The Boss Katana amplifier has been a thing of interest for many guitarist since it's announcement at the end of 2016. The ever growing threat of solid-state technology catching up with our beloved tubes is once again made evident by Boss' latest offering. Would I consider trading in my tube combos for a Katana? No. But, with the feature set and price range of these little combos, many people are asking themselves if this amp is the right choice. I'll tell you what I think...
Punching Above It's Weight
Those of us accustom to 1X12 tube combos will notice that the Katana is a petite package. I found myself questioning whether or not it actually had a 12 inch speaker. It is also light-weight. I have seen the specs for the amp and told myself that I know what to expect, but the size and weight are actually surprising. So, naturally when you approach an amp like this you have certain expectations. Small, light-weight amps sound small and light-weight (thin). Perhaps this is a psychological tactic by Boss to precondition you, so that when you actually do play through this amp it sounds big and heavy. Because this amp sounds big and not light-weight. The cab and speaker reverberate harmoniously by providing bass and presence in equal measure.
Well Balanced
I've spoke about the initial shock of playing trough the amp, and how the low and high end are lovingly coupled in a homogeneous blend of frequencies. That is balanced indeed. However, the vast array of knobs would seem to tip the scales of form and function in an unfavorable direction. Again, at first glance, our impression is not congruent with our experience. Anyone who has fiddled with knobs on an amplifier can sit down with the Katana and produces varying tones of blissful harmony. With a neutral EQ and bypassed FX you can dial up four different Amp Types. The problem that has plagued many amp like this one has been the fact that they either have settings that all sound the same or so different that they couldn't possibly come from the same amplifier. This would make changing channels in a live setting unpleasant at least. But Boss has Balanced the amp types so that they sound related but not redundant. Probably the most impressive part of this amp, and that's before we talk about the effects.
The Effects
Undoubtedly the most anticipated aspect of this amp is the effects. obviously Boss wants to promote the 55 available effects, but the fine-print to that is that you can only store 15 and the fine print to
that is that you can only use 3 at a time. To be fair, this is not limited in a way that makes the effects trivial, but you are bound to use a PC to do any great deal of editing to the stock effects. Given the recent focus on android and iOS connectivity, this seem like an oversight. This actually seems like area that Marshall got right with the CODE series. The CODE series features mobile connectivity and a on-board editing menu screen. The Katana would do well with one of those options. Instead, it has none. Not that this takes away with the impressive sounds that the amp is capable of. Plus, serious users have a great editing tool in the Tone Studio software. Having said that, this is Boss and the effect that were available during the review were solid. Boss really did their homework and provided quality effects that 100% usable.
Conclusion
I still really like these amps. They have a lot going for them. Would I use this as my everyday/gigging amp? No. It just can't replace a tube combo and pedal board. But, for the bedroom player or recording artist on a budget, this amp can really fit the bill. The amp really need a PC to be all that it can be. I've had gear with similar functionality and I doubt that I ever used it. All in all, this is an impressive unit. It shines most where you don't expect it. The effects are usable, but might be a little cumbersome to edit in depth. Boss nailed so tone of feature on this one, but at the same time, I'd like to see some improvements.
