"It sounds more alive with sweetened highs, richer harmonics in the mid-range, and a tighter, more defined low-end": Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 review

Boss cuts through the noise with its revamped practice amp

Katana 50 review
(Image: © Future)

Guitar World Verdict

Boss hasn’t tried to completely reinvent its popular practice amp line – because it didn’t need to. Katana 50 MKIII keeps the same great aesthetic, usability and spirit of the original while pushing the series forward with upgraded tones and functionality.

Pros

  • +

    Excellent amp tones

  • +

    World-class effects

  • +

    Super easy to use

Cons

  • -

    Bluetooth is an optional extra

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

The name Katana always felt like the perfect moniker for this cutting-edge practice amp. This feature-laden combo sliced through its competition when it hit the market in 2016 and became one of the best-selling amps in recent memory. New for 2024, Boss has revamped the series for its third generation, boasting improved sound quality, a brand-new “pushed” amp model and an enhanced feature set – but can it live up to the hype of the previous versions? 

While the entire Katana range is receiving the Gen 3 treatment, only the 50, 100, and 100 212 models are available to purchase at launch. Today, we'll examine the Katana 50 MKIII to see how it compares to the prior generation. 

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year 

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Daryl Robertson
Senior Deals Writer

Daryl is a Senior Deals Writer at Guitar World, where he creates and maintains our 200+ buyer's guides, finds the best deals on guitar products, and tests the latest gear. His reviews have been featured in prominent publications like Total Guitar, Future Music magazine, and MusicRadar.com.

During his career, he has been lucky enough to talk to many of his musical heroes, having interviewed Slash and members of Sum 41, Foo Fighters, The Offspring, Feeder, Thrice, and more. In a past life, Daryl worked in music retail. For a little under a decade, he advised everyone from absolute beginners to seasoned pros on the right gear for their needs. 

Daryl is also a fully qualified sound engineer, holding a first-class Bachelor's degree in Creative Sound Production from the University of Abertay.