Quick review: Quilter 101 Mini Head

[LK155]

This is not a NewAmpDay post.

 

Shane, my instructor, has been praising his new Quilter amp to the heavens recently.

Amps, plural, because he has two of them: this 101 Mini Head, and a Mach 2 8" combo.

He let me borrow the 101 and I've been rattling the dishes with it since yesterday.

It's a tiny thing, only 8" wide, 3" high, and 6" deep; looks like this:

 

 

The sound, however, is anything BUT small. It's rated at either 50 or 100 watts RMS depending on the 'voice' you've chosen, and I'll tell you, this little sucker packs a big punch.

I've been using it with my Vox 2x12 open-back cab (Celestion G12H 70th Anniversary speakers).

To my complete surprise, it's full and rich and crystal clear, and will get louder than you could imagine, should you be so foolish as to crank the master knob a bit too far. At the 2 watt setting, I need to dial back the guitar's volume quite a bit to avoid getting blasted out of my chair. It even sounds good with single coils. Really good. With humbuckers, it's really, really good.

 

The controls are, um, interesting. There are no conventional bass/mid/treble tone controls. Instead, there's a 'TRI-Q' control, which determines whether it plays flat, with a midrange scoop, with a low-end rolloff, or somewhere between. There's also a 'HI-CUT' control, which seems to do exactly what its name suggests. In addition, you have five 'voices' to choose from. I've spent most of my time in the 'FULL Q' (allegedly the amp's baseline sound with no tone shaping) and 'SURF' (think Blackface Fender) settings. There's also a gain control, and the amp stays clean up to about 5 on the dial, and gets downright snarly beyond that. Thanks anyway; not my thing.

 

It's a Class D switching amp (which means almost nothing to me). Got power and projection like a big tube amp, but no tubes.

 

So how's it sound?

In a word, utterly amazing. OK, that's two words.

On the SURF voice, it easily out-blackfaces my BF Vibrolux Reverb (using the same 2x12 cab). Gasp! I was absolutely not prepared for it to sound better than the VR.

On the FULL Q voice, with the TRI-Q and HI-CUT both set flat, it sounds just about identical to my Trinity Tramp, but with a great deal more headroom. Again, using the same cab.

 

For $299 USD, this thing's a bargain. That's IF you can come to grips with the tone controls, or lack thereof. There's also a head version of the Quilter Mach 2 amp, which does have conventional tone controls as well as a lot of other stuff, and double the power (as if it needed that). I'm inclined to try that one out next.

 

And the best part? If you take a pen and rap the top of the 101's metal case, you get an almost perfect COWBELL. Excellent.

 

 

 

[RhoadsScholar]

Very cool summary of that amp (and it does COWBELL TOO ). Going to have to put one of these on the radar. Probably work great with a modeller pedal of some sorts and I like that the effects loop is up front.

THANKS

[Gitfiddler]

Great review! I've yet to read any bad reviews of Quilter amps.

 

That tiny head sounds like the ticket for maximum sound and minimum back aches

[DetroitBlues]

I've been a fan of most solid state type amps until I play them with a live band, then the tone and sound disappear. Have you tried this with a band or live setting yet?

[tulk1]

I've got a buddy here in KC, quite the chicken picker, that uses Quilter amps. Well, the one that goes on the pedalboard. He's dumped his tube amps, just gigs the Quilter. There's a store in town that stocks them. Need to get over and hear one. I'd still imagine the sound has tons to do with whatever you're pushing with it. Still, Quilter has quite the following.

[LK155]

I've been a fan of most solid state type amps until I play them with a live band, then the tone and sound disappear. Have you tried this with a band or live setting yet?

 

Well, I don't have a band, so I can't give you an opinion there.

Whenever I do play it, though, I try to do so live.

 

Edit.....I forgot to mention that this amp's owner does use it in live band settings, and he has no complaints. However, he's not playing arena shows, more like local clubs and pubs. His $5K custom tube amp sits at home while he hauls around this little 2-pound beast.

[myoldfriend]

.

[ridethatbike]

I've been enjoying my MicroPro Mach2 quite a bit too. I really enjoy the tones it makes, and that it's at a great level for a basement jammer like me.

 

The guy in KC that sells them was getting a ton of tube amps traded in as a lot of gigging musicians were dumping their tube amps for the Quilters.

[DetroitBlues]

 

Well, I don't have a band, so I can't give you an opinion there.

Whenever I do play it, though, I try to do so live.

 

Edit.....I forgot to mention that this amp's owner does use it in live band settings, and he has no complaints. However, he's not playing arena shows, more like local clubs and pubs. His $5K custom tube amp sits at home while he hauls around this little 2-pound beast.

 

The design looks perfect for placing the amp on a pedal board and only having to bring in a speaker cab.

 

I've used a Peavey Bandit 112, Fender Mustang II, and a Tech 21 in live band settings. The tones that sound great as a stand alone at home are great. When I used them with the band, they were just lost in the mix. I cannot explain why a low wattage tube amp can be heard in a band setting and a massively loud solid state amp disappears.

 

I'm back to tube amps again, but I'd be really interested in hearing this thing with a band.

[kidsmoke]

 

 

The design looks perfect for placing the amp on a pedal board and only having to bring in a speaker cab.

 

I've used a Peavey Bandit 112, Fender Mustang II, and a Tech 21 in live band settings. The tones that sound great as a stand alone at home are great. When I used them with the band, they were just lost in the mix. I cannot explain why a low wattage tube amp can be heard in a band setting and a massively loud solid state amp disappears.

 

I'm back to tube amps again, but I'd be really interested in hearing this thing with a band.

 

 

I don't get this. I've got a good friend, full time professional guitarist. Godin endorsee, plays his LGXT Montreal through a Tech 21. has toured with the Neville Bros,Blues Traveler, Dave Mathews.... our own Koula joined me once to see him tear it up with Bill Payne of Little Feat, with a rocking band. He's played Radio City, Tipitina's, literally countless gigs all over North America and the Caribbean. The Tech 21 has been his go to for YEARS. Never ever had a problem being heard in the mix.

 

on topic. That Quilter is cool.

[tulk1]

I've been enjoying my MicroPro Mach2 quite a bit too. I really enjoy the tones it makes, and that it's at a great level for a basement jammer like me.

 

The guy in KC that sells them was getting a ton of tube amps traded in as a lot of gigging musicians were dumping their tube amps for the Quilters.

Guitar Docks, right? Might have to go visit them to see what amps were traded in

[LK155]

Day 4 with the 101 head:

OK, I'm just about convinced I want one of these. (Notice how I didn't say 'need'?)

I'm still going to audition its big brother, the Micropro Mach 2 head, but I expect its extra features are not going to be worth the additional $400 (USD) for my purposes (home noodling and recording).

 

So what makes up that extra $400? The Mach 2 head has:

> Double the power, 100W if you use one channel, 200W if you use both,

> Conventional bass/mid/treble controls,

> Tremolo and reverb,

> An overdrive limiter control,

> A mic input,

> Selectable type of boost,

> 6 voices instead of 5,

> Direct output on the back panel,

> Footswitch connection using a Cat5 cable--there's an optional 6-button footswitch controlling channel switching, boost, limiter, reverb, tremolo, and FX loop.

> The same gain and hi-cut controls.

All good stuff, but pricey to get the bells and whistles.

 

The 101 head definitely needs just a little something to warm it up. A reverb pedal does the trick, or in my case, a CC delay pedal works just fine.

 

Although the vast majority of the sounds I get out of the 101 are very impressive, and it sounds huge with a 2x12, I've found that certain combinations of guitar, pickup, amp voice, and 'tone' settings have left me wishing for more control over exactly how much treble gets added to the signal. There's no shortage of bass in any of the voices, but I do want to add a bit of treble here and there--old fart hearing deterioration, you know. I suspect an EQ pedal would be a quick solution.

 

So I'm still noodling, still experimenting, and still liking it.

 

By the way, Jim Soloway did a very comprehensive review of the 101 head on one of the jazz forums. I don't want to post a link to another forum, but a Google search will get you to it.

 

 

 

 

[ridethatbike]

Guitar Docks, right? Might have to go visit them to see what amps were traded in

 

You got it. The market is starting to get saturated, so he's not taking in as many tube amps and selling Quilters as much, but there are still some. Last I checked he had a MP2 8" there. I almost bought it, but somehow a used one popped up with the footswitch and saved me $400. I'll pay a little extra to shop local, but I can't forkover a 30% premium.

[DetroitBlues]

Quilter 101 on EBay is selling for $299.

[LK155]

Quilter 101 on EBay is selling for $299.

 

Yup.

And the Micropro Mach2 8" combo (the MP2 8" Ridethatbike refers to) is $899.

And the Micropro Mach2 head is $699.

Want to feel some of my pain? Multiple all those by 1.44 to get the Canadian dollar price.

[pressure]

Quit yer whining. Go to a Hortons get a coffee and a doughnut and think it over. I've got more than $899.00 in spare tubes! Go for it.

[jmac]

Must buy a Quilter..

 

Torn between the Quilter 101 for price point or going with Mach2 head for limiter control or new Pro Tone Block 201 for extra power(not that I really need it) .

 

Any suggestions after using these amps for a while..

[t0aj15]

Must buy a Quilter..

 

Torn between the Quilter 101 for price point or going with Mach2 head for limiter control or new Pro Tone Block 201 for extra power(not that I really need it) .

 

Any suggestions after using these amps for a while..

About a year ago I decided to go for power but simplicity when it came to buying a Quilter so I got the Tone Block 200. My reasoning is that I've already got a pedal-board with an excellent 2 channel pre-amp (Ethos Overdrive with all the options) plus a great reverb, ten band EQ, and all the efx I will ever need, so all I really needed was a small and dependable power-amp with ample power and plenty of clean headroom and the Tone block 200 delivered BIG-TIME. This amp will easily overpower ANY drummer on the planet, and could IMO smoke many a speaker cab if pushed to the extreme. I know for a fact your ears will reach their upper limits with plenty of volume knob left to spare. In other words it's got massive headroom. You may want to rethink the Pro Tone Block 201 set-up though because that's a stereo rig with two Tone Block Pro 200's and I can't imagine anyone needing that kind of power ever. For myself the TB 200 was the perfect tool because with a pre-amp, a ten band EQ, reverb, and all the other efx I use, all I was lacking was the POWER.

[LK155]

Please allow me to offer some post-honeymoon Quilter observations.

 

As mentioned probably thousands of times, I drive a Vox 2x12 with my 101 Mini Head. This is a ridiculously good combination. Glorious, in fact. For the jazzy kind of drivel I play, it's perfect. There's another post here with a sample clip...look for The Dog Ate my Homework in the Family Tree section.

People say they've been chasing tone for decades and go through numerous guitars in their endless search for nirvana.

With me, the tone in my head that I've been seeking came from an amp. A mid-60's Traynor YBA1 Bassmaster, with a matching Traynor 2x12. I had this rig in high school (yes, electricity had been invented by then). It was a pretty good match for my '66 Tele, with the Tele straight into the Traynor's clean channel. And at home, in my tiny 9'x9' bedroom, my gawd, that thing could blister the wall paint. But what I remember to this day was the SOUND. Clear, clean, and tons of bottom end, even at low volumes. Until this Quilter, I've never found an amp with anywhere near that sound. I have two other amps (Vibrolux Reverb and a Trinity Tramp head) that have rarely been switched on since the Quilter arrived. Time to consider some herd thinning.

 

So much for oldfart recollections.

As far as comparing the 101 to the Mach2 combos, here's my take:

Every Saturday (lesson day) I get to play through a Mach2 8" combo. At low volumes, it sounds pretty well identical to the 101, but with much less bottom end. Not surprising that my 2x12 sounds better than a single 8". I've heard this same Mach2 combo in a live situation, and it's impressive. It definitely projects a robust sound once the volume's up.

For me, I may have liked the Mach2's extra controls and features, but for home use I'd still want to run it with an external cab, just to find that fullness a 2x12 offers. So that kind of skews the price/value situation.

 

My suggestion, if you're serious about buying a Quilter, is to find a store that does equipment rentals. Try the 101 for a month (along with a decent cab if you don't already have one), then try the Mach2 combo. I don't know how common this is, but places around here will apply rental payments towards the purchase price, so this kind of comparison shopping may not cost you a lot.

 

My experience so far with Quilter amps (limited, I admit) is that they're uncommon, reasonably priced, and astoundingly good.

[t0aj15]

I just noticed in this thread that several posts including mine have links added by an outside source, when you mouse over the link it says "Link added by VigLink:". I'm leary of clicking on any of these links but I'm curious to know what they are, who put them there, and are they some sort of bad voodoo. Anyone got a clue?

[jmac]

May explain why google, safari and chrome have labeled Heritageownersclub.com as a phising site.

[jmac]

Thanks LK155 and t0aj15. The mini 101 is really all I need and I will get one on order as soon as I thing the heard a little. Have a Brown Note 18watt lite jib on Ebay as we speak..

Once its gone will order a Quilter..

[212Mavguy]

@jmac:

 

You're getting rid of a Brown Note, am curious... why?

[jmac]

I have a Hayseed 30, a Vintage Sound 22 watt Vibrolux clone, and the Brown Note 18wtt. The first two are a pain to carry if I go play with a friend( happens rarely). The BrownNote is awesome but I like the Hayseed better.

 

The quilter 101 would be easy to throw in a gig bag.

 

I play mostly the Hayseed anyway. Just not using the BrownNote. But I am a gear hoarder so its a tough decision.

 

Besides I'm just a bedroom player with serious GAS.

[randy2270]

They make an aviator head also, I tried an aviator here in silver spring, it was nice and easy to understand but not any better than my polytone and a little too pricey for me.