Pleasantly surprised at the Katana 50 for a clean jazz tone

[jzucker]

Thanks for the explanation,but too many options for me as a guitarist of years past is not a Good Combination,Lol!

you don't have to use that. I never plug the amp into the computer. Treble, mid, bass, gain, master and reverb.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I also had one of the early Katana 50s and used it in a short lived surf band as well as with my oldies trio and really enjoyed it. I think I only sold it after I found my Evans RE200 which is probably the best amp I've ever owned. Haven't tried one of the new ones.

The Evans is in a different league from the Katana, Skip. It's richer and far more "alive" than the Katanas, especially with an archtop. I haven't gigged with a Katana, but I try one every time I'm at a GC because everybody keeps telling me how great they are, and I try again to appreciate them. I think they're excellent value, and they'e certainly tweakable enough. But they just don't sound "big" enough for me, and I don't think they're as responsive to subtle playing dynamics. After using an Evans 200 for a few years, I don't think a Katana 50 would come close for duo or trio work with a bass or solo backing of a vocalist. Although not quite as loud, my Blu is the equal of my Evans, as is my Quilter OD202 / BockDock HD combo (which is much louder if need be).

I sold my Evans because it wouldn't get as loud as the 100W Boogie 1x12 I'd been using since the '70s. I was hoping the Evans would supplant it because of the weight factor, but I was still playing big league blues concerts and festivals back then and it wasn't enough. If I still had it, I'd be using it regularly. But the Katana 50 wouldn't do the job for me. Maybe a 100 would, but I'm skeptical.

[jzucker]

i'd never try to use the katana 50 on anything loud. I didn't even trust it in a duo setting at a fairly large club I play regularly in (that doesn't have a house system).

I did recently buy a Markbass combo amp that's a 300w 20lb amp and it actually sounds great for guitar. I use it with my Fractal FM3 but for archtop it sounds good with just a reverb pedal. They are using a new, super light carbon fiber cabinet and the whole combo with 12" speaker, tweeter and 300w amp is only 23lb.

MB58R MINI CMD 121 P – Markbass

[skiboyny]

i'd never try to use the katana 50 on anything loud. I didn't even trust it in a duo setting at a fairly large club I play regularly in (that doesn't have a house system).

I did recently buy a Markbass combo amp that's a 300w 20lb amp and it actually sounds great for guitar. I use it with my Fractal FM3 but for archtop it sounds good with just a reverb pedal. They are using a new, super light carbon fiber cabinet and the whole combo with 12" speaker, tweeter and 300w amp is only 23lb.

MB58R MINI CMD 121 P – Markbass

Would you choose it over the hendrikson?

[jzucker]

Would you choose it over the hendrikson?

Here are some comparison points

• Henriksen has reverb and a working treble control. The treble on the markbass is at 10k, too high for guitar though it turns out it's just fine at noon for me. No reverb on markbass.
• Markbass has a better tweeter. The tweeter on the henriksen doesn't have enough output.
• Markbass is less boxy due to the bigger cab and I prefer its ceramic magnet speaker.
• If you're comparing the bud 10 to the markbass, the bud is about 3lb less but about 2x the price.
• I got my markbass for $625 (B Stock - Musicians Friend). Normally they are around $800
• Markbass is single channel (no dual tone controls) but does have the 2nd input for XLR and they can be used in parallel.
• Markbass has 150w at 8ohm so it's got more power. 300w at 4ohm if you run a 2nd cab.

[skiboyny]

Super sales points but how about bottom line sound. Which do you enjoy hearing or do you feel they are equaling pleasing, with the Markbass having a much lower price point?

Here are some comparison points

• Henriksen has reverb and a working treble control. The treble on the markbass is at 10k, too high for guitar though it turns out it's just fine at noon for me. No reverb on markbass.
• Markbass has a better tweeter. The tweeter on the henriksen doesn't have enough output.
• Markbass is less boxy due to the bigger cab and I prefer its ceramic magnet speaker.
• If you're comparing the bud 10 to the markbass, the bud is about 3lb less but about 2x the price.
• I got my markbass for $625 (B Stock - Musicians Friend). Normally they are around $800
• Markbass is single channel (no dual tone controls) but does have the 2nd input for XLR and they can be used in parallel.
• Markbass has 150w at 8ohm so it's got more power. 300w at 4ohm if you run a 2nd cab.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Here are some comparison points

• Henriksen has reverb and a working treble control. The treble on the markbass is at 10k, too high for guitar though it turns out it's just fine at noon for me. No reverb on markbass.
• Markbass has a better tweeter. The tweeter on the henriksen doesn't have enough output.
• Markbass is less boxy due to the bigger cab and I prefer its ceramic magnet speaker.
• If you're comparing the bud 10 to the markbass, the bud is about 3lb less but about 2x the price.
• I got my markbass for $625 (B Stock - Musicians Friend). Normally they are around $800
• Markbass is single channel (no dual tone controls) but does have the 2nd input for XLR and they can be used in parallel.
• Markbass has 150w at 8ohm so it's got more power. 300w at 4ohm if you run a 2nd cab.

I think there are two other important contrasts. First, Henriksen is in the US and readily accessible for information, help, repairs etc. Second, in my experience every inquiry gets a prompt, pleasant, helpful response from Henriksen while DVM is unreachable.

I’ve now bought 3 new DV Mark amps and asked them several questions. No inquiry got a response. Posts by others suggest that service on their products is hard to get in the US. I’ve personally called or emailed Quilter and Henriksen several times and been thrilled at their consistent devotion to their customers and potential customers. So I now have 4 Quilters and a Blu. I sold my Little Jazz (which, to be fair, was a great amp that never let me down). I still use my EG250, which has the power of a Twin and a great warm jazz tone. And the Jazz 12 has been functioning perfectly with great sound since before Covid. But I don’t think I’d take a chance on another DVM when there are so many alternatives available from makers who are there if you need them.

As for “bottom line sound”, I haven’t tried this MarkBass amp yet. But I’ve played through many of their small bass cabs and combos, and found them all to be warm and “right” for jazz guitar. The sound, size, weight, and price on this one are all undoubtedly great for us. But customer service is critical to me, and for me DVM misses the mark

[jzucker]

I think there are two other important contrasts. First, Henriksen is in the US and readily accessible for information, help, repairs etc. Second, in my experience every inquiry gets a prompt, pleasant, helpful response from Henriksen while DVM is unreachable.

I’ve now bought 3 new DV Mark amps and asked them several questions. No inquiry got a response. Posts by others suggest that service on their products is hard to get in the US. I’ve personally called or emailed Quilter and Henriksen several times and been thrilled at their consistent devotion to their customers and potential customers. So I now have 4 Quilters and a Blu. I sold my Little Jazz (which, to be fair, was a great amp that never let me down). I still use my EG250, which has the power of a Twin and a great warm jazz tone. And the Jazz 12 has been functioning perfectly with great sound since before Covid. But I don’t think I’d take a chance on another DVM when there are so many alternatives available from makers who are there if you need them.

As for “bottom line sound”, I haven’t tried this MarkBass amp yet. But I’ve played through many of their small bass cabs and combos, and found them all to be warm and “right” for jazz guitar. The sound, size, weight, and price on this one are all undoubtedly great for us. But customer service is critical to me, and for me DVM misses the mark

Markbass has literally hundreds of authorized service centers throughout the USA. There are 4-5 in cleveland alone. I bought a dvmark raw dawg a couple years ago and it had a bit too much preamp gain for my tastes. There is no gain control on it so I emailed them and got a response back a few days later saying I could take it into an authorized repair center and have them reduce the gain for me.

And I had a markbass amp with a bad input during covid. It was used so no warranty. I shipped it to an authorized repair facility and had it fixed and returned within 7 days. I have zero complaints about their service.

[Archie]

I can look at it multiple ways. If it had the external speaker jack and they fixed the line out issues I'd sell my fractal and gain a couple thou$and!

Apparently the artist model has both features and the 100w version has the line out issue fixed. I may try one at GC and see if it'll work for me.

HA! Good luck @ GC. That will be a separate thread lol

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Markbass has literally hundreds of authorized service centers throughout the USA.

But AFAIK none is a warranty service center. VST in Arcadia CA is apparently the only authorized warranty service center in the country. You have to get a return authorization from them or they won’t accept your amp for repair.

I’m glad you have a place to take yours, Jack. There’s only one authorized non-warranty shop in the greater Philadelphia area. The proprietor inspires no confidence, the place is a cluttered mess, and horror stories abound. I wouldn’t let them touch Mattel’s My First Amplifier. And he doesn’t do warranty repairs.

[jzucker]

But AFAIK none is a warranty service center. VST in Arcadia CA is apparently the only authorized warranty service center in the country. You have to get a return authorization from them or they won’t accept your amp for repair.

I’m glad you have a place to take yours, Jack. There’s only one authorized non-warranty shop in the greater Philadelphia area. The proprietor inspires no confidence, the place is a cluttered mess, and horror stories abound. I wouldn’t let them touch Mattel’s My First Amplifier. And he doesn’t do warranty repairs.

musicians friend has a 45 day return period. Most electronic goods will fail in the first month. After that, you get a free 2 year warranty from them on any purchase and you can coordinate repairs through them.

I'm not sure how that's much different than sending back to a single source point of repair. Also, the more amplifiers that are shipped, the more reliable they tend to be because problem areas in the circuit tend to be worked out and debugged by the large customer base.