Boss Katana VS Fender Mustang LT 50 (direct comparison)

Back in the day when I started playing guitar, Line 6 was one of the only companies that had developed a true modeling amp. Now nearly every amp company is getting into that business, including those that are better known for tube amps, like Fender.

The Boss Katana series is the only amplifier series that Boss has put out (at least at the time of writing this comparison). So they've focused narrowly on digital modeling amps and - in our opinion - have a better product than the Mustang series (which has been around longer) for several reasons:

• Better tone quality (narrow focus with less variety)
• Easier to control
• Emulated Boss effects
• Better balance between vintage and modern tones

If you look at the rest of our comparison you'll see that the Mustang has its strengths as well. It has a lot more amp models and plenty of built-in presets. But to my ear it just doesn't sound as good and (predictably) leans more heavily on vintage tones.

I didn't like the high gain settings on the Mustang as much, though you have more to pick from than the Katana. The effects and amp model selection process is also just less convenient in the Mustang. The Katana's controls are pretty simple. 

Both are great amps, especially in the given price range, but I like the Katana just a little better.

Boss Katana VS Fender Mustang (comparison table)

We have a more detailed comparison table below, but this one gives you the basics and allows you to add more amps to the table if you want to see additional comparisons.

Demo Comparison of Both Amps

Bonedo does absolutely fantastic demos with no talking. On occasion we've done our own demos, but I'd rather just embed Bonedo's videos. He's way better at it than I am. 

We used Fender's in-house demo for the Mustang.

These amps sound extremely similar and choosing a "better" tone between them is highly subjective. I like the Katana better, but take that with a grain of salt. 

Pricing Tools

We've built pricing tools that update thousands of products and prices in real time every day. For the Katana and Mustang, you can check several vendors and even sign up for pricing alerts (if the price drops to a point you set, we'll notify you).

You also have price history which tracks the lowest number in the multiple vendors list.

Note that we do not track price history for any Amazon products.

Boss Katana Pricing

Multiple Vendors

Amazon Pricing

Price Alert

Price History

Fender Mustang Pricing

Multiple Vendors

Amazon

Price Alert

Price History

Detailed Comparison Table

We've added this more detailed table of features and what we like/dislike about each amp. It's fairly basic, but helpful to those wanting to get a quick glance at what each amp has (or doesn't have) to offer.

Does different wattage impact the comparison?

Not really.

Wattage is mainly an issue of how much power the amp has and how loud it can get. Since the Katana and Mustang are primarily directed to beginners, intermediate players, and indoor practice, the loudness isn't really going to matter that much. 

There are 25, 50, and 100 watt versions of each amp, but that doesn't really impact the core features of either amplifier.

Note that wattage is one of the more significant determinants of price in a guitar amp, so if you don't mind going with lower wattage, it can definitely save you some money.

Which one would we buy?

As I've made clear, the Katana would be my preference between the two. And I say preference because with amps this similar, you have to split a lot of hairs to say that one is objectively better.

I can say that if you're prioritizing effects and narrow focus, the Katana with the Tone Studio software is probably a better choice.

If you're targeting more vintage styles, versatility, and amp models, the Mustang is going to suit you better.

What's your pick?

Let me know in the comments section below. Questions about either amp are fair game as well.

See you there.

Related Articles