Katana 100 mkii as a practice amp

Karlis Abolins · Post by **Karlis Abolins** » 8 Jun 2020 7:09 am

Earlier this year I reset my guitar to a "standard" E9 tuning and vowed to myself to get comfortable with it or sell it. One of my problems over the years has been getting a pleasing sound out of my amps and stomp boxes. I know it is only my practice studio but if it doesn't sound good to me, I am discouraged from playing as much. I dragged out various stomp-box preamps and amps out of my accumulated junk yard and tried to get motivated but nothing spoke to me. I either got muddy sound, ice-pick highs, garbled lows, and combinations of the above. Not good for inspiring me to play. I thought that perhaps something new would help dial in a sound for my practice room. (GAS - it always looks like a solution, but it is a trap. It looks good on paper but it ends up sounding like crap).
Anyway, the Fender Tonemaster Deluxe reverb attracted me because of all of the positive reviews, the power scaling for getting a decent sound at various volume levels, and the direct-out for recording. The price put me off since I felt I couldn't justify the price for a practice amp.
Then, in my searching, I started to come across references to the Boss Katana amps. Initially, I glossed over them because they seemed to be "gimmick", throw away amps. However, I started to pay attention to the reviews and watch youtube demos and the amps started to appeal to me. A couple of weeks ago, I got the AHA moment and realized that I could get one and sell it on craigslist if I didn't like it. Unlike Fender amps, I saw that Katanas didn't stay for sale very long - usually gone in a day or two.
I bit the bullet and got a Katana 100 mkii at my local guitar store. I made the deal over the phone and did curbside pick-up. I took it home and hooked it up. I set everything flat, dialed in a hall reverb, set the power level to 5 watts and started playing. My settings over the last couple of weeks haven't deviated much from flat. The lows are clear with good string separation, and the highs (like at the 15th fret) are clear without the ice-pick I usually encountered. The reverb is subtle and pleasant sounding. At this point, it is a keeper. I played around a little with the higher gain settings for single string work and There is lots of room from exploration. I don't know if I will ever try out the higher power settings since the 5 watt setting seems perfect for my studio but it is there on the switch if I ever need it.

This is a long rambling post, but I wanted to share my experience with other folks who might be looking for a practice amp. If you plug in headphones, it defeats the speaker for silent practice. I personally like hearing the sound through the speaker and my studio is in the basement and doesn't annoy my spouse.

Karlis

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 8 Jun 2020 12:35 pm

Karlis, I have a basement full of amps including the Katana 100w combo. It stays hooked up and ready and gives me a pleasing tone. I do run a separate amp from the line out with a 15 inch Peavey BW and together the combination is beautiful. Enjoy the Katana. It's quite a bargain for what it delivers.

Anthony Parish · Post by **Anthony Parish** » 8 Jun 2020 5:59 pm

There's a lot to love in the Katana. Seems like incredible value. I literally have not heard one bad review. The only people that give it a thumbs down are the traditional tube amp fans who aren't into any modeling amp. Glad you have found your tone - hope it gives you inspiration.

Jeffery Mercer · Post by **Jeffery Mercer** » 9 Jun 2020 9:16 am

Greetings, I purchased a “Katana 100 watter“ when first they came out, the 5 watt setting is nothin short of fantastic, Boss puts out remarkable pedals...so why would an amp be any less Fantastic, my personal Opinion is the Katana Group of Amps by BOSS is currently the worlds Best kept Secret! SHhhhhhh!
Thanks for a great write up!
Jeff Mercer

Ron Hogan · Post by **Ron Hogan** » 9 Jun 2020 10:01 am

A couple samples of me using the Katana.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkGoMAyJysY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzBIDqllLiE

Ron Shalita · Post by **Ron Shalita** » 9 Jun 2020 10:08 am

Have you tried plugging into a mixing board and use headsets? Itâ€™s not the amp. Your amp is just a monitor ... having a headset on will make you feel like you are up and personal..plus you can run your comp through it and play music to jam with... dont fall for the marketing unless you have a lot of money..

Gene Tani · Post by **Gene Tani** » 9 Jun 2020 4:15 pm

My 50 watt Katana sounds pretty good with a couple tube preamps running before and after the Hilton or Goodrich volumpe pedal (Sarno Black Box, Presonus Studio Channel)

Karlis Abolins · Post by **Karlis Abolins** » 10 Jun 2020 7:40 am

Ron S. What preamps do you use on your mixer rig? My Soundcraft mixer has pretty decent preamps but they are not adequate for running the guitar directly into the mixer. The Katana is more than a monitor. it also has a preamp that is critical to the sound that comes out. The Katana preamp shapes the sound before sending it to the power amp. My comment about using headphones on the Katana is meant as a possibility for those who sometimes need silent playing but still want the option of getting the sound out of the speakers if they desire. Personally, I like to hear the sound in the room.

However, you are right that it is an expense that can be avoided if you have an adequate rig involving a mixer.

Karlis

Ron Shalita · Post by **Ron Shalita** » 10 Jun 2020 10:09 am

Karlis, sounds like you are really wanting that amp, and you should get it .. I plug directly into the mixer no pre amp is needed .. hey I also use amps, I have for a lot of years.. for me it is more like a challenge to get a good sound with everything that i plug into.. My thought is I am sure that I can get use to anything.. so when I do go out and play somewhere i wont need to take an amp... hope that helps, and good luck with your Kat ...Ron

Steven Black · Post by **Steven Black** » 12 Jun 2020 2:18 pm

I am using a Katana amp and love it, took time getting my settings but it was there, I like the light weightness too, I have not tried my stomp pedals like chorus or sustain yet, but it sure is clean sounding amp, I have tried out the Fender ToneMaster 33lbs, it too is awesome amp, but pricey, that is why I went for the Boss Katana, I give it a thumbs up on this amp.

Jeffery Mercer · Post by **Jeffery Mercer** » 12 Jun 2020 3:00 pm

Again...I say, These are great Amplifiers, they have the power, they Name, there lite! They have great effects already stored in them, whatâ€™s not to like? plus...the Sound is Awesome!
People (musicians mainly) think they have to have the Very Best of everything..
They put waaaaay too much stock in Brands.
Unless your a touring Professional, your local Pubs, Bars, small Venues, heck most people canâ€™t tell if your in tune or out of tune...Iâ€™ve learned to appreciate the lesser brands like Squire guitars, fender Japan, Fender Protones, Epiphone, Tokai, Burney, you get it? Iâ€™m sure!
These Boss amps are the Best kept secret at the moment!
Respectfully,
JSM
Mentor Ohio

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 13 Jun 2020 8:42 am

They’re not really a secret anymore. I think it is safe to say they are hugely popular. About the only thing left open to debate is how well they will hold up over time. I’ve had mine for a couple months now. I agree with everyone that the sound is very good and the tone, fx, and power level options will keep a knob tweaker like me busy for a long time.

I agree with Karlis, that for a good clean tone you don’t have to go very far from having the bass-treble-mid settings at straight up noon. Headphones-out Aux-in is great for silent practice with tracks.

One weak spot I noticed right from the start was the power selector knob. I have no faith in its roadworthiness at all and predict it will be the first thing to go. Another unfortunate but maybe unavoidable difficulty is that if you want to switch amplifier models, the volume level changes dramatically. You have to use the preset buttons for volume level equality, which is okay I guess. I will be very happy when the amp modeler geeks of the world figure out that a clean tone setting is not just for playing rhythm guitar.

Jeffery Mercer · Post by **Jeffery Mercer** » 13 Jun 2020 9:42 am

Nice overall Review Fred, Hey let me know how well the Boss Katana takes to Volume pedals...I’m anxious to hear some reviews on that too.
Thanks,
Respectfully Yours,
Brother Jeff Mercer
Mentor Ohio

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 13 Jun 2020 10:12 am

Jeffery, I use a Stage One VP with all of my amps, including the Katana. No problems or weird variations.

If you are wondering about putting the volume pedal in the Katana effects loop to allow for maximum overdrive tones with full volume variance, I have not experimented with that yet. There may be a way of setting up the chain in Tone Studio so the VP comes after the amp model or Boost section.

Running the VP straight in to the amp input delivers the expected result of varying the amount of drive that you have set in the boost control (and the amp model), as well as volume. When I use an overdrive, generally speaking, I don’t want to be messing around with a volume pedal.

PS on my Katana “review” post above. It is a joy to have an amp with high quality, fully functional delay and reverb effects right there on the front panel. You really can just plug straight into this amp and have a wide variety of functionality with a VP and no other outboard gear, though I am looking into acquiring the GA-FC footswitch.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 13 Jun 2020 12:04 pm

I use Goodrich volume pedals and it works fine. You can download the app and use a smartphone or tablet and control all your functions, save your settings to a library and so on. For the price it's a jewel of an amp. Likewise I use a Fender Mustang 111 v2 with excellent results and the same slew of effects and phone or tablet options. They both give me a great amp tone and effects option.

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 13 Jun 2020 1:47 pm

I was under the impression the phone/iPad Bluetooth app functions only with the Katana Air amp, and that Boss Tone Studio for all other Katana amps requires usb connection.

Larry, how are you connecting your phone/tablet to your amps?

Peter Harris · Post by **Peter Harris** » 14 Jun 2020 4:09 am

Hi Fred, can't remember if I have linked to this resource in the past, so apologies if I'm repeating things at my age..

There is a wealth of information on the Katana Amps sitting over in the Vguitars Forum for all to see...

Start with this entry point and have a look around..

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?board=316.0

Cheers,
Peter

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 14 Jun 2020 4:45 am

Fred, you do use a USB cable. Plus there is an app for 7.99 you need to do all the functions. I found that once you have your tones set and saved to the different channels you will likely never need to keep hooking up your phone, unless you are a habitual tweaker.I have done my settings from the available amp controls and really don't need to change anything. I believe you can use the phone wireless if you connect a bluetooth dongle to the amp, but I haven't tried that myself.

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 14 Jun 2020 8:36 am

I started working with the Boss Tone Studio the day I got the Katana. There is a ton of fx available there for programming into presets that aren’t on the front panel. I was only curious about your connection. I just fell into my old habit of going into my PC, and hadn’t thought about using an iPad or phone. Not a bad idea, though I prefer working on a bigger screen. Plus, there’s no app charge.

With the Katana Air, I believe you could conceivably work with Tone Studio wirelessly on the fly with your phone from your seat on a gig. That would be cool. That option is not available on the other Katana’s.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 16 Jun 2020 7:02 am

Fred, I believe you are right. The VG forum has members who tried to use the bluetooth dongle and failed. I can tell you it works with a cable if your device supports the OTG adapter. My Samsung s4 and S8 phones and Samsung tablet all work well with it. Problem is, I hardly ever change settings once I find something I like.

Karlis Abolins · Post by **Karlis Abolins** » 16 Jun 2020 7:23 am

Fred, How are you connecting to the Boss Tone Studio app? I followed the directions and end up with an error message. I am on the latest Windows 10 and the 100 mkii with the firmware update. I did a web search and found a lot of people with the same issue. One opinion is that the app doesn't work appropriately on 64 bit Windows 10. I have opened up a support question with Boss/Roland but have not received a reply. I suspect that COVID-19 may be why their support staff has not gotten back to me.
I do have to say that Roland has a history of software issues with their equipment. Several years ago I had an audio interface that I gave up on because of their drivers. The large number of people who are reporting similar problems with Tone Studio point to this being an ongoing issue. I guess if they sold Tone Studio, they might pay more attention to it but since it is free, they most likely treat as a cost center and do not focus on making their app bulletproof.

Karlis

Gene Tani · Post by **Gene Tani** » 16 Jun 2020 7:31 am

are you sure your USB cable is a data cable? I can't remember what the difference is but when I needed one I tried about a half dozen cables and none of them were data cables, so i had to buy one at Fred Meyer.

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 16 Jun 2020 8:34 am

Karlis, I am using a usb cable that came with a Zoom hard disk recorder. A printer usb should work too. Straight into the port on my PC, Win 8.1, no issues to speak of. Maybe this is a case where having an older OS is the advantage?

Karlis Abolins · Post by **Karlis Abolins** » 17 Jun 2020 7:41 am

Regarding the problems with Tone Studio, I got a reply from Roland/Boss yesterday. Based on my trouble report, they determined that I was using a version of the Tone Studio app that was for the MKi instead of the MKii. I uninstalled the old version, installed the new version, and it works great. I have egg on my face! Now to find some variants on the web to download and try. The deep editing is daunting. I looked at the deep editing for the reverb and there are a LOT of parameters.

Karlis

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 17 Jun 2020 8:13 am

Wow, I’ve never gotten confused by software versions or upgrades or drivers or configurations...

I have worked with Boss GT multi-fx units for over 20 years now, so the depth and breadth of parameter tweaking is nothing new to me. Getting good sounds is not difficult, but if you are looking to dial in something specific, “daunting” is the best word to describe the task.
One could also describe it as an infuriating, time-sucking aggravation.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Katana 100 mkii as a practice amp

Katana 100 mkii as a practice amp

Glad you got your Inspiration back!

Katana amp reply

Amen!

Volume Pedals?