Right now, in a practice room, basement club, pro studio, or workspace, a modern musician is powering up a Katana amp and putting their stamp on it. The concept behind this acclaimed amp series nods to the historic samurai warriors of ancient Japan. Their traditional katana swords were a symbol of honor, precision, and artistry. However, these amps have BOSS’s revolutionary Tube Logic technology at heart. Along with features from pro-level effects to recording, there’s never been an amp better equipped for the modern musician.
A Speedy Evolution
Rock and roll moves quickly, and a lot can happen in five years. Back in 2016, the first wave of Katana amps touched down on the world stage. Channeling DNA from BOSS’s iconic Waza range, they swept up press acclaim and armed players for every scenario the circuit could throw at them.
But even legends evolve. Now, the new generation of Katana-50 MkII and 100 MkII amps mirror the demands of players in the ever-shifting music industry. If you’ve yet to wield a Katana-50 MkII or Katana-100 MkII, here’s why you’ll want one in your backline as you head into battle.
Sound Matters
While most amps give you a core tone and a few dials to tweak, the Katana MkII’s gift to guitarists is near-infinite flexibility. Underpinned by BOSS Tube Logic technology that recreates the sound and behavior of valve amps, these combos can roar like it’s 1971. Moreover, they produce all the other essential tones on the guitar timeline, right up to the present day.
There are five amp models built into the Katana-50 and 100 MkII. These combos can conjure up the sound in your head, the mood you’re in, or the album you’ve been listening to on headphones. Plus, with the MkII’s new Variation feature, unlock a different flavor for each amp setting—up to a total of ten tones.
"The Katana's gift to guitarists is near-infinite flexibility. These combos can roar like it’s 1971 or produce tones of the present day."
It’s Crunch Time
Choose Crunch and get a biting overdrive right on the edge of break-up for heavy rhythm work. Then activate Variation for added saturation and sustain, ideal for stinging single-note runs. When your big solo comes up, switch to Lead for a distorted and saturated tone that turns heads.
Next, choose Variation for a modern US voicing that is a little tighter and punchier. For fans of the legendary Eddie Van Halen, Brown nods to his organic “brown sound.” It also bottles the punch of the more recent Van Halen albums when you activate Variation.
Amped Up
The Katana MkII has plenty of overdrive, but that’s only the beginning of your tone travels. Select the Clean setting, and you’ve got a bright tone for crisp verses, along with a Variation mode that adds extra top-end for cutting through a mix. Switch to Acoustic for optimized tone when you’re playing an electro-acoustic. Then choose the Variation voicing for more pronounced highs and lows.
With a twist of the Amp Type dial, take your tone from the bars of Los Angeles to the punk clubs of London. If you’re playing the Katana-100 MkII, check the LED indicators to tell at a glance which setting you’ve selected.
"With a twist of the Amp Type dial, take your tone from the bars of Los Angeles to the punk clubs of London."
Strike a Balance
Whether the lights are going down on stage or you’re hitting the record button in the studio, you won’t find an easier amp to operate. The Katana-50 MkII and Katana-100 MkII have the most intuitive dashboards around. At the same time, they offer a level of control that makes it easy to find your signature sound in seconds. Tailor your output to any session or venue.
For most guitar players, the obvious first stop will be the Volume and Gain dials in Katana’s Amplifier section. These let you strike a balance between decibels and overdrive, depending on the environment. The dials work in synergy with the Master Volume. It increases the amp’s overall volume, including streaming audio from a smartphone or tablet.
Sonic Building Blocks
Think of the Katana MkII’s ten onboard amp tones as your building blocks. It’s up to you to sculpt them into your sound, and the three-band EQ plays a key role in that. On both the 50 and 100, you’ll find no-nonsense controls for Bass, Middle, and Treble. This makes it simple to sharpen up a solo, thicken out a low-end riff, or scoop the mids for a Metallica-style attack. Choose the Katana-100 MkII, and you’ll get a Presence dial, too, boosting upper-mid and treble frequencies for a biting tone.
Talk to a hardened live guitarist, and they’ll often complain that their amp kills it on ten but loses that character at lower volumes. That’s why you need the Katana MkII’s Power Control. As its name suggests, the Katana-50 MkII boasts useful 50-watt power. By contrast, the 100 MkII has a commanding 100-watts, courtesy of the Class A/B power amp.
Crank It at Home
But with the four-way Power Control dial, you can achieve cranked-amp tone and response even in a home practice environment. Flip the 50 MkII between 50-watts, 25-watts, and 0.5-watts, and take the 100 MkII from 100-watts to 50-watts or 0.5-watts. Meanwhile, located on the same dial, Standby mode disables the Katana’s onboard custom 12-inch speaker. This means that during set breaks you won’t have to turn down the volume.
"Think of the Katana MkII’s ten onboard amp tones as your building blocks. It’s up to you to sculpt them into your sound."
Effects
When you play the Katana MkII, you’re not just getting an amp. You also unlock a virtual pedalboard full of legendary guitar effects. BOSS is the heavyweight champion of stompbox technology since 1977, with over 100 unique pedals. The Katana MkII amps arrive with the essential effects to let you play any genre of music.
There are five distinct effects sections in the Katana MkII amps. Each has three types of Booster, Modulation, Delay with Tap Tempo, FX, and Reverb. That’s a total of 15 professional effects, all ready to play, right out of the box. Meanwhile, sonic adventurers who want to go deeper can fire up a Mac or PC and connect to the BOSS Tone Studio platform.
This provides access to libraries of effects. Customize them in detail, right down to the order of the virtual pedal chain. It’s like visiting your favorite guitar store, picking effects, and shipping them straight into your amp for rehearsal.
Essential Tones
It’s vital to have great tones, but it’s equally important to stay in control of them. The MkII allows players to use up to five effects at once. Since the Katana’s effects sections are independent—with everything controlled via three dials—you’ll always stay on top of your sound.
Save It for Later
With most amps, you’ll create a head-turning tone by blending EQ levels and effects. However, when it’s time to move on, you’ll have to reset the dials and lose them forever. Some guitarists get around this by marking the settings with a permanent pen. It can be cumbersome to set the dial positions when a recording session is in full swing or the crowd is calling for the next song.
"When you’ve dreamt up a signature sound, complete with amp models, effects, and tailored EQ, capture it by holding down the Tone Setting button."
Custom Culture
With the Katana-50 MkII and Katana-100 MkII, you’ll never lose a custom amp tone again. Get as creative as you like. When you’ve dreamt up a signature sound, complete with amp models, effects, and tailored EQ, capture it by holding down the Tone Setting button. The 50 MkII provides four slots for saving, while the 100 MkII has eight. It’s a great way to bank complex tones for specific songs. Then, instantly access them during a show or session with the press of a button.
Making Connections
It’s easy to lose yourself in the powerful features onboard the Katana MkII. Still, don’t neglect the rear panel. That’s where you’ll find the connectivity to hook up these flexible amps with anything from PAs to DAW software. These options can blow your creative possibilities wide open.
When you write your next classic riff, connect to a Mac or PC via the MkII’s USB port. Then record direct to your favorite DAW software, no micing required. The sound quality will knock you out. The mix-ready tones and mic’d cabinet emulation are so authentic you can almost feel the air move. Plus, two-channel USB operation lets you track in true stereo using the Katana’s effects.
Visit Tone Central
While online, why not supercharge your Katana using the BOSS Tone Studio platform? You’ll find free-to-download editor software, 60-plus effects, and a library of patches to try out, share, and edit. It’s a playground for aspiring producers, down to tailoring your direct recording sound with three Air Feel settings.
In a Jam
Both the Katana-50 and 100 MkII have AUX In. This is ideal for connecting music players and smartphones, streaming backing tracks, and jamming along. You’ll also find a Phones/Rec Out for late-night practice. Finally, when it’s time to make some noise, it’s easy to connect your favorite preamp, modeler, or multi-FX unit using the Power Amp In. This bypasses the Katana’s preamp section and effects. Essentially, it lets you use your MkII as the ultimate powered cabinet.
"Both the Katana-50 and 100 MkII have AUX In which is ideal for connecting smartphones, streaming backing tracks, and jamming."
Operate with Ease
We’ve covered the Katana’s intuitive controls, but the onstage operation is even easier when you use your feet. Both the 50 and the 100 MkII offer a socket for hooking up a single/dual footswitch or expression pedal. These let you select modes and adjust parameters in real-time.
Plus, choose the 100 MkII and you can also connect the rugged six-button GA-FC footswitch, for further control. Again, BOSS Tone Studio unlocks even more possibilities. The special Pedal FX category allows guitarists to assign wah and pedal-bend effects to an expression pedal.
Two Paths
At this point, the Katana-50 and 100 MkII features diverge. Ambitious players will be glad they invested in the MkII’s bigger brother. It offers a separate Line Out with mic’d emulation and an Effects Loop that doesn’t color the tone of your favorite external pedals. Additionally, the Stereo Expand feature lets you link to a second Katana-100 amp for venue-filling stereo sound. Regardless of which model you choose, your quest for tone is only just beginning.
