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BOSS
KATANA Guitar Amplifier 50watt 1-12'' Speaker
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Crafted Tones, Forged for Rock
Katana - the traditional sword carried by the historic samurai of Japan - is a symbol of honor, precision, and artistry in Japanese culture. Adopting the majestic sword's name with pride, the Katana series presents guitar amplifiers with smooth, cutting tones honed by generations of dedication and expertise. Born of the development process behind the acclaimed Waza amplifier, these innovative amps embody BOSS's determined pursuit of the ultimate rock sound. Featuring proprietary circuit designs and meticulous tuning, the Katana series combines traditional craftsmanship and breakthrough functions to produce true next-generation rock amplifiers.
With 50 watts of power and a custom 12-inch speaker, the Katana-50 delivers a commanding range of gig-worthy tones that gracefully slice through any band scenario. The amp also excels for home playing, with a uniquely efficient design and innovative Power Control that provides inspiring sound and response at low volumes. In addition, the Katana-50 includes integrated access to 55 BOSS effects, which are customizable using the free BOSS Tone Studio editor software. Up to 15 different effects can be configured in the amp at one time, enabling you to bring fully prepared tones to the stage in one amp.
Inspiring rock amp born of Waza DNA.
• Stage-ready 50-watt combo amp with a custom 12-inch speaker
• Five unique amp characters: Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown (derived from the Waza amp), and Acoustic (for acoustic-electric guitars)
• Choose from 55 customizable effects with BOSS Tone Studio editor software
• Store 15 different effects on board, with three effects available simultaneously
• Dedicated gain, EQ, and effects controls for adjusting sounds quickly
• Two memories for storing and recalling all amp and effect settings
• Power Control for achieving cranked-amp tone and dynamic response at low volumes
• Built-in tilt stand for optimal monitoring and sound projection
• Pro setups available at BOSS Tone Central
Katana - the traditional sword carried by the historic samurai of Japan - is a symbol of honor, precision, and artistry in Japanese culture. Adopting the majestic sword's name with pride, the Katana series presents guitar amplifiers with smooth, cutting tones honed by generations of dedication and expertise. Born of the development process behind the acclaimed Waza amplifier, these innovative amps embody BOSS's determined pursuit of the ultimate rock sound. Featuring proprietary circuit designs and meticulous tuning, the Katana series combines traditional craftsmanship and breakthrough functions to produce true next-generation rock amplifiers.
With 50 watts of power and a custom 12-inch speaker, the Katana-50 delivers a commanding range of gig-worthy tones that gracefully slice through any band scenario. The amp also excels for home playing, with a uniquely efficient design and innovative Power Control that provides inspiring sound and response at low volumes. In addition, the Katana-50 includes integrated access to 55 BOSS effects, which are customizable using the free BOSS Tone Studio editor software. Up to 15 different effects can be configured in the amp at one time, enabling you to bring fully prepared tones to the stage in one amp.
Inspiring rock amp born of Waza DNA.
• Stage-ready 50-watt combo amp with a custom 12-inch speaker
• Five unique amp characters: Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown (derived from the Waza amp), and Acoustic (for acoustic-electric guitars)
• Choose from 55 customizable effects with BOSS Tone Studio editor software
• Store 15 different effects on board, with three effects available simultaneously
• Dedicated gain, EQ, and effects controls for adjusting sounds quickly
• Two memories for storing and recalling all amp and effect settings
• Power Control for achieving cranked-amp tone and dynamic response at low volumes
• Built-in tilt stand for optimal monitoring and sound projection
• Pro setups available at BOSS Tone Central
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Reviews
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Best intermediate amp there is 0 of 0 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Brantford, Ontario
I loved this amp and used it as my main amp for a very long time until I recently started using some different tube amps instead for clean and SRV type of sounds but the Katana still crushes it as my go to amp for everything I could ever want to play
Posted by Tyler on Feb 11, 2021
Love this Amp! 1 of 1 customers found this review helpful
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Value
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec
I bought this amp a few weeks ago and its a fantastic amp! Great tone, lots of features (especially when connected to a computer). Easy to use! The only comments I would have is I would have liked more slots to save favorites on the amp directly and Bluetooth with connection to an app (rather than a desktop software) would have been very useful.
Compared with other popular amps and I am very happy with the overall purchase.
Posted by Richard on Mar 12, 2020
Cheapest tube simulator on the market 0 of 1 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Winnipeg (Pembina), Manitoba
It doesn't sound like a Vox or Marshall tube persay but the "tube" sound is spot on at any volume. I have only owned solid state in the past but tried out a 5150 for a day. This amp sounds good at any level. I play a Kramer Striker 211 and this amp works very well with the guitar. What is awesome is hooking your phone up to it to change patches and to play music through it. Out of the box, you can get most sounds you will ever need. While not perfect because you can still hear the digital artifacts trying to simulate a tube, most listeners will never know. I bought this amp because it was very light, easy to use, has 3 different watt settings plus a headphone jack. I can play for hours and hours just because of the sound. The touch sensitive ability is what it's all about. The harder you play, the more gain you hear.
Posted by LS on Aug 26, 2019
Definitely not a modelling amp 0 of 0 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Winnipeg (Pembina), Manitoba
Most modelling amps attempt to capture certain sounds from tube amps. The katana has it's own sound which is very refreshing.
Does it sound like a tube? To most listeners, yes. The katana is very reactive to pick attacks which you won't get in most solid states. Wish it had a line out for cabs but this amp is loud, even on the 25 watt setting. I love the ability to change effects, chain and all the perimeters online. It sounds worlds better than most other solid states and pretty close to a tube. With 50 plus effects to choose from makes this amp a steal.
Posted by Lyle on Jul 18, 2019
Fantastic 'little' amp 1 of 1 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Burlington, Ontario
I have two little kids, they go to sleep early and the only regular time I have to jam is late at night. This amp makes it sound good at 'low' volume - have had it for 2 months now - pleased with it:
Pros:
Excellent value
Versatile - great acoustic setting, decent preloaded effects, nice amp models
Loud if you need it to be
Very good tone - ain't no gorgeous valve sound, but it does a remarkably good job for the size and especially the price
Simple to use for a digital amp (if you don't use Boss Tone Studio)
Handles pedals very well
Sounds good even when quiet
Cons:
-Ain't the best looking amp but ok
- Some folks overstate the quality of the tone IMHO: it is indeed very good, but a little Blues Jr, or Traynor tube setup will outdo it a little based on my ear.
- no speaker can output or effects loop in/out
But really what more do you expect at this price?
In all cases, I'm very glad I replaced my old little Marshall MG15 (which was ok) as this Katana is far better. I played the 100W Katana in store and it sang beautifully but my practice amp budget limit prevented me from getting that one, I would have liked to!
Ultimately this amp is just a great value.
Posted by Luke on Jun 9, 2019
lots of features, very versatile, but very digital 3 of 5 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I've tried it
Closest Store Waterloo, Ontario
I've read many glowing reviews about this and I've tried this amp a few times now, to "get into it". Absolutely, this amp does have a lot of features, effects, configurations, etc..but overall I found the sound lacking. It always ended up sounding like a home stereo reproduction of a recorded amp. by that, it lacked the direct presence. This may have the sound you are after, but if you want tube tone and presence, this may not be on your short list.
Posted by René on Jan 30, 2019
Also great clean amp 0 of 0 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Edmonton South, Alberta
This baby has so many features and effects that you could entertain yourself for a while just trying out everything. On the acoustic setting it has a great clean sound with my Les Paul.
Posted by Steven on Jan 16, 2019
Surprisingly good tone 3 of 3 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Kanata, Ontario
Surprisingly good tone for a Solid State Amp.
I am not a fan of the brown channel but this amp can nail the fender tone I am looking for a fraction of the price of a fender tube amp.
Posted by Gary on Jan 7, 2019
Awesome 4 of 4 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Sudbury, Ontario
Got this amp a few weeks ago extremely happy use it everyday surprises me every time I turn it on would recommend this over anything in this price range
Posted by Clay on Nov 3, 2018
Bang-for-buck is very high 4 of 4 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Pros:
This amp is feature-rich and incredibly versatile. It is user-friendly out of the box, but offers infinite tweaking with the software, Tone Studio (which is relatively straight-forward). This unit is selling like hot-cakes and has a large community online.
Cons:
No effects loop. I use it on 0.5W in an apartment and high-gain settings are pretty loud for that environment. It is quite a beast for "bedroom use" (it is NOT the Yamaha THR 10). The Clean channel sounds killer; the Brown channel sounds brittle/ice-pick to me (though maybe I need to tweak EQ). But these 'cons' are minor and simply washed away by the features.
Posted by Michael on Aug 4, 2018
Short on connectivity big on tone and ease of use 1 of 3 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Hamilton, Ontario
Wish it had features of the fender gt100 or line6 amplifi but great sound in just seconds. So easy to dial in and go. I back to backed this with the most popular modeling amps. The katana by far the best for small solid-state amp.
Posted by Bryan on Jul 18, 2018
Amazing!!! 3 of 3 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Surrey, British Columbia
I bought this amp a couple weeks ago and I haven't had any problems with it at all. Great for bedroom use and you could gig with it to. Over 50 different effects built in so you can get all different sounds. Best amp for the price for sure!
Posted by anonymous on May 12, 2018
Vastly improved by the new v2 firmware! 12 of 13 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store London North, Ontario
I've been a tube tech for decades, but I enjoy the grab-and-go aspect of the latest SS and digital gear, and the Katana is a great example.
I wanted the 50 for the smaller form factor, but was a little disappointed by the limited channel switching capability and the slightly harsh sound and feel.
Both concerns were satisfied by the new firmware, which adds A & B banks to the channel switching (up to 4 presets, using a TRS cable and FS-6 or FS-7 foot switch), and a number of new sounds and capabilities in Boss Tone Studio.
The biggest plus isn't the built-in library of Boss pedals; it's that they are actually better than their hardware equivalents- in Tone Studio, old favourites get as many as 10 adjustments. You haven't heard a Blues Driver, until you try one with a blend for the direct signal, and a variable highness for the low end!
Even if you never connect the amp to a computer again, tweaking your overdrives and the global amp EQ to taste, is the secret to making the Katana sound and feel far closer to your tube amps. My '57 Tweed Deluxe isn't going anywhere, but I have already put a couple of others up for sale...
You also get modelling features from other Boss multi-FX like the Guitar Sim that can morph single coils into humbuckers, simulate a semi-hollow or acoustic, etc...
Hours of fun, as well as a usable gigging tool on small stages!
Posted by Steve R on Jan 18, 2018
Very Very cool amp 3 of 3 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store London South, Ontario
This amp is one of the beat amps I have ever had.
I have had Fender, Marshall, Peavey and others and this amp blows them away. The clean channel is not as nice as the Fender amps I had, but the amp makes up for it in the tone quality.
The price is great for what you get.
The gain channels sound awesome not fake like the other amps I have had.
I think Roland and Boss did a great job with this Katana series
Posted by Rocco Montagna on Dec 4, 2017
Great amp! 0 of 0 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Kanata, Ontario
Very versatile and powerful amp the new version 2 adds storage banks and additional pedals to the already robust feature set. BOSS Tone Central is easy to use and fine tuning to any sound and storage banks. This is top shelf product and leads the back of amp modelling. Special thanks to L&M - Matt (always genuine and obliging) and Kurt (ditto on attentive customer service). Thanks guys.
Posted by Robert on Nov 14, 2017
Great amp but let's not get crazy. 4 of 6 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Calgary Chinook, Alberta
I have had this amp for a few weeks now and it is great but wanted to say that it does not sound as good as higher priced tube amps like Fender etc in the $500-800 range. There are lots of people saying that and it's not true. This is fairly close though and for the money a no brainer. It's light, tons of tone options for pedal sounds and firmwear updates really improve the amps functionality. Also love the wattage settings as I'm in an apt so you can still get good sound at low volume.
Posted by James on Oct 16, 2017
One of the best solid state amps out there for the money 1 of 1 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Ottawa, Ontario
I've owned this amp for quite a few months now and play it daily. This is by far the absolute best solid state modelling style amp in this price range. I have owned and played a few other SS amps but found the sound on most too obviously digital and processed. This is amp is excellent at fooling you ears into believing it is valve powered, or at least has valve tendencies. The amp is very responsive to guitar input controls and responds more in a way you would expect from something valve when you adjust your tone or volume. This is most definitely NOT a replacement for your tube amp, but if you're looking for something portable to practice with at lower volume with great tonality and superb built in effects, this is it. It really does not take much time to dial in a good usable tone with this.
Posted by Dex on Oct 13, 2017
Not quite..... 1 of 10 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I've tried it
Closest Store Cambridge, Ontario
After reading all the glowing reviews here, maybe I was expecting too much.
I currently own and gig with Fender, Ampeg and Peavey amplifiers in various wattages and speaker configurations and over the years I have used many other brands so I have a fairly wide spectrum that I can compare this too. It's an OK amp for the price but it's not good enough to make me buy. The unit I tried had a serious cabinet rattle at certain frequencies. I checked all cables/wires and every thing nearby but was unable to get the rattle to stop. End of sale... The unit is plenty loud enough to gig with but something in the tone was just missing and lacked the kick/punch that I was expecting. The reverb and echo effects sounded decent. Perhaps if you hooked this up to a computer and fiddled with it you can achieve the sound you want. But, as a comparison, when I tried the Fender Mustang , that unit went home with me,,,,
Posted by Frank on Sep 25, 2017
Great Amp 1 of 1 customers found this review helpful
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Closest Store Halifax, Nova Scotia
I have been playing guitar over 35 years and this is by far one of the most versatile amps that I have ever used! Too bad this amp wasn't around back in 1989-1996 time frame when I was in a classic rock band I would have totally rocked....highly recommended!
Posted by Steve on Aug 27, 2017
This Amp Rocks 6 of 6 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
I bought the Katana 50 wanting a do it all combo and it delivers and then some. You can hook it up to the laptop and spend hours crafting every sound imaginable and create huge LiveSets which I have done. That said the best thing is you don't have to do this to get great tones. You can just plug in, dial a few knobs and you have instant killer tones from acoustic to hard rock. To me this is the real value of the amp - simplicity - since sometimes you just want to plug in, rock it out and concentrate on the music.
Posted by Phil Wheeler on Jul 29, 2017
Best for the money 2 of 2 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Toronto (Bloor St.), Ontario
I purchased this amp after extensive trials of Fender, Vox, Marshall, Oranage and about a dozen or so other amps. First of all, it has a great 12 inch speaker while most 50w amps had an 8in. The amp is feature rich and is so versatile with different sounds and effects. Most of the amplifiers that are comparable were priced around $200 more. For $299 its hard to beat this amp. But most of all I bought it for its great sound. Its the best sounding 50w on the market today. If you want something a little smaller to take around to play with, the Boss Katana Mini is shipping in August. Its not a toy. It too is a full fledged amp with a ton of features too. Oh, and btw, the effects are all built in Boss effects that we know and love and stood the test of time. You won't go wrong with this purchase. Don't take my word for it. Check out all the reviews on YouTube and in print. They all give it 2 thumbs up.
Posted by Mo Taylor on Jul 10, 2017
Katana for Wildbush Whiskey Club Steve 5 of 5 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Surrey, British Columbia
lovin it , most excellent . Played it right beside my DSL 40 , and I coud easily get the same sounds clean or crunch or driven, ( does the Katana sound like a tube amp - close , but better to me , the DSL tries hard to sound as good as the Katana ) . Next , beside my deluxe reverb , OR15 , JC40 ,crush 35RT, fender mustang 3 V2 , super champ x2 , marshall DSL 15 H and 2 twelve cab................ the Katana has surprised me and sounds as good or better than all . I used gibson standards , fender strats ( sss and HH models) , PRS ., Dangelico , ibanez hollow and RG , ........
kATANA - light weight , great sounds at 2AM condo or full power at jams .
Posted by Whiskey Steve on Jun 30, 2017
Great Amp 0 of 0 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Peterborough, Ontario
Just bought the Boss Katana 50 after reading/viewing lots of reviews about modelling amps. I decided to go with the Boss and I'm not disappointed. The build quality and materials are pretty good - kind of amazing that Boss can offer such quality at this price point. The amp sounds pretty good for an amp of this price, the clean/crunch settings allow for some nice Fenderesque country tones, overdrive and brown certainly pack a lot of punch. But the real value is the Tone Studio connectivity, which is just unbelievable. 55 Boss stomp boxes to chose from, one can even change the effect chain to optimise the sound. Lots of options to modify and customize tone and feel. I don't now how Boss can offer this package for barely 300 bucks. Certainly the best of the bunch in camparison to other low-cost modelling amps
Posted by anonymous on Jun 29, 2017
It's BOSS! 2 of 2 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Toronto (Bloor St.), Ontario
I love my Katana 50. I've had it for a few months now and actually replaced my Vox with it. It's light and easy to transport. It's feature rich. It has a great 12 in speaker which sounds exceptional for the money your paying for this amp. The built in Boss effects sound no different to me than the Boss pedals and it plays nice with everything else I attach to it. Dollar for dollar I could find nothing better that suited my needs. I highly recommend you at least give it a try before you purchase something else.
Posted by Jay Tailor on Jun 4, 2017
Bought this Katana too! 2 of 2 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Mississauga, Ontario
I bought the Katana 100, and like it so much that I bought the Katana 50 as well! Why? Just that it's even smaller and lighter, which is handy for quickly grabbing and going- and particularly for gigs in small to medium size clubs. Very light! The 100 will be for bigger places of course. The two sound very much the same, though I haven't tried both, side by side. This amp is fine for recording with, say, an SM57 in front, as is the 100, but what I like about the 100 is the very nice sound from the 'line out' which the 50 doesn't have. However, you can record directly from the 50 via the 'phone/record out' jack into your computer (via a USB interface of course), it's just that it will turn off the amp speaker, which I like hearing on the 100. But it still sounds quite nice- you'll just have to use your computer speaker or headphones as a monitor. So yeah, even though the 100 is comparatively light and compact, the 50 is even more so, especially when you have to rush out the door with your amp for a gig or whatever. And really, two channels (instead of four), is not really a big deal either, unless you're doing a lot of prog or something. Still, you might be able to program a sufficient amount of effects in any case, for most gigs.
Posted by Joe S. on May 30, 2017
Great sounding Amp 5 of 5 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Ottawa, Ontario
Lots of low end tones from this amp, nice distortion on all input settings.
Posted by anonymous on Feb 10, 2017
Protect your investment with the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty
A warranty can be a very important factor when making a buying decision. Because repairs can be very expensive in terms of parts and labour costs, manufacturers usually only provide one year limited warranties that generally only cover items that malfunction due to a manufacturer’s defect. With an important purchase such as a musical
instrument or piece of studio gear, however, many people want to have the peace of mind in knowing that their investment will be protected should the product no longer be performing at 100%.
Because of this, Long & McQuade provides our customers with a FREE one-year Performance Warranty on most of our products. The Long & McQuade Performance Warranty supplements the manufacturer’s warranty to ensure that our customers receive complete “no hassle” warranty coverage within their first year.
How does the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty differ from most manufacturers' warranties?
- Performance Guarantee: Normal wear and tear is covered, so your product will be performing as well as the day you purchased it for the entire duration of the coverage. Band and Orchestral Performance Warranty does not include replacing pads or cleaning for woodwind instruments, unless deemed necessary by our repair staff. Ultrasonic cleaning for brass instruments will be provided if deemed necessary by our repair staff, but is not routinely offered under the Performance Warranty.
- Product Replacement: If your product cannot be fixed or costs too much to fix, we will replace it with the equivalent model for no additional charge. If this is not possible, a full refund will be provided.
- No Lemon Policy: Your product will be replaced should the same problem occur multiple times.
- Convenient: Easy drop off and pick up of the product at any Long & McQuade location.
- Guitar Setup: Guitars purchased at Long & McQuade come with 1 free setup, to be redeemed within 1 year for new guitars and 90 days for used guitars.
- Loaners Available: A loaner product may be given while the product is being repaired.
- Power Surge Protection: Your product is covered even if damaged from a power surge.
- Accessory Coverage: Any peripheral devices or accessories that come with your product (i.e. foot pedal, case) are also covered.
- Commercial Use Coverage: Music and recording professionals who purchase gear for “heavy-use” commercial purposes will still be covered.
Long & McQuade reserves the right to restrict the purchase of additional years of Performance Warranty. Used products come with a 3-month Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Some products (i.e. computers, software, cymbals and other items) are covered only by the manufacturer‘s warranty. Consumables (i.e. strings, reeds, drum sticks, batteries, tubes, cross faders) are excluded as they are designed to be replaced. Cosmetic Damage, Accidental Damage, or problems caused by Humidity or Temperature Issues are not covered. Speakers damaged by overpowering are generally not covered. Our coverage does not provide compensation for loss of use. As of June 2018 the Performance Warranty is no longer transferable. The warranty is only valid in Canada.
Purchasing additional years of coverage
Some manufacturers provide warranties for longer than 1 year; however, these are usually limited warranties that do not provide the same coverage as the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Customers interested in more complete and convenient (but not necessarily longer) coverage are still able to purchase additional years of the Performance Warranty.
If you are interested in receiving this coverage for longer than one year, you have the option of purchasing additional years of the Performance Warranty. The pricing is as follows:
- NEW products: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year.
- USED products: 4% of the current new selling price to increase the warranty from 3 months to 1 year. 4% for each additional year.
- GUITARS: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year. $45 maximum. An additional free setup is not included with additional purchased years of Performance Warranty.
- BAND and ORCHESTRAL instruments: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year.
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| Product | SKU | Qty |
|---|---|---|
| KATANA Guitar Amplifier 50watt 1-12'' Speaker | 488536 |
