Initial Impressions: First few days

SOUNDS FANTASTIC! In the first few hours of playing, there are just so many sounds one can dial in and it seems to handle anything I throw at it. The versatility of the EQ & Tone settings just seem endless and provide such a rich foundation to build on. The thought occurred to me as I was playing around — the clarity/crispness/fullness makes the whole experience feel like I was listening to an “HD” amplifier if there was such a thing.

Also … not that I can sing nearly as well as I can play, but I did plug-in the Microphone and the whole combo things works as advertised. Compared to my Fender and Crate, this thing is very light. As it is loud enough for small performances, and expandable for bigger venues, this is truly a great AMP for all purposes and occasions.

[Update: A few weeks later and additional thoughts]

This past evening I was playing around with my Strat & the MicroPro 200 (sans Pedals). I was just trying to keep it simple and try out a few things both with the Guitar and Amp. I had added a LP to my gear this past year and have been spending most of my time playing with that thus, it was nice to revisit the sound and feel of the Strat.

I wanted to share specifically to the Quilter MicroPro ….

This amp is fantastic, such a rich organic sound, and so very tweakable. I continue to find great sounds every time I try/do something different. It is important to note, for those that might be interested in this amp that my experience with using it has been a bit different from any amp I have ever owned — not that I have had that many. To clarify, while the basic tone/foundation is solid from the minute it powers on, you really do have to know and understand what all the controls do — even more so — how they interact with each other.

Beyond the base tone, this is not the type of amp that you push a button or turn a knob to get the sound you want. Instead, you will have to tweak more than a few different settings to dial in the tone you want — this does make for some great trial and error. For instance … you can turn up the gain for some distortion but you will probably also want to turn on the loud boost setting, dial back the presence, and add a dash of Limiter to get a great edge-of-breakup blues sound. While this can equate to a bit more work, I feel like I understand the function and interaction of different circuitry (i.e. gain and limiter) which is worth the price of admission for such an amp. A helpful way to think of this is to consider the difference between throwing a tv dinner in the microwave vs gathering the ingredients and cooking fresh on the stove top. Now certainly, for some sound and functions of the amp, it is just that easy to turn it on, adjust the EQ and then you’re off and running — it’s just nice to know how deep the user control and tweakability is if desired.

Finally, I would share that I had an opportunity to sit-in for part of a set with a long-time friend at a private event a few weeks back. There were a lot of other musicians in attendance and many of them commented on how great the amp sounded — not to mention how easily it held it’s own outdoors competing with a drummer and PA system. As for having to carry it around — so light and easy 

[Update: After six live performances]

The Quilter MicroPro 200-8 is Fantastic. Super Light and Easy to Carry with NO Sacrifice of RAW Power. It holds its own and stands proud. Having played at some smaller venues, with up to about 30 to 40 people in attendance, I haven’t had to turn the amp but a smidgen past half-way on the volume level. Fellow musicians in attendance are honestly amazed in both the strength and quality of sound; very rich and full spectrum. The Quilter MicroPro has become my main/”goto” amplifier.

[SIX YEARS LATER – Added: April 13th, 2021]

Here is a quick and honest update to share …

6 Years & many gigs of all types later the MicroPro 200-8 is still my main Amp. I’ve teased a few other amps throughout this time but they’ve only at best played a supporting role. Further, I have enjoyed a few other Quilters to include the 101, 101 Reverb, Tone Block 200, and the Microblock — the Reverb 101 paired with BlockDock 10 being the preferred amp out of that particular bunch.

A year or so after writing the review above, I ended up getting the matching Quilter 12″ Extension which I later upgraded to the HD speaker — It has been Fantastic! Even when not needing more volume, the 12″ Cab just added some more fullness and bass. That said, when performing at outdoor gigs, while the amp would honestly be just fine, the larger speaker again helped disperse the sound a bit better and added some oomph. Currently, in the home studio, I have the pedalboard outbound signal split into two with one side going to the MicroPro and the other into a REVV D20 which is then hooked up into the Quilter Cab. With the various voice settings available to me on the MicroPro, I can mix and match various amp types for all sorts of fun combinations between the two —- all without taking up very much space.

Final note: During this 6 years, my pedal board as grown and changed exponentially and, no matter what type of effect, boost, or gain I threw at the Quilter amps, they handled it all like champs. I am always excited to see what Quilter brings out next — oh yeah, and my back sincerely appreciates the lighter weight