Quilter Tone Block

**petermelton** · 03-18-2014, 07:03 PM

This thing is awesome! I spent the morning down at Quilter Labs in Costa Mesa testing it out and right away I knew I had to have one for myself. I brought two guitars and my pedal board down to do the test and was really pleased with everything. It takes pedals amazingly! They even had that old Crate head that gets mentioned down there to A/B and there really is no comparison. The Crate is super grainy sounding by itself and sounds like a can of angry bees when you hit it with an overdrive or distortion. The Tone Block killed it. The tone knob/ EQ curve knob on it is super flexible and if that isn't enough an EQ pedal can easily get you exactly what you're looking for. They're made in the USA and they're only $400. You owe it to yourself to try one. Now I just need to find a cab! Any recommendations?

Quilter Tone Block-970637_10203447360642671_871570149_n-jpg

Quilter Tone Block-970637_10203447360642671_871570149_n-jpg

**dmorash** · 03-18-2014, 08:30 PM

Looks interesting. Can you get a good clean jazz sound from it without a preamp? (Love that Golden Eagle in the pic)

**steves3972** · 03-18-2014, 08:42 PM

looks cool! yes I wonder how the clean jazz sound is and how loud it really is.

Would be interesting to know how it would pair up with a raezer's edge cab.

**petermelton** · 03-18-2014, 09:03 PM

The clean tone is awesome. It's plenty loud too. I made sure to plug straight in with the Heritage and test it out. The tone is very warm and has great note seperation. You can hear every note in the chord. I'll try to find some time and upload a video. Initially I'm very happy with this amp. I'll be testing it out Friday in 30 person orchestra for a musical unmiced in a pretty good sized theater too. If it can do that it can do anything.

**snoskier63** · 03-18-2014, 09:08 PM

Which model did you get?

**petermelton** · 03-18-2014, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by snoskier63

Which model did you get?

Tone Block 200

**snoskier63** · 03-18-2014, 09:20 PM

Sorry! I thought it looked like the Micropro 200 and didn't realize that Tone Block was the model.

**petermelton** · 03-18-2014, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by snoskier63

Sorry! I thought it looked like the Micropro 200 and didn't realize that Tone Block was the model.

No worries!

**jads57** · 03-18-2014, 10:40 PM

Great to hear that, I'm really pleased overall w/ my Aviator 1x12" combo as well.

**petermelton** · 03-19-2014, 02:43 AM

Today got even better. I called the local GC on a whim looking for a used cab and this is how the conversation went:

Hey do you have any used small 112 cabs?
Yeah I only have one it's a Mesa.
Awesome is it the small open back one?
Yes.
Great, how much and what speaker is in it?
179 and an original EV.
Does it work? I'll take it.

Score! I guess they just took it off police hold and they've already gotten a ton of calls. I love when GC doesn't know what they have.

**nick1994** · 03-19-2014, 04:07 AM

I must ask, what is that strat?

**petermelton** · 03-19-2014, 04:11 AM

Originally Posted by nick1994

I must ask, what is that strat?

It was made by Ron Kirn. It's easily the best strat I've ever played. He'll make whatever you want and he's great to work with. I highly recommend him if you're looking for a strat or tele.

**Woody Sound** · 03-19-2014, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by petermelton

Today got even better. I called the local GC on a whim looking for a used cab and this is how the conversation went:

Hey do you have any used small 112 cabs?
Yeah I only have one it's a Mesa.
Awesome is it the small open back one?
Yes.
Great, how much and what speaker is in it?
179 and an original EV.
Does it work? I'll take it.

Score! I guess they just took it off police hold and they've already gotten a ton of calls. I love when GC doesn't know what they have.

Score indeed! ENVY!

**pingu** · 03-19-2014, 11:13 AM

can you describe what the single tone control
does ?

also can you get a bit of valve type 'hair' or even 'dirt' on the sound plugging the guitar directly in
by up-ing the gain and reducing the output ?
(i don't mean using a pedal)

**petermelton** · 03-19-2014, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by pingu

can you describe what the single tone control
does ?

also can you get a bit of valve type 'hair' or even 'dirt' on the sound plugging the guitar directly in
by up-ing the gain and reducing the output ?
(i don't mean using a pedal)

Sure thing. The tone knob does three things. Two the left, counter cock wise, it scoops the mids and gives a nice Fender Blackface type tone. Straight up is a perfectly even no coloration flat EQ setting. To the right it rolls off a little bass and boosts the mids and highs.

The gain knob works exactly as you described. It gets a nice break up and gets pretty heavy if you turn it up all of the way.

**tejastani** · 03-19-2014, 07:26 PM

http://www.hotoneaudio.com/nanolegac...hinvasion.html

not sure how clean this is, but it's pretty cool...

unfortunate name, though... Don't know if it's hot one, or ho-tone...

**pingu** · 03-19-2014, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by petermelton

Sure thing. The tone knob does three things. Two the left, counter cock wise, it scoops the mids and gives a nice Fender Blackface type tone. Straight up is a perfectly even no coloration flat EQ setting. To the right it rolls off a little bass and boosts the mids and highs.

The gain knob works exactly as you described. It gets a nice break up and gets pretty heavy if you turn it up all of the way.

Thanks Peter , sounds great , I really like the small and minimalist vibe

does it get very hot , run hot thermally I mean .........

**petermelton** · 03-19-2014, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by tejastani

http://www.hotoneaudio.com/nanolegac...hinvasion.html

not sure how clean this is, but it's pretty cool...

unfortunate name, though... Don't know if it's hot one, or ho-tone...

That looks cool for practicing at home, but 5 watts isn't going to cut it at most gigs.

**petermelton** · 03-19-2014, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by pingu

does it get very hot , run hot thermally I mean .........

Not at all. I guess the way the transformers are they didn't even need to put a fan in it. I got to tour QSC yesterday and saw them being built. Amazing process.

**wells** · 11-27-2023, 09:27 PM

I got this recently. I have a Matchless Chieftain 2x10, a Fender Super Reverb (64), a custom made tube stereo amp with 2x12 Celestians bottom and a little Buger AC60 I used to play out with a couple of swing tune trios I was in.

I bought the Tone Block because I am 70, and I am tired of heaving these things around. The Matchless weighs 66 lbs. I am a tube nut, and love that sound. My Super still has its RCA Backplate 6L6s and it sounds wonderful.

So, I read the reviews, bought used, and now it's mine. WOW! I never expected the amp to deliver such tunable clean jazz tone. It isn't exactly like the Super, but its is very sweet, and more consistent. You can get whatever you want. For blues and classic rock it is also great.

Again, the tone and tube-ishness of the sound is amazing. I don't like fizzy, fuzzy, digitized tone, and this little amp is free of it. Does it have the sag of a great tube amp? Not quite, but very close. And, you know, it is about the size and weight of a meaty hardback book. The other amps are currently for sale.