Ugly Guitar Truth: BOSS WAZA Craft 75-Watt Head

The Katana amps have made a huge wave in the solid state amp market. So much so, that it is easy to forget that the Katana amps share a blood line with the WAZA craft amps. The WAZA was the very first amps under the BOSS name. Roland has been producing amps for decades, but only in recent years have they put the BOSS logo on the front. Now, with the popularity and notoriety of the Katana, the WAZA line has expanded to include a 75-watt head. Is this finally the WAZA for the masses? Let's see...

Something Old, Something New

There is a feature list a mile long on these amplifiers. No matter what the amp can do, it has to sound good first and foremost. The WAZA was authentically voiced after the heavy rock sounds of the 70s and 80s. These amps also have a separate independent B channel that selects a"Brown Sound" Tone Capsule. Both the A and B settings have 4 channels: Clean, Crunch, Lead1, Lead2. Included with vintage tones are modern features such as Dual FX Loops, Midi controls, USB and Line outputs with cabinet simulated outputs.

Affordability?

The good news is that the WAZA 75-watt head costs $750 less than the 150-watt version. However, that means it still costs $1,500. Paired with the 2X12 cab, the combo will run you $2,500. That's Marshall stack money. Obviously, these amps are meant for the touring professional. If you were hoping that this would be a cheap option to the full bore 150-watt version, then you might be a little disappointed. This isn't exactly bridging the gap between the affordable Katana line and the premium WAZA, but it's good to see that they are still supporting and developing their high-end amps.

Conclusion

Is it time to run out and buy the WAZA Amp.  No, it is not. Unless you are a touring professional that can justify a high-cost rig, this option isn't very approachable. More approachable than the 150-watt version, but when we are talking about starting at $2500, then why not get the high-powered version. These are impressive amps that hopefully translate into great affordable products like the Katana.

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