Expanding on the success of one of the most popular amp series in production, Boss announced that new Katana MkII models will be available in the near future.
The new line of amps comes in four distinct offerings: 50w and 100w versions of a 1x12 combo (the Katana-50 MkII and Katana-100 MkII), a 100w 2x12 combo (Katana-100/212 MkII), and a 100w head with an integrated 5” monitor speaker (Katana-Head MkII).
As opposed to a drastic overhaul, Boss is building on all the features from the first run that made the amps such a hit with players. The five unique amp voicings built to emulate true tube tone via DSP have been expanded and refined for an even wider spread of tonal options. In the words of Boss, the new voicings "cover everything from sparkling clean to modern high-gain, plus dedicated voices optimized for acoustic-electric guitar."
Alongside the new amp voices is an augmented arsenal of onboard effects modeled after real Boss pedals. Players can now run five effect categories simultaneously as opposed to the previous three, and with three modes per category, that comes out to 15 total simultaneous effects on the MkII models (out of a full collection of more than 60 available).
Other features include Boss Tone Studio editor software with access to even more effect and amp emulations, the ability to operate as a power source, and more.
Check out Boss' video above for a preview of the new models and keep your eyes peeled for availability soon. Expected prices will range from $229 for the 1x12 Katana-50 MkII to $469 for the 2x12 Katana-100/212 MkII. To snag a deal on the first generation Katanas, click here.