What Sounds Better Roland Blues Cube or Quilter Micro Pro Hd Combo

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Quilter Amps.... any good?

• Thread starter shrews824
• Start date Feb 26, 2019

• #21

I appreciate that. I would love to be able to play a couple just to gauge before I made a commitment to buy however. Unfortunately, there are not any places near me that stock them new or used. I'll be in Nashville in a little over a month so I may see if I can track one down there.

Yeah, that is kind of what I'm afraid of. Granted, I don't have a "vintage" tube amp, but there is something about those tubes working that I'm just not sure a solid state amp can emulate without the use of pedals or something to compensate. Please, please understand that I'm not ridiculing anyone for using a solid state amp at all. I'm sure these days they are great but I'm really wondering if they can have the dexterity of a tube amp when riding the volume on the guitar. Maybe. I'll just have to try one and see I guess.

Good to know. I could do with a preamp or something I'm sure. Thanks.

The little heads are fantastic to use as a backup or main gigging amp into your favorite speaker/cab. Uber portable and versatile. Can't really fault them for what they do they do it very well.

• #22

I've only listened to others playing these, such as giffenf above and I have to say that I am impressed with them. No, they do not sound as good as my vintage Deluxe Reverb or my Gretsch Executive with a JBL D-130. But they sound danged good, they are really portable and can handle any type of gig. Indoors, outdoors, loud, quiet -- they can handle it all. I would much rather listen to my tube amps. But I would much rather schlep around a Quilter. Onstage, no one will notice any difference, probably not even other guitar players. If I was gigging a lot, I would have one or more.

• #23

I played a friend's quilter powerblock 200 a couple weeks ago. It's awesome. Little difference if any compared to my tube amp. I'm goin got be getting one soon

• #24

I've got a 101 mini head, and I love it. Sure, its not a tube amp, but I run a Junior Barnyard in front of it and it comes damn close. And it weighs less than 5 pounds and fits in a backpack.

I've also asked a few questions at [email protected] and gotten concise, relevant responses from Pat Quilter himself. Great customer service, great product.

Last edited: Feb 26, 2019

• #25

Mr. Boals is too kind (I'm not that nice a guy, but this is one of my favorite topics so it's easy to think I am), but yes, I am a fan of Quilter amps, and I do play my electric guitars through them. But as Tavo noted, they sound better with a Nocturne pedal in front of them, and I almost always have an Atomic Brain between my guitar and whichever Quilter I'm playing through. But lots of guys use them without such pedals. People like Albert Lee, David Hidalgo, Gino Matteo, John Pisano, Howard Alden, et al, and these guys know a little about good tone.

If you go into the evaluation with the question "Do they sound as good as a good tube amp?," you'll most assuredly come away with the conclusion "No" (and you'll be right), but if you ask "Do they sound good?" you'd be hard-pressed to say they don't, because they do. I gig with mine regularly, either a Steelaire (which is supposed to be a steel guitar amp, but I play pretty clean most of the time so it's just fine for me), a Pro Block into a Frontliner 2x8 cabinet, a MicroPro Mach II-8 with the 12" extension cabinet, or the new InterBlock into a closed-back 1x15 with an Eminence Big Ben (the last one is my fave).

I'm always tinkering around with what I'm playing through, different cabs, different Quilter heads, and I can find combinations that don't sound great, but I can find a lot more that do. And that's another thing to love about Quilters: they don't care what speaker you plug them into. 4/8/16 ohms, or no speaker at all, they'll work fine. You may not get the full wattage out of them, depending upon what total impedance you end up with, but you'll get the sound, and you won't do any damage (to the amp; mind the power rating on your speakers; like Tavo said, the 200 watts is legit, so tormenting a Classic 30 with it will likely yield undesirable results). Chris Smith, our bass player in the Lizards, is a Quilter artist, and when we played Disneyland, the stage crew wanted a silent stage. He brought his Bass Block, I brought my Overdrive 200 block, and we used the DIs with no speaker cabs, and it sounded great out in the audience. It made load-in and -out a lot more fun, too. Every sound guy I've ever worked with has raved about how good the DIs in these amps sound.

You can call them great gigging amps, because they are, but I record with mine and they work really well for that. You can call them "geezer amps," because they're easy to transport for old guys (like me). You can call them solid-state amps, because they are. Just don't call them "modeling" amps, because they aren't. The circuitry may use transistors, but it's all (except for the reverb) analog.

So if you like tube amps, that's great, I do, too. So does Pat Quilter. But if you want an easy-to-transport, easy-to-feed-to-the-board, impedance-versatile amp that doesn't need maintenance, and still sounds really, really good, take a Quilter for a spin. I'll be playing bro-Country (and, mercifully, a healthy dose of classic Country) through mine in Norco all night on Friday, and recording rockabilly with it on Sunday. I can't wait.

Tell me about the Interblock.....I've been eyeballin' em.....

• #26

You might also check out Roland Blues Cubes or the new Nextone amp line.

I love my blues cube and there are plenty of other gigging guitarists who use them and are very happy. It's basic voice is Tweed so if you don't like that it gets pricey to add tone capsules.

The new Boss Nextones are getting a fair amount of praise too. Check out the videos from "that pedal show" and anderton's on you tube.

• #27

A real player friend of mine gave up his bassman for one. Wrong.

Soooo sorry, just not my thang. Sounds so anemic. Oh I get it,
very portable,

no one wants to see a 2 /12 cab on any type of stage.
And they offer all the cool add on's...etc. etc.

Well, come on down to hell or high water, I'm still giggin' what I have.
Reinhardt Vintage 50, 2 /12 cab plexi.
A sweet vintage Boogie mrkI re.

Sure, I get all the stares and comments. Whatever. Until they hear it.
My point being, I grew up with the fact, your going to need to haul
some gear and set up, big deal. Get there early. Get your sound.

"If you dig the Quilter sound, cool". I checked into it.
It's absolutely, positively and most certainly, not for Mr. Riley.

• #28

.
Also, if I may add a refutation, their great amps and who knows,
in the future if my needs and over inflated ego change...

...but until then...

Last edited: Feb 26, 2019

• #29

In looking for a lightweight but loud-enough amp, I spent a fun afternoon comparing Quilters to some vintage smaller tube amps. At the end of the day, I walked away feeling like A) tubes are what I'm used to and know how to use, but B) despite some sterility, I could absolutely gig with a Quilter and feel really good about it. It felt like a perfect no-fuss amp for someone who gigs a lot. I gig, but not like I used to, so I ended up with a lightweight tube amp, and don't regret it one bit. If I was gigging a whole lot, it might be a different story. As Tavo (I think) said, nobody in the audience is going to hear the difference, and odds are you barely could yourself at volume in the mix. It's not only not bad, it's a really, really good choice. It feels different, but the tradeoff is entirely worth it if portability and reliability are your chief needs.

• #30

A real player friend of mine gave up his bassman for one. Wrong.

Soooo sorry, just not my thang. Sounds so anemic. Oh I get it,
very portable,

no one wants to see a 2 /12 cab on any type of stage.
And they offer all the cool add on's...etc. etc.

Well, come on down to hell or high water, I'm still giggin' what I have.
Reinhardt Vintage 50, 2 /12 cab plexi.
A sweet vintage Boogie mrkI re.

Sure, I get all the stares and comments. Whatever. Until they hear it.
My point being, I grew up with the fact, your going to need to haul
some gear and set up, big deal. Get there early. Get your sound.

"If you dig the Quilter sound, cool". I checked into it.
It's absolutely, positively and most certainly, not for Mr. Riley.

Most of the guys I know using them, put them in a suitcase and gig internationally, not just stateside. Easier to ask for an extension cab for backline, plug in the Quilter and pedals, rock the joint and fly home.

• #31

OH YEAH IT DO ALL THAT

Wow! Just Wow!
I've been researching Quilter amps for some time. There's nothing local that I've been able to try out.
This is THE BEST demo I have seen for Quilter amps.
First, I am of your same mind set. Secondly, but not less, I love the way you play.
That amp sounds very, VERY good! And when you A/B'd it with the tube amp, I was shocked.
So now, I'm back in the hunt for one. Thinking the 100 watt reverb head would work and then it would be another hunt for which cab to use with it. I play so many styles it would have to be versatile and the more compact the better.
Thank you so much for this great demo!! I am quite impressed with the amp and again, with your playing!
Play on brother!!

• #32

ok so the consensus seems to be these Quilters do not sound like tube amps but still sound good.
And that's been the situation with the best solid state amps for over 10 yrs now.
Some people prefer the tone of solid state and modelling amps.

I don't think solid state amps have really improved much in the past 10 yrs.
The old Roland Cubes, JCs and Marshall Valvestates always sounded good imo - just not as great as most tube amps is all.

Question with the Quilter imo is.
In the solid state range are they better than a new Roland Blues Artist or Stage.
https://www.roland.com/au/products/blues_cube_stage/
Are they better than a Vox MV50 AC and several other top of the line lunch box sized amps?

I don't know but I suggest anyone considering buying should go test out all the main suspects.
I also warn you all about relying soley on youtube videos for tone decisions - they are completely useless for this imo.

Other thing for mature members here who are looking for small and light weight amps options.
There's just no need to go to solid state amps to get small, light weight and reliable.
There never was cause there's been really great small and light weight tube amp options around for over 10 yrs.

• #33

As for acoustic amplification they are top notch.

For electrics they are mostly considered meh.

• #34

As for acoustic amplification they are top notch.

For electrics they are mostly considered meh.

I have to disagree with you there is nothing "meh" about Quilter.
It took me along time to jump and I decided to buy one with the intention of sending it back and just be out shipping. I did just that and the Quilter stays and my 66 Pro Reverb I have owned over 12 years and Bandmaster 5E7 are now gone. My MicroPro Mach 2 is very much as tube sounding as the ones I just sold and others I have owned over the years. In the past 40 years I have owned and gigged with almost every black face Fender made and several tweeds all fine amps. I don't think anyone can really tell a difference between my Quilter in a live band gigging situation. Here are a few others that would probably disagree as well.
https://www.quilterlabs.com/index.php/artists

• #35

For anyone considering the Quilter products and to know if it is right for them is to just buy one. In this day and age of money back on line merchandising, fast shipping, easy returns, money back guaranty. Take advantage of the liberal buy and try it out return policies. Mom and Pop music, shoe, tool, hardware, stores etc. etc. etc. are dead or dying. Just buy one and actually play it in a setting where you will use it, with your band, your bedroom or wherever. If you don't like it send it back and be out shipping which will be less than anywhere you can drive to that might have what you want to try in stock but probably won't.

• #36

As for acoustic amplification they are top notch.

For electrics they are mostly considered meh.

Nothing meh about them. I agree with @rcboals... buy one on Reverb and try it. If it's not your thing, sell it. Quilter makes 100W and 200W heads that weigh less than 5 pounds. No tube amp head comes close to that, period. And they sound good.
It's not like you're cheating on your tube amps if you buy a Quilter. I've owned a ProBlock200 (too much), a MicroBlock45 (not enough) and now a 101 Mini (just right). They're fantastic. But at no time did I feel compelled to auction off my Gibson GA40.

• #37

Love this.

Not sure about distortion.

• #38

I have a very large collection of amps and most are tubes. I still own two Quilters. I have a 8" Aviator combo (200w) and a tiny 101 Reverb Mini (50W.) The Mini lives in my car along with a cable that gas a 1/4" phone plug on one end and two alligator clips on the other. When one of my old tube amps goes south in the middle of a gig the Quilter saves my bacon. I have it hooked up in less than a few minutes and it sounds good enough to complete my gig. It has saved my bacon a couple of times and band mates and buddies a few more.

Quilters are good amps.

• #39

For anyone considering the Quilter products and to know if it is right for them is to just buy one. In this day and age of money back on line merchandising, fast shipping, easy returns, money back guaranty. Take advantage of the liberal buy and try it out return policies. Mom and Pop music, shoe, tool, hardware, stores etc. etc. etc. are dead or dying. Just buy one and actually play it in a setting where you will use it, with your band, your bedroom or wherever. If you don't like it send it back and be out shipping which will be less than anywhere you can drive to that might have what you want to try in stock but probably won't.

Yeah I've been hearing about this no obligation return system you have in USA for a few years now and would definitely be taking advantage of it if I lived there. Unfortunately it's not offered in Aust and not in NZ or UK I don't think.

Can anyone comment if it's offered outside the US ?

• #40

Yeah I've been hearing about this no obligation return system you have in USA for a few years now and would definitely be taking advantage of it if I lived there. Unfortunately it's not offered in Aust and not in NZ or UK I don't think.

Can anyone comment if it's offered outside the US ?

Looks like most of your Australian sellers on Ebay don't accept returns. Here is a US seller that does accept returns for 60 days. As light as the Quilter heads are even shipping back from Australia wouldn't be bad. Look for ones from a US Seller there are several. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Quilter...=item26106adaaa:g:sPcAAOSwwDJcOnUy:rk:25:pf:0

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