I FINALLY Play a BOSS KATANA! - Is It As Good As People Say? 

the tone studio makes it a whole other animal, so much versatility

Great video - one additional detail, tapping on the lights over the fx knobs will cycle through 3 different effect 'slots' (with corresponding colours) that they've preassigned. Those slots can be switched around with a pretty extensive effect list in the app as you mentioned.

Long overdue, but today I play a Katana for the first time! Tones @ 3:10 If you have a Katana, let me know what you like about it! Katana link/info -sweetwater.sjv.io/rQ2JKj

It’s refreshing to hear these are still counted as great sounding. I’ve been playing a Mk I since they were new and couldn’t be happier. Great review!

The Katana is definitely a great amp. Don’t let the price fool you either. They are an exceptional value.

Sounds great and great playing as always. Love the Katana - I can’t believe this is your first try!

The Katana is without a doubt, the best bang for your buck amp that's out there at the moment. I love mine. 🤘🤘

I have been using the Katana-100 MKII combo and absolutely love this amp for gigging and recording. Lot's of choices for effects and can save multiple presets to really provide a wide range of tones. Great video BTW! I also gig with a Roland Blues Cube, not as much variety of effects and tone choices but also a very good sounding solid state amp.

Bought the 50W earlier this year. Absolutely worth the money. Honestly, really hard to tell it's not a tube amp. Also, as others have mentioned, each of the effects lights can be pressed to changed to another type of that effect, with the lights changing color between red, yellow, and green.

Hi Darrell, Fantastic review of a very versatile amp head. It has the looks too. Cheers ✌️🎸

I own the Boss Katana original in the 50 watt version. I love it.. Also you are able to download all sorts of upgrades, models of amps, speaker box such a full stack, half stack, pedals, favorite guitarist setups, etc...This amp can drive you mad with all the abilities it has...Great review and these Katanas are absolutely incredible for their price range....

I have the 100 and I absolutely love it. It's great for everything from quiet practice at home to home recording to gigs. The foot switch makes it really easy to have a low profile gig setup too. I can't recommend these amps highly enough!

Hey Darrell! i hope you are doing well, i used to watch your videos all the time when i started playing guitar and just recently rediscovered your channel. i wanted to thank you for making great videos and inspiring me in which guitars i should get. Thank you!

Digital has come so far. At 44 I can say it keeps getting better. This generation really is lucky. I think they are making use of it too. Maybe Boss is best. I like my POD Go. Nice quick showcase Darrell

So good. The software that is included is where the magic is. Yes, you can run it stand alone like you see here, but the real deal is creating presets, storing them and recalling. Perfect to set up a line card at a gig. And in the studio. They hit it out of the park on this line.

You can also click on the lights above reverb and other effects to easily swap between spring, plate etc. They cycle between other colors to let you know which one you are using

The BOSS studio opens a whole new world. Not all effects are exposed through the knobs as you can only select between three. The studio allows for a much wider selection.

My favourite thing about this video is how you showcased the sounds with effects on and also with effects off, really made you hear the difference.

Great demonstration. I've had my Katana 100watt combo single 12" for over a year. It's a very versatile tool whether it's on stage, recording, or in the bedroom/late night use. The footswitch is a must have in my opinion and worth the extra money. The software goes really, really deep. The only con or drawback is the lack of bluetooth so you must keep the amp relatively close to your computer/laptop to use its usb. The Fender Mustang GTX 100 includes the footswitch and has bluetooth for about the same price. It sounds great as well.

Really appreciate your honest good reviews, truly appreciated 👍👍

Thank you Darrel for this test, this amp is really fantastic and very versatile, I have the nextone which I am very happy with but which has a different philosophy, fewer sounds but closer to a tube amp and simulating different kinds of English and American amplifier. The good thing is that I don't have any more tubes to change.... Happy New Year to you ;)

Nice review as usual! I use Katana mkII and it's awesome. It has in it all the boss pedals effects. Using the app you can make all sorts of combinations. No need for pedal boards anymore 😊

Good review! I love my Katana Artist combo.

Thanks for the review, i own the 100 watt mk2 combo and i love it! It's now my grab and go gig machine its so much lighter than a stack i played for many years. It also has lots of head room on clean and crunch at low gain.

I absolutely love my Artist MK II combo! I still love tube amps for an analog pedal platform but the Katana is fantastic for me (I don't gig or play in bands) as a home player, I also love it for recording at home. I am just getting into patches and ambient sounds and the Katana is really great for both.

My first guitar amp was a 100w katana combo. I still have it. It is incredibly versatile. I have the GAFC foot controller and can access custom presets back and forth at will. Boss effects are all built in. My favorite feature is the power scaling. 0.5w is perfect for bedroom practise. 50w is plenty when playing with a band. Great solid state amp!

Yes it is. It’s an incredible sounding amp. My favorite out of four amps I own. Absolutely happy I bought one last year.😊

The Katana Head also has a speaker built in, so if you want to do some low-volume practicing, it's a great little addition!

Great straigtht forward video. The Katana is the Swiss Army Knife of amps. It does everything well enough to solidly get the job done. If you need a specific specialized tool for a specialized task, you'll still need to buy that, but if you want something that is diverse and can do most anything well, this is it. I've owned tube amps, direct, solid state, etc... but now I like the simplicity of one amp, one chord, one guitar. Nice.

I have the katana 50 mk1, not knowing when I purchased the mk2 was about to drop within a week. Lol I use it just for practice and I love it, one of my favorite features is the power variable options perfect for low bed room volumes if you have others in the house or late night urges to pick up your guitar like me, it’s nice too plug in at 3:30 or 4:00am and play without pissing off anyone. Cool demo Dean. I really like how the the Katana takes pedals too. For the price and simplicity you just go wrong with the Boss Katana. 🤘

Great amp the Katana! I’ve got the 100 watt combo single speaker. The trick with this amp is letting the speaker break in. It’s a less expensive speaker and it’s very tight and icy right out of the box. Give it some time and it’ll sound better and better!

I've started using my Katana 100 head exclusively. I don't even use a cabinet with it. I just use the line out either into my interface for recording or into the FOH mixer. Just my HSS Strat, Katana head and GA-FC footswitch are all I need. No pedals, no cabinet, light and easy to carry. I LOVE IT!

Great Demo, like always. I play the Artist MK2 since two years (not head). The possibilities that you show are only the beginning of a "sound-adventure". If yo use the "Boss Tone Studio" you will love it even more. It's a free software and it gives you many options. As well the Footswitch works great. I don't use my other amps anymore. Maybee s very good speaker-cabinet will make it a little better?

Thanks Darrell, great review. What I think you missed though is how the amp reacts to signal strength. I've owned several "modelling" amps that just do not react to how hard or soft you play. The Katana range is as good as my valve amps when it comes to dynamics. I don't know what magic they've used but these amps give feedback to a player like no other solid state amps before them.

I recently purchased the 100W combo for small venue gigs, it works great. I did find that adding an external distortion pedal cut the hiss (I use a Fender Strat with Lace Sensor pickups). Great amp!

I have a Katana 50 Mk I that I used in my lesson studio and now use in my guitar classroom. It’s such a great $200 amp! It does everything I need to sound cool and make my students sound cool. I don’t use it for gigs (I run a helix or my Princeton/tone king gremlin) but I def recommend it!

I sold my Bugera half stack to get a 2x12 Katana and foot switch and I have zero regrets doing so. I love the versatility and the sound I get from it. Plus it’s so much easier to lug around than a head and cabinet.

Definitely delve into the apps for this amp. The gumtown Floorboard in particular. It not only provides access to far more control over effects and EQ parameters than you have on the panel…. but it also contains the ‘sneaky’ amps, it allows custom signal chains, it allows you to store patches for future use, etc. It’s awesome. Use those to create your eight presets, and you still have the entire panel to play with any time you like.

Went to a guitar shop and someone was playing the 100 watt Katana and man it sounded good. The modeling amps have come a long way. I'm a old guy so truthfully I own too many amps and guitars so buying a new amp for me is a no go but if I did buy a new amp this would be it.

I love this channel! Have you ever thought about doing a live stream? Either way, keep up the great work and know you're helping us 1st time learners more than you.

LOVE my 100w MK2. Tone studio paired with FL Studio. Really helped me improve my guitar playing. Started recording my own music. Only been playing/learning seriously for a few months.

First here!! I bought the 50 watt. It kicks major rear cabinet access. It's perfect for a cheap speaker. And it's LOUD 🔊📢. I LovE mine

Im buying an Artist combo. I like it and the way the controls are facing me instead of facing up. Good deal. Good review. 😊😊

Awesome review' Awesome Amp! Thank you!🎼🎸

I love your videos - thanks! I just compared this video to a few of your Positive Grid Spark videos, and the Spark sounds so much fuller and warmer and responsive to me. I also HAVE a Spark mini and I LOVE it. I'm even about to sell my Fender Bassbreaker 15 tube amp, because I just play the Spark more and I don't need a louder amp for the gigs I play.

The Boss Katana gets some pretty great sounds, I just recorded an album with it that will be coming out next year ,the previous album I did with a JCM 50 watt from 1988 and a Bogner amp but for some strange reason I like the Boss Katana better ,I have the combo model will be buying the head version too

My local shop in LA didn't even know what they were, Boss just convinced them to try a few. One of the owners thought there was a 12ax7 in the preamp when they first got them. The other owner wasn't convinced until one of the engineers/producers who used to work with Van Halen (I forget who, sorry) came in and bought a couple for his studio.

I have a Boss Mini Katana that I keep in my truck. I've been more than impressed by it. For its size and price point it really has a ton of versatility. Lot of options and tone choices.

I bought a Katana 100 a few months ago thinking I needed the extra wattage during rehearsals and small venues but I can blow my entire band out of the water on the 100 setting so I keep it on the 50. It’s a great amp and was super affordable. I love it

I have the Katana Artist and the Mkll 100w along with the footswitch running them in stereo and they sound superb ! I have tube amps as well with a Mig-50 , Fender super-champ 2 , and a peavey classic 30, but the simplicity of the solid state Katana's including the footswitch and all the effects makes the two Katana's in stereo an awesome set-up I use every single day. You simply can't beat the value.

Holy schnikeys, that gain is aggressive! Good combo, the Katana with the McCarty.

These are fantastic and affordable. Thanks again for a great video.

A couple of years ago, I bought myself a Katana KTN-100 Mk II (the 1 X 12 combo) as a 52nd birthday present to myself, also bought a GA-FC Foot Controller and Vinyl amp cover for it, wonderful little amp for home practice and also gigging, you get 60 virtual stomp boxes, a total of 8 channels that can have up to 5 fx chained in a row, an FX loop and a few other features too, definitely worth the money i paid for it, I can totally see why they are so popular.

Had a 50 Mk II combo unit for over 2 years now and absolutely love it!

My son brought one home a couple months ago, my JCM 800 was having some work done to it so i plugged that into my marshall 1960 cab and that amp gave me some good tones, I'm still not ready to switch to the modeling amps but it is fun to mess with especially downloading different sounds, that's the Golden ticket of this amp.

A buddy of mine plays out through a Katana combo. The first time I heard it, I was blown away! What a great sounding amp! Warm and organic. If I ever get another amp it will be a Katana. I currently run my GT-1000 Core into the return loop of my Orange Crush 60 Pro and it sounds great.

I have been able to try out the boss katana combo amp. The stock sounds that it has on board are pretty good. The amp seems pretty versatile and able to handle everything from clean to something like Hendrix, to Heavy Metal also.

Just finished a country gig with it. 100 watt mkII going into a simple 12" celestion cab with a GA-FC foot switch (a must have). You can add a volume pedal to the foot switch. A few tweaks to the power amp eq section using the tone studio software is ideal to remove the dreaded boss fizz.

I have the 100 watt Mk2 (1x12) and it’s an absolute gem. It’s like an amp with a bunch of high-quality Boss pedals built in. The Boss Tone Studio software is also amazing and you can program it however you want (there are a ton of available virtual pedals and effects to choose from and it totally unlocks the true power of this amp). I got an older version of the foot controller (GA-FC) with the wrong button labels, but I just created my own labels and stuck the over the existing ones. That foot controller is kind of expensive but it turns this into an unbeatable gigging machine. I’m actually surprised that you can buy so much amp for such little money…

Thanks for your review .I have the first Gen Katana 100 watt head. I love it😮

Good review, thanks !

Just purchased that exact strat and the amp today😂 it’s nice when both pieces of gear your purchasing are in the same video

The Artist Head was a game changer for me. I like the Artist combo, but it took a lot of tweaking in Boss Tone Studio to get a full sound of the 1x12. It got better as the Waza speaker broke in over time. It's great as a grab-and-go amp for rehearsals and small gigs. But the head? Run that into a 4x12 cab and the tone is GLORIOUS! I still love my tube heads, but being able to grab this at half the weight, not have to use 4CM to connect to my multi-FX or pedalboard and instead just use the GAFC foot controller? So much fun with 1/2 the hassle. BTW the switch on the back of the Artist head controls which of the emulated out presets you want to use. These can be customized in Boss Tone Studio.

I use a 100 Katana head live. It’s super loud and sounds great. I’d love the mkii for sure. Great video!

I have a MK1 combo, and have had zero issues with it. It's a great pedal platform, versatile without using the app, and my go-to acoustic amp when performing live. Pretty great all around, and the $219 price tag was stellar too

Braun ! As an Elite You Tuber ... I would have thought you reviewed this beast years ago ! Even me... a Tyro Nube are on my 2d Katana (I had to go for the Mk II with its "concentric knobs" ) but still pretty much the same killer amp. Andertons UK did a funny thing on speaker upgrades in the Combo unit, only to find that even mega-buck Celestrons didn't sound better than the stock speaker! The Tone Studio (that I don't dare mess with as it involves using a "computer" !)... This beast, even just using the panel, does waaay more that I need it to... But most notably, I think its taken its competition all this time ... to catch up with Katana. Back when it was introduced, I was looking at a Line 6 Spyder something (no, its not a Porsche) ... but went Katana. Line 6 now has the "Catalyst" ... which might be "better" but it took all this time to get there. For my purposes , this Save the Public from Noises He Might Make amp (by virtue of its headphone output) ... does all I need for this ... But I would not be surprised ... If Boss has a new offering before too long ... In this solid state computer modeling stuff, its getting long -of-tooth ...(for some... still waaay beyond my meager capabilities)

Hi Darrell thank you❤ Your first try? Is that true? The world has been talking about Katana MKII for a few years, no matter for $250 or $400, all of them are great. My uncles sold all their pedal boards and tube amplifiers and had a nice holiday, bought the boss Katana MKII from the rest of the money.

I have the mkIi artist combo and am extremely happy with it. While it is good out of the box it’s true power is with boss tone studio that being said there is a learning curve to tone studio and the amount of options and control can be overwhelming if one tries to just jump right in. There are multiple equalizers available in the app and if someone hasn’t really messed around with frequency modulation it’s worthwhile to watch some videos or read up on use of various EQ’s because the controls are very dynamic (a little does a lot) and the tone can go from pristine to muddy quickly. For live applications I preload 8 presets each with multiple boost, effect, delay and verb variations from tone studio to the amp and replaced a two pedal board live rig with the katana foot switch, a dynacomp and waza blues driver. That’s all I bring and have access to more tones then I’ll ever use during a performance or jam. Tone studio does have a blues driver in it but not as good as the waza also I don’t really like that in the katana signal path the compressor can’t be put before the overdrive as that is where I place my compressor. But speaking of signal path within tone studio there are quite a few options ranging from everything before the amp to “almost” everything in the “loop” simulated of course but if using pedal effects they can be run in the actual effects loop of the amp and to my ear work best that way but that’s really nitpicking because the difference is so small that it really doesn’t matter. The reason I went with the katana artist vs other “modeling” Amos is it’s not a modeling amp. It’s not an amp trying to sound like other amps, it can sound like other amps and there are plenty of patches that faithfully emulate some very famous and very expensive amps but it’s it’s own thing it has its own tone and that tone is good. As always Darrel great review but I do recommend looking at all that can be done in tone studio and perhaps a video on using equalizers at some point because I think the power of good eq is often overlooked.

I bought the 100 watt mk 1 when they first came out. It's a very intuitive layout with great tones! I can play at home and not bother the family or neighbors with the half watt setting or headphones. It really responds like a tube amp while playing soft or aggresive and it is LOUD if you need that. I cannnot say enough good things about the Katana!

I don’t have a guitar,I can’t play guitar but I love listening to people who can play and you sir, can play. I love all of the sounds and tweaks that these amps offer. I’m kicking myself for not keeping at lessons to learn how to play but I don’t have the patience. I’m one lesson and I should come out sounding like Chet Atkins. It didn’t work that way though.🤔🙄

The humbuckers sound crazy good. I have the first edition 100watt with the two twelves and the foot switch . Great amp and so versatile.

Love it Darrell I have a Katana MKii 50 amp and it is a great sounding amp but the trouble I’m having is dialing a good tone into, I’m more into Journey and EVH so a Neal Schon type tone is what I’m looking for but just don’t know where to start to dial it in.

I don't have the Artist model but I'm pretty happy with my Boss Katana 100 MkII. And anyone who has worked with the Boss Tone Studio software linked into the amp from a computer can appreciate that a full demo would take hours, but it really does multiply the power and versatility of the amp, to the point that it could take months to years to really gain a good command of all of the parameters, features, and sound technology built into the Boss Katana line.

Very well done, with some tasty licks. Good demo. Bought one when they first came out. Everyone should have one.

They seem incredibly versatile and a great value

I've had about 10 amplifiers over the years, and 5 years ago I bought the BOSS Katana 100 watt combo with dual 12" speakers and and blows all the other away! Now I'm thinking about getting the Katana Head Mk II.

You mentioned the Katana comes as a head version. I actually use my Spark mini as a head into my larger amps via the headphone out + a summing cable and love it.

I own the 5O watt Katana combo amp. At my age I need light and versatile and my tank of a Yamaha amp was 80 pounds +. I needed an amp that would sound good playing Tele, Strat and Jazz box. This amp is ideal for me. As a recording tool it is ideal.

I have the mk2 artist! I tried the 50w version alot in stores and it was great. The only other katana I tested was the 2x12 which was really my favourite! The artist is a bit higher quality but the 2x12 configuration made it sound more like a wall of sound which was nice. With the tone studio you get what seems like endless options. I also have the GA FC foot controller which is really nice for this amp. If in doubt I can only tell you to do it. It's my first amp for my electric guitars and my buddy told me it wouldn't compare to his fender tube amp. Truth is i'm not impressed with his tube amp AND it requires maintance, is hard to play at low volumes, is limited in sounds, heavier, ... and more expensive. (He really liked the katana too)

I bought the ten inch speaker one and love it. I haven’t even messed with designing sounds just a couple of the stock presets and I’ve been jamming on it for months.

I bought a boss katana artist combo used yesterday and it works and sounds amazing

once you get the foot switches and start getting into the patch editing software, it quickly becomes apparent why this amp is the absolute best out there, especially once you take in the price point

Darrell, this amp sounds great. i got it after getting and loving the WAZA AIR and its editor. i have a new mac book and shouldn't have any problems getting it all going, but it is a complete cluster......getting this all to connect and work with the tone studio. Their software install should ask you if you in a dialog box, if you want to turn on the appropriate midii/audio device connections if it sees, and tells you that you are experiencing a Katana connection failure....some of these switches are buried really deep in the menus systems for both the mac and the tone studio. it just shouldn't be this difficult.

Love the cherry burst Player strat. I've got the HSS version of it. I also own a Boss Katana MkII 50 which is really nice for my first modern amp. It's a great setup for a intermediate player like myself at under $1000 dollars.

Preordered Katana Air. It's still alive, though it's been treated unkindly. Can't recommend it highly enough. With any Boss product you also get access to their tone library which is probably only rivaled by Zoom...they nailed the compact, feature laden, quality tone segment 100%. I started leaving pedals on the shelf, even when I was at home. They were incompatible with me walking around my yard destroying the neighbors peace, just up to noise ordinance level. That little combo punches pretty hard. If you understand what you're getting, you'll never be disappointed with Boss amps.

I think for a session player, or utility bar band player, the versatility of the Katana line is hard to ignore.

I have the Artist Mark 2 Combo, and I love it. I can create all the tones on it that I need, and I can recreate the sounds of my favourite artists. It is also excellent value for the money.

This amp is sick! Love love love it!!!

I'm an old bluesman in my late 70s who played the Chittlin Circuit back when I was a kid off and on from 1959 well into the mid 1960s, and am very spoiled by 60 years of playing through the best Fender and Marshall tube amps. Last month, I purchased the Artist Kat MKII 1x12 Combo from zZounds. It's as good as rumored and a real pleasure to play through. It loves pedals, it doesn't get crazy like most SS amps do when real volume, effects and other pressure is put to it...btw, did I tell you that they sound fantastic? They sound similar to Orange SS amps in the same price range but much better due to their creamy yet ultra articulate richness, note separation and tone. In my humble opinion they're the best solid state amps out there and certainly worth the money.

I've tried it in store when looking for new amp. While I liked it, ton of options, I have tried couple of different amps and I ended up getting Line6 DT25 as it really wowed me, sounded quite fuller.

Love my Katana Artist, and paired with a Behringer FCB-1010 MIDI foot control (better choice than BOSS' offering) and sold all my pedals but for an overdrive to push it a bit harder. I no longer need a "rig", just the amp and controller. Fantastic!

Lots of great sounds from that Katana! Thanks Darrell, Have a great summer! 💯👍🔥🎸🎶

I had a katana mk2 2x12 combo and it was alright but there was a point the speakers hit their max and didnt sound good. traded it in for a mk2 head and LOVE it paired with my peavy valve king 4x12 cab. Personal favourite tone is gain on 3/4 in clean variation. AMAZING edge of breakup tones from that. If you do another video on this PLEASE touch on the app as it is EXTREMELY powerful to shaping your tones. For anyone who doesn't know the lights for the effects are also push buttons and each different colour is a different effect. My only qualm with the katana is how you can't set what the knobs specifically do on the effects. If you have a cab or are jamming in your room HIGHLY recommend the head because it has a 3W speaker in it and the combos dont have a cab out if you become unsatisfied on how the speakers sound.

“The studio rats” channel did a lot of reviews on the katana and they preferred using the clean / crunch settings over the heavily saturated settings and adding the boosts and drive pedals . They then adjusted them through the app. They also gave clear setting suggestions too.

Darrell, you’ve got to try out the Katana Mini practice amp next. Runs off six AAs or a 9v adapter. 7W of power, but can get quite loud. Three gain settings including Brown, with a delay. Amp sounds awesome, and it takes pedals nicely. There’s also an ⅛” jack for plugging in an .mp3 player. I tried busking with it last weekend with a Squier Strat and a compressor on the clean setting, nice and clear. A bit pricier than some battery practice amps but the quality of the sound is worth it.

Darrell, I think you owe it to yourself and your viewers to do a more thorough demonstration of this amp. I started with a 50, moved up to the 100 with the GA-FC footswitch, and I can't say enough about how great these amps are. The Tone Studio software is also a must. My only complaint is how complicated it is to update the firmware that is part of the amp. And the update instructions seem to be different for each amp and application. Other than than, the engineering of the amp is really, really good.

Outstanding video. High quality

I used to own the 100 watt V1 combo. For bedroom jamming and practice, it sounded fine. I'd prefer to use something else for gigging and recording, because I have very specific requirements for those, but it's not bad for rocking out at the house.

Own the Katana 100 1x12. The software is a must if you want to deep dive into the effects and really the amps themselves. I’m not into that but the cool thing is there is a Katana library that allows you to test in real time the settings from someone else and allows you to save those settings. Loads of other things you can’t access without the software like a noise gate for those single coils! I sold my tube amps because they were too loud at gigs and I couldn’t dial in the tones I was wanting. The Katana is great and it might not be as good as a tube amp cranked but who can do that? I’m playing bars where the volume has to stay low. But last week had an outdoor party to play and got the master volume up to about 10:00 🕙 on the 100 watt setting. So this amp can be loud or it can be quiet. The IR’s are great. It’s basically a Boss GT1000 but with a power amp. I wish it had a built in tuner but everything else seems solid. I could only imagine how good the artist model is!

Nice! Thanks Darrell ✌🏼