Opinion on Boss KATANA HEAD 3 & Boss Katana Cab 212 2x12

Gear & Tools Talk šŸ”Š Amplification & Effects
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UPDATED: I didnt particularly go into detail on what we are doing. This is to add a complimentary sound to the jc-120 and orange super crush 100ā€¦both are quite beefy and at their sweet spot can have a lot of room presence. The goal is to add a 3rd voicing characteristic the could model a vox\fender sound as i have friends that drop by to play who prefer that type of sound. Some bring their own gear but others may be traveling or have a spur of the moment thing or allow for sound experimentation. The goal of my space is to accommodate plug-in and play to the best quality gear i can afford.
I buy used so return is not always an easy option and high end tone quality is first criteria. This all stays set up in a stable treated room environment and we do not gig outā€¦been there done that. I am primarily a drummer and these are ā€œcomplimentary guestā€ amps, so trying not to break the bank.

Looking for opinions on the Boss KATANA HEAD 3 & Boss Katana Cab 212 2x12 setup. I did see Justins video review but this setup is a bit different.
We typically play that swampy blues and texas blues sound. Both are quite different regarding speakers and amp set up.
So A.I., which generates over 10 of millions wrong answers per day, says this set up will work for both sounds but as stated A.I. gets so many things wrong.
We rehearse in a high ceiling 1,400 sq ft space and this amp will compete with keys, roland jc-120, orange 100 super and moderately loud dynamic drummer.
So wondering if the cabinet does sound good and will it be able to fill the space or will it get lost. Planning on playing it open back with either a strat or les paul.
I have heard the cabinet itself sounds a bit stiff and is suggested to get a custom cab with warm toned speakers. Others say the head does a great job in modeling the blues sounds and can be dialed in to produce either blues sound.
To me the pros on the head are not being tied to a specific cabinet, the line out features for recording, the various power settings. Iā€™m not sure the little 5" speaker will impress me.
On the downside, i have read many complain about the tone\preset sounds do not stay consistent as well as changing guitars takes a lot of time to dial in the new guitar. They save the preset and the next time it sounds totally different.
I am also hoping the modeling will simulate amps such as vox, various fenders, etc however it sounds like its all through tone studio and that the sound becomes more like a plug-in and artificial.
Some think their are better optionsā€¦but its all words on a screen. Sure would be interested if you have any hands on opinions.
I personally suck at playing so its tough to go in and run these setups through their paces. I am only somewhat familiar with Boss modeling (gt-100 board for the jc-120) but still a hunt and peck venture.
Appreciate any insightā€¦iā€™m chomping on the bit as this setup is in the used store and looks good at a fairly reasonable price

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You have 33kg of weight in that combination. If I am going to carry that weight, I would go with tube amp. I just prefer the warmth of the tube amp and how easy you can adjust it if necessary. Yes, you have only one amp and one cab, but that is all you need actually. :slightly_smiling_face: Tube amp and cab will cost more for sure than your Katana+cab.

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Probably a good question for the gear page. Check it out. Not posting link, donā€™t know if thatā€™s allowed.

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appreciate that however all my gear stays stationary. Folks come to me to play. As a drummer, i gave up playing out long agoā€¦first in, last out :slight_smile:

Agree, i keep going back to tube amps. I was hoping for one pony modeling amp that does lots of tricks but in reality it seems like most cover only one niche well

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Thanks, first time i posted and thought i was in the gear pageā€¦oops!

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I agree with Boris, I have had an old school VOX AD50VT modelling amp which sounded quite good on some settings, but tonally was not quite right. I also use a Positivegrid RIFF modelling amp, it does a good job but again it does not quite make the tones of a real amp be it a pure solid-state or valve.

I decided earlier this year to try and get a mid priced valve amp for around Ā£1K, I picked up on sale of PRS DGT DAVID GRISSOM 15W 1X12 GUITAR AMP COMBO for just over Ā£800, Ā£600 discount. I came across it when looking for Fender Deluxe at a sensible price. I was not aware that PRS made amps, so I did some research and realised it could be very good, took the plunge and it is IMHO great, lovely tone, great for blues, it can go very LOUD, it is also very versatile, also adaptable with the Volume up pushing valves into breakup and Master turned down for lower volumes, super reverb and Tremelo. If I had not got it I would have got a Fender, for Ā£300-Ā£400 more, I had one of those over 20 years ago. Not sure where you are but I think Andersons still have a PRS DGT15 Combo on sale in the UK. Well worth checking it out.

By the way they do a Head and Cab version but that will add a Ā£200 overall but still sub Ā£1K and a bargain at discount prices.

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Iā€™ve gigged a 100w solid state head (albeit, Orange, not Boss) into a 2x12 and had no problem keeping up with drummer/bass/pa/keys in a space a bit bigger than yours.

Iā€™ve seen someone else gig a 100w Katana combo 2x12, again no problem.

Iā€™ve never played a Katana myself, so canā€™t comment on the sound quality, but I think youā€™ll be fine in terms of volume.

Given that the kit is used, perhaps you can agree to return it if itā€™s not working for you?

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In reality that is not a particularly big space, guessing somewhere around 30ā€™ by 45ā€™ a typical village hall size. In my experience the thing to consider when buying amps and playing in venues is actually how many real Watts or power you need to be heard clearly and sound good to those listening. Power(watts) is not necessarily everything and is often misunderstood. My best friend played guitar for nearly 30 years in Rock, Blues/Rock bands in pubs, clubs and other venues and his main amps were between 30W and 50W and he had a couple of lower wattage valve amps that held there own, valve amps are often rated much lower that SS, but are still as loud.

  • Most electric guitar amps typically range from 90 to 120 dB at a distance of 1 meter.
  • Higher wattage amplifiers can produce outputs that exceed 120 dB.

Consider this

Initial Distance (m) Initial Sound Level (dB) Final Distance (m) Final Sound Level (dB)
1 100 2 94.0
1 100 5 86.0
1 100 10 80.0
1 100 20 74.0
2 94 4 88.0
2 94 6 84.0
2 94 10 80.0
2 94 15 76.0
5 85 10 79.0
5 85 15 76.0
5 85 20 73.0
5 85 30 70.0
10 80 20 74.0

This means even at the back of the room one amp set at 1w producing 100dB at 1m will still be measured at 80dB at the other end of the room 10m away, in fact it is likely to be even more due to reverberation unless you are in anechoic chamber.

Also to consider, the sound pressure level (SPL) increases by 3 dB for every doubling of power. Therefore, if 1 watt produces 100 dB, then at 5 watts, the SPL would be approximately 103 dB. if you had 4 amps producing 100dB together then the overall spl would be around 106db. A rock drum kit produces between 90dB and 130dB depending on how hard it is being bashed.

If you had 3 amps, guitar, bass and keyboards pushing each set to around three amplifiers set to 5 W, each producing 100 dB at 1 W, they would be jointly be measured at around 109.5 dB, so this would likely be in balance with the drum kit, this is LOUD in an enclosed space and I expect a lot of the audience would be moving back in the room.

Anything above a constant SPL of 90dB is loud to the human ear and with exposure for 1 -2 hours there is risk of hearing loss.

What I am trying to show and explain, not very well is that having a 100W amplifier may not be necessary at all in the type of environment you are playing in, and in fact even in a open field environment at full chat they would be very loud when listened to from a reasonable distance, and in that sort of scenario you would likely be micā€™d up to a PA system that is much more powerful.

Just something to consider when buying amps and setting up to play. I am sure others will say go as big as possible so you can turn it down.

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More reason to go for tube amp! :grinning_face: I checked some of your posts, I love the reharsal space you have. You are living the dream! :grinning_face:

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thank you. Again this to compliment and give a different voice option to the jc-120 (which is always in use) and the orange which is a bit gritty for some players. I was looking for a modeler that might replicate a vox or fender sound nicely

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Hi Adrian,
I appreciate your detailed explanation and totally get the whole spl explanation. I didnt particularly go into detail on what we are doing. This all stays set up in a stable treated room environment and we do not gig outā€¦been there done that. This is to add a complimentary sound to the jc-120 and orange super crushā€¦both are quite beefy and can be dominating. The goal is to add a 3rd voicing characteristic the could model a vox\fender sound as i have friends that drop by to play who prefer that type of sound. If we choose to we can roll open the door and project to the outside for in-house parties (and yes I have my spl meter as well)

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Hi Paul,
I too have the orange (super crush 100) and just getting used to it and setting it up. Its the only amp i have purchased new. Have you found that the sound changed as the speaker got ā€œbroken inā€? Iā€™m not sure if i buy that but people talk about that.
I didnt particularly go into detail on what we are doing. This is to add a complimentary sound to the jc-120 and orange super crush 100ā€¦both are quite beefy and can be dominating as you know. The goal is to add a 3rd voicing characteristic the could model a vox\fender sound as i have friends that drop by to play who prefer that type of sound.
I buy used so return is not always an easy option and quality tone is first criteria. This all stays set up in a stable treated room environment and we do not gig outā€¦been there done that. If we choose to we can roll open the door and project to the outside for in-house parties

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Hey Adrian, I appreciate that suggestion. Since this gear is actually to add options for others that stop by, budget is a criteria but so is quality tone. If it doesnt appeal to others then i have wasted my money. I am in the states and buy usedā€¦typically older gear that has gotten to heavy for gigging. Since mine stays stationary i donā€™t care about wt and makes for good deals. (Scored a set of perfect Peavey SP2ā€™s because people no longer wanted to carry them and the store didnt have the space). In a perfect world i would go for a fender tube and vox but just dont love my friends that muchā€¦ha ha. Iā€™ll check out the prs as our local used store comes by some interesting rigs that is always changing

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I also tend to buy second hand - and the 2x12 I use is very second hand! Iā€™ve read the same, but I canā€™t say Iā€™ve ever noticed it.

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That set up sounds fantastic, very envious, I could convert our double garage but with neighbours only 30m away they might get a bit fed up, unless they joined in. :rofl: Also it would help if I could play better.

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I am so lucky in that our neighbors are tolerant and supportive. In fact i lived vicariously through our younger canvas artist neighbor and ended up meeting other fantastic players through themā€¦plus our dogs (mastiffs) love each otherā€¦very important Ha! We keep talking about doing neighborhood block party music. Very old school neighborhood.

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I was not going to suggest anything, because I donā€™t do modelers. Then I saw Peavey, so I had to chime in for the old school. :grin:

Peavey is the way, ok It might not sound like 50 different things but, built in Meridian Mississippi and they are built like tanks. Thats what I rock, a silver strip bandit.

I was just looking actually, some SP2s

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They are just more than I need at this time. So I passed, but I did see this sweet SS 100 that I am think I may pick up, it does need a cap job. Thats no problem, kits are only $20 bucks.

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So what about a Peavey 6505 Head? Those 6L6GC sound good and 120 Watts. :grinning_face:

Itā€™s not a modeler of course, none of what I suggest are, but all these will fill any room anywhere. Eddie Van Halen helped design it around as his 5150. The 6550 is the same thing.

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You could look for the peavey blues classic. 15ā€ speaker and 50 watts output

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Classic are the way in my opinion. I worry about modelers and the future and the pay to play system. Just like my wifes car, and the special features that were free before, now its Download the newest features that the car has, for the subscription price of only $$ bucks a month.

I own what I own. I fix what I have with tools. I use pedals and make my sound with what I got. Modders are definitely cool, but I am Gen X punk.

I got a bro who makes some cool stuff with them and he loves them, and I aint going to lie. but it never really sounds exactly like it, he sits in front of the computer making music. there is always that digital eliment to the sound to me and feel more engineering than making music. Haha nothing wrong with it.

Edit

This is the way

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man you are spot on. Yes peavies are built like tanks. In fact all my pa amps are the heavy as hell cs800. But again they stay stationary so i dont care. I have several generations of them from the first and forward and they all sound great. I thought i could hook all this up and got the rude awakening on the difference between pro sound gear and home unit hook upsā€¦lol Anyways one of the original sp2 engineers was still on the Peavy board and walked me through everything and then some. People bash Peavy but even my old keyboard amp still shines, Like you, I fix what I own and hate this subscription model going on. Its certainly a way manufactures box you in to propriety items and customer for life. All my commercial machining gear is old dial stuff from auction made before i was born and with some knowledge put people on the moon. CNC is great but like modeling, its another layer of abstraction. Yeah it does cool stuff but also built off of ā€œgarage type folksā€ that wonder what happens if i do this. In the end its just another way of recreating whatā€™s already been created

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I think thereā€™s a place for both tube amps and modellers. Iā€™m playing in a small venue tomorrow and Iā€™ll be taking my small pedal board with a Boss IR2 modeller pedal. I can plug directly into the desk - itā€™s super easy, light and small.
At home I have a couple of tube amps and I love that sound, but for live convenience wins out!

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My first ā€˜properā€™ amp. A Peavy Bandit (65?) got it in the 80s, canā€™t remember what happened to it, but I loved it at the time!