Providing gig-ready rock tones while minimizing your reliance on a pedalboard, the Katana MkII Amplifier Head from BOSS provides 100W of power. It also packs in more features, tones, and effects than its predecessor. Its 5' built-in monitor provides 30W for practicing at home without an external speaker cabinet.

As with the first version of this amp, five different voices are available. However, a Variation switch has been added, giving you one tonal variation on each voicing. This means you now have ten distinct tones, where before you had five. Also, you can now select among five different onboard effects, with three variations each. Modulation, Booster, FX, Delay, and Reverb knobs help make your pedalboard a thing of the past. Simply save your desired preset into one of eight onboard preset slots, and select among them, loading them into discrete channels.

Turn your attention to the rear of the amplifier head, and you'll notice quite a few connective possibilities, such as a headphones/recording output that provides the ability to direct your sound to headphones and recording devices with a minimal amount of maneuvering. Additionally, a line-out jack allows you to route your sound at line level to mixers and PAs. This line output can be switched into stereo to link two 100W Katana amps together, making for a true stereo effects rig.

An effects loop affords you the opportunity to use outboard gear, and an auxiliary input jack lets you play audio from compatible players through the amplifier. You'll also find a switch on the rear of this unit, which cycles among different cabinet resonances. Choose a Vintage, Modern, or Deep setting, right from the amp itself.

For external control, there are three different footswitch inputs: for channel selection/expression pedals and one specifically tailored to the all-encompassing GA-FC foot controller.