The Quilter Superblock USA

[BFrench]

I just took a chance on the SB. I asked Quilter about the unit. Here's what Peter at Quilter said.

"For what it’s worth, the Aviator Cub has the same exact voicings. Maybe a video of that will help"

[Jim Soloway]

Another update as I get further into this amp ... My initial reaction was that the 65 was the voice I preferred and when I'm playing with a humbucker that remains true but I've been playing for the last several days with my Vola Tele-style guitar. With the 65 voice it was very pristine and sweet but I thought it was a bit thin so I went back and tried the '57 voice. Low and behold, the whole thing just warmed up in a wonderful way. The mids filled in and the high end rounded out just enough. The deeper I get into this amp the more it gives me.

[Jim Soloway]

Now that I've been playing through the Superblock USA for a few weeks...

First just so there's no suspense, I really love this amp. All three voices are useful and the clean tones are really outstanding in very traditionally clean Fender ways. I'm most familiar with Blackface and Silverface tones and the 65 is a very good simulation of those tones. The 61 (Blonde/Brown) is brighter and thinner while the 58 (Tweed) is thicker and smoother with more mids and a rounder high end. My one complaint about the three voices is that the levels aren't a perfect match with the Tweed being the loudest and the 61 the quietest.

The reverb is very good with a much more gradual taper than the reverb on any of the actual Fender amps. I generally play with it about half way up and it's not really obvious, just adding a bit of space without being at all intrusive.

Unlike the actual Fender models that it emulates, it is a master volume amp and that's a really significant difference (just as it was when Fender added a master volume). Balancing the master and the gain control the amount of dirt the amp produces. Given my preference for clean tones only that works out very well for me. I can keep the Gain low with the master high and get a lot of clean head room. If I want to get close to an edge of breakup tone I can bring the master down and the gain up and my volume remains about the same. So unlike the original Fenders, I don't have to get louder (and often too loud) to get a bit of dirt.

As a relatively low powered head, the actual performance is very dependent on the cab it's running with. I have it coupled with a very small open back 1x10 cab loaded with a Cannabis Rex speaker. There's not a huge amount of clean volume in that cab and it reminds me very much of a louder version of an old Silverface Vibro Champ that I owned and loved many years ago. Like the Vibro Champ, it loves low output pickups and sounds best with my Tele-style guitar. I don't know if it's powerful enough to drive the high wattage rated speakers that are so popular in the jazz world with cabinets like the Raezer's edge Stealth 10 but it would certainly pair up beautifully with their smaller NY 8. I could probably get a lot more clean headroom from this rig if I replaced the Cannabis Rex with a Copperhead but I generally play quietly enough for that to be a non-issue. If I need more volume, I'd probably pair it up with a 1x12 rather than trying to squeeze more out of this little cab. That ought to get at least to Princeton Reverb volume levels and maybe even into Deluxe territory without too much breakup.

Two of the big attractions of the amp are the size and the price and those advantages are very real. The amp is tiny (although it does have an external laptop style power supply) and the price is more in line with a quality pedal than an amp. That being said, once I own it and I'm playing through it, I'm still really judging it by it's performance as an amp, not the price or portability. The real test is does it make me smile while I play and the answer to that is a resounding yes. With no added pedals, it consistently provides me with an entirely satisfying playing experience and that's all I can ask from any amp.

EDIT 09/05/21: Here's a video I just put on YouTube using the 61 (blonde) voice. I'll be posting the 58 and 65 voices soon.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I don't know if it's powerful enough to drive the high wattage rated speakers that are so popular in the jazz world

In my experience, almost all speakers that come in multiple sizes and/or power ratings get more efficient as size and power handling go up, Jim. So they require less power to emit the same SPL. My EVM-12 is one of the most efficient speakers I’ve ever had, and my Bag End 12” drivers are a close match. My RE Stealth 10 is more efficient than my RevSound RS8, and both are more efficient than my Vox cab loaded with a Celestion Eight 15.

Many less efficient speakers with low rated power capacity also seem to be the ones that add a bit of cone breakup as they get louder, which many jazz and blues players like. Those that are built well and conservatively rated (which are generally the more expensive and heavier ones) can handle this without damage or overheating, especially in an open back cab with good airflow.

I think any of these or their equals would be a fine match for your Quilter. A big honker like an EVM would enable more clean headroom from any cab than you’d get through a less efficient cab like an RE 8. And the Stealth 10 will stay cleaner and get louder than a NY8 at the same settings.

[Gitterbug]

Jim, I concur with your observations. The 57 Tweed mode is louder than the others simply because it pushes out more midrange. The amp is great but conditioned by two elements in the signal chain: the guitar's PU and the speaker's sensitivity. I get very good and loud clean sounds from the P90s on my Casino Coupe, even through a 91 dB 6.5" cab. A weaker PU like a jazz humbucker requires more oomph from the amp. NY jazz pro Greg Ruggiero has just returned from a two-week tour with a full-blown jazz ensemble (with a drummer) backing a vocalist. He says his SuperBlock US / TOOB 6.5GP+ rig (5.5 lbs all told) was adequate to keep up with the band. My experience from a jazz camp its the same, but with more efficient 10"-12", 96-100 dB speakers, the SuperBlock is more than adequate. Playing the master volume against gain is a joy, as there are no thresholds or sudden volume changes. A little hair makes the sound more three-dimensional. Whether it was the rig or the recording equipment, Wes wasn't squeaky-clean, yet loved by us all.

[BFrench]

I'm still waiting on my superblock us back order, sw says oct, don't even see a mention of progress from quilter but my toob is getting very impatient....

[Gitterbug]

Burt, I'm with you. As I understand, Quilter has experienced multiple supply bottlenecks. A batch ready for shipping sat in China for five weeks. And there's a shortage of reverb chips - Quilter appears to be willing to pay a premium to anybody to get them.

[Jim Soloway]

Burt, I'm with you. As I understand, Quilter has experienced multiple supply bottlenecks. A batch ready for shipping sat in China for five weeks. And there's a shortage of reverb chips - Quilter appears to be willing to pay a premium to anybody to get them.

Supply chain issues are now everywhere and I understand that the cost of a container from China to the US has gone up as much as 1000%. I'm very grateful that I managed to find mine when I did. I know that another batch has arrived since I got mine but I believe they were all sold in a couple days.

A question for anyone ekse who has one of these or even a different model from Quilter: do you use the limited and if so at what level and for what purpose? The documentation on this feature seems pretty limited (no pun intended).

[wzpgsr]

Supply chain issues are now everywhere and I understand that the cost of a container from China to the US has gone up as much as 1000%. I'm very grateful that I managed to find mine when I did. I know that another batch has arrived since I got mine but I believe they were all sold in a couple days.

A question for anyone ekse who has one of these or even a different model from Quilter: do you use the limited and if so at what level and for what purpose? The documentation on this feature seems pretty limited (no pun intended).

Affects of the limiter seem to be most noticeable with extreme gain and limiter settings. Crank the gain, minimize the limiter, and really bang on an E major chord. Then crank the limiter and do the same thing. You should be able to hear/feel the squish. Once you can hear that you might find some subtler use for it. For my clean or just slightly hairy sounds not sure I can detect a difference, but looks like I have it set around 9 o’clock.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Affects of the limiter seem to be most noticeable with extreme gain and limiter settings. Crank the gain, minimize the limiter, and really bang on an E major chord. Then crank the limiter and do the same thing. You should be able to hear/feel the squish. For my clean or just slightly hairy sounds not sure I can detect a difference, but looks like I have it set around 9 o’clock.

So, basically compression?

[petermelton]

Hey Jim, happy to see here you're enjoying the amp! It was a fun one to get together and bring to market. We were all pretty ecstatic when Pat told us he had a breakthrough and figured out a way to get everything in the little pedal format.

The supply chain issues are abundant. We have to "spot buy" a lot more parts than usual with every order. Containers went from about $3,000 to $13,500 and a freight company we work with even flat out stopped accepting orders for a while. I heard of one company in our industry that brought over a shipment in a refrigerated container because that was all they could get.

That said, we have a pretty large batch of SuperBlocks due to arrive here by the end of the month that will catch us up with all current backorders. So thank you for your patience to those of you that have been waiting.

The limiter is basically the top half of a compressor that is setup to prevent the amp from going into overdrive, so if you play super clean you'll hardly notice it. Turn the limiter off and that gain all the way up and hit a cord. Then turn the limiter all the way up and you'll get what it does. It's fun to balance the two controls with the output of your pickups so that when you play hard you get a little dirt and when you play softer it stays clean. You can also dial it in for always clean but with the sustain and added harmonics of a dirty signal. This will cut against the high clean headroom / lots of dynamic range feeling but it's another feel thing to have fun with. Hope that helps!

[Jehu]

Just got word that mine is finally on its way from my Australian dealer after a 2 month wait... exciting!

I'll be playing it through an efficient 12" speaker (Eminence Lil' Texas), so it should be plenty to suit my needs. I wasn't playing out of the house much anymore even before the pandemic.

[wzpgsr]

So, basically compression?

Without delving into the technical differences: sure!

[Jim Soloway]

Hey Jim, happy to see here you're enjoying the amp! It was a fun one to get together and bring to market. We were all pretty ecstatic when Pat told us he had a breakthrough and figured out a way to get everything in the little pedal format.

The supply chain issues are abundant. We have to "spot buy" a lot more parts than usual with every order. Containers went from about $3,000 to $13,500 and a freight company we work with even flat out stopped accepting orders for a while. I heard of one company in our industry that brought over a shipment in a refrigerated container because that was all they could get.

That said, we have a pretty large batch of SuperBlocks due to arrive here by the end of the month that will catch us up with all current backorders. So thank you for your patience to those of you that have been waiting.

The limiter is basically the top half of a compressor that is setup to prevent the amp from going into overdrive, so if you play super clean you'll hardly notice it. Turn the limiter off and that gain all the way up and hit a cord. Then turn the limiter all the way up and you'll get what it does. It's fun to balance the two controls with the output of your pickups so that when you play hard you get a little dirt and when you play softer it stays clean. You can also dial it in for always clean but with the sustain and added harmonics of a dirty signal. This will cut against the high clean headroom / lots of dynamic range feeling but it's another feel thing to have fun with. Hope that helps!

Thanks Peter. I'm working on a series of videos showing the differences between the three voices. Hopefully they'll be done in a few days.

[ccroft]

... It's fun to balance the two controls with the output of your pickups so that when you play hard you get a little dirt and when you play softer it stays clean...

I've had TB202 for two years, and that's what I seem to be doing with it. I tend to roam around 11:00 to 12:00 for Limiter and Gain. And it does add some sustain. Sings a bit more. It's a feel thing. Just this side of 'squishy'. I don't like it that soft.

It also works nicely in a 'rhythm / lead' kind of way. Roll down the volume pot for clean comping, and run it up to solo with soul.

Wes's cleanliness? Some of his chord stabs on the Verve Sides are downright filthy. Feels exactly right to me. KBurrell rowed in the same boat around that time as well.

[EastwoodMike]

A question for anyone ekse who has one of these or even a different model from Quilter: do you use the limited and if so at what level and for what purpose? The documentation on this feature seems pretty limited (no pun intended).

Found this linked in at a local distributor's facebook page:

Limitless possibilities of a Quilter amplifier

[diode]

I pulled the trigger on an OD202 a couple days ago but I've been thinking maybe I should have just grabbed one of these Superblock US units. We'll see when it arrives.

[docsteve]

I repost a recording I made with the Superblock US a few weeks ago for the Virtual Jam thread if I may:

The backing was recorded with a looper. The guitar is a G&L Asat (telecaster). I played the first chorus on the neck pickup with the 65 preset, switched to both pickups and the 61 setting for the second chorus, and take it out on the bridge pickup on the 57 setting. All other settings remain the same so you'll get an impression of the various presets.

I turned the limiter all the way up, which IMHO works better on the 61 and 65 setting than on the 57 setting. Enjoy.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Found this linked in at a local distributor's facebook page:

Limitless possibilities of a Quilter amplifier

I get it now -- it's "half" compression. Is it fairly quiet? Raising the floor seems to be what makes compression pedals noisy.

[citizenk74]

I pulled the trigger on an OD202 a couple days ago but I've been thinking maybe I should have just grabbed one of these Superblock US units. We'll see when it arrives.

[EastwoodMike]

I get it now -- it's "half" compression. Is it fairly quiet? Raising the floor seems to be what makes compression pedals noisy.

The Quilter guys could confirm, but I suspect it is a way to duplicate Output transformer sag from reactive speaker impedence? I read/watched someplace that the quilter systems differ from straight Class D amps in that they duplicate a negative feedback loop that Valve/Tube amps have, whereby the speakers reactive load is coupled back to the input of a Phase inverter at the front of the Output gain stage. Changing the in-series resister value dramatically changes the character of amps. There is a fabulous video on YT where some guy traces and explains the signal path of a Bassman and compares it to (an almost identical) early Marshall signal path.

It would go some way to explaining how taking it out of the circuit will allow full Class D clean potential, but adding it in generates a soft compression and bloom? I don't own a quilter (yet). They are scarce in Australia and even scarcer on the east side, but I hear nothing but good things about their feel and reactive response. I wont go as far as to say organic but as far as solid state replications go it sounds as though they are as good as they get.

How much is dependent on the speaker they are paired against? I don't know but I suspect the design expertise in the Quilter cabs to size cab volume to Tiele/Small parameters and the coil performance has a lot to do with optimum responses. Coming from PA speaker origins, I think they approach speaker cabs differently. There is a whole science to speaker cabinet design (closed or ported) in HIFI that typical open backed guitar cabs seemed to neglect or ignore. Guitarists now seem to have a historical legacy that 12" stacks that are open backed are how cabinets should be made. Compromises and all. I reckon they are made that way 'cause it was easier access to service and provided the stage guitarists a way to hear what they were playing when the cabinet was placed in front of them facing the audience back in the '50s when tweed amps were growing in size and output.

[Gitterbug]

To EastwoodMike. Guitar cabs have nothing to do with HiFi - rather the opposite. Just look at the response curves of some iconic guitar speakers. I believe straight-ahead jazz is ok with more linear, PA type speakers, but it's in overdriven sounds where a speaker's non-linear properties really matter. Open-back cabs are favored not only due to their simplicity, weight and ease of maintenance, but for their broader projection. Again, this is far removed from the HiFi world where the sweet spot between two stereo speaker cabs is somewhere along the center line. When making music onstage, you want to be heard by the bandmates and the audience, wherever seated. Of course, stage monitors and PA will deal with this at larger venues, but small club gigs still rely on your cab's projection. I understand that Mike Stern, for one, is frustrated with the point-like, narrow projection of a typical guitar combo/cab. In comparison, you can walk around a cello or a piano, or almost any musical instrument, without losing any of the enjoyment. As for the caliber, I agree that the guitar community is hung on 12". For straight-ahead jazz, my recommendation is 10" for broader projection and less bass boominess. Anyone interested in the most omnidirectional, ultra-light cabs, send me a PM.

[EastwoodMike]

To EastwoodMike. Guitar cabs have nothing to do with HiFi - rather the opposite. (I agree- their current 'standard' design is miles away- although there are a few enclosed designs around)
Just look at the response curves of some iconic guitar speakers. (I agree- speakers are selected for the application)
I believe straight-ahead jazz is ok with more linear, PA type speakers, (I agree as well. Was that not the original intent with ever larger tweed output? More clean headroom as stage volumes increased over time?)

but it's in overdrive sounds where a speaker's non-linear properties really matter. (Many happy accidents in the world of the electric guitar- input stage valve OD, the telecaster, a pedal steel pickup on a spanish guitar, cone cry, transformer sag, the sound of rock music was defined around these unintentional consequences and there is nothing wrong with any of that!)

Open-back cabs are favored not only due to their simplicity, weight and ease of maintenance, but for their broader projection. Again, this is far removed from the HiFi world where the sweet spot between two stereo speaker cabs is somewhere along the center line. (Stereo imaging depends on this. Not sure if that is defining dispersion though. Plenty of people trying out beam blockers and foam donuts to try combat this in regular guitar cabinet designs)(I get that there is projection to the rear, but was this a happy side effect?)

When making music onstage, you want to be heard by the bandmates and the audience, wherever seated. Of course, stage monitors and PA will deal with this at larger venues, but small club gigs still rely on your cab's projection. I understand that Mike Stern, for one, is frustrated with the point-like, narrow projection of a typical guitar combo/cab. In comparison, you can walk around a cello or a piano, or almost any musical instrument, without losing any of the enjoyment. (good point about hearing each other in a self led (conductor-less) group)

As for the caliber, I agree that the guitar community is hung on 12". For straight-ahead jazz, my recommendation is 10" for broader projection and less bass boominess. Anyone interested in the most omnidirectional, ultra-light cabs, send me a PM.

(I think your design is very novel. You know what you are talking about- I had the impression that smaller diameter had wider dispersion. I also hear that 4x12 cabs are very beamy. Something to do with the effective surface area of a stack. I also hear that vertical arrangements have very different dispersion to horizontal. )

I wasn't trying to dispute the legitimacy of open back cabs as an entity. Like most things in this world they have their place too. I was I suppose trying to reconcile what some see as an outrageous price for Quilter cabs against the effort and design they have put into them to make them sound the way they do. I'm intrigued by their 2x8" frontliner which has apparently a huge dispersion, and huge output capability. But a lot seem to baulk at the price for a cabinet that looks so small in comparison to a 2x12" that comes in for less.

Cheer all
EM

[citizenk74]

Found this linked in at a local distributor's facebook page:

Limitless possibilities of a Quilter amplifier

[EastwoodMike]

Cheers mate.