Mini Review Quilter OD200 amp / Blockdock 12HD cab

**jzucker** · 01-08-2019, 06:15 PM

Since I'm home sick, i wanted to write up a small, mini review of the Quilter Overdrive 200 head and the Quilter BlockDock 12HD cab.

I've been playing a quilter prototype combo for the last year and really love it. So much so that I have switched from playing my fractal modeling amp, and have gone back to playing through a regular amp. Quilter has developed a circuit that is extremely tube-like without being a modeling device. Not sure how they do it but it really works. The gain control and master work very well and push very naturally into slight overdrive (if that's what you want) though with the OD200, you have so much gain on tap that you can play literally ear-splitting volume levels with no distortion (if that's what you want).

The OD200 is based on a dumble preamp which is based on a black face fender preamp. In the past, I had a difficult time dialing in my particular tone on the early quilter amps because their tone controls didn't work the way I "hear" things. This amp is different. Everything about the tone controls works like you would expect a fender amp to work. Very intuitive and no nasally, honky tones. It weighs around 4bs.

Unfortunately, the OD200 does not have reverb. Reverb has become a crutch for me and I'm not comfortable without it! So...I plugged in a Strymon Flint (using the plate setting). I assume the effect loop is serial but I was using all my effects in front of the amp.

Over the last couple of days I have used it with my '63 Gibson Barney Kessel as well as my Kiesel Zeus guitars.

The prototype combo I've been playing through has a ceramic 50w celestion speaker in it but the model # is not on the magnet so I'm not sure which model it is. I've really grown to love that speaker. Very nice cleans and great overdriven tones.

The blockdock cab is a marvel. It's 18.25" x 16" x 10.75" in size and weighs less than 20lbs! One way it accomplishes this is that it uses the celestion BN12-300s speaker which uses a neodymium magnet and weighs only 4.4lbs!

The cab has got a recessed dock in the back that you can mount your block-series quilter amp in and thumbscrews which holds the amp in the dock. Both the cab and the amp come with nice gigbags. When docked, it's a little bigger than something you'd carry on the subway I think but they also make a 10" version of the cab.

Anyway, onto the sound. Beautifully clear and GUITARISTIC! I've been so disappointed with many of the high end jazz (oriented) guitar amps in that most of them were basically PA heads with the tone controls in the wrong place, with little to no personality and no organic feel to them.

NOT the quilter! If you prefer playing through a fender amp vs. the majority of SS jazz guitar amps, I think you will like this amp. I'm not claiming it sounds like a fender but it has some of the fender's organic quality. And if you like the '90s style studio reference jazz guitar amp, this setup can do that too!

Plugging my kiesel in along with a vertex alpha drive, tri-avatar chorus, faux tape echo and the flint, I was able to dial in a variety of modern tones and styles ranging from holdsworthian fusion to Landau inspired chords. At first I thought the BN300s sounded a bit too stiff for fusion tones but after going back and forth between it and the ceramic celestion in the other cab, I realized the BN12-300s was tighter and more focused in the bass. It sacrifices a little bit of snarl where you would get cone-cry on the cheaper speaker that you don't hear in the better speaker so for certain types of roots music or blues expressiveness, I suppose you are giving up something but to me it's more than an acceptable compromise. And it holds up so much better for clean playing that for me it's well worth it.

I have heard this speaker described as very similar to an EV12L but at 1/4 the weight and without the mid hump. I need some more time before I'm able to agree 100% but my initial impression is that i would agree with that statement. I also want to mention that I have tried 7-10 NEO speakers and have never found one that wasn't honky, mid-rangey or ice-picky (until now).

Obviously, this is still the honeymoon phase but I wanted to capture my initial thoughts on it. I'll update more when I've had a chance to do more with it.

Big thanks to Peter Melton for answering all my questions!

Forgive the sloppyness and disheveled appearance (moreso than usual), I have the worst flu of my life!

Mini Review Quilter OD200 amp / Blockdock 12HD cab-20190108_171131-jpg

**entresz** · 01-08-2019, 07:33 PM

Thank you for writing this review!
It's very hard to find anything but heavy metal demos/reviews about this amp.

I have a Quilter Aviator Twin Ten and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. There's a certain mid range honk that is really bugging me, and I also find it's voiced quite bright. I've actually started schlepping about my ancient/heavy Peavey Session 400 as it hasn't got the mid honk and still has the headroom I need.

Does this OD200 have the "honk" like the Aviator?

**jzucker** · 01-08-2019, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by entresz

Thank you for writing this review!
It's very hard to find anything but heavy metal demos/reviews about this amp.

I have a Quilter Aviator Twin Ten and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. There's a certain mid range honk that is really bugging me, and I also find it's voiced quite bright. I've actually started schlepping about my ancient/heavy Peavey Session 400 as it hasn't got the mid honk and still has the headroom I need.

Does this OD200 have the "honk" like the Aviator?

No, it does not have the mid range honk. The aviator also didn't work for me because of that and because of the tone control voicing but this amp is very clear and neutral sounding. To me, it sounds like a SS version of a fender amp with the tone controls all in the right place.

I added a clip in the original posting.

**fabiansey** · 01-09-2019, 08:28 AM

Thank you for the review-very apreciated.
I have been thinking about getting the 101 Reverb with the 10 blockdock box, seems like a very transport friendly blackface version.
have you ever tried the 101 reverb version and can you compare it to the od 200? The od 200 does not fit the 10 blockdock.

**Woody Sound** · 01-09-2019, 09:58 AM

Can you talk more about, or demo, the combo?

**mad dog** · 01-09-2019, 11:14 AM

You've got me so curious about this OD200 amp. I had the aviator head, and the 101mini head with reverb. Just couldn't get comfortable with the sound, not even sure why. But this sounds great. That cool BK doesn't hurt one bit. Feel better Jack.
MD

**jzucker** · 01-09-2019, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

Can you talk more about, or demo, the combo?

Unfortunately, no. They decided not to make it a product and I'm bound to a N/D agreement on it.

**jzucker** · 01-09-2019, 04:06 PM

i tried the 101 when it first came out. I liked it but I prefer having a full set of tone controls. It's a different preamp voicing too...

**gmek** · 01-09-2019, 07:07 PM

Nice review, thanks. I'd really like to compare it to the 101R I have (and love). It has the standard tone controls. It's kind of the baby brother of the OD200 but has reverb. The reverb is could be better, but it works for me.

**jzucker** · 01-09-2019, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by guitarmek

Nice review, thanks. I'd really like to compare it to the 101R I have (and love). It has the standard tone controls. It's kind of the baby brother of the OD200 but has reverb. The reverb is could be better, but it works for me.

It's been a long time since I tried that one. On my prototype and on the OD200, the preamp is perfectly voiced for fender influenced tones. Not sure about the 101R. Maybe Peter Melton can comment?

**gmek** · 01-09-2019, 10:32 PM

I think it's very Fender-ish (they say more Fender with the mid control down, more Dumble with it up). When I plugged my Deluxe's speaker into it it sounded very comparable. Not a clone, but close enough to make me happy.

Is this the same Peter? petes-special | Quilter Performance Amplification

**mad dog** · 01-10-2019, 09:29 AM

Curious about the DV Mark Greg Howe SS head, 250 watts. Anyone have experience with how it compares to the Quilter OD200?

**Woody Sound** · 01-10-2019, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by jzucker

Unfortunately, no. They decided not to make it a product and I'm bound to a N/D agreement on it.

I figured that, too bad.

**Woody Sound** · 01-10-2019, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by mad dog

Curious about the DV Mark Greg Howe SS head, 250 watts. Anyone have experience with how it compares to the Quilter OD200?

I tried out the similar 250M. Other than amazing volume, I did not like it at all. Changing one control alters the way others work. And the reverb was horrible. Like a fast quivering delay. But I can't say if the Howe model has the same quirks or not. Would love to try one out with no commitment.

**skiboyny** · 01-10-2019, 10:53 AM

Great fenderish sound! Is the OD200 the only amp they make using this tone block?

**petermelton** · 01-10-2019, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by guitarmek

I think it's very Fender-ish (they say more Fender with the mid control down, more Dumble with it up). When I plugged my Deluxe's speaker into it it sounded very comparable. Not a clone, but close enough to make me happy.

Is this the same Peter? petes-special | Quilter Performance Amplification

Same Peter. That's what happens when you push for a vintage style one channel combo and then go on vacation haha. You come back with your face on a cardboard box. The Pete's Special is an experiment to see if people will buy one channel combo amps from us for $699. I'm a big fan of the 101 Reverb with that cab and speaker so that's how that happened. That's what I gig with.

The clean channel on the Overdrive 200 is the same as the 101 Reverb. You are correct. The mid is flat on five, decreasing it does the Blackface scoop and increasing it boosts the mid frequency range found in Dumbles. The bass control should be essentially identical to your Fender. Pat voiced the treble control just a little wider so it isn't so spikey.

**petermelton** · 01-10-2019, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

I figured that, too bad.

Since word has sort of gotten out, it was a 50 watt two channel combo amp. Sort of like a lower powered Aviator with more voicing options. Pricing and part sourcing made it impossible to deliver so the project was scrapped. Technically the OD 200 and 101 Reverb came out first and it had that voicing in it as one of the options. We don't want pictures of prototypes that will never happen floating around and confusing the market so we ask for them to be kept secret. Like most companies, we're always working on something and have something out being tested but not everything makes the final cut.

**6stringjazz** · 01-10-2019, 12:58 PM

I tried the 101 reverb and found the treble too bright even when it's all the way down. Is there any way to get it revoiced on the overdrive 200 to make it darker?

**gmek** · 01-10-2019, 02:40 PM

@6stringjazz Peter is probably better suited to answer this, but I think the speaker/cab makes a big difference. I have one cab that has a 12" eminence and it's a darker sound, the other I use is a 2x8 DV Mark neodymium and is much brighter.

I've been using them together, which kind of defeats my "small rig," but it's such a full sound I'm going to have a hard time leaving a cab at home haha.

**petermelton** · 01-10-2019, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by 6stringjazz

I tried the 101 reverb and found the treble too bright even when it's all the way down. Is there any way to get it revoiced on the overdrive 200 to make it darker?

Unfortunately not. The treble and bass controls are like a Fender in that they only go up. Setting them in 0 is flat. The whole circuit would have to be redesigned to cut frequencies instead. Which speaker is in your cab?

**6stringjazz** · 01-10-2019, 04:36 PM

Thanks for the reply. I have an open back 1x12 cab with an EV12L.

**Woody Sound** · 01-10-2019, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by petermelton

Since word has sort of gotten out, it was a 50 watt two channel combo amp. Sort of like a lower powered Aviator with more voicing options. Pricing and part sourcing made it impossible to deliver so the project was scrapped. Technically the OD 200 and 101 Reverb came out first and it had that voicing in it as one of the options. We don't want pictures of prototypes that will never happen floating around and confusing the market so we ask for them to be kept secret. Like most companies, we're always working on something and have something out being tested but not everything makes the final cut.

Of course. Makes sense, tnx.

**petermelton** · 01-11-2019, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by 6stringjazz

Thanks for the reply. I have an open back 1x12 cab with an EV12L.

Great speaker. It is on the brighter side of things with a huge upper mid range peak around 3.5k though. Here's a link to their data sheet for it:

https://www.electrovoice.com/binary/...F01U329439.pdf

Compare that to say a Jensen C12K that comes in a Fender Deluxe Reverb. It rolls off around 4.5k instead of 5k and has a peak at 1.8k. Pretty different.

Specification Sheet - C12K | Jensen Loudspeakers

**6stringjazz** · 01-11-2019, 04:52 PM

Thanks for the great info on the speakers. If I were to choose a darker speaker than either one of those for the Overdrive 200, what would you recommend?