I have been looking for an amp for a while as an upgrade for My Spark that I bought about a year ago. I was watching Justin’s video’s on the Katana and see that there is a lot of information that is available for operation and sounds. My question has to do with the wattage that would be the best for home use. In the Unboxing Video, Justin is showing a 50W amp but in the other videos He is using the 100W Katana. Is there a difference between the 2??..except for the Output Watts or is there a difference in the sound besides volume?
I do know that if I decided to buy one, it will only be used at home as I really don’t play on playing in front of large crowds although I might Jam with some people at some point but it would only be in a garage or home.
Many others who do use / have used one will help you here.
My first response is often discussed.
The 50 does not have an FX loop and the 100 does.
This is often discussed in the context of using a looper.
Dwight this might help https://talkinmusic.com/boss-katana-50-vs-100/#:~:text=The%20main%20difference%20between%20these,the%20winner%20of%20this%20category.
The key difference are as Richard has said that the 100 includes a FX loop (which you may or may not need) also (and I think this is still true with later versions) the Katana 100 support the GAFC footswitch which would allow you to turn on and off pedal FX as if they were stomp boxes. The 50 does not support this. Similarly the 100 supports more presets than the 50
Hey Dwight, I found this video very helpful and thorough
Yes, as other have said, the 100 has an FX loop and this is why I bought a 100 over the 50.
Why would you want an FX loop?
If you want to use a looper pedal now, or in the future, with an amp like the Katana series (and this applies to most modelling amps, or even some conventional analogue amps then you really need an FX loop.
Cheers,
Keith
Thank You very much for all your posts. I decided to get the 100 as it looks as though it has more room to grow and I do have some pedals I want to use thru the amp. Thanks again and have a Great Day :)…now back to practicing!!
Can I ask whta you’re finding as a limit with the spark?
HI…I think it’s the small speaker size and to me the small sound…or what I feel is a small sound. I also play keyboards and have a keyboard amp with a 12" speaker that I try to play my guitar through sometime. It has a much richer sound but it doesn’t have any effects at all on it. When I play through it I use a MS 50G multi pedal which makes it sound better though.
As far as the Spark, it is really a nice small amp with tons of effects and downloads for sounds but I wouldn’t think it would work well for jamming with other people because of the sound. I do have a Waa pedal and a Ditto that I use with the Spark sometimes and it works well with those pedals and the effects on the Spark App have taught me a lot about different pedals and effects as I knew nothing about those things before. I guess it all boils down to small sound of the Spark Amp.
Actually, I’ve only been trying to play guitar for a year so I’m certainly not the greatest player…LOL!!..but I keep trying.
Thanks, I’ve had amps before ( last one a fender pro-185) for giging but nothing for home use, and nothing in the last 25+ years so things have changed a lot!
I know. I had a Fender Baseman in the 60’s that I played an accordion through. Me, being dumb, took the 4 speakers out and built 2 cabinets for them and took the controls and built a cabinet for it and used it when I played keyboards at bars. Wish I had that amp today!!
I have the Katana 50 Mk ii and when I think about it I wish I had spent a few more dollars and gone for the 100 because of the FX Loop, but when I think about it a little more I realize that I am a long way from really needing that. If I start to feel limited then I’ll give in to the GAS and upgrade. At this point I play my acoustic about 99.5% of the time so it’s not really a factor.
I have to confess that with all of the hoopla about the Spark I have wondered if I should have waited a few more months for the Spark when I bought the Katana. To hear the reviews and testimonials, the Spark can do everything except fly you to the moon!
I do have the Spark and it does have a lot of features on it. I just don’t really like the sound or the fact that I don’t think it would be a good Amp for playing with others. I’ve had one for about 7 or 8 months and got my use out of it as far as a practice only amp. I did order the Katana 100 this weekend and am looking forward to receiving it and playing on it. I will probably use the Spark for playing backing tracks and hooking it up to my TV thru blue tooth…LOL!!..it should be a fun experiment to try.
IMO you dodged a bullet. The Katana is, in almost all respects, a better amp.
The Spark is an OK practice amp, but it’s been massively overhyped.
Cheers,
Keith
You may get some lip sync issues with that, but it’s worth trying out.
By the way, it’s not difficult to add Bluetooth audio streaming to the Katana (or many other amps) by connecting an inexpensive bluetooth streaming adapter, like the Blackstar ToneLink or Anker SoundSync, etc. to the aux in on the amp.
Cheers,
Keith