Quilter BlockDock 10TC guitar speaker cabinet review
When I first saw the Quilter BlockDock 10TC, I was skeptical about its sound and loudness since it was much smaller and lighter than other standard guitar speaker cabinets. Since I bought this cabinet, it changed the way I gig.
Musical gear that will fit the needs of a modern musician looking for compact, powerful, and versatile super portable equipment is not easy to find these days. The web is a dense forest where large and heavy guitar amps prevail.
I mostly play vintage 50s and 60s music and need a warm clean tube tone. That I had with my Dynacord Twen which is a German version of Fender’s Princeton Brownface 1963, and previously with Fender Blues Jr. I started having back issues and gigs were piling up so I needed to downsize my guitar rig as much as possible. Don’t get me wrong, these two tube amps are not that heavy (14-15kg) nor large in the average guitar player’s world but they are still too heavy for me to carry up and down stairs and sometimes hard to fit in a car.
Here, I will tell you what I like about it, and for who I think it wouldn’t be good.
Design and build quality
The Quilter BlockDock 10TC is a very small, compact guitar speaker cabinet weighing only 16 lbs (6.8 kg). It is ergonomically designed for use with Quilter’s Block series amplifier heads (BlockHead and MicroPro 200 amplifiers) but can accommodate other heads with certain alterations. There is a slot in the back of the cabinet where a metal plate holds the amp in place with the use of two screws that are very easy to screw off and on.
Of course, you can always place any small amp head on top of the cabinet if it doesn’t fit in the slot.
The design feature that I find most useful is the tilt-back feature. This is extremely useful for small stages where I need close-up monitoring. This way I can still hear most of the frequencies, especially the higher ones. Without tilting the amp I get a very unclear and boomy sound. If anyone would use an amp not placed in the back slot it could be tricky to tilt back the cabinet. This could be done by placing the amp on the cabinet using velcro, or by placing the amp somewhere else near, or on a pedalboard.
The cabinet measures 13.5″ x 12.5″ x 10.75″ (34.3 cm x 31.8 cm x 27.3 cm) which is ultra-compact and portable for frequent gigs and musicians with health problems.
The build quality is sturdy and very good-looking on every stage. Ok, it looks strange because of its small size on a larger stage but I keep getting positive comments on the sound after every gig. The black tolex covering seems like it will last a long time.
The original cover is labeled as a Ballistic Nylon Cover which sounds like it should be very strong but I had holes appearing on the corners pretty soon.
There is also a pouch on the back side for holding a cable or two but I don’t use it. I use the empty space for the power cable where the cabinet’s dust cover holds it in place. A custom-made cover with a hard top would be the best solution to protect the amp from getting damaged from above. Of course, a hard case is the ultimate protection.
Sound
First I have to say that I use the Quilter 101 mini amp head which is the older version of the Quilter 101 mini reverb and my review on sound is based on that amp.
The speaker inside this closed-back guitar cabinet is the weight-optimized Celestion TF-1018 which is a bigger version of the speaker from the Quilter MicroPro8. At first, I found the sound of the speaker tight and a bit darker than I expected. I thought it was related to the closed-back design. Then I threw an MXR M-109 6-band EQ pedal on the pedalboard and it was easy to dial in a very pleasing brighter and fuller sound.
I never thought about speaker break-in until I realized the sound was getting brighter after a couple of months of average gigging. I had to change the EQ settings to get the sound I had in the beginning. Then I tried the Quilter Blockdock 10TC without the EQ pedal and it sounded noticeably better than before. I know some say that the break-in is sort of a myth, but now I believe the sound is 20-30% better than in the start. I would say that the speaker’s sound is now much more organic and similar to a closed-back valve amp.
The cabinet produces a warm sound with very well-balanced middle frequencies. I am mostly playing fifties and sixties music where I need clean tones so I believe it would be a fine choice for blues and Jazz as well.
Portability
The features we are looking for in a portable piece of gear are:
- Small size
- Low weight
- Simple shape
The Quilter has them all, it’s extremely portable. I used to have one amp for gigs and another for rehearsals. Now I grab the quilter for everything. It weighs only 15 pounds (6.8 kg). Add the 101 mini amp which is 2 pounds (0,9 kg) and you have only 17 pounds (7.7 kg) to carry around easily.
Finding room for the cabinet in the car is a breeze. Be sure to place the tilt-back side against any stable surface like the side of the car or a PA speaker, otherwise, It will fall on its back during driving for sure.
Pros
- Small size
- Lightweight
- Til-back feature
- Well built
- Great look
Cons
- Not ideal for large stages, but can be mic’d, and with proper monitoring will work well. In short: On a large stage it looks a bit too small but can produce a huge amount of volume even placed beside an average loud drummer.
- Higher price than some alternatives
- Not for loud music styles
Final thoughts
The Quilter BlockDock 10TC is a grab-and-go solution for musicians who want a compact, yet powerful guitar rig. It is perfect for small to mid-sized stages and looks great. The compact design, small size, and weight make it ideal for musicians with back problems.
The amount of volume that this guitar cabinet delivers is amazing for its 10-inch speaker and overall size. I believe we will see an increase in this category of guitar cabinets in the near future. The modern gigging profession is evolving where versatility, modularity, and portability are key. Quilter is definitely one of the leaders in the niche of compact guitar and bass gear.
