25 Watts* of American Muscle to Go!
Quilter Labs helped popularize the pedalboard amplifier as we know it. Today, Pat Quilter brings his top-notch analog amp engineering to the brightest and best of the bunch: the SuperBlock US. This pedalboard-sized 25-watt amp head gives you all the muscle you need to push a stage cab, drive a PA, and self-monitor directly from your pedalboard. The SuperBlock US's three American voicings look back to a seminal time in the combo amplifier's history, bringing you Black, Blonde, and Tweed tones in an easy-gigging format. Running direct? The SuperBlock US gives you two switchable cab emulations and a lush digital reverb right onboard. On the rear, you'll find an effects loop to tag in preamp pedals or leave your reverb and delay pedals to roost. For fly dates and commutes, or even as a replacement for your traditional amp setup, the solid-state Quilter Labs SuperBlock US is a ton of fun to play and packs some serious performance potential!
Note: *The SuperBlock US is rated to perform as loud as a 25-watt tube amp when using the included 24-volt power supply. Standard 9-volt pedal supplies give you the equivalent of a 1-watt tube amp — which is still plenty loud for home practice!
Three American voicings
When it comes to tone, the Quilter Labs SuperBlock US is all in. This pedalboard-sized amplifier includes three amp voicings based on a trio of California legends. Toggle the Tweed setting and drink in the mid-forward power of this late-'50s workhorse. Use the Blonde setting to access '60s bell-like cleans and a growling weight under gain. Or, engage the Black setting to uncover the slightly scooped midrange and velvety highs reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan. If American amp voicings are the cream in your coffee, the SuperBlock US will quench your craving.
- '61 (Blonde): A turn-of-the-'60s voicing marked by a scooped midrange and crumbly gain structure
- '57 (Tweed): Based on a tweed-covered, TV-style 1950s American workhorse, this voicing packs a rootsy vibe and a menacing snarl
- '65 (Black): A mid-'60s Black Panel combo known for its sparkling cleans, sweet top end, and throaty breakup in the low registers
25 watts of cab-driving power
Leave that hefty head and its fragile glass tubes at home! A speaker cab and the pedalboard-mounted Quilter SuperBlock US are all you need to push some air next time you gig out. Although the SuperBlock is technically rated for 8-ohm cabinets, you're fine to run into a 4- or 16-ohm cabinet (though possibly at the sake of some output and headroom). Using the included 24-volt power supply, the SuperBlock kicks with the equivalent of a 25-watt tube head. You can also use it with your standard 9-volt pedal power supply to reach the equivalent of a 1-watt tube amp — which still packs a punch for practice.
Cab emulation on XLR and headphone outputs
Here's more good news: you don't even need to haul a cab if you're playing somewhere with a PA. The Quilter SuperBlock US has a speaker-emulated headphone output right onboard, so you can safely monitor yourself from the comfort of the stage. The XLR output shares whichever cab setting you choose — so whatever you hear in your cans or in-ears, your mix engineer hears from the other side of the mains.
Three speaker voicings
Two cab-emulated outputs make recording and gigging with your Quilter Labs SuperBlock US a breeze. Most players will find a tone that works for them with the Normal and Bright voicings. But for even more control, you can bypass the speaker emulation completely using the FRFR setting. Now you're free to run an IR loader in-line on your board or audition cabs in the computer.
Onboard reverb and FX loop
Whether you're plunking chords or baptizing leads in a cascade of syrupy ambience, we're pleased to report that the SuperBlock's digital reverb sounds excellent. On the rear of the unit, you'll find an inbuilt FX loop. Here you can connect additional reverb, chorus, or delay pedals to keep note fidelity intact as you crank the amp gain. Sweetwater tip: depending on the box, this FX loop also makes a great spot for preamp pedals to change up your SuperBlock's character.
Quilter Labs SuperBlock US Pedalboard Amplifier Head Features:
- American-voiced muscle to go!
- Kicks with the equivalent power a 25-watt tube head
- All you need to push a stage cab and drive a PA directly from your pedalboard
- 3 amp settings voiced on Black, Blonde, and Tweed American legends
- Defeatable cabinet emulation on the headphone and XLR outputs
- Normal and Bright speaker cab voicings cater to single-coils and humbuckers
- Flat FRFR setting pairs perfectly with IR loaders
- Digital reverb has endless utility for cleans to leads
- Limiter control replaces the breakup "brick wall" with a soft, pillowy sustain
- FX loop properly situates reverb, delay, or preamp pedals
- Rated for 8-ohm cabinets; can safely run a 4- or 16-ohm cabinet
- 24-volt power supply included
- Can also be powered by a standard 9-volt pedal supply for a reduced output
