NAD: Boss Katana 100 2X12 Mk II
Sept 19, 2020 15:58:07 GMT
leoroberts, maninashed, and 3 more like this
Post by grayn on Sept 19, 2020 15:58:07 GMT
Went over to Promenade Music, in Morecambe this morning, my first visit there, since the lockdown.
I've recently joined a classic rock band and realised straightaway, that my Roland Blues Cube Hot is a tad small for the situation.
I wanted a solid state, 2x12 combo, so I went over to check out the ubiquitous Katana 100 and Fender's Champion 100xl.
I've heard a lot of very nasty and nice things, said about the Katana but I decided to try it out for myself.
It's a fairly low cost amp but Fender's Champion 100xl is cheap as chips.
The shop guy set them both up and I A/B'd them, going back and forth a number of times.
Build wise, there's no doubt the Katana 2x12 combo has a more solid feel and has metal jack inputs, the Champion's are plastic.
Infact the Boss was weightier than I'd imagined, which is a good thing, as I had the preconception that it may be a bit flimsy.
Basically I want the amp for 3 main sounds: AC/DC style overdrive, Clean and a heavy overdrive, bordering on Metal.
The Fender did a very nice clean and a decent Metal tone but the crunch and heavy crunch settings, I didn't like at all.
The Katana is a more involved amp, with lots of easily accessible, knob operated, amp sounds and effects.
And I managed, after a fair bit of knob twiddling, to get the sounds I was after.
The amp testing room at Prom is quite small, so I asked if I could face the amps down the shop and crank them up.
Yes I could and I found that the Boss didn't sound as nice, far off, it seemed to loose some of it's body.
This concerned me and I went completely off track and tried a Marshall DSL40CR, valve combo.
No, I really didn't like that either.
So I went back to the Katana, with the distance testing and fiddled with the EQ.
Turned out that by increasing the bass knob, I got the sound I was after.
So I coughed up the readies for the amp and a GA-FC footswitch and brought them home.
Now all I need is the cover and I'm set.
I've recently joined a classic rock band and realised straightaway, that my Roland Blues Cube Hot is a tad small for the situation.
I wanted a solid state, 2x12 combo, so I went over to check out the ubiquitous Katana 100 and Fender's Champion 100xl.
I've heard a lot of very nasty and nice things, said about the Katana but I decided to try it out for myself.
It's a fairly low cost amp but Fender's Champion 100xl is cheap as chips.
The shop guy set them both up and I A/B'd them, going back and forth a number of times.
Build wise, there's no doubt the Katana 2x12 combo has a more solid feel and has metal jack inputs, the Champion's are plastic.
Infact the Boss was weightier than I'd imagined, which is a good thing, as I had the preconception that it may be a bit flimsy.
Basically I want the amp for 3 main sounds: AC/DC style overdrive, Clean and a heavy overdrive, bordering on Metal.
The Fender did a very nice clean and a decent Metal tone but the crunch and heavy crunch settings, I didn't like at all.
The Katana is a more involved amp, with lots of easily accessible, knob operated, amp sounds and effects.
And I managed, after a fair bit of knob twiddling, to get the sounds I was after.
The amp testing room at Prom is quite small, so I asked if I could face the amps down the shop and crank them up.
Yes I could and I found that the Boss didn't sound as nice, far off, it seemed to loose some of it's body.
This concerned me and I went completely off track and tried a Marshall DSL40CR, valve combo.
No, I really didn't like that either.
So I went back to the Katana, with the distance testing and fiddled with the EQ.
Turned out that by increasing the bass knob, I got the sound I was after.
So I coughed up the readies for the amp and a GA-FC footswitch and brought them home.
Now all I need is the cover and I'm set.
Jo whoever he is.
