I finally found what I've been seeking for the past few years: {} {} I've been playing a Trace 7-band 2x10+H since the mid-'90s and bought a BLX-80 a few years ago for small rooms and rehearsals. I just upgraded to the BLX-150 (I really needed the same features as the GP7SM in my larger 2x10 combo without the sheer mass) today and am looking forward to its first gig on Thursday. It appeared this morning on eBay; I jumped and was able to complete an in-person deal. Serendipitous, indeed. I think I'll sell off my other 1990s Trace stuff to get a 1x12 extension cabinet. Any suggestions? I'm thinking of a Hartke HyDrive or maybe an Ashdown. I'm hoping to find something (perhaps used) under $400 and have some $ left over. This is my experiement at putting together an eclectic low-budget rig with lots of character. Thanks, Brad
One more try...can anyone give recommednations for a nicely priced 8-ohm 1x12 extension cabinet rated 150W or so? I see the Genz FCS-112T and the Ashdown VS112 (I think I have these model numbers correct) are in my price range. Should I consider others? I play a range of styles from alt-pop to funk to roots rock. Thanks, Brad
It's not that anyone is holding out on you. BLX combos are fairly rare. It's going to be a challenge to find another cab to work well with the oddball.
Your best bet might be to get the same driver as is in your combo (probably a Celestion) and build/have built a cabinet to work with that. If you want to get serious about it, you could probably even track down matching carpet, corners, handles, etc... People would just think you had a Trace extension cab if you did a good job on it. Might be good to build a similar style box though, as I'm sure the "slot style" combo gives the speaker a bit different voicing than it would normally have.
Just to follow up, for those of you interested in Trace Elliot BLX amps... I bought a Hartke HyDrive 1x12 with horn. The BLX-150 plus Hartke 1x12 sound, as a solo instrument, is very nice. There appears to be a bit of natural delay/separation, which I guess is due to the open nature of the Hartke versus the TE slotted cab's compression. It's quite an appealing sound. I'll be interested to hear how it works in various live environments.