Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 (Unbeatable?)

Today it's the Boss Katana 50 Gen 3. The Katana range has been praised by basically everyone and their dog. So let's see if this new version of the affordable amp really is as good as the best modelled guitar amps.
I hope you enjoy!

[pawel]

I am doing deep research on amps, and man, out of all the channels so far, yours DOESN'T sound like a home shopping network ad, all positives and smoke being blow up your ass. It's refreshing to get a bitingly objective view of products that most of us are clueless about.

[ajlukelepuke]

I just ordered one and should be here tomorrow. Sounds good to me. I'm getting back into playing after 10+ years. This amp looks perfect for someone who doesn't play in a band or live.

[Hypersonic-tw]

Yes I agree, the Katana has some serious FIZZ in the Brown and Leed amps. The easy way to combat this begins in the CHAIN by moving the FX after the AMP.
Another way is lower the gain, then choose a booster like Crunch, Centa or Guv-DS. Set the booster between 0-20. In the EQ lower 8K by -4db. Add a Parametric EQ, set the high cut to 6.5K

[thedigitalsnake]

Thanks for your honesty, and yeah, you can hear the sounds well enough in the vid to back it up.

[carsandchrome]

Great video, thanks for the upload! I just bought the Katana Mk3 50 at Sweetwater Music for $269.99. I fell in love with my friends Boss Katana 100 that I tried out, but I didn't need that much power, so I bought the 50. This amp will be a huge upgrade to the Vox Mini-5 rythm that I had been practicing on for the past four years. Now I just have to figure everything out with this new amp I bought.

[CB-]

I’m just getting into the guitar. Picked one of these up and am more than happy with it. Leaps and bounds better than the junk little beginner Silvertone amp I had. From the perspective of someone who hasn’t developed an ear for what a good amp should sound like, I think it more than fits my needs! Most importantly, having a better amp has made learning a lot more fun!

[braindogat]

A fair review as always. I see many comments about not comparing it with a tube amp etc. That's Elmo's opinion and that's that. Nobody ever said anything about comparisons or price relativity. He says he didn't like it and he was kind enough to tell you what he did like subjectively. What's not to understand?

[smacker]

I have 2 Katana 100's in stereo and they sound incredible. I gave my katana 50 to my nephew.

[luthravin]

Nothing wrong with honesty Elmo…solid review and that’s why I come here!! I’m sure Boss will sell them by the boat load..I have one..the older 100w MkII..play it at the 50w setting using the clean channel with boost, gain, and it’s perfect for my band practice amp..cuts through easy enough.. live situations it’s my 5150 Icon 40w and it brings more than enough to the band mix..reverb isn’t to my taste but I have my TCE Hall of Fame 2 for that fill!! Thanks again and nice day Elmo!!

[georgestanley]

I’m amazed at the comments saying the cleans in this amp aren’t that great. I get great cleans just by adjusting the mids to the guitar that I’m playing. It’s all about spending time with the amp to dial in the sound which is what you have to do with most tube amps anyway.

[grishyroy]

I trust Elmo’s opinion over GuitarWorld, etc. any day. With that said, if ‘you’ liked the tones then it’s a great amp, for you. Some people hate vintage Marshall tones and like Diezel high-gain, and vice versa. There’s a reason there are so many choices.
It’s great unbiased information for you to use to inform your buying decisions.

[SuperBriandamage]

I had to do some tweeking in the Boss Tone studio to get it to kick ass. I was successful. 1 . Adjust the tube screamer settings very little gain somewhat high output. For Either Brown or lead.
2. Add Graphic. EQ in chain drop frequencies a bit..around 250 hz and slight boost at 3k for a bit of sizzle. The lead channel is great for a mk2c+ Petruci vibe. Brown is more mod Marshall. At louder volumes I like the 50 watt setting. Mine is the 100 combo

[chrishyde]

I have a Katana 100 mkii. Wasn't impressed in the shop but most people say you have to twiddle with Tone Studio. I thought it was better after twiddling, but after some time I've reverted to thinking it's average. I now use the clean setting with my drive pedals, which makes it sound better. I play low volume at home, and find the Spark Mini is more suitable for my needs. My old Yamaha THR 10C with the drive pedals sounds good too. So, whilst the Katana isn't bad, I agree the hype is overdone. I've lent my Cube 80GX to somebody and must get it back!

[davidmurphy]

I have a bunch of valve amps, Cornford Hurricane etc, and Roland Blues Cube Artist which is great but I regularly gig a Boss Katana 50 ex with a GA-FC footswitch. You really need to use editing software to get it to really shine. I use Juca Nery's Librarian app. It takes pedals fine. As a lightweight portable grab and go amp it is unbeatable. I also run the line out to FOH. I take a tuner, clean boost and a Sweet Honey overdrive as well as the GA-FC. I have a Mk 1 100 watt too as a back up. Started on playing valve amps in 1970.

[javierf]

I just bought the Spark 2, as price and toys made the decision.

[steveo]

A box of plastic. I kind of agree. I used to have a Roland blues cube and to my ears the tones from it while not as versatile were much better. There was a definate fender tweed vibe there and amazing clarity. That's not to knock the katana. For the price it's amazing. It's great that new players in particular can get one of these and learn tones and settings

[johnmclaughlin]

I own Marshall and fender tube amps, fender mustangs, line 6 catalyst, spark stuff, and a few others. The katana is my go to amp because I can play anything in my home, get the different sounds without blowing my wife’s ears out, and I do it all with the panel on top. I’m on computer off and on all day so I’m not jacking with a computer at home when relaxing. The katana is awesome and very inexpensive so I don’t mind lugging it around if I need to. Those expensive amps are slightly better at whatever their thing is but it is always louder to get there and they’re not as versatile without adding pedals etc. I’m a good high intermediate player with diverse tastes musically if that helps. Maybe a true pro this isn’t enough but for the vast majority this is a great amp.

[johndoyle]

I have numerous Roland/Boss products, including a Blue Cube Artist, purchased in 2015 and gigged a fair amount. I found it very usable, although it lacked some of the organic feel of the best tube amps I've owned. When the Katana came out, I tried one for a few days. I wasn't able to bond with the amp. If the BC lacks the organic quality of tubes, the Katana feels completely antiseptic. I also found the plethora of settings distracting.

[Chrismbrock]

I love my Boss gear. I have a Marshall Stack, a Mesa Stack and the Boss is my go to rig.

[DerpRulesAll]

When you said "it's the same amp, through different overdrives" that's the impression I got from Fender's Champion series. I don't think Katana is a modeling amp until you hook it up to your computer.