• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Trace Elliot Elf Owners: Fan Noise/Issues?

#21
Plugged back in tonight... ticked loudly, played through it for a few minutes, the tick went away and it went back to pretty much just making normal fan noise. Then it made a higher pitched "tick" almost like there was a locust (or cicada?) inside the amp. Then, after a few more minutes, back to normal fan sound. The intermittence drives me mad. It does seem to "settle in" after the amp runs for 5-10 minutes, though I don't know why or what would cause that.
 
#22
I just got an elf and love it apart from the fan noise. Does anyone have a suggestion for a quieter fan? I was planning on opening it up and taking some measurements to check if noctua makes something the same size, but would love some other suggestions
 
#24
I returned my Elf and got a Warwick Gnome. 95% more quiet amp. I like the clean tones of the Gnome over the Elf, but the Gnome doesn't do the drive/overdrive thing at all. If it's the dirt of the Gnome that you like, I think you're stuck. If you can live without that, the Gnome line is a great alternative.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CatOnTheBass
#25
musicman556 said:
I returned my Elf and got a Warwick Gnome. 95% more quiet amp. I like the clean tones of the Gnome over the Elf, but the Gnome doesn't do the drive/overdrive thing at all. If it's the dirt of the Gnome that you like, I think you're stuck. If you can live without that, the Gnome line is a great alternative.
Click to expand...

I realize I had a typo here, but too late to edit. Where I said "If it's the dirt of the Gnome that you like" I was meaning to refer to the dirt of the ELF, not the Gnome. The gnome doesn't do dirt, ime. Apologies!
 
#26
I just received my ELF 1x10 combo and it has a loud fan. It really doesn't bother me though. The tone and low weight are a plus for me. I owned a Hartke KB15 and when the fan kicked on it sounded like a hair dryer. I suspect the reason for the fan noise on these amps is that they are tiny, produce a lot of power relative to its size and need the cooling to prevent overheating.
 
#27
The little ELF that could...

ELF head powering twin 15" speakers on a vintage Fender cabinet. How times change! (Sounds awesome!)

IMG_3743.jpg
 
#29
I have not had good luck with this amp. The first one I had, I only had used it like 3 times, before the only output that worked was the headphones. It got stuck and could not output to the speaker cab. They sent me a replacement that works but the microfan sounds like a friggin hair dryer in the same room. It is unusable as a practice amp because the fan is louder than the output at low volumes even over the headphones you hear the hiss. Wish I could get my money back and invest in something non Peavey. They were not helpful regarding this issue either.
 
  • Like
Reactions: musicman556
#30
Bryan Schmidt said:
I have not had good luck with this amp. The first one I had, I only had used it like 3 times, before the only output that worked was the headphones. It got stuck and could not output to the speaker cab. They sent me a replacement that works but the microfan sounds like a friggin hair dryer in the same room. It is unusable as a practice amp because the fan is louder than the output at low volumes even over the headphones you hear the hiss. Wish I could get my money back and invest in something non Peavey. They were not helpful regarding this issue either.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry you've had bad experiences with your Elven amps. :-( It really is a great design goal/premise. It's gotta be so difficult to find the line between micro/featherweight and performance, useability.

I replaced my Elf with a Gnome iPro and I LOVED the sound, power, and quiet operation. But.... it's a much bigger and heavier (relatively) amp! I realized that now I was right up against the size and weight of my beloved Tone Hammer 500.... so then why not just take that, since that's the amp I really love? So I sold the Gnome IPro and have just been taking the TH500 everywhere.

NOW I'm wondering about trying the baby Gnome, haha! It never ends, does it?
 
#31
musicman556 said:
I'm sorry you've had bad experiences with your Elven amps. :-( It really is a great design goal/premise. It's gotta be so difficult to find the line between micro/featherweight and performance, useability.

I replaced my Elf with a Gnome iPro and I LOVED the sound, power, and quiet operation. But.... it's a much bigger and heavier (relatively) amp! I realized that now I was right up against the size and weight of my beloved Tone Hammer 500.... so then why not just take that, since that's the amp I really love? So I sold the Gnome IPro and have just been taking the TH500 everywhere.

NOW I'm wondering about trying the baby Gnome, haha! It never ends, does it?
Click to expand...
I was considering the Trickfish Bullfish Mini 500 next. I am Also just repurposing my old Hartke Kickback 12 amp I pulled from my combo. It's quiet, about the same power and not too heavy. I had to get a Head Cab built for it though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: musicman556

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back