Flashback to almost 4 years ago when I was seriously unhappy with my tone and my search for sounding better always seemed to come up short. Over the years I played through tube amps, solid state amps, different guitars, I just could not get a tone that I was happy with. This all changed four years ago when a musician friend of mine, who had killer tone, told me I should look into a lightweight, mini-head that he was using by a company called Quilter Labs that he was currently using (the head was the Quilter 101 Mini). I had never heard of Quilter before (shame on me because the company has been around since the late 60’s) but checked out YouTube reviews and was pretty impressed with the sound. So, between his recommendation and the reviews I decided to spend the $399 for the head (I also purchased separately a Randal cabinet that housed a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker).
My tone changed overnight and, quite honestly, I have been a Quilter fanboy ever since. Fast forward to the present.
Recently I have decided to take the jump to the digital modeling realm. There are a lot of reasons for this, but mostly because of sheer number of tone scenarios I can create that are accessible via patches, and (the big reason) I don’t have to carry around heavy amps and cabinets – I can plug directly into the FOH (front of house) system. Very convenient. But, I knew I would need a backup system in case the modeler stopped functioning.
Enter the Quilter Superblock US (SBUS).
So, first off, what is the Quilter Superblock US? It is a amplifier that models three classic California amplifier voicing’s – 57 Tweed, 61 Blonde, and 65 Blackface all fitting into a slot about the size of a double width pedal. The SuperBlock fits the power of a 25 watt tube amp right on your pedalboard. It also allows for cabinet simulation of bright, normal and FRFR (Full Range, Full Response) and has all the controls you would expect a normal guitar amplifier to have as well as an FX loop, a XLR line out to go directly to the FOH system, or an unbalance 1/4″ speaker only to power a guitar cabinet. What is also nice is it can handle 4 and 16 ohm speakers as well, while the 8 ohm is the normal mode for it. It also has built in reverb and a limiter (which is really nice).
There is also a Superblock UK (SBUK) model that simulates British amplification (1979 Marshall JMP and the VOX AC Normal and Top Boost amps).
So, as a little background, I normally plays blues and blues rock music. This is the main reason I chose the US model over the UK model. These classic Fender amps the SBUS uses defined blues music. That being said, I use minimal pedals (a Keeley Compressor, a JHS Bonsai Overdrive, and a Electro-Harmonix Soul Food (set with no gain as a clean, Klon-style boost for leads) and a Cry Baby Jr Wah at the beginning of the chain. But, I can tell you for a fact and from experience one of the big pluses of Quilter amplifiers is the amount of clean headroom you get and how incredible they are with pedals.
Even at only 25 watts it is pretty loud. If you are like me and run it through the FOH system, volume is not an issue for any type of gig, small or large. The Superblock will handle it.
So, a little more about the cab sim and voicing. In normal circumstances, whether running through FOH or an external cabinet, you will find yourself using the Bright (BRT) or Normal cab sims in conjunction with your preferred voicing. But what is also nice is that you can bypass speaker emulation totally by using the FRFR setting. You might be saying, “Uhm, why would I do that?” Here is why. Let’s say, like me, you have a modeling unit or some other IR loader (i’ll make another post in the future discussing IR loaders). You can use them in FRFR mode, bypassing speaker emulation, and enjoy even more sonic options! I have not toyed with that as of yet with my modeling unit, but I see it in the future (yeah, another future post)!!
Some other outstanding features are a built-in limiter that helps with dynamic range compression, and FX loop that properly situates reverbs, delays, and preamp pedals, and (this is a real nice feature) is rated for 8-ohm cabinets; but can safely run a 4- or 16-ohm cabinet! And as I said before, the headroom on the SBUS (and really all Quilter amps) is incredible. The internal headroom is far above the published rated power. This means you get extra voltage swing, huge transients and, more importantly, the feel and harmonic content you can’t usually get without tubes.
And finally, there is the price tag. As of this posting the SBUS and SBUK both retail online at $299. That is a LOT of features for a minuscule price compared to other others trying to offer the same thing.
So, wrapping this all up, why should you consider a Quilter Superblock US?
- Versatility you cannot get in many amplifiers of the same price.
- Above average sound quality in three classic California amp settings, all house in a one unit.
- Headroom for days that make using it with or without pedals a joy.
- Compact unit that fits right on your pedalboard. Easy access, quick changes and less cables to run.
- Integration with other units, IR loaders, modelers, FOH systems, FX loops, etc.
That is a hard package to beat for around $300. The ONLY downside might be if you are playing an outdoor gig and (for whatever reason) cannot get connected to the FOH system and have to use an external cabinet. 25 watts is still pretty loud, but if you had to rely solely on that and an external cabinet, you might find your volume lacking. But seriously, who plays an outdoor show with a FOH system and does not at least putting a microphone on the instruments???
So, at the beginning I said I had started to move into the digital modeling world. I have. But honestly, I thought this Superblock US system was going to be my backup and so far it’s becoming my main board with the modeler as the backup. It’s just that versatile. I used it last night for my bands New Years Eve gig and it exceeded my expectations.
As I said, I am a Quilter fanboy, I cannot say enough great things about the company and the products. I would recommend the Superblock US to anyone who is interested in their tone, who wants to have a more versatile system, or likes the idea of keeping things compact and simple. This unit can do all that and more. I urge your to check one out!
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Quilter Guitar Amplifier Owners Group on Facebook
Quilter Labs SuperBlock US 25-watt Guitar Amplifier Pedal at Sweetwater