BOSS KATANA 50 Amp NOT NOT NOT for jazz

[charlie...@gmail.com]

I tried this amp at a guitar show and it sounded nice at the show. I played at very low volume and all was fine. It is really cheap and light so I bought it.
BIG MISTAKE....well 200 dollar mistake. but still a mistake.

I took it to a gig and found out that if you put the master on 10 and the volume on 10...you only get about 15 watts out of this 50w amp!
It was as if I was not plugged in!

To get 50w you have to turn up the GAIN and BOOST which are distortion sounds. Then AND ONLY THEN do u get 50w out of this junk. And yes, I was on the 50 setting not the 5w ...but it doesn't even make much difference!!!

Who would have thought a 50w amp is only 50w if u crank up the distortion???
Its an amp with no clean sounds above 15w? THis is new for me.
I guess they are making amps for beginners who only play in their bedrooms now?
Refund time!
Am I missing a software update? What crap...

[Lord Valve]

From the "Best amp for Jazz" thread...

"...why spend $5K on a magnificent guitar
and then waste it by playing it through
a crappy $400 Blues Junior? The amp is
half of the instrument when it comes to
electric guitar."

You didn't even get an amp as good as a crappy
Blues Junior, and you seem genuinely puzzled that
it sounds like ASS. WTF did you expect for $200 - this?

https://denver.craigslist.org/msd/6184313258.html

Yes, it costs $2000. There IS a reason, and everyone
who's heard one knows what it is. Either run with the
big dogs, or crawl back under the porch.

Lord Valve, ThD
Expert

[DanielleOM]

Have you found another 25 lb combo amp that you like better? I can't
safely lift much more than 25lbs myself.

I have one and have brought it out several times to a small bar open mic.

I usually just set that Master volume at the end of the chain to about 75%.
I put the power switch on the 25w level.
Gain at about 50%
Volume at about 60%
Clean selection
Spring Reverb at about 20%
Do not use any other effects.
It seems to work for me with the guitars I have in that setting. I have
tried it with a Benedetto Bravo, my Eastman AR503CE with Benedetto A6.
I did try it with the semi-hollow nylon guitar. I am not sure it works
with that guitar. I think might have had too much gain and tube like
compression for that guitar.

I am curious as to what type of gig you were playing. Sounds like you
were looking for some rather high volume levels. Would any small light
weight combo give you what you wanted without using a PA?

I am curious. How do you determine the power that you are getting out
of the amp? Use any instrumentation for that?

[charlie...@gmail.com]

If you are ok with turning up the gain half way (or the clean boost) then you will get usable volume but for me its not clean enough. If ur ok with the tone of the gain up past 8 o clock, then its fine..but I just wanted the clean sound louder.

As for how many watts...I just compare it to very low output amps that are popular now...like 5w amps are big for the bedroom I guess.

Its about as loud as a 15 or 20w amp when you put the master on 10 and the volume on 10...no gain or boost. Gain and boost bring up volume but IMO take away the tone. Just my 2c. I have one of the new JC 55 (and also an old one)..those have nice clean power and are actual 50w amps.

[Lord Valve]

On Sunday, July 30, 2017 at 8:33:07 AM UTC-6, DanielleOM wrote:

> I am curious. How do you determine the power that you are getting out
> of the amp? Use any instrumentation for that?

ROFLMBFAO! HAW! Yeah, "instrumentation," that's the ticket.


Lord Valve, ThD
Expert

[DanielleOM]

I kind of lost you where you refer to a new Roland JC55. Although I see
a new JC40 and a new JC22, I don't see a current production JC55. (I
used to have an old one myself quite a few years ago. )

I have one of the new Eastman Frank Vignola guitars here with the
Seymour Duncan Johnny Smith style mini pickup. It sounded very acoustic
here at home plugged through the Katana 50 amp. When I brought it out
to the open mic it very much sounded like an electric guitar. Perhaps
this is similar to what you noticed.

Danielle

[rpjazzguitar]

I have the old jc55. 26 lbs and loud enough for anything I do. If I need more volume, there ought to be a PA. Not the best amp I ever heard, but a nice balance of sound, weight and cost.

[charlie...@gmail.com]

My bad..i meant the new jc40...but I still have my jc55 and agree with rp..it works great and is a good go to amp.
I love the Frank Vignola guitars but I don't have one...that must be a real joy to play!

Im not a Gibson fan these days, but anyone play the 275 ? Its a short scale thinline...looks great and is totally hollow..like a short scale L5?
Anybody?
BTW..i did just play 'the bud' and it stands up to all the hype..big sound if u need something that small.

[clevelandjazz]

I loved the one I had. I ended up swapping it out for the 100w version but they are both great.

[charlie...@gmail.com]

On Tuesday, August 1, 2017 at 12:36:43 PM UTC-4, clevelandjazz wrote:
> I loved the one I had. I ended up swapping it out for the 100w version but they are both great.

did u have to turn up the gian or boost?

[clevelandjazz]

No, i just turned up the master.

[charlie...@gmail.com]

wow...I have the master and the channel on 10...cant hang with a band

[charlie...@gmail.com]

On Tuesday, August 1, 2017 at 3:08:22 PM UTC-4, charlie...@gmail.com wrote:
> wow...I have the master and the channel on 10...cant hang with a band

Gain and boost is set at 0??

[clevelandjazz]

i never use boost. I occasionally turn on a little gain just to give it a more 50s/60s sound but never turn it up past 10 O'Clock.

[clevelandjazz]

Charlie, I wanted to give an update. I used the Katana 100 on a loud session the other day and you're absolutely right. The clean channel on it does not have enough volume without invoking the gain control.

Not sure there's a fix for it. The clean channel and about 1/4 the volume of the other channels. Seems more like a 25w amp than a 100 watter

[clevelandjazz]

On Monday, August 7, 2017 at 4:43:52 PM UTC-4, clevelandjazz wrote:
> Charlie, I wanted to give an update. I used the Katana 100 on a loud session the other day and you're absolutely right. The clean channel on it does not have enough volume without invoking the gain control.
>
> Not sure there's a fix for it. The clean channel and about 1/4 the volume of the other channels. Seems more like a 25w amp than a 100 watter

another update. I discovered that I can add a significant amount of gain without going into overdrive. As much as 50% on my mini humbucker equipped tele. At that point, it's SUPER LOUD.

[charlie...@gmail.com]

Hey..thanks for the update! yes...those amps are built with gain in mind and not for just pure clean. On my archtop as soon as I get gain above 9 o clock, im hearing fuzz...not a ton, but enough that I would not call it 'clean' anymore.
I went back to my Quilter amp ...and also my roland cube 80 or JC 55..all of which give an actual clean sound. I would think the Katana is very good for blues or rock however.

[Gerry]

On 2017-10-12 18:15:25 +0000, argent9 said:

> it sure as hell won't make your shitty guitar technique sound any
> better. It'll make it sound louder, though. All the power to you there.

Guitar isn't his instrument. He's a Farfisa organ jockey.

>> Lord Valve, ThD
>> Expert
> "Expert" ...lol

The Tube is the resident troll that lives under our bridge, mired in
the mud and shit. Happy as a lark down there, dispensing bile and
bilge-water as expert "information" and "opinions".

Chat with him if you like but he has ears and doesn't read either.

[Tim McNamara]

On Thu, 12 Oct 2017 11:15:25 -0700 (PDT), argent9
<xxaimp...@gmail.com> blathered:

<snip>

You new here? Coupla things plus a couple more:

1. Lord Valve is often trolling. He's mostly best responded to
selectively or not at all, especially when he gets on some wingnut
political rant.

2. Lord Valve isn't a guitarist. He's an organist. I have no idea if
he's any good as an organist. I've never heard him. A Hammond B3 is a
lot harder to play well than a guitar is, but a great B3 player is one
of the grooviest things on the planet. Way groovier than most of us
guitarists.

3. Lord Valve's professional business is building and repairing
amplifiers. I don't know if his amps are any good, never having seen,
heard or used one. I am sure he knows more about tube amps than me,
although that is damning with faint praise. He will give advice about
amps and some other newsgroup members have told me it was good advice;
I've never had occasion to test his advice out so I can't comment on
that.

4. Lord Valve likes to be dramatic and seems to think of himself as a
guy who shakes things up, but in reality he's a banana. Sorta like
Donald "The King Of Bananas" Trump. Bruises easily and can't let it go.

[mrwiz...@gmail.com]

I totally agree. Just got a 50w for my birthday (69yrs) surprise gift. And it does NOT have enough clear tones. Tried all kinds of tweeks. Beautiful strat amp for R&R, blues etc. Well built, light, loud, options, good software, headphones.

Have to resell a new, never played over 25w, ver2 amp. What a shame. Shame on me too.

[mrwiz...@gmail.com]

On Friday, July 28, 2017 at 4:26:03 PM UTC-4, charlie...@gmail.com wrote:

Same problem. Got it as a birthday present so no take back. One would think that an amp with (5) models, two of them named ACOUSTIC and CLEAN that you would be able to get and nice acoustic or clean sound. NOPE! Can't play jazz chords. Crazy modulation from the lower strings no matter what you do. Using a 1982 Epiphone Sheraton. Yes I tweaked on line. My students Fender starter amp sounds better.

[Bill Godwin]

My students Fender starter amp sounds better.

Which fender starter amp?

[jsole...@gmail.com]

Mine is plenty loud on clean.

You don't need the gain. But on the boost, there's 3 different options. Just press it once and try again. You should see it change color.

Turn the other effects to off.

Should be good, unless yours is broken.

[jsole...@gmail.com]

Actually I just noticed I put it on the acoustic channel w/ no FX today. It's tough remembering all the settings you had it on when you change them, too.

I am playing an Ibanez AS73.


I recommend going to a music shop and testing guitar-amp combinations.

I'm not sure electric guitars are made to strum chords super clean.

I am clearly a beginner. I'm gonna go try an Af55 and 75 at Guitar center.. on the Fender Mustang also. I'll let you know.

[Gerry]

On 2018-04-13 22:30:44 +0000, jsole...@gmail.com said:

> I'm not sure electric guitars are made to strum chords super clean.

I'm not following that. Electric gutiars aren't made for super clean,
clean, dirty or super dirty. They are made to glean as much accurate
sound-wave activity as possible, to be dirtied or not somewhere later
in the audio chain.

Chords, strumming, notes, picking--these should never been made
inherently "dirty" via the guitar.

[clevelandjazz]

My katana amps are still working out great. I have the 50 and 100. Yes, you do have to turn the gain up a tad in order to get maximum volume but even with a hollowbody with humbucker and the gain turned up to 11 O'Clock it's still clean.