The BOSS Katana Artist Gen 3 leads the charge of BOSS’s revamped line of Katana amplifiers, taking the series to fresh new sonic heights complete with the company’s evolved Tube Logic technology. This 100-watt, 12-inch combo amplifier is equipped with a sweeping sonic arsenal of six amplifier voices (including a new Pushed voice), six voice variations, and the Gen 3 addition of a Bloom switch to sharpen up your sound. Next, five independent stompbox-inspired effects sections provide you with plenty of delay, reverb, and modulation options to sculpt your dream tone, and you even get a dedicated Solo section with its own boost and delay. Picky about your EQ? This Katana comes equipped with a powerful 3-band EQ, 3-way contour control, Resonance, and Presence controls for serious studio-grade tone-shaping potential. These features alone would make the Katana Gen 3 an amp to be reckoned with. Still, the truth is they’re not the half of it: an onboard Power Control, eight Tone Setting memories, Stereo Expand functionality, cab sim-equipped Line Out/headphone/USB outs, upgraded BOSS Tone Studio app, and scores of other features cement the BOSS Katana Artist Gen 3 as a masterwork of modern amplifier engineering.
The Katana Gen 3 series comes swinging right out of the gate with a newly evolved and enhanced iteration of BOSS’s revered Tube Logic technology, capturing all the harmonic nuance and dynamic feel of a true tube amplifier. These improvements elevate all the Katana series’ prior amplifier models to a whole new level of valve-inspired realism, but the technology is truly on full display in Gen 3’s all-new amplifier typed: Pushed. Engineered to exactly replicate the ever-coveted edge-of-breakup sound, the Pushed amp character artfully embodies the touch-sensitive gain characteristics and lively dynamics of a clean tube combo cranked to its breaking point. Moreover, Gen 3 introduces a Bloom switch that Music Experience guitarists favor for its ability to sharpen your Katana’s edge with a more focused attack and a rich, enveloping bass response. Finally, the Katana’s third generation comes complete with a whole host of improvements to the BOSS Tone Studio, including UI and editing upgrades for a quicker, more straightforward workflow.
In addition to Generation 3’s new Pushed amp, this Katana contains all five of the MkII series’ time-tested amplifier voices, all optimized by BOSS’s evolved Tube Logic technology. Lead, Crunch, and Pushed are all aimed to please dirt-obsessed players with a wealth of remarkably tube-like tones, and you even get a “Brown” voice that delivers screaming ’80s hard-rock sounds in spades. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Katana Gen 3 series boasts a lush, full-bodied Clean voice and an Acoustic voice to accommodate your acoustic-electric arsenal. It all adds up to a grand total of six amplifiers to choose from, but that’s only half the story — a Variation switch effectively doubles the amp tones at your disposal with distinct sonic spins on each amp’s sound!
While previous Katana amplifiers required a USB connection to access the editor, each model in the third generation now comes equipped with a dedicated jack on the back to connect with the optional BOSS BT-DUAL Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adapter. This adapter allows you to make instant on-the-fly edits to your Katana’s tone straight from your mobile device. Plus, you can also use it to stream songs and backing tracks to make the most of your woodshedding sessions!
Moving from rhythms to lead work usually requires an output boost to achieve parity levels. Traditionally, this has been accomplished with clean boosts, overdrives, volume pedals, and our personal favorite — the 10-foot-long jump to reach the amp’s master volume at the last possible second. The BOSS Katana Artist Gen 3 gives you a footswitchable Solo boost with adjustable output to boost your level to center stage and return you to sensible rhythm levels.
Got a floor unit or tube preamp you can’t live without? You can access all 100 watts of the Katana Artist Gen 3’s Class AB power section using the power amp input. Here, you bypass everything before the power amp, so what you hear is exactly what you expect — only live and in living color.
While the Katana Artist Gen 3 offers a Power Control for getting cranked-amp tone at a low volume level, you can achieve truly silent operation onstage or in the studio by connecting the amp's line output to a line input on your recording device or a PA. Cab emulation is available on the USB and headphone outputs, as well, so however you choose to monitor your Artist Gen 3, it'll feel like you're standing in front of an amp. Selectable cab resonance (Vintage/Modern/Deep) and Air Feel miking emulation (direct, distant, or blended) allow you to tailor emulated tones to taste.
Upgraded with an enhanced UI and editing options for Gen 3, the Katana Artist Gen 3 supports over 60 timeless BOSS effects, and you can load an entire series of them for instant access. The amp's Booster/Mod, FX/Delay, and Reverb controls give you easy one-knob access to up to five simultaneous effects types, with a color-coded button to switch between preset effects. To completely customize your effects and amp settings, connect the Artist Gen 3 to your computer via USB and load up the Tone Studio software. Here, you can create your own setup or download setups created by pro guitarists at the BOSS Tone Studio website. Best of all, the Katana Artist Gen 3 can store multiple custom amp and effects profiles for instant recall, making this combo a versatile multichannel amplifier.
The green backing on the Artist Gen3's stock speaker communicates more than just color. The WAZA G12W's unmistakable throatiness and presence — a sound which Eddie identified as "brown" — are inspired by a consummate 25-watt British speaker of the 1960s. But unlike the original, this green meanie is engineered to weather all hundred watts of your Artist MkII's power section, without unwanted breakup or limiting. This means whether you're chunking out clean chords or dropping progressive metal powerbombs, the WAZA G12W is able to dish out every ounce of tone your Katana can throw at it.
With Katana Gen 3, the acclaimed BOSS stage amplifier series evolves to take your guitar ambitions to the next level. The flagship Katana Artist Gen 3 brings you the ultimate Katana experience, offering 100 watts of Class AB power, a custom 12-inch Waza speaker, and a host of advanced tone tools. New Tube Logic enhancements enrich the core platform with even greater sound, feel, and response, including an expressive Pushed amp character and a unique Bloom option that revoices the amp’s feel and response. BOSS Tone Studio has also been updated, making your editing workflow more intuitive than ever.
Backed by our advanced Tube Logic amplifier architecture and reactive Class AB power, the BOSS Katana series has become a standard for guitarists everywhere since its introduction in 2016. Katana amps embody decades of BOSS development knowledge, providing professional, tube-inspired sound coupled with modern advantages like onboard effects, one-touch memory recall, deep sound customization, and reduced weight. Katana Gen 3 elevates the lineup with even more range and versatility, bringing you a playing experience that goes where no other amps can.
The top-of-the-line Katana Artist Gen 3 is built to meet the sophisticated needs of advanced guitarists. Numerous performance and tone-shaping tools have direct panel controls for fast access, along with deep customization options via BOSS Tone Studio. Developed by BOSS, the custom 12-inch Waza speaker provides the true character and response of the famous ’60s 25-watt British stack speaker with modern power handling capacity. The carefully tuned combo cabinet maximizes the amp’s full potential, delivering smooth, punchy, and satisfying sound with a wide baffle and semi-closed design.
Tube Logic recreates tube circuitry and all its complex interactions at a component level. Our approach continues to evolve with refinements to the five amp characters available in previous Katana models, including the iconic high-gain Brown type. The new Pushed character spotlights internal dynamic enhancements with the touch-responsive gain of a driven clean combo. All six amp characters also include a variation for 12 distinctive tones. Going further, the Bloom switch engages a dedicated circuit that introduces a totally different amp feel. The sound comes alive with a sharper attack and a richly dynamic low-end response, two characteristics that are difficult to achieve at once.
As every tube amp lover knows, the sound becomes richer, fuller, and more responsive as you turn up the volume. Unfortunately, it also gets way too loud for many playing situations. An external power attenuator is a common solution, but it can introduce artifacts that color the amp’s tone and feel. The integrated Power Control in Katana Gen 3 delivers the best of all worlds, letting you dial in cranked-amp inspiration with no adverse effect on the sound. Just turn the panel knob to transparently harness the level for everything from live stage playing to daily bedroom jams.
Katana Artist Gen 3 features five simultaneous effect categories loaded with essential selections from the historic BOSS library. Booster, Mod, FX, Delay, and Reverb sections offer enhanced sound quality and access to 15 unique effects. There’s also a dedicated Solo section with a level boost and delay effect. BOSS Tone Studio unlocks additional possibilities, allowing you to customize the onboard effects from 60 different types and tweak deep options not available from the amp’s panel. And when the optional Bluetooth® Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor is installed, you can wirelessly edit sounds on the gig using the BTS editor app on your smartphone.
BOSS Tone Studio for Katana Gen 3 offers new visual enhancements and graphic customization options that make crafting your tone faster and more intuitive. Explore amp and effect editing tools, change the effect order, and shape the overall sound with the three-way Contour control and multiple EQs. Dial in system-wide settings and behaviors. And organize custom setups for all your gigs. You also have access to BOSS Tone Exchange, where you can download pro setups and share sounds with the worldwide Katana community.
Katana Artist Gen 3 features a host of powerful tools for modern performers. Eight Tone Setting memories let you store and recall complete amp/effect setups, while rear-panel jacks support remote control with footswitches, an expression pedal, and MIDI. The GA-FC and GA-FC EX Foot Controllers extend your capabilities even further, providing complete stage control solutions for your Katana Gen 3. Switch Tone Settings, turn effects on/off, integrate multiple expression pedals, and more. The GA-FC EX model also includes an expansion option to double your footswitches or control two Katana amps at once.
Katana Artist Gen 3 flows with all your creative journeys. Expand your stage presence by connecting one or two external speaker cabs (8-ohm maximum load). Easily link two amps via the Stereo Expand* function, with master control from the main amp and stereo effects like chorus, delay, and reverb distributed across both amps for a wide, immersive sound. Or connect to the Power Amp In jack to bypass the Katana preamp and use the reactive Class AB power section to amplify a modeler or an external preamp.
Katana Artist Gen 3 includes connectivity to meet every need. Plug in headphones to practice quietly with stereo sound. Send a feed to a house PA via the XLR or 1/4-inch Line Out jacks. And record to your favorite music software on computers and mobile devices over USB-C. All audio outputs feature IR-based cabinet sound for great direct tone, with three Air Feel types and two customizable settings in BOSS Tone Studio.
| Type | Solid State Amp Modeling |
|---|---|
| Number of Channels | 2 x banks, 4 x tone channels |
| Total Power | 100W (50W/0.5W power settings) |
| Speaker Size | 1 x 12" Waza Craft speaker |
| Inputs | 1 x 1/4" (in), 1 x 1/4" (power amp in), 1 x 1/8" (aux in) |
| Outputs | 1 x 1/4" (8 ohms), 2 x 1/4" (16 ohms), 1 x 1/4" (line out), 1 x XLR (line out) |
| Effects | Boosts, Modulation, Delay, Reverb and more (58 total effects) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth with BT-Dual Adaptor |
| EQ | 3-band EQ, Presence, Contour switch |
| Amp Modeling | Acoustic, Clean, Pushed, Crunch, Lead, Brown |
| MIDI I/O | 1 x 5-pin DIN (in) |
| USB | 1 x Type B |
| Effects Loop | Yes |
| Headphones | 1 x 1/4" |
| Software | Boss Tone Studio Editor |
| Footswitch Included | No |
| Footswitch I/O | 1 x 1/4" (GA-FC), 1 x 1/4" (EXP Pedal) |
| Construction Material | Semi-closed back cabinet |
| Height | 20.3" |
| Width | 24.8" |
| Depth | 9.8" |
| Weight | 41.93 lbs. |
| Manufacturer Part Number | KTN-ART-3 761294520666 |
