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TRACE BASS CRAP...

#43
Well, I dunno how else to justify it - theres a peavey amp in the practice room that I use, that sounds quite nice (there again, its a head/speaker config, not a combo), my Vox has got the more vintage Beatle-ish sound, and my Kustom 16 watter is a general all-purpose amp - the Trace combo I've got may have EQ and stuff, but my Kustom just sounds so much warmer - I don't even have to fiddle with the EQ, set flat it sounds great, whereas my trace just sounds lifeless and a bit too tinny with flat EQ, it'd probably be ok for most people - it just hasn't got that special something ya know? :cool:

My kustom is the only amp I've got which has got "that" sound, and I can't get my trace to sound like it at all, so... :rollno:

I've actually got 2 Kustoms (both the same model) and the sound from the one I use is superior to the other - but even so, they've both got a nicer/warmer sound than my Trace :bassist:

Kustom were perhaps not that well known when they did bass rigs, but if it was good enough for Jamerson's live gigs then... :cool:
 
#45
Dude if you don't like it just sell it...I'd buy it off you...as will many other players out there.

I can only speak for myself, and I would love for you to dig your Trace as much as I love mine. I would like to see you get help you with your new amp, but generalizing a well-known qualtiy amp manufacturer is just gonna piss people off.

I know when I got mine it took some getting used to. The controls, EQ, etc are a little different than other amps out there. Go here and download the manual and learn how to set your amp for maximum results. Its the first one on there. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I'm still confused by your definition of warmth. Personally I find my Trace to be one of the most versatile amps I've ever used. I can get a wide array of great tones. Warm, organic, thick mid-range punch is how I always describe it's tone. However, there are sounds that I can't get from it, like thick tube overdrive, my fulltone bass-drive is pretty good for that. If I want SVT grind i use a sansamp.
 
#46
addylewis said:
Did I say that was my method of GREAT eq-ing? No...

I just said thats the closest I can get to the sound I like (Mowtown-esque) with a much over-rated brand of amp.

Hell, my 70's vox V125 could p*** all over the Trace in terms of quality of sound - and WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT MY SPELLING & GRAMMAR???! (It's just not got anything to do with the matter - seems like your having a go at me personally simply because we disagree over amps...I mean COME ON :eyebrow: , if we were disagreeing about BASSES I'd understand but...) :rolleyes:
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I'm not "having a go at you personally". I'm not even disagreeing with you about amps (I have very little experience with Trace gear), although I do support the comments on here about the need to avoid antagonising others and over-generalising if you want your contributions to be taken seriously. I mean, come on, how do you expect people to react to a thread title like this one?

As far as the spelling, punctuation and grammar goes, my own opinion is that if you have something to say worth saying, then it's worth taking the trouble to do so properly. It implies a wish to communicate what you want to say clearly and a healthy respect for your readership. If you've taken the trouble to get things right in the past, to the extent that you're currently an undergraduate, why let your standards slip here?

That said, the tone of your later posts seems to indicate a wish to take part in a proper discussion - good, that's what TB is for! It seems to me that you're a fast learner. So, good luck with your studies and welcome to TalkBass! :)
 
#47
Cheers for that man, I was pissed off the other day when I started the thread - at not being able to find a good band and having a sound which I don't personally like (but I'm not gonna start with that again, all the same I don't think the Trace combos have a great sound, but hey - each to his own...) :D

It DOES sound ok with my pod, but I was annoyed that I had to buy the pod to get what I call a good tone - My fave settings are "through" a McCartney '65 vox setup, or a James Jamerson rig so...the Trace alone is quite far off the mark in that respect compared to a 60's setup...
 
#48
addylewis said:
Cheers for that man, I was pissed off the other day when I started the thread - at not being able to find a good band and having a sound which I don't personally like (but I'm not gonna start with that again, all the same I don't think the Trace combos have a great sound, but hey - each to his own...) :D

It DOES sound ok with my pod, but I was annoyed that I had to buy the pod to get what I call a good tone - My fave settings are "through" a McCartney '65 vox setup, or a James Jamerson rig so...the Trace alone is quite far off the mark in that respect compared to a 60's setup...
Click to expand...
I was right, you're a fast learner! :D

As far as the Pod goes - yes, if you want a vintage tone as you describe then the amp modelling will help you to get closer to that with a "modern" sounding amp. That's what it's for, and I use a V-Amp (Behringer! Eek!) for the same reason. If your experience with the Pod turns out anything like mine, you'll end up enjoying the real versatility this sort of setup can give you. In fact, I almost wish I'd gone for the Pod myself and paid out the extra. The V-Amp can sound amazing at some things, but the build quality and reliability I'm less sure about at the moment.
 
#49
"TRACE CRAP"

"I DONT KNOW A LOT ABOUT THEM"

Classic muppetry

I think you've just given your age away. If you base your 'designed not to be ignored' thread title on one amp that you failed to get the sound THAT YOU like, then there really is no answer.

As said, one childs meat is another mans poison
 
#50
Eh? - just given my age away? - dunno what to say about that...I'm probably the youngest out of you lot at 22, I'm just still after "the dream amp" like you lot probably were when you realised the first big amp you got was more for power than the quality of sound, don't say a couple of you didn't complain about how it "sounded crap" and you had no money to buy one for sound quality, but couldn't sell the one you'd got because it meant no gigs till you got "the best amp in the world" according to your ears... :hiding: :D
 
#52
addylewis said:
Eh? - just given my age away? - dunno what to say about that...I'm probably the youngest out of you lot at 22, I'm just still after "the dream amp" like you lot probably were when you realised the first big amp you got was more for power than the quality of sound, don't say a couple of you didn't complain about how it "sounded crap" and you had no money to buy one for sound quality, but couldn't sell the one you'd got because it meant no gigs till you got "the best amp in the world" according to your ears... :hiding: :D
Click to expand...


Nope. My first 'real' bass rig was a Kustom head (sparkle blue) and 3x15 cabinet. It was what I could afford at the time, that I could find. I used it for 3 years, give or take...and no it sounded like crap if you wanted clean sound (it benched clean to 32 watts, and distorted after that. But I played it anyway, and I did everything I could to get it to sound as good as possible. I played it in clubs all over NYS, and up to VT, down to DC and all over. It sounded like a DC 10 landing.

From there I got a Hartke 2000 and a 4x10 carvin cab. It sounded better. I used that cab for the next 12 years without upgrade. The head, I traded for a Hartke 3500. Not an amp generally known for it's great tone, but I WORKED that amp. In the 10+ years I used it, I figured out how to get the sounds I wanted...and played it mercilessly...all over the North East and some of the Mid West. People couldn't believe I could get as good a sound as I did...but I knew that amp inside and out.

Recently I have changed again. Mesa Boogie 400+ and some new cabs...they sound great, but I'm still learing them...it will probably be a while before I sound like I think I should.

The lesson to this story? There's nothing like REALLY knowing your gear and being able to really get a sound out of your amp. This whole 'I won't play out until I have the best amp' thing is just stupid. You'll never have the best amp. It will always be around the corner...or the best bass...same deal. If you're going to wait for that, you might as well quit now.
 
#53
addylewis said:
...and as for the "designed not to be ignored" comment, I dunno...I guess I thought more people would agree with me :o

I put up this thread before I saw the Trace thread on the next page down, I put my opinions on that one too after I'd realised it was there... :eek:
Click to expand...

Now, if you had said, "I have this amp, but I can't get the sound I want...can anyone help me?"

This would have gone a lot differently. So, after how many posts, how many productive suggestions have you gotten about getting better tone out of your amp?

People around here are generally friendly and willing to help when asked.
 

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