Boss Nextone Vs Katana (Which one is better?)
It depends, but our pick is the Boss Katana
Both of these amps are really solid, but the Nextone is a little more focused on tube-amp modeling and vintage tones. To our ear the Katana just sounds better and has that modern edge which can also be dialed back for a more subtle sound. The Katana also gives you a wide range of Boss effects while the Nextone puts less emphasis on effects in favor of their tube amp models.
For starters, these amps are not dramatically different in terms of their functionality.
There's emphasis and style differences to consider, but it's not a quality issue. A simple explanation is that the Nextone is a lot more focused on clean sounds and vintage tube amp models, while the Katana is more focused on effects, modern amp models, and high gain.
That's the summary, but we'll get into a more detailed comparison below.
Also note: I'm comparing the Stage and Katana 50 models, but this could also apply to other amps in each series:
- Boss Nextone Stage
- Boss Katana 50
Let's get started.
Boss Nextone VS Boss Katana (comparison table)
We put product comparison tables in a lot of our content so you can see gear side by side. This lets you look at updated pricing and basic features. Note that we have additional pricing resources below.
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Amp | Name | Rate | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Nextone Stage | n/a | |
| Katana 50 | n/a |
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Pricing Resources
We've added two tables with pricing from multiple vendors, one for the Nextone Stage and another for the Katana 50. Note that we do not have agreements to display pricing from Musician's Friend or American Musical. These are two places that may also be worth checking for a price comparison.
Nextone Stage Price Tables
Katana 50 Price Tables
Demos of Both Amps
Whenever we can, we link to Bonedo's gear demos on YouTube. They're the best, in our opinion, and he does a good job of displaying basic functionality and not adding any talking which makes it easier to focus on tone. He has demos for both the Nextone and Katana.
You can hear the bluesy, vintage subtlty of the Nextone, where it sounds like a single coil Stratocaster is being played. The Katana sounds a lot more edgy, particularly on the high-gain settings and amp models.
Detailed Comparison Table
This is a more thorough specs table where you can see the two amps side by and get a detailed look at their features.
Header | Nextone | Katana |
|---|---|---|
Circuit type | Solid State | Solid State |
Form | Combo (preamp,. poweramp, speaker) | Combo (preamp,. poweramp, speaker) |
Number of channels | Two channels for clean and lead | Five total (one for each amp model) |
Style | Vintage, blues, classic rock | Modern, edgy, high gain |
Boss Tone Studio? | Yes | Yes |
Variable Wattage | Yes (40W (0.5W, half power settings) | 50W (25W, 0.5W settings) |
Front panel knobs | Volume (clean channel), gain (dirty), volume (dirty), bass, middle, treble, delay, reverb, presence, master, power amp select, and power control | Amp type selector, gain, volume, bass, middle, treble, booster/mod, FX/delay, reverb, master, and power control |
Outputs | 1 x 1/4" (8 ohm, internal), 2 x 1/4" (16 ohm), 1 x 1/4" (line out), 1x1/4" headphones/record out | 1 x 1/4" (rec/headphones) |
Height | 16.81" | 15.6" |
Width | 19.37 | 18.5" |
Depth | 9.81" | 9.3" |
Weight | 29.5 lbs. | 25.6 lbs. |
Would a real tube amp be better than the Nextone?
If you're comparing the Nextone to a high-end vintage tube amp like Fender combos or Marshall heads, you're definitely not going to get the same tone quality.
That's not to say the Nextone doesn't sound good, but it won't eclipse high-end tube amps. It's just hard to compete with analog tube circuits from a tone perspective. If that's the tone you're after, going with a real tube amp instead of the Nextone might be a good move for you.
The main issue is that it's going to cost more.
Read more: Best cheap tube amps
Which one has the better clean tone?
The Nextone definitely does a better job in terms of clean tones. It's more pristine and has that smooth Fender-like sparkle. If that's your priority, the Nextone would be a better option than the Katana. Though the Katana also does a good job with their cleans, it just doesn't lean into the tube amp sound as much as the Nextone does.
Which one has the better distortion?
This is where the Katana starts to really pull ahead of the Nextone. The Katana series - as we pointed out - is a more modernized type of amplifier, particularly in terms of their gain and distortion levels.
While they also sound good on the clean side and lower gain styles, the Katana's strength is definitely on the edgier and modern side.
If you're going after that style, the Katana is your better option
Which one would we buy?
I'll give the Katana the edge here, just because it seems a little more flexible and it's priced a lot cheaper than the Nextone series. But with these two amps it comes down to the style you're looking for. Base your decision off the classic rock vs modern rock distinction.
If you have questions about our Nextone and Katana comparison, feel free to drop them in the comments section below.
We'll see you there.
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