Selecting the right Amp

Hi

I am considering buying a new amp. I have narrowed it done to either a Boss Nexitone

GTX Fender 100 or the Boss Katana MK11 100

Can anyone give me some advice on which would be the best amp to buy

That Fender sound is unmistakable! Are you able to try out these amps back to back? It's tough to know what equipment to get without knowing what it souunds and feels like.

Originally Posted by: Grey RabbitI am considering buying a new amp. I have narrowed it done to either a Boss Nexitone GTX Fender 100 or the Boss Katana MK11 100 Can anyone give me some advice on which would be the best amp to buy

I was going to answer but avoided initially A. from having observed previously that this kind of question/thread is largely meaningless due to a tendency for them to descend into a subliminal p1$$ing contest 'recommendation' reaffirming the responder's ownership pride/purchase, and B. you have provided insufficient information in your question to offer any kind of truly purposeful response in the vague qualification "best".

Further elaboration is required from you to that purpose for any response to be other than an endorsement of your selection almost certainly driven by ownership pride descending into a popularity poll based upon fanboy parroting of brand bias.

Information solicited in response to some of the following questions will serve you better.

1. Why one of [u]these three[/u], in particular?

2. Budget. Are you really prepared to go higher to the price of the Nextone. Max spend? Or want to remain at the price point of the last two if the will serve purpose adequately?

3. Where are you going to use it? Home, if so bedroom or studio, garage band with acoustic drums, gigging venue?

4. Preferred/primary music genre/s you intend to use it for?

5. Will it be your only amp, or does its addition compliment others you already own?

6. We get that you want a patcheable digital amp that can make some noise, but have you considered which ergonomic interface you prefer having tried them hands on? Personally I dislike LCD sub-menuing favouring the more direct KISS input.

7. Any other info you might care to share which might assist.

A bit of info for you. With good reason BOSS Nextone and Katana were inspired by Blackstar from their innovative and successful digital ID:Series TVP and ID:Core amps developed by the guys who defected from Marshall to form Blackstar Amplification.

My thoughts on one of those shortlisted by you. Owning a powerful TVP type amp with selectable voicings and multiple patch configs in conjunction with six tube emulations along with direct comparison of a Katana equivalent, a 100W digital Fender (not the GTX) and equally powerful 6L6 2x12 valve amp, of the three you have selected, on spec if it lives up to its website spiel, hands down no brainer choice the BOSS Nextone would be what I'd choose.

In a different class entirely, it's the most expensive of those three for a reason, but worth the extra spend if you will appreciate and use its features. My Blackstar ID Series 260 TVP 2x12 combo is my favourite amp and gets used more frequently than any of the others now. The BOSS Nextone appears to be their marginally more powerful clone of the Blackstar 60 TVP, which is essentially a 1x12 60W non-stereo capable version of the 260, but offering the same emulations and similiar versatility. Its feature set is equally impressive and 60W is plenty loud for home. I can relate from experience that I have to be most judicious in my home studio with exposure to the 260's capabilities to avoid risk of permanent damage to hearing.

Bottom line is that any of the above will make plenty of noise in any home scenario. It's really down to what kind of noise you want to make, the interface you prefer, the tones you're after and prepared to pay for.

GL with your GAS. All the best in making the right choice for you.

manXcat

Thankyou for your advice

the amp i want is for home use and jamming with mates

i am leaning towards the nexitone as for me i think it will be a more simple amp to operate and good to jam with as well as using in home

Any/all of those you've shortlisted will kill the job you've tasked of them in your subsequent post.

The LCD user interface of the Fender GTX however would eliminate it [u]for me[/u]. Otherwise, it would more than meet your stated performance expectation.

Whilst I haven't used BOSS Nextone Artist myself, from the spec and website description and my experience with variable tube amp emulation in my TVP Blackstar amp, I expect the Nextone Artist will exceed expectation. I haven't checked to see which DSP BOSS have deployed in it. (Blackstar use the industry standard highly regarded SHARC.) Check the reviews of the Nextone amp. Unless it has issues, as previously iterated, for its variable 4 tube emulation feature alone, it's the amp of those three I would choose hands down if it fits acceptably within your budget.

P.S. I haven't researched the Nextone Artist to gauge from user reports the fidelity of valve emulation BOSS have implemented within it, but worth mentioning the most amazing thing about the valve emulation in Blackstar's that I never expected is that it doesn't just sound like the valve config it's emulating, but imitates a valve amp like responsiveness to input at a tactile level. It feels like playing a valve amp.

Originally Posted by: manXcat with good reason BOSS Nextone and Katana were inspired by Blackstar from their innovative and successful digital ID:Series TVP and ID:Core amps

No they weren't, I have friends who work in the music industry and there was talk about the boss katana a long time before they were released, and they were not inspired by Blackstar, as far as I know the boss range is built on their cosm technology which Roland developed years ago and have continued to build apon and uses the same DSP chip as the boss gt-100, if any company really drove the market for digital modelling amps it would be the fender Mustang range.

Originally Posted by: fuzzb0xI have friends who work in the music industry and there was talk

Blah..blah blah....

Get off my back fuzzb0x. You stalk my posts and dog me at every opportunity with your churlish remarks. I've had enough of your stalking behaviour and calling you on it. It's not contributory to forum harmony, nor is your remark objective in its intent or purpose to this thread.

Your "I've got friends who work in the industry" is laughable supposition without presenting supporting factual evidence, and contradicts what my own research and the all too obvious product release dates which reveal who's imitating who.

Regardless, the purpose of my post was trying to assist the guy with his inquiry, which you chose to ignore, as the only purpose of my posts. Now you come along and cherry pick this minutae out of them with this petty gem in responding, your purpose all too apparent consistent behaviour exhibited by you towards me in any interaction with me since our difference of opinion over the song submission process an aeon ago.

Let it go if you haven't the character to exercise respectfulness or maturity for self-restraint. I loath you for this kind of trite behaviour every bit as much as you all too apparently do me, but more importantly his forum should not be used as a vehicle for it nor is it an appropriate venue for you to let loose your spite, ...repeatedly. If you can't discipline yourself to courteous interaction with me as you've consistently made apparent, just ignore and avoid me as I do with you, and would have continued to do until this.

Personally, the matter you contest being proven right for the sake of your or my ego is as unimportant to me as it is moot to the base inquiry of this thread. Were I motivated by bias or other than sincerely assisting the OP, I would have pushed the Blackstar Silverline Deluxe instead of the BOSS Nextone. But that wasn't helpful to the enquirer, his preference or his purpose. What is self apparent to all without inside information inference of alleged "friends who work in the music industry" gossip is that Blackstar brought the ID Series TVP feature to market half a decade before BOSS launched their Nextone and the ID:Core Series years before the Katana. What is equally apparent is the umbrage you express over my remark is as disproportionate as it is irrelevant. Both are moot to the OPs inquiry.

Wanna check this out. This is the best interface.

https://www.facebook.com/100845004794434/posts/218845876327679/

I am no expert on amplifiers but can just say as a beginner I did a fair bit of research on (and I stress ) what would suit my situation. I ended up purchasing a Boss Katana 50 and never use the 50w, even the 25w is very loud on full volume, would be nice if it had the foot pedal addition the same as the 100 . I would say the Katana 100 mk II would be ideal for at home & jamming with mates. Reviews are very good.You can also download Boss Tone Studio on a computer with so many more options for your sounds etc also has a noise limiter that is handy. As stated it suits me and the Boss Katana 100 mk II may be worth taking a closer look plus it takes a foot pedal ( extra ) great for changing your sounds instead of pushing the panel buttons on the amp.. Having also looked at the Boss Nextone and that looks realy good.

Congratulations on the new amp John, those Boss Katana amps are very impressive for the money and packed full of features, several of my friends have bought them and I've always been very impressed with the tones I could achieve from those amps.

There are a few of us here that have a Kat 50 John and like yourself, I rarely have it off the lowest wattage setting. I think you will really enjoy it.

Have had no problems at all with the Kat 50 mk1 that I have had for just over a year. I do find that on 5wt with full volume I have to have some gain and perhaps a bit of boost to obtain the volume to suit me. If on 25wt then the volume knob needs turning down a fair bit.The 50wt would blast you out of the house. Having a great time with the Kat 50 and my new early Christmas present a Fender Strat professional II that my good wife and daughter bought me, they go well together. Be interesting to see what amp Grey Rabbit chooses.