The Week in Gear 44 | Boss Katana Gen 3 - Why the hate? | New Squiers 

Katana GO already has a single line LCD. That's exactly what all Katanas need. It can show a tuner and, yes, a single line description of what effect is selected so you don't have to remember what effect is associated with what color of LED.

Katana 50 and Fender 50XL are great to my ear. The Kat more flexible and the Fender more fenderable 😎

The only disappointment with the new Gen3 Katana is that its emblem didn't get an extra chevron to make it a sergeant

Freakin love this guy; has to be the most relatable dude on guitar RU-vid.

Orville Peck is great. “Pony” is still my favorite album, although his new duet with Willie Nelson is awesome, too. We went and saw him at Stubb’s a couple years back and he’s a true performer.

Always look forward to your weekend gear videos Andy. Thank you for making them informative and fun! And here's to hoping you get your hands on that PRS, would love to see an in-depth review of it.

The time stamps are msessed up, thanks for the episode andy!

Let's get that Shecter Nick Johnston review. I have the PT (tele) in atomic green, and it's amazing. It's frets were flawless out of the box. And as for the PRS amp, looks cool...but I really feel like we are approaching the end of amps. Modeling and profiling is so good, cheaper, and lighter to carry. I think Revv has a good idea incorporating Two-Notes into their products, as we have seen other companies at IR capabilities to their amps.

Did the speakers or cabinets change in any way? Now that Boss has a dongle to allow you to play and practice with backing tracks, the question is, do the guitar speakers sound any good for music playback? I am very curious about how the Artist speaker, which is supposed to be voiced like a traditional guitar speaker, would fare against the regular Katana 100 speaker (in terms of the overall sound quality when jaming along to backing tracks on the amp itself). Edit: To clarify, at home/apartment practice volumes, which model would give the best possible overall sound quality when practicing with backing tracks?

I don’t hate the Katana, i actually owned a Gen 2 for a while. I got rid of it because i was using it in my living room and wanted something less conspicuous. I may have considered getting one for the office but I would want an FX loop for looping and the 50 doesn’t have one. I also think the decision to not include Bluetooth without a dongle is just silly. Being able to manipulate the amp via an app is a big plus but that should have been included.

Just to let you know, your chapter markers for this video appear to belong to (presumably) another episode of TWIG.

I agree. Who wouldn’t want a “tight bottom” of anything.

I really was expecting a bit more after 8 years of the Katana. Things things like making Bluetooth an optional extra just seems mean spirited. Some sort of display by now seems like it would have added little to the cost but much to usability and would have moved the line forward a bit more. I have a few MkII Katana’s and I just don’t see any value in an upgrade at this time

@ 14:50 and thereabouts: Yeh! 100% Boss obviously does not want to compromise pedal range sales and its fanbase knows this It makes it choices, takes its decisions and endures consequences. (I will not say anything about speaker qualities)

I love love love my Katanas. I have two Katana 50s, a MkI and a MkII, connected ABY via Radial Big Shot for wet/dry glory. I wonder if I need the Upgraded Sounds badly enough to get a Gen 3. I’ll try one out in the shoppes eventually. I’ll probably get one eventually too lol…

The PRS amp looks really awesome and good value especially when you compare it to that Gibson Falcon release (remember them from a few months ago?)

I have the original 1st gen Katana 50 and my main complaint is with the clean channel. It was difficult to get that edge of breakup sound without using pedals. I never use the drive channels because they are to distorted and lacking subtlety. Maybe this push channel solves that? I've been shopping around thinking I'll ditch the Katana.

My classic vibe 50 came with the rotten neck. They cut off two of the fret short oh and it’s left-handed so I found a left-handed neck that cost almost as much as the Guitar and it’s chunkier on the squire watermark. Not plays like butter.

I❤ mykatana 50 is perfect for shred

I bought the Sherwood Green neck-humbucker Tele .. As a person who has always intrinsically disliked green'ish guitars I saw it once, went and ordered it and, true to Squier CV it's a hell of a guitar in terms of feel, sound and damn it looks good ..!! lol

In regard of the "electromatic version" of the white falcon maybe you should have a look at the fairly new Chris rocha signature or the even newer (but not as sparkly) Gretsch emtc LTD pristine ❤

Get your hands on a Traynor YCS50. Most versatile amp i ever played,

Adding bluetooth in the box would have cost 1-2 bucks. The additional module is a cash grab.

I considered getting the Artist MKII Combo. Instead I settled on the Orange Supercrush 100 Combo which is just a straight 2 channel amp with no thrills and no need for tech.

I own a couple of classic vibe Teles. They look nice but they have those sticky necks, and the faux-vintage hardware that looks quite cheap. I think you'd be better off to buy an Affinity Tele, and upgrade the pickups to get the sound you want. Meanwhile I want to get that green one in your video.

Hmmm PRS amp andcab? Like you Andy, not a huge fan of the PRS amps but this is priced to buy 🙂 Hope you get your hands on amp and cab to try out!

I like that 60's Squier in sunburst but I am seriously trying not to buy much more gear, GAS anonymous member lol. Hi I am Dave and I love guitar gear lol

What model guitar is that at 13:16? Kinda looks like a Danelectro but isn't. Headstock says Fidelity? Never heard of it.

Could you do a silly mk1 vs gen3 comparison pretty please

the bluetooth module for €50 separately... why not include it? why neuter an amp designed to be modified with the app without integrating bluetooth? just to sell advanced bluetooth modules for €50 (!!!!)? It's a shame that the boss did this. great review as usual and thank you for your work!

I have the boss katana 100 W head and I don’t like the effects. I just put it in clean and then use my paddleboard and it’s a bad ass.

Boss didnt leave bluetooth out to keep cost down. Think They did it to sell a separate oiece to make more money. Its called price gouging. Your asking for a built in tuner,which would cost them a whole dollar more to put in..they want you to go spend more, on the probably soon to be, boss katana encased tuner for the floor

What upsets me with Katana is that Bluetooth is NOT built in! Its is an optional extra for another fifty quid! That sucks for a bedroom amp!

I love your sarcasm

Boss is like every company you cant get the vented seats in a base 4cyl Mustang you have to buy the V8 GT to get all the options.

I don't think it's disappointing as such, I just think lots of katana owners just didn't see enough to warrant an upgrade if you already own a previous gen one. So that being said maybe it is disappointing for owners 😂 great amp if you haven't got one mind

My gripe with Boss, is at this time, is there is no announced retrofit of the new gen3 modelling to the Mark 2s. I suspect it is for others as well. And since I have the Artist, it isn't an option to just go and buy the new one. Line6 had a Day 1 Firmware update for the first gen Catalyst for the new models in the CX series. THEY didn't piss off the existing ownership in that way. I suspect the Bloom feature could be added via firmware and toggled in the software on and off, even.

I’m only disappointed that the Gen 3 has the same katana speaker… From the ground up through the same stone cold speaker….

If i can go out and spend £80 on a Mighty Plug which has bluetooth built in as well as everything else, i cant see how Boss can justify £40 for a BT adapter.

APOTW!

Your smile is intense bro!!

“The tight bottom of a fifty year old pixie” …. Ooohhh Young Man!! 🤣

To be honest there really is no need to upgrade from MK2 100. Just gonna get you to pay more and rope you into more stuff. Perhaps they are gonna wait to upgrade the software for mk2 100 after they sell the gen 3… umm just a thought .. Boss Katana MK2 100 is just fine the way it is honestly!!!! Just my thoughts

All the people upset with the new Katana had just bought the mk2 😂

Buy a katana sell the speaker put in a v30 or dv77 prob solved

Let’s be honest the audience isn’t going to say with regards to katana that’s sounds shit it’s not a high end tube amp it’s only the cork sniffers

I would buy a PRS amp if they didn’t suck so bad. 😢

Andy, serious question with all respect, why do you think half of katana users are not using Bluetooth? Doing some engineering/math/cost analysis, if the BT Is being built it on the amp, will increase probably 5/10 dollars at the most. But buying separately, 40/50 dls. I dont see the logic there. Is better to have it even if you dont use it that not to have it. I am using the mighty space and besides Bluetooth audio, i can plug a usb midi controller to the phone and send commands to the amp for free, with ANY midi usb controller. Boss even with this adapter can not do it. It is such a closed system that makes me wonder the want to become like apple. The sound is amazing but at what price? Love your content anyway

I just bought a mkii for the first time a week ago. It is the worst sounding digital amp I've ever played. Everything sounds fake, the distortion is like a swarm of bees, or like when the cable gets knocked out of the tv and you get dust static. I've been working on it for days to find a could useable tones, and i haven't found them. I don't know if it's boas's marketing or what you, but that amp was a POS that i wouldn't recommend to my worst event. It represents everything wrong with digital amps. Save your money and buy something that according l actually sounds like an amp, not a recording of one.

Fender designed pickups ??......I remember the vintage modified range with Duncan designed pickups ?.... possibly Bert Duncan, the guy who owns the chicken shop down my street.🤭🤭

Thing is, without native Bluetooth, this is only a Katana II with another switch position. Today’s music requires hardware seamless integration. Eighties are over. No hate, but no reason to move from my Katana II, either. I also feel they are failing to appeal to the younger players’ generation. What the heck, Boss is asking me to pay good money for something that I consider base spec, and is native even on the cheapest cell phone? No way.

I’m serous normally. 😂😂😂😂

on the new boss, as mentioned, you need to PAY for the Bluetooth which is absolutely unacceptable in 2024, and that's a bulsh... (sorry!) reason to say that most Boss Katana users do not use Bluetooth .. where that info is coming from ??? and indeed ... no FX Loop on the 50 ... come on !!! I pass and I ban ... bored being taken for a pigeon !

The second hand amp market is flooded with nicely priced Katanas. Boss got the Gibsonesque bug which unfortunately led to this highly questionable release.

John petrucci booze? Cant he just fuhkoff already? As well as that whole industry of musician labeled booze? Enough already amiright?

Ah, did the internet not like your all the paid advertisement videos you all push out, for a little toy amp? Did Bass not pay you enough to be pimped out by them? Did you not like people pointing out you can buy a laptop for the price of that toy DSP amp? Who hurt you?

I bought the 100 Gen 3 yesterday and it feels great! I have recorded around 50 songs for Spotify on my old 50MKII and feel like this is a natural upgrade. I wanted 8 channels and the speaker in the 100 watt version sound better, less harsh. Unbeatable value for the money.

I use my Katana a lot. It's the Mk11 100 watt, and I've used it live. I don't feel the need to buy a new one yet!

It would be nice if Boss made a bigger better version of the Boss Katana mini. A amplifier that is simply a amplifier with one or two effects (reverb & delay). Something that is old school and not something that is a mini computer.

Drinking game to end up in a hospital: every time someone in Andy's comments says "cash grab." Do people not realize they can just not buy something? It's voluntary. Sorry you can't afford everything you want.

FINALLY MY WEEK IS IMPROVED WITH THE WEEK IN GEAR🎉 THE BEST GUITAR REVIEW SHOW!

I paid £150 for my katana 100 mk1 combo, its worked brilliantly for gigs and home practice, so i could treat myself to the gen 3, ive played valve amps for years, mainly marshalls, still got them tsl and jvm, i find the katana meets my needs in the band im in, while being very portable, no issues With reliability/durability etc, most people that hate on them have probably never used one in anger or are comparing it to their two rock or dumble Not all valve amps are tone machines by the way

John Petrucci thinking he’s Johnny Depp selling us perfume lol

Chapters seem to be goofed up? I really want one of those 84s lol

No its not about the 40 bucks… its because some of the paywalled stuff is essential for a gig… now imagine buying a practice amp as a beginner and half a year later you realize you need another amp… because you did not pay the 50€ for the next version.. and you probably will do that till your device costs 850€ Come on effect loop?! Line out? Bluetooth?! No foot switch option… global eq (the thing you use on the MK2 to make it sound like the mk3) It is just bad customer practice…. Like super prime accounts because your prime acc now got adds… the span… for those essentials you pay twice the money of the whole amp and most of the stuff you get is worth about a 10th of the money…

the katana doesnt have Bluetooth. Its is BT ready. you have to pay 50 bucks extra for a 2024 Standard Feature. thats why people are mad. its a paid dlc for the only Feature people wanted. I have no need for the Fake tube thing Equalizer mishmash, but i have to pay it. Not the best Argument. And "built the Sound from ground new", is also just Marketing, because people like the Gen 2 Sounds, why making them new? Chance is high you fgg it up. give it built in Wireless, good App, ir loading, better Processor for adjustable, bigger Signal chains, looper, drum machine....thats what people need (and get with other Modeling amps). they just rereleased gen2 with some quickfired Marketing bs No one wants to keep the price high and the Features you want are a dlc. thats why. you have to advertise this bullcrab because you need Boss as a Partner for living, but youre Arguments are just wrong.

A massive fan of trying to put things in other things eh?

I don't care who hates it or who likes it...I'm getting the 100w gen 3 head when it becomes available.

I'm torn, the Sherwood green is spectacular, but I'm a sucker for Sienna Sunburst... gosh at the price, I want both. 😂

I like your content, Andy, but no built-in Bluetooth is a blatant cash grab. New toasters have bluetooth : ) (Kidding, but you know what i mean). And no GA-FC switch in the baseline 50 makes ZERO sense. And a "Gen 3" means a facelift - I call this one MK2.1. Cheers.

Why the hate? We all bought Katana's, I bought the Artist 2 by 12. Now there's a new version, and mine is old all of a sudden, and we don't like it. Now, do you understand the hate? Plus, all those "Tube amps are better crowd.".

Andy, don't forget that "the internet" is your audience so try not to sneer at us too much. Revoiced amp models are provided FREE by Line6 et al, so the rebrand by Boss to gen3 seems cynical. They would still sell hardware, so i really don't think the software upgrade is justifiable. I agree about the 50 fx loop, it's your bargain basement. But the Bluetooth adaptor really isn't going to add $40 to the retail price so should have been included imo. I thought they might do a stereo fx loop on the 2x12, with stereo speakers, like the jazz chorus. That would be an insta buy for me.

Hmmm...well the Gen3 Artist hasn't really added much to warrant replacing my MKii Artist...gonna hold pat.

It's not hate, it is disappointment. They rebuild the sound but at what price? So far it looks like the new engine means no SneakyAmps. So you get 1 new sound, so called "Pushed". But you lost ~25 other sounds you had in MK1/MK2. And according to samples available in other YT videos, I can agree that crunch/lead sounds a bit wider in Gen 3, Clean is more or less the same, and Brown is (in my opinion) worse in Gen 3. So in overall the balance of stock sounds is on surplus. But why they removed SneakyAmps instead of give them officially? They added led lights to Amp selector knob. Why not just color led and multiple amps for every type (just like Sneaky works)? Instead they gave us 1, literally 1 amp sound and remove unofficial way too get the others. I'm not even sure if we can even call gen 3 and upgrade for power users.

That DGT amp is like a cheeseburger combined with a pizza combined with a taco, with a built in milk shake. Sounds good in theory but I don’t think it’s going to work

£40 to add BlueTooth when the entire assembly costs a squid... And Gen 3 not MKIII?

Katana 50 ain't worth the money for what you get, and everything's great when it's free...!

Boss just offering more of the same at a price increase. Bluetooth should be standard in a modeling amp these days. It’s a money grab and from all the gen3 vids the new tones don’t seem that much better. It’s a full on NO from me lol (bet boss can’t sleep at night knowing that 🤣🤣🤣🤣) I still love you though Andy 😊

You got me with that perfume gag! Really liked those Squiers this week. They remind me of the Fender Japan special runs. But gotta say that the DGT amplifier really did something for me which I wasn't expecting. Maybe it was the looks?

I've had the MkII 50 for about a year, and have been using an AB switch to change between A1,A2,B1,B2, and it's done me justice. But....I wanted a 100 watt. I was about to get one, after practice, but the other guitarist in my band told me about the new Gen 3 getting released and maybe I should wait and check it out. So...I did wait. I did check it out. I loved it. I bought it. I just finished setting up my new Gen 3 100 and I absolutely love it. I also go the GA FC EX, with an expression and a momentary switch. I know I didn't have the MkII 100 to compare it to, but I'm likely to start messing with the phone app, soon. Hot take: people will search for reason to complain when they don't want the change to make them want it. They're comfortable where they're at, and don't wanna feel as if they need the newer model. So, they search for reasons to hate on it. Hot take 2: it absolutely is NOT a deal breaker if the amp itself doesn't have an onboard tuner. And in fact, I would never use that onboard tuner, as I have specific tuners I trust, and would prefer a separate tuner, anyway. There are TONS of tuner options, and to hate on a great new piece of technology, with tons of great features, all because of a friggin tuner, is quite frankly, absurd.

It"s all good. More or less. Buttoned all the buttons.

Huge Orville Peck fan, this is way out of my price range but I'm thrilled it exists!

had the 50w didnt like it sold it bought a hk nano vintage box amp put it thru a peavey 1x12 cab with an 8ohm sheffeld speaker plus od3 pedal chours pedal and a phaser with a harley benton sc450 honey burst happy days love your channel😄

Do people really hate the Katana? For the most part a see most people saying that the Katana is a great piece of budget gear that you can get a number of really decent sounds out of.

Why the hate? - Because Line 6 Spider amps have had all the hate they can take 😂

Usually BOSS crushed our hearts on their third gen pedals. It probably the same on the amp. Example, PH-2 is way better than PH-3. This probably going to be the same scenario but I hopefully it's not going to happen that way. 🤞🏽

Good grief! I have a mk1 katana head, AND the Waza Headphone Amp….yet still, for playing and practicing at home it always on my Spark 40. Built in Bluetooth so I can run guitar, computer and vinyl sounds thru it, and it has a built in tuner….and it’s small yet sounds great and so easy to learn new songs with. Sorry Boss, but you’re fired

My Catalyst 60 has both an FX loop and an onboard tuner... I guess Boss just didn't want to

All these katanas are true shit. I have the gen 2 artist and I still can’t get a good rock tone , even with the tone studio which is trash

🥚no ! ... having spent/trashing 'bout the same money on an AC4 and ~17 pedals (equaling the whole cost 4 'bout all Katanas) and still sounding less: less versatile, less band compatible, less sounding ++ >> more stupid

The hate is because it's built like a mobile phone and nearly impossible to repair. Planned obsolescence is an evil thing. The MkII was a dog in terms of build quality ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EPvon7zLdgw.html

Why does anyone care that other people don't like a particular amp or Guitar Etc ? We all hane different wants needs and tastes and thats the answer . We do we have to love every piece gear in existence? We are not even allowed to have preferences in music gear without being called a hater . Simply saying i tried such and such amp or this guitar or that one and it wasn't for me gets you called a hater . How about not acting butt hurt when someone doesn't like your favorite amp . Its not a personal attack . If you like your gear thats all that matters so shut up quit whining and enjoy your gear and let others enjoy theirs

is PaulReedSmith going to go around doing clinics claiming the cabinet "tone wood" of amps makes a huge differece now?

Had a katanbut MK 2 sold it as I didn’t like the sound

I would LOVE a review of the new Petrucci signature scent. You could do a thumbnail saying “Reviewing John Petrucci’s Newest Signature Gear” and get lots of clicks! Would your retention rate be great? Probably not, but you’d get the initial click! And I’d love to hear your thoughts on how good it smells, part of the review could be wearing it around your wife and seeing if she says anything. I would watch!!

So excited about the Katan tone editor mobile app !!! It’s definitely my pick a da week.

I've started playing electric (metal) a year ago and I started up with a Boss Katana combo and a Katana head and 212 Wasa speakers. Now I've got an Engl Fireball 25 and 212 Vintage 30's speakers - I'll NEVER going back - what a difference in sound!! Night and day...

Ive never played a katana but hate it bc of social medias

My new Boss Katana Go has a tuner at $119, go figure?

It seems like the improvements were marginal.