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UNPLANNED DOWNTIME: 12th Oct 23:45
Boss Katana 50 MKII - Footswitch options
Lestratcaster
Frets: 1024
**UPDATED THREAD**
Said student is now getting the Boss Katana 50 MKII amp. I'm not sure it comes with a footswitch however. There's options like the Boss FS2 latching switch and the Airstep but they're quite expensive.
What other options are there for a cheap and "will do the job" of switching between two channels (i.e clean/dirty)? I have watched a few YouTube videos and believe you save the Tone Settings under Ch1 and Ch2. Like this video:
Something like this might do the job but it costs more than the item to ship from the US
British Style Two Button Footswitch for Amps - StewMac
**ORIGINAL POST**
One of my guitar students is looking for a decent amp, preferably a combo one but anything that will have a nice tube overdrive sound as that's what he'll be using most of the time. But the facility to switch to clean is required too.
I would think for budget he's not looking to spend more than £200-300, and not too loud either, well...maybe if he gets gigging in a band but we're not talking big stages. It'll be mainly for home use.
A recording/direct out connection would be handy too as we actually do most of our lessons online. His parents are buying him a mixer/interface for Christmas so if he can have an amp he can run directly into this it'd be cool.
I already suggested a Marshall DSL5 combo or the Boss Katana 50w but are there any others out there that are slightly less money?
Said student is now getting the Boss Katana 50 MKII amp. I'm not sure it comes with a footswitch however. There's options like the Boss FS2 latching switch and the Airstep but they're quite expensive.
What other options are there for a cheap and "will do the job" of switching between two channels (i.e clean/dirty)? I have watched a few YouTube videos and believe you save the Tone Settings under Ch1 and Ch2. Like this video:
Something like this might do the job but it costs more than the item to ship from the US
British Style Two Button Footswitch for Amps - StewMac
**ORIGINAL POST**
One of my guitar students is looking for a decent amp, preferably a combo one but anything that will have a nice tube overdrive sound as that's what he'll be using most of the time. But the facility to switch to clean is required too.
I would think for budget he's not looking to spend more than £200-300, and not too loud either, well...maybe if he gets gigging in a band but we're not talking big stages. It'll be mainly for home use.
A recording/direct out connection would be handy too as we actually do most of our lessons online. His parents are buying him a mixer/interface for Christmas so if he can have an amp he can run directly into this it'd be cool.
I already suggested a Marshall DSL5 combo or the Boss Katana 50w but are there any others out there that are slightly less money?
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Could get into a Hot Rod Deluxe or maybe a Laney Cub for that budget too. Those would be my picks!
Me personally I haven't been a fan of Orange heads. Love their cabs though.
He likes the punk rock stuff so a nice saturated overdrive, instead of fuzzy farty distortion.
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/217086/fs-yamaha-thr10ii-guitar-modelling-amplifier-great-condition-with-original-box-instructions
As for "when am I ready?" You'll never be ready. It works in reverse, you become ready by doing it. - pmbomb
Does it have a footswitch to operate clean/dirty channels? I think there's several channels on it (like 3-4)
The 100w you can buy a fancy footswitch called the GA-FC that lets you control patches, banks, FX etc - this will NOT work with the 50w.
The 50w has two banks of two patches, so four can be stored in total.
FX wise, it's basically a cut down GT100 with an amp attached - with the default settings you can dial a lot of sounds from the panel, but you can also use the tone studio software to simply play with the default panel settings or for really in-depth patch creation - a big community making patches online as well.
I've got an old Mk1 Katana 50 and I've used it for literally everything, from home playing with the 1w mode, to small jams (where the 25w mode is plenty loud enough with a drummer...) to a small gig!
That's it's real strength is it does everything in one small relatively inexpensive box.
Many will say of course it would be better to have an amp that does one thing superbly than lots of things competently - but if you switch a lot between styles, maybe doesn't apply as much..?
There was a lot of hype when they came out that everyone could chuck out their HRDs for a Katana or their boutique valve amps etc - which is obviously nonsense - and generated a lot of negativity for the brand from some quarters.
I think they are great little amps
I don't think they do any smaller sizes than a 50w but it has a switch to control the wattage doesn't it? Makes it versatile if he wanted to take it out to do gigs, or switch down to play at home.
I think he will stick with this for a while so it'd be good to get something that can do a bit of everything as he may grow out of this music style and maybe want to do more clean based songs perhaps.
As for "when am I ready?" You'll never be ready. It works in reverse, you become ready by doing it. - pmbomb
As for "when am I ready?" You'll never be ready. It works in reverse, you become ready by doing it. - pmbomb
If it's more about getting a decent base tone then the DSL will sound better (although the direct out is not amazing)
If buying secondhand then a Bandit or a Tech21 TM60 would also be options.
I use both the 100 watt combo and head versions, and with some vigilance either of these might be available second hand at just under £200, but the footswitch is an expensive add on, it does give access to 9 patches though, and is very heavy duty.
Another recommendation, which will be ridiculed by some, is a Marshall Code, 25 and 50, which are both essentially the same, but have very different cabs. The 25 is perfect for home use, and I currently gig with a 50. Both are very cheap, but amazing value for money, the software is a bit buggy, by using blutooth for connection to the app, but once the pre-sets are stored and tweaked, can, and does sound great, for essentially the price of a decent overdrive pedal, the entire history of Marshall in a box.
Sadly, the idea didn't really catch on, and development stopped for some reason, but a 25 will be easy and cheap to find, I sold mine for £100, as it was redundant for me, I am using a 100 watt Katana head as my home amp-obviously only on half watt setting, and I love it.
Both of these options also double up as USB interfaces for the inevitable journey into computer recording, and both are massively tweakable via apps and software, more options than anybody would ever need. The Katana contains every Boss pedal, and the Marshall has modelled versions of every generation of Marshall amp and cab.
It is a great time to be a guitarist, really.
He really appreciates the difference between my Marshall combo and his one at home! But yes the direct out is a bit naff (much prefer the speaker sound but that'd involve him having to mic it up with an SM57 or something).
They'd be better off with a Katana 50 I think.
The Code also has a switch ( cheaper, cheaper feel ) ,basically the same amp as the bigger ones, and it gives access to around 30 patches plus FX per patch.
I wish Marshall had basically built the whole thing into a footswitch, would have been a gamechanger, but I think they decided to stick with the valve side of the market.
I think both Code 25, and K50 are using 10 inch speakers, the Code 50, and the K100 are both quite a bit bigger and use 12 inch speakers, which makes them more giggable.
At the price point, there is nothing to be lost by trying either really ( Code 25, K50 )
Code 50, is a bit too big for home use though, and if a K100 head is available, snap it up, built in 5 inch speaker makes it perfect for home use, half watt settings, and midi control for advanced use, I honestly think it is the perfect amp. A bit harder to find second hand, but if one pops up, at around £150-£200, it is a no-brainer.
The 100 combo is very neat, (slightly smaller than Code 50 ) and I have one as my back up live amp, when the Code 50 eventually dies, it has served me very well for the last 4 years though. Next gig will be tomorrow, first for 2 years, so I am probably tempting fate here, but I have the K100 in reserve.
If it's the same engine as the Mighty Air it will sound better than the Katana.
The only thing it doesn’t have is a DI output with speaker simulation.
https://www.thomann.de/gb/laney_cub_super12_b_stock.htm
One advantage to him getting a DSL is he'd be using the same amp as he would do in my room, but then again he's not in there every week, its just whenever he gets a free slot on a weekend come up he'll swap his online lesson to one in-person. Looking at keeping this once every couple of months.
The gig-proof thing is also a factor as I don't want to make him get something twice, for if he eventually joins a band to play shows.
sounds like a win . I thought there was one on here s/h reasonable but probably mistaken