Guitarist Tone Lounge: BOSS Nextone Special

Welcome to the latest in our Tone Lounge series. In this episode Neville Marten and Richard Barrett look at the Boss Nextone Special amplifier.

Here's what Boss says about the Nextone Special…
"Fuelled by BOSS’s acclaimed Tube Logic approach, the Nextone Special delivers premium sound, feel, and tonal versatility for stage players who demand the best. Fusing forward-thinking innovation with boutique design features and detail, this professional stage amplifier offers deep sound-shaping controls, enhanced reactive drive power amp circuitry with selectable voicing, a custom Waza speaker with vintage 'blue bell' tone, and much more. The Nextone Special provides a refined playing experience that stands alongside the finest tube amplifiers, enhanced with key modern advantages like variable power control, consistent sound, and maintenance-free operation."

[simply]

Nextone amps are very underrated. They deserve more attention.

[TheRedSpecialPlayer]

This presentation of the Boss “Nextone Special” is anything but “boring”, as one comment here claimed. Neville Marten and Richard Barrett show the “Nextone” with British calm and poise and completely dispense with the lurid superlatives that we constantly see in other videos and which in most cases are misleading.

Competence and objectivity are the order of the day here.

I also like the fact that Neville and Richard don't bury the basic sound of their guitars under tons of gain, but are always keen to create a tasteful sound.

I'm an absolute tube freak myself, but the “Nextone” convinced me in the music store before I saw this video, so I bought it.

I wish there was a Neville Marten and Richard Barrett in my home country, Germany, who could present interesting products so seriously.

Bravo, gentlemen!

Best regards
Mic

[jimwarner]

The very best Nextone Special gemo of all. Great job. Thx

[markbrannigan]

Thank you for this wonderful overview and review! The way you touch on each of the controls and how it reacts to the over all tone is wonderful.

[snoopyanddiggergraham]

A blues cube vs nextone would be wonderful. That's for all you do guys

[gobodega]

Great Demo of the wonderful Nextone Amp. Many thanks 👍

[toledo]

excellent i very much liked this video because the explaining all the different knobs is superb.

[carlweiderick]

Great video! Great playing! Great review! Great amp.! I always enjoy your 'Tone Lounge' reviews. Thanks.

[TradBowBruce]

This sounds like the best collection of tube amps that you can really dial in. Often with amps (and I have Marshall dsl, Fender Blues Jr. and a Katana 50) you get what you get and always want to push it one way or the other, but you just can't fine tune those parameters. As for the Katana you need the computer or download patches. The Nextone is old school knobs and no hassle and you can dial it in real time. I was torn with going with the Katana Artist, but being an old tube guy wanted that tone but ability to dial thing in, I'd say this is the winner!...?

[johnsmith-smmh]

Excellent, boy can that Richard Barrett play

[smsuperstrat]

So glad they opened up the Specials features in the other amps in version 3 firmware update. I for one love a more compact amp that doesn't lose features.

[kawabungatortueninja]

Awsome demonstration and really good music you offer us

[thebadterrorists]

Dual guitars intro heaven. Neville Betts and Richard Allman or should that be Neville Turner and Richard Powell? More please.

[RickMcCargar]

You guys had a nice jam and definitely got some useable tones out of that. Amps "in context" of a musical setting rather than just by themselves, are so much more interesting. Thanks again for the demo.

[lettuceb]

Hi guys, I was listening for one important point (in my opinion)... Most (if not all) of the settings available on the front panel of the Special can be configured through the USB interface on the Stage and Artist. It's definitely not as user-friendly, but in a gig setting you can get 3 (might be 4) different configurations for use (basic front panel config, custom lead, custom clean) and the settings are completely independent for each config (as long as the controls are left untouched). The real changes between the Special and Artist/Stage are the addition of front panel controls (which are better no doubt) and a speaker change (which may be betteer). These points seems to be overlooked a lot, and doing any sound comparison without a computer present can't tell the whole story..

Don't get me wrong, I'd consider trading my Artist for a Special if the right deal showed up... but budget minded customers should know the Artist and Stage aren't huge steps down.

[mattw]

Man these digital/modeling amps are really coming a long long ways. Very impressive and very tempting. Give me one of these and one 5w fender champ type amp and I think I’d be set for life

[janbrenner]

Living in 2021, who needs the ancient technology of valves if guitar amps can sound and be versatile like this one, being all analogue, concerning the amplification circuits? You have got me upgrading from the Nextone Artist...

[Simone-zrhi]

Great video. It works good with pedals? Thanks.

[AussieCornerStudio]

Thank you so much Neville and Richard just hearing your opinions and extensive knowledge of using valve amps and comparing tones to Solid State and how they differ in sound and response such as 6L6 with scooped mids and EL 34 with that fat in your face tones. I hope the younger generation can really appreciate how much knowledge is actually involved and skilsl required to master from each valve amp and to come to a conclusion. 

We often don't think about that when heading off to a gig or jaming at home and if your lucky enough to record in a professional studio. On my radar at the moment is the Nextone Special it fits my requirements. I've tried the Katana 100mk2 the Nextone Stage the Roland Blues Cube Stage and have the Roland JC 22 and JC 40. I'm getting closer so i have to make a decison which stays and which will move on to a new home. All have their + and - points and of course it's subjective to how you play and what you play but i'm old school with ears tuned for 6L6 and EL34 AMPS I describe it as "Breathing" a valve amp seems to add depth harmonics sustain note interaction feedback volume dynamics it's one part of the whole picture but it's an important one just like your speaker selection and cabinet design. One Amp to do everything isn't possible just yet but I'm glad there trying to improve their designs to offer great choices.

[maxmenius]

Excellent video guys. Very nice playing and quaility demos.