GEAR REVIEW
section sounds. Those terms are usually
reserved for tube amps, so you have to give
kudos to the sound engineer for making the
Katana have more of a natural-sounding vibe
than most modeling amps.
The real kicker is that the Katana-50 also
provides a setting for acoustic-electric
guitars using the Amp Type knob. This
is big deal, as having one portable amp
that covers everything from acoustic to
saturated distortion is almost unbelievable.
The amp provides a very good acoustic-
electric tone, particularly when you use the
Treble to temper the brittle upper textures
of piezo pickups. Add in sweeteners like
reverb, chorus, and a smidge of delay, and
the Katana turns into a formidable acoustic
amp. Be careful to watch the Gain knob and
various effects (notably Octave), which are
not conducive to acoustic-electric and can
produce unwanted audio artifacts. ■
MAY / JUNE
VERDICT
No question, the Katana-50 is an
incredible value. Street-priced under two
bills, the combo gives you a massive
range of effects and clean-to-crunch tone
choices. You can’t help but have a blast
playing with the BOSS’s amp features
and the added bonus of acoustic-electric
functionality is off-the-charts cool.
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DIGITAL EDITION
GUITAR TRICKS INSIDER
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