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Topic: DO NOT LAUGH ! Boss Katana Mini |
Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 27 Oct 2023 1:19 am |
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DO NOT LAUGH, thats an order !
I've been playing a bit of Dobro again and will be attending a few local jams soon, the thing about Dobro's is they project UP- not forward and they can easily be drowned out by Banjo's Guitars, Fiddles etc. My Dobro has a K+K pup which is not bad overall. So I decided to check out a few battery powered small amps to use with the Dobro at the jams. I only wanted a tad of clean volume and NO feedback. I selected the Katana Mini, $100. It has a few different input modes and the Clean Mode is perfect, it gives 2 or 3X the natural volume which is MORE than needed for a jam, maybe even too much . It also has 3 EQ knobs that actually do something, so with the Dobro you can roll back the lo end or mids if they are causing any rumble feedback. It also has an on board delay which is kinda useful in a very mild setting. Supposedly it can run 5 to 7 hrs on batteries, I ran it for over 4 with the cheap batteries it came with. It also runs on a Boss 9V PS. There is also a REC out which I suspect can be sent to a board if need be and an AUX IN for music tracks.
The main reason I selected the Katana Mini was because it has 3 EQ knobs,( they actually do something ) many of the small "battery" amps have preset EQ profiles, if any at all.
OK, on to the Steel. Seeing that I now use this KATANA MINI for my daily practice rig for the Tele, I thought uhmmm , what about that D10 Emmons sitting across the room ? So I plugged the Steel in, same clean settings for the Tele/Dobro and lo and behold, not bad, actually pretty darn good, using the 4" speaker or phones. Just make sure you are in the clean mode. Add a tad of delay and I don't see using one of the big amps for practice ever again. Its not loud, its loud enough and clean enough. Actually it may be too loud if your are practicing at night and the fam is sleeping.
Don't laugh  I acquired this specifically for the Bluegrass Jams with the Dobro, I now use it for all of my practice needs.
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Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 27 Oct 2023 1:57 am
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Ok so I took it a step further, I plugged it into one of my Pro Tools Preamps and recorded a few phrases. While I don't need another preamp, I am thinking this KATANA MINI can serve that purpose as well going into an interface. CLEAN NO HUM from the REC out.
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 27 Oct 2023 12:50 pm
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| I still have the Roland micro cube and it's been to a few acoustic jams for my flattop guitar. Never tried it with steel. I got a couple Crate Taxi 30s that serve me well. They do cleans nicely and 2 channels plus an insert for other use or effects. Good deal on the Katana mini. |
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Jim Fogarty
From:
Phila, Pa, USA
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Posted 27 Oct 2023 2:48 pm
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| My favorite practice amp. Have one right by my recliner in the living room. Only thing that would make it perfect would be reverb, instead of delay. |
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 27 Oct 2023 2:57 pm
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| I love my little Spark amp. Similar in size and sounds great. |
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Andrew Goulet
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Posted 27 Oct 2023 5:08 pm
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I'm not laughing! I love my little ZT Lunchbox.
_________________
Marlen S12 pedal steel
12 string Bill Hatcher lap steel
ZT Club and Lunchbox |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 28 Oct 2023 5:27 am
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I use the Mobile Cube for the same porpoise. Liked the first one so much I purchased another. And then another.
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Dave Stagner
From:
Minnesota, USA
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Posted 26 Nov 2023 8:39 pm
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Another good one is the Blackstar Fly 3. They make an acoustic version, but I have the electric version, which sounds REALLY good… the preamp generates a nice, responsive overdrive when cranked, rather than fizzy “distortion” (or “METAL”). It’s loud enough for busking with a Tele or lap steel.
Better yet, there’s an external speaker that is stereo for the 1/8” stereo jack input or bluetooth. My Fly and its extension speaker now live in a gym bag as part of a “mobile recording” rig. The bag also has a Blue Yeti mic that sounds great and works with my phone or iPad, and a good pair of closed-back headphones. I can plug in the Fly and its extension speaker as “studio monitors” and get a decent representation of what I recorded.
I love this little thing!
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I don’t believe in pixie dust, but I believe in magic.
1967 ZB D-10
1990 OMI Dobro
Recording King lap steel with Certano benders |
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