NAD - Quilter Aviator Cub

[Mr. St. Paul]

I've been looking for a lightweight combo amp. Good sound, specs, etc. are very important, but as I'm pushing 60 and dealing with rotator cuff issues, the weight of the amp is right up there as well!

I was initially intrigued by the Fender Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb, but digging into threads on TDPRI put the Aviator Cub on my radar. Checked out the various videos--thought the Quilter sounded noticeably brighter than the vintage amps it emulates, but not to an off-putting degree. I'm selling off some gear and figured I'd use the cash to buy the Quilter. But I got a year-end bonus recently and pulled the trigger this weekend. It arrived today.

First impressions--concerning the EQ, the manual says "Typically, controls are set somewhere in the middle"...nope. Ran single coils, humbuckers and P-90s through it that way and they all sounded bright and brittle. Luckily, the active EQ has a lot of response, and I was able to dial in a balanced tone quickly.

Haven't had much time to play with it yet...although I was attracted to the Deluxe Reverb setting, I'm really digging the Blonde input with the tighter bass response. The Tweed setting on full drive has a nice snarl that I haven't had in my arsenal before. I experimented with setting up with a clean tone and using a Joyo American Sound for dirt and liked what I was hearing.

My company shuts down the last 2 weeks of the year, so I'm planning on digging in and tweaking it in-depth. Any Cub owners out there, please chime in with any tips/advice!

 

[Whoa Tele]

Congrats man . I liked mine so much I bought a Mach 3

 

[stormsedge]

HNAD! Tone Block 201 here.

 

[mjcyates]

I don't have a Cub but I do have the SuperBlock US which is basically the same amp only at 25 watts. I love it. For me it is pretty much perfect. I mostly use the Deluxe Reverb setting. I'm not really a fan of the Blonde setting

 

[60s Pop Man]

Any Cub owners out there, please chime in with any tips/advice!

Congrats!

I briefly had an Aviator Cub about a year ago and really liked it.

As some who only plays at home with cleans tones, the outer limit of volume output for me was with Gain and Speaker Volume (SV) set at 12 noon. Typically, I would set Gain between 9 and 11 o'clock and Speaker Volume at 10 o'clock. Of course the speaker volume can be set much lower with clean tones still sounding good!

The reverb set between 9 and 3 o'clock sounded rich. At full on it sounded harsh.

Edge of break and crunch tones are there with the Gain set high and SV set low. The only observation for home use is that SV knob excursion is sensitive. A slight rotation increased volume substantially.

The headphone out sounded great with clean tones and reverb but crunch tones weren't very inspiring.

The Line Out was handy for recording without a mic. My initial quick comparison of a Cub clean tone and a Logic mini tweed amp sim, both without reverb and with similar tone settings, did not reveal a clear winner.

You've probably already seen this video. It's loaded with amp setting examples for various types of guitars and styles of music. It's definitely worth the time to study and take notes.

 

[Mr. St. Paul]

I don't have a Cub but I do have the SuperBlock US which is basically the same amp only at 25 watts. I love it. For me it is pretty much perfect. I mostly use the Deluxe Reverb setting. I'm not really a fan of the Blonde setting

I was playing my Guild Starfire I with Franz P-90s through the Deluxe Reverb setting today and man, what a sound!

 

[Mr. St. Paul]

Congrats!

I briefly had an Aviator Cub about a year ago and really liked it.

As some who only plays at home with cleans tones, the outer limit of volume output for me was with Gain and Speaker Volume (SV) set at 12 noon. Typically, I would set Gain between 9 and 11 o'clock and Speaker Volume at 10 o'clock. Of course the speaker volume can be set much lower with clean tones still sounding good!

The reverb set between 9 and 3 o'clock sounded rich. At full on it sounded harsh.

Edge of break and crunch tones are there with the Gain set high and SV set low. The only observation for home use is that SV knob excursion is sensitive. A slight rotation increased volume substantially.

The headphone out sounded great with clean tones and reverb but crunch tones weren't very inspiring.

The Line Out was handy for recording without a mic. My initial quick comparison of a Cub clean tone and a Logic mini tweed amp sim, both without reverb and with similar tone settings, did not reveal a clear winner.

You've probably already seen this video. It's loaded with amp setting examples for various types of guitars and styles of music. It's definitely worth the time to study and take notes.

Thanks for the tips, I'll try those out.

Yes, I've seen that video. Have to go back and note the settings RJ uses.

 

[John_B]

A little late to this Christmas party. I received my new Aviator Cub yesterday. I unboxed it and immediately swapped out the stock Emminence for my Cannabis Rex. I think the C Rex is a better speaker, it is heavier than the stock one and it does help with this amp that is a little bright. I only played with the blackface input, and it did take a while to find a great tone. Everything everyone says is correct about this amp. It is 80 o/o of a fender tube amp, it is bright and it takes some work to find your tone. I really like it and I have only taken it around the block once.

I think a C Rex and a great midrange Fralin stock A5 bridge pup or a great Bootstrap midrange Palo Duro A5 bridge pup will reign in this brightness. I have a custom Fralin A3/A5/A3 bridge pup right now and I pulled this amp down to wonderful midrange tone.

The Cub is touch sensitive and notes are CRYSTAL clear using the Blackface setting clean and loud. I just play clean Fender classic country Twang.

I dialed in the settings Gain 10.5 Limiter 10.5 Bass 8.5 Midrange 11 Treble 8 Reverb 10 and Master (spkr) volume wide open. The tele was wide open also. This Cub is going to be a great pick up and go small club gigging amp!

I have a lot of homework to do to explore all the possibilities this amp will offer. I am very happy.

I think Santa did me right

Merry Christmas Everyone!

 

[ChicknPickn]

101 Reverb here. Love, love, love.

 

[Jbnaxx]

SuperBlock US owner here. I’ve had mine since they were first released and still loving it. I found that turning the BMT controls way up (around 2 - 3 o’clock) sounded really good. The extra bass and mids helped balance the treble and thickened the tone nicely.

 

[mikeRI]

I bought an Aviator Cub US recently. I’m still getting used to it, but my main priority was “loud, clean, lightweight” which it delivers. I agree with the OP that the EQ needs to be used to dial in sounds. The high end can get a little harsh on my split coil settings. I love how tight and crisp the low notes sound through it.

I’m curious if anyone here has favorite settings. I tend to use Tweed with bass at 12 o’clock and treble and mid at 10 o’clock. Gain set relatively low as I use a pedal for leads. I am experimenting with cranking the gain and using volume knob on my guitar without pedals occasionally.

 

[Mylithra]

I have a Mach2 proud I use for pedal steel predominantly but when I need something small, lightweight and highly portable, that's the amp I take. I did find mine bright as well, but not uncontrollably so. I really the the reverb on it.

 

[Swingcat]

I've been looking for a lightweight combo amp. Good sound, specs, etc. are very important, but as I'm pushing 60 and dealing with rotator cuff issues, the weight of the amp is right up there as well!

I was initially intrigued by the Fender Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb, but digging into threads on TDPRI put the Aviator Cub on my radar. Checked out the various videos--thought the Quilter sounded noticeably brighter than the vintage amps it emulates, but not to an off-putting degree. I'm selling off some gear and figured I'd use the cash to buy the Quilter. But I got a year-end bonus recently and pulled the trigger this weekend. It arrived today.

First impressions--concerning the EQ, the manual says "Typically, controls are set somewhere in the middle"...nope. Ran single coils, humbuckers and P-90s through it that way and they all sounded bright and brittle. Luckily, the active EQ has a lot of response, and I was able to dial in a balanced tone quickly.

Haven't had much time to play with it yet...although I was attracted to the Deluxe Reverb setting, I'm really digging the Blonde input with the tighter bass response. The Tweed setting on full drive has a nice snarl that I haven't had in my arsenal before. I experimented with setting up with a clean tone and using a Joyo American Sound for dirt and liked what I was hearing.

My company shuts down the last 2 weeks of the year, so I'm planning on digging in and tweaking it in-depth. Any Cub owners out there, please chime in with any tips/advice!

I'm a pro guitarist and guitar builder (Turbocaster Electric Guitars on Facebook)
After having played Fender Tube amps professionally for over 50 years, I tried a Quilter amp. While they sound great for many genres, I could not get any Fender clean tones out of it.
Being on the road a lot, I had the opportunity to compare Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverbs to Blackface Reissues in around twenty different music stores, and I can say without any doubt that if anyone tells you they can tell the difference, they either have not tried them side by side, or they are lying.
Additionally, they should be extremely reliable, as class C amplification has been around now for many years, in cell phones, computers, and many other applications with VERY few problems.
Added that to the 23 pound weight, attenuator, and direct out, mine has been great for the three years on the road, and many shows.
IF I wasn't in love with Fender clean tones, the Quilter high have made me happy, but to my ears and the genres I play, there is nothing that can make me happier than a Deluxe Reverb, except for a couple of $2500 boutique amps that I wouldn't take on the road anyway!

 

[Sammy the Strat]

I've been looking for a lightweight combo amp. Good sound, specs, etc. are very important, but as I'm pushing 60 and dealing with rotator cuff issues, the weight of the amp is right up there as well!

I was initially intrigued by the Fender Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb, but digging into threads on TDPRI put the Aviator Cub on my radar. Checked out the various videos--thought the Quilter sounded noticeably brighter than the vintage amps it emulates, but not to an off-putting degree. I'm selling off some gear and figured I'd use the cash to buy the Quilter. But I got a year-end bonus recently and pulled the trigger this weekend. It arrived today.

First impressions--concerning the EQ, the manual says "Typically, controls are set somewhere in the middle"...nope. Ran single coils, humbuckers and P-90s through it that way and they all sounded bright and brittle. Luckily, the active EQ has a lot of response, and I was able to dial in a balanced tone quickly.

Haven't had much time to play with it yet...although I was attracted to the Deluxe Reverb setting, I'm really digging the Blonde input with the tighter bass response. The Tweed setting on full drive has a nice snarl that I haven't had in my arsenal before. I experimented with setting up with a clean tone and using a Joyo American Sound for dirt and liked what I was hearing.

My company shuts down the last 2 weeks of the year, so I'm planning on digging in and tweaking it in-depth. Any Cub owners out there, please chime in with any tips/advice!

Celestion have recently released a neo magnet version of the 12” Cream backSpeaker. . It weighs only half the weight of a regular 12” speaker unit. If you buy a 12” combo you could swap out the existing drive unit and save 4lb in weight per driver.

I’ve done just that in my Fender Super 60. And the weight saving makes a big difference on the combo and sounds great and it’s rated at 60 watt.

 

[groovemastergreg]

I got to play one for about an hour last year as I was test driving a very nice 2008 Taylor Solid Body at South Austin Music. I thought the tweed and DR were fantastic. I wasn't subjecting the employees to *Guitar Center testing volumes* but I could see myself very happy with one of these.

 

[timbgtr]

I got a QAC not long after they came out, and love it. Other than buying another as backup, I’ve bought my last amp (of many). I pretty much use the Black setting with bass and treble around 1:00 and mid around 11:00, gain at 4:00 and limiter at 8:00, reverb around 10:00.

 

[Peegoo]

Quilter Aviator Gold combo here. Love it. This from a guy that also has some pretty primo/classic tube amps as well as several home-builds that are killers too. They all have their own sound and they all sound good.

I think a lot of players get into their heads that they need an amp "that sounds like a [fill in the blank]," rather than find an amp with the features, weight, etc., they prefer, and then dive in and learn what the amp can do. When it can't immediately sound like a [whatever], it's a no-go.

I also think it's counterproductive for any amp maker to claim theirs has a setting that sounds like a [whatever]. That sets up the buyer because they'll have expectations, and if their ears are actually good enough, they'll be dissatisfied.

Does the amp sound good--even if it doesn't sound like a Creamy Endless Sustain-brand amp?

I think this same preconception problem is why many guitarists own several (sometimes many) overdrive pedals.

 

[cousinpaul]

Don't overlook the guitar's tone control. It really expands what you can get from a Quilter.