Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 Modelling Combo

Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 — Tube-Inspired Modeling in a Stage-Ready Combo

The Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 is a 50-watt, 1x12 modeling combo built around BOSS's evolved Tube Logic architecture, aimed at guitarists seeking stage-level tone in a portable package. Class AB power drives a custom 12-inch speaker. Players get six amp characters — Acoustic, Clean, Pushed, Crunch, Lead, and Brown — each with a Variation for a total of twelve voicings. With its Pushed setting, you access touch-sensitive edge-of-breakup response reminiscent of vintage tube amps.

What Sets the Gen 3 Apart

Leading the update is the Pushed amp character, modeled after a clean tube combo driven into rich harmonic saturation and engineered to react to your picking intensity. The latest BOSS Tone Studio brings visual customization, a three-way Contour control, and allows sharing pro-level patches through BOSS Tone Exchange. USB-C and stereo headphone outputs both utilize IR-based cabinet simulation, including three Air Feel types.

Power and Amplification — Class AB Punch with Attenuated Output

Expect reactive, tube-style warmth at any volume from the Class AB power section. The Power Control switch provides four output stages: STANDBY, 0.5 W, HALF, and MAX. Cranked-amp response is available for bedroom practice without sacrificing expressive feel.

• Rated Power Output: 50 W — plenty of headroom for rehearsal spaces and small venues
• Power Control Stages: STANDBY, 0.5 W, HALF, MAX
• Get defined lows and articulate highs from a 30 cm (12-inch) speaker tuned for Tube Logic’s response curve.

Effects and Signal Flow — Five Sections, Sixty Types

Five effects categories — Booster, Mod, FX, Delay, and Reverb — operate simultaneously, with three variations each accessible on the panel. Through BOSS Tone Studio, you access 60+ effect types, advanced editing, and the ability to rearrange your signal chain.

• Effects Sections: Booster, Mod, FX, Delay, Reverb — run all five at once, adjusted directly from the panel
• Panel Variations: 15 effects (3 per section)
• The Tone Studio library features 60+ effects, deep parameter access, flexible effect-chain routing, and global Contour shaping.
• Channels and Memories: 2 channels (CH1, CH2) plus Panel mode, 4 Tone Setting memories total

Connectivity and Build — Studio, Stage, and Silent Practice

Rear panel connections include a 1/4-inch instrument input, Power Amp In for external modelers, jacks for footswitch and expression pedal, AUX IN, and USB-C for direct recording. Silent practice is easy with the stereo headphone output, and wireless Tone Studio editing is possible with the optional BT-DUAL adaptor. AC power only.

• Inputs: 1/4-inch INPUT, Power Amp In, Footswitch, Expression Pedal, AUX IN
• Outputs: Stereo Headphone (1/4-inch), USB-C
• Bluetooth: Not built-in; supported via optional BT-DUAL adaptor
• Power: AC only, 47 W consumption
• Dimensions: 470 x 238 x 398 mm, Weight: 11.6 kg

Who the Katana 50 Gen 3 Is Built For

This model appeals to home guitarists, producers, and gigging musicians who want one amp for practice, recording, and live shows. Intermediate players moving up from beginner combos find its twelve voicings and five simultaneous effects provide a wide sonic palette. Studio users benefit from IR-loaded USB-C output and cab-sim headphone tones, eliminating the need for a separate loader. Pedalboard users can bypass the preamp via Power Amp In.

The Katana Legacy — A Decade of Tube-Inspired Innovation

Debuting in 2016, the BOSS Katana series combined Tube Logic modeling with reactive Class AB power in a portable format — the culmination of decades of BOSS amplifier development. Gen 3 introduces the Pushed character, a revamped Tone Studio, and IR-based cab simulation for all outputs. Katana-50 Gen 3 offers the full feature set in the most compact cabinet in the lineup.