Quilter Tone Block 202

Needed something next to my tube amp for practicing without disturbing neighbors and family. Also to test and play around with dual amp setup. It works very nicely, headphone out is great for late night practice. Furthermore dialing in crunch without the volume is also a nice addition. Recording without a mic is one of the future use-cases.
Like:
- I like the build-in reverb, nice to always dial in a bit, without using a dedicated slot on pedal board.
- Pedals play really well with the amp, distortion pedals don't get as muddy as with my other amp, clear note distinction when playing chords.
-EQ works very well, I like this better than the tone controls on previous Quilter models. Simple enough to get to a good tone, though you might spend a lot of time fine-tuning, just because you can.. ;-).
- EQ knobs have set steps/positions, which makes them easier to recall previous settings.
- Output options are great, maybe someone would miss USB, but I have other options for that.
Less:
- Only thing I like less is the small switch for voicing, they are a bit stiff and feel like they could get damaged.
To do:
- Haven't tested the direct out, but the manual states the amp sounds better when a real speaker is connected because its resistance while playing is used in the shaping of the direct output signal (at least for the two tube voicings, FRFR would not be affected..).

I have two of these units. One is in a Quilter Travis Toy 12 combo and this one was purchased to power a 15" cabinet, also for use with pedal steel guitar.

These amps are physically very light and electrically very quiet with plenty of volume and a universal power supply that works everywhere. It can be used as a recording pre-amp without a loudspeaker connected, it has powerful 3-band EQ, three switchable basic voicings and all the in-out connectivity one could wish for, including speaker simulation for direct to the desk live or recording.

Quilter amps and combos are for everyone but have found particular favour with pedal steel guitar players. I suspect that this one is primarily aimed at guitarists and has been adopted by steelers following the excellent reputation of the Quilter Steelaire amp and Travis Toy's endorsement.

What this ToneBlock 202 misses for the steel guitarist is a mid range sweep EQ. I would happily swap the limiter for that. I also find that it tends to be overly bright, with insufficient Treble EQ range to darken the tone.

Overall, the ToneBlock 202 is an incredibly versatile and convenient amp, but its overall tonal character is a bit on the sterile side.

The Quilter Tone Block 202 is a versatile, portable amp.
Perfect for home recording as you can use it without connecting a speaker.

Being a solid state amp it is very warm and with the Master Volume acting as an attenuator I can see this amp handling most live situations.

The limiter knob can give you the funk/soul sound or the country tone.

I play and use a variety of guitar types and have yet to have a bad tonal experience with this amp.

Well worth getting.