Boss Katana-50 EX Gen 3 settings
Alive settings for Boss Katana-50 EX Gen 3
Pearl Jam · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Pearl Jam "Alive" riff tone on a Boss Katana-50 EX Gen 3, set Gain 6, Bass 6, Mid 7, Treble 6.5, Reverb 0.5, Fx 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 6-7 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
updated 2026-10-19
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 6-7 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana-50 EX Gen 3 knobs
- Gain
- 6
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6.5
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Fx
- 0
- Bst
- 0
- Variation
- 0
- Power control
- 2
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (Spring) · 0.5
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to a moderate level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Maintain a dynamic pick attack to achieve clear note separation.
- Focus on tight rhythm playing to capture the essence of the riff.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Fender Stratocaster · updated 2026-09-11
- Pickup
- Neck + Middle
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana-50 EX Gen 3 knobs
- Gain
- 1.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 4
- Reverb
- 1.5
- Contour
- 1
- Power control
- 3
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (spring) · 3
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to a moderate level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Ensure to pick dynamically to maintain clarity and articulation in your notes.
- Experiment with your volume knob to find the sweet spot for clean tones.
The original rig
What Pearl Jam used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Boss Katana-50 EX Gen 3 actually has.
- Guitar
- Fender Stratocaster (likely 1960s or '57 Reissue, Aged White, as seen in 1991-92 live footage)
- Amp
- Marshall 1960A 4x12 Cabinet with 65 Amps Empire 22-watt Tube Head and/or Satellite Atom 36-Watt Head (studio era, early 1990s)
- Gain
- 6
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6.5
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 2.5
Different guitar or pedals? Get Alive adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Pearl Jam's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Boss Katana-50 EX Gen 3 settings for Alive?
Set Gain 6, Bass 6, Mid 7, Treble 6.5, Reverb 0.5, Fx 0.
Which pickup should I use for Alive?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 6-7 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did Pearl Jam use on Alive?
Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (likely 1960s or '57 Reissue, Aged White, as seen in 1991-92 live footage). Amp: Marshall 1960A 4x12 Cabinet with 65 Amps Empire 22-watt Tube Head and/or Satellite Atom 36-Watt Head (studio era, early 1990s).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Alive on other amps
Popular songs on the Boss Katana-50 EX Gen 3
- Walk · Pantera
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Unholy Confessions · Avenged Sevenfold
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Back In Black · AC/DC
- 1979 · The Smashing Pumpkins
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.