Speaker opinion

[Phillip Leggett]

So I have a Quilter Toneblock 202 which I run into my Hilton volume pedal then into an EVM12L cab which I find to be a great sound.

However, recently I purchased an Eminence EPS-15C for an absolute steal but can’t seem to get a good tone from it? It’s a very sterile sound with quite chalky treble.

I realise tones are subjective but I was wondering if anyone had any luck with a different head etc…

Cheers!

[Marty Nemanick]

I've tried that speaker with a couple of different amps including the TB202 with the same results as you, sold it and moved on.

[Phillip Leggett]

Interesting, I’m glad it’s not just me.

It has quite a cloudy mid range. I was wondering if I was missing anything?

[Brett Lanier]

I’ve had a Toneblock 202 for a few years and thought I just didn’t like it into any speaker. Tried the TT12, PF350… A JBL K130 was a lot better (still not great), and I’m also worried about blowing it.

A week ago I did a van and trailer run where I didn’t want to bring one of my nice amps, so I experimented at home with other stuff. Found an EV 15L that was in a busted LTD I had. I ended up being really happy with the Quilter into the EV. In fact, it was awesome. Tonally better than the JBL for that amp too.

The other thing about the Quilter is the direct options. I never liked the sig out. It sounds and feels like a plug in to me. The XLR is ok but it’s way darker than what you’d get out of a speaker. I’ve used the xlr plenty, but have compensated by increasing the treble control a lot. What you don’t want to do is monitor through a cabinet on stage then send XLR to FOH because it’s going to be a lot darker out front than what you’re hearing, and you’ll be relying on someone else to brighten it up for you.

[Jerry Overstreet]

The ideal 12" Black Widow speaker for steel guitar is the older edition of the 1203-4 from the late 80s, and 90s. Paper cone.

It's a crap shoot though, because the later versions were not. Those applications were for FOH as the construction was different using the Kevlar and had a different frequency curve.

The only way I know you can tell is to find an original Nashville 112E cabinet. The black ozite covered ones. These were made for steel guitar and will have the speaker you want provided it's the factory installed model in it's original condition.

I still have 2 of those and not letting go of them.

A pretty good second choice would be the old original flat magnet Spider Web 1201. Again, only the flat mag is guaranteed to be suitable. The next earliest edition SS mag early models were good too, but there's no way to differentiate those from the later models unless you are very familiar with the cone charcteristics.

I also have a few of both of these. They are OK, but the original 1203-4 is the one.

[Donny Hinson]

When you have a speaker that isn't reacting like you want, you really need more than just BASS-MID-TREBLE controls, The Toneblock, like most all of the "mini-amps", is limited in this respect because there's no mid-shift control or switch. IMHO, a good graphic equalizer would go a long way to sculp a better tone from a speaker whose response for steel is less than ideal.

[Dave Grafe]

I bought a TT15 and likewise couldn't get a decent sound from the Eminence speaker. I replaced it with a JBL K130 and found my joy.

[Phillip Leggett]

Thanks for your opinions, everybody. I really appreciate it. I’ve added some more gain and dipped the mids on the Toneblock and it’s behaving a bit better to be honest. The mids are still a bit muddy so I’ll try a graphic eq first.

Cheers!

[Colton Stokley]

Would really like to see a new Toneblock with Q control on mids, a little bit more power, and an improved Direct out. That would be a VERY good amp.

Sig out is not usable for me. Doesnt sound good.

I do like my TB. Its close to perfect

[Dave Grafe]

For what it's worth, I did a bench test with the TB202 to compare the signal from the Quilter's XLR line out with that of a mic'ed speaker, using a Sennheiser MD409 and a JBL D120f. With the mic placed 1" from the grill cloth and at the edge of the dust cap the two signals were nearly identical, the only measurable difference was a bit of extra high end sizzle (~5kHz-8kHz) from the line out.

The 1/4" output is a convenience feature best used as a headphone output, although it has its applications in a recording environment. The XLR output is tied into the speaker itself and follows the speaker's impedance curve to replicate its response cuve. It's designed specifically for stage use and is the only amp line out I have ever had enough confidence in to let the audio crew plug into.

[David Wren]

Dave, the "sizzle" you mentioned from the direct out... 3 different sound guys have commented on that same thing with my 202. Discouraging for sure....

However, in one hour I leave to pick up my brand-new Milkman Half and Half.... at Tim's shop in S.F.

So excited, I really don't expect any "sizzle" from this amp
I'll give a review of it after I've played with it some.

[Dave Grafe]

Dave, the "sizzle" you mentioned from the direct out... 3 different sound guys have commented on that same thing with my 202. Discouraging for sure....

However, in one hour I leave to pick up my brand-new Milkman Half and Half.... at Tim's shop in S.F.

So excited, I really don't expect any "sizzle" from this amp
I'll give a review of it after I've played with it some.

The Shure SM57''s and Sennheiser e609''s used by most sound contractors both have the notorious "presence boost" a 6dB-8dB between 3kHz and 6kHz, boosting the "icepick" element over the rest of the spectrum.

That's why I carry a Sennheiser MD409 or e906, and sometimes a Beyer M88 for best possible performance. The e906 boosts the high mids about half as much as the e609 but has an overall smoother response and is more mix-friendly. The other two are superbly smooth and flat, with tight patterns that reduce stage bleed. The only time I even tell anyone I have an XLR line option is in a festival setting with really tight set changes and a stressed out crew. Be kind to the audio folk and they will remember you fondly when it matters most.