From the focused punch of an American 6L6 to the juicy sag of a British EL84, power tubes play an important part in an amplifier's signature tone and response. And with the BOSS Nextone Stage, capturing the magic of four major output tube types is as easy as twisting a dial. This 2-channel, 40-watt 1 x 12" combo features the latest iteration of BOSS's Tube Logic technology — the same building blocks from which BOSS's Katana and Blues Cube lines were built. In the Nextone Stage, every choice of output tube re-voices the entire circuit to perform more like your favorite classics. Breakup and bias, sparkle and sag — every type imparts its own characteristics, giving you cranked-up tube glory at bedroom listening levels. Carefully matched preamp saturation complements each tube choice, giving you real-deal American blues and British browns from one capably compact gigging platform.
We at Music Experience love our tube amps. But these tend to be heavy and high maintenance; and most tube amps only give you one flavor of clean and crunch tones. The BOSS Nextone Stage is an attractive option for the player who wants authentic tube tone without having to lug around a 60 lb. tube combo. Four switchable power tube types and a wide gain range equip players for decades of transatlantic tube tones, from Van Morrison to Van Halen and beyond.
From chimey cleans and chunky rhythms to tube-fueled crunch tones and leads, the Nextone Stage promises a wealth of tubelike textures at your fingertips. Independent level controls for each channel, in addition to a master volume knob, ensure that your choruses and solos get the gravitas they deserve. Also right onboard are tap tempo delay and lush reverb with dedicated controls. Users can further explore FX types, including tremolo, within the free Nextone Editor software.
Nothing kills a high like recording a great take and finding out the tone doesn't work for the song. Fortunately, with the Nextone Stage, re-amping is just a click away. Record both your amp tone and your direct tone into your DAW simultaneously. If the tone doesn't work, or if you want to experiment, send that same performance back out to your amp, change the voicing, then re-record. Three Air Feel miked cab settings let players further dial in their dream tone.
Speaker type means as much to tone and performance as amp selection. The BOSS Nextone Stage comes equipped with a custom-voiced 12" speaker to reproduce every ounce of subtlety and nuance the tube and tone stack sections provide.
Combining classic tube sound and feel with next-generation tonal diversity, the BOSS Nextone series presents an exciting new concept in professional guitar amplification. Distinctive channel voicings deliver a wide range of inspiring tones, while four selectable Class AB analog power amp types provide instant access to the unique characteristics of 6V6, 6L6, EL84, and EL34 output tube sections. Backed by our advanced Tube Logic approach, each power amp type re-voices the entire circuit from input to output, putting the complete sonic experience of these signature power stages in one amp for the very first time. Want to dive deeper with even more sound customization? Just connect to the Nextone Editor and become a virtual tech, fine-tuning bias, sag, EQ, and other internal settings to perfectly match your individual style and touch. Nextone also includes convenient modern features for stage playing, such as built-in effects, a line out for mic-free direct tone, and a power control for expressive cranked-amp sound at manageable volumes. And thanks to Tube Logic, you get to enjoy all the great sound and response of your favorite tube designs without the backbreaking weight and ongoing maintenance hassles.
Widely acclaimed by guitarists everywhere, the Tube Logic design approach delivers real-deal sound, feel, and response by reproducing the complex interactive behaviors of tube amps in every way. This comprehensive process also brings valuable advantages for today’s players, including greater reliability, reduced weight, and maintenance-free operation. Tube Logic evolves even further with the Nextone series, unlocking access to deep tone customization features that are impractical or impossible with traditional tube designs. A Nextone amp puts the true response characteristics of the most famous amp designs at your fingertips, allowing you to tweak your sound with unmatched precision.
In a tube-based guitar amplifier, the preamp is important for basic tone shaping, but it’s the power amp design that really defines the overall sonic signature and playing feel. Most amps use a specific output tube type, while a rare few allow you to swap out different power tubes. Unfortunately, this process usually requires physical tube replacement and bench time with a tech, making it expensive and inconvenient. For the most part, you really needed to buy multiple amps to access the unique tonal characteristics of different output tube sections…until now. Nextone changes all this with the ability to instantly re-voice its analog Class AB power amp section with one of the four classic designs. American sounds are represented with 6V6 and 6L6 output tube types, while British sounds are represented with EL84 and EL34 types. Unlike modeling amps, which simply feed pre-cooked amp models through a non-reactive amplifier, selecting a power amp type on the Nextone physically changes the complete output circuitry, as well as the way the preamp and speaker interacts with it. This makes the entire amp perform authentically at each setting, providing realism that’s only possible with the advanced Tube Logic approach.
• 6V6—Found at the heart of many legendary low-wattage American amps, the 6V6 output tube is known for its distinctively sweet, crisp tone and organic compression.
• 6L6—Used in classic American stage amps and some modern high-gain designs, the 6L6 output tube delivers high-headroom punch with a round and full midrange character.
• EL84—Famous as the power tube in British combo amps introduced in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, the EL84 produces glassy, clean chime at lower volumes and rich, creamy distortion when cranked.
• EL34—The power tube found in the iconic British stack amps, the EL34 is loved for its warm, fat tone and unmistakable rock crunch.
With any tube amp, you really need to push its output tubes to get it to sing at its best. Unfortunately, this means turning up the volume, which is nearly always frowned upon by sound engineers, bandmates, and neighbors. Driven by Tube Logic, Nextone delivers the complex distortion characteristics of output tubes and their interaction with the output transformer and speaker, providing that rich, dynamically responsive sound we love. And with Nextone’s adjustable power control, you can always experience this cranked-amp tone while matching the volume to any situation, be it home, studio, or stage.
Nextone features a dual-channel design with clean and lead channels plus a shared three-band tone stack and presence control. Boost and Tone switches are on hand as well, allowing you to add some extra gain and sparkle if needed. With a quick button press, you can switch the amp into custom mode, which provides factory-tweaked variations of the standard clean and lead channels. Better still, the custom mode channels can be fine-tuned to your liking with the Nextone Editor software.
Via a friendly interface, the Nextone Editor gives you deep editing tools to refine the sound to perfectly match your personal style and favorite pedals. Set a channel’s tone stack to American or British types, shape the overall tone with a powerful channel EQ, and even tweak the playing response by adjusting bias, sag, and more. The Tone switch can be assigned to two different types, and the Boost switch can be set for different characters or even be assigned as a compressor. A system-wide EQ is available too, enabling you to define the tonal balance of the entire amp. And with 99 different user setups available, you’re able to customize Nextone’s sound for every gig you play.
With its built-in delay, reverb, and tremolo effects, Nextone brings even more versatility and convenience to gigging guitarists. Using the Nextone Editor, the delay section in custom mode can be freely assigned to analog, tape, or SDE-3000 delay types or a tremolo effect, while the reverb can be assigned to plate, spring, or hall types. Furthermore, each effect type offers a deep set of parameters for dialing in the perfect tone. The amp also includes a loop for integrating your own effects, with series/parallel operation, loop position, and more selectable via the Nextone Editor.
Connecting with just a single cable, the optional GA-FC foot controller provides a command center for channel selection, Tone, Boost, effects, pedal volume, and more. If you want to travel even lighter, up to three FS-series footswitches can be used to control various functions. There’s also a line out for sending a direct signal to a PA, plus a phones/recording output for silent practice and tracking sessions. Using the Nextone Editor, the character of the direct sound can be set to one of three Air Feel settings for a range of mic’d cab tones.
External speaker jacks are included too, with support for connecting up to two 16-ohm 4x12 cabs for even bigger tones. In addition to providing communication with the Nextone Editor, the amp’s USB jack functions as a direct recording interface for your favorite DAW software. Multiple channels are supported, allowing you to record both a cab-emulated output and a dry direct tone for re-amping later through the Nextone.
Type | Solid State Amp with Tube Modeling |
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Number of Channels | 2, clean/lead plus custom modes |
Total Power | 40W (0.5W, half power settings) |
Speaker Size | 1 x 12" Boss G12-100 |
Inputs | 1 x 1/4" |
Outputs | 1 x 1/4" (8 ohm, internal), 2 x 1/4" (16 ohm), 1 x 1/4" (line out) |
Effects | Tap Delay, Tremolo |
Reverb | Yes |
EQ | 3-band EQ |
Amp Modeling | Roland Tube Logic modeling ; Selectable Output Tubes, Nextone Editor Parameters / Preset Patches |
Software | Nextone Editor (Mac/Windows) |
USB | 1 x Type B (2 x 2) |
Effects Loop | Yes |
Footswitch I/O | 1 x 1/4" (channel), 1 x 1/4" (delay, GA-FC footswitch) |
Computer Connectivity | Access BOSS Tone Setting editor software and Boss Tone Central (USB) |
Height | 16.81" |
Width | 19.37" |
Depth | 9.81" |
Weight | 29 lbs. 9 oz. |
Manufacturer Part Number | NEX-STAGE |