Guitar amps · owner-verdict comparison

Boss Katana-50 MkII vs Positive Grid Spark 40: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the Boss Katana-50 MkII: 86% of 115 owners recommend it, vs 54% of 52 for the Positive Grid Spark 40.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Boss Katana-50 MkII

86%of 115 owners recommend
86% recommend · 6% neutral · 8% don't
Owners praise
  • Sounds fantastic with versatile, quality amp tones and effects
  • Incredible value for how cheap it is
  • Highly customizable via the Tone Studio software
Full owner report →

Positive Grid Spark 40

54%of 52 owners recommend
54% recommend · 4% neutral · 42% don't
Owners praise
  • Excellent value practice amp
  • Huge tone variety via app
  • Fun for jamming and learning songs
Owners complain about
  • Reliability issues, hiss or cutout
  • Not loud enough to gig
  • Thin, digital sound versus tube amps
Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

Get the Boss Katana-50 MkII if
  • ✓Home players who turn it down to 0.5W
  • ✓Budget buyers wanting a versatile modeling amp
  • ✓Players running pedals into the clean channel
  • ✓Anyone needing a backup, loaner, or gig amp
Skip it if
  • Players who need a built-in effects loop
  • Anyone bothered by top-mounted control panel
Get the Positive Grid Spark 40 if
  • ✓Bedroom and at-home practice players
  • ✓Beginners learning songs and dialing in tones
  • ✓Players wanting many amp and effect tones cheaply
  • ✓Guitarists who value app-based practice features
Skip it if
  • Gigging musicians needing stage volume
  • Tube-amp purists chasing analog feel

What Boss Katana-50 MkII owners say

“Boss nailed it with this amp.”
— @Esk8Tech on YouTube
“Really my best purchase ever”
— @088Noir on YouTube
“On the Katana, the 'lead' channel is too fizzy.”
— @valueofnothing2487 on YouTube

What Positive Grid Spark 40 owners say

“What I love most about Spark is when I want to learn a song, I search the cloud for the song.”
— @jrigwald on YouTube
“The best practice amp I have ever owned. Full stop.”
— @l-Libertine on YouTube
“The first built-in practise pattern I tried has got wrong chord positions in the grid - pretty much useless for a beginner, who *depends* on the practise material to be _correct._”
— @Noone-of-your-Business on YouTube

Boss Katana-50 MkII vs Positive Grid Spark 40: frequently asked questions

Is the Boss Katana-50 MkII or the Positive Grid Spark 40 better?

Real owners lean toward the Boss Katana-50 MkII: 86% of 115 owners recommend it, vs 54% of 52 for the Positive Grid Spark 40.

Who should get the Boss Katana-50 MkII?

Owners point the Boss Katana-50 MkII at home players who turn it down to 0.5W, and budget buyers wanting a versatile modeling amp.

Who should get the Positive Grid Spark 40?

Owners point the Positive Grid Spark 40 at bedroom and at-home practice players, and beginners learning songs and dialing in tones.