Best light weight amp for pedal steel?

Dennis Lee · Post by **Dennis Lee** » 17 Oct 2022 4:23 pm

Chime in (pun) friends with your testimonials of the best light weight and portable steel amp on the market. Thanks!

Tony Dingus · Post by **Tony Dingus** » 17 Oct 2022 4:41 pm

I've got 2 Boss Katana 100's and I really like them. They're light weight and the Quilter is too.

Tony

Dennis Lee · Post by **Dennis Lee** » 17 Oct 2022 6:52 pm

Thanks Tony!

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 17 Oct 2022 7:47 pm

Quite like my Milkman ArfnArf.

Dennis Lee · Post by **Dennis Lee** » 17 Oct 2022 8:01 pm

Thanks, Ken! I have an 85w Milkman head with the 2-12 cabinet. That head is still pretty heavy, all by itself.

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 17 Oct 2022 8:49 pm

Yours is a Twin Reverb variant. Mine has a Class-D solid state power amp, and I would guess my combo weighs not too differently than your head. And runs about 200, admittedly transistorized, watts.

Bobby D. Jones · Post by **Bobby D. Jones** » 17 Oct 2022 10:24 pm

The Quilter Tone Block 202 Seems to be gaining a lot of use by steel players. At about 4 lb. weight and the Tone Block is a well deserved name.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 18 Oct 2022 1:59 am

Best on the market ?

That should bring out a few responses !

I no longer own a dedicated Steel amp, but I do have several amps that can be used for a Steel gig, such as my 60 lb Fender Hot Rod Deville . My STEEL rig these days is 5 lb DV Mark GH Little 250 head . It boasts 250 very clean watts ( with reverb ) into 4 ohms, I think 150 into 8 ohms, something like that. Excellent tones which include dialing out ( or in) excessive mids. If and when I gig on Steel I'll use either 1 cab or 2, depending on the room.

Is it the best on the market ? That would be a tuff sell, but it does offer a ton of clean power , excellent EQ and reverb, and it weighs 5 lbs ! Its certainly the best for me !

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 18 Oct 2022 2:09 am

Best combo amp for steel, Quilter Travis Toy 12, 27lbs. Period!

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 18 Oct 2022 3:42 am

Jack Stoner wrote:Best combo amp for steel, Quilter Travis Toy 12, 27lbs. Period!

Full agreement with you Jack... What I hear from this amp when I play just makes me smile.

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 18 Oct 2022 4:19 am

I vote TT 202 with Quilter 12” cab also! However, tho most won’t believe it, I get amazing results from the discontinued Aviator Gold with an 8” speaker sealed cab. Unbelievable low end, sweet mids, nice Reverb. It’s plenty loud even without the XRL DI into the house. Weighs about 20lbs and small as an airline carry-on. I used mine in a BroCountry band I was in next to the lead guitar who used a Marshall 50w amp and mine kept up no problem.

Dennis Lee · Post by **Dennis Lee** » 18 Oct 2022 5:53 am

Thank you, all my steel friends for your excellent advice. I really appreciate your taking the time to respond to my questions. You're all friends!

Gil James · Post by **Gil James** » 18 Oct 2022 7:06 am

Lightest?
Quilter Superblock...under 2#s
Best? Matter of personal taste, but this Superblock is an amazing piece of technology that can cut the mustard with steel and 6 string guitars. With a lightweight cab or straight in to PA or as a pre amp into a backline amp,it's pretty versatile.

Jim Cooley · Post by **Jim Cooley** » 18 Oct 2022 8:39 am

Another testimonial for the Quilter Block Dock 202. Light weight, versatility, plenty of power, good reverb. It just works.

Thomas Alexander · Post by **Thomas Alexander** » 18 Oct 2022 2:41 pm

I'm using a Milkman The Amp 100 with a TT12 speaker in a Mojotone Lite American 112 cab. The cab + cone are about 21 lbs, and the head is 3 lbs.

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 18 Oct 2022 5:56 pm

Quilter TT12 would be my choice … I have two Steelaires which are 15” speaker , and they are very compact , small and lightweight , so TT12 would be even smaller and lighter … probably gonna get me one of those in the near future …

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 18 Oct 2022 9:07 pm

For PSG, I love my Quilter ToneBlock 202 going into a Rick Johnson single 12 open back cabinet with a TT12 in it.

Dennis Lee · Post by **Dennis Lee** » 19 Oct 2022 9:24 am

The resounding recommendation has been Quilter. I have one on order. Thanks all for your help and consideration. What a great community of friends!

Johnie Helms · Post by **Johnie Helms** » 19 Oct 2022 4:17 pm

Don’t know bout the Quilters out there, (I’m sure there great) but, I have a Nashville 112 (USA) w/EPS lite weight Speaker.

Really was surprised with the Clean headroom and punch that this lil giant could produce.! Mite have to git a knob guard though.

Great little light weight amplifier…

JH

Ron Hogan · Post by **Ron Hogan** » 19 Oct 2022 5:32 pm

Tony Prior wrote:Best on the market ? That should bring out a few responses !

I no longer own a dedicated Steel amp, but I do have several amps that can be used for a Steel gig, such as my 60 lb Fender Hot Rod Deville . My STEEL rig these days is 5 lb DV Mark GH Little 250 head . It boasts 250 very clean watts ( with reverb ) into 4 ohms, I think 150 into 8 ohms, something like that. Excellent tones which include dialing out ( or in) excessive mids. If and when I gig on Steel I'll use either 1 cab or 2, depending on the room.

Is it the best on the market ? That would be a tuff sell, but it does offer a ton of clean power , excellent EQ and reverb, and it weighs 5 lbs ! Its certainly the best for me !

Tony what stand are you using for that DV mark head? can it be used with other small amps like that?

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 20 Oct 2022 5:40 am

Ron Hogan wrote:
Tony Prior wrote:Best on the market ? That should bring out a few responses !

Tony what stand are you using for that DV mark head? can it be used with other small amps like that?

Ron, I put this together from 2 different stands/trays . I know I had to turn the tray around so the amp head would fit.! The tray is 9 x 6 with a lip around the edges, I don't see why it would not work with other small amp heads. The LIP edge is great as the amp feet rest right at the LIP.

The TRI-POD is Ultimate Stands and the Tray is from ON Stage. I believe I first started using this to hold my Dobro Picks, Bar and Capo. I've always been a tinkerer of sorts, this time I actually tinkered something very useful!

Hope all this helps !

t

Earl Briggs · Post by **Earl Briggs** » 21 Oct 2022 5:07 pm

After using 2 evans ft 500’s for 35 years,I get everything I need from 1 Nashville 112 which I’ve been using for 2years now took a little bit to set up the way I wanted but that’s all I use now,great little amps,works for me and light too. !

Chris Brooks · Post by **Chris Brooks** » 22 Oct 2022 6:35 am

I have a Nashville 112 and a Roland Cube 80, even lighter. I like them both.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 22 Oct 2022 9:01 am

I use my roughly 4 pound Quilter Tone Block 201 a lot. Sounds great. No matter what I use, one of those is in my gig bag as a backup. It has saved my butt a couple of times when house backlines totally sucked. I just plugged the TB into their amp's speakers. Tone Block 202 is fine too - I just found some 201s for less than half the price, and I can find no fault with them. I always have reverb on my pedalboard.

Nashville 112 is just fine too. Not too heavy, in the mid-40 pound range weightwise. But it's hard to beat a 4 pound, 200 Watt head into a lightweight 12" speaker cabinet with a lightweight 12" 250-300 Watt neodymium speaker that comes to less than 20 pounds, and has power to spare.

Brooks Montgomery · Post by **Brooks Montgomery** » 22 Oct 2022 9:10 am

Dave, at the risk of thread drift, would you mind sharing how you set the (very unique) EQ settings on the 201 for pedal steel. And which amp voicing too.
I’ve always struggled to find a setting that I feel solid about.

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Best light weight amp for pedal steel?

Best light weight amp for pedal steel?

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