Got the Quilter. Freaking loud through that Wizzy!
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Quilter Labs InterBass!
- Thread starter Cave Puppy
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- di interbass practice amp quilter small
I was shocked. I had played a GK MB200 through it a couple of years ago and the Quilter destroyed that amp's tone..
Yes it is. Part of it is that the Wizzy produces 103 dB @ 1 watt/1 meter, so should be as loud with a 200 watt amp as one of the many FRFR cabs that are rated at 97 dB sensitivity are with an 800 watt amp. The Interbass is really freakishly loud for a 45 watt amp, though. It must be rated conservatively.
This weekend I played an outdoor fall festival. First gig in a very long time. The stage was the usual trailer enclosed on three sides with a roof. And all amps and PA had to be powered with a single 115 volt extension cord run to the beer garden. Lord knows what else was plugged into that circuit. I had brought two 4 ohm Wizzy M-lines and my glorious 2-ohm capable Handbox R400 head. I also had a Trace Elliot Elf, which has been my backup for the last 2 years, and the Interbass, just for fun. I'd planned on using the Handbox with both cabs, as outdoors it's nice to have some extra oomph. But when I saw that we all had to share a single outlet, I thought maybe it was a good time to see what the 45 watt Class D Interbass could really do, at least for the first set. I plugged it into one of the M-Lines and we started.
Those semi-enclosed stages, if you've ever played through one, are a bit like playing inside a metal shipping container. The drums reflect really harshly off all the walls and ceiling, as does the amplified acoustic rhythm guitar. The steel player couldn't hear himself over the clamor and kept on turning up, as did I. The volume crept up steadily through the day as we all tried to hear ourselves over the racket of drum reflections. Classic vicious cycle volume wars. At the end of the day we were far louder than we normally play. I'd stayed with the Interbass for the entire 4 hour job, and it was LOUD and I still had rotation left on both the gain and master, and on my bass. And it was really nice and fat, and the D and G strings really spoke out nice and strong, right along with the B, E and A. Great bottom and articulation. Scarily close to the way the Handbox sounds, and about the size of two deck of cards. I almost hate to say it, but I don't know if I will ever play any gigs that it couldn't handle, and I never go through FOH.
By the way we managed just fine on our single extension cord for the entire band. I know that the Interbass was not wasting any juice on heat, as it stayed cool as can be.
My dilemma now is that I have two first rate tubey sounding backup heads in the Interbass and Elf, plus an EA Doubler, and of course the amazing Handbox. They all sound great, and they all will more than do the job. I can't play them all, though, and it's hard to justify keeping them all. The Handbox and Doubler are stable down to 2 ohms, so I can use 2 M-Lines with them, though it's not often I really NEED both M-Lines. So I'll probably never sell them. I also like the Doubler because it has an XLR input so I can use it as a PA head for solo, duo and trio gigs, if those ever come back into existence. But do I really need both the Elf and the Interbass? Want, yes, but need? No.
[Edit]--forgot to mention that as the band that followed us was setting up while we were tearing down, their bass player's son, who was running their PA, commented on how great the bass sounded out front. I just thanked him, as we were hustling to get our gear off and didn't have time to stop and chat. I didn't even mention that it was basically a pedalboard amp he was so impressed with.
This really is a golden age in terms of gear. So many unbelievable cabs and heads out there that are loud, light and sound amazing. Just wish we were able to play more gigs safely.
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I don't play out except with friends in town. I did not need the Quilter at all but it's cheap and is so loud through that Wizzy. It's not an apartment amp. Not like a little typical student amp. This thing shakes the floor. It is louder than my son's Roland Cube 120 bass amp. It is shocking. The amp must be in the power block mostly for sure. The pedal is like Tech 21 Bass Driver size and weight. Better Velcro it down because it'll become airborne. But the power block is no bigger than a little laptop supply. It is really well done. Dang, the overdrive is sweet. I love it. It's a keeper. The Wizzy sounds great with it. I don't think a lot of cabs would sound like the Wizzy with this amp. It's astonishing. lf you have a 4 Ohm Wizzy you're not using give the Interbass a try.
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Just unboxed mine....whoa. In over four decade of playing bass hardly anything has "wowed" me...but this bit of kit is absolutely the most amazing thing I have EVER plugged into. The sound I have always heard but never had. I can't wait to fully explore what it will help me accomplish. Utterly blown away. Thanks Quilter...this is the SOUND.
I have had the Quilter Interbass for about four months now. Tonally it is the same as the BB800 when in FR mode, and the VINT mode adds a nice old school effect. I find it has enough power with an efficient cab for moderate volume ("reasonable" jazz drummer) rehearsals/small venue gigs. I also use at as a preamp into the xlr line input of the BB800 for its additional tone controls and that VINT switch!! I find it a very useful piece of equipment. I have attached a comparison sample of the FR/VINT switch.
Quilter Interbass Full Range/Vintage Mode Comparison - YouTube
Quilter Interbass Full Range/Vintage Mode Comparison - YouTube
This TalentCell NB7101 looks like it can supply 24 volts of DC power at 3 amperes, so I'm thinking it could power the Quilter InterBass when a wall outlet is not available (e.g., on outdoor gigs/busking this summer). I've successfully used this exact device to power my Spark guitar/bass amp.
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Short update...had a mini session through the speakers (2x212 PVH) and whoaholycowjumpupandshout does this amp deliver the goods! I was skeptical even after all the accolades...what can I say? I have been severely disappointed too many times...I cannot express my "soldness" on the Quilter products. Even if I never gig again(FAT CHANCE!), I have the amp that will be my "little buddy" for many years to come. FANTASTIC product and well done~
^^^ +1 on Quilter build and Sound.
even the Microblock (Interbass's more petite old brother) does shockingly well in a group setting. I was sold on Quilter after doing a midsize gig—now my "micro rig" go-to setup!
even the Microblock (Interbass's more petite old brother) does shockingly well in a group setting. I was sold on Quilter after doing a midsize gig—now my "micro rig" go-to setup!
I'm running the Interbass with a 24V lithium tool battery as a portable rig. I've been getting around 10 hours at practice volumes on a 1-hr charge. I did a recent church gig with the Interbass as sole bass amp in a 2200 sq ft room seating 250. You would never guess it was only 45 watts when running into an efficient 1x15 cab. This thing has headroom even in that situation, and I was keeping the gain under 50% for a clean tone.
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Soulstew (im guessing you're addressing @bikemusic 's post/idea)
Ive seen a bunch of RC guys hack/mod or purchase kits for lithium tool battery hookups. Im assuming Bikemusic did something similar? It would be great to get a mount for the side of your pedalboard and just plug in a tool battery!
Ive seen a bunch of RC guys hack/mod or purchase kits for lithium tool battery hookups. Im assuming Bikemusic did something similar? It would be great to get a mount for the side of your pedalboard and just plug in a tool battery!
Sorry it took so long to reply. Talkbass was offline all afternoon yesterday. Here are some photos and details. This is my practice/busking rig, with the amp and battery stuck onto a 1x10 cab with velcro.
These are my settings for practicing, with the Master at 2 and the Gain at 4. You can see I like a lot of low end which the Hofner delivers even through that puny cabinet using the "Vint" mode (LaBella DTF flats on it of course). For performing I've had the Master around 5. I 3D-printed the battery adapter and put a toggle switch on it (why didn't Quilter put a switch on the Interbass?) It's convenient to have the knobs on the top where I can see them. Compared to a combo amp this is more versatile because I can toss the head and battery in my bass case. The venue where I play has an extra pair of these 15" PA speakers. I can daisy-chain both in parallel to get 4 ohms but so far I've only used one and it was loud enough for me even at 8 ohms. The Interbass has a line out if the sound man wants more control of FOH. They usually do.
Could you also use the charging port on the battery to get power out of it? (I don't have access or knowledge to use a 3D printer.)
It appears that the protection circuit on this particular battery has a different pin for charging/discharging. There are 3 contacts (charge, discharge, and ground) on it. However, there are adapters being sold for many brands of tool batteries. Here's one for a Kobalt 24v lithium battery, that I found in a quick eBay search.
This little box of wonder continues to impress. Running mine through 2 2x12 cabs (Peavey) and it has every great bass tone I've ever dreamed about. Really considering buying another for the bi-amp option and adding even more speakers...it's so chewy and gooey, but after that it can do anything else I coax out of it...absolutely amazing.
I wonder if the Quilter InterBass paired with a Phil Jones C2 would potentially get louder than my Phil Jones Double Four, even though the IB would push 33 watts at 8ohms in that scenario and the Double Four runs a 75 watts.
