The Trace Elliot V-type Club!!

[Mitchthebassplayer]

Indeed, the Trace Elliot V-type is one of the holy grails of high powered tube bass amps, and if mine was ever stolen or broken past the point of repair I'm not sure I could go on. So I thought it would be fun to see where all the Trace V-types are. Supposedly there are about 50 V4s (including mislabeled V4s as just "v-types"), 100 V6s, 25 V8s, and who knows how many 300Hs, 600Hs, and V-type combos! So let's see who's got 'em, and maybe we can find them all! Show your V-type and share your/it's story! I'll start!

When I was 9 years old, I bought a copy of Jamiroquai's "Travelling Without Moving". Stu Zender's tone was so nasty that I not only switched from guitar to bass, but for the first time, I began researching what gear someone was using. I had never heard of it before, but several different sources claimed he was using a Trace Elliot V6. They seemed to be REALLY hard to find in the US and cost thousands more than the rig I was using at the time. But one day, I knew I would have it. And sure enough, almost 13 years later, I got my V6.

 

[disssa]

Nice Thread!

Here is my V6:

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and my V-Type Preamp:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]



Are you sure, that there are only 100 V6 and only 25 V8???

What is the Price for a V6 or a V8?

 

[Catalin]

I have a V-Type with 4 KT88's and i'm very happy with it

 

[corinpills]

I always find it useful to have a good head on my shoulders. Not quite sure where the V6 badge is, but it's somewhere in the house. Love this beastie. I traded an Ashdown 500 head for it straight up with a store outside of Albany. It had been sitting there for ages and nobody wanted it, so they were psyched. I wonder why some of them say V-type on the front and some don't.

 

[corinpills]

Oh yeah! I covered that with black tape when I first got it. I totally forgot that, had to go have a look. Not sure what I was up to there, but I think I was trying to hide all traces of Trace Elliot green.

 

[KramerBassFan]

Could somebody give me the power ratings for all the Trace Elliot V models?

Just for grins... i'm not really looking for one or anything.

Or the number of power tubes really.

 

[Mitchthebassplayer]

Oh yeah! I covered that with black tape when I first got it. I totally forgot that, had to go have a look. Not sure what I was up to there, but I think I was trying to hide all traces of Trace Elliot green.

Now why would you ever want to go and do something like that?

So you're front cover is just blank?? With no indentation for the V badge??

 

[Mitchthebassplayer]

Could somebody give me the power ratings for all the Trace Elliot V models?

Just for grins... i'm not really looking for one or anything.

Or the number of power tubes really.

Well, I'm not 100% sure how many 12AX7s are in the preamp, but the V4 has 4 KT88s and should be rated somewhere around 220 RMS I would imagine....the V6 has 4 AX7s and 6 KT88s rated at 400 watts, while the V8 has 7 AX7s and 8 KT88s and is rated at 400 watts as well, but it's definitely more like 600....

 

[DJJazzV]

There were approximately 80 of the V8's made from 2000 - 2001. The old site trace-elliot-v8.com had a lot of information, and located 20 owners. That site is down now though.
Here's a detailed review with some specs:
http://bassamps.blogspot.com/2006/06/trace-elliot-v8.html

Here's the Tom Bowlus review as well:
http://bowlusblog.blogspot.com/2005/08/trace-elliot-v8-holy-grail-of-tube.html

"...100 V6s, 25 V8s, and who knows how many 300Hs, 600Hs, and V-type combos!..."

 

[Mitchthebassplayer]

There were approximately 80 of the V8's made from 2000 - 2001. The old site trace-elliot-v8.com had a lot of information, and located 20 owners. That site is down now though.
Here's a detailed review with some specs:
http://bassamps.blogspot.com/2006/06/trace-elliot-v8.html

Here's the Tom Bowlus review as well:
http://bowlusblog.blogspot.com/2005/08/trace-elliot-v8-holy-grail-of-tube.html

Sweet link, I had read his review but not the little story/fact page....I didn't realize there were that many V8s....a friend told me a while ago he knew someone at TE who said 25 but he for sure could have just made that up....now my chances just got better for finding one! And cool feature having the fuse blow and KT88s shutting off in pairs while the amp still runs....I was thinking of having a similar mod done to my V6....DJ show us some V8 pics!

 

[DJJazzV]

I need to take some better photos of my V-Type to do it justice.
In the meantime, I found before and after photos of a V6 that I STUPIDLY SOLD! I found somebody on ebay selling a V8 grill a few years back, and installed it on the V6. I still can't believe I sold the V6, especially looking the way it did.

Sweet link, I had read his review but not the little story/fact page....I didn't realize there were that many V8s....a friend told me a while ago he knew someone at TE who said 25 but he for sure could have just made that up....now my chances just got better for finding one! And cool feature having the fuse blow and KT88s shutting off in pairs while the amp still runs....I was thinking of having a similar mod done to my V6....DJ show us some V8 pics!

 

[MrBonex]

Pimped.

 

[Mitchthebassplayer]

Pimped.

haha fo sho! Those are sick....and Jazzy that grill looks awesome how could you get rid of it! I had a custom grill similar to that made because I was worried about the lack of airflow in my V6 and the metal knobs would get hot on stage. I just couldn't get rid of the green though....

 

[corinpills]

I know that if these were made in such limited numbers the idea would be to keep them as original as possible, but I have to admit that I have on occasion fantasized about putting a Hiwatt box around the chassis. Not a huge fan of the green carpet, i guess. I do love this amp, it's ridiculously powerful and I'll never sell it. The only way I'd let it go is a trade for a Hiwatt bass head. And that's just because I'm such a huge Who fan and have always wanted one.

It is rather astonishing just how little information is available on these. Who's baby was this thing? Some maniac at Trace Elliot trying out this crazy expensive amp idea just before Gibson took over?

 

[demon666]

I need to take some better photos of my V-Type to do it justice.
In the meantime, I found before and after photos of a V6 that I STUPIDLY SOLD! I found somebody on ebay selling a V8 grill a few years back, and installed it on the V6. I still can't believe I sold the V6, especially looking the way it did.

Hey my old V6.

 

[DJJazzV]

You are correct! Hope you approve of the slight mod I did to it, but I'm still not sure why I sold it. I'm pretty sure it went off to ebay land, so I don't know where it is now.

Hey my old V6.

 

[corinpills]

I play mine though a green naugahyde Kustom 2x15 cabinet (not one of the old ones, this one was made for me in the mid 90s as a custom color), so it's a whole lot of green on stage.

 

[Catalin]

Ok i have some pictures:
http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=11555
http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=11557

 

[DJJazzV]

Very cool early V4!

Ok i have some pictures:
http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=11555
http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=11557

 

[DJJazzV]

Cool pimping! Is that a 5001 (300h) on top?

Pimped.