Catalyst 100 amp for Jam sessions?

**sully75** · 08-03-2022, 09:20 AM

Hi all

I've been trying to get out to jam sessions lately and the regular one here lately doesn't seem to have a guitar player so I need to bring an amp.

I have a Princeton 68' reissue that I don't use a ton, mostly practicing with headphones at home, that amp lives in my shop. I could bring it out but I think it might be too loud and also a bit clunky for carrying onstage for a few tunes.

I have been thinking about an amp that I could have at home, that's not too loud for practicing and that I could throw in the car quickly if I wanted to go to a session. I have been thinking about the Katana but here pretty mixed reviews.

I've been checking out the Line 6 Catalyst and it looks pretty cool. It seems to sound pretty good on youtube (which I trust not too much). The price is right. Really I'm just looking for a nice warm jazz sound, using a few onboard effects would be cool too.

Any thoughts on this as a jam session amp? I could just start using the Princeton more...I should. Certainly for playing gigs it makes the most sense. I'm a little concerned that it's a circuit board amp and maybe not designed for riding around in my car a lot but maybe that's dumb.

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**djg** · 08-03-2022, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by sully75

Hi all

I've been trying to get out to jam sessions lately and the regular one here lately doesn't seem to have a guitar player so I need to bring an amp.

I have a Princeton 68' reissue that I don't use a ton, mostly practicing with headphones at home, that amp lives in my shop. I could bring it out but I think it might be too loud and also a bit clunky for carrying onstage for a few tunes.

a princeton too loud and clunky? it's just 12w, right? the catalyst100 (watt) has about same weight (15kg) and size. and why an amp sim if you have the real thing? edit: i see there is also a catalyst 60 slightly lighter. but still...

in case the "too loud" was typo: have you looked at the fender champion 40 or the mustang NT40? they get a good rap here. if you want to spend a little more the tone master deluxe is surprisingly good imo and weights just over 10kg.

**sully75** · 08-03-2022, 10:17 AM

yeah I have also been thinking this is a sort of stupid idea.

I guess I have it in my head that the princeton is a circuit board amp and if I bang it around a lot I'll eventually kill it. Which might not be a rational thought.

I do find it pretty loud for playing in apartments and practicing which is mostly what I do so I haven't played it a lot.

**John A.** · 08-03-2022, 12:01 PM

I have a Princeton Reverb (original SF, not a reissue) and a Champion 20. The PR is plenty loud for any jams or gigs I might do, but it's quite heavy and has a large footprint compared to typical "jazz amps", so it mostly stays home. If you're driving to your jam, and there's room on stage, I'd say just stick with that. Nothing will sound better. The C20 is not quite as loud, but still plenty loud and much lighter and smaller, so I take it jams and gigs all the time (jam last night, gig later today, in fact). The Champion 40 has more headroom and is therefore more versatile, but I travel mainly by foot and mass transit, so the 20 is the sweet spot for my uses.

**burchyk** · 08-03-2022, 12:38 PM

For me the issue with the Princetons is that although they are fairly compact, I can not carry them in one hand for long. However I can easily do that with the Vibro Champ, but it is less loud and has less headroom. Might work if you've got a PA there, and you'll have somewhat similar tone.

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 08-03-2022, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by sully75

I guess I have it in my head that the princeton is a circuit board amp and if I bang it around a lot I'll eventually kill it. Which might not be a rational thought.

Most amps today have printed circuit boards in them. If you bang them around hard enough, you’ll break something. And if you’re at all reasonable in handling them, almost all will last for years.

The biggest weaknesses are usually in junctions between jacks or switches and the boards. Good amps have their controls and access ports secured to the chassis. The big problems are with the ones in which the jacks etc are only secured to the board and only by the solder joints.

**sully75** · 08-03-2022, 01:41 PM

You think the Champ 20 is a reasonable jam session amp for a medium club? The price is right.

**sully75** · 08-03-2022, 01:54 PM

What about a original Champ style circuit for a session amp? I was wondering about the 5w Monoprice with maybe a speaker switch?

**Christian Miller** · 08-03-2022, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by sully75

yeah I have also been thinking this is a sort of stupid idea.

I guess I have it in my head that the princeton is a circuit board amp and if I bang it around a lot I'll eventually kill it. Which might not be a rational thought.

I do find it pretty loud for playing in apartments and practicing which is mostly what I do so I haven't played it a lot.

the reliability issue for pcb amp as I understand it is that they harder to repair after they fail not that they are more likely to fail.

But, I may be wrong given some of the issues with pcbs and bad soldering in production amps that I’ve seen on the web.

**John A.** · 08-03-2022, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by sully75

You think the Champ 20 is a reasonable jam session amp for a medium club? The price is right.

I play at a weekly jam with drums, keys, (amped) upright bass, singers and horns in a ~ 60-seat restaurant/bar with my Champ 20. Lively/loud room with high ceilings and a loud audience. I have no trouble cutting through. Maybe not loud enough for a significantly bigger room. Definitely not for a rock gig with a loud drummer and bassist. But it is an astonishingly useful bit of gear.

**EastwoodMike** · 08-03-2022, 07:47 PM

"I have a Princeton 68' reissue that I don't use a ton, mostly practicing with headphones at home, that amp lives in my shop. I could bring it out but I think it might be too loud and also a bit clunky for carrying onstage for a few tunes."

Curious: How do you practice with headphones if it is a tube amp? Do you have some sort of load box or a way to defeat the speaker without frying the output transformer?
EMike

**sully75** · 08-04-2022, 06:47 AM

Originally Posted by EastwoodMike

"I have a Princeton 68' reissue that I don't use a ton, mostly practicing with headphones at home, that amp lives in my shop. I could bring it out but I think it might be too loud and also a bit clunky for carrying onstage for a few tunes."

Curious: How do you practice with headphones if it is a tube amp? Do you have some sort of load box or a way to defeat the speaker without frying the output transformer?
EMike

I wasn't clear...I practice through an interface into Ableton Live. At some point I would like to learn to use LIVE but right now I just run an amp plugin through it.

**sully75** · 08-04-2022, 06:49 AM

Originally Posted by John A.

I play at a weekly jam with drums, keys, (amped) upright bass, singers and horns in a ~ 60-seat restaurant/bar with my Champ 20. Lively/loud room with high ceilings and a loud audience. I have no trouble cutting through. Maybe not loud enough for a significantly bigger room. Definitely not for a rock gig with a loud drummer and bassist. But it is an astonishingly useful bit of gear.

That's helpful. You're playing jazz at this session?

**John A.** · 08-04-2022, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by sully75

That's helpful. You're playing jazz at this session?

Yes.

**sully75** · 08-04-2022, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by John A.

Yes.

I'm thinking I might go with the Champ 40. Pretty cheap maybe sounds a tiny bit better and ultimately maybe more versatile. And then I'll have the Princeton for more legit stuff if I ever get my own gigs.

**st.bede** · 08-04-2022, 08:27 PM

Here is another alternative: ZT Lunchbox. I have two of the higher wattage ones. (I would not get the lower watt one). I used them a lot and they seem to work really well. I do think that they lack a little something because of the small speaker. I would call it movement of air, but I am pretty sure in the land of physics, that would not be true.

I do find that, in a room that is really muffled sounding, the zt has a bit of problem with tone, not volume. If I need more headroom, I use a comp.

Just last week I ended up plugging my headphones in. (I can not even remember why). I was surprised it how good it sounded.

Every vacation the ZT comes with me.

I bought both of mine used. In my mind they were still too expensive but I was able to justify it. I bought one on reverb and was able to talk the seller down a little bit.

Those ZTs have been remarkably useful.

(If I need to be ultra-transportable, I also have a steinberger spirit. The only problem with that is, if I play a gig, someone will say something about my guitar looking like a toy. C’est la vie).