Great Jazz Tone On A $250 Amp?

The Katana was essential in getting me into jazz because I literally hated every sound it produced other than a clean tone

I greatly appreciate this. Not only is this different from the majority of “dialing in tone” videos, which are going for a much more generic electric guitar tone, I think you do a really good job of walking through the process and explaining it. I’d like to see another where you go through the process of using a parametric EQ. My biggest struggle is that even after 4 decades of this, I still find the differences that seem so drastic to others quite subtle. People always say, “just use your ears”, but my ear tends to lead me to extreme settings. I’m always afraid that what sounds fine to my ears sounds awful to others. 🙂

The thing with Katana is that most people don't really use the power that is hidden in the Tone Studio, where you can customize EQ on a much more precise level than through knobs. Additionally, I often use a bit of boost, not as an overdrive, but to emphasize certain frequencies (there are many boost modes that you can choose from). All is editable and storable as presets, so effectively you can have several different sound scenes at your disposal, which can match different rooms/auditoriums. Tone Studio, for those who don't use Boss's products, is the software used on a PC (or a mobile, if you have Katana AIR). Worth checking is also the Octave effect hidden inside Katana, which, when set to "mode 4" is only applied to lowest three strings, so can be used to emphasize the bass line without making the sound muddy.

I have a Katana 100 and really love it, just wanted to mention that the EQ on katana amps is only subtractive, so it's neutral if you put everything at max. It's not that bad to start off with everything at noon, you're just basically cutting the volume in half. That's why I hear many people complaining that the amp does not have the volume of a 100W amp.

I love my katanas! I had a 50 watt model but returned it for a 100 watt. The 50 sounded thin and I like the 100 watt model better, even though I never use the 100 watt setting. Also, I like to use the acoustic amp model for jazz, sometimes the clean. Another thing to try that you didn't really show is turning up the gain to between 2/3 and 3/4 on the amp. This helps warm up the clean tones a lot. Another trick, along with boosting the gain, that works for me on the Katana is to turn the Master up to about 2/3 and then use the volume next to the gain to control my over all volume.

What do you think about the Katana vs The Fractal tone? ✅The great $400 guitar I used on 5 albums: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIQiWfeWLA4&list=PLWYuNvZPqqcEwAohz-BibDOYyuTuv376R&index=1 ✅ Jazz Tone On A Strat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XXTNv5W3GE&list=PLWYuNvZPqqcEwAohz-BibDOYyuTuv376R&index=2

The overdrive thing is a solid tip. For metal players, through a JCM-800 the classic Tube Screamer setting is gain very low, and volume cranked. The volume is to push the pre-amp, but the gain is set very low so that you're using the screamer to shape the EQ. In that situation you're not trying to get a drive on top of drive. So by the same note, any overdrive with the gain very low will give you a different EQ curve. You can just keep the volume at whatever works out to unity. I am incredibly fond of the Klon Clone I put together, because even as a clean boost it gives you a very dynamic EQ control.

I happily own a 100W version of the KATANA. I went from Fender to Marshall to Mesa, and now in my older age, the KATANA is an amazing blessing. I also own a KATANA-AIR as well. As mentioned by others, the Tone Studio app make all the difference in the world. I must say that your videos on tone and gear are nothing short of a breath of fresh air. You cover a much neglected spectrum of topics for those of us who love jazz and anything else that doesn't require high gain tonality. Just seeing you trying your son's Ibanez says a lot about your wider view of guitars, tone, and gear. By the way. The jabs of humor in your vids are just priceless!! Thank you so much!

I really enjoyed this episode. I liked watching your process finding the tone and bringing in a distortion pedal as a tone shaping device. Thanks for presenting this info. I found it very useful.

Love the Katana! Great video Jens - loved seeing your approach to tone

Great video! I had the Katana for about a year, and had fun dialing in different tones. A couple of years ago, the Sydney (Austrlaia) Conservatorium Jazz school purchased a bunch of these to replace their aging Roland Cubes...they worked out really well.

Super interesting, learned a lot from your thought process! I had the same issues with thin sound on my katana for a few months until I encountered a tip suggesting to minimize the volume knob and increase the master instead. That made the sound way fuller at similar loudness levels, for some reason.

very interesting - finally someone who checks the Katana with Jazz. I use it that way and I am pretty happy with it. IMO there is not 'the best tone ever' because I want different sounds all the time. But here the Katana is a huge toolbox and allows me to explore all kinds of sounds

While my Mesa Boogie amp was on repair (for quite a while, some 3 years) I tried out (and bought) the 100w 1x12 Katana. To me it sounded workable "as is" but after fiddling with the software I found that the "clean boost" set to minimum (but still turned on) got me in the fat and juicy land of clean tube amp tone, that chewie attack and warm sound with a little hair on it. Now I was really happy. After watching the Pat Metheny interview by Rick Beato a while ago I learned that part of the "Metheny Sound" is running the guitar at low to mid volume settings (much to be able to regulate the volume on stage after soundcheck) - this got me an even more workable tone. By the way, I sold the boogie.

Teaching middle school Jazz band after school in the NYC area I've been using the small Fenders and Rolands that stay in the band room. They only have treble and bass knobs. I find that using one of the bass amps gives enough body and volume, but the little guitar amps don't. I turn the bass down completely and turn down the treble nearly all the way. This gets out of the bass player's way. It lets more mids come through and dominate the tone even though I can't specifically turn up the mids. I use no effects. The room itself sounds good. Also when teaching large sections to listen to each other and control their cutoffs I don't need a tail lingering on my own playing

I have a Katana too. My amp for cleans is a Fender Twin and the Katana just does not compare. That being said, I changed the speaker in the amp and it improved. I also use more gain on the clean channel to get better dynamics. It does not necessarily break up and sounds much better. I set the EQ after I set the gain, volume and master. Then I use reverb and then I fine tune with the presence. In the end I get a decent clean sound. Thanks for the video

A local high-school kid plays jazz standards on a Stratocaster, through a Katana. And if you close your eyes, it sounds like he's playing an archtop through a Polytone. I think it's a Katana 100, and this young lad might even be playing a 3/4-size Strat. That convinced me that a Katana, and even a Strat, can nail "jazz" tone. Play the guitars you love!

I have a Boss Katana and love it! Such a great amp. I’ve been waiting for a video like this, thank you Uncle Jens!! 😁

I agree with you regarding that tiny kind of bright sound. Boss has a tendency of starting with a base tone that is on the bright and fizzy side however once you start messing with the eq which you can select either parametric or the ge-10 graphic one it warms up the amp to the point of getting a nice jazz sound. The EQ can be applied before, after the preamp or both however after the preamp is when it has the biggest effect on the overall sound. It allows you the option of also boosting the amps headroom if you need more by pushing the volume slider on the GE-10 when you place it post preamp.

Recently got this amp, so your perspective and thorough demonstration is really helpful. I agree there's good value in this amp.