| Author |
Topic: Quiter vs. Vintage Fender |
Mark Hershey
From:
New York, USA
|
Posted 28 Jul 2016 6:13 am |
|
I saw a Dave Zirbel post a video of his Quilter Mach 3 the other week. Sounded great and was the first time I have heard of these amps. Did some further research and listened to several more demos.
Going off the videos I listened to, I still give an edge to Fender tube amps. That being said I think this is the first company that has me optimistic that through technological innovation we will soon be able to make great vintage tone affordable in a light weight combo. Am I wrong? Anyone like their Quilter just as much as those old heavy Fenders? |
|
|
|
MIchael Bean
From:
North Of Boston
|
|
|
|
John Sluszny
From:
Brussels, Belgium
|
|
|
|
Mark Hershey
From:
New York, USA
|
Posted 28 Jul 2016 10:30 am Re: Quiter vs. Vintage Fender
|
|
Whoops, I think conflated part of the name of the Gillette Mach 3 with the with the name of this amp. |
|
|
|
Les Cargill
From:
Oklahoma City, Ok, USA
|
Posted 28 Jul 2016 10:37 am
|
|
They're just different.
I went with a Steelaire for two reasons.
One, I was overdriving the initial tube on a Reissue Twin when I checked one out. Turns out this is the exact problem I was having with a Blues Deluxe. I could buy a buffer, but that didn't appeal to me at all. Why buy an amp that has a ... legendary input and not use it?
Two, the Reissue the guy who plays Tele in the current band uses gets kind of swampy and unclear at times. That's probably the pilot and not the crate, but the Steelaire simply lacks this problem. It's clean and defined at all volume levels.
I've always had a preference for solid state amps, even for armpit guitar. When driven properly, they sit in the mix better in my experience. There's less "moosh". I started forming this opinion back in the '80s when guys would have Peavey Reknowns and Bandits.
Bottom line, though? I could evaluate the Steelaire at home, taking advantage of a thirty day online sales return policy. Chasing used Twins ( having become somewhat disenchanted with the Reissues - for complicated reasons it didn't even really replace my (modded) Blues Deluxe for pure six string gigs ) was just too much trouble. |
|
|
|
Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
|
Posted 28 Jul 2016 1:04 pm
|
|
I've got both, a quilter, and a vintage twin.
They sound different, but I'll try to make some observations.
The twin has a unique sound, and I like it. Classic Fender tube sound. Mine has a K 130. It weighs a ton.
The Quilter sounds very warm. The EQ, to me, is far more adjustable. Much easier to fine tune. The 3 knob reverb is a great feature. The Dwell and tone knob really help to tailor the reverb, which I like. The switchable effects loop, with its own power source is a real plus. Now I have delay, which stays in the amp. It's all throw and go. There is a leg mounted channel switching gizmo, if you choose to do so. Did I mention it's a featherweight ?
The warm tone, effects loop for a bit of delay, and light weight is hard to beat on the Quilter. It sounded really good as is, but I put in my Altec 418B speaker, and it sounds really sweet. The quilter offers 4 and 8 ohm output, so no problem.
I find myself leaving the twin at home, and preferring the Quilter. It's not just the weight issue. I'll allways keep the twin, but tubes and old amps are perishable commodities, requiring occasional maintainance. New solid state gear, not so much.
That being said, a lot of what I consider " holy grail " of tone ( for me ) was recorded on a twin. There is some magic in those glass bottles as well.
If Lloyd or Tom Brumley had to choose from both amps in the 60's, ......who knows ? |
|
|
|
Don Mogle
From:
Round Rock, TX, USA
|
Posted 28 Jul 2016 5:16 pm Lloyd
|
|
As far as I know, Lloyd Green is STILL using a Fender Twin Reverb (blackface) for recording.
DLM |
|
|
|
Steve Spitz
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
|
Posted 28 Jul 2016 5:55 pm
|
|
Don, I'll bet you're correct about that. No need to change horses in the middle of a stream.
My jobs are a bit less demanding than Lloyds session work, and I'm no Lloyd.
The jobs I play, I'm not sure anyone would notice any great difference. |
|
|
|
Joseph Napolitano
From:
New Jersey, USA
|
Posted 28 Jul 2016 6:13 pm
|
|
| I'd really like to try a Quilter, Telonics, Webb, etc..but I've been disappointed by every solid state amp I've ever tried. I've heard the "this time it's different " speech too, but it never was for me. I double on guitar , and that's usually the deal breaker. |
|
|
|
Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
|
Posted 28 Jul 2016 6:21 pm
|
|
| Quote: |
| I double on guitar , and that's usually the deal breaker. |
The way I feel about my Quilter is that it works great for steel but I want my tubes for guitar.......not that it sounds terrible or anything.
_________________
Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
|
|
|
Dave Stroud
From:
Texas
|
Posted 28 Jul 2016 8:26 pm
|
|
| I would still like to hear a comparison of a Sarno V8/ Quilter Tone Block rig with a vintage Fender head.... or anything all-tube. |
|
|
|
Carl Mesrobian
From:
Salem, Massachusetts, USA
|
Posted 28 Jul 2016 8:53 pm
|
|
| Joseph Napolitano wrote: |
| I'd really like to try a Quilter, Telonics, Webb, etc..but I've been disappointed by every solid state amp I've ever tried. I've heard the "this time it's different " speech too, but it never was for me. I double on guitar , and that's usually the deal breaker. |
Designers have had since the 50's to come up with a solid state amp that knocks you out with its sound and yet people are still paying big money for 50 year old tube amps. Is there a message here?
_________________
--carl
"The better it gets, the fewer of us know it." Ray Brown |
|
|
|
David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
|
Posted 29 Jul 2016 1:35 am
|
|
| The main thing I dislike about most solid-state amps is their obsessive design compromises in order to make it sound more like a tube amp. The great solid-state amps - Roland Jazz Chorus, some Cubes, the Gibson Lab series, the Yamaha G100, the Polytome amp used by jazz guitarists, Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight - they are designed to sound GOOD, not "like" something they're not. |
|
|
|
Mark Hershey
From:
New York, USA
|
Posted 29 Jul 2016 7:29 am
|
|
| Dave Stroud wrote: |
| I would still like to hear a comparison of a Sarno V8/ Quilter Tone Block rig with a vintage Fender head.... or anything all-tube. |
So these can be used as a power amp as well? |
|
|
|
Les Cargill
From:
Oklahoma City, Ok, USA
|
Posted 29 Jul 2016 10:15 am
|
|
| Dave Zirbel wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I double on guitar , and that's usually the deal breaker. |
The way I feel about my Quilter is that it works great for steel but I want my tubes for guitar.......not that it sounds terrible or anything. |
The "Steelaire with a modeller in the F/X loop" approach is working for me for now. The modeller mainly provides the alternate EQ needed for six string, although I use the reverb, chorus, tremolo and a little bit of crunch there too. I believe I get better audibility this way; it may not sound like the Twin soloed, but it mixes very well.
Tele-guy, again, has a Twin and it gets a bit blurry sounding at times. The Steelaire cuts better, is more defined and allows me to turn down when it's needed. But I'm sort of biased towards solid state amps in the first place. |
|
|
|
Les Cargill
From:
Oklahoma City, Ok, USA
|
Posted 29 Jul 2016 10:28 am
|
|
| Carl Mesrobian wrote: |
| Joseph Napolitano wrote: |
| I'd really like to try a Quilter, Telonics, Webb, etc..but I've been disappointed by every solid state amp I've ever tried. I've heard the "this time it's different " speech too, but it never was for me. I double on guitar , and that's usually the deal breaker. |
Designers have had since the 50's to come up with a solid state amp that knocks you out with its sound and yet people are still paying big money for 50 year old tube amps. Is there a message here? |
Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
If you'll recall, the the 70s/early '80s saw a lot of high quality solid state amps become quite popular. The Lab Series, various Peavey ( Bandits & Reknown ), G&K, the Roland JC, even the earlier Marshall MOSFETs. Fender London amps and their descendants are good amps. At one point, you couldn't give old tube Fenders away.
IMO, the swing back to tube amps seems to have happened concurrent with the rise of the Internet in the 1990s, along with the expansion of big-box MI stores. |
|
|
|
MIchael Bean
From:
North Of Boston
|
Posted 29 Jul 2016 10:43 am
|
|
| Joseph Napolitano wrote: |
| I'd really like to try a Quilter, Telonics, Webb, etc..but I've been disappointed by every solid state amp I've ever tried. I've heard the "this time it's different " speech too, but it never was for me. I double on guitar , and that's usually the deal breaker. |
I also play Tele through my Quilter. It sounds great. I use some stompbox EQ's to compensate for the different instruments, but the Quilter hasn't let me down at all. It's actually more versatile than my tube amps.
_________________
www.facebook.com/michaelbeanmusic
https://www.instagram.com/michaelbeanmusic/ |
|
|
|
Mark Hershey
From:
New York, USA
|
Posted 29 Jul 2016 11:14 am
|
|
| Les Cargill wrote: |
| Carl Mesrobian wrote: |
| Joseph Napolitano wrote: |
| I'd really like to try a Quilter, Telonics, Webb, etc..but I've been disappointed by every solid state amp I've ever tried. I've heard the "this time it's different " speech too, but it never was for me. I double on guitar , and that's usually the deal breaker. |
Designers have had since the 50's to come up with a solid state amp that knocks you out with its sound and yet people are still paying big money for 50 year old tube amps. Is there a message here? |
Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
If you'll recall, the the 70s/early '80s saw a lot of high quality solid state amps become quite popular. The Lab Series, various Peavey ( Bandits & Reknown ), G&K, the Roland JC, even the earlier Marshall MOSFETs. Fender London amps and their descendants are good amps. At one point, you couldn't give old tube Fenders away.
IMO, the swing back to tube amps seems to have happened concurrent with the rise of the Internet in the 1990s, along with the expansion of big-box MI stores. |
All I know is a product like Quilter has me optimistic about the future. I'm very open to the idea of technology making heavy tube amps obsolete. |
|
|
|
Dave Stroud
From:
Texas
|
Posted 29 Jul 2016 11:52 am
|
|
| Mark Hershey wrote: |
| Dave Stroud wrote: |
| I would still like to hear a comparison of a Sarno V8/ Quilter Tone Block rig with a vintage Fender head.... or anything all-tube. |
So these can be used as a power amp as well? |
Some people have been using them as a power amp with a Sarno preamp in front. It seems like a pretty good idea. It would be even better if there was a steel version of the tone block. You could just set it in an extension cab to make a powered cabinet. |
|
|
|
Larry Chung
From:
San Francisco, CA, USA
|
Posted 29 Jul 2016 2:39 pm
|
|
On the advice of a friend at the shop, I tried out the Quilter Mach 2 a couple of days ago. A pretty excellent solid-state amp. I'm a total tube amp guy, and Fender Twins are my go-to. However, the Mach 2 really delivers a lovely, lush, clean sound (even without the reverb section) and some respectable and realistic grit, bite, and nuance. Very musical, dimensional sound. Much like a great tube amp.
The most surprising thing(s) to me are - the weight, it's super-light, compact, too, not much more than my Princeton Reverb (25lbs?); and the power, plenty of it, in a small package. The gigging musician's amp.
I only played electric guitar through it, but was mightily impressed with the responsiveness of the multi-band EQ, the High Cut, and yes, the 3-control reverb was lovely. Backlit controls are a big plus, too. On a less effusive note, not so impressed with the tremolo section, although it can be super-slow and wobbly, which most tube amps don't even do. The amp control layout I found a little confusing, a lot of knobs in a very small space, but that's the price you pay for flexibility and portability, I suppose.
When adding the 1x12 extension cabinet, it went from BIG to HUGE.
I own a Twin, a Webb, and have tried a bunch of tube and SS amps over the years, and this will stand tough and tall with any of them. |
|
|
|
David Nugent
From:
Gum Spring, Va.
|
Posted 29 Jul 2016 3:23 pm
|
|
| Was curious as to the differences (if any) in the 'MachPro Mach II' and the 'Aviator', do they both share the same preamp, power amp section? The 'Aviator' appears to be a more basic unit and devoid of features some steel players would not find useful (also a tad less expensive!). |
|
|
|
John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 29 Jul 2016 6:06 pm
|
|
Never been a solid state guy,,,, except for the Lab I had many years ago. Went back to a split Twin. I use a patch cord to go from the Reverb Out to the Normal channel In. Gives quite a nice bit of extra control to the reverb. But it's going up for sale, as I now have a Dr. Z Surgical Steel, and I've never heard anything better!
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps |
|
|
|
Carl Mesrobian
From:
Salem, Massachusetts, USA
|
Posted 29 Jul 2016 9:05 pm
|
|
John - I looked on the Dr Z site and didn't see the amp you own. Is yours a prototype or discontinued?
_________________
--carl
"The better it gets, the fewer of us know it." Ray Brown |
|
|
|
John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 29 Jul 2016 9:12 pm
|
|
Mine is the prototype, but he's sold several. I'll give him a call.
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps |
|
|
|
Carl Mesrobian
From:
Salem, Massachusetts, USA
|
Posted 29 Jul 2016 9:16 pm
|
|
Found it - they are about $3K.
_________________
--carl
"The better it gets, the fewer of us know it." Ray Brown |
|
|
|
