If you’re wondering if Boss Katana Mini amp is a good guitar amp or not, don’t worry – you’ve come to the right review! In today’s article, I’m going to take a very close look on that amplifier to see if it’s worth it or not. Surely, it’s a very popular and affordable amp, but is it actually good?
The truth is that Boss Katana Mini amp offers a really good quality at a very reasonable price. It certainly stands out from the competition at the same price level. It can be used for home practice and live performances, including busking.
Let’s dive deeper with research to find out what exactly makes this amp so popular and so good. Firstly, we’ll start with the specs. There will also be a sound demo included, so you’ll be able to hear how it sounds! Lastly, we’ll investigate if there are any alternatives for guitarists who don’t like it.
Hopefully, today’s guide will help you to understand if Boss Katana Mini will be a good choice for you and your style of playing.
Specs & Pricing Of Boss Katana Mini
Boss Katana Mini is a small, portable and affordable amp which features 7 Watts of power. You may think that it’s not a lot, but to be honest, this amp can easily get loud enough to play small gigs or busk on the street.
The manufacturer equipped this amp with a 4″ speaker which delivers a very nice, rock guitar tone. In addition, this is a battery-powered amplifier, so instead of using the power supply, you can simply use a few batteries. Nevertheless, if you prefer using the regular power supply, you can do it too – you’ll just have to get it separately.
The amp features a 3-band EQ and a built-in delay effect. This is an absolute game changer, because not many portable amps at this price level offer that amount of tonal options. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most versatile compact amps available on the market right now.
When it comes to pricing, it’s totally affordable. Although it’s not the cheapest small amp in the world, it definitely deserves a lot of attention. Considering its price and overall quality, it can easily compete with a bit more expensive small amps.
I have no hesitation in recommending this guitar amp to all guitarists who are looking for a high quality amplifier suitable for home practice and live performances. Surely, you won’t be disappointed.
Here’s the sound demo – feel free to check it out.
Who Is It For?
Boss Katana Mini is a perfect amp for both amateur and more advanced players. It can be efficiently used as an amplifier for home practice, but at the same time it works very well for live performances as well.
As I mentioned earlier, this is a really versatile piece of gear. Thanks to the 3-band EQ and the built-in reverb it can be efficiently used for a lot of different genres of music. Still, it works particularly well for rock and metal genres.
It is also worth mentioning that this is also a really inexpensive amp. That being said, it’s also a great option for all guitarists who are on a tight budget. It is not that easy to find a good portable and battery-powered amp that doesn’t cost thousands of dollars, so this amp definitely stands out from the competition.
Disadvantages Of Boss Katana Mini
Although Boss Katana Mini is generally a great and affordable amp, it has its own disadvantages as well. Still, most of them are related to your own preferences, so there’s a high chance that these things won’t affect you at all.
Firstly, this is a battery-powered amp, so you’ll need to purchase the additional batteries to use it. If you don’t want to use it like that and you’d like to stick to the regular power supply, that’s totally fine – but bear in mind that the power supply is not included with this amp. That being said, you’ll need to get it separately.
In addition, this is not the loudest amp in the world. 7 Watts of power is not bad and the amp can get pretty loud, but if you’re aiming to play and perform in front of hundreds of people, it won’t be enough. That’s why if you’re planning to play larger gigs, you should probably search for something bigger.
Lastly, the Boss Katana Mini has only one effect – a built-in delay. It’s a really good feature, but it’s not the same as reverb. That’s why if you’d like to add some more space to your guitar tone and you particularly like the reverb effect, you’ll have to use an additional reverb pedal.
Nevertheless, all of these disadvantages aren’t too serious, so I’m sure that these things shouldn’t discourage you from getting that amp. I’m sure that a lot of guitarists will appreciate the pros of this amp instead of focusing on these minor disadvantages.
Here’s an another sound demo.
Are There Any Alternatives?
If you don’t like the look or the sound of Boss Katana Mini, don’t worry – there’s a lot of other great amps out there! Still, it all depends on your own preferences. Whether you’re searching for a small amp for home practice or a larger amp for gigging, you should definitely check out the amps listed below.
| Roland Cube Street | See on Amazon | Thomann |
| Fender Acoustasonic 40 | See on Amazon | – |
| VOX Pathfinder 10 | See on Amazon | Thomann |
| Marshall MG10 | See on Amazon | Thomann |
| Fender Champion 20 | See on Amazon | Thomann |
Roland Cube Street
Roland Cube Street is an another great battery-powered amp suitable for live performances. It’s a bit more expensive than the Boss Katana Mini, but it’s totally worth it. If you’re searching for the best possible amp for busking and playing gigs, you should definitely give it a chance.
The amp features 50 Watts of power, so as you can imagine, it’s much louder than the compact amp reviewed in today’s article. In addition, it can last up to 20 hours if you’re using the 10W setting!
Undoubtedly, the Cube Street amp is an excellent choice for a lot of musicians. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re on the hunt for a large, loud and battery-powered guitar amp.
Here’s the sound demo.
Fender Acoustasonic 40
Fender Acoustasonic 40 is an another really good amp suitable for home practice and live performances. I personally own that amp and I can totally recommend it to every guitarist who likes to play in front of an audience.
What’s so special about it? Well, it has two separate channels, so you can easily use it for your guitar and vocals. That being said, it allows you to easily play and sing at the same time. In addition, it has a 3-band EQ and a built-in reverb, which sounds fantastic.
I recently recorded a video review of that amp, so if you’d like to find out more about the Acoustasonic 40, feel free to check it out below. The main disadvantage of that amp is that it’s not battery powered, so it’s not ideal for busking.
Here’s my demo. If you find it helpful, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel – there are a lot of other gear reviews in there!
VOX Pathfinder 10
VOX Pathfinder 10 is one of the best and most popular entry-level amps available on the market. It’s inexpensive and it features that classic VOX tone! It is really difficult to compare the Pathfinder 10 to any other small amp.
Again, this is not a battery-powered amp, so you’ll need a power supply to use it. Still, it works perfectly as an amp for home practice and it works very well with guitar pedals as well.
I reviewed this amp on my YouTube channel too, so if you’d like to learn more about it, feel free to check out the demo below.
Marshall MG10
Marshall MG10 is an another very cool and affordable solid-state amp that works perfectly as a practice amp. This model is very similar to the VOX Pathfinder 10, but instead of the classic VOX tone, it offers the classic Marshall tone.
Again, it is really difficult to be disappointed with that thing. It offers a lot of punch, so if you like rock, grunge and metal, you’ll definitely enjoy using the MG10 model. Of course, it’s not the best amp in the world, but considering its low price, it works amazingly!
The amp features two separate channels – clean and overdrive – and to be honest, both of them sound really good. I used this amp very frequently in the past and I can totally recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a cheap practice amp.
Here’s my video review – feel free to check it out below.
Fender Champion 20
Fender Champion 20 is an another very cool and inexpensive amp suitable for both amateur and more advanced musicians. In comparison with some of the amps mentioned above, this amplifier offers a lot more versatility.
Why is it so good? Well, it has a few really cool built-in effects. Whether you’re looking for reverb, delay, chorus, vibrato or wah – it’s all included in that amp already! In addition, the amp sounds very good on both clean and overdrive channels and it works perfectly with guitar pedals as well.
Undoubtedly, a lot of guitarists are going to love it. I recently tried it on my own and I was really impressed by its quality.
Here’s my video review and sound demo – feel free to check it out below.
FAQ
Where is Boss Katana Mini manufactured?
Boss Katana Mini is manufactured in China.
Who makes Boss guitar amps?
Boss amps are a part of Roland, a leading Japenese brand that manufactures guitar amps and other audio equipment.
Does Boss Katana sound like a tube amp?
Boss Katana Mini is not a tube amp, so it doesn’t feature that classic tube-like sound. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that it sounds bad. In fact, it offers a really great guitar tone!
Does the Boss Katana Mini have the headphone jack?
Yes, Boss Katana Mini features a headphone jack.
How long does Boss Katana Mini last?
Boss Katana Mini can last up to 8-9 hours if you’re using the high quality batteries.
What power supply do I need for Boss Katana Mini?
You need either 6x AA batteries or 9V DC 350mA power supply to successfully use the Boss Katana Mini.
Summary
As you can see, Boss Katana Mini is a very interesting guitar amp that deserves a lot of attention. I have no hesitation in recommending this amplifier to all guitarists who are searching for a great sounding and reliable compact amp. I’m sure that you won’t be disappointed!
What do you think about the Boss Katana Mini? Would you add it to your own collection of guitar gear? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, I’m really interested to hear your thoughts!
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