"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

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.

Okay, it’s fair to say that this new iteration of Katana isn’t a complete retooling of the series but rather a subtle evolution of what came before. Still powered by the clever Tube Logic technology and a reactive Class AB analogue power section, the MKIII feels and behaves exactly like its predecessor – albeit with definite advancements in overall clarity.

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While we were fans of the previous iterations, it’s immediately obvious that Boss has gone to great lengths to improve the overall sound quality of the Katana MKIII, resulting in an amplifier that sounds more alive with sweetened highs, richer harmonics in the mid-range, and a tighter, more defined low-end.

This is particularly evident when you switch to the new Pushed setting. Sitting between Clean and Crunch both physically and stylistically, this stellar preset delivers the sound of a slightly driven valve amp that’s just on the edge of breakup and is bright, vibrant, and excellently responsive. Paired with our favourite ‘54 Strat reissue, it was a match made in heaven. Single notes rang out as clear as a bell while digging in and playing aggressively returned the perfect amount of grit – a seriously impressive feat for an affordable modeller.

Now, if there was one feature that Katana fans have been crying out for since its launch, it’s Bluetooth connectivity – and it’s finally here. Each Gen 3 amp features a rear connection specifically for the Boss Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor which enables wireless audio streaming and editing via the new and improved Boss Tone Studio. The catch? It’s an optional extra.

Easy to set up and effortless to use, this adaptor works exactly as instructed and vastly improves the amp's functionality. That said, while £49 for the adapter won’t exactly break the bank, we can’t help but feel a little shortchanged. Many of the Katana’s direct competitors include Bluetooth as standard, and in this day and age, it’s a feature that most consumers expect – perhaps we’ll see it integrated into the amp on the next generation.

Putting our thoughts on the Bluetooth situation aside for a second, there is a lot to love about the new generation of Boss Katana. Boss hasn’t tried to completely reinvent its popular practice amp line – because it didn’t need to. Katana MKIII keeps the same great aesthetic, usability and spirit of the original, while pushing the series forward with upgraded tones and functionality.

Specifications

• TYPE: Solid state
• OUTPUT: 50W
• SPEAKER: 30 cm (12 inches) x 1
• CONTROLS: POWER switch, MASTER knob, POWER CONTROL switch (STANDBY, 0.5 W, HALF, MAX), VARIATION button, AMP TYPE switch (ACOUSTIC, CLEAN, PUSHED, CRUNCH, LEAD, BROWN), GAIN, VOLUME, BASS, MIDDLE, TREBLE, BOOSTER, MOD, FX, DELAY, REVERB, TAP, BOOSTER, MOD, FX, DELAY, REVERB, CH1 button, CH2, PANEL
• CONNECTIVITY: INPUT jack: 1/4-inch phone type, POWER AMP IN jack: 1/4-inch phone type, STEREO PHONES jack: Stereo 1/4-inch phone type, CTL CH1/CH2 SOLO jack: 1/4-inch TRS phone type, EXP PEDAL jack: 1/4-inch TRS phone type, AUX IN jack: Stereo miniature phone type, USB port: USB C type, BLUETOOTH ADAPTOR SLOT: Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor, AC IN jack
• WEIGHT: 11.6 kg
• DIMENSIONS: 470 (W) x 238 (D) x 398 (H) mm
• CONTACT: Boss