SHOOTOUT: Tube - Solid State - Digital Amps (Softube Brown Amp vs Quilter MicroPro vs Fender Deluxe)

[@mrblues1955]

I got them all right and I thought the fender and the quilter was very close in tone thank you for that demo.

[@stevekozak7176]

Excellent demo Jay! Love my Quilter amps!

[@stephensallak2059]

I thought A and C sounded very similar, and B was different, but I didn't know how. I know digital simulators are getting really good (borderline sentient), so I thought A was the Deluxe and C was the sim, although I really couldn't tell. Awesome demo and playing!

[@JayLeonardJ]

Yeah, it's amazing how far things have gone ever since those old 90s Boss multi-effects units!

[@LetzBeaFranque]

They all sounded great. Great job!

[@bluwng]

All sounds good, no one would know or care in a live setting.

[@mateuszfitkowski8258]

i care

[@SnowLlama]

I totally thought A sounded the best. C was the close second. The deluxe was just a little too bright for my taste

[@learnerlearns]

THANK YOU JAY! I appreciate the work it took to provide this comparison so equanimously.

[@JayLeonardJ]

I really appreciate it. Since all three amps really excel at very different things, it definitely takes a lot of work to show them in a way that demonstrates their strengths and weaknesses equally :)

[@bobboitt3126]

"C" for me. Im a tube amp guy and can hear that crystalline fade of the notes. "A" was second choice and really good! Times have changed and when we have to listen THIS close to tell a difference I think its amazing and great for the future of cheaper and lighter amps.

[@pastorkev777]

I am relieved I got them all right, the last little bit made me question C. I would actually rock B and use pedals to fine tune it and also a different speaker for more sparkle. A was simply okay and not something I would use.

[@simonjonasmusic8410]

I was surprised to find that B is the Quilter. I actually liked it the best in all clips.

[@paulwatson9217]

Jay thank you for your reply and yes I think it could be an entirely different outcome. When I said I guessed it right the clue word was GUESSED! I just feel to be fair to each amp they all deserve to be what each manufacturer intended them to be, please do it again I would love to see the outcome of a take 2.

[@BrianBrazilHarmonica]

It's been 5 years since this video was made. In 2021 Quilter produced an amp with 50s Tweed Fender Deluxe, Early 60s Blonde Deluxe and 65 Black Face Deluxe channels built into one 50 Watt amp. It has a 12 " speaker and weighs just 21 pounds the Quilter Aviator Cub.

[@maomao180]

Super impressed with the Softube emulation didn't expect to it to be my favorite.

[@JayLeonardJ]

Yeah, it is my go-to "emergency" guitar tone when I'm right up against the clock! Sounds great.

[@Timanator]

Great playing, i forgot this is a amp test after a while...

[@arnolddealiii4259]

I thought the Quilter was A, the software was B, and the Deluxe reverb was C. So I got 2 of them wrong, but at least for this shootout I got the important amp correct! To me all the clips were good but C always seemed to have more bottom end and just more complexity. All of them sounded great, and I doubt in a mix there would be much of a difference.

[@duanehessler3282]

I got the Quilter and Deluxe switched. As stated by others, I'm not sure you could tell the difference in a live setting and in the mix. Nice job Quilter!

[@JohnAnthonyONeillPhotography]

Interesting demo and great playing. The Quilter would sound better on the brown or FullQ setting for this style of playing in my opinion and based on my experience they sound much better wth full range speakers as opposed to speakers voiced for guitar. Quilter use a PA speaker in the Mach 2/8 combo and when paired with a 12" bass speaker it makes a killer setup. The speaker used in this demo was probably a better match for the fender tube amp. I have owned a few quilters and find them extremely versatile amps, but they do require some time to get to know to get the most from them. Since they give such a wide range of EQ possibilities the full range speakers allow you to tailor the amp tone to your own preference. Using a voiced speaker adds it's own Color to the sound which is great if it happens to be the one you are looking for ;) The Fender sounded great on this demo but I think the Quilter will get you closer than you might think and of course in a much lighter package ;)

[@johnsimms3957]

I got the tube amp right. The other two I got wrong. Nice demo.

[@JazzCrazy]

I thought A was solid state, B was digital model, and C was Fender Deluxe. C sounded best to me - though each amp had its moments. Good demo!

[@dipdog114]

Yep

[@chonadams331]

Me too

[@yomuthabyotch]

exactly what i thought too. damn the computer program sounded better than the quilter--that makes me rethink getting a quilter. but all three sounded pretty similar and thats awesome.

[@chonadams331]

@@yomuthabyotch spot on. I came here because i wanted to convince myself to buy Quilter, but this shook my foundations.

[@groovecat7]

Great demo and great playin! This was very helpful. Thanks!

[@mydadcanwoopyourdad]

B to me was clearly the sweetest sounding! It wasn't even close to me! I was shocked shitless it was the Quilter! Sounded great!

[@User1_Undefined]

I thought the Quilter sounded the best.... extremely clean with no colorization; I'm a pedal guy, and the Quilter sounds like the best option to sculpt sound. Great choice of amps, and now I've made my decision to purchase a Quilter..... thanks!

[@JayLeonardJ]

I use my Quilter all the time! Hope you dig it :)

[@marshallohio5512]

OMG, I read most of these comments and smiled ! Keep in mind that you're not in the same room as Jay at time of demo ! You can't judge an amp sound quality through a Tab or Laptop speakers ! All three amps are fine in their own right ! Too many variables that needs factoring in like type speaker , speaker cab, amp EQ settings , etc etc ! I use an EQ Pedal for each of my amps that's set for that amp's sound ! That being said, I ordered the Quilter Mach 3 today in testing the amp in real time through a 2 - 12/15 cab when it arrives ! I'm a well diverse player, so time will tell soon ! I chose the Mach 3 for the two same channel lay out using one for humbucker and second channel for single coil ! If the Quilter fails the five minute play test, then it's either a Victory Deluxe or Soul Tramp Rail ! Remember, if your tone sucks, then it's in the mirror not the gear ! However, it's definitely true that certain guitars don't work well with certain Amps !

[@rgbplumbinghilton]

quilter kills it! I have some great vintage amps and would be more than happy with that quilter.

[@artgillespie162]

J do you happen to have the settings on the quilter to get that good clean tone? I didn't find it in any of the comments

[@ParaBellum2024]

I really couldn't tell which was which. As I listened, I thought the one that eventually turned out to be the Fender had the least pleasing of the three sounds (but not bad, by any means). Given the time and money, it would be great to get these amps with a live band, and be in the audience to see how much they differ in that situation.

[@kevhan8601]

Great demo !! I really can't decide which one is better, couldn't pay attention , I was too busy goovin w/you and those awesome facial expressions!!!

[@JayLeonardJ]

Haha, thanks!

[@gorgecoach]

I did hear the Deluxe correctly...the other two both had that 80's pushed transistor sound for me...like those Crates that would not die but never sounded good. I enjoyed your set up and doing this test.

[@grahamdodge9582]

I had all three right !. I actually had to listen very hard and was still guessing. something about the bass response. They all broke up nice. I have this Quilter and a Fender Deluxe Reverb vintage 66, so I have worked with 2 of them, in all fairness. Good video J.

[@stevenlewis459]

Got em all right. The extra bass response from the Quilter helped. Plus I had just listened to some other Quilter videos.

[@dustylense]

Quilter isn't a digital amp. It's a transistor amp, but fully analogue

[@davemillar2157]

I guessed correctly on all 3 , it was easier because I own a Quilter Micropro and absolutely love it and have played through the Fender before. To be honest I thought they all sounded great but even owning the Quilter as soon as they were all stacked with fuzz I have to admit the Fender tube edged out the other two with just more tonality. That in no way makes me regret buying the Quilter, it’s an absolute beast for a compact 20 pound amp with major versatility.

[@skipdawg9681]

I was honestly considering selling my old tube amps. I much preferred C overall. keeping my old gear now. thanks for helping make decision.

[@JayLeonardJ]

No prob :)

[@Maharani1991]

A and B sound very, very similar to me. C was my favourite by far, so I'm hoping that's the tube amp. Great video, gonna check out the reveal now :)

[@fonzimendoza1979]

I nailed it! But I own a quilter so it helped to recognize the dirt on it.

[@markskaggs9421]

I use 2 Quilter 101's and two matching speaker cabs , a great start for stereo efx , and pedals.

[@rawdawg3234]

B sounded warmest too me while A and C were very bright and C almost sibilant at times Quilter definitely sounded best in my opinion.

[@ferdelazerda836]

I’ve got it All right!... the bottom end and the high but no harsh frequencies made me indentify the tube amp inmediatly, it also sounded slightly lively and the fuzz response was the clearest point for me... I Also got a deluxe amp. But honestly it was really close... maybe coz he was using the same jensen c12k. Great video!!!

[@gnatiu]

They all sound pretty good. Thank you for this demo. Considering the price, weight and care of a tube amp AANNDD considering that you can't play any Fender without getting in trouble with your neighbours (because of the idiotic type of tapers they still use until this day) I would never ever buy that fender. I'd go for the Quilter or a Quilter head. Byt the way: I am not sure whether the guys here who claim that they could here the deluxe are really honest: My Buddys who are working musicians thought it was A (= the Fender). I mean: 4 guys!

[@taurushamilton2739]

Agreed! Also, there’s other settings on the quilter that’s provide serious distorted tones, it’s all in the tweaking cuz of many options/ voicings. It would have sounded different on the full eq as opposed to the surf setting, which imo is still the bomb!

[@enjoybrad81]

I thought B was the tube amp. Happy to find out it was the Quilter, as I just bought the IB45! Can't wait to get that thing plugged in!

[@1truemoose]

@@enjoybrad81 I thought the same thing. I bought a Quilter Superblock UK and I like it a lot. I can't believe how much they put into that tiny amp. I did build a 5C3 Deluxe replica (Ted Weber's redesign) and I love it, but it's heavy and I have to use the interactive volume controls and an attenuator to play at home.

[@paulwatson9217]

I did guess it right but my question is why not do it again and let the amps run through there own speakers and do a true combo comparison. I for one would like to hear each as they came out of the shop side by side as each manufacturer intended it to sound, but still do it as a blind comparison. I think that would be interesting.

[@JayLeonardJ]

Hmmm, a round two might be interesting!

[@profd65]

No, this is all bullshit. Watch any other video featuring a '65 Deluxe Reverb, you'll never hear it sound as lame as it did in this video. I don't know if the trick to getting it to sound so mediocre is having the volume set really low or what, but something isn't kosher in these Quilter "shootout" videos.

[@jasonlamountain9001]

Great comparison! I got them all correct. All sounded great, but to my ear, A was slightly brighter and harsher, B was a bit warmer, and C was a touch bright but had a bit more aliveness to the tone than the other 2. I would happily use any of them, but am seriously considering a Quilter for how fantastic they sound and how compact and lightweight they are.

[@pangloss9]

My personal choices were C, A, B. What surprises me is how close the Softube plugin can get to the actual amp. I actually have this plugin on my UAD Apollo Twin and after listening to your demo, I think I need to play around with it some more. Thanks for the video...very good stuff.

[@TashaChirushina]

Man you rock! I really like your videos! Thankyou for your work!

[@vandersgarage4682]

I got them right. Knowing B was the Quilter helped figure out the other 2. The Quilter just has that darker, warmer, tone that I picked up on right off the bat.

[@sandro-nelemichetti-vanbra9190]

I've got a SBUS from Quilter and I know they sound amazing. But still: seriously impressed with the sound in this demo.

[@thebonebox488]

Nailed it. That Fender sound is unmistakable, sounds amazing. The Quilter sounds pretty good too, and still US made. Thanks for the review!

[@robertscottpurse1]

Ooooh, that was tough ! I did pick C for the tube amp though. Awesome demo !

[@Zylaw1]

Great video shootout an I'm SO glad I could actually hear the diference - lol. Very far out, man. You totally rawk

[@MrVinceletah]

I think this one was quite easy. The first one feels much brighter and thinner, like it often feels between analog and digital, Vinyls and CD's. Then, with the second one, it felt like they dialed in more bass to try and compensate, to thicken the sound artificially. And then the last one, with a brightness, a liveliness but still felt fatter and darker than the other ones. Then, the "touch" test gave definitely away which one was the Fender, as one could follow your fingers to see which one reacts with 0 delay. I think it would be very interesting to make a A vs C test but with an expensive DAC, because I think this is what it was missing! Interesting shootout!

[@TheRosswise]

I just wanted to say that I have no clue which clip is which amp, but I would happily gig/record with either one of these amps if they all sound that good.

[@melsimpson428]

I managed to get them all right - whew! I did like the Fender Deluxe the best. But, only by a small margin. I own a Quilter Mach 2 and have played through a Deluxe many times. No experience with the Softube. I do agree with one of the earlier comments that there can be more had from the Quilter. There are so many sounds in that amp, that it is a bit daunting. I'm still looking for my 'favorite' tone. Very happy with the Quilter!

[@thomaswalz3515]

A never sounded good to me... B and C were close.... amazingly close... delightfully suprised... but I've been checking out Quilter... as a more portable option to my Deluxe... thanks for doing this comparison.

[@RobyPal]

I thought they were C Fender A Quilter B Softtube Brown Amp... and I immediately loved C. Dynamic range and the extension of the low frequencies of Fender Deluxe are unmistakable.Great Job.

[@robertclinger7351]

Great demo, as always! I would like hear you play a nice chord and let it ring out so I can hear it "bloom". Also, can you get feedback like a tube amp, blooming with octaves, etc.?

[@AriKoinuma]

That was the most awesome shootout of this kind I've seen, well done! I appreciated that you ran it through the same speaker, that would have been a big differentiator otherwise. I guessed correctly, I thought A sounded a little hyped and B sounded the least dynamic. None sounded bad though.

[@JayLeonardJ]

Definitely, this shootout really let me know that we have easier access to great tone than we ever had before.

[@DizzyKrissi]

I love Quilter amps but in this shootout it did not cut it tonewise

[@dennismiller5269]

Got them all correct and I thought "C" the Fender Deluxe sounded the best, it just had a little more warmth and character to the sound.

[@thechannelforeverything2170]

I personally believe that amp A was the '65 amp B was the digital and amp C was the solid state quilter,that being said all of them sounded great EDIT:wow I'm surprised,I liked amp A the best and I thought amp B was the weakest link in the chain.

[@nhunter333]

Sounds to me like there's room for all 3 in our world. It just depends on your individual situation. I've got several big name tube amps, and I've been playing a Quilter for 4 or 5 years now. I honestly don't think one is better than the other. The Quilter is just more practical for me these days. It sounds great and responds like a tube amp, but I don't think it replaces anything. Great video!

[@chuckmelton4741]

I got the order right.I thought they all sounded good with The Quilter sounding better than the Brown amp on some settings and vice versa but I thought the Classic sounded as good or better than either one of them every time and definitely a big difference on the last setting.Thanks for a Great comparison!

[@fjk1138]

Great video. I figured C was the real one based on the dynamics (and your playing seemed to be a little more "free" when playing) but I couldn't really tell the digital vs the Quilter apart.

[@wildhorsestudios1421]

First off they all sound great. The first the thinnest sounding. I own two Quilters so no problem chosing #2 as the Mach2. And lastly I could hear the roundness of the tubes on the Fender. Only slight differences. I also own a Fender 65 Reissue Twin Reverb and know the Quilter can also do that pristine clean sound without distortion. My Fender sits in my studio because in a band mix no one will know anyway so why lug around 64Ibs and rattle my tubes!

[@guitarforudude]

I thought I've been through your entire video library, but keep coming across new ones. I thought C was the tube amp, but everything, quite frankly, sounded pretty damn good. C had a certain warmth, but I wouldn't have bet my life on it. I have tube amps, but my current go-to is the Boss Katana. You give the most informative, and entertaining demos imo. Still mystified why you don't have a million subscribers. You're a killer player!

[@JayLeonardJ]

Thanks so much! Hopefully, we will get the million one day :)

[@nickjennings3916]

I got the quilter and the softube mixed! They all sound good. But the touch sensitivity of that blackface stood out to me.

[@rklewis2]

I thought C was the tube amp, and that it sounded best to me. However, I was thinking that the Quilter was A, and the digital was B. Seems to me that the Quilter's settings were a bit warmer than the other two.

[@agentjake13]

The second blind test I failed on KZbin. Thanks for the fun. It's all pretty darn close these days.

[@JayLeonardJ]

I know! Amazing how good gear is nowadays.

[@agentjake13]

JayLeonardJ what a good time to be alive. we are spoiled for choice.

[@henriquelhrf]

Awsome playing, as always! I was correct about C being the real tube amp!

[@57ebartley]

Fantastic vid. Been using tube amps since the 80s even when all I could afford was Peavey and I was a beginner on guitar I could the hear the distinct difference between the 2. All I knew when I was like listening I liked the tone that f A and C . The tones of A and C were much more touch sensitive and expressive.B sounded like solid state. Right now for I'm jus using a Blues Jr NoS tweed. Super light, small and plenty loud enuff for a 4 piece band. Took my 40 watt Marshall jcm 2000 dsl and EVH 2x12 cab to the last gig. Even though it was fun to have a more sonic presence, Just wasn't worth it for the kind of music we play. I just am a sucker for the Fender tone with tubes driven pretty hard.

[@sporque]

I got it right, and I liked the Quilter the best all around. That's a good thing, because I was researching Quilters prior to buying one.

[@axel.lessio]

I got them right but I still can't believe how good the Softube plugin sounds. Much better than Guitar Rig 5, in my humble opinion.

[@andrelangenbach4202]

Not that I know much or that I've ever played a Fender Deluxe (or that I can even play guitar)... but I guess A Quilter, B Softtube, C Realdeal. And if I'm completely wrong I'm fine with that 😇 Oh, I forgot: I prefer the las one.

[@anthonydallarosa8314]

3 outta 3, that Quilter was really impressive...

[@SurdeInglaterr]

Did u use IR?

[@ConstantineJajas]

Didn't really care about which was which after identifying C as the tube amp. Even your playing was different on the Deluxe. Great video!

[@kenneyalan8574]

Man I swore up and down B was the tube. That thing sounds really good I my have to look into one of those.

[@francov9015]

got the Fender right , but could have sworn A was the solid state.. Good comparo....

[@fxaarchable]

Well they all sound good but I did pick out the Deluxe correctly. I suspect in the room and playing them the difference in the feel and sound would be greater.

[@skennedy7650]

I have a Deluxe but found the Quilter pretty close so it was a toss up between B & C. A was a little too brittle for me.

[@telecaster-ns3vr]

I guess I’m just a vintage tune amp guy. I guessed amp C on each section. The others sounded pretty good too and would be fine in a live situation

[@mbreinin]

Funny, I had the Quilter but I had the Real Deluxe and the Digital Deluxe flipped. The real amp had a certain "fizziness" that I attributed to being digital, since it was something I commonly experienced with digital amps. It was certainly the most "present."

[@sharkair2839]

love the graph tech saddles on the tele...

[@southamericanrocker]

C deluxe AND the best! But WOW the other two were really close!

[@dbkinghorn]

Thanks for doing the comp ... and you played well too :-) I didn't like A at all and considered B and C mostly a toss up. I just got a Quilter 101 reverb and am pretty happy with it!

[@anvil777]

I liked the C the best. I actually had it right. About after the second example I was pretty sure that B was the solid state and I was guessing that since C was the loudest and there was hardly any "noise" that C might be the digital, but the texture of that sounded like the tube to me. So I got fooled there :-) very good video Jay.

[@robgottesman7398]

I was thinking about getting a Quilter but after this demo, I changed my mind.

[@Paul-tk1hg]

A= Quilter. B= Fender & C = Softube

[@mcmSEA]

I got it in 1!! A was artificially-compressed across volume levels... a give-away that it was the plugin. C had the most depth and presence.

[@BV_Beve]

Did not peek ... C was the tube F.Deluxe got that. But had no idea which the other two were.

[@youreallygotmenow4855]

bvninja Same here, I knew that the sound sample C was the actual Fender tube amp but I wasn't able to guess which of the other two was which.

[@JTroskaTV]

C sounds the most exciting initially. But I think it’s recorded just a hair louder than the others. Once I get past “louder is better”, I think B (the Quilter) actually has the best balance of frequencies. It doesn’t have the spikes like C and B. Those spikes hook the ear at first. But the smooth Quilter takes the pedals better.

[@amaup83]

I can't believe how much I liked the Softube stuff but you just can't beat the real deal, it was really close and both sounded really good, unfortunately for Quilter it sounded miles behind the other two.

[@TruD0G]

C definitely without question was that tube Fen. A is the Mach and B is the soft.

[@heliospuppy257]

Used good headphones, closed my eyes & listened and liked "C" the best.

[@Lespaul70]

Got the Deluxe Reverb correct but they all sounded very good. Quilter was awesome - just heard one at an outdoor gig - blew me away!

[@zorzum]

C is an tube AMP ?

[@kyle8442]

That touch sensitivity test hits

[@Bluestar-1969]

Just seeing this video now, (a couple years later) I was correct about the Deluxe tube amp which I felt sounded way better, But got the other two mixed up. I liked the Softube Brown amp the least.

[@micstew]

Exceptional demo - and bravo for using the same cab/speaker for each to eliminate that considerable variable. I could pick out the Fender but the Quilter was a close 2nd on most clips.

[@JayLeonardJ]

Thanks! Yeah, my choice to only use one speaker was questioned, but I really found that doing so was the only fair way to show the actual differences in each amp's response :)

[@2Plus2isChicken2013]

I figured C was the Fender. I really like tube amps, but I also own a Quilter and they sound great too. Mine is a 101 Mini Head. If you want an amp that gives you a good base clean tone for your pedals any of the mini heads should work well. If you were traveling doing gigs you could mount one to your pedalboard and run the amp to whatever cabinet is available at the venue, and get a consistent sound each time without having to carry a huge amp.

[@courace]

I also thought A and C sounded very similar. I couldn't decide out of those 2 which one was the fender though. Either way awesome demo! Great playing as per usual.

[@JTroskaTV]

Amp C seems to be a teeny bit louder, which may be part of the reason so many viewers are picking it as best. The Quilter didn't handle the fuzz that well in my opinion. But maybe that's just the Surf voicing. I have a Quilter Aviator, which uses Full Q voicing and it handles fuzz pedals better than most amps. Brilliant shootout by the way!