I just ran the line out into my Crest ST2000 in bridged mono mode (@ 2K watts/8 ohms) and walloped the snot out of my Barefaced BB2. Holy moly, what a glorious racket!!! Second BB2 and Tantra to arrive soon,Thunder to follow!
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Has anyone tried the BB800 with a Schroeder cab maybe a 1212pl or 1012pl?
I am thinking about pick one up and just wondering if it was a good match for the quilter?
I am thinking about pick one up and just wondering if it was a good match for the quilter?
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
I was hoping to see a miniature power amp - along the lines of the Demeter Minnie 800D but cheaper and maybe a little smaller - pedal board size.
Here is my Quilter BB800 on my pedal board. It works great and sounds amazing.
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First new amp in over a decade - bought a Rumble 500 last week, it's a great amp but left me a bit disappointed. Girlfriend encouraged me to go try a Subway D-800 at a local shop here in our desolate red-dirt state...ended up leaving with a BB800, free speak-on cable, and a nifty "First 100 Certificate" which I thought was a nice touch. I know we don't have an official Quilter-holics Emotional Support Group here yet, but I figured I'd post about being the newest convert to the Quilter stuff.
My initial impressions and some highlights:
- Purpose: I believe the BB800 is built to let your individual instrument shine through. By that, I mean that your P-Bass will sound like a P-Bass, your Ibanez will sound like an Ibanez etc. Coloration is essentially non-existent on this amp. It's all about warm, clean, and clear without being sterile (my definition of sterile/cold sounding is SWR, MarkBass and the new Acoustic stuff). You can't hide behind a signature "sound" with this amp like an Ampeg or GK grind. For me this is perfect because I like my MusicMan for different reasons than I like my Schecter and I expect them to offer me unique tones. The BB800 takes the best of your favorite bass and makes it loud. If you want to color your tone, I think it would play nice with any pedals you throw in front of it. I actually had a thought of putting velcro on top then mounting a couple of pedals on top and having the whole kit on the floor for ultra-portability purposes.
Oh and it's built tough...the guy at the shop put it on the floor and stood on it; sales gimmick or not, I was impressed and I'm sure he wouldn't have tried that with a PF500 or Bugera Veyron.
- Depth Knob: this is your booty knob. All the way left = white girl. All the way right = J-Lo. Really there to add some "thunder" to your sound, as much or as little as you want. I could see this coming in handy if you played a boomy kind if place with a lot of hardwood or something and needed to dial back.
- Contour Knob: All the way left = mid-scoop. All the way right = a treble cut (to my ears anyway). This knob is happiest IMO right at noon.
Actually, I think this whole amp sounds great set completely flat. Gain, depth, contour, and master all at noon gives a very full sound that doesn't feel like it's lacking anything. I've found that I don't need to deviate very much from the flat position to get a sound I like. I'm still trying to get a punchy Mike Dirnt tone out of this, but haven't been able to locate it...if anyone has a suggestion, PLEASE enlighten me!
- Mute Button: Not a traditional in/out button, but as someone else here has already said it's a momentary contact push. And yes I have a slight bump but it isn't loud or off-putting.
- Master Volume: No gigs yet, but I've now played the head through two cabs: a GK 410 (8ohm) and a SWR 210 (8 ohm). With the instrument volume maxed, I'd say that with the gain at 5 (noon), you need to have the master at 5+ to be at what I would consider a giggable volume. Now, once you push the gain to 7-8 and the master to 7-8 things really start to open up and get pretty intense. Maybe when I try it with a 4ohm cab I'll feel differently, but right now I don't necessarily think the BB800 is insanely loud. Hopefully someone can chime in on this and set me straight.
As far as break-up or overdrive go, there's really none to speak of that I've encountered, but I think that's the point. This thing is crystal clear all the way to the tippy top of Loud Mountain.
- Other Things to Note: the knobs feel fantastic...they are a glossy kind of plastic (or maybe urethane of some sort? I don't know my materials, forgive me), turn smooth, and are notched. It's only 4 pounds but the aluminum is rugged and robust (see my note about the salesman standing on the amp). Nothing gives off the impression of cheap at all. Fan is quiet, stays cool. And for some reason, my cat really REALLY likes the smell of the amp...he just sits on top of the cab with his nose pressed to the unit. So, props to Pat Quilter for making the little dude happy.
- Final Thoughts: $600 and 800 watts, the BB800 is impressive and affordable. Reliability and longevity is my highest priority and hopefully Quilter will deliver on that front. If you're looking for pretty lights, on-board tuners, effects, or an over-driven grinding type of sound then this probably isn't the amp for you. It's simple, clean (trending to the warm side), straight-forward, and incredibly easy to use. Like a good crock-pot recipe, set it and forget it.
I'm attaching a couple of pictures, but we all know what it looks like so I'm not sure what the point is. Please ignore my SWR cab, it's quite old and will soon be sold off. If anyone has recs for a replacement to pair with the BB800, I'm all ears. I'm not sure if Quilter even makes bass cabs (yet).
My initial impressions and some highlights:
- Purpose: I believe the BB800 is built to let your individual instrument shine through. By that, I mean that your P-Bass will sound like a P-Bass, your Ibanez will sound like an Ibanez etc. Coloration is essentially non-existent on this amp. It's all about warm, clean, and clear without being sterile (my definition of sterile/cold sounding is SWR, MarkBass and the new Acoustic stuff). You can't hide behind a signature "sound" with this amp like an Ampeg or GK grind. For me this is perfect because I like my MusicMan for different reasons than I like my Schecter and I expect them to offer me unique tones. The BB800 takes the best of your favorite bass and makes it loud. If you want to color your tone, I think it would play nice with any pedals you throw in front of it. I actually had a thought of putting velcro on top then mounting a couple of pedals on top and having the whole kit on the floor for ultra-portability purposes.
Oh and it's built tough...the guy at the shop put it on the floor and stood on it; sales gimmick or not, I was impressed and I'm sure he wouldn't have tried that with a PF500 or Bugera Veyron.
- Depth Knob: this is your booty knob. All the way left = white girl. All the way right = J-Lo. Really there to add some "thunder" to your sound, as much or as little as you want. I could see this coming in handy if you played a boomy kind if place with a lot of hardwood or something and needed to dial back.
- Contour Knob: All the way left = mid-scoop. All the way right = a treble cut (to my ears anyway). This knob is happiest IMO right at noon.
Actually, I think this whole amp sounds great set completely flat. Gain, depth, contour, and master all at noon gives a very full sound that doesn't feel like it's lacking anything. I've found that I don't need to deviate very much from the flat position to get a sound I like. I'm still trying to get a punchy Mike Dirnt tone out of this, but haven't been able to locate it...if anyone has a suggestion, PLEASE enlighten me!
- Mute Button: Not a traditional in/out button, but as someone else here has already said it's a momentary contact push. And yes I have a slight bump but it isn't loud or off-putting.
- Master Volume: No gigs yet, but I've now played the head through two cabs: a GK 410 (8ohm) and a SWR 210 (8 ohm). With the instrument volume maxed, I'd say that with the gain at 5 (noon), you need to have the master at 5+ to be at what I would consider a giggable volume. Now, once you push the gain to 7-8 and the master to 7-8 things really start to open up and get pretty intense. Maybe when I try it with a 4ohm cab I'll feel differently, but right now I don't necessarily think the BB800 is insanely loud. Hopefully someone can chime in on this and set me straight.
As far as break-up or overdrive go, there's really none to speak of that I've encountered, but I think that's the point. This thing is crystal clear all the way to the tippy top of Loud Mountain.
- Other Things to Note: the knobs feel fantastic...they are a glossy kind of plastic (or maybe urethane of some sort? I don't know my materials, forgive me), turn smooth, and are notched. It's only 4 pounds but the aluminum is rugged and robust (see my note about the salesman standing on the amp). Nothing gives off the impression of cheap at all. Fan is quiet, stays cool. And for some reason, my cat really REALLY likes the smell of the amp...he just sits on top of the cab with his nose pressed to the unit. So, props to Pat Quilter for making the little dude happy.
- Final Thoughts: $600 and 800 watts, the BB800 is impressive and affordable. Reliability and longevity is my highest priority and hopefully Quilter will deliver on that front. If you're looking for pretty lights, on-board tuners, effects, or an over-driven grinding type of sound then this probably isn't the amp for you. It's simple, clean (trending to the warm side), straight-forward, and incredibly easy to use. Like a good crock-pot recipe, set it and forget it.
I'm attaching a couple of pictures, but we all know what it looks like so I'm not sure what the point is. Please ignore my SWR cab, it's quite old and will soon be sold off. If anyone has recs for a replacement to pair with the BB800, I'm all ears. I'm not sure if Quilter even makes bass cabs (yet).
First new amp in over a decade - bought a Rumble 500 last week, it's a great amp but left me a bit disappointed. Girlfriend encouraged me to go try a Subway D-800 at a local shop here in our desolate red-dirt state...ended up leaving with a BB800, free speak-on cable, and a nifty "First 100 Certificate" which I thought was a nice touch. I know we don't have an official Quilter-holics Emotional Support Group here yet, but I figured I'd post about being the newest convert to the Quilter stuff.
My initial impressions and some highlights:
- Purpose: I believe the BB800 is built to let your individual instrument shine through. By that, I mean that your P-Bass will sound like a P-Bass, your Ibanez will sound like an Ibanez etc. Coloration is essentially non-existent on this amp. It's all about warm, clean, and clear without being sterile (my definition of sterile/cold sounding is SWR, MarkBass and the new Acoustic stuff). You can't hide behind a signature "sound" with this amp like an Ampeg or GK grind. For me this is perfect because I like my MusicMan for different reasons than I like my Schecter and I expect them to offer me unique tones. The BB800 takes the best of your favorite bass and makes it loud. If you want to color your tone, I think it would play nice with any pedals you throw in front of it. I actually had a thought of putting velcro on top then mounting a couple of pedals on top and having the whole kit on the floor for ultra-portability purposes.
Oh and it's built tough...the guy at the shop put it on the floor and stood on it; sales gimmick or not, I was impressed and I'm sure he wouldn't have tried that with a PF500 or Bugera Veyron.
- Depth Knob: this is your booty knob. All the way left = white girl. All the way right = J-Lo. Really there to add some "thunder" to your sound, as much or as little as you want. I could see this coming in handy if you played a boomy kind if place with a lot of hardwood or something and needed to dial back.
- Contour Knob: All the way left = mid-scoop. All the way right = a treble cut (to my ears anyway). This knob is happiest IMO right at noon.
Actually, I think this whole amp sounds great set completely flat. Gain, depth, contour, and master all at noon gives a very full sound that doesn't feel like it's lacking anything. I've found that I don't need to deviate very much from the flat position to get a sound I like. I'm still trying to get a punchy Mike Dirnt tone out of this, but haven't been able to locate it...if anyone has a suggestion, PLEASE enlighten me!
- Mute Button: Not a traditional in/out button, but as someone else here has already said it's a momentary contact push. And yes I have a slight bump but it isn't loud or off-putting.
- Master Volume: No gigs yet, but I've now played the head through two cabs: a GK 410 (8ohm) and a SWR 210 (8 ohm). With the instrument volume maxed, I'd say that with the gain at 5 (noon), you need to have the master at 5+ to be at what I would consider a giggable volume. Now, once you push the gain to 7-8 and the master to 7-8 things really start to open up and get pretty intense. Maybe when I try it with a 4ohm cab I'll feel differently, but right now I don't necessarily think the BB800 is insanely loud. Hopefully someone can chime in on this and set me straight.
As far as break-up or overdrive go, there's really none to speak of that I've encountered, but I think that's the point. This thing is crystal clear all the way to the tippy top of Loud Mountain.
- Other Things to Note: the knobs feel fantastic...they are a glossy kind of plastic (or maybe urethane of some sort? I don't know my materials, forgive me), turn smooth, and are notched. It's only 4 pounds but the aluminum is rugged and robust (see my note about the salesman standing on the amp). Nothing gives off the impression of cheap at all. Fan is quiet, stays cool. And for some reason, my cat really REALLY likes the smell of the amp...he just sits on top of the cab with his nose pressed to the unit. So, props to Pat Quilter for making the little dude happy.
- Final Thoughts: $600 and 800 watts, the BB800 is impressive and affordable. Reliability and longevity is my highest priority and hopefully Quilter will deliver on that front. If you're looking for pretty lights, on-board tuners, effects, or an over-driven grinding type of sound then this probably isn't the amp for you. It's simple, clean (trending to the warm side), straight-forward, and incredibly easy to use. Like a good crock-pot recipe, set it and forget it.
I'm attaching a couple of pictures, but we all know what it looks like so I'm not sure what the point is. Please ignore my SWR cab, it's quite old and will soon be sold off. If anyone has recs for a replacement to pair with the BB800, I'm all ears. I'm not sure if Quilter even makes bass cabs (yet).
Great review!
... and as a recent purchaser myself, I add that this amp can be had for $540 USD to one's door with a 10% off online promotion.
I was as well, but now after purchase of one, all sins are forgiven!
Yes, this amp is really that good and a total home run!
Today's thoughts: Quilter as a pre into Crest ST 2000 is quite remarkable. The power amp in the Quilter is no slouch but is not (@ 8ohms mind you) the 2K watts available from the Crest. The Quilter drives the cabinet (Barefaced Big Baby 2) to a loud volume and sounds great. The Quilter/Crest combo is another beast altogether. And beast it is. Wow! I look forward to running the Quilter at 4 ohms. I'll have to break out a couple more cabs tomorrow. My other finding is that when compared to my Alembic F1X the Quilter (set flat - no other settings investigated) sounds better to me. The Alembic and the Detemter pres were voted best sounding in a shootout in Bass Player Magazine many years ago. It is a very nice preamp but the Quilter is more present and ballsy by far.I have some time on my hands now so I'll be experimenting with various combos which will include the Quilter as a pre or power amp and some of which will compare it to other amps. I hope you all find some value or entertainment in this . If not I won't post a bunch of useless stuff here. Let me know.
Beyond all expectations, thank you, Pat Quilter!
The Q BB800 in action over the weekend in Las Vegas. I brought it as a backup for a "supplied backline."
(Zoom in to see it on the 410)
Ends up we rented the ampeg 410 from GC & I let all the bands use it as well as the amp as the backline. Everybody loved it.
(The sound co. said "they thought they didn't need to bring an ampeg 810 like last year, etc." Lesson: always bring the Q BB800.)
(Zoom in to see it on the 410)
Ends up we rented the ampeg 410 from GC & I let all the bands use it as well as the amp as the backline. Everybody loved it.
(The sound co. said "they thought they didn't need to bring an ampeg 810 like last year, etc." Lesson: always bring the Q BB800.)
First new amp in over a decade - bought a Rumble 500 last week, it's a great amp but left me a bit disappointed. Girlfriend encouraged me to go try a Subway D-800 at a local shop here in our desolate red-dirt state...ended up leaving with a BB800, free speak-on cable, and a nifty "First 100 Certificate" which I thought was a nice touch. I know we don't have an official Quilter-holics Emotional Support Group here yet, but I figured I'd post about being the newest convert to the Quilter stuff.
My initial impressions and some highlights:
- Purpose: I believe the BB800 is built to let your individual instrument shine through. By that, I mean that your P-Bass will sound like a P-Bass, your Ibanez will sound like an Ibanez etc. Coloration is essentially non-existent on this amp. It's all about warm, clean, and clear without being sterile (my definition of sterile/cold sounding is SWR, MarkBass and the new Acoustic stuff). You can't hide behind a signature "sound" with this amp like an Ampeg or GK grind. For me this is perfect because I like my MusicMan for different reasons than I like my Schecter and I expect them to offer me unique tones. The BB800 takes the best of your favorite bass and makes it loud. If you want to color your tone, I think it would play nice with any pedals you throw in front of it. I actually had a thought of putting velcro on top then mounting a couple of pedals on top and having the whole kit on the floor for ultra-portability purposes.
Oh and it's built tough...the guy at the shop put it on the floor and stood on it; sales gimmick or not, I was impressed and I'm sure he wouldn't have tried that with a PF500 or Bugera Veyron.
- Depth Knob: this is your booty knob. All the way left = white girl. All the way right = J-Lo. Really there to add some "thunder" to your sound, as much or as little as you want. I could see this coming in handy if you played a boomy kind if place with a lot of hardwood or something and needed to dial back.
- Contour Knob: All the way left = mid-scoop. All the way right = a treble cut (to my ears anyway). This knob is happiest IMO right at noon.
Actually, I think this whole amp sounds great set completely flat. Gain, depth, contour, and master all at noon gives a very full sound that doesn't feel like it's lacking anything. I've found that I don't need to deviate very much from the flat position to get a sound I like. I'm still trying to get a punchy Mike Dirnt tone out of this, but haven't been able to locate it...if anyone has a suggestion, PLEASE enlighten me!
- Mute Button: Not a traditional in/out button, but as someone else here has already said it's a momentary contact push. And yes I have a slight bump but it isn't loud or off-putting.
- Master Volume: No gigs yet, but I've now played the head through two cabs: a GK 410 (8ohm) and a SWR 210 (8 ohm). With the instrument volume maxed, I'd say that with the gain at 5 (noon), you need to have the master at 5+ to be at what I would consider a giggable volume. Now, once you push the gain to 7-8 and the master to 7-8 things really start to open up and get pretty intense. Maybe when I try it with a 4ohm cab I'll feel differently, but right now I don't necessarily think the BB800 is insanely loud. Hopefully someone can chime in on this and set me straight.
As far as break-up or overdrive go, there's really none to speak of that I've encountered, but I think that's the point. This thing is crystal clear all the way to the tippy top of Loud Mountain.
- Other Things to Note: the knobs feel fantastic...they are a glossy kind of plastic (or maybe urethane of some sort? I don't know my materials, forgive me), turn smooth, and are notched. It's only 4 pounds but the aluminum is rugged and robust (see my note about the salesman standing on the amp). Nothing gives off the impression of cheap at all. Fan is quiet, stays cool. And for some reason, my cat really REALLY likes the smell of the amp...he just sits on top of the cab with his nose pressed to the unit. So, props to Pat Quilter for making the little dude happy.
- Final Thoughts: $600 and 800 watts, the BB800 is impressive and affordable. Reliability and longevity is my highest priority and hopefully Quilter will deliver on that front. If you're looking for pretty lights, on-board tuners, effects, or an over-driven grinding type of sound then this probably isn't the amp for you. It's simple, clean (trending to the warm side), straight-forward, and incredibly easy to use. Like a good crock-pot recipe, set it and forget it.
I'm attaching a couple of pictures, but we all know what it looks like so I'm not sure what the point is. Please ignore my SWR cab, it's quite old and will soon be sold off. If anyone has recs for a replacement to pair with the BB800, I'm all ears. I'm not sure if Quilter even makes bass cabs (yet).
Pretty spot on review there.
This is a great approach to bass amplification. Here were my settings at this weekends gig with a passive PJ, and a 4ohm 212 with the tweeter off. Worked out beautifully.
Seems like the wireless unit is putting out a pretty hefty signal. Have you tried coming in to the active input and raising the gain? Might make for a better gain structure. If not I'll go back to twiddling my thumbs. Just a thought. Glad you like the amp!
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I hear ya on both points. I use a 212 and same for me, tweeter off. How are you liking that Shure? I was just looking for one after our guitarist got his and went "outside" playing through it and you could hear everything so clear. Very impressive. But for bass? Are you digging it?
I have the gain on the wireless set so it comes through the same as my cable would with these basses. This way if I every needed to switch quickly in an emergency, there would/should be no noticeable difference.
After much experimenting, I liked what I heard with this particular gain and master setting on the Quilter on this particular gig and cab setup.
The cab on this night was my Markbass 122. Was looking for a quick and light 1 cab solution for this gig.
I love the Shure. It's worked great for me for the last few years. No dropouts and a clear signal.
After much experimenting, I liked what I heard with this particular gain and master setting on the Quilter on this particular gig and cab setup.
The cab on this night was my Markbass 122. Was looking for a quick and light 1 cab solution for this gig.
I love the Shure. It's worked great for me for the last few years. No dropouts and a clear signal.
I also have the Shure system and have run it in everything from small clubs to MLB games and it has performed flawlessly with no appreciable loss of sound quality. The 16 hours of battery life and built in tuner are nice to have as well.
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Definitely going to try these settings out soon.
So to make sure I've got this right, you're using a 4 ohm cab which means the master is putting out about...140 or 150ish watts? And if the cab was 8 ohm, it would be 70-75?
I'm still new to this unit and trying to get the controls all straight in my head!
So to make sure I've got this right, you're using a 4 ohm cab which means the master is putting out about...140 or 150ish watts? And if the cab was 8 ohm, it would be 70-75?
I'm still new to this unit and trying to get the controls all straight in my head!
Put a Darkglass pedal in front of the Quilter and now you can have both worlds and additional flexibility
