Quilter Bass Block

[acleex38]

I'd like to try my BB800 through a Markbass Standard 121 HR, Traveler 102P or 121H, or a New York 121. These are easy to find in local shops here.

I use the NY 121 and LOVE it. I also take it to the weekly open mic I help with to use as the "house amp" (I hate the bass rig that the bar actually owns so I've brought my own for 7 years). The BB800/NY 121 pair has been my go to for the last 18 months or so. Consistently great results and the only complaints are from one tube purist who brings his own head in and plugs it into the Markbass cab (without it sounding any better than the Quilter).

 

[kasbrey]

I'd like to try my BB800 through a Markbass Standard 121 HR, Traveler 102P or 121H, or a New York 121. These are easy to find in local shops here.

I've owned all of those at one time or the other and the Standard 121HR is my small cab set up at the moment. I really like it. It's a bit different to the others, a little more open sounding.

 

[Hypercaffium]

I use the NY 121 and LOVE it. I also take it to the weekly open mic I help with to use as the "house amp" (I hate the bass rig that the bar actually owns so I've brought my own for 7 years). The BB800/NY 121 pair has been my go to for the last 18 months or so. Consistently great results and the only complaints are from one tube purist who brings his own head in and plugs it into the Markbass cab (without it sounding any better than the Quilter).

Happy to hear that. I live in Italy and one of the local shops I go to have great prices for Markbass stuff. I think I'll take my BB800 with me at the shop during the weekend and test a couple of them.

I've owned all of those at one time or the other and the Standard 121HR is my small cab set up at the moment. I really like it. It's a bit different to the others, a little more open sounding.

I didn't test them but the 121HR is the one that attract me the most because of its versatility and the ability to take acoustic instruments very well. If it works so well I guess it's pretty flat, so it's an ideal companion for the BB800. What you mean with "open sounding" exactly?

 

[kasbrey]

What you mean with "open sounding" exactly?

A little less congested in the mids with a nice high end from the voice coil tweeter. Not as dark as the Traveler 121H for instance. Very natural sounding without being too "hifi".

 

[Hypercaffium]

A little less congested in the mids with a nice high end from the voice coil tweeter. Not as dark as the Traveler 121H for instance. Very natural sounding without being too "hifi".

I always prefer to have more high and and use the tone knob on the bass (or the amp) for a darker sound instead of having an always dark rig.
I play a passive Precision with flats, so it sounds a little bit dark by nature. The BB800 seems a flat/natural sounding amp to me, definitely not bright.
Mids don't bother me that much, but I prefer good balance of frequencies. I use an overdrive pedal to push mids, when needed.

 

[kasbrey]

I always prefer to have more high and and use the tone knob on the bass (or the amp) for a darker sound instead of having an always dark rig.
I play a passive Precision with flats, so it sounds a little bit dark by nature. The BB800 seems a flat/natural sounding amp to me, definitely not bright.
Mids don't bother me that much, but I prefer good balance of frequencies. I use an overdrive pedal to push mids, when needed.

Don't get me wrong, the STD 121 HR doesn't lack mids. I would say it has that good balance of frequencies you mentioned.

 

[Al Kraft]

Can anyone recommend an A/B switch to hook two basses up to my Quilter bass block?

My first instinct would be to look at the Radial Engineering website . They have at least a couple products that could help you with the job. Try this link: www.radialeng.com/product_category/instrument-switchers/ . There are other similar things out there from companies like Live Wire that might be less expensive if cost is a concern, but I've always had great luck with the quality on the Radial gear.

 

[Hypercaffium]

@Bass Momma I have this one and it works great:

 

[J.Wolf]

Can anyone recommend an A/B switch to hook two basses up to my Quilter bass block?

Lehle P Split.

 

[Al Kraft]

Lehle P Split.

@Bass Momma I have this one and it works great:
View attachment 3067403

I'm not 100% sure, but I think these particular boxes are more oriented towards using a single instrument and feeding two devices. Not all of these kind of devices will work either way.

The link I showed above was for instrument switching devices and a single amp. The Live Wire I was referring to (something like an ABY1 IIRC) can do both jobs.

 

[armybass]

I got my Quilter BB to be a backup several months back. I mainly use Fender Bassman Series Tube amps with Bassman Neo cabs for medium to larger gigs and my EA rig for smaller gigs.

Well since then I have had back surgery and summer has arrived with many of my gigs being out door. I don’t like taking the Tube amps out in the heat or the cold so the Quilter has been bumped up to first in the rotation and it is shining like a champ.

Get nothing but compliments on my tone and I can easily vary the head by myself and it works well with all of my cabs. A total win in my book.

 

[Al Kraft]

I got my Quilter BB to be a backup several months back. I mainly use Fender Bassman Series Tube amps with Bassman Neo cabs for medium to larger gigs and my EA rig for smaller gigs.

Well since then I have had back surgery and summer has arrived with many of my gigs being out door. I don’t like taking the Tube amps out in the heat or the cold so the Quilter has been bumped up to first in the rotation and it is shining like a champ.

Get nothing but compliments on my tone and I can easily vary the head by myself and it works well with all of my cabs. A total win in my book.

It's amazing to me what a well designed product with a minimal number of well chosen interactive voicing and tone shaping controls can do. This is truly a high quality, innovative design in many aspects.

 

[Chauffer]

Getting closer to getting a bass block. Local stores a bit light on them, but have some feelers out. The simple tone controls are actually a selling point for me. I am an unsophisticated bass player, and I normally just put the notes out and don't mess with eq a lot. I just like to hear loud and solid bass tones. My best setup ever was a neve clone preamp with a di input driving an old school pa amp in bridge mode--so I know what sounds great to me. It was very heavy, and this gear is long gone. That setup had no tone controls at all and I had no problem with it.

My warwick has treble, mid, and bass as well as a pull out knob to add some scoop or some such (under the hood its just a standard seymour duncan preamp). My ibanez has this plus two pickups, so a pickup balance knob and two switches that effect tone. So when I have all these and also some on the amp, I feel like there are too many tone knobs to play with and keep track of.

The other big selling point for me is that the output control appears to let one limit how much power they are dumping into their speakers. This would help me protect my 600 watt (on paper at least) 2x10 from abuse.

I like a design philosophy where folks have done a lot of listening and thinking and simplified the tone controls which I expect to be flat while I adjust tone on my bass. I also feel that Quilter has a good knowledge of how to make this technology reliable and long lasting due to the experience with pa gear. I feel like the mesa is a very safe option, but I feel the quilter is more aligned mojo-wise to my preferences.

Anybody have a recommended online dealer for these? I normally work with sweetwater due to their good service and liberal return policies if things don't go well. But they are not a quilter dealer.

Guitar Center, They have a 45 day return policy. If you can find a store and have ANYTHING to trade in you also get a 10% discount. I traded in some old gear and with the discount only had to come up with $59.10 for my new Bass Block.
The simple tone controls work great by the way...

 

[Jefenator]

Guitar Center, They have a 45 day return policy. If you can find a store and have ANYTHING to trade in you also get a 10% discount. I traded in some old gear and with the discount only had to come up with $59.10 for my new Bass Block.
The simple tone controls work great by the way...

I'm not the biggest Guitar Center fan but for the holidays they send out that extra generous coupon. That in conjunction with some other price break got me my BB800 for under $500, brand new.
I've seen some going for more used, here in the classifieds. I almost thought about "scalping" mine, except I'm using it.

 

[ebozzz]

I'm not the biggest Guitar Center fan but for the holidays they send out that extra generous coupon. That in conjunction with some other price break got me my BB800 for under $500, brand new.
I've seen some going for more used, here in the classifieds. I almost thought about "scalping" mine, except I'm using it.

That was similar to my experience. I saw one for under $500.00 new at a store but the return policy wasn't very forgiving. I'd not seen one locally so while I thought that I would like it, I didn't want to be rushed with my decision. One of the bigger outfits matched the price. Problem solved and it's still in house....

 

[Hypercaffium]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think these particular boxes are more oriented towards using a single instrument and feeding two devices. Not all of these kind of devices will work either way.

The link I showed above was for instrument switching devices and a single amp. The Live Wire I was referring to (something like an ABY1 IIRC) can do both jobs.

Yes, it's designed for using two different amps with a single instrument. I've used it also as a splitter of course. I don't think it would work for your needs but check the Radial website.

EDIT: Anyone using Barefaced cabs with the BB800?

 

[Al Kraft]

Anyone using Barefaced cabs with the BB800?

Seems like this could be an ultimate performance, small, lightweight rig.

 

[Hydron]

Used the BB800 again for a larger gig. Still having some issues with my tube head. Again the quilter did deliver. Got a big outdoor gig tomorrow. Not to worried for the quilter. I also did use the line out, no complaints from the sound guy.

 

[triode6L6a]

Anyone using Barefaced cabs with the BB800?

Yep, a year and half ago I was looking for a small setup that could still play big when required, and I ended up with a Barefaced BB2 as the cab. I tried GK800 and Mesa800+ heads with it, but ended up preferring the Quilter BB800. It's a potent combo that sounds great and is extremely easy to transport. Love it.

 

[edsand]

EDIT: Anyone using Barefaced cabs with the BB800?

BB800 with Barefaced 2x10 and loving it so far. "Girth!" Only one rehearsal and one gig so far on it, and I haven't turned the Master control beyond 140 Watts. Have an "outdoor' (tent) gig Saturday, we'll see. I don't anticipate any trouble.

Rehearsed tonight with 34 inch P/J, very very solid. Previously used it with short-scale Jaguar bass, and it revealed a good deal of blur in the lower half octave. Going try a fatter E string on the shorty when I get a chance.

500 watt cab, 800 watt amp, forty pounds delivered. Makes a lot of sense.

Barefaced 10 inch speakers have a voice or color that in my opinion works well with the BB800. Their 12 inch speakers can handle all the power, and are very transparent, I understand, so you will hear the amp's own voice more with the twelves.

[edit: complete sentences. spelling. Whisky corrections.]