Tonelify
Reviewed
Boss KatanaDistortedSoloHard Rock

November Rain on a Boss Katana

Guns N' Roses

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.

November Rain Boss Katana settings: a starting point

On a Boss Katana, select the Crunch amp type and start at Gain 6, Bass 5, Middle 7, Treble 6 and Reverb about 2, with the neck pickup for body, bridge if the lead needs to cut.

Crunch amp typeNovember Rain on the Katana
  • Gain 6
  • Bass 5
  • Middle 7
  • Treble 6
  • Reverb about 2

Gain sits half a step under the song's generic 6.5: on a Katana the solo's extra push comes from the Booster rather than from more Gain.

The Katana 50 has no Presence knob. On a Katana 100, set Presence to 6.

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.

Picked by gain range

Which Boss Katana amp type for November Rain?

Crunch. The solo is a Les Paul into a Marshall JCM800 2203 modified by Frank Levi, the amp known as #34. BOSS names no real amp behind the Katana's types, so go by the job: a singing lead that sustains. Keep Crunch at the top of its rock range and take the extra push from the Booster, so the sound stays mid-forward instead of fizzy.

Lead with the Booster off is the other route, with the Gain around 5.

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 November Rain

Booster
OverdriveThe push that makes the lead sing, in place of more amp Gain.Red in bank A on a MkII as shipped. Knob low.
Delay
Digital DelayThe delay on the lead.Green in bank A on a MkII as shipped. Set the time with Tap.
Reverb
Plate ReverbA little room around the long notes.Green on a MkII as shipped. Knob about 2.

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 November Rain

The amp on the record is a modified JCM800, and a Katana type is BOSS's own voicing. The solo is also a neck-pickup sound: on the bridge pickup these settings come out brighter and thinner than the record.

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 Guns N' Roses used on November Rain

Slash's Les Paul into the Marshall JCM800 2203 modified by Frank Levi and known as #34, the amp behind his tone from Use Your Illusion onwards, with the solo worked up from an improvisation.

Rig sources: Guitar.com: five myths about Slash's gear, MusicRadar: Marshall AFD100 Slash signature review, Wikipedia: November Rain

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

Guns N' Roses' rig and the generic five-knob settings for the November Rain tone →

A different guitar, or pedals in front?

This page sets the Katana on its own. Name your guitar and your pedals and Tonelify rewrites the settings for that whole rig, pickup position included. Your first match is free with an account, and needs no card.

Match November Rain to my rig

November Rain on the Katana: questions

What Boss Katana settings do you need for November Rain?

Select the Crunch amp type and start at Gain 6, Bass 5, Middle 7, Treble 6 and Reverb about 2. On a Katana 100, set Presence to 6. 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 November Rain?

Crunch. The solo is a Les Paul into a Marshall JCM800 2203 modified by Frank Levi, the amp known as #34. BOSS names no real amp behind the Katana's types, so go by the job: a singing lead that sustains. Keep Crunch at the top of its rock range and take the extra push from the Booster, so the sound stays mid-forward instead of fizzy. Lead with the Booster off is the other route, with the Gain around 5.

Which Boss Katana effects does November Rain use?

Booster: Overdrive. The push that makes the lead sing, in place of more amp Gain. Delay: Digital Delay. The delay on the lead. Reverb: Plate Reverb. A little room around the long notes.

What can the Katana not do for November Rain?

The amp on the record is a modified JCM800, and a Katana type is BOSS's own voicing. The solo is also a neck-pickup sound: on the bridge pickup these settings come out brighter and thinner than the record.

Does it matter for November Rain 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 6 sets the top end on its own. On a Katana 100, which has the knob, set Presence to 6.

Is there a November Rain 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. Your first match is free with an account and needs no card.

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