The Cube range of Amps is somewhat unique as it straddles both Boss and Roland brands - which is very unusual. Moreover the selection of amps is variously marked out by a mix of Boss, Cube and Roland decals.

Back in 2022 some of the formerly Roland Cube Amps switched to Boss branding - and I thought all those amp models would eventually transition to Boss - all bar the Jazz Chorus, Blues Cubes, and some of the PA type speakers - but Roland has held onto some of those Cube Models too - which...

So this is essentially a late birthday present - which arrived in the 3rd week of November - so I’ve had it for a few weeks already.

There is still no sign of the Stand!? - which I also ordered in on the Kickstarter Campaign - nor any advice as to when that might land!

For the amp itself I’m hugely impressed with its build and feature set - high quality materials throughout and an incredible amount of features onboard - every other amp manufacturer should sit up and take notice! I was ...

So the Katana-Mini X sits between Boss’s Katana Mini (7W) and Katana-Air (30W) both in girth and output levels. The Mini is 230mm wide, the Mini X is 287mm wide, and the Katana-Air is 350mm wide, while the Mini X is the tallest - at 200mm, compared to the Katana-Air’s and Mini’s Height of 181mm.

There are several points of interest to this new amp. I feel that Boss got the balance here between feature set and simplicity wholly spot-on. And besides having a superb sounding 5 Inch 10 Watt ...

You can instantly feel that the new amp is more immediate, tighter, and responsive than before - with more snap and punch to its output, and deeper soundstage projection. It benefits from additional expansive controls and output options, and now is much more controllable via direct Bluetooth App control with the Boss Tone Studio App. I would describe it as overall significantly more articulate and dynamic than before.

And I really love the new ’Pushed’ Amp Type - which I’ve switched over to...

Somewhat serendipitously - Boss’s Katana Series was birthed in the same year that Guitar Pedal X first started - 2016. From that first MKI Series I very early on acquired a Katana 100, which of course was a long term favourite of mine. Then in 2019 Boss introduced the improved MKII Series - with the quite superb Artist MKII arriving a year later - that was to be my second Katana Amp. And now in 2024 Boss has released the Gen III Series, NOT MKIII, as this release is far more significant than a ...

Contrary to what I originally thought - this is not a replacement for the original chrome-handled Boss Katana Air - that I featured all the way back in January of 2018, but a more grown-up higher quality sibling. It has much the same functions, control topology and operational parameters as its slightly smaller more plastic forebear - where the Boss engineers have really concentrated on the finishing details and quality of output for the Air EX model. The newer one has a few more ports / ...

Boss have built the perfect performance amp for Acoustic Singer/Songwriters while drawing on some smart technology to simulate traditional Amp Mic’ing setups and delivering it through a fully Immersive Stereo soundstage.

You have extensive controls to fine-tune both Vocal and Acoustic Guitar inputs - but there are none of the usual Katana effects and tricks here - this is intended as a more purist stripped down affair - letting the instrument and voice breathe and resonate pretty naturally ...

So in my recent ’Guitar Elements’ series it’s finally come to Amps now - where I list out what I believe are the most historically significant and therefore Iconic amps. A lot of you are still conflating Iconic with Vintage, and discounting some of the more recent models - while Iconic does not necessarily infer a long term history and provenance - just that said item or element is a major marker or step forward in the evolution of that device - whatever it may be.

I’m not the first to do ...

This new edition of Katana 50W Combo Amp simply brings in some of the features previously only available on the larger Katana 100 Edition. You’re essentially getting a more powerful feature rich version of the Katana 50 Combo.

So essentially the world’s best-loved practice Amp gets even better.

I am still of a mind that Boss’s Katana Range of Amps are the best option for home-play / practice amp - and deliver a combination of features and performance that no other brand has really ...