Sam Ash has
Boss Katana-100 MkII 100-Watt 1x12" Guitar Combo Amplifier on sale for $329.99 - $50 when you apply promo code
CP50 in the cart =
$279.99.
Shipping is free.
Thanks to Community Member
itsgk for finding this deal.
Features:- Stage-ready 100-watt combo amp with a custom 12-inch speaker
- Five unique amp characters (Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown, and Acoustic), plus newly voiced variations for each
- Five independent effects sections (Booster, Mod, FX, Delay, and Reverb), with three selectable variations in each
- Dedicated Pedal FX for foot-controlled wah and pedal bend
- Updated BOSS Tone Studio software for customizing your sound with over 60 different BOSS effects, channel and global EQs, adjustable routing, and much more
- Eight Tone Setting memories for storing and recalling all amp and effect settings
- Power Control for achieving cranked-amp tone and response at low volumes
- Three Cab Resonance options (Vintage, Modern, and Deep), selectable in BOSS Tone Studio
- Mic'd cabinet emulation on the line, USB, and phones/recording outputs, with three Air Feel settings available in BOSS Tone Studio
- Optional GA-FC foot controller provides complete amp control, including Tone Setting selection, effects on/off, expression pedal control, and more
- Connections for up to two footswitches or an expression pedal
- Effect loop, with selectable series/parallel operation and adjustable level in BOSS Tone Studio
- Power Cable Included
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Use coupon "dash" for 20% off of anything when you add an item from their flash sale. It takes the discount from the entire order. Here's a $10 filler item:
https://www.samash.com/big-joe-ps...ps204xxx-p
I found a Gibson les paul classic used, added the filler item and it took 20% off the entire order.
Fingers crossed its a nice experience.
64 Comments
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Overall, though, the GTX suffered from annoying BT disconnects and so-so quality through headphones (which would be a plus if it sounded good).
The biggest issue with it and the Katana both is simply that they don't sound *great*. (I bought and sold a MkII Katana 50 twice.) There are some decent amp models on both, but neither had myself that sounded accurate to the amp they were supposed to be modeling. (The GTX Princeton reverb, for example, was one of my favorites on the amp, but it sounded nothing like an actual Princeton Reverb when placed side by side.) Neither got nearly as loud as the power ratings suggested. My GTX100 (100 watts) was loud when dialed all the way up but was easily beaten by my EVH 5150 Iconic 40W **on its 10W setting.**
I think you have to get to the Axe FX level to get decent modeling, or use a computer solution like Amplitude. In a standalone amp, I still prefer classic tube/valve (all tube or hybrid) and analog solid state amps. The Monoprice Stage Right 15W tube amp (full price: $280 or so and worth it; recently on sale for $200, a price not seen in a while) sounds *really* good, both clean and overdriven, and has an effects loop. It makes me smile in a way the Katana and GTX amps never did. Resale on the modelers is poor. Lots of used listings (which is an indicator in its own right) with depressed prices. I sold my GTX100 in mint condition for about half of a new one, and it took ages to find a buyer.
I write this to help newcomers in figuring out what amp to get, not to throw shade on Katana or other modelers. The Katana has plenty of fans, especially because it's lightweight and versatile. In a mix, I think they sound fine. The models are fun The Katana's . 25W mode is a plus, since you can get full "overdrive" sounds at any volume because there's no tube to "drive" in the first place. But I don't think they're magic, and it's worth trying alternatives before settling on such an important part of an electric guitar.
I bought a Peavey 6505+ 1x12 as my first guitar amp. Although the high gain in it is nearly unrivaled, it really doesn't do clean very well, and it cost $400 and required a 6 hour drive to get that.
I also think the Roland Micro-cube (discontinued) has a lot to offer a new player.
In short, this is a pretty good deal on this Katana, if you like the flexibility of a modeling amp. I hypothesize that this is a clearance price with a new version coming out soon. That'll hurt the resale value if that happens, but the price up-front isn't bad at all.
I bought one of the Firefly Telecasters on Black Friday markdown and had a pile of buyer's remorse. Tried to cancel the order. But it showed up quickly. After adjusting the truss rod, cleaning the fretboard, and replacing the strings, I couldn't be more pleased. I've been trying to convince myself that a big name Tele would be better, but when I try them out, my only reaction is "meh."
So be sure to see what you think. I thought the overdrive just sounded fizzy and synthetic no matter what I did. However, there are lots of lots of other buyers who appear to feel otherwise. There's plenty of room in the market.
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I bought one of the Firefly Telecasters on Black Friday markdown and had a pile of buyer's remorse. Tried to cancel the order. But it showed up quickly. After adjusting the truss rod, cleaning the fretboard, and replacing the strings, I couldn't be more pleased. I've been trying to convince myself that a big name Tele would be better, but when I try them out, my only reaction is "meh."
So be sure to see what you think. I thought the overdrive just sounded fizzy and synthetic no matter what I did. However, there are lots of lots of other buyers who appear to feel otherwise. There's plenty of room in the market.
I bought one of the Firefly Telecasters on Black Friday markdown and had a pile of buyer's remorse. Tried to cancel the order. But it showed up quickly. After adjusting the truss rod, cleaning the fretboard, and replacing the strings, I couldn't be more pleased. I've been trying to convince myself that a big name Tele would be better, but when I try them out, my only reaction is "meh."
So be sure to see what you think. I thought the overdrive just sounded fizzy and synthetic no matter what I did. However, there are lots of lots of other buyers who appear to feel otherwise. There's plenty of room in the market.
I haven't played much with the onboard effects as I've already invested so much time into my Headrush MX5 - it feels like learning a new system is a ton of effort but I'll get to it one of these days. I bought a couple more of those MWave Chocolate midi controllers - the really cool thing about those and the Katana amps is that you can connect your phone to the Katana via USB (you may need some adapters), run Katana LIbrarian then go to the virtual switch and control from that. You can pair multiple MWave Chocolates (there are similar products out there that would work too but this is by far the cheapest I've seen for $20-30 off Ali) to your phone and have them control the virtual switch via Katana Librarian (caveat being that you have to keep the Virtual switch interface open... so probably best to dedicate a tablet for this). This could potentially make for a really nice live setup. You can attach expression pedals to the MWave Chocolate as well - I haven't gone that far but it seems pretty extensible. I mean, most people would probably just want to use the GA-FC controllers but those are pretty pricey for what they are. The MWaves can extend the # of buttons and control you have though which might be a plus for some.
As far as the sounds compared to a tube amp, I don't think anything would ever compare to a tube amp. I have the Head 100 MKI and the Head 100 MKII. I haven't done side-by-side A/B with them but I do think the MKII may sound a bit better - probably because you can choose the cab model type and there are more options in general to choose from that can add to the sound. I have the Monoprice 15w amp as well and I'm sure, side-by-side the sound from the MP will have the edge just because of the tube. But for what it is the Katana is pretty amazing. I'm sure the Positive Spark and other similar amps are good too but I think Boss is the frontrunner in this amp niche. Hard to beat the Head 100 that you can carry around without lugging, where you can get a plethora of sounds and FX, and still be able to hook it up to the house or larger (non-proprietary) cab.
The phone App and all the tones you can apply is why I'm leaning towards it.
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When I bought it at Black Friday, it was $150 + $27 shipping. I liked the specs and individual user reports, particularly the rosewood fretboard (which I prefer to maple) and a 12" radius. The photos of the fretwork looked quite good.
When I got mine, the neck desperately needed some relief, but the truss rod has the easy "wheel" adjuster at the base of the neck. The fretboards and frets of these are typically dirty, as was mine, and included strings are junk. (FWIW, Squier has been shipping at least some guitars with this same problem. See Landon Bailey's YouTube channel.) After adjusting the neck relief, I cut the strings, cleaned and oiled the fretboard, and did a light bit of steel wool over each fret (be sure to cover the pickups with tape). I re-strung the guitar with 9-42 Ernie Ball strings and tweaked the action slightly. It didn't really need much. Time invested so far: about 45 minutes. Tools: included truss rod tool, a Music Nomad height gauge, a screwdriver, string change tool (peg winder and cutter), steel wool.
My height gauge doubles as a fret rocker, and the guitar had no high frets.
Everything inside is well-coated with shielding paint. Full-size pots and a traditional blade switch. Alnico pickups. They're slightly microphonic, but it's only an issue if I REALLY blast the 5150 with the guitar just a couple of feet away. I'm not a performer, so others may have different reports.
Pros:
Cons:
I'm sure there are better Teles, but this one makes me smile when I pick it up. I'm usually concerned a little about resale (in case I don't "bond" with the instrument). However, reports are that Firefly buyers regularly get at least their purchase price back when they sell, if not more, if they decide not to keep the guitar.
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