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How I got the best Clean tone from My Boss Katana 50
Introduction
By now everyone has heard of the Boss Katana, I would imagine 80% of the people that has heard of it also own one! Myself being included! I love my Boss Katana 50, I think it is a great amp, and for the money there isn’t much that matches it. However, in all my years of using it (I Own the Mark 1 Katana 50), I was never really happy with the clean sound, I can’t describe why but I didn’t really like it. Always sounds to clean. If that makes sense.
Well, after some research and some serious YouTube time, I have discovered I am not the only one, many others feel the same way. So I have gathered some advice from around the web and also done some experimenting and found another way to get a better, more true clean tone, dare I say it, more “Tube” like. So in this quick article I will show you how you can replicate it.
This is only a quick tips and trick post, We won’t be posting any sound samples and it is easy to do yourself. I have also only set up my amp like this because I am running my HeadRush Gigboard into the front end. If I upgrade to a Katana 100 I will change it around.
Boss Katana: What was I Doing?
For started what was I doing first? Well, to get my clean sound I was using the clean channel (Which I imagine everyone is doing) and then I would have the gain at about 50 and the volume pretty high (60-80) then use the master volume to control the overall volume. Added a little reverb (from the amp) and that was my clean sound.
In fairness this did give me a super clean sound. However, it wasn’t something I was after, it wasn’t the clean sound I was going for! Plus I knew the Boss Katana could do better! So I starting doing some digging and experimenting!
Boss Katana: What am I now Doing?
What have I changed on my Boss Katana 50? Well, rather a lot. First thing, and this comes from boss themselves, is to crank the master volume. I run my master volume at 90-100. Then use the channel volume to control the overall volume. This will make the amp sound warmer and more authentic (So to say).
The next thing I did, I found on a YouTube comment on a video. I found I was using the wrong channel. I know, using the clean channel for cleans? Madness! However, I learnt that if you put the amp onto the crunch Channel but turn the gain almost all the way down (Between 0-10), and bring the volume up, you will get a much more “tube” like sound. Mimicking that break up on a tube amp when it is cranked.
Using these two tips I managed to get a crisp clean sound that started to break up when I really dug in. Plus adding pedals to the front end really brings it to life. For me, in my opinion, this has opened up the Katana even more! It has taken a great amp and made it even better!
Boss Katana: Something to Think about
Now, if you are after a super clean, high-headroom amp and you want to stay digital. Then I suggest you check out our review of the Fender Deluxe Reverb Tone Master! The original version is well known for its high headroom and amazing reverb, and Fender has made an all-digital version, which we reviewed! You can read that full review below!
Fender Deluxe Reverb Tone Master Review
Or are you after the Katana sound in a smaller and more affordable package? Well, maybe you should check out our Boss Katana Mini Review here! We go over the Baby of the line up, and find out how powerful it really is!
Conclusion
Give these tricks a go and see what you think! I have been playing the amp using these technique and am loving it! Finding it takes pedals really well! It’s always on the edge of breaking up! Perfect amp sound!
If you want to see more about my current live and practise rig, you can check out this article where I cover everything I use. If you want to keep updated with what we are up to then you can give us a follow over on our Instagram.
Did you use these tricks to get a clean sound from the Boss Katana? Do you have your own tips and tricks for getting a clean sound out of this amp? Make sure you to let us know! We would love to hear how you are all getting your sounds!
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