Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 settings
Alive settings for Boss Katana 50 Gen 3
Pearl Jam · adapted 6 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Pearl Jam "Alive" solo tone on a Boss Katana 50 Gen 3, set Gain 1.5, Bass 5.5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Reverb 1.5, Contour 1. Use the neck + middle pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Solo settings
Adapted for a Jackson Dinky · updated 2026-09-28
- Pickup
- Neck + Middle
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 knobs
- Gain
- 1.5
- Bass
- 5.5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Reverb
- 1.5
- Contour
- 1
- Gain control
- 0
- Master volume
- 7
- Power control
- 3
- Volume control
- 8
- Variation button
- 0
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 achieve the bright and articulate sound characteristic of the original solo.
- Experiment with your volume knob to find the sweet spot for clarity without losing sustain.
Riff settings
updated 2026-04-09
- Pickup
- Bridge + Middle
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 6-7 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana 50 Gen 3 knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Contour
- 1
- Gain control
- 0
- Master volume
- 7
- Power control
- 3
- Volume control
- 0
- Presence control
- 5
- Variation button
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to a low level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Focus on dynamic pick attack to capture the punchy midrange characteristic.
- Experiment with the power control to find the sweet spot for your amp's response.
The original rig
What Pearl Jam used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Boss Katana 50 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 Gen 3 settings for Alive?
Set Gain 1.5, Bass 5.5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Reverb 1.5, Contour 1.
Which pickup should I use for Alive?
Neck + Middle, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 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?
These settings were adapted for a Jackson Dinky. 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 Gen 3
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Walk · Pantera
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Sultans of Swing · Dire Straits
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Smells Like Teen Spirit · Nirvana
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
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.