Review of the Boss Katana 50 MKII amplifier. Where to buy it?

I’ll tell you how this post is built. First I list the features of the Boss Katana 50 MKII amplifier. Then you have a video or two, purchase links and useful comments from other users and then you have one of the most useful parts; comparison tables with similar amplifiers so you can compare.

  • Power: 50 W.
  • Equipped with: 12″ Custom speakers
  • 5 Amplifier types: Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown & Acoustic
  • 5 Independent effects: Booster, Mod, FX, Delay and Reverb – 3 of them can be used simultaneously
  • 2 Memory locations for amplifiers and effects settings plus panel setting
  • Power amp input for the use of multi-effects devices
  • Power Control (0.5 / 25/50 watts) for full amp sound at any volume
  • Controls: Amp Type, Gain, Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, Booster / Mod, Delay / FX, Reverb, Master & Power Control, Sounds
  • Updated Boss Tone Studio sound customization software with over 60 different Boss effects, channel and global EQs, customisable routing and more (free on Bosstonecentral.com)
  • Connection option for up to two foot switches
  • Dimensions (W x D x H): 470 x 238 x 398 mm
  • Weight: 11.6 kg
  • Matching footswitch FS-6: Art.173531 (not included)
  • Matching expression pedal: Art.102890 (not included)

review boss-katana-50-mkii

This amplifier usually has a price around 209.00 €

Now that we’ve seen the features of this amplifier Boss Katana 50 MKII watch these related videos to learn more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixOc9e140bk

WHAT'S NEW WITH THE MKII? Boss Katana 50 MKII (Demo)

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Some comments from people who come to the forum about this model:

Comment:

I bought this amp at the beginning of 2020 (so the beginning of the pandemic) since I needed an amp that I can use at home, without waking up my neighbors. Before purchasing this one, I tried other practice amps but I wasn’t satisfied. After I bought this one, I ended up using it more than my Marshall and Fender amps!

Pros:
– This is not a modeling amp! In other words, it does not try to replicate the sound of a Marshall, a Fender, a Vox, an Orange, etc. It has its own characteristics as an amp.
– The amp types/channels (Clean, Crunch, Lead, and Brown) do what they are supposed to do! I mainly use the clean and crunch channels. The clean channel is great, with a little bit of reverb, your licks sound fantastic. The crunch is my favorite, it just adds the right amount of crunchiness, such that the pedal effects that come after still sound fantastic! I rarely use Lead and Brown channels, even though I play metal %40 of the time.
– Then there are the effects, which can be controlled/adjusted with Boss Tone Studio. Now, this is where the modeling happens! Clever guys at Boss came up with digital processing algorithms to replicate the sound of very famous pedals (Muff Fuzz, Rat, DS-1, etc.). On top of that, there are lots of modulation and FX options that you can play with.
– The speaker sounds good in all settings. It is loud enough if you use it in 50W mode (for bedroom usage, 0.5W is also great!).
– The USB connection is very useful when you want to record your guitar without any microphones.

Cons: (These are cons that are expected and they are no reason to affect the rating.)
– No FX loop. So if you want to connect external pedals, you have to connect them in front of the amp, which may/will result in unwanted sound effects in certain situations.
– It doesn’t support a decent footswitch controller as its big brother 100W does. Therefore, turning on/off the effects can become really annoying, since you have to turn the knobs to (de)activate the effects.
– In order to play some songs through the speakers of this amp by using your PC/Mac, you have to connect it through the aux-in connection of the amp. You cannot use the USB connection for this reason.

Comment:

I bought for my nephew who just started guitar. I heard good things about the Katanas over the past few years and even seen musicians play them in pubs which sounded great.

As a seasoned guitarist who uses higher end tube amps, I was honestly shocked when I played it myself how good it was.

The price of the amp is a steal. If you’re starting out and need an amo, you’re are crazy not to get one. It’s hands down the best bang for buck solid state amp on the market. I only wish it was around when I was growing up.

Boss Katana 50 MKII vs Boss Katana 100 MKII

The amplifier Boss Katana 50 MKII is usually 100 € cheaper than Boss Katana 100 MKII.

Boss Katana 50 MKII

Boss Katana 100 MKII
  • Power: 50 W.
  • Equipped with: 12″ Custom speakers
  • 5 Amplifier types: Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown & Acoustic
  • 5 Independent effects: Booster, Mod, FX, Delay and Reverb – 3 of them can be used simultaneously
  • 2 Memory locations for amplifiers and effects settings plus panel setting
  • Power amp input for the use of multi-effects devices
  • Power Control (0.5 / 25/50 watts) for full amp sound at any volume
  • Controls: Amp Type, Gain, Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, Booster / Mod, Delay / FX, Reverb, Master & Power Control, Sounds
  • Updated Boss Tone Studio sound customization software with over 60 different Boss effects, channel and global EQs, customisable routing and more (free on Bosstonecentral.com)
  • Connection option for up to two foot switches
  • Dimensions (W x D x H): 470 x 238 x 398 mm
  • Weight: 11.6 kg
  • Matching footswitch FS-6: Art.173531 (not included)
  • Matching expression pedal: Art.102890 (not included)
  • Power: 100W
  • Equipped with 12″ custom speakers
  • 5 Amp types: Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown & Acoustic
  • 5 Independent effects: Booster, Mod, FX, Delay and Reverb – 3 of them simultaneously
  • 4 Memory slots for amplifiers and effects settings plus panel setting
  • Power Amp input for the use of multi-effect devices
  • Power Control (0.5 / 50/100 watts) for fully turned amp sound at any volume
  • Controls: Amp Type, Gain, Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, Booster / Mod, Delay / FX, Reverb, Master & Power Control, Sounds
  • Updated Boss Tone Studio sound customisation software with over 60 different Boss effects, channel and global EQs, customisable routing, and more (free on Bosstonecentral.com)
  • Dimensions (W x D x H): 530 x 248 x 484 mm
  • Weight: 14.8 kg
  • Suitable footswitch: Boss GA-FC Art.431181 (not included)
  • Suitable dust cover: Art.438090 (not included)

And then a video of the amplifier Boss Katana 100 MKII

MKII: Boss Katana 100 Watt Amp MK2 Overview | Video Demo

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Boss Katana 100 MKII review

Boss Katana 50 MKII vs Boss Katana-Artist MkII

The amplifier Boss Katana 50 MKII is usually 346 € cheaper than Boss Katana-Artist MkII.

Boss Katana 50 MKII

Boss Katana-Artist MkII
  • Power: 50 W.
  • Equipped with: 12″ Custom speakers
  • 5 Amplifier types: Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown & Acoustic
  • 5 Independent effects: Booster, Mod, FX, Delay and Reverb – 3 of them can be used simultaneously
  • 2 Memory locations for amplifiers and effects settings plus panel setting
  • Power amp input for the use of multi-effects devices
  • Power Control (0.5 / 25/50 watts) for full amp sound at any volume
  • Controls: Amp Type, Gain, Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, Booster / Mod, Delay / FX, Reverb, Master & Power Control, Sounds
  • Updated Boss Tone Studio sound customization software with over 60 different Boss effects, channel and global EQs, customisable routing and more (free on Bosstonecentral.com)
  • Connection option for up to two foot switches
  • Dimensions (W x D x H): 470 x 238 x 398 mm
  • Weight: 11.6 kg
  • Matching footswitch FS-6: Art.173531 (not included)
  • Matching expression pedal: Art.102890 (not included)
  • Improved sound and exclusive functions
  • Eight tone setting memory locations
  • Analogue Class-AB amplifier section
  • Five types of amplifiers with five variants
  • 3-Way contour and global EQ switch with three settings
  • Switchable solo function including volume control
  • Revised BOSS Tone Studio Editor software for customizing sounds with more than 60 BOSS effects
  • New editor functions, including pre and post EQs, dedicated pedal FX and more power control for overdriven amplifier sounds and dynamic response at low volumes
  • Speaker simulation on the line, USB and phones / recording outputs
  • External control via GA-FC foot controller, foot switch, expression pedal and MIDI
  • Power: 100 watts
  • Equipped with: 1 x 12″ WAZA custom loudspeaker
  • Controls: Amp Type, Gain, Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, Booster / Mod, FX / Delay, Reverb, Presence, Master, Solo
  • Switches: Tone Shape, Power Control, Cab Resonance, Expand
  • Instrument input: 6.3 mm jack
  • Effects Loop Send & Return: 2 x 6.3 mm jack
  • Line output: 6.3 mm jack
  • Power amp input: 6.3 mm jack
  • Aux input: 3.5 mm stereo jack
  • Solo Footswitch connector: 6.3 mm jack
  • Channel / Bank Footswitch connector: 6.3 mm stereo jack
  • Phones / Rec Out: 6.3 mm stereo jack
  • USB

And then a video of the amplifier Boss Katana-Artist MkII

Boss Katana-Artist MkII - Sound Demo (no talking)

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Boss Katana-Artist MkII review

Boss Katana 50 MKII vs Fender Champion 40

The amplifier Boss Katana 50 MKII is usually 50 € more expensive than Fender Champion 40.

Boss Katana 50 MKII

Fender Champion 40
  • Power: 50 W.
  • Equipped with: 12″ Custom speakers
  • 5 Amplifier types: Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown & Acoustic
  • 5 Independent effects: Booster, Mod, FX, Delay and Reverb – 3 of them can be used simultaneously
  • 2 Memory locations for amplifiers and effects settings plus panel setting
  • Power amp input for the use of multi-effects devices
  • Power Control (0.5 / 25/50 watts) for full amp sound at any volume
  • Controls: Amp Type, Gain, Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, Booster / Mod, Delay / FX, Reverb, Master & Power Control, Sounds
  • Updated Boss Tone Studio sound customization software with over 60 different Boss effects, channel and global EQs, customisable routing and more (free on Bosstonecentral.com)
  • Connection option for up to two foot switches
  • Dimensions (W x D x H): 470 x 238 x 398 mm
  • Weight: 11.6 kg
  • Matching footswitch FS-6: Art.173531 (not included)
  • Matching expression pedal: Art.102890 (not included)
  • Output power: 40 Watt
  • 2 Channels
  • Equipped with 1x 12″ special design speaker
  • Controls for channel 1: volume
  • Controls for channel 2: gain, volume, voice
  • Controls for channels 1+2: treble, bass, FX level, FX select, tap
  • Effects: reverb, delay/ echo, chorus, tremolo, vibratone
  • Input and outputs: Aux 1/8” mini stereo jack, headphones 1/8” mini stereo jack
  • Foot switch output (matching foot switch: Art. 200048 – not included)
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 438 x 438 x 230 mm
  • Weight: 8.6 kg
  • Design: black bronco vinyl with silver front grill

And then a video of the amplifier Fender Champion 40

Fender Champion 40 Guitar Amplifier Combo - Demo Review

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Fender Champion 40 review

Boss Katana 50 MKII vs Vox VT40X

The amplifier Boss Katana 50 MKII is usually 21 € more expensive than Vox VT40X, but the difference is so small that this can vary..

Boss Katana 50 MKII

Vox VT40X
  • Power: 50 W.
  • Equipped with: 12″ Custom speakers
  • 5 Amplifier types: Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown & Acoustic
  • 5 Independent effects: Booster, Mod, FX, Delay and Reverb – 3 of them can be used simultaneously
  • 2 Memory locations for amplifiers and effects settings plus panel setting
  • Power amp input for the use of multi-effects devices
  • Power Control (0.5 / 25/50 watts) for full amp sound at any volume
  • Controls: Amp Type, Gain, Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, Booster / Mod, Delay / FX, Reverb, Master & Power Control, Sounds
  • Updated Boss Tone Studio sound customization software with over 60 different Boss effects, channel and global EQs, customisable routing and more (free on Bosstonecentral.com)
  • Connection option for up to two foot switches
  • Dimensions (W x D x H): 470 x 238 x 398 mm
  • Weight: 11.6 kg
  • Matching footswitch FS-6: Art.173531 (not included)
  • Matching expression pedal: Art.102890 (not included)
  • Power: 40 W @ 5 Ohm
  • Equipped with: 1x 10″ Speaker
  • Valvetronix tube preamp
  • 11 Amp models (20 when using Tone Room – editor/librarian software): Deluxe CL, Tweed 4x10, Vox AC30, Boutique OD, VOX AC30TB, Brit 800, Brit OR MKII, Double Rec, Boutique CL, Brit 1959, Boutique Metal
  • Effects: Pedal 1-type: 4 (Comp, Chorus, Overdrive, Distortion)
  • Pedal 2-type: 4 (Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo, Delay)
  • Reverb type: 4 (Room, Spring, Hall, Plate)
  • Memory slots: 33 (60 when using Tone Room – editor/librarian software)
  • User programs: 8 (2 banks x 4 channels)
  • 6.3 mm Jack input
  • AUX in
  • Headphone connector
  • Foot pedal connector
  • Mini USB port (type B)
  • Dimensions: 462 x 225 x 404 mm
  • Weight: 9.5 kg
  • Including power adapter
  • Compatible foot switch: Vox VFS5 (Article Nr 217599) (not included)

And then a video of the amplifier Vox VT40X

Vox VT40X Modeling Combo Amp Demo by Sweetwater

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Vox VT40X review

Where to buy this amplifier Boss Katana 50 MKII

Thomann

  • Free Shipping.
  • Full warranty. If you have any problems, they take care of everything.
  • 100% reliable payment.
  • Leader in trouble-free shipping.
  • Usually Best price.
  • Best Reputation: They are the leading online store in Europe and have the best catalogue and information.

Amazon

  • Free Shipping and possibility of shipping in one day with Amazon Premium.
  • Full Guarantee but they are no experts in music equipment.
  • Sometimes better price.
  • He’s got worse stock than Thomann.

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Jaime Echagüe

Hi! I'm Jaime Echagüe, a musician and an authentic fan of musical instruments. With this blog I want to give general information about musical instruments in an easy, direct and honest way. I hope you enjoy my website and that you find it very useful.

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