The Steel Guitar Forum

Anyone have the same problem or thoughts about it? Using a Steelaire and generally happy with the sound and weight. Play in a 4 piece group, small places, relatively low volume. I have to keep the master on 10 and run the amp in the 1+2 mode with both gains at 6 or more to get sufficient volume. And sufficient only, there's no reserve, with my volume pedal down all the way at some I points. I think my Roland Cube at 80 watts has more volume. Certainly my Nashville 112 does.

I have a Zum, going to an effects board, to a Hilton, to the input. Thanks.

Hi Bruce,

Doesn't seem right. You shouldn't need to do that to get it loud enough.

I used a Steelaire for a couple of gigs, 6-piece band, it was plenty loud using only channel 1, gain on 3 or 4, master 100%.

Things to try:

• start by removing the effects board from your signal chain.
• plug your guitar directly into the amp without your volume pedal.
• check if cables going into your VP are reversed
• try a different set of cables

Are you running anything in the effects loop?

Agree with Dan, there appears to be an issue. I run the 'Master' at 3:00 and cannot turn settings on channels 1&2 past 9:00 or my stage volume is overwhelming.

I had the same problem with my Quilter Bruce. The power amp has tons of rms power but the overall amp gain was lacking even with 1+2 in series. A nice amp for sure but the lowest gain of any steel amp I have ever owned. I was never able to tap the the full volume of the power stage and the fact that you have to resort to 1+ 2 just to get the gain that you do have tells you that the amps gain is on the low side. I had a discussion with Pat Quilter about this and we agreed that perhaps the amp could use more gain for some players setups. My review:

http://www.gregcutshaw.com/Quilter%20St ... 20Pro.html

I agree with Dan too. Try bypassing your effects board and patch directly into the amp. And try different cords. If you're running the pregains at 6 and the master at 10, that amp should be screaming loud. I use channel 2 set at 6 and the master about 5 to 7 and it's plenty loud for any bandstand. I'm playing a push/pull into a black box and then direct into the amp. A passive volume pedal patched into the VP loop.

If the gain on the Quilter Steelaire is indeed too low, it would seem that a simple resistor value change could remedy it easily. Anyone have a schematic of these amplifiers?

I play in an 8-piece group in a medium sized venue, and the Quilter has plenty of gain for me, both on steel and guitar. I have master at 10 and channels around 5 or 6.

I know Greg has had an experience similar to yours, but in my experience using the Steelaire combo I've never had a volume problem (even playing outdoors). I never "bridge" the channels either, and the master is usually just on 12-3 o'clock (and the upper range is almost never, ever used except for sustain).

I mention this because maybe something is wrong? Granted, I'm almost always mic'd, though I played a gig unmic'd yesterday with just a 1x12 and their Pro Block and I still had excess volume for days.

Anyhow, best of luck!

I have a Rack Mounted Quilter and I cannot turn the master above 3-4 with pregain at about 2.5-3 without bridging 1&2 inputs or it's drowning out everything else. It could be that the Lexicon PCM connected to it and/or the Telonics Pedal may be boosting it some but can't image that much.

Have you tried using the 2nd input? I recall that one of the inputs has been designed for a hotter input than the other.

Curious what speaker you are using?
I have a rack mount Steelaire and get plenty of volume through a 4 ohm 12" Black Widow or a JBL k130 8 ohms.

I own two Steelaire rack mounts and volume has never been an issue. I play with a 6 piece band un-miced. I run my amps with the Master around 6 or 7 and the individual channel volumes at 3.....

The only external pedal effect I use is the Bradshaw Reso pedal.

Depending on which amp I take to the shows, I use an Eminence SP 15C or a Sica 15" speaker.

For a little break up run the Master down around 2 or 3 and the channel gain cranked up!

For a little break up run the Master down around 2 or 3 and the channel gain cranked up!

I find that when I run the channel gain up around 7 and the master around 5 the sound is "warm" and tube-like. I like that.

There has to be something wrong with the amp or something in the single chain. I have one of the first ones built and have played several times in a good sized hall seating 450 people with a six piece band and never came close to using the power the amp has to offer and this includes outdoor gigs as well.

I'm having the same issues with my Steelaire. I've not had the amp for very long and used it for a couple of small indoor gigs, but noticed that the volume was not anywhere close to either of my NV 400s, even though the wattage is supposed to be the same. I played an outdoor gig tonight with a 4-piece band and with the master at 10 and the 1+2 gains at 7, the Quilter struggled to keep up. My signal chain is guitar into a Hilton pedal into a ProFex II into the amp using George L cables. I upped the input and output levels on the ProFex thinking that may have been the problem but the difference was negligible. Hopefully a solution can be found and the issue resolved.

I had my Quilter side by side with my old Nashville 400's, a Steel King and a Webb 6-14-E. With negligible difference in the rms power in all those power amp sections, the Quilter had the lowest gain. It affected my ability to do volume swells and other dynamics. It was also difficult to get enough gain on the Quilter pre-amp to attain distortion with lead guitar. It was a great amp but needs a few tweaks! Mine also exhibited a lot of white noise but I understand that has been remedied in the later models.

Thanks guys for all the comments and suggestions. I should have said that I'm using the Steelaire combo with the stock speaker.

I've been experimenting at home with different cables, with and without external effects, etc. Other than tonal differences, I don't think there's a change. Next gig, I'm going to use my Transtubefex instead of effects pedals.

It's odd that so many players have no problems with volume and others do.

Greg C. Your posts are right on. Especially the last one that says the low gain limits your ability to do volume swells and other dynamics. When I pushed the volume pedal all the way down, probably OK volume. But not a great way to play. Like having to push your gas pedal to the floor to do 70 MPH.

Are you using the effects loop in the amp or are the effects in line?

Not using the effects loop. Guitar, effects, Hilton pedal, amp. At home, I tried going an A/B with and without the effects board and I couldn't tell if there was a difference in available volume. Tone maybe, not volume.

Bruce, same problem, just not getting volume, tone is excellent. Asked quilter about it , Pat came back and said just crank it up-- it is already at Master 10. Channels 1+2. At 8.

My Steelaire (combo) is ungodly loud at those settings.

Maybe we're talking past each other, or I just don't understand the difference in setup of the folks having problems, or my speakers are exponentially more efficient - but it sounds like some people have amps that for some reason aren't performing to spec.

I don't understand it either. Gear is MSA Millennium, into Hilton pedal, into Steelaire head , into 15inch Telonics speaker cab or 12inch Sica (both 4ohms), digitech RP150 in effect loop, same result with or without effect connected. Cables George L , ( three different sets used). I know UK/Euro models have a mod, and wondered if that was a possible cause. I changed on to my spare amp head during gig (MB200) and got an immediate and substantial rise in volume. Puzzled!!!

Try getting hold of Chris Parks at Quilter.
He's posted on the Forum before.
They had some early manufacturing problems

chrisparks@quilterlabs.com
(714)519-6114

Garry, had email from Pat Quilter today suggesting just to crank it up, but as I am running master at 10 and Chanels at 8 it is already cranked up. I cannot figure out why people using nearly identical gear are getting such different results, the only thing I can come up with is that there is a problem with the amps.
Steven, I think you could be right about the resistor change, but wonder why some are performing outstandingly and others not.I love tone of these amps and would hate to change it if the fix is minor.
I am sure Chris and Pat will have seen this post and await their response, they have always been extremely helpful in the past.

Nothing wrong with your amp. It's just designed with lots of available power but very low gain. Depending on your style of playing and how much reserve gain you want for swells and dynamics, you might be ok with the amp or not.