I played my first gig last night with my new/old Trace Elliot preamp through my GK 700RBII effects loop in to an SWR Goliath. I have never owned any trace gear although I have always wanted to since the late 80's when I first became aware of them. Well after one gig......I am HOOKED! The sound was so crystal clear and punchy. I have several preamps and this one is right up there with my Alembic F1-X. I played my Ric 4003 through it and it was just huge and the clarity was exactly the sound I was after. To me, it just amplifies the sound of the bass.