pedal size/compact back-up amps?

Andrew Frost · Post by **Andrew Frost** » 23 May 2024 10:23 am

Looking for suggestions here...

Not for a main rig scenario but as a decent emergency substitute that is small and light.

I'm thinking along the lines of the Seymour Duncan power stage 170 or perhaps even the EHX 44 magnum...Again, not as a main rig but to get through a set if snafus occur.

..Thanks in advance!

David Farrell · Post by **David Farrell** » 23 May 2024 6:26 pm

I have a Quilter Superblock that I love. It's a 25 watt amp that's about the size of 2 stomp boxes next to each other.

I'm actually using this as my main amp these days. It powers my small speaker cab & has an XLR direct out. It stows in my seat. I highly recommend it.

Dave

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 23 May 2024 7:25 pm

I also have a Superblock, it's an amazing amp and sounds great with a steel.

Stew Crookes · Post by **Stew Crookes** » 23 May 2024 11:40 pm

I love my SuperBlock too - it's become my main amp for live and recording

Fred Rogan · Post by **Fred Rogan** » 25 May 2024 6:54 am

Milkman The Amp 100 - a great piece of gear!

Ron Hogan · Post by **Ron Hogan** » 25 May 2024 7:00 am

Bam200. Very small, but 200 watts. Bass amp head, but works well for steel.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -bass-head

D Schubert · Post by **D Schubert** » 25 May 2024 10:14 am

Quilter SuperBlok is great, also the Quilter 101R head.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 25 May 2024 1:00 pm

Ron Hogan wrote:Bam200. Very small, but 200 watts. Bass amp head, but works well for steel.

Out of curiosity, Ron, what do you use for a speaker cabinet with your BAM 200? I have one that I've been using for bass guitar into a PBJ cabinet about the size of a shoebox. I have yet to plug a PSG into it.

The BAM 200 might sound better into the open-back TT-12 cab that I use with my Session 400 head for steel. One of these fine days I'll hafta set 'em all up and do a shootout.

Andrew Frost · Post by **Andrew Frost** » 4 Jun 2024 6:40 am

Thanks for the suggestions here.

Re the Quilter Supeblock- I can imagine it has decent tone, perhaps in the realm of a Deluxe Reverb.
Is there enough clean headroom though? 25 watts seems like a pretty low ceiling

David Farrell · Post by **David Farrell** » 4 Jun 2024 6:57 am

Andrew Frost wrote:Thanks for the suggestions here.

Re the Quilter Supeblock- I can imagine it has decent tone, perhaps in the realm of a Deluxe Reverb.
Is there enough clean headroom though? 25 watts seems like a pretty low ceiling

I played an outdoor gig last Sunday with my Superblock into a 10" speaker. We had bass, drums, guitar & steel. Mics only in the PA. I had the Superblock cranked up, almost wide open. It did distort just a lil, but it was loud enough & sounded great.

Stew Crookes · Post by **Stew Crookes** » 6 Jun 2024 9:16 am

Andrew Frost wrote:Thanks for the suggestions here.

Re the Quilter Supeblock- I can imagine it has decent tone, perhaps in the realm of a Deluxe Reverb.
Is there enough clean headroom though? 25 watts seems like a pretty low ceiling

I find its 25 watts to be just enough for low-volume rehearsals and the very smallest gigs, but when connected to the PA it's been great in venues up to 500 cap (so far, but even bigger rooms would presumably have even better PA)

Using it either with a small cab pointed at me as a monitor, or only monitoring from the wedges...

My approach is to treat it like a direct device, with a 'bonus' amp that is useful in some scenarios. If you need a truly do it all small amp, something like the 202 is more capable but I'm finding the SuperBlock is doing everything I need it to and has radically simplified my gigging life.