What is it Calling Boss's Katana range of modeling amps a success is undercooking it somewhat: it's made the Japanese company become one of the biggest amp manufacturers in the world. But it also presented a problem. The Katanas had the finely voiced amp models and curated Boss effects to present players with accessible guitar amps that could excel in practice rooms and on bar stages, but while it was on that mission the mini practice amp market blew up.
The standard was raised far above the tinny novelty mini stacks of old, with Yamaha and Positive Grid setting out impressive stalls with combos that looked like they belonged in your living room, or came with the bells and whistles of app connectivity. It eventually left Boss's own Katana-Mini looking a little undercooked by comparison, though certainly affordable. But what it did remind us was that Boss's focus on providing excellent foundation amp choices (in this case three) that people would want to play through is always compelling.
And that's really been a core of the Katana's success, no matter what is built around it. Whatever Boss did next would need to carry that value onwards while recognising the growth of this home-friendly end of the amp market. And the potential appeal is huge; because every player has space in their home for a practice amp, right? The original Katana-Mini was a whole seven years ago, and following the evolution of the Katana line with its third generation , the Mini X now comes with a host of .