Trace Elliot, then and now.

[rtav]

I
know they are taller than your average 4x10 but you are still a midget?

I'm 5'11", but mentally, yes, I'm quite the midget. I'm just surprised that it shows so easily.

 

[lalo_garcia-maynez]

I also collect trace Elliot preamps and amps; from the late 80's and early 90's.
I have 13 gp12x preamps, 3 AH200, 4 gp12xv preamps, one V type preamp, one mp11 preamp with pedal board, one AX500X and 3 gp12smx preamps; I pair them with lab gruppen power amps and euphonic cabinets and they just kill any other rig I have heard!
One of the things I love the most is the foot switch , that let's you switch from a finger style equalization to a slap eq with the foot pedal! Hands off operation that is instantly activated ! I truly love this company !!!

 

[smeet]

For years my primary amp was an early 80s AH500X. Wherever it it, I'm sure it's still working great. Incredible solid low end, and an awesome look of course. The lows made my Eden sound like a toy in comparison.

Haven't tried the new stuff.

 

[rtav]

For years my primary amp was an early 80s AH500X. Wherever it it, I'm sure it's still working great. Incredible solid low end, and an awesome look of course. The lows made my Eden sound like a toy in comparison.

Haven't tried the new stuff.

Hey smeet! The AH500X is doing great, still sitting atop a 1528 and 1048 cab at our practice space, knocking shelves of the wall in the practice space next to ours, literally breaking stuff. It still smells nice when the fan is engaged!

All - I bought the head and roadcase from smeet back in 2011, and it is absolutely incredible. Input kept under 3, output never above 2. The low end is unlike anything. People in other bands come by to pay homage. I have recently added a GPS7 200 series 6 head to drive the Bright Box, but I would literally put my AH500X against any head out there. It's 65 pounds of sheer power. I havent' tried the new stuff either, but I absolutely LOVE the Mark V and series 6 Trace gear.

(Had to include a couple of pics again, proud pappa syndrome lulz)

Link Removed

Link Removed

 

[two fingers]

Hello all. Michael Smith here from Trace Elliot/Peavey. I'm curious about your experiences with Trace Elliot gear all through the years. What did you like about the old stuff that's missing from the new? Thank you!

I have no real world experience with TE stuff. Just the occasional provided backline gig.

However, I just wanted to say THANKS for coming to a community like this and asking what we think! Interacting with people who are passionate about gear (like TB members for instance) makes for great communication between designers and end users. Kudos to you for doing so!

 

[smeet]

Hey smeet! The AH500X is doing great, still sitting atop a 1528 and 1048 cab at our practice space, knocking shelves of the wall in the practice space next to ours, literally breaking stuff. It still smells nice when the fan is engaged!

All - I bought the head and roadcase from smeet back in 2011, and it is absolutely incredible. Input kept under 3, output never above 2. The low end is unlike anything. People in other bands come by to pay homage. I have recently added a GPS7 200 series 6 head to drive the Bright Box, but I would literally put my AH500X against any head out there. It's 65 pounds of sheer power. I havent' tried the new stuff either, but I absolutely LOVE the Mark V and series 6 Trace gear.

Hey rtav, I forgot I sold it to you! That is a killer setup you have for sure.

Yeah, I'll definitely add it's the best smelling amp I've ever played.

@pvbassfan, this has been implied but in case it's not loud and clear, one thing to preserve from those old TE amps is that low end. Maybe it's from the MOSFET power section as @hasbeen said, but whatever causes it, it's amazing.

 

[AdamR]

not sure I ever played any TE stuff. They look cool though and I remember rows of them at East Coat Music Mall in the mid 90s

 

[lalo_garcia-maynez]

I think that they are as good as anything built today...
No doubt !

 

[slamzilla]

Almost 6 months now, any new word? Anxiously awaiting new Trace products!

 

[Red Planet]

When I get a chance I will read through this thread. I owned the original preamp for years and used it in front of a Mesa Bass 400. The tone and power was awesone. I may be going against the grain as many are asking about a Class D version but I would like to see a medium scale head instead. Something that is a lot like the original preamp (can't think of the model name). So about the size of the pre and in the 15 to 20 pound range Class AB with a nice sounding/ functioning compressor. Maybe closer to the handwired boutiquey side of things or something similar to Thuderfunk type build .

And definately USA build and not just "assembled" here either.

Also around 500 to 700 watts woud be good and a nice DI. And it needs to look old school Trace. Then maybe some med sized high power cabs. Not feather weight but not super heavy.

My 2 cents YMMV.

 

[SteveCS]

Put a GP7 preamp into a double-size stomp-box. Not some DSP emulation, but the same circuit in miniature. It would walk off the shelf.

 

[Daniel Piper]

Arise necro bass brand and shine forth your green bass goodness across this land, in an understated and quintessentially British manner.

 

[BassmanPaul]

I have a GP7 300 amplifier head. I bought it as a faulty unit as a project. The amplifier has two output transistors with room for four. I consider the cooling very poorly engineered with just a fan blowing onto the pair of heatsinks and no real “flow” for exhausting the hot air. The outputs were blown.

Why does the 300 in the model number equate to 150W actual. 600 to 300W actual. Very disappointing in my view.

 

[BlushResponse]

I have a GP7 300 amplifier head. I bought it as a faulty unit as a project. The amplifier has two output transistors with room for four. I consider the cooling very poorly engineered with just a fan blowing onto the pair of heatsinks and no real “flow” for exhausting the hot air. The outputs were blown.

Why does the 300 in the model number equate to 150W actual. 600 to 300W actual. Very disappointing in my view.

I would swear you've mentioned this several times when Trace Elliot comes up.

 

[BlackCatBassman]

Plugged in a Fender Mustang into a 1210 combo at a Guitar Center around 2007 or so. It was hands down my favorite "sound" I've ever gotten out of a bass amp. Swore that when I had the money I was gonna buy a Trace Elliot rig. Lo and behold now that my financial situation has improved, they stopped making Trace Elliot stuff. c'est la vie

 

[HaphAsSard]

Why does the 300 in the model number equate to 150W actual. 600 to 300W actual. Very disappointing in my view.

This used to be also Gallien-Krueger practice: 200MB (100W), Backline 600 (300W), 800RB (300+100) and so forth and so on.

 

[Downunderwonder]

I have a GP7 300 amplifier head. I bought it as a faulty unit as a project. The amplifier has two output transistors with room for four. I consider the cooling very poorly engineered with just a fan blowing onto the pair of heatsinks and no real “flow” for exhausting the hot air. The outputs were blown.

Why does the 300 in the model number equate to 150W actual. 600 to 300W actual. Very disappointing in my view.

I think you got a 150 in a 300 box. The rest of us got the full enchilada, louder than an elephant and twice as ugly.

 

[BassmanPaul]

I would swear you've mentioned this several times when Trace Elliot comes up.

Indeed I have! Being of British decent I was horrified at the engineering within this particular unit. I had expected much better!

 

[BlushResponse]

Indeed I have! Being of British decent I was horrified at the engineering within this particular unit. I had expected much better!

I have a GP12 SMX with no fan, and a GP7 SM with no fan. My V-Type 4001 has a fan set up like what you're talking about, but my AH350SM has a better fan cooling than the V-Type. I think the cooling issue was something that came up when Gibson owned Trace, since I'm fairly certain the V-type's came about during that era.

 

[chrisBBN5A]

Hi Michael, aka pvbassfan. First of all, thank you so much for checking in. This is one thing I love about Talkbass. We get to talk with the guys at the top and all across the board here. The horse's mouth, so to speak.

I was a true Trace Elliot freak back in the 1990's. I was one of the few players here in Sonoma / Marin county who had not one but two Trace Elliots on stage. I had two AH 150's . One for me, and one for the drummer and guitar player to hear me. It was great, plus I used a stereo chorus, so it was really phat sounding.

My tone was definitive Mark King tone. That was the coveted tone that seemed unachievable to most, but I had it and gained the respect of all my peers and needless to say, I was in awe myself every time I heard my own tone. I had the cutting edge tone.

Now, I wouldn't ever own Trace Elliot. I have tried to capture lightning in a bottle and bought some older 1980's AH350's, AH500's and so on. They were all way too tired. They hissed, and just were no good. I understood what "dated tone" meant. I have always thought good tone is good tone and good tone is timeless. As far as old Level 42 goes, yes, it will ALWAYS sound good. But, for me, the honeymoon is over and I've moved on.

As far as the Peavey owned Trace Elliot goes like the new Trace Elliot AH1000 goes, I don't like them one bit. They sound sterile, boring, and beginner-ish. There is no edge to it and the "classic Trace Elliot mid scoop" is gone. Even though the button is still on the front panel, it doesn't at all sound like how I would want it to sound.

And, as far as people wanting to see Trace Elliot come out with class D stuff goes, I am not a fan. Yes, I see how the younger generation who grew up with class D like it and I certainly won't argue with the easy portability of it, but I hate the tone of class D stuff. I will never play it. Class D makes you work twice as hard for every single note. I am exhausted after only one song ! There is no substitute for the tone of a good old iron transformer. Sure it weighs more, but it is worth every sweat dropped while carrying it to the stage. I am 46 now and I HATE carrying gear. I have a dolly and I roll all my gear. My main rig is a Mesa Walkabout head and whatever cab I feel like using that day. A=t only 13 lbs, and a real iron transformer, it's a win-win.

So, I am being as honest as I can because anything less would be disrespectful to you. Let me also say that I am a HUGE Peavey fan and I own all Peavey Cirrus basses and Garz custom boutique basses. Peavey makes THE BEST production basses on the planet. USA models, of course. I don't even consider the Indonesian models to be real Peavey's but a copy of a Peavey. I also love Peavey bass amps. I've owned them all at one time or another.

So, in conclusion, "what's missing from the new that was in the old" is mojo. There was a magic to the old Trace stuff that I just don't see in the newer stuff. The old stuff was boutique, top of the line before SWR even existed. When I worked at Guitar Center in the 80's the older guys used to call it "Try Sellin' it" due to the hefty price tag. But, we all knew sporting a Trace rig then meant you were a big deal. Now, I see Trace Elliot as a competitor with Behringer and that's SAD.

Added 4/23/15 - I did own an AH 250 SMX about 7 years ago and it was KILLER. I loved everything about it. That was the last of the Mohicans, so to speak. I think the SMX line was the last amp that still had the old mojo and new technology. The tube / ss blend was stellar, as were the compression, and hi and low shelving. Now, THAT was an amp and I wouldn't be against owning one of those again but they are hard to find.

yes he'is right. im chris from Indonesia, 37 yo, playin bass since 98 when im 13. i play some OLD Trace Elliot in some stages, i just cant forget that feeling, that sound!

now new TE has changed. I stand for the old TE! i repeat, I LOVE OLD TE!! My GP7 715 combo is on the way!! what i want to say is, IF were stand for the old TE, show them!

lets make some record from the DI TE head, put the SM57 to the front TE cab, dial that tone and LET THE WORLD HEAR!

show them on youtube/IG or any platform, make bass cover, make real comparison or whatever - show that nowdays class D is a real junk! we may attack that ELF too (sory)

thats what i will do - while im write this - my GP7 in on the way