Who’s tried the Boss Nextone?

[markal]

What did you think? How does it compare to other SS (and tube) amps in the same price range? If you have (or had) a Blues Cube, how does it compare to those?

How’s the NExtone for low gain bluesy stuff? How about a classic crunch?

If you bought it, did you like the tones stock or did you customize it with the software?

I currently have a Blues Cube Artist and an Orange Crush 60c and there are things I love about each amp, and there are things I don’t like about each amp. I’m thinking maybe the Nextone could give me the best of both.


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[Clarkj734]

I played one at a shop for 30 minutes or so. Not enough time to form a reliable opinion. That said...

Personally, I was underwhelmed. It was ok... I think my expectations may have been unfairly high. The power tube options is a cool idea, but differences are subtle ( as they should be ). The way its marketed I hoping for Fender, Marshall and Vox all in one amp. Again, unfair expectations.

It sounded ok, the dynamics were good (not tube authentic, but good)

I'd like to play one again now that my expectations are more fair.

 

[NiceTele]

I tried one last week and it didn't hit the spot for me tone wise- I tried the Katana 100 1x12 next to it, and ended up buying that! I'm getting good results with the Boss Tone Studio software, and the Katana covers all bases for what I need. I don't think the Nextone knows what it wants to be.

 

[brookdalebill]

I tried the 40W version at GC.
It sounded good, though I didn’t figure out how to get the delay working.
I’m an 80-100W amp fan, so I’d like to try the more powerful version.
I own 3 Cube 80s, a Katana 100, and a Blues Cube Artist, so I am obviously a fan of Noss/Roland amps.
I see a 100W Nextone in my future.

 

[markal]

I tried one last week and it didn't hit the spot for me tone wise- I tried the Katana 100 1x12 next to it, and ended up buying that! I'm getting good results with the Boss Tone Studio software, and the Katana covers all bases for what I need. I don't think the Nextone knows what it wants to be.

Can you describe what was better about the Katana?


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[markal]

I tried the 40W version at GC.
It sounded good, though I didn’t figure out how to get the delay working.
I’m an 80-100W amp fan, so I’d like to try the more powerful version.
I own 3 Cube 80s, a Katana 100, and a Blues Cube Artist, so I am obviously a fan of Noss/Roland amps.
I see a 100W Nextone in my future.

I tried the 40-watt Stage version and immediately didn’t like the small cabinet. But I thought there were some good tones I’d like in the larger verion.


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[pedro58]

I've been going to the Katanas since they came out when I try out stuff. I just look around the local GC and find the Katana because I know how it sounds and it's easy to dial in. I don't use high gain, mostly clean and crunchy tones appropriate for blues and country.

I played a Nextone and liked it a lot. It has more tones in my wheelhouse and I liked the feel. It had that "bounce" that I expect from tubes. I liked it better than the Katana. Anyway, that just my .02$... Try one out.

 

[NiceTele]

Can you describe what was better about the Katana?


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I wanted to buy the Nextone, but when I compared it to the Katana, I found the Kat clean channel really had more focus or punch, and going back to the Nextone, it sounded more flabby, grainy or loose?. Maybe that's what some guys want.
I have set 3 Katana channels to be a clean Twin Reverb, Bassman and Marshall 1959 via a lot of tweaking the Tone Studio software using Sneaky Amps. I use the Katana purely as a clean channel amp for the stuff I play...rockabilly, country, surf etc. Having gigged with all the tube amps mentioned, I sort of know what their sound is.

 

[markal]

I wanted to buy the Nextone, but when I compared it to the Katana, I found the Kat clean channel really had more focus or punch, and going back to the Nextone, it sounded more flabby, grainy or loose?. Maybe that's what some guys want.
I have set 3 Katana channels to be a clean Twin Reverb, Bassman and Marshall 1959 via a lot of tweaking the Tone Studio software using Sneaky Amps. I use the Katana purely as a clean channel amp for the stuff I play...rockabilly, country, surf etc. Having gigged with all the tube amps mentioned, I sort of know what their sound is.

Cool. Thanks for that.

 

[dswo]

I've been going to the Katanas since they came out when I try out stuff. I just look around the local GC and find the Katana because I know how it sounds and it's easy to dial in. I don't use high gain, mostly clean and crunchy tones appropriate for blues and country.

I played a Nextone and liked it a lot. It has more tones in my wheelhouse and I liked the feel. It had that "bounce" that I expect from tubes. I liked it better than the Katana. Anyway, that just my .02$... Try one out.

This is my experience too, with both amps.

 

[pedro58]

I wanted to buy the Nextone, but when I compared it to the Katana, I found the Kat clean channel really had more focus or punch, and going back to the Nextone, it sounded more flabby, grainy or loose?. Maybe that's what some guys want.
I have set 3 Katana channels to be a clean Twin Reverb, Bassman and Marshall 1959 via a lot of tweaking the Tone Studio software using Sneaky Amps. I use the Katana purely as a clean channel amp for the stuff I play...rockabilly, country, surf etc. Having gigged with all the tube amps mentioned, I sort of know what their sound is.

And the Katana is cheap. I don't own the Kat or the Nextone, I'm still happy with my Mustang 3v2. But when it inevitably dies, the Kat and the Nextone would be on my radar. Or whatever is on the market then, as I feel like the Mustang is reasonably weel-built and roadworthy.

 

[USian Pie]

I played a Nextone Stage 40-watt for a few minutes in Guitar Center today.

I used a Telecaster, turned off all Delay and Reverb, and set all tone and presence controls at 12 o'clock. For volume, I started with Clean Volume down, Master fully up, and worked through a couple of power modes.

I like how the amp sounded. I'm not sure what else to say. I enjoyed playing through it.

I tried the 6V6, 6L6, and EL84 modes. They pretty much did what I expected. The 6V6 was sweet and clear. the 6L6 added some nice bass. The EL84 thickened up in the mids and had a different shape to the treble.

At the .5 watt setting, I had to take the Clean volume to about 12 o'clock to hear myself well. When I went to half-power setting, it dominated the room without being that overly loud and obnoxious guy. I didn't try full power.

One thing I noticed was it didn't sound worse when I turned it up. You know how some solid state amps start to turn brittle when they get loud? I didn't get that. Louder just seemed to wrap around me more. I got more "good", not more harsh. The sound and response made me want to turn up, too.

I like the controls. I like amps to be pretty simple. I tend to get Bass/Mid/Treble/Presence in the right neighborhood and adjust based on the room. The computer tweakability doesn't interest me and, based on today's trial, isn't something I need.

It's on my watch list now. I would probably go for the 80-watt version. Since it's new, I'm going to see if any problems crop up in the next few months. It would be nice to A/B it with a Blues Cube Artist, too.

 

[exactopposite]

I have had the Nextone Stage for a month now. I use the stock 6v6 and 6l6 settings primarily. I experimented with the editor on the computer a little bit when I first got it. The editor is a powerful tool, but I like the stock setup personally. I replaced the speaker with a GA-SC64 which has been a fantastic upgrade for the fender tones on the 6v6 and 6l6 settings. I already had the speaker around so I tried it as a test. it sounds great so it's staying in there. Having an American voiced speaker in it is fine with me since i don't use the British sounds.

It's a great blues amp with plenty of blackface Fender goodness. it also FEELS good to play. It responds to picking dynamincs and guitar volume adjustments like a tube amp (granted every tube amp is different). I sounds and feels great playing at home at low volume. My tube amps sound great when they are turned up but at living room volume they are far from ideal. I was looking for a simple amp that is fun to play at home.

The Nextone is just what I was looking for:
It's simple to use
It has the option of using the editor to customize things but that's not a requirement
it sounds and feels good to play at home

I didn't want a "jack of all trades" amp like a Mustang, and the Katana seemed too pedal centric for me. I really like the Blues Cube concept but I wanted blakface tones rather than tweed tones. Having to buy the amp AND spend another $200 on a tone capsule is just asking too much.

I don't gig anymore these days but I've been playing a lot more lately because this amp is so much fun. I can't speak on what it's like to gig with the Nextone but it's great for playing blues at home. It's definitely not for the high gain crowd.

 

[USian Pie]

I found myself back at Guitar Center today for something else. I gave the Nextone Stage another go but this time I set it for full power on 6V6 and 6L6 and pushed the volume a bit.

I noticed that, as the amp gets loud, the small-ish cabinet seems to become a factor. The amp still feels and responds the same way but the "bigness" of the sound becomes constrained. It's not an unnatural sound and I would expect the same from pretty much any amp in a small cab.

The Artist version might still be in my future someday.

 

[ScunnyDude]

Having read these views above I felt compelled to put down a few words. I bought a Nextone Special a couple of weeks ago and because I live in a semi detached bungalow next to an old deaf guy, it's pretty ideal for me to really crank this amp up to what I would expect to be the volume when we return to gigging in a few months.

So that said, here's a shortish list of amps that I currently own so I can draw some comparisons with how the Special is well, very special.
Vetta 1 fully upgraded to v2 plus the Armin mod
DT50 Head and 300 watt 4x12
Fender Mustang 2x12
Fender Mustang 3 v2 1x12
Boss Katana 100 watt
2 x Sessionette 75 and a 90

I've gigged all the above amps and they are all very good. The best of them for feel and raw power is obviously the Line6 DT50 but like most of us, downsized the size and weight as we get older.

I AB'd the Sessionettes against the Katana and in my view their clean channels can be set very much alike for tone and feel but the Katana is way more versatile so it's now highly unlikely I will ever use a Session amp again, as good as they are. Always amazed me how many folk think the Sessionette amps are tube as they really are that good once retrotoned. So I bought the GE-FC to get more out of the Katana with the thoughts of using it as a gig amp.

I used the Katana only once at a jam session prior to lockdown and plugged in my Helix. Worked a treat. Since then I bought the foot controller for the Katana the GE-FC

Yes, I was convinced the Katana 100 was going to be my number one amp, that is until I bought the Nextone Special. Everything changed from that moment, I've not switched on the katana once. The Special is not merely an upgraded Katana at 3 times the price, it is an entirely different amp and the quality difference is night and day.

The GE-FC works brilliantly with the Special when I applied the new stickers as the assignments are slightly different.

This amp requires no extra pedals as such for the core tone, it's all there. What I would advise anyone test driving one of these amps is to really understand how it all works. There are two different EQ modes to choose from and you really must get the right one and understanding the bass and treble cut has really tamed my USA Strat top end. This amp isn't quite as plug in and go as some and tailoring the amp to your guitar and style is a must do. Luckily you can change guitar and hit another preset loaded for that instrument.

I could go on and on about this amp, all the features are all over the net and youtube vids. It's not until you get one home and really work with it that the magic comes forth. It's not trying to be a modelling amp, just a terrific amp that makes your playing come alive quite unlike what you have been used to, slightly frightening and exciting. I very nearly gave up on my very expensive Strat until I got this amp, it makes the guitar shine and positively sing.

Best amp in the world, quite likely, thus far in my nearly 50 years of playing; for me anyway

It's a good time to be a guitarist, actually it always has been.

Peace

 

[Jbnaxx]

In every comparison I have looked at between the Nextone and the Kat, the Nextone sounds better to me. It could be the settings, or the video quality, or any number of things but it seems to sound better. I’ve been to several shops and can’t find one to try out.

 

[ScunnyDude]

A real shame you can't try one, vids don't do any amp justice. You'll know when you hear it for yourself. Personally, comparing the Special to a Katana is not a fair comparison. Compare the Special to a tube amp, game on. I hope everyone understands that this is not a modelling amp and doesn't try to be one, Nextone Special has the capacity to sound very similar to amps loads with the tubes that are fitted to certain well known amps that give them their typical sound.

 

[ScunnyDude]

Having owned the Special for some months now I have an update that might interest a few. Ok, no one really wants to be deep editing and for me also. But, after the initial period of just loving this amp in stock form, just dialling in what is available via the front panel I decided to hook it up to my laptop and have a play around.

I have saved 3 presets to the memory locations, 1st clean then crunch then heavy, each has an inversion to swap the channel as and when needed giving me basically 6 available settings to choose from at the tap of a footswitch or two. The solo for each setting is configured also. I've gone for the same reverb type across all settings.

The one thing I concentrated most effort on was the Pre and Post EQ on all 6 settings and I have nailed it to be exactly the same on them all. Only when I pressed the PANEL button to compare does the lack of warmth and depth reveal itself without that EQ. Boss never promised to deliver me an amp tailored for me and that was a lesson learned.

With the none pre and post EQ'd PANEL settings I just could not get anywhere near the lushness(is that a word) of the EQ'd sounds.

In conclusion, I guess some, like me will just love this amp right out of the box, a little time with the easy to use editor and you're truly golden.

Wait, there's more.

On my gig pedal board I use a Crybaby Wah up front and a Boss MS-3 in the loop of the Special in 4 cable method to add all the effects I need for gigging. The loop of the amp works brilliantly and didn't have to use the editor at all.

Second update,

I decided at the weekend to hook up my Helix in 4CM using only Tubescreamer and OCR models to drive the pre amp of the Nextone Special Clean channel (preset 1) and a delay on the helix post loop.
I am quite frankly surprised and astonished that the feel of the NS was still there and all the dynamics of the amp shone through not like using amp modelling on the Helix direct to PA.

Just for further info, I switched to panel control again and much was missing again as before, it's not until Pre and post EQ is added with the editor does this amp go that much further.

Give it a try, a factory set amp is not always the best set for everyone, though as standard this amp is brilliant anyway.

Peace

 

[sid9170]

Having owned the Special for some months now I have an update that might interest a few. Ok, no one really wants to be deep editing and for me also. But, after the initial period of just loving this amp in stock form, just dialling in what is available via the front panel I decided to hook it up to my laptop and have a play around.

I have saved 3 presets to the memory locations, 1st clean then crunch then heavy, each has an inversion to swap the channel as and when needed giving me basically 6 available settings to choose from at the tap of a footswitch or two. The solo for each setting is configured also. I've gone for the same reverb type across all settings.

The one thing I concentrated most effort on was the Pre and Post EQ on all 6 settings and I have nailed it to be exactly the same on them all. Only when I pressed the PANEL button to compare does the lack of warmth and depth reveal itself without that EQ. Boss never promised to deliver me an amp tailored for me and that was a lesson learned.

With the none pre and post EQ'd PANEL settings I just could not get anywhere near the lushness(is that a word) of the EQ'd sounds.

In conclusion, I guess some, like me will just love this amp right out of the box, a little time with the easy to use editor and you're truly golden.

Wait, there's more.

On my gig pedal board I use a Crybaby Wah up front and a Boss MS-3 in the loop of the Special in 4 cable method to add all the effects I need for gigging. The loop of the amp works brilliantly and didn't have to use the editor at all.

Second update,

I decided at the weekend to hook up my Helix in 4CM using only Tubescreamer and OCR models to drive the pre amp of the Nextone Special Clean channel (preset 1) and a delay on the helix post loop.
I am quite frankly surprised and astonished that the feel of the NS was still there and all the dynamics of the amp shone through not like using amp modelling on the Helix direct to PA.

Just for further info, I switched to panel control again and much was missing again as before, it's not until Pre and post EQ is added with the editor does this amp go that much further.

Give it a try, a factory set amp is not always the best set for everyone, though as standard this amp is brilliant anyway.

Peace

Hi, Would you be willing to share your pre and post EQ settings?


Thanks!

 

[fuzz guy]

I have owned a Nextone Stage since they first came out. It's a fantastic sounding amp, and very tube-like in feel too. It's okay in the "normal mode", but really comes alive when you fiddle with the editor.

It's not like a Katana with heaps of sounds and effects instantly accessible, but that's one of the things that I liked about it. It's best to think of the Nextones like a really good two channel amp that you can completely customize yourself, with a few basic effects.

One thing that many don't realize, and that none of the video reviews on Youtube ever touch upon is how you can get all four power amps, customized to your liking, on both channels. When you use the editor to save a "liveset" it allows you to save a single power amp to each channel, say a 6L6 clean and EL34 lead. But you can also program all the other power amps and turn them on, so whether you're on clean or lead, and regardless of which power amp is the default, turning the selector switch will give you any one of them.

Lots of the criticism around these amps was how the different tube types didn't sound all that different, and in the "normal" mode I agree. But on mine I have set it up for Tweed, Blackface, AC30 and Plexi sounds, and I can have any one of them on clean or lead by simply turning the dial.

Absolutely great amps that I don't think Boss has marketed or explained properly, and have been largely misunderstood. Lots of people played them in a store on the default settings and dismissed them. But I love mine!