Quilter Bass Block

[J.Wolf]

I had a Puma900 and I would never call it bulky in relation to the BB800. Probably the inverse actually. Its a pretty negligible point, truth be told. Unless you're NEEDING an amp to fit in your gig bag front pocket, the differences in size and weight are basically insignificant. Haul an SVT for a few months, then tell me you think either the Puma, TH500, GK, or BB800 is "bulky". haha

 

[J.Wolf]

Reminds me of the "I had a 44lb 2x12, but ever since I got my 41lb 2x12, the other one never leaves the house" type of thread.

 

[B-line]

In my case, I have the older 2-rack space version of the PUMA 500. Nonetheless:
None of the "micro" SMPS heads I own, as well as any others- Aguilar, Genzler, etc etc etc are in fact "Bulky".

BUT:

You'll note that I stated that IN COMPARISON to the BB880. That fact stands. In it's carrying case, it's ridiculously featherweight, much more compact in size to any of the others. That and its inherent tone & power give it the K.O.- Again IMO.

As for the other statements downplaying size factors: I have (3) all-tube rigs: Heads weighing in at 40- & 45 lbs respectively (Personally not interested in 80-lb SVTS), and a combo that's a bawl-busting 96 lbs. Thank gawd it has a wheeled transport system.

I worked the combo yesterday, and it absolutely rocks. (It's Mesa Buster 210 wedge). Rocks.
The tone from my tube heads are things of beauty.

But I gotta say- I'll keep ALL my tube rigs and my lead-sled (TFB-750A) until the end of time, but the Quilter BassBlock is something special.
Glad I got mine.

 

[J.Wolf]

I hear that. I guess I just disagree that the Puma 900 for example, is "bulky" compared to the Quilter. hell, my Puma900 fit in a 13" macbook sleeve.

Its really splitting hairs, I just try to respond to stuff I see that seems untrue, or paints an unrealistic picture for someone who has not owned both.

 

[B-line]

I used the term "Bulky" tongue in cheek. Sorry you missed that.
To imply that any of the micros are bulky, well shame on me!
For example, I used my GK on a recent recording session, the engineer was fascinated by it.
He couldn't believe the array of controls on that small faceplate. I even had to point out the switches he missed
up top; high/low boost, limiter, & contour! He's old-school, they have a B-15 in the room.
I've owned 2, and they are not fun to load-in & out.
The GK sounds great, I can cop a B-15 vibe with mine; my PUMA was/is one of my favorites; gotta love the "TASTE" control!

Still, to me: Pat Quilter nailed bass amplification with the BB.
I'd look forward to what's next from anyone!

 

[J.Wolf]

I used the term "Bulky" tongue in cheek. Sorry you missed that.
To imply that any of the micros are bulky, well shame on me!
For example, I used my GK on a recent recording session, the engineer was fascinated by it.
He couldn't believe the array of controls on that small faceplate. I even had to point out the switches he missed
up top; high/low boost, limiter, & contour! He's old-school, they have a B-15 in the room.
I've owned 2, and they are not fun to load-in & out.
The GK sounds great, I can cop a B-15 vibe with mine; my PUMA was/is one of my favorites; gotta love the "TASTE" control!

Still, to me: Pat Quilter nailed bass amplification with the BB.
I'd look forward to what's next from anyone!

With you there, the BB800 is pretty darn amazing, for a micro or otherwise. It seriously delivers. I really liked the puma, but found it to be a little hard to pocket in a mix. maybe it was the wide voicing, or the linear and clean midrange, but in the end i chalked it up to a lovely sounding head that didnt quite wor for what I was after and what i was doing. That taste control was and still is one of the best global EQ circuits ever made for bass!

 

[B-line]

My first "pro" bass amp (after the Silvertone guitar amp I used...in the beginning...) was a B-15N. Wish I still had it for collectability and tone, but moving along:

I've been playing awhile, and besides the 7 rigs I own now, Dayumn, there have been so many others due to GAS and circumstance.

Everybody out there over, what, 30 years old raise your hands if you remember MarkBass as being an epiphany, and even before that, Walter Woods for the affluent and in-the-know few!

The progression is truly amazing, and good for the player. Like I stated: What's next??

Because of this thread, 40-some pages back, I got intrigued by the BB, knew little of QSC (never used a rack rig) and knew NOTHING of Quilter amps-for guitar. (Why would I?)

I was so intrigued with what I read here on TB, and from Pat Quilter, I decided to go for it, thinking that if it was a bust, I'd send it back and in 3-5 days, my Credit Card would be the same!

I must say, I feel my GAS and amp buying days are over. If I weren't a hoarder and a variety-of-tone lover, I wouldn't mind getting rid of some gear for cash, but...

I now no longer GAS for a Monique, on which I just about pulled the trigger, or a Demeter, or the Bergie Bi-amp, or a Trickfish, or a Darkglass, or the MESA Subway, or bla-bla-bla....

I'm done. For real!

 

[Agosix]

My first "pro" bass amp (after the Silvertone guitar amp I used...in the beginning...) was a B-15N. Wish I still had it for collectability and tone, but moving along:

I've been playing awhile, and besides the 7 rigs I own now, Dayumn, there have been so many others due to GAS and circumstance.

Everybody out there over, what, 30 years old raise your hands if you remember MarkBass as being an epiphany, and even before that, Walter Woods for the affluent and in-the-know few!

The progression is truly amazing, and good for the player. Like I stated: What's next??

Because of this thread, 40-some pages back, I got intrigued by the BB, knew little of QSC (never used a rack rig) and knew NOTHING of Quilter amps-for guitar. (Why would I?)

I was so intrigued with what I read here on TB, and from Pat Quilter, I decided to go for it, thinking that if it was a bust, I'd send it back and in 3-5 days, my Credit Card would be the same!

I must say, I feel my GAS and amp buying days are over. If I weren't a hoarder and a variety-of-tone lover, I wouldn't mind getting rid of some gear for cash, but...

I now no longer GAS for a Monique, on which I just about pulled the trigger, or a Demeter, or the Bergie Bi-amp, or a Trickfish, or a Darkglass, or the MESA Subway, or bla-bla-bla....

I'm done. For real!

I have a Monique and the Quilter. They are very close in tone. The Monique has a certain quality to it. However the Quilter does greatly satisfy in tone, heft, format, price when compared to the others mentioned. You made a great choice.

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

My first "pro" bass amp (after the Silvertone guitar amp I used...in the beginning...) was a B-15N. Wish I still had it for collectability and tone, but moving along:

I've been playing awhile, and besides the 7 rigs I own now, Dayumn, there have been so many others due to GAS and circumstance.

Everybody out there over, what, 30 years old raise your hands if you remember MarkBass as being an epiphany, and even before that, Walter Woods for the affluent and in-the-know few!

The progression is truly amazing, and good for the player. Like I stated: What's next??

Because of this thread, 40-some pages back, I got intrigued by the BB, knew little of QSC (never used a rack rig) and knew NOTHING of Quilter amps-for guitar. (Why would I?)

I was so intrigued with what I read here on TB, and from Pat Quilter, I decided to go for it, thinking that if it was a bust, I'd send it back and in 3-5 days, my Credit Card would be the same!

I must say, I feel my GAS and amp buying days are over. If I weren't a hoarder and a variety-of-tone lover, I wouldn't mind getting rid of some gear for cash, but...

I now no longer GAS for a Monique, on which I just about pulled the trigger, or a Demeter, or the Bergie Bi-amp, or a Trickfish, or a Darkglass, or the MESA Subway, or bla-bla-bla....

I'm done. For real!

Same boat. While I've never been a tone hoarder, i've always strived for the tone in my head. Clean, tubey, warm, flat.
I've used a lot of stuff, and thought I had my dream tone with the Orange TerrorBass with low-gain tubes and set frequency flat.
Then I tried a Quilter.
I just had to rack my Quilter for my road gig (irony notwithstanding) and I seriously miss it on gigs where I now have to use the Orange.
I'm likely gonna sell the Orange and get a second Quilter.
It's the end of my tone chasing.

 

[CharlieC]

I have a short laundry list of things I would like to see improved on the BB800. By this I mean simply improve what is already there, yet somewhat lacking or dis-jointed. My personal opinion is that the BB800 is much more the performance amp than studio amp at this time. It is not quite the honed product yet, nor should it be for a first-release.

Despite the above, I have yet to find a better sounding and playing micro amp than the Quilter.

If sound and feel are top-requirement, look no further, but with a little product refinement I believe it will be game over.

Cheers!

 

[B-line]

I have a Monique and the Quilter. They are very close in tone. The Monique has a certain quality to it. However the Quilter does greatly satisfy in tone, heft, format, price when compared to the others mentioned. You made a great choice.

OK I admit it...I'm a dawggone LIAR!

No, not really. But I still have at least subliminal GAS for Monique if only because I know what sounds I could get out of her.
I'd love to see/hear it with my Bergie cab; it would rock for sure.

But true that about the BassBlock, it IS all that + chips, and the price point is a joy to behold, considering.
Maybe Quilter will revise/revamp a 2nd generation, if so you'll see a lot of version 1's on the market.
FWIW, I'm totally happy with what they've done & can't imagine a better, stiffer, more powerful PUNCH from a rig.

It made me recall a post on TB in amps maybe a few years back; some may remember. It was by far the most amusing testimony I've ever read. It concerned the now- discontinued Bergantino IP series.
The poster went on like:
"This thing is from MARS! Aliens built it! It is the end-all, be-all of amps! A world-changer! A Miracle! I need to sit down!"
I paraphrase, but I swear he went off like that, & more!

I won't do that about the BassBlock, but I maintain that it is something very unique and special among the current fine crop of bass gear. At or near the top.

 

[Agosix]

OK I admit it...I'm a dawggone LIAR!

No, not really. But I still have at least subliminal GAS for Monique if only because I know what sounds I could get out of her.
I'd love to see/hear it with my Bergie cab; it would rock for sure.

But true that about the BassBlock, it IS all that + chips, and the price point is a joy to behold, considering.
Maybe Quilter will revise/revamp a 2nd generation, if so you'll see a lot of version 1's on the market.
FWIW, I'm totally happy with what they've done & can't imagine a better, stiffer, more powerful PUNCH from a rig.

It made me recall a post on TB in amps maybe a few years back; some may remember. It was by far the most amusing testimony I've ever read. It concerned the now- discontinued Bergantino IP series.
The poster went on like:
"This thing is from MARS! Aliens built it! It is the end-all, be-all of amps! A world-changer! A Miracle! I need to sit down!"
I paraphrase, but I swear he went off like that, & more!

I won't do that about the BassBlock, but I maintain that it is something very unique and special among the current fine crop of bass gear. At or near the top.

From owning both amps they both leave my ears satisfied. Monique always does but at the time I was looking for a small class D and found a used one on TB. The satisfaction in the ears is the test. Other class d heads left an irritating or an unfulfilled quality to my ears. The only other class d head I liked was the Orange Terror Bass. It was similar in warmth, punch and presence but it had a little dirt in there no matter how clean I tried to drive it. Hands down the Quilter took its place. I got the Quilter originally as a back up amp but now I have two main amps and depending on mood and venue I get to pick which one and never feel at any sonic loss.

 

[madbanjoman]

There's a Youtube video of a TB member demoing a Tone Block 200 or 201 as a bass amp.
Sounded pretty good.
And Pat Quilter has said that they'll work great on bass, evening recommending them to folks who want a bass amp with "character" but still want the Quilter portability and reliability.

That's me. Here's the link.



I love it so much I just bought another Quilter, a mach 2 head.

I play DB/EUB mostly now so I don't need the power of the TB 200 for the gigs I do, but still use it as a guitar head. My band is doing a Monkees tribute thing for a upcoming gig and the guitars will be running through my quilters.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I used the term "Bulky" tongue in cheek. Sorry you missed that.
To imply that any of the micros are bulky, well shame on me!
For example, I used my GK on a recent recording session, the engineer was fascinated by it.
He couldn't believe the array of controls on that small faceplate. I even had to point out the switches he missed
up top; high/low boost, limiter, & contour! He's old-school, they have a B-15 in the room.
I've owned 2, and they are not fun to load-in & out.
The GK sounds great, I can cop a B-15 vibe with mine; my PUMA was/is one of my favorites; gotta love the "TASTE" control!

Still, to me: Pat Quilter nailed bass amplification with the BB.
I'd look forward to what's next from anyone!

I got what you were saying. You weren't saying that it made the Puma feel like an SVT.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I hear that. I guess I just disagree that the Puma 900 for example, is "bulky" compared to the Quilter. hell, my Puma900 fit in a 13" macbook sleeve.

Its really splitting hairs, I just try to respond to stuff I see that seems untrue, or paints an unrealistic picture for someone who has not owned both.

Fitting into a 13" sleeve makes it similar in bulkiness to an 8.5" wide amp.


Talkbass.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I have a short laundry list of things I would like to see improved on the BB800. By this I mean simply improve what is already there, yet somewhat lacking or dis-jointed. My personal opinion is that the BB800 is much more the performance amp than studio amp at this time. It is not quite the honed product yet, nor should it be for a first-release.

Despite the above, I have yet to find a better sounding and playing micro amp than the Quilter.

If sound and feel are top-requirement, look no further, but with a little product refinement I believe it will be game over.

Cheers!

So far the only change I'd really like is making
the Master independent of the line out. What issues are on your list? Just curious.

 

[wmhill]

Fitting into a 13" sleeve makes it similar in bulkiness to an 8.5" wide amp.


Talkbass.

My puma 900 fits nicely in my bass case, bulk isn't an issue.

 

[CharlieC]

So far the only change I'd really like is making
the Master independent of the line out. What issues are on your list? Just curious.

My issues here --> NAD: Quilter Bass Block 800

 

[B-line]

Brad:

I got what you were saying. You weren't saying that it made the Puma feel like an SVT.

No, only like a V4B

And BTW (not a paid endorsement-unfortunately!) But the Quilter w/ a Tank1215-(maybe in red/black?) I'll wager OMG.
GOT to check my Credit Card situation

 

[B-line]

BULK!!

Sorry, I couldn't resist, & sorry for the picture quality!
Shown here is the comparison in size & weight between the microscopic Quilter and the GINORMOUS PUMA 500 (2-rack space version no less). Horrors!... You know I'm having fun, right?? (Don't want anybody upset).

For the record:
I purchased the PUMA as my 3rd micro-head several years back, after owning, in order of purchase:
NEO-PAK 3.5 (I LOVED that head!)
Little Mark III (Also impressed!)

When the PUMA came, I was blown away, it had much richer tone centers, thick and full, simply beautiful. Best sounding head I heard in a long time. With a Genz-Benz Neo 210, I had (still have) a fantastic small/mid room rig, the great DI makes it a big room rig too if needed.

As of today's scorecard, If a gun were pointed to my head, and I was told I could only keep but (1) head:

The Quilter stays.