Katana vs Blues Cube - worth the upgrade?

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

I currently own a Katana 50 combo. I like it, it works well as a home practice tool but also punchy enough for rehearsals/jams/small gigs etc. However, as much as I like it I find that whenever I've played through a nice valve amp - I've had a go with the likes of Blues Juniors, a Princeton Reverb, and something expensive looking and boutiquey in the studio at the Huddersfield Jam (I forget what it was!) - the difference is immediately noticeable.

I've thought about getting a valve amp myself, but not sure I could live without the easy power-scaling, lightness and general low-maintenance qualities of solid state. 

I know the big plus of the Katana is the ability to 'sculpt' tone using the Tone Studio, and being able to tweak all the clever effects to the nth degree on the laptop. However, in the 6+ months I've had mine I think I've hooked the laptop up twice - once to get the V.2 software update, and once more to get a couple of patches I'd downloaded. Endless tweaking of settings and effects just doesn't float my boat in the slightest. 95% of the time I just have it set with a nice clean-verging-on-crunch tone with a bit of reverb, and that's about it. I don't really touch the effects or the higher gain voicings.

So I'm thinking the Roland Blues Cube range might be the ideal upgrade for me. They seem to be extremely highly thought of in the world of the interwebs and beyond. Better build, better speaker, non-modelling, nice and simple to use. One step closer to classic Fender-y valve tones but still easy to get satisfying tones at bedroom volumes etc. 

So has anyone played/owned both? Is the difference in tone and build quality between the two noticeable and worth the upgrade for a low-tech luddite like myself?! (I'd be looking 2nd hand not at new prices btw)

olafgarten

I tried the Blues Cube Stage next to the Katana 100 in a shop and found the Katana could get 95% of the tone while costing 250% less. This was only at Home Volumes so I'm not sure how well they would hold up on Stage but I'm very happy with my Katana and it is more versatile with the other channels and built in effects.

darthed1981

The Katana is probably better than you think.

You sure you aint just got GAS?

andy1839

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

I currently own a Katana 50 combo. I like it, it works well as a home practice tool but also punchy enough for rehearsals/jams/small gigs etc. However, as much as I like it I find that whenever I've played through a nice valve amp - I've had a go with the likes of Blues Juniors, a Princeton Reverb, and something expensive looking and boutiquey in the studio at the Huddersfield Jam (I forget what it was!) - the difference is immediately noticeable.

If it was green it was the Danplifier Dragon 30, if it was cream it was the Friedman Buxom Betty.  

  

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

darthed1981 said:

The Katana is probably better than you think.

You sure you aint just got GAS?

Well obviously I have GAS, surely that goes without saying?! Isn't this whole forum just a GAS victim support group? 

Yeah, I do like my Katana on it's own (and you can't argue with the value for money) but just find myself yearning for something else after I play through something a bit more tasty. I just wondered whether the Blues Cube might be the right way to scratch that itch.

Maybe not given what's been said here so far...

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

andy1839 said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

I currently own a Katana 50 combo. I like it, it works well as a home practice tool but also punchy enough for rehearsals/jams/small gigs etc. However, as much as I like it I find that whenever I've played through a nice valve amp - I've had a go with the likes of Blues Juniors, a Princeton Reverb, and something expensive looking and boutiquey in the studio at the Huddersfield Jam (I forget what it was!) - the difference is immediately noticeable.

If it was green it was the Danplifier Dragon 30, if it was cream it was the Friedman Buxom Betty.  

  

I think it must have been the Danplifier then. Awesome sound, but that sort of thing is just a pipe dream for me financially at the mo! 

exocet

I have never played the Katana nor the Blues Cube but I have heard the Blues Cube in a live / band context.

My guess would be that the Blues Cubes "strengths" lie in mimicking the Fender Deluxe clean / mild drive tone and that the Katana excels at dirty tones. Whilst the Blues Cube does have a dirty channel, from what I've read many people use the clean side with pedals for dirt.

When I heard the Blues Cube live, the guitarist was indeed using clean channel only with Zen Drive for dirt. It sounded phenomenal, plenty of Fendery punch on clean and nice smooth drive from the pedal. 

cbilly22

Owned two Katana 100 combos and currently have a Blues Cube Hot. Very different amps for me. The Katana was a superb all rounder, great at home and perfectly usable for gigging but I always found it a little fatiguing after a while. The BC Hot is much more Fendery, far less versatile but a superior pedal base (for my requirements), responding more like a tradional amp with drives etc.  plenty loud enough (once again, for my gigging needs), and just generally sounds better, particularly wound up to band volumes.
It really does depend on what you need as they are very different beasts. I think it comes down to whether you prefer Marshall style crunch/gain using the amp or Fender cleans with pedals. 

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Well I definitely see myself as more of a Fender-y type guy, and that's partly what attracts me to the Blues Cubes, as I believe they were originally designed to mimic classic Fender amps in their responses.

I definitely think I'd enjoy playing the Blues Cubes more, just a question of whether I stump up the extra £££ or just stick what I've got. Decisions, decisions...

Beexter

Whilst everyone's opinions are valid and can help narrow down choices, the only way you're going to know if it's worth the cost to change is to try it yourself.  I went through something similar a few months ago thinking that I should "upgrade" my PCB based valve amp to a boutique, hand-wired one. Even though I went in prepared to splurge a lot of cash, I tried lots of different, highly-regarded amps but came away empty- handed as I genuinely preferred what I already had. The grass isn't always greener.....

DrCornelius

See if you can try a Yamaha thr100HD. I find them very valve like in feel/tone with just enough options to keep me happy but not too many to overwhelm me with choice.

Hattigol

I had a Blues Cube Artist. Didn't really gel with it although I'm not entirely sure why. I think it just felt a little dull and anodyne, to be honest.
I switched to a handwired AC15. I like Fender amps but they are just impossible to get in the sweet spot at sensible volumes. Still have a Fender GT 200 Mustang modeller, which I think is absolutely fabulous - if I get a big enough gig, I plan on running that and the Vox together.

Only way you're going to know is by trying them though, buddy. Enjoy.

darthed1981

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

darthed1981 said:

The Katana is probably better than you think.

You sure you aint just got GAS?

Well obviously I have GAS, surely that goes without saying?! Isn't this whole forum just a GAS victim support group? 

Yeah, I do like my Katana on it's own (and you can't argue with the value for money) but just find myself yearning for something else after I play through something a bit more tasty. I just wondered whether the Blues Cube might be the right way to scratch that itch.

Maybe not given what's been said here so far...

That's true of course

I always want to buy something loud and valvey of some kind when I get like that, the issue for me is always volume, I can barely get above a whisper most of the time!

cbilly22

My Blues Cube shares a good many similarities with valve amps I've owned, one of them is lack of gain and dynamics at lower volumes. Even in the 0.5w setting you will need an OD pedal unless you play pretty clean and can't make too much noise (if so it is excellent when quiet). Cranked up its amazing but it has limitations at low volumes but I think that's it's thing, it is meant to behave like the amps it is built to rival and it does, perhaps at the expense of the versatility offered by the Katana.

Hattigol

darthed1981 said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

darthed1981 said:

The Katana is probably better than you think.

You sure you aint just got GAS?

Well obviously I have GAS, surely that goes without saying?! Isn't this whole forum just a GAS victim support group? 

Yeah, I do like my Katana on it's own (and you can't argue with the value for money) but just find myself yearning for something else after I play through something a bit more tasty. I just wondered whether the Blues Cube might be the right way to scratch that itch.

Maybe not given what's been said here so far...

That's true of course

I always want to buy something loud and valvey of some kind when I get like that, the issue for me is always volume, I can barely get above a whisper most of the time!

That was exactly my issue - and then I discovered the Vox AC15. Fabulous tones at very wife-friendly tones. Try one.

darthed1981

Hattigol said:

darthed1981 said:

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

darthed1981 said:

The Katana is probably better than you think.

You sure you aint just got GAS?

Well obviously I have GAS, surely that goes without saying?! Isn't this whole forum just a GAS victim support group? 

Yeah, I do like my Katana on it's own (and you can't argue with the value for money) but just find myself yearning for something else after I play through something a bit more tasty. I just wondered whether the Blues Cube might be the right way to scratch that itch.

Maybe not given what's been said here so far...

That's true of course

I always want to buy something loud and valvey of some kind when I get like that, the issue for me is always volume, I can barely get above a whisper most of the time!

That was exactly my issue - and then I discovered the Vox AC15. Fabulous tones at very wife-friendly tones. Try one.

Which AC15 do you have?

Hattigol

The handwired one with the blue speaker AC15HW1X. No reverb or tremolo sadly but otherwise brilliant. 

fields5069

Hattigol said:

I had a Blues Cube Artist. Didn't really gel with it although I'm not entirely sure why. I think it just felt a little dull and anodyne, to be honest.
I switched to a handwired AC15. I like Fender amps but they are just impossible to get in the sweet spot at sensible volumes. Still have a Fender GT 200 Mustang modeller, which I think is absolutely fabulous - if I get a big enough gig, I plan on running that and the Vox together.

Only way you're going to know is by trying them though, buddy. Enjoy.

I much preferred the Hot to the Artist, for some reason. The Artist seemed far too midrangey, nasal. This is at pretty low home volumes though. The "Braaaaannnng!" of a Tele through the Hot was lovely.