Mach2-COMBO-10 Micro Pro 200 Mach 2 200W 1x10 Guitar Combo Amplifier

Wow! I've used solid state amps since the late 60's. I've always used them as practice amps because they were too harsh and brittle sounding for live playing and recording. To my ear, none of the solid state modeling amps sound anything like a tube amp. They seem best suited for kids that play metal and use so many effects that the guitar becomes essentially an effects controller. I use a Fender Champion 60 for rehearsal because it's light and includes effects but would never use it on stage. A player I trust (with great tone) suggested I try the Quilter Labs MicroPro. Wow!I'm sure purists will disagree but this is the closest solid state I have ever heard to a tube amp. With a little work I can dial sounds from Twin clean to Tweed early breakup to British crunch. I've used it with single coil and humbuckers and had no trouble getting just the tone I need for the situation. This little amp is LOUD too! Other players smirk when they see it but change their mind when they hear it.The MicroPro Mach 2 comes as a head or as a combo with an 8", 10", or 12" speaker. I use another amp for acoustic so I got the 1x10 combo. I've used it with a P-90 archtop, Strat, Jazzmaster, and ES-335 on stage. Great sound and I was able to easily be heard over drums and larger amps. I liked it so much that I invested in a Quilter 1x12 extension cab when I want to move a bit more air. The extension is made for the MicroPro so it fits perfectly on top like a mini-stack. I can use that setup as a 1x10, a 1x12, or both together for a fuller sound.The MicroPro has an effects loop but I've never used it. I don't use a lot of pedals. I routinely run an overdrive and analog delay and have had great results with both. I can dial in the tones I like with the amp alone so the overdrive is more of a slightly dirtier solo boost. There is a solo mode on the amp itself that works well too. The built in reverb and tremolo are very usable. Particularly useful for acoustic, the MicroPro includes an XLR direct output jack.Quilter sells three optional switching pedals for the MicroPro. The standard pedal controls reverb and channel switching. The switchable 2 channel pedal can be switched to control two selected functions. The Universal 6 has individual buttons for all foot switchable functions. The switchable 2 works best for me. It's small and I can adjust it to control the functions I need to switch during the song. The pedals use easily available CAT-2 cable.One catch: it's advertised as a 200 watt amp but there are actually two 100 watt channels. The guitar channel accepts a 1/4" plug and has all the dials for gain, boost, type of boost, EQ, tremolo, etc. The mic-line channel has a combo XLR-1/4" jack with gain and a single EQ knob. Both can be used at the same time but, best I've been able to tell, they cannot be combined for 200 watts on a single input. I haven't had a problem with the volume from channel 1 alone.The Quilter MicroPro Mach 2 is now my grab-n-go amp for rehearsal and casual gigs. It won't replace my tube amps but I will bring it on gigs as a backup (or harp amp) and use it whenever I don't feel like hauling a heavier tube amp. These are pricey for a solid state amp but you get your money's worth. Hopefully more retailers will carry the Quilter line so players will have the opportunity to hear them first.