How I Turned My Boss Katana Into A Marshall JCM800 

Everyone knows the more dust you have on your Katana the better the tone

As an owner and operator of the Boss 100 Mk1 I cannot say enough about how fantastic this amp and line is. While its packed with built in tones as Rob demonstrates, I also love running my pedals thru the clean channel and my looper thru the FX Loop. Pure Rock Bliss. Thing launched in 2016 and we are still talking about it. If you don't have one then give in and GET IT!!!! :)

Yes! The 100W setting with the cranked master is that "real amp" sound people think modelers can't achieve.

The answer is YES and I heard from a mate who works in a guitar shop…..who heard from a Boss rep that the amp is specifically designed to fatten up and compress a little bit like a vale amp when ran at full master volume (using the channel volume to set your level) I run mine at 0.5w with the master volume on full and then set the volume I want with the channel volume. It’s awesome.

I have an interesting update to follow this video soon. Having had a really good chat with Boss! 🤘🏽

I just can't get over how good that amp sounds

Hey Rob. I'm an old gigging musician that has always used tube amps live. I bought a Katana 100w a few months back for smaller gigs and to check it out. I was initially underwhelmed and it sat in a corner doing nothing. To be fair, I did not invest time in the custom configuration capability. With all that said - the term Hack is overused - THIS is a hack. So much rock. I will be gigging this with the gunned master this Friday.

The Katana is amazing, seriously even if you don't NEED an amp, if you can afford one go for it, you won't regret it.

You are spot on Rob, I heard the difference straight away! It sounds more powerful even though the volume is the same. Sorry it took so long to find your video .

I here a difference although it is pretty subtle over YT. I have a Katana 2 100w head and it rocks at almost all volume settings, even through the internal speaker. I agree with your perception. Amazing line of amps! I also own a 5150 iconic combo and can say I love them both. Boss and EVH sound great! They are the average persons tone tools that punch way above their price point.

I practice all the time with my Mini on the brown setting. I personally love that Boss Brown sound. Whatever you did kicked it up a notch for sure.

I believe your right Rob! To me it sounds better, there's a big midshift it sounds like, the regular mode feels inherently more scooped!

110% YES. I own a 100w 110v and a 50w 220v that I use in US and Europe (voltage depending) Same results. I don't know which sounds more like what, but I know it sounds different. I prefer the wattage and master set all the way up, and trim the actual room level by pulling down the 1st stage channel volume. Rather than using lower wattage and lower master, I prefer higher power and higher master with lower 1st stage. For me, it's the breakup sound I prefer. (Mindful I'm not chasing heavy distortion, but a certain light breakup tone.) I don't know how or why, but YES, it does make a difference.

I have had my 100 MkII now since Christmas and got the foot controller last week. Got a great deal because it was a floor demo and the controller was a scratch/dent special. The only gig I do is an open mic night at my local club every other Thursday. I do a 3 song set where I play over a backing track. This amp is perfect for things like that. I know when I plug it in and hit the power switch, it's going to work. And it is easy to move. But the more I use it and play around with the settings, I find new little Easter Eggs I never thought of before. Rob is right, the power settings influence all the tones and depending on your guitar, you can get real close to what we would all call the Holy Grail sounds of our favorite records. That's a feat that many modelers strive towards, not many make the cut.

You are correct I did that a few years ago when I bought my Katana! Put it through the test just now a big difference!

I've noticed that about the Katana when I play through it. It responds very similarly to a true tube amp when you dial back your volume knob on the guitar. You can have full distortion and dial it all the way down to almost completely clean without switching channels. The overdrive on this thing is amazing because it responds so well to volume and tone adjustments on the guitar. My old Line 6 Bogner tube amp had amazing heavy distortion tone but it didn't matter what you did with the guitar. It basically put out the same amount of crunch no matter what with only minor differences even between pickup changes. I'm blown away by this thing with no tubes. It's still not quite as silky as a true tube amp, but it's so close I don't really care for tooling around in the bedroom. If I was laying down tracks in a recording studio I might get silly about the tone again, but even then, the line out on this amp sounds even better than it does through its own power amp, so I might not care even then.

Just tried it with my Mk1, 100 and there is a difference. I really like the 100w setting. To me it brings the amp alive even at lower volume levels.

Hi Rob! Been doing this ever since I got my Katana Artist. The Master on full gives it a more tube like feel and sound. And I got the tip from the first Video Andertons did at Namm, when the MKII Katana came out. I think it was Pete and Lee who made the demo and they were told by Boss to crank the Master. Cheers

I've always thought 90db from my Katana 100 MK1's 100w power setting sounded better than 90db from 50w and lower settings. The best test is to set up a db meter and compare various ways of attenuating the signal with: (1) low volume; (2) low master; and (3) ox box or some other attenuator. Record your guitar part on a looper to get identical playing, then compare the three sounds blind.

Best tone ive gotten out of my mk11.. Ive had it for 7 years.. Better late than never. Thanks Rob

Thank you Rob, BOSS/ROLAND companies and Yoshi Ikegami !!! The sound is killing good, wide and punchy! You blew my mind with this video also! Thank you and greetings from Bulgaria, from one of your huge fans there! :-)

The 50watt option is the goat on this amp

Hi Rob. 4 years ago, after reading onlline many times that it sounds the same, I decided to test it myself properly. With my Katana 50 MK1, I tested all three 0.5w/25w/50w modes, measuring exactly the same DBs, and, to my surprise, NO, they don't sound exactly the same. In the maximum wattage setting there's some "magic" happening that is a bit lost in the lower settings (attenuator (?)), again, at the very same volume. It's difficult to explain. From that point I left the power control at max setting and I never never touch it.

I used to do this with my Fender Frontman. Max one of the volumes and tweak the other. Worked a treat for such a little amp.

It helps to think of this configuration like an early 80’s peavy saturation control

man, that sounds pretty convincing, even through desktop speakers with my laptop. I'm thinking that amp is going to be my next one, and I already have a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL-100 with a 4/12 cab. Most definitely a very nice sound you're getting there.

On my Katana Artist, I like to add a Boss Compression Sustainer pedal between the guitar and the amp. I use my guitar volume knob to control the level of articulation and definition of the sound. With the amp cranked and volume knob set to 10 on the guitar, you'll get the result of a guitar where you hear every note in its clarity of attack like when you hit the keys on the piano with no effects or sustain to it, just like in this video demonstration. When I roll the volume knob on the guitar down to 1.5 to 2 on the knob, you'll get this amazing breathing, sustain coming out of the amp. It sounds like its pushing the "valves" harder and is opening it up further with sustain. When you barely have the guitar volume knob set on between .5 to 1 you get a clean sound with just the right added slight dirty distortion with again the feeling of the amp breathing with using the added compression sustainer pedal. The other benefit, is ease of use for the player. Makes the guitar more responsive and sensitive to the touch for the guitar player. For me, I get more interaction out of my guitar by doing this method and come up with some amazing results.

Just tried this on my katana 100 mk1 and it’s so true! the bottom end really comes through more on the 100 Watt setting even on low volume. Even the clean channel sounds great with this

I have to say, Chappers, I didn't hear a difference, using headphones on yt. However, what I did hear, was two versions of a cranked tube amp coming out of a wholly transistor amp - an extraordinary feat from the team at Boss. Yet another demonstration that Boss are leading the field in amp technology. P.S. I have a Mk1 2x12 Katana - should I warn the neighbours before trying this?!! WOW!!

Guess I'll be the first to say... You gotta dust that thing off every once and a while Rob! lol

I Think Your Both Right.The gain structure in the preamp reacts to the master vol. And the power Amp does the magic it does without much change at any volume. The power Amp alone is ❤

I got a MkII 50 just recently to use as a jazz guitar amp, with a guitar with a carved spruce arched top and a floating pickup. Even for this task, running the Volume and Master controls at least 75% up - along with running the power at 50 watts - is crucial to thicken up the tone. I then use the Gain control as my amp volume control. Of course, with the archtop the Gain never goes above 25% or so, and is often lower.

Yes. Even with the 50watt, it makes a huge difference.

Hi Rob. I found this hack somewhere documented in the Boss Katana forums. On lower power control settings you turn on the volume up, 7 to 8-9, then set the master to obtain the desired volume. Then you start feeling the reaction on your fingers. Harmonics and distortion like a tube screamer to a valve amp. The treble boost overdrive helps a lot to get a beautiful breakup sound on the clean channel. Gotta try it... Thanks for your video

Wow… I was not expecting this video to be THAT popular! Thanks for the support guys, follow up video coming on Sat with an interesting result🤘🏽

I have the boss katana 50 mk2 yes the different power settings effect the tone... when your driving more wattage to the speaker it helps it shine!

Hi Rob! I think 2 things are at play here. The first thing is compression. If the amp section is designed to be wide open and the overall volume depends on how much signal you give it you may have more compression at lower volume due to padding the pre-amp's output down to mimic less wattage. At the higher setting less of this type of compression takes place and more harmonics can be heard as a result. The other thing is damping. If you have more power to move the speaker, you also have more power to stop the speaker from moving. Basically you have more control of transients and thus more low level detail is audible and you have more bandwidth in terms of frequencies. The result is that the amp might sort of sound like a class A amp at 50watts and a class A/B amp at 100watts even tho from the standpoint of the actual electronics it's either one or the other, more than likely class A/B. Since Marshall amps are class A/B it makes sense that it would sound more "Marshallesque" in the 100watt setting.

Definitely made a difference. I did this when I owned a 100W katana a year ago and noticed it.

I have done the same thing on my 100 watt katana, it is why I bought the amp. When I first played it in the guitar store, it sounded incredible for a solid-state amp. When I got home, I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t sound the same until I turned on the 100W mode and upped the master. Suddenly, it sounded far better than my other, real tube amp. You definitely are not crazy.

Yes, it does change the sound. I play out with a katana regularly and the preamp volume, master, and watt setting all change the tone and are related to each other.

That Katana sounds mint. The best new range of amps to come out in many a long day.

I just got a katana mk2 50 because it was factory resealed for 150 at zzounds and it is actually pissing me off how great it sounds for everything. I have 5150s 6505s tsl100 green matamp and and basically every solid state death metal amp from the 90s and I can get this amp to get all of those tones . What's crazy is it's almost harder to get 90s solid state tones from it 😢

Dear Rob, I'm glad we've go similar hands. This gives me hope in my own playing. I've been a bit envious of Steve Vai who seems to have extremely long, spider-like fingers.

I have played out a lot with mine and there is a difference when the power amp is cranked. At the same type out practicality I do use it as intended, set the master where it sounds good and control the general volume with the watts settings. Oddly the preamp volume does not color the sound as much as one would expect. I do tend to rely more on what I previously described out of need to get the amp to behave similarity at any volume. Nothing is worst than dialing things to how you like them to go play a venue and have the amp sound totally different. I tend to deal more with amps internal eq options to push in which ever direction I am trying to go, specially the eq section after the preamp. Years ago I payed $250 for an MKI and I got to say it is still impressive. I am still disappointed that Boss won’t invest the amp with a proper stereo delay nor a stereo output for live performance. I know there is the two amp option but the angle of this rig is supposed to be grab and go, in other words to carry less stuff.

thanks Rob, i was trying to get that tone but fell just short of it every time. finally found this vid, and VIOLA! the magic starts to happen! bought my mk i head for $125 w/cover. cha cha cha!

" was just chatting with the boss of BOSS" 😂 how many people can say that.only the best and most recognisable pedal company EVER!

Sounds great either way man ! Brilliant.

Yes absolutely, ive always justified it by thinking that "power control" sets the voltage of the whole gain circuit, while the volume knob just attenuates the actual volume output. once i started playing with my katana i noticed it sounds better if set to 50 watt (i have the smaller amp) and I've just messed with volume to make it tolerable for neighbors.

Team yes with an observation. Other than low end I think when you switch to 100W the bigger headroom in the power section gives you more sparkly harmonics

Yes! I now set my 50w mk2 Katana to full master on crunch Chanel, it sounds great. I even push a Cry Baby and a TS trough it. The volume gets a bit twitchy but still enough control. Thanks! Cheers, MC

An older friend about 40 years ago was the first I seen use this trick to play a few AC/DC tunes on a small Samick practice amp gave it boost he wanted.

Yes and it sounds 'cleaner within the gain' there's a clarity within all the distortion with the 100w gunned master setting. It sounds more musical.

I know of course the possibilities are almost endless with a Katana. But I'd love a vid of a few tones you dial in

It's exactly the same. All you have to do to determine is to switch the amp into its ACOUSTIC amp setting and play a music source into its guitar input. You can still hear the distorting capabilities of the amp that way and are able to play with the settings however you like. Further, in doing this, you will discover that your Katana doubles as, not ONLY a guitar amp, but a quite capable, HIFI Mono audio source (that can be altered... for those without the option to utilize an extension cab) with which one can listen to music through their 4x12('s). Personally, I have my speaker output running directly into a 2200W RCF SUB 8003 AS-II concert-class 18" powered sub. From there, I slave out of the RCF, using the thru signal and pipe it all into a Bogner 4x12 with V30's and green backs. Obviously, I am not going to use this as a theater surround system. However, while working, out in the yard or in the garage, I would challenge all-comers to a sound-off with their purpose built receivers in mono.

Nah Rob you are right, even on my phone without plugs i hear a difference cranking the master volume sounds better, more "growling" and less fizzy. Trust your ears.

I have the head and I definitely hear and feel a difference going to the 100 watt setting. Better bass response and attack! Great vid!

I’ve always run the master at 3 o’clock on every power setting.☮️

Can confirm and replicate similar behavior with the Nextone Special which is your amp's cousin in a lot of ways. Pushing the master creates a modest amount of sag, some roll off of the treble, less note to note clarity, and increased compression. The higher wattage settings have more headroom before power section clipping. The stepping of volume at the lowest settings on the 100 Watt section is because of the taper on the knob at it's lowest settings be a bit notching rather than smooth. Happens with the Nextone too.

Yeah, it does have a richer sound. Solid state/modelers can get that “valve” effect depending on how they’re wired. I had a H&K vortex that worked that way. It acted like a valve amp in that manner. With the katana, you’re essentially raising and lowering the headroom, and forcing the power amp to do some of the clipping which gives it a valve like quality. It’s not all SS amps that can do it, but they definitely exist.

Yep sure does. I never quite loved the sound on my Katana until I started putting the master up and controlling the volume with the channel volume. Usually I'll just use the crunch channel with one of the built in overdrives.

Yes

I threw on headphones to listen to the difference between 1:22 and 3:12, and the treble definitely holds on, but there is a fullness to the mids my old ears can hear in the 100W setting. I'm going to test this out tonight with my MKII Artist head through my Origin 2X12 and see if I can replicate it. Although, I also realize I don't have Chapper fingers, or skill, so it will end up being mud.

Boss themselves have said this. It's how they recommend using it.

🤘LOVE the Boss Katana

Yep channel volume down and master up equals more open power tube type of breakup, now turn master down and turn up channel volume you get more preamp gain type of tone.. it's partly due to the class a/b power amp circuit..

I've never been able to detect that much of a difference, and it relies on you matching the volume precisely at different master settings. The speaker will alway react differently if you increase the volume. The Studio Rats did a fairly accurate test on this in one of their Katana vids and concluded there is no difference in tone. Whether it feels different is another thing.

Good test! That said you gotta level match those changes with an app to be sure it’s “the same” level out of the speaker. Our eyes deceive our ears very effectively.

I think you are right man, it sounds less muddled

I used to use the katana head exclusively in my band for about 2 years. To my ear, the 100w setting sounded more full and saturated at the same room volume level than it did on lower power settings. I've since sold it, and now only have the 50w combo, so I'm going solely off memory.

I agree with you on this having owned a Katana.

Well made modelers will indeed model also the poweramp, including its reaction to different settings. I use Fractal modelers, but I'm sure the same applies here. What I notice, more than a shift in tone, is a change in how the rig feels. First compression, and then gradually more saturation as the MV is turned up. Saturation will eventually change the tone too, from tight and punchy to bloomy and full. Different settings make me play differently because the rig reacts differently. Rob seems to be experiencing that here.

Yes. I noticed the same thing with my blues cube artist. The max watt setting even at the same db level provides a more dynamic and full sound than the lower wattage settings.

Yu're right mate. I've owned a MK1 Katana 100w and used it exactly like that 😂😂😂🔥🔥🔥🎸but with a bit more volume and master full up. It also cleans up really nice. Amazing amp for the money tbh.

100% something I used to notice on the 50 combo. Would never use the 0.5w setting and just wrestled the volume knob on 25 or 50 because it just sounded... better? It's like it's modelling some valve sag or something. Lovely amps once you know how to dial them in considering it's all solid state.

Yes! There sounds like it has a fuller gain structure and its really bumping the low end with more of a thump! The low thump is very much a Marshall type tone at 100 watts!

I also feel the same. To me, it has more harmonic richness as you said, and seems just a bit fuller and more musical.

I think what you’re noticing is the “air feel” If you have it set to live or blend, and you change the power control, I believe it is coupled into the air feel. I notice it when using headphones. I set mine to live and that’s probably why I notice the slight change in tonality when cycling through power controls when using headphones. It shouldn’t be coupled when not using the headphone/rec out though. Unless it still pipes back in the air feel at all times..

I always use mine on the 100w setting even at lower volumes it sounds better than 50w setting.

I always run my Karana master flat out in all three power modes and use the volume to taste. It's a tip in the instructions that i read somewhere when i first bought it.

Damn bro exactly what i wanted to see great vid , great to see you still going making sick videos after all these years

Absolutely no doubt it does. Sounds amazing!

Interesting. I’m off to try it now and see if I can get a better idea when in the room rather thanRU-vid. Thanks for sharing.

50 watts (to me) sounds a bit darker or Muddy? More clarity, articulation and bite in the 100. They both sound good but I'd probably take the 100 watt setting as my favorite. it sounds like actual valves cooking (if that's even possible for a digital amp.) I do have a 100 MK2 and I get some great stuff out of it (I use it with an actual pedal board.)

Yep definitely crank the master, I got a 2x12 version and been gigging with it, funny thing is I don't think it has to be on the 100 watt setting, mine seems to work on the lower settings as long as its on full. I done some gigs with it on the lowest setting (0.5) with electric drums. I was using a Blackstar ht40 but moved to the Kat now.

Of course it does, man. Even a digital/solid-state power section sounds better when pushed. I've done the same with my old Carlsbro GLX for years, and it sounds so much more organic.

Did you notice the higher power settings seems to have more sustain on leads too , i know i did and it does have that tube or valve head tone

Listening w/ in ears or Airpod Pro’s… it does sound more like a proper valve amp on the higher power setting!👌🏽👍🏼

Mate as a katana owner at 19 I was desperate for Van Halen and Hetfield tone, glad to know it wasn’t just me who mastered the amp, my friend got the 50 Watt version and it just doesn’t sound as good, once u go high Watt and Master and low volume u get a Cab and Valve feel like you say, and it’s fucking awesome, it’s also Bosses brown sound!

You need to play recorded guitar into the amp whilst monitoring the output with a type one sound level meter that will do 12th octave frequency response. No changes other than the setting under investigation including where you are in the room. Question is what does the frequency response look like at the same sound pressure level. Anything else is conjecture.

Defo different. More "fizzy" on the 50w setting. More bottom end on the 100w with the master topped out!!! I agree with you Rob....better late than never!! 😂

I agree with you 100% Rob. 100 watt, gun the master, bring up volume slowly, brown setting. I heard that crunch a Marshall gives you and the tone. I like it. Wonder what a Gibson les paul would sound like on that setting. Nice!

I have been using this trick for a long time for my Fender Blues Jr to get almost the same affect as the “amp return” since it doesn’t have the effect loop. I get all my dirt from pedals and since there is no effect loop in Blues Jr. I turn down the preamp volume to lowest setting as possible which allows me to turn up the master volume significantly. I got many compliments after the show that how I get a Marshall sound out of Fender Blues Jr.

They both sound good to me. I think this deserves an Anderton's "Blind Challenge"

im doing this set up in the mk2 10w head through a marshal Cleston green cab and omg yes must try

I agree the 100 w dimed master sounds like cleaner gain.

It does sound fantastic now question there, mainly cause your playing. Great demonstration.

Your absolutely right to my ears

2nd setting, 100w, with Master at maximum, sounds way more like a 50w JCM 800 - has that squishy swell you get with tubes. This was my conclusion way before you got into your comparison and determination - I'm glad I came to your same conclusion. Slash would be proud Gonna definitely try this out on my Kat MK1 100w head tomorrow...

When I got my Katana Head, I watched some of Justin Sandercoe's videos about the Katana. He said exactly the same thing: something about because it has a "Class A power amp" as I recall, then it would sound best with the master all the way up and setting your output with the Volume. He didn't understand the details and I haven't looked into it further yet, but I think there's something to this. Definitely sounds different. He didn't say anything about the 100W vs 50W setting, though, but I suppose it's the same idea as turning Master all the way up. I'd love to get more from you on getting the best out of the Katana! Gotta clean that Saharan dust off your amps for the next vid though! :P

I love your playing. I bought one when they first came out and I'm going to test your theory as soon as I finish watching your video. By the way, mine is as dusty as yours . I use a small paint brush and one of those compressed air cans so it doesn't mess up the settings.