Quilter Amplification has launched the Aviation Cub, a 1x12 solid-state combo that offers three distinct sounds from classic Fender guitar amplifiers.
All this is accommodated in a simple single-channel setup via the Aviation Cub's three inputs for its '60 Tweed, a '62 Blonde and '65 Blackface modes. Simply plug your guitar into whichever sound you are after.
There is a specially designed 12" Eminence speaker housed in a lightweight cabinet. All in, the Aviation Cub weighs 21.55lbs (9.8kg), and it comes with a ballistic nylon amp cover with a pouch for your leads, picks, pipe tobacco, bubblegum... Whatever will fit.
Quilter has conveniently positioned everything you need on the control panel. There you will find an effects loop, signal routing options with level control, Speaker volume (master volume), reverb, an active 3-band EQ, Gain and Limiter controls.
Having an onboard limiter is interesting, as it will let you set a threshold for your drive tones so it doesn't get too hot and bothered. As Quilter says, it offers a “soft ceiling” that keeps overdrive under control without eating into your sustain.
The active EQ offers quite formidable tone-shaping capabilities. The bass control boosts or cuts frequencies below 500Hz, and its effect is at its strongest on frequencies under 200Hz – which makes it a good option for fattening up single coils or taking some of the woolliness out of muddy humbuckers.
The mids control can be dialled back to open up your tone or used to give a little more substance to your overdriven tone, while the treble control boosts/cuts frequencies above 500Hz, and really comes into its own between 1KHz and 5KHz.
All this can be yours for £415/$599 street, which seems like a decent price. See Quilter for more information and check out the Jay Leonard's demo vid above.
