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The Trace Elliot V-type Club!!

#321
About 6-7 years ago I picked up a used Trace Elliot V6 head. It was recovered in tweed & the front panel was covered with a flamed redwood veneer. Im currently playing rhythm guitar in a band & the bass player has been using my head. He loves the sound, & started looking for something similar. After 3 months of looking, the same shop where I bought my V6 posted a v type 5001 that also had the front panel replaced with a flamed redwood panel. The price was right, and now after 7 years apart the heads are back together again.
v6.jpg
vtype.jpg


The V6 has more 'girth' to it. It sounds like a truck, with plenty of power to spare. The V-type, while retaining the smooth but powerful bass, is more versatile imo. It lacks the gut punch of the V6, but it also has a useable distortion setting below ear bleeding volume. can still get exceedingly loud, as my neighbors can attest.
 
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#322
JFOC said:
About 6-7 years ago I picked up a used Trace Elliot V6 head. It was recovered in tweed & the front panel was covered with a flamed redwood veneer. Im currently playing rhythm guitar in a band & the bass player has been using my head. He loves the sound, & started looking for something similar. After 3 months of looking, the same shop where I bought my V6 posted a v type 5001 that also had the front panel replaced with a flamed redwood panel. The price was right, and now after 7 years apart the heads are back together again.View attachment 1144944 View attachment 1144945

The V6 has more 'girth' to it. It sounds like a truck, with plenty of power to spare. The V-type, while retaining the smooth but powerful bass, is more versatile imo. It lacks the gut punch of the V6, but it also has a useable distortion setting below ear bleeding volume. can still get exceedingly loud, as my neighbors can attest.
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I notice that same kind of difference between my V6 and my V-Type 600H - the latter is more flexible, but lacks that "gut punch" of the V6 (great choice of words for it, btw).
 
#323
IME, the V6 needed to be so loud at all times that it almost wasn't usable for most gigs. I would even have people call me and ask that I specifically don't bring that "big green amp". To me, the V4 is really the magic amp. Same great tone and punch but at way more reasonable volume that you can actually get some distortion out of too. Def miss my V6 though and all those neighbor complaints!
 
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#324
Mitchthebassplayer said:
IME, the V6 needed to be so loud at all times that it almost wasn't usable for most gigs. I would even have people call me and ask that I specifically don't bring that "big green amp". To me, the V4 is really the magic amp. Same great tone and punch but at way more reasonable volume that you can actually get some distortion out of too. Def miss my V6 though and all those neighbor complaints!
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And here I'm still GASsing for the ever elusive magical V8!
 
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#326
Looking at an old GO 4412h can. Has 4x12 and 2x10s in them. Its54 ohms and 320 watts. I was surprised at the low number. My V type 5001 puts out 280w at 4 ohms and wondering if there is not enough headroom. I only got 40 watts to spare.
 
#327
rodv66 said:
Looking at an old GO 4412h can. Has 4x12 and 2x10s in them. Its54 ohms and 320 watts. I was surprised at the low number. My V type 5001 puts out 280w at 4 ohms and wondering if there is not enough headroom. I only got 40 watts to spare.
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If my experiences with my 5001 say anything, I'd say be careful. I still use my 5001 for small gigs, but pushing it at 4ohms for long periods is tough on a weak design. You have to be sure that those MOSFETs are right up against the heatsink, or else they burn up on you. Why they designed hybrid v-types the way they did just kind of baffles me. As a pre-amp, I'm still a V-Type fan. Don't get me wrong. And since I've had mine practically rebuilt, I know that it's functioning the way it should be, but I'd recommend anyone gigging the V-Type amps to just take it in and make sure everything is where it should be.
 
#328
Well, that was unexpected. I'm not an electronic geek, so not sure I get all of that. You think it is good for an hour or two set? Needless, still going to get it serviced. Have no idea when it was. All I did was put in New preamp tubes. Anyone else have problems like this?
 
#329
rodv66 said:
Well, that was unexpected. I'm not an electronic geek, so not sure I get all of that. You think it is good for an hour or two set? Needless, still going to get it serviced. Have no idea when it was. All I did was put in New preamp tubes. Anyone else have problems like this?
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Sorry, in a rush. When I got my V-Type 5001 I promptly blew it up as soon as I plulgged it into a 4ohm cab. When I took it in to my tech, he noticed that the MOSFETs, which are the things that make the power in the amp, were not flush against the heat sink. I fried all of them, so when he replaced them he showed me what he was doing. There's some sort of glue that's supposed to keep them against the sink. If they move off of the sink, they over heat and you lose them.
The design itself is based on the Trace Elliot Bi-Polar Bear pcb board. Those things have issues, one of which is having the heat sink well inside of the head case, with a single fan bringing in air, but no place for the hot air to escape.
H28IyRw.jpg
 
#331
BlushResponse said:
Sorry, in a rush. When I got my V-Type 5001 I promptly blew it up as soon as I plulgged it into a 4ohm cab. When I took it in to my tech, he noticed that the MOSFETs, which are the things that make the power in the amp, were not flush against the heat sink. I fried all of them, so when he replaced them he showed me what he was doing. There's some sort of glue that's supposed to keep them against the sink. If they move off of the sink, they over heat and you lose them.
The design itself is based on the Trace Elliot Bi-Polar Bear pcb board. Those things have issues, one of which is having the heat sink well inside of the head case, with a single fan bringing in air, but no place for the hot air to escape.
H28IyRw.jpg
Click to expand...
I had issues withy V-type when I got it.
The fan is temperature controlled, and wouldn't start with my unit.
I replaced the fan for a 220v continues fan, just running of the power switch.
Just running continuously.

The amp has been performing great eversince.

Clive Button designed the mosfet output stage.
It's not without quirks, but it's the most tube like output stage I've heard.
With power to spare.

Been running my 280w 3001 with a loud 3 piece rockband, and was never short on power.

Ive heard different stories about ampeg svt3s.

Just my 2ct.

Yes it's a tricky design (heat wise), but it's a brilliant design.
 
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#339
RobinG said:
I did a gig last weekend and offered to let the other Bass Player use my V6. She did, and had never played through a tube amp. She described it as a big marshmallow with an edge, and loved it! Since I've gone Gretsch, I sit in front of the amp, and get just the right amount of feedback to let the notes ring :)
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A big marshmallow containing a 12 pound sledgehammer, perhaps! ;)
 
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#340
I didn't know much about these v-types. have never even seen one. So at a charity sale yesterday I got a v6 for 200. Just went and picked it up.
20170702_190057[1].jpg
I thought it was a v4 because you can only really see 4 kt's through the back but to my surprise it's a v6. The front emblem is missing. Are these really
as highly regarded as I am reading? Here she is...
 
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