeter sound. only problem is the gain control is a bit more unpredictable and with a hollowbody that can be curtains at high volumes. great video Jens, cheers!
You don't need tubes for good tone, not any more. This amp is all I use for everything and it works very well. The key is to always leave it on the full wattage setting. Turning that down kills the tone. I also leave the gain and channel volume cranked on the clean channel then use the master and guitar volume to dial it in. Thet's where it really wakes up and shines.
Hi Jens, as usual an excellent video. I have a DV Mark amp. Reasonably price. $400 list, but I just saw one for $260. I get a nice tone out of it, it's very clean.
I bought a Katana 50 after my Tech-21 Trademark 60 started sputtering out. I quickly returned the 50 for a Katana 100 when I learned of the increased channels & options. While I really loved the tone & feel of the Trademark 60, I reasoned that the Katana 100's options & Boss/Roland's reputation for quality would reasonably compensate. Also, as an amateur, it was hard to justify spending more $$$ for a Pro-Level amp like Raezor's Edge, Hendrickson, Polytone, etc. With the Katana 100, seems like I've settled into a Zone similar to what Jens presents here that mostly uses OD/Boosts, Reverb, & Delay in various mixtures. I find that whatever I tweak at home may sound slightly different at the practice hall or at the gig venue. So, being able to store a basic configuration + several alterations on the Katana's 8 Channels is another feature that makes up for not having my Trademark 60. Eventually, I may add a Higher-End($$$) Amp to my arsenal. But, for the money, the Katana 100 was a really good purchase. Thanks, Jens !!! Your analysis validates my own conclusions regarding the Katana 100.
@@JensLarsen New York Jazz Guitarist Rick Stone(RIP) recommended the Trademark 60. That was over 20 years ago. I saw his ad in a magazine(Just Jazz Guitar) and wanted to know what amp he was using with the guitar in the photo( a Fender D’Aquisto Deluxe like mine). I got the Trademark 60 and played with it occasionally at home, but didn’t actually start using it until ~2010 when I got into a band and started gigging. The first Bass Player we had got really jealous(sometimes angry) because that amp’s tonal capabilities and my limited knowledge and possible overuse of 5th & 6th String Drop Voicings sometimes obscured his sound. A few years later, we had an outside gig, a different Bass Player, and, for some reason, the Keyboard Player did not show up. So, the Rhythm Section was me & my Trademark 60 + Bass + Drums with Vocalist, Sax, & Trumpet. From what I recall, that gig went well and we got compliments. I’m a little more experienced now with voicings & such, even soloing a bit more as well. But, that Trademark 60 and its tone on the Clean Channel(Clean Fender Setting) really did a lot in boosting my confidence to get out there and play. The Katana 100’s got to fill that role now and I think it will as I learn more about it. In my early gigging, I used an Ibanez AS-80, somewhat similar to a semi-hollow that you have. But, about 4 years ago, I switched to a PRS SE Custom Semi-Hollow(the discontinued one with the flat top, eyebrow-shaped f-hole, & odd shaped pickguard). The AS-80 was heavy … Heavier even than some basses. The PRS is much lighter but still satisfies my “maybe irrational obsession” for semi-hollow(s). Also, regarding the Katana ... the built-in ability to tryout & tweak different pedal configurations(mainly Boost, OD, Reverb, & Delay ... BOSS versions) without having to actually purchase or borrow physical equivalent(s) is a strong feature. With the Trademark 60, I was always searching for the right Boost or OD Pedal (for Lead Soloing) to compliment the clean Rhythm Setting without losing that TM60 Tonal Sweet Spot. And ... Oh Yeah ... The Dirty Channel(Lead Channel) on my TM60 was very rarely used. M. A. Noel
The 'acoustic' channel isn't an acoustic simulator, it's just a very clean, clean amp. Might be a better place to start? Don't have a Katana now, (too much fiddling, not enough playing).But when I did have one I only used the acoustic channel with outboard pedals. Diming the gain on the clean amp can warm up the sound too.
Hey Jens, discovering your chanel is so refresing to me, you analise the subjejct that are in my mind for years, ! Gracias for this and the humor you have, greetings fron México.
I tried a katana. Couldn’t stand it. Went back to Fender. You sure did a hell of a lot better job getting good tones out of it than I did though lol fractal sounded a lot better btw
I have being experimenting with the Roland Jazz Chorus-22 line out to Katana 50. I set the Katana to clean, no effects and equalizer flat. It sounds nice and it’s more powerful. Thank you.
Great video (again) Jens ! Anyone who knows me knows that I often complain that Music Gear is important but your inner ear and touch are moreso. There are limits to how much we can improve our tone via external equipment. Equipment is fun to play with. I do it too. The constant quest for improving my playing, touch and tone (internally) is where it starts - then gear plays a secondary (but still important) role. I noticed you referred to this at the end. Cheers, Kev 🙂
This was a super interesting (and helpful) video. I am not a jazz player per se, but I do dabble a bit. I use a Katana in my teaching studio, and have found they can sound great, but only if one has the patience to spend some time fiddling about. As a side note, I liked your dry tone better on the Fractal, but the wet tones from the Katana sounded a bit more articulate, which I liked. That was probably the pick attack you were trying to dial out, haha. Great content, as always.
Hi Jens, great video. I have the Katana 100 watt and although I do not play jazz exclusively I found myself going in a similar tone direction, including using the "Blues Drive" in the Booster section as a way to adjust the tone to a fatter sound. My other gig amp is a Mesa Boogie F-50 combo amp, and it has a great clean channel as well as the overdrive channel. I went a similar direction there too in the clean channel adjustments, although as you say it will vary depending on the room, volume level and other factors. Thanks again for this video, I think I'll try to do more with the parametric eq now too.
The video is still paying dividends! I was just wondering how to get a good Jazz tone on the my Katana 50 Mk II. I found your video and now I have it. I also learned a thing or two extra from your philosophical views and tastes. Thanks, Jens. You are so great for us aspiring Jazz guitarists.
Bass = 12 o'clock Treble = 12 o'clock Middle = 3 o'clock ---> this works on nearly all amps for me, boosting the Mids and then tweaking the Bass/Treble ever so slightly if not quite right.
Thank you Jens, that was really helpful :) I have a Katana 50 MKII (I actually much prefer the tone of the 50 to the 100). I only have one electric guitar which is a Fender Telecaster (Mexican) and though I'm not really playing jazz, I am looking for a good clean tone and have so far found that turning down the tone on the guitar works well for me. I mainly use neck/bridge middle position as this gives me mellow but with a bit of bite. I will now try out more eq settings on the amp and I will hook it up to my computer and mess around with those settings, I see many hours of experimentation ahead :)
I feel like it’s easy to get a classic jazz tone on basically anything that passes a signal, but modern listeners just kinda expect More. It can be tricky to get a tone that “sounds like jazz” but still can fit into a modern mix. I’ve found putting a compressor after the preamp is a nice happy medium between preserving picking dynamics and beefing up super clean tones. iirc the katana can do this with the editor.
I don't think I agree with that. Plugging into a PA just does not respond like a good amp, and it certainly is also not a description of a lot the sounds you hear on 50's and 60's jazz albums.
Great video Jens! I have a Katana 50 as it’s great to to take to rehearsals over my large tube amp and I get great sounds for rock pop and blues settings….but I’ve struggled to get a good sound for my jazz improv class with an Ibanez lgb300 - Your approach is very different to what I’ve been doing so thank you!
Just bought an FM3. Be great to see a video of how you dial in a jazz tone on that, particularly as it is your go to device. Thanks for the great videos.
I use a Katana 50. I have my tones almost exactly like yours except the treble is at the 8 o’clock position. Bass at 9 and mids at 3. I do have the tone control on the guitar turned down to 7. Guitar is an Ibanez AS83 semi-hollow, a $600 guitar. I’m pretty happy with the tone now. For years I was under the mistaken impression I had to turn the tone knob on the guitar way down. It’s only recently that I learned how to set the amp up. And now you showed the exact same method. Thanks for the reinforcement. Btw, have you tried any of the Fender Tonemaster amps? I’m seriously considering the Super Reverb Tonemaster. I played a SR in college and it’s my favorite amp. I like on the TM that I can attenuate it down to half a watt or one watt for bedroom playing.
@@JensLarsen It would be great if you could get ahold of one to try and make a video on. Would love to hear your impression of it. I’m not interested in the Deluxe Reverb, myself, as I like having a mid control
What do you think about the Katana vs The Fractal tone? ✅The great $400 guitar I used on 5 albums: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bIQiWfeWLA4.html ✅ Jazz Tone On A Strat: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--XXTNv5W3GE.html
The Fractal is a great tool, I've only been checking them out since seeing you use it in videos. The Katana requires work and tweaking to get a more full, "fat", resonant sound. I've been working with mine for over a year and am happy with the results and continue to work with it using the app and interface. For me, it's light, very gig friendly and was under $400. I think in the video your Fractal tone is "there", and sounds great.
@@JensLarsen I use the Jazz 12" and it's everything other than "lifeless", tried several Katanas too and honestly...no thanks. Sound on RU-vid videos is another thing from the "real thing" you should know that 🙂
Great video! Really clean and clear explanation of the process. Will definitly try this out! I'm playing a Joe Pass Emperor 2 on the Katana 100 so your tips and thoughts really comes in handy!
I'd really like to see a jazz tone on an Ibanez, they are usually more common and cheaper, also what a lot of beginners use, it would be really interesting
With the Katana, you really need to make your patches with the ToneStudio software. Just twisting knobs on the panel won't really do much. The software is pretty powerful. Also, the 100w version is much better than the 50w version. The Artist is also great, if you need a combo amp. I bought the Katana head, because I already had a nice 4x12 cab. Katana sounds great through a 4x12 cab. Katana also takes pedals really well. The 100w versions have an effects loop. You could plug your FM3 into the "return" of the FX loop, and just use the Katana as a power amp. Katana is very flexible. A lot of people are buying the 100w Katana combo amps just to use as a power-cab.
I think the Bias FX 1 and 2 stuff has some good clean tones. I also have tried a 100 dollar Ibanez acoustic amp with my hollow bodies and I liked the tones on that. That amp actually was loud enough for some Jazz stuff I was playing in a jazz camp with a band and even a bigger band setting. I used to use the Roland Cube X30 for Jazz stuff which was ok, but I prefered the acoustic amp I have plus some bass amps I have tried. Even my Boss Katana Mini had good tones for clean I think and it's also decent for busking I think. I also like to change EQ without reverb before adding it if I want to even when doing final mixing of things or checking a final mix. I am glad you mentioned Kurt Rozenwinkle uses a bit of compression because even a little bit which still has a lot of dynamics I added in bias fx 1 and 2 changed some tones to what I liked.
I have gone full circle with effects. You tone is really quite good. What I currently use is my Twin bass at 2.5 mids at 8 treble at 7. I run 2 eqs, 1 overdrive and 1 distortion all Boss pedals.
Great vid, and a strong case for getting a fractal. The main thing I don't like about the amp here is the overtones, they just have that 'hard' quality, an unpleasant brightness that so many cheap amps and amp sims have, and which can't be fixed with any eq I've ever used or designed.
It is a great amp for the price, and comparing it to other stuff that is 3-10x as expensive isn't really fair I guess. Ironically, I have the exact same experience with unpleasant or hard high frequency sound on real tube amps live. I actually meant to but a parametric eq pedal for when I travel, to try to fix that.
@@JensLarsen I feel you, and as I get older (53 now) my sensitivity to the 2.5k - 2.8k range, especially at stage volume, gets progressively more intense. Anyhoo, one teacher to another, your approach to teaching is incredibly engaging and very human and relatable, and I know how much work goes into even the simplest YT production. Thanks for all you do, best wishes from the states for your continued success !
Love it! I do have the exact same amp (katana), and I would highly suggest two things. Master volume of the amp should be way up, and preamp section volume should be down. Then, playing the amp on 0.5W is very thin sounding, but 100W is very good. 0.5W tends to do weird things on boost effects…
I own a D-V mark jazz head (50 watts) and 2 of the dedicated (2×8) jazz cabs and it for an affordable price gives a great jazz guitar sound warm and mellow tone try one out it sounds awesome
Whether or not I'm going through a PA either via a microphone or a direct box ultimately decides my sound for the audience, so of course I focus on my amp which I consider my personal monitor. I'm not a professional, I've just played a lot of coffee shop gigs - plus I own my own little performance place in a small town. Over the years which have been many I found consistently that the following technique works with a wide variety of gear and particularly with very inexpensive gear. I use two small amps - a bass amp - what most bass players might call a practice amp - and a regular guitar amp. I split my guitar signal and feed both amps with any effects going only to the guitar amp, or brighter amp. This keeps the bass clean and keeps chords from getting muddy. Now essentially I have two or three more channels of EQ and I can focus on that mid-range. The low frequencies also don't interfere within the speaker cone itself, and I can dial in a decent sound much quicker, particularly for varying room acoustics. Additionally I have used a small crossover (Rolls) to split the guitar signal which gives me a bit more separation and can be a set and forget kind of thing but it depends on the amps I'm using. Take care and love your music and teaching.
I use a Fender Mustang LT50 in my big band. 50W , 12” open back. Extremely flexible tone control, compression etc. I have a preset for my ES175 and another for my 335. $249!
That parametric eq section in the Tone Studio would be ideal for anyone trying to eliminate the fundamental body resonance feedback on a fully acoustic archtop.
Thanks for your video. I'm sold on my Katana 50 MkII. I have more expensive amps, which can sound better at home, but the Katana seems more consistent for gigging, and of course it's super light! I play fingerstyle, so I don't have the treble/pick attack issue to deal with. I recently saw a video about modding the headphone output to be a line-out without disconnecting the speaker. Looks pretty simple, but of course it kills the warranty....but, hey, at $250, let's live on the edge!
I appreciate you taking the time to really mess with this amp to try and dial in a great tone. I personally own this amp and it is my only amp, so I appreciate you doing this it helps me A LOT. I also wanted to say the pro tip about blaming the mic had me audibly laughing out loud hahaha 😂love your vids and appreciate your content. Thank you 🙏
I just spent a bit of time with this amp. 12” speaker, 50 watts… plenty of clean power for a jazz environment. And it sounds very good with an archtop! With its built-in reverb, it’s a bargain for a jazz amp. Even if you’re not utilizing all the other stuff in it.
One key to getting good jazz tone on this thing: run it at full power, and at full volume. Use either the Clean or the Acoustic setting. Turn the Volume and Master controls all the way up. Now set your guitar volume all the way up. From there, use the amp’s Gain control to set your maximum volume. Once that baseline is set, you can utilize the guitar’s volume control for varying needs throughout your performance.
I have a Fender GT200 Mustang amp, which is basically the Fender version of the Boss Katana. It has a lot more options than the Katana, and you can easily dial in a tone on the built in screen. There are so many options down to the cabinet, speakers, tube bias, power supply sag ect. It’s been my main amp for the last 3 years including for jazz. Compared to the Katana, it’s a lot warmer and fuller. My only issue is it lacks a sort of fullness to the mid range. It has a good wideness to it, but is a bit nasally. Personally I find the best tone config for jazz is “STUDIO PREAMP”, with the bass and mids slightly less than 12 oclock, volume and gain at 1 oclock, with the Supersonic 2x12 cab selected. (SS2x12) With this setup youll have to put the master dial fairly high to get a lot of volume, but for a bedroom setup or playing with a group in a practice room, it’s pretty good. Fyi, my guitar is a Jmascis Jazzmaster, and for jazz I use the rhythm circuit ( Volume 5, Tone 6-8 ). For a Rocker’s signature guitar it’s actually warmer than the average jazzmaster. My guitar came out the box with low pickup height, especially on the neck. It has outstanding sympathetic resonance, which is really cool for Keys with open string roots.
Very fine video. Could you talk about the guitar settings for comping the bigband. Our guitarplayer interferes too much with the double bass making the instruments boomy while comping together.
Actually the settings I talk about in this video should accomplish that with turning down the bass and not turning down the tone on the guitar too much?
Jens, you are really the best in terms of lessons (I purchased several of them), tips and videos. Regarding guitar and amps, I come from the rock/blues universe, and I own a Tele 52 reissue plugged into a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp. They sound so amazing that I don't have the courage to chase other sonorities. What I would be looking for is a good solid-state amp, because the Fender is really heaaavyy (and I'm happy not having bought a Twin like I originally intended to). Thanks Jens! Cheers
I used to have a Twin Reverb - so heavy! Now I have a Quilter 101 Reverb into a 1 x 12 Fane speaker. I highly recommend this SS amp, and other Quilters are worth investigating .
Wonderful insights into how you think about tone. I am attempting to achieve the same with a Pod Go effects unit. Lots to consider including cutting the master EQ off at different points below guitar spectrum.
the global eq is key for the Katana. I dialed out a lot of the harsh/thin top end with the global eq, then the treble control on the amp was closer to a sweet spot for tweaking sound. Agree on the OD, in my case I use a treble boost but tweak that so it is more eq shift and just a bit of hair on the tone. Ridiculously good amp for $250. It just takes a bit of messing about with the computer app to dial it in. Patience and perseverance are rewarded IME. Great channel, thanks for the content.
Thanks Jens. I notice that the Ibanez Super 58 pickups love to be turned down to 7 on the tone knob. The concern I have with digital amps is not their sound (as the processors have improved immensely over the years re: latency) but the hardware longevity. I was shocked looking at the insides of a Fender Tonemaster. It was less than a desktop computer!
These days I’d tend to reach for a crunch channel first and clean it up. Clean channels are so often voiced "scoopy." Hope you are well Jens! Best, Daniel
@@JensLarsen I really like your channel, because you don't try to sell stuff, you explain something because you like it. I bough a Gretsch two month ago and after your video I want to go to the music store and try the katana Amp out.
Enjoyed the video. I use delay to add some texture to the reverb (also I prefer plate/hall to spring). That was a good tip about using the analogue or tape echo rather than the digital. I have a nextone which has similarities to the katana. You have encouraged me to have a play with it. I have now found a way to get more clean volume out of it.
Great video, Jens. Your use of delay and OD to shape a jazz tone I found very interesting (and validating). You always have beautiful tone in your videos - so much so that it makes this single-coil guy want to get some humbuckers!
On my Ampeg Reverberocket I do the Grant Green trick often mentioned by George Benson, Bass and Treble all the way off and Mids Maxed. At least on the Ampeg (which Grant used a Gemini) it nails his tone with the plucky pick attack. May not work in all amps but on the Ampeg this is my go to setting.
I feel I should point out that the Boss Katana is NOT a modeling amp. The pre amp and power amp are completely analog. Boss says that they duplicated the behaviour of tube amplification, but in silicon.
I like the clean sound of my Katana. EQ settings are all at 10 o'clock. Volume and master volume both quite high (on 3 or 4 o'clock). Guitar volume is turned down to taste (never played at full guitar volume). This setting adds warmth and compression automatically. I also prefer a strat on the neck single coil pickup for a jazz sound on this amp. Humbucker guitars can sound thin without real tubes to tame the high end. I really don't think Boss was going for a Fender clean.
I fell for the myth of turning down the tone on the guitar. I started with fretless bass and it really was quite a hindrance to progress. I now do similar to what you have demonstrated in this video. It maintains a strong and clear upper register without being tinny. As for reverb, I keep it to a minimum. If I'm practising technique I don't use it at all so I can better hear any lack of finesse. I haven't found a digital reverb yet that I like. They tail off too fast and the initial reflection is too heavy. I've been using long spring tanks which tend to be smoother and less jangly.
Awesome video!! I tried the boss katana & well, was not happy with it but it's size was appealing. I went with Crate w/3 10's & 150W tube amp. So I'm always adjusting for jazz & rock tones but you clued me in on certain little tweaks to bass, mid & treble which adjust that attack. The guitar controls are super responsive too. Thanks always for your videos.
Awesome! Jens, have you checked out Henriksen amps? (Handcrafted by Peter Henriksen in Denver, CO). I recently got a Henriksen Blu 10 and it is far and a way the best sounding amp I’ve ever plugged into. These are incredible amps that are compact, light and very portable (though not quite as affordable as the Katana!). Thoughts? Thanks!
I have played on them, and they are very compact. I wasn't really that impressed with the sound to be honest. If my AER would break then I might get one though.
Very informative Jens. I go through a similar process with my Yamaha THR, and will go at it again after this. I've found I prefer a 'blues' or slightly gainier amp setting over clean - maybe similar to your use of overdrive pedal.
Hi Jens, would be super interesting to watch you squeezing a Jazz tone out of a Mesa Boogie. I believe that the clean tone of the Mesa is incredible understated.
Very interesting especially since that is exactly the amp I use on small gigs. And I have an old Fender Vibrolux reverb. I play 90 percent of the time solo finger style. Would have been interested in thoughts on how/if that make any difference to you in your settings.
Thanks! The sound you get with you fingers depends on how you play and if you have nails etc. In the end, you should be setting the amp based on your technique and ears :)
