Line 6Catalyst 60 Watt Combo Modelling Amplifier

I’ve been using valve amps and as amps for years now, fender, orange, Vox, Marshall, Morgan, Victory, boss katana and boss nextone, this line 6 catalyst is the best one yet, it’s light and powerful, the DI out is great, I’ve even been trying out the uafx and Tonex pedal to go ampless but I keep coming back to the catalyst, nothing comes close, to the True Tone of an amp behind you giving you the freedom to concentrate on your playing. If you can’t get a pro sound from this guitar amp, then guitar is not for you. It’s simple, just like a valve amp but without the worry of any problems valves can offer. Well done line 6.

So this is all about trying to find a decent amp that is sound level bearable to use at home while still being able to handle gigs. My AC30 while sounding great is simply too loud to use at home. I admit I am a bit of a Amp snob. So first up I bought a Mk 2 hundred watt BOSS Katana. Loads of functions usable from the front panel. But it went straight back because it had a unusable level of hiss even on the cleanest channel. And the compatibility to link it up with a IPad was frankly a joke.So that was replaced with this. Compatibility with my IPad and IPhone was easy, so a vast improvement over the Boss Katana. And no ridiculous level of hiss. So far so good?Unfortunately while using the app to alter different functions is super easy, the control panel on the amp itself is absolute rubbish. Almost to the point that it’s unusable and feels random. Press some buttons and it’s pot luck what sound effect you get. It comes with a paper features simple guide stuck to the top panel. That’s a waste of time and doesn’t actually equate to what happens when you press the buttons indicated.Also and way more importantly the build quality of this amp is simply the worst I’ve ever seen. There is a black plastic section that acts as a smart looking binding around the edge of part of the chassis near the control panel. This fell off revealing raw MDF underneath. Not something Line 6 should be proud of considering I only bought it less than five months ago and it has just sat unmoved in a bedroom with nothing touching it. Also only one third of the functions work as the rest are now no longer accessible. All in all absolute junk of the highest order.PROsTwo fairly nice sounding channels.Power attenuator so sound levels are not a problem at home.Super easy to install and link the app.CONsComedy amp controls.Very limited effects considering it’s competition.Trashy physical build quality of the amp chassis.Poor Electronics build quality resulting in a loss of 2 thirds of the guitar effects.Verdict.Truth of the matter is there is no substitute for a valve amp and some proper pedals. That’s fine. For this price the Catalyst doesn’t have to be. But it should at least work!Frankly I’m done with all these junky digital amps with loads of effects built in. They offer so much but do very little. Better to stick to something simpler that does less but does it properly.Line 6 I add you to the list of companies I would never buy products from again.