JonMiller216
Working on the "R" of R&B...
So I've owned a Positive Grid Spark 40 for a year or so, and I like it a lot. I especially like the ability to download a bunch of different tone and/or to tweak existing tones without the need to own a bunch of pedals, etc.
What I don't like is that I spend a lot of time downloading and tweaking tones to get that sound "just right" (whatever that means). I had some money sitting on Gear Exchange (Sweetwater) in the form of credit from a guitar I sold, so I thought I'd try one of these:
It's a Quilter Aviator Cub US version, with which many of you are familiar. I don't want to start a Tube vs. Solid State debate here, but I will say that I'm not smart enough or experienced enough to tell the difference between the Quilter and the three Amp channels (Tweed, Blonde, and Black) and the Fender Tweed, Blonde, or Blackface amps.
What a sweet sounding amp it is! Plus it's lightweight, powerfully loud, and with a Y-Cable, you can combine any two of the channels and get blended Tweed/Blonde, Tweed/Black, and Blonde/Black tones, which has proven to be pretty interesting too. The controls are pretty straightforward, and I've done a little experimenting trying to dial it in a little (it doesn't take much) and learn the differences from the three channels. The limiter has been fun to play around with. I hope to record with it for the VJR at my first opportunity and see how it sounds.
Mostly though, I just plug in and go. I plan on bringing it to any regional jams and also any local Blues Jams that I've been traveling around to provided they'll allow me to plug it in. It's definitely loud enough for a club venue, and so simple that I hope/think that it will improve my experience when I do play out because I'll be getting the tone that I want, rather than whatever random tone I find when I plug into an amp at a jam.
With regard to practice I find less choices are better on some day, and I really can't find anything missing when I plug into the Quilter. I'll continue to use the Spark for sure, it's a great practice amp and a good way to experiment, especially without having to buy pedals, etc. But I'm loving the Quilter.
What I don't like is that I spend a lot of time downloading and tweaking tones to get that sound "just right" (whatever that means). I had some money sitting on Gear Exchange (Sweetwater) in the form of credit from a guitar I sold, so I thought I'd try one of these:
It's a Quilter Aviator Cub US version, with which many of you are familiar. I don't want to start a Tube vs. Solid State debate here, but I will say that I'm not smart enough or experienced enough to tell the difference between the Quilter and the three Amp channels (Tweed, Blonde, and Black) and the Fender Tweed, Blonde, or Blackface amps.
What a sweet sounding amp it is! Plus it's lightweight, powerfully loud, and with a Y-Cable, you can combine any two of the channels and get blended Tweed/Blonde, Tweed/Black, and Blonde/Black tones, which has proven to be pretty interesting too. The controls are pretty straightforward, and I've done a little experimenting trying to dial it in a little (it doesn't take much) and learn the differences from the three channels. The limiter has been fun to play around with. I hope to record with it for the VJR at my first opportunity and see how it sounds.
Mostly though, I just plug in and go. I plan on bringing it to any regional jams and also any local Blues Jams that I've been traveling around to provided they'll allow me to plug it in. It's definitely loud enough for a club venue, and so simple that I hope/think that it will improve my experience when I do play out because I'll be getting the tone that I want, rather than whatever random tone I find when I plug into an amp at a jam.
With regard to practice I find less choices are better on some day, and I really can't find anything missing when I plug into the Quilter. I'll continue to use the Spark for sure, it's a great practice amp and a good way to experiment, especially without having to buy pedals, etc. But I'm loving the Quilter.
