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Topic: Travis Toy Quilter Combo Amp - 12" vs. 15" |
Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2023 6:17 pm |
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I've been on the fence for a while about buying one of these. The 15" version is out of stock right now but the 12" version is in stock all over. I've always gone for a 15" speaker in dedicated steel amps. I do have the 12" Double T12 speaker in the Allen Encore kit amp I built. It's evenly balanced for steel guitar but not well voiced for my Tele's in that amp. Also that amp's tone stack is not optimized for pedal steel.
Allen Encore Amp
Any opinions or advise on which version of the Quilter Travis Toy combo amp would be best for a D-10 or S12 steel?
Last edited by Greg Cutshaw on 4 Feb 2023 8:27 am; edited 4 times in total |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 4 Feb 2023 3:15 am
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Depends on whether you are a "must have" 15" speaker type.
I was only a 15" for a long time. The NV112 turned me into 12" is plenty. I've used the NV112 and the Travis Toy 12 with a D-10 Franklin and a D-10 GFI Ultra and had all the low end I wanted. |
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Jim Cooley
From:
The 'Ville, Texas, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2023 9:38 am
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Greg - I was always a 15" speaker guy too. I have a few cabinets with 15" speakers, including a TT15. I had tried more than one 12" speaker, but they just didn't measure up to the 15s. Then one day I was able to play through a Block Dock with a TT12. I was surprised, pleasantly enough that I bought one. I haven't played through a 15 in a quite while, and when the TT12 speaker broke in, oh my. I even had Tommy Huff build a custom 12" cabinet for a second Quilter 202 with a TT12 speaker.
I realize of course that you have been a forum member for a long time and know that this is subjective, but since you asked... |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 4 Feb 2023 12:39 pm
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| Jim Cooley wrote: |
Greg - I was always a 15" speaker guy too. I have a few cabinets with 15" speakers, including a TT15. I had tried more than one 12" speaker, but they just didn't measure up to the 15s. Then one day I was able to play through a Block Dock with a TT12. I was surprised, pleasantly enough that I bought one. I haven't played through a 15 in a quite while, and when the TT12 speaker broke in, oh my. I even had Tommy Huff build a custom 12" cabinet for a second Quilter 202 with a TT12 speaker.
I realize of course that you have been a forum member for a long time and know that this is subjective, but since you asked... |
The Quilter Blockdock 12 enclosure is a perfect match for the TT12 speaker. It wasn't but its like it was designed for the TT12 speaker.
When I first got the TT12 combo amp I still had a NV112 with a Telonics 12" speaker. The Telonics mated perfectly with the NV112 cabinet and beat out the TT12 that I tried for comparison. Just the opposite, I tried the Telonics in the Blockdock 12 enclosure and it didn't have the overall lows and smooth highs the TT12 had.
In one of my stupid moves, downsizing, I sold the TT12 combo to a local Steeler that was using a TT15 combo. The guy put the TT15 up for sale the next week and is using the TT12,
I have since pieced together the same parts as a TT12 combo amp, same thing just not badged as a TT12. |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2023 5:23 pm
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| Thanks for the insights. I'll go with the 12" and enjoy the smaller size and lower weight! |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 5 Feb 2023 3:11 am
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| FWIW, two suggestions. 1. Do not use low capacitance cables such as George L's. 2. My EQ settings, Bass 12 O'clock, MID and Treble two clicks left from 12 O'clock. I vary back and forth on "Voice" settings. Sometimes "FULLQ" and sometimes "VINT". Lately I've been using VINT, which is the "Fenderish" sound. |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 5 Feb 2023 5:30 am
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| With my George L's cables I add quite a bit to the length of the pedal to amp cable to tame the highs in a way that amp adjustments can't seem to duplicate. Rough guess is that I have doubled the capacitance of that cable. |
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Dale Rottacker
From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
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Posted 5 Feb 2023 7:12 am
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Greg, except for my first Fender Twin in the early 70's, like you I've ALWAYS been a 15" guy. Perhaps because my Dad was. However after getting the 12" Quilter 202 Toneblock Combo, I found I may have been wrong. That thing has a TON of range. To me there almost isn't a bad setting on the 202 Toneblock either and I can pretty much get comfortable with whatever settings happen to be on it. Thats unlike the times I've had someone walk by other amps I've had and twist one knob and you find yourself at a loss for "What happened to my SOUND"?
After getting the 12" 202 Combo I did go ahead and get an empty 15" Quilter Cabinet as I had a couple TT15's just sitting in other cabs and wanted the FULL Quilter experience. Separately I don't hear a great deal of difference, with the 12" a little more focused and the 15" a bit wider, but together with the 12" on top of the 15" there is an added YUM there.
So you might want to start with the readily available 12" model and then add a 15" to that later. The 202 Toneblock handles both of them together with ease.
My knowledgeable 2 cent's worth   
BTW I had used the George L's for several years and had that shrilness, especially on a Mullen... But after switching to the "Make Em Yourself" D'Addario Cables I find them cleaner, clearer but without the shrillness, AND they lay nicer on the floor.
_________________
Dale Rottacker, Steelinatune™
https://www.youtube.com/@steelinatune
*2021 MSA Legend, "Jolly Rancher" D10 10x9
*2021 Rittenberry, "The Concord" D10 9x9
*1977 Blue Sho-Bud Pro 3 Custom 8x6
https://msapedalsteels.com
http://rittenberrysteelguitars.com
https://www.telonics.com/index.php
https://www.p2pamps.com
https://www.quilterlabs.com |
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Dennis Detweiler
From:
Solon, Iowa, US
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Posted 5 Feb 2023 8:15 am
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I have a 3ft and 10ft ShoBud Beldon (brown color) cables from the 1960's with brass military plugs on them. They are in perfect condition. I assume these would be the very resistant to peak highs? They came in the case with a guitar that I bought a few years ago.
_________________
1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Revelation preamp, Carbon Copy Delay and Hall Of Fame Reverb, Crown XLS 1002, 2- 15" Eminence Wheelhouse speakers, ShoBud Pedal, Effects Pedals. 1949 Epiphone D-8. |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2023 2:07 pm
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| Got the D'addario cable kit and cut my two guitar cables to the same length. New cables do audibly roll off the highs and peculiarly affect the midrange a bit. Will be nice to have both types of cables for different amps! |
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Dale Rottacker
From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
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Chris Harvey
From:
California, USA
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Posted 14 Apr 2023 1:50 pm
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| Agree with Jack 100%. George L cables yielded a high end and mid bump I could not dial out on my guitar. Problem solved with standard guitar cables. Much easier than installing a tone pot. |
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David Wren
From:
Placerville, California, USA
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Posted 24 Apr 2023 6:41 pm
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So, not to move the topic away from George L cables....
but, I'm a relatively new user of the TT-15... and last Sat. I played my first outdoor gig with the TT-15..
Blew my socks off... I just love that amp.
_________________
Dave Wren
'96 Carter U12,7X7; 1936 7 string National; Line 6 HX Stomp; Quilter TT-15/TB202; Quilter "Steelaire"; DV Mark "GH 250"with 15" 1501 BW; Boss "Katana" 100 Head w/Line 6 Cab; Telonics VP. |
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Thomas Alexander
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Posted 30 Apr 2023 4:24 pm
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I use a TT12 with a Milkman 100 head. Sounds good to me. But I mainly chose the 12 because I couldn't find any ready-made lightweight cabs for a 1x15, and I don't have the means to cut my own baffle. I also read lots of good things about the 12 on the forum--the consensus seemed to be that the 12 is a more focussed, punchier sound than the 15.
I have had an inkling to try a 15" speaker though, mainly because of all the tracks of Lloyd using a 1x15 Twin... I wish there was somebody who owned both and could do a comparison video! Most of the clips I could find on the web when I was researching were for the 12. |
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