Reviewed 2026-10-29

Boss KatanaDistortedSoloGroove Metal

Floods on a Boss Katana

Written for the Katana 50 MkII and the Katana 50 Gen 3, which share these knobs. The Katana 100 adds a Presence knob, and its value is given under the panel.

Floods Boss Katana settings: a starting point

On a Boss Katana, select the Brown amp type and start at Gain 7, Bass 6, Middle 3, Treble 8 and Reverb about 1, with the bridge pickup.

Brown amp typeFloods on the Katana

Gain 7
Bass 6
Middle 3
Treble 8
Reverb about 1

Gain sits a step and a half under the song's generic 8.5: Tonelify's Katana metal settings run Gain 6 to 7 on Lead or Brown, and a solo sustains at 7 without the fizz that comes past it.

The Katana 50 has no Presence knob. On a Katana 100, set Presence to 7.

Positions on a 0 to 10 scale, with 5 at twelve o'clock. These are Tonelify's starting points for the Katana, written from the documented rig and BOSS's manual. They are not BOSS's numbers and not the settings on the record.

Match Floods to my rigYour guitar and pedals too. 7 days free.

Picked by gain range

Which Boss Katana amp type for Floods?

Brown. The solo is Dimebag's Washburn signature guitar into the same Randall RG-100 solid-state head he recorded Cowboys from Hell with. BOSS names no real amp behind the Katana's types, so pick by the job: a sustaining lead. BOSS describes Brown as a lead sound with an edge, which is the type Tonelify's Katana settings use for a hot rock lead.

Lead is the other choice, at the same Gain. BOSS says it covers crunch to high gain on its Gain knob alone.

Pick the amp type first: it changes the gain structure more than any knob does, so the same Gain position gives far more distortion on Lead or Brown than on Crunch. Gain sets the amount of distortion, Volume the level of that sound and Master the overall volume. Neither Katana 50 has a Presence knob, so on a 50 the top end is the Treble's job.

Boss Katana effects for Floods

Booster: OffThe lead on the record is the Randall head on its own.Leave it out.
FX: Pitch ShifterThe panel's nearest thing to the DigiTech Whammy on the squeals of the final note. Switch it on only for that moment.Orange in bank B on a MkII as shipped. The knob sets its depth.
Reverb: Plate ReverbThe small amount of reverb in the starting point.Green on a MkII as shipped. Knob about 1.

The Katana runs five effects at once, one each on Booster, Mod, FX, Delay and Reverb. Each button cycles green, red and orange, and each colour holds its own effect. The colours below are the ones BOSS's MkII manual lists from the factory. On a Gen 3 the factory effects differ from channel to channel, so check what a colour holds before you rely on it; BOSS Tone Studio, over USB, can change any of them.

Does it sound off on your Katana?

Pick what you hear. You get the knobs to turn on the Katana from the settings above, and how far.

What the Katana cannot do for Floods

The lead on the record is two takes stacked on top of each other, which Dimebag said can sound like a chorus effect. One guitar is one take, and the Chorus on Mod does not replace the second one: if you are recording, play the solo twice. A Whammy is swept with its treadle, and the Pitch Shifter's panel knob sets depth, so the final squeals will not move the same way.

How to store it on the Katana

Hold CH1 or CH2 for one second. It stores every knob and button except Master, so use Volume to balance stored sounds and Master for the room.

What Pantera used on Floods

Dimebag Darrell's Washburn signature guitars into the same carpeted Randall RG-100 head he recorded Cowboys from Hell with, the lead doubled with two takes stacked on top of each other and a DigiTech Whammy on the squeals of the final note.

Rig sources: Guitar World: Dimebag Darrell on The Great Southern Trendkill, Wikipedia: Floods (Pantera song)

Boss Katana facts checked against BOSS's own documents on 2026-10-11: BOSS: KATANA Mk II Owner's Manual (PDF), BOSS: KATANA Gen 3 Reference Manual (PDF)

Pantera's rig and the generic five-knob settings for the Floods tone →

A different guitar, or pedals in front?

This page sets the Katana on its own. Name your guitar and your pedals in the tone matcher and Tonelify rewrites the settings for that whole rig, pickup position included. A first plan starts with 7 days free, $0 that day.

Match Floods to my rig

Floods on the Katana: questions

What Boss Katana settings do you need for Floods?

Select the Brown amp type and start at Gain 7, Bass 6, Middle 3, Treble 8 and Reverb about 1. On a Katana 100, set Presence to 7. These are Tonelify's starting points for the Katana, written from the documented rig and BOSS's manual. They are not BOSS's numbers and not the settings on the record.

Which Boss Katana amp type is closest to the amp on Floods?

Which Boss Katana effects does Floods use?

FX: Pitch Shifter. The panel's nearest thing to the DigiTech Whammy on the squeals of the final note. Switch it on only for that moment. Reverb: Plate Reverb. The small amount of reverb in the starting point.

What can the Katana not do for Floods?

Does it matter for Floods that the Katana 50 has no Presence knob?

Not much. Neither the Katana 50 MkII nor the Katana 50 Gen 3 has a Presence knob, so the Treble at 8 sets the top end on its own. On a Katana 100, which has the knob, set Presence to 7.

Is there a Floods patch for the Boss Katana?

Tonelify does not offer a patch file. The settings on this page are dialled in by hand, which takes a couple of minutes and needs no computer. Hold a channel button for one second to store them.

What if you have a different guitar or pedals in front of the Katana?

These settings assume the unit on its own. Tonelify's matcher rewrites them for the guitar, pedals and amp you name, pickup position included. A first plan starts with 7 days free, and nothing is charged that day.

More for the Katana

Boss Katana settings cheat sheet Boss Katana 50 MkII Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 Boss Katana 100 MkII