It's really tough to beat a Katana 50 guitar combo amplifier

It's easy to understand why so many guitar players love this thing.

The amp I use is a Line 6 Spider V60. Great amp. But it's a bit complicated to use.

Then there is the BOSS Katana 50. It's lighter in weight, less in price by almost $100, and has something else going for it over the Spider V60:

Simple controls and no screen to deal with.

Yes, this is a big deal because it makes the Katana 50 stupidly easy to use. With this amp, most guitarists don't even need an instruction manual. It is a true plug-in-and-go piece of kit.

Easy is good, and the Katana 50 is easy. Whoever designed the control layout should be given a raise, because everything a guitar player needs instant access to is right there. And although most wouldn't even notice this, I really like the fact there's a solid vertical line between the sections for AMPLIFIER, EQUALIZER, EFFECTS and TONE SETTING. This means you can find stuff easily in low-light environments (like a stage.)

Heck, the controls are so thoughtfully laid out that you can figure out where you need to be just by feel alone after a while.

And unlike typical BOSS products, it's not overpriced.

Yeah, I can totally understand why this has a 4.7 out of 5 rating on Amazon - it's just that good.

Published 2021 Dec 7