Boss Katana Gen 3

Chris Harvey · Post by **Chris Harvey** » 2 Jan 2025 2:35 pm

Try one out. It’s not your Webb but still a great amp. New Bluetooth makes it simple to dial in your tone, switch patches from your phone. Plenty of clean headroom and the updated tones are nice. Works much better for me with a buffer in front of it to tame the highs (I have a tube screamer in front of the amp that’s not even on). Your mileage may of course vary but definitely worth a try. Again, not your boutique amp.

Bill Duncan · Post by **Bill Duncan** » 4 Jan 2025 7:15 am

After purchasing a Katana Artist 100 gen II a year and some ago I fought with the download process and became thoroughly disgusted with it. Almost trashing it. My grandson did the download and I became interested in it again. I found that to me the download was not that important. I changed the speaker to a TT 12 which was a big improvement.

I began to work with it and stopped trying to use the controls like the ones on my other amps.

This thing is different. I also stopped comparing it to my tube amps.

After several months with it I am very much pleased. So much so I I bought a Boss Katana 100 gen 2 standard and for Christmas my wife bought me a Katana Gen 3. I changed speakers in those as well.

My main take-away is, they are very good amplifiers and can sound and perform very well with pedal steel.

I do not try comparing them to my tube amps. They are extremely portable and light, especially with the TT12 speakers.

My one complaint is neither of these have a decay control on the reverb and echo. Not a big problem as I have pedals for those that do have a decay control knob.

I was the main problem. The download is no big deal after all.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 4 Jan 2025 9:54 am

Bill, I know you struggled in the beginning, glad you found the answer. I mostly use the Katana Library app and I believe it has the extra delay controls in the app.I will look next time I practice. I have yet to change speakers but I bought a TT 12 for the amp. I am mostly satisfied with the Katana with it's stock speaker. For the money it's a very good amp.

Bill Duncan · Post by **Bill Duncan** » 4 Jan 2025 10:05 am

Larry, you are right, it really is a good amp.

After the problems I had getting the tone studio, I never use it. I am pleased with the onboard amp control, especially the Presence. They are also relatively inexpensive, and light weight.

Jeffery Mercer · Post by **Jeffery Mercer** » 4 Jan 2025 8:40 pm

Thanks fellas for your wonderful Testimonial’s! I’ve sat back and waited for people to catch on to these great amplifiers,
I mean really..how can you complain about an amp that does everything and is lightweight,the cost to own one is next to nothing, when compared to just about everything else…I purchased mine a few years back, when they first came out, I knew they were on to something! I gauged and qualified my purchase by the fact that most all Boss pedals are first rate, so Boss putting out an Amp that looks as nice as these do was a no brainer, and I love an amp that already has a decent (not the best mind you, but decent Reverb and Delay) plus as I said they aren’t a real heavy amp…they take pedals well too, but I must admit for me anyway, Using Delay & Reverb is about it for me when using the amp for pedal steel you really don’t need a lot of effects…don’t you agree? Anyway fellas, thanks for chiming in!
Jeffery

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 4 Jan 2025 8:43 pm

If you’re not happy with the Katana reverb, I have to ask if you’ve tried the Ambient setting. It’s pretty sweet. You do have to go into Tone Studio to access it.

Bill Duncan · Post by **Bill Duncan** » 5 Jan 2025 3:10 am

Fred Treece wrote:If you’re not happy with the Katana reverb, I have to ask if you’ve tried the Ambient setting. It’s pretty sweet. You do have to go into Tone Studio to access it.

I like the reverb and delays and can use them as there are several available on board. The lack of a decay control is why I use a separate pedal. Especially for the delay.

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 5 Jan 2025 9:22 am

Bill,
This is a view of the delay controls on the FXFloorboard app that I use for my Katana. “Feedback” may not be exactly what you mean by “Decay”, but it serves the purpose of gradually fading out the number of audible repeats. The number 30 in the feedback window is 3.0 in the real world.

Bill Duncan · Post by **Bill Duncan** » 5 Jan 2025 9:40 am

Thanks Fred, I will look at it, it may work. I set my echo at one return almost blending into the played note/chord. It tends to to add fullness. I like the onboard reverbs, as well as the echo. It just doesn't allow me to set the number of returns.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 28 Jan 2025 2:46 pm

What do these weigh?

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 28 Jan 2025 3:16 pm

Bob Snelgrove wrote:What do these weigh?

The Katana 100 combo (single 12” speaker) weighs 32lb-11oz.

David Ball · Post by **David Ball** » 28 Jan 2025 4:25 pm

I have a Katana 100 2nd gen that I like. But I have to say that the Fender Mustang GTX 100 that I got later suits me much better. They're both good amps, but Fender got the online tweaking thing down a whole lot better in my opinion. It's a lot easier to dial in a sound with effects with the Mustang.

My Katana seems to sit in the corner these days, and it's not because it's bad. It's just because the Fender user interface is better.

Dave

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 28 Jan 2025 5:41 pm

Dave, you are right about the stock UI on the Katana. It looks like it was designed in a computer graphics 101 lab at the community college. The Katana FxFloorboard was designed by a working musician and is much more fun and productive.

I won’t say anything bad about the Mustang, but I did try one about 10 years ago and it was not for me. I’m sure it’s come a long way.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Boss Katana Gen 3

Boss Katana Gen 3

So good to hear great things about the Boss Katana Amplifier

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