Quilter Tone Block 202

[ccroft]

I hear a clear difference when I flip that switch. I guess Vintage is intended to mimic Fender scoopy sound. Less lower mid and glassier top. FullQ is what I want with my archtops. Listen to Mr Lerch's demo and look where his tone controls are. (5 is flat) He's using it. FullQ is a bigger 'fuller' sound for sure.

I think there's another difference that I touched on. Compared to my Aviator, the tone controls just work better for me. Some relevant quotes from above:

..... the 101 Reverb is actually very similar to the Vintage mode on the Tone Block 202 except that you have more range with the Tone Block 202's active controls. Full Q is a fatter sounding than Vintage and the EQ points are in different places.

The 101 Reverb has passive Bass and Treble controls that only go up, like a Fender. The 202 Vintage mode is voiced similar has all active controls so you can cut Bass on Treble too. It's got a lot more range. Hope that helps!

After comparing TB202 directly to Aviator 8 both thru the same Celestion BN-whatever speaker I would say that what Peter says jibes with what I experienced.

I'll put a finer point on it and go out on the limb to say that in my opinion the 202 is a great 'jazz amp', and will get you the classic sounds with a classic guitar in a light, manageable and good looking package. I think it'll do a lot of other stuff too, but I haven't gone there yet.

(no... I do not work for Quilter, nor am I trying to get hired :-)

[Herbie]

Thanks ccroft, this is just what I wanted to hear!

Or was afraid to hear! Now I have to save money for a new Quilter amp!

[ccroft]

So the Blockdock 12 is open back. Blockdock 10 appears to be closed back I wonder why ? more bass presumably?

AFAIK: all Mach combo amps and speakers are closed. Aviator 8 was closed. I think Avi 10 was too. Aviator 12 was open. SteelAir is open. Both dock 10's are closed. Dock 12 is open.

I don't know what it all means. Maybe Peter can tell us.

I'll add RE feedback and 12" speakers that the open Dock12 is waywayway more susceptible than the closed Mach2HD. Especially if it's anywhere near a wall. Which makes sense. The offending frequencies seem to come out the back and proliferate in the room. Unfortunately, these frequencies are also heavily associated with 'warmth'. I happen to like a healthy dose in my solo playing.

[ccroft]

Thanks ccroft, this is just what I wanted to hear!

Or was afraid to hear! Now I have to save money for a new Quilter amp!

I know man... As I alluded to somewhere: I'm right in Quilter's little Block trap. I'm already saving for the 2 channel OD202 that is likely coming to us at some point. I like 2 chans. Quilter's implementation on Aviator is perfect for me.

Of course, all of this is just one guy's opinion. It's all so subjective to instruments, styles, rooms, age, ears, cords, pedals, speakers and so on... and so on.

[plasticlearning]

Hello everyone,

I just moved recently and I am looking for a cabinet that would sound well in lower volumes, although the volume itself is not a problem but the resonating room is.. and I am stuck here due to pandemic (I know, not the worst thing that can happen )

I just bought toneblock 202 and blockdock hd 12 and I am having issues with rattling outside the cabinet due to resonance of the space and more importantly inside the cabinet on certain tones which makes me wonder if there might be a problem in the amp or cabinet (no matter which room I choose). It is the first time I am having these issues and I cannot try a different speaker or try it in a studio setting due to covid.

My first question would be is it possible to get the crackling noise in cabinet due to badly resonating room and that there is no fault in the amp+speaker setting? And my second question would be what cabinet would work well and give a good sound in lower volumes without much issues due to badly adjusted space, I am thinking the blockdock12 was a bit of an overkill for the current setting and if a smaller or a different cabinet could sort this out unless quilter 202 does not sound well on lower volumes? (I have been thinking between raezers edge ny 8" or stealth re 10" and blockdock 10")? My main guitar currently is gcs-1 comins.

Thanks for help !

[ccroft]

Rattles can be hard to find. I'm sure you've checked all the connections: speaker mounting screws, name plate, cable jacks, handle mounting, foot screws... You get the same thing if the head is docked or on top? Obviously you've twiddled the EQ knobs and Vintage/FullQ switch.

Just thought I'd let you know I've been using TBlock 202 in BDock 12 HD for a year or two with no such problems. I mostly play at low volume these days.

If it's a resonance thing, try raising it off the floor or tilting it. The floor's part of the room after all. See if you can move it away from walls.

I this rig a lot. But just for the heck of it I've ordered the Dock 10. Should receive it within in a week. Once I've played it and compared it to the HD12 I plan on posting my impressions. So maybe keep an eye out.

[plasticlearning]

Thank you for your anwser!
Yes tried all of that, seems it is coming directly out of the speaker, docking even makes it a bit worse probably due to enclosing the compartment and being on the floor makes it better so I'm a bit confused, hope I manage to figure something out, might be the guitar due to some fret buzz which should be fixed but I dont have the knowledge nor time to do it myself these days. Tried to fix it with empress eq but somehow still persist (on lower tones).

I am going to try it on balcony and currently restringing an old solidbody ibanez to see how it responds to different guitar, if its not broken its all good, fingers crossed otherwise I will have to consult thomann staff and probably return it .

Looking forward to your review. . Any ideas maybe for good all around cabinets for this amp in europe? I am still thinking of the RE ny 8 or 10 but prices are a bit high here :/.

[sgosnell]

I've had similar problems, and while the noises seemed to be coming from the amp, they were, if fact, coming from other things rattling in the room. Pictures on the walls, loose items hanging on doors, other guitars hanging, almost anything can be the culprit, and it can take some persistent searching to find it. It could also be something loose inside the cabinet, but that should be easy enough to check. Tighten every screw, bolt, and nut you can find, but don't overdo it. If that doesn't help, start going through the room and check everything, even if you don't think it's possible for it to be involved. Believe me, it's possible.

[ledocs]

I own a Micropro Mach 2 head that is not very old, and I get the impression that it is no longer being produced, so I was worried that Quilter was going out of business. But I watched the demo referred to by Greentone in which there is a young Asian guy, probably Philippino, playing outstanding R&B stuff on the thing and constantly manipulating the "Limiter" dial while playing, the guy is mindblowingly good. The demo is worth watching just to hear him play. In fact, I will download the video so I can do just that, over and over, because I like that style of guitar a lot. His name is Jay_something_J, it's some kind of nickname that's too cool for school. But whatever his name is, he's great. He was using "Limiter" to produce a funk tone, whereas my Mach 2 manual says that "Limiter" is meant to limit the distortion of overdrive, at least I think this is what the manual means to say, so I'm a bit confused about what "Limiter" is, and that could even differ on the two amps, I suppose, but I'll assume that it does not differ.

I'm also interested in this question of the FRFR mode on the TB 202 and whether, or how, it might overcome the need to buy an FRFR speaker to use with a Helix pedal, which I don't yet own but want to get. Right now, my "rig" is the Quilter Micropro Mach 2 head paired with the lightweight DV Mark 2 X 12 Neoclassic cabinet, I wanted something really lightweight with a big sound, I got it. I was briefly in a rock band ten years ago, but other than that I don't play rock and know very little about rock. I'm a singer/songwriter who is a big jazz fan and jazz guitar wannabe, I write songs that utilize jazz chords but are really coming from a 60's folk sensibility in a lot of ways. This TB 202 thing sounds really great, so I'm wondering what it is *not* good for, presumably heavy metal, but how would it work for fusion, for example, when combined with a Helix and either a good active speaker or my DV Mark cab?

I also have a 70's Music Man 212 HD-130 combo amp that I lent to a musician friend. I got it back, and it's rattling and distorting way too early. The friend thinks that there are loose speaker screws (rattle and shaking of cab) and maybe tubes need replacing (distortion problem, this would be the good case). The friend wants to buy the amp. I don't want it much, it's too heavy to gig with and it requires an external transformer in Europe. It has some magic for him. But it was producing clean tones at very high volumes when I lent it to him, now it isn't.

Final gear note. I have my Aria Pro II PE-180 guitar listed for sale here. Someone put up a hard money nonrefundable deposit on it and ended up not buying it. I've got more guitars than I can play now, but when I played this thing recently I just thought it was great, unbelievably low action, great jazz sound, no intonation problems. There's a kind of jazz guitar dealer in San Jose who has one listed on eBay for $3,600, and I'm wondering if he has any realistic hopes of selling that guitar at close to that price, because I offered mine here at 1,500 euros and did not attract a huge amount of interest up to this point. If anyone is playing in an organ trio that does "soul jazz," as opposed to fusion-type stuff, this is the perfect guitar for that. It's so perfect that my interest in selling this guitar at "market" prices has waned quite a bit.

And on the off chance that I have piqued anyone's interest in my songs, they can be heard on my blog under "My Songs" at www.ledocs. net. I am working with a female singer now.

[Herbie]

(...) But I watched the demo referred to by Greentone in which there is a young Asian guy, probably Philippino, playing outstanding R&B stuff on the thing and constantly manipulating the "Limiter" dial while playing, the guy is mindblowingly good. The demo is worth watching just to hear him play. In fact, I will download the video so I can do just that, over and over, because I like that style of guitar a lot. His name is Jay_something_J, it's some kind of nickname that's too cool for school. But whatever his name is, he's great. He was using "Limiter" to produce a funk tone, whereas my Mach 2 manual says that "Limiter" is meant to limit the distortion of overdrive, at least I think this is what the manual means to say, so I'm a bit confused about what "Limiter" is, and that could even differ on the two amps, I suppose, but I'll assume that it does not differ.
(...)

You mean this video, where plays fantastic Jay Leonard?

"The Canadian guitar player is best known for his esteemed YouTube channel but, as he reveals below, he’s also an accomplished session musician and something of a Bigsby aficionado."
Guitar, 5th February 2021
https://guitar.com/features/interviews/jay-leonard-j-on-his-love-of-the-last-waltz-and-his-dreams-of-growing-a-pencil-moustache/

Limiter can be used in many ways. Funk, country, distortion. Everybody can find her/his own way.

[ledocs]

Yes, this is the demo video I'm referring to, except that I don't remember him ever standing to the right of the amp in the video I saw, he is always sitting to the left (from the viewer's point of view) of the amp, I think. Nevertheless, it must be either the same video or a slightly different cut from the same session. I did not know, but am not surprised to learn, that he is a well-known youtuber, so I'll check out his channel. Another youtuber guitar player whose channel I have recently discovered from a demo video, in this case a demo of the unsuccessful reissue in 2014-2015 by Music Man (now owned by Ernie Ball) and DV Mark of my Music Man 212 HD-130 tube amp from the 70's, is Tom Quayle, a fusion player. Neither of my powerful amps is in current production.

So, from the sound engineering point of view, Herbie, what is "Limiter" doing to create the distinctive funk sound? It must be doing more or less the same thing in all these applications to which you refer. I found this, using Google: "Hard Limiter effect greatly attenuates audio that rises above a specified threshold. Typically, limiting is applied with an input boost, a technique that increases overall volume while avoiding distortion. ... As you increase this level, compression increases." I'll try to see if JLeonardJ is boosting something when he's using the Limiter. There is both a Boost Selector switch and a Limiter on my Quilter Mach Pro II. So if I plug in a Tele and combine these two things, Boost and Limiter, I'll probably get his distinctive funk tone at some point, and in different qualities depending upon the position of the pickup selector. I'll try this this afternoon.

[Ekovah]

I just got a brand new Quilter Block 202. I was considering it for a while. Was very excited to finally have one until I played it... Wouldn't say it's bad, but for sure it's not good. I was expecting a much better tone from this box given the hype around it.
It is just what it is: a lifeless transistor amp. For the sake of tone, I wouldn't swap any Fender tube amp against 1000 Quilter Tone Block.

[Herbie]

I just got a brand new Quilter Block 202. I was considering it for a while. Was very excited to finally have one until I played it... Wouldn't say it's bad, but for sure it's not good. I was expecting a much better tone from this box given the hype around it.
It is just what is it: a lifeless transistor amp. For the sake of tone, I wouldn't swap any Fender tube amp against 1000 Quilter Tone Block.

Sorry to hear. Did You try to tweak the knobs, specially the Gain and Limiter are critical in "tubeing" the signal?

Depending how hot sound You want You can have the Gain even in 1 o'clock and Limiter can be in about noon.

Then add Master how much You need. Noon is good point for EQs to start.

And the Voice switch is also useful, again depending what You want. I have it in Vintage, but FRFR can give You darker jazz sounds a'la Polytone.

Good luck!

[Herbie]

I just got a brand new Quilter Block 202. I was considering it for a while. Was very excited to finally have one until I played it... Wouldn't say it's bad, but for sure it's not good. I was expecting a much better tone from this box given the hype around it.
It is just what it is: a lifeless transistor amp. For the sake of tone, I wouldn't swap any Fender tube amp against 1000 Quilter Tone Block.

Sorry, I forgot the speaker. TB202 is an amp like any other amp, and to sound right to Your ears, it need a speaker You like. As any Fender amp sounds like shit with a wrong speaker.

I like it to sound a bit Fenderish so I ended to the Jensen Tornado 12". But then I had an opportunity to buy an used Celestion Cream Alnico for a good price and boy, that sounds great! To my ears. Many like the Quilters Block Dock basic speaker Celestion BN12-300s.

More good luck!

[Ekovah]

Sorry to hear. Did You try to tweak the knobs, specially the Gain and Limiter are critical in "tubeing" the signal?

Depending how hot sound You want You can have the Gain even in 1 o'clock and Limiter can be in about noon.

Then add Master how much You need. Noon is good point for EQs to start.

And the Voice switch is also useful, again depending what You want. I have it in Vintage, but FRFR can give You darker jazz sounds a'la Polytone.

Good luck!

I did my best for two days. EQ, gain, master, voicing... I'm used to play on a 76 Twin Reverb with sweet caps, tubes and a beautiful reverb. The Quilter tone was so far away from it, even after several hours of tweaking that I doubt I can achieve anything close. The amp is already packed for return. I'll give a change to a Princeton Reverb instead.
Thanks anyway for the advices.

[Ekovah]

Sorry, I forgot the speaker. TB202 is an amp like any other amp, and to sound right to Your ears, it need a speaker You like. As any Fender amp sounds like shit with a wrong speaker.

I like it to sound a bit Fenderish so I ended to the Jensen Tornado 12". But then I had an opportunity to buy an used Celestion Cream Alnico for a good price and boy, that sounds great! To my ears. Many like the Quilters Block Dock basic speaker Celestion BN12-300s.

More good luck!

I tried a 2x12 Jensen P12N OB, a 2x12 Jensen Tornado Classic 100 OB (the best tone was on these), and a 2x12 with EV EVM12L + Cannabis Rex OB. Still far away from the Twin on any config.

[JeanSut]

TB 202 is my main gigging amp for louder gigs. I also used a Jensen Tornado 12 (Neodyn) but later
changed to an Eminence 12 from my Fender Blues Deluxe. I like that a lot better. The Jensen Neodyn was a bit
brittle at times.

This is how it sounds with the Eminence:

best Chris