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Probably both. I just went the light route, with a SBUS and a Toob Metro. I can get an acceptable tone with the treble rolled back to about 3 o'clock. Through a RE Stealth 10ER the brightness isn't so strong, but it's still bright. AFAICT the target customer base for Quilter amps is rock stars, not jazz players. This is the first Quilter amp I've owned with which I have been able to get an even acceptable sound. I wouldn't have even considered a Tone Block, because of both the price and the size. I don't need 100 watts from an amp.
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09-06-2023 08:55 PM
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And cmajor makes three! ;>). I also find the TB202 the best sounding of the Quilters I use (4 and counting). Its my go-to amp these days, especially for my amplified archtops.
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1.7kg isn’t bad actually when you factor in the SB’s power brick. The 202 takes a kettle lead by the looks of it?
Originally Posted by ccroft
tbh I can’t afford nuffink at the moment, but as good as it is I can’t help but feel my light rig could use a slightly better amp. As others have noted the SB can be a bit shrill. Maybe the 202 will be the ticket when I have more bread.
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If you haven’t tried the capacitor trick, you should do so before considering another amp, Christian. It’s a simple plug in fix for about 5 pounds. Originally Posted by Christian Miller
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I'd be happy to try to answer that if I could understand the question.... :-) Originally Posted by Christian Miller
And I also agree with NeverShoulda: the capacitor is nice. I'm less aggressive than he is with it. IE I use a much lower value cap.
Herbie & Cmajor & Jads: curious to know what your go-to voicing is. I was all FullQ for the longest time. For the last year or so I've really been digging FRFR. I know it seems wrong though...
sgosnell: I sure don't need 200 watts either these days. SB was just a glint in Mr. Quilter's eye when I got the 202. I'm curious to try one just to see what's what.
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I just got my Tele 7 set up properly, and the slight plink that I was trying to eliminate is now gone. The first fret was a hair (literally) high and two nut slots were a hair too deep. It has SS frets, and the combination was causing a faint but definitely plinky sound. Now I don’t need the 22 to bleed off so much high end and will try lower values to find the right one. I suspect it will be half or less, but we’ll find out. I’m also planning to switch to better pots, so I may go to a 300 volume pot and play with the tone cap as well. Originally Posted by ccroft
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I was gladly surprised when I learned how Polytoneish the TB202 can sound in FRFR mode. But because of 3-band eq, gain and limiter more flexible than classic Polytones. Originally Posted by ccroft
But then in some rehearsals I had trouble to hear myself with that sound so I came back to Vintage mode. It cuts thru better and I kinda like its openness.
Now I play both jazz guitars and rock guitars in Vintage mode, but jazz sounds are fine adjusted with the capacitor trick.
Me neither need 200 W, but I gigged a quarter century with a Vox AC30 and never needed all the 30 Watts. Last gig in a local open air restaurant terrace I played un-mic’d and had to turn my 202 louder than ever. Still I was heard, guitar did not feedback and the patron said he liked the sound. So the reserve is good to be there.
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I've been experimenting, and have some preliminary opinions, probably subject to change.
The best sound combination I've found is with the volume full open, gain at just below 50%, 57 voice, and speaker sim at FRFR. The normal setting is very slightly darker, but starts getting into that nasal Quilter sound I don't like. I tend to put the treble at about 3 o'clock, mid at noon, and bass varies depending on the guitar. Some need less bass than others.
I tried a capacitor that I had lying around. I'm not sure of the value, because the markings are all gone, but I think it might be ~.47uF. It affects the tone slightly more in the effects return than the send, but not a huge difference in either. I also had a treble bleed circuit taken from a guitar long ago, and dropped that in. It had more effect, but also dropped the volume more, unsurprisingly. I can get more difference in sound by changing picks than with the capacitor. I have Blue Chip picks ranging from 35 to 60 thousandths in thickness, and the difference between them is greater than the difference I hear from inserting the capacitor. Thinner picks produce a brighter tone, IME. I rarely bother with the thicker picks these days, and I find the Blue Chip 50 picks sound good enough through the SBUS without anything in the effects loop, provided the treble is turned way down. Other picks also work fairly well. This is through a Toob Metro BG+. Through the RE Stealth 10ER there is probably a sweet spot between the tweeter setting and the treble setting on the SBUS, but I haven't gone too far into that yet, because the RE won't be leaving the house. I'll do that research later, but so far I think I prefer the Toob over the RE, although that could change with further experimentation. The tweeter control on the RE is pretty effective, so a small movement can make a larger difference in the tone, and it takes time to go through all the possibilities. I find I prefer a slightly brighter sound these days, whether from my guitar or from recordings. I used to think Howard Alden was way too bright, but that sound has grown on me. I think this Quilter might be the first one I've tried that I can live with, albeit with the treble turned almost all the way down. YMMV, and all that.
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No. These are adjacent parts of the circuit and all you're doing is bleeding treble to ground in either case. Whatever difference you think you hear I can guarantee is artificial. Originally Posted by sgosnell
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