Trace Elliot - Yay or Nay?

[MegaSwing]

I happen to like the fluorescent green badge. It's unapologetically in-your-face and unmistakable for anything else.

I've had a Trace 1x10 cab (originally marketed as an extension cab for a combo) since '97 that was years ahead of its time in that product category. And it still delivers the goods.

(not actual size)

 

[Ric5]

Trace Elliot - Yay or Nay?

Not my first choice for a bass amp ... but not the worst out there either

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I had TE stuff in the 90s and beyond and very much regret selling my GP7300SM head.

I ended up with something else in the end, in a similar vein as it was a good deal. I still have a 60W commando for folk jams, though.

The dream amp would be the GP7SM preamp, with a dual band compressor between that and the power section, and a switchable speaker sim on the DI, in a 2u unit, and then a series of class D 1u and 2u power amps of various outputs. Pop that in a 4u rack... And then employ that Alex Claber chap to make them some nice new cabs.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I had an AH something or another around 15 years ago and it impressed the hell out of me new and when I first started using it. Then I got an SVT. Then I compared them and sold the TE. It had a great initial sound, but it was very sterile compared to the Ampeg.

I didn't think TE was sterile. Clean, which to me is good as I can always dirty things up. Loads of EQ potential, though.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I played them a lot in the past,I guess older heads and cabs were better. Here is a picture of one good stack I had in the studio:

However,recently whenever i had misfortune to play their newer (mostly Combos) I was so dissapointed as there was NO usefull tone - very scooped, just awfull.

Tell us more about that bass.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

For about 5 years, they were the flavor of the month. I worked at a store that sold them, so I had a chance to thoroughly test-drive some of their rigs (this was... 1989 or thereabouts).

I ended up opting for an SWR rig for a few reasons: The trace rigs were *heavy*, expensive and I didn't want to pay extra for a black-light just to light up the fluorescent green "Trace Elliot" logo. Add to that, I didn't care for how they sounded and found them overpriced. Lots of metal guys I knew at the time *loved* them, but they also loved pointy basses with stripes on them so...

Newer TE gear? No clue. But I just didn't like the whole "dig me" vibe I got from them. Maybe some were good - but I never played one I cared for.

I think they were more affordable in the UK. But definitely heavy. I once slipped loading one into a car and it fell 1m on top of me... ouch.

There was an attempt at a lightweight line which I beta tested but this was before class D but I think it clashed with management buyouts, which is a shame as it was ahead of the curve.

There was certainly a number of people using them for metal with the scooped sound, but I was boosting the mids for folk-rock and other rock and it worked.

AFAIK I know an old combo I had (I swapped to separates to reduce the single item weight) is still going 20 years on.

 

[GMC]

I'm still running a AH-400SM head. It's solid, reliable, has all the features I could ever want and it has tone and power. For a 400w head...it's got some serious power...the old saying about having watts and then there's trace watts is very true. The only issue with it is that it's very heavy and in the 21st Century, for new gear...that's almost unforgivable. Apart from that, they still make some of the most best amps on the planet.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

I think they were more affordable in the UK. But definitely heavy. I once slipped loading one into a car and it fell 1m on top of me... ouch.

There was an attempt at a lightweight line which I beta tested but this was before class D but I think it clashed with management buyouts, which is a shame as it was ahead of the curve.

There was certainly a number of people using them for metal with the scooped sound, but I was boosting the mids for folk-rock and other rock and it worked.

I recall them being VERY mid-heavy - - certainly compared to SWR. Back in the late '80s, the scooped sound was *the thing* - so much for the '80s.

I'll keep my Berg cabs and my class D head, thanks

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I recall them being VERY mid-heavy]

Partly it depends what you did the with push-in buttons. I saw a lot of metal bands with those engaged which gave an initial scoop, and then the classic smile EQ aggressively dialed in. Not my sound: it was all bass and fizzy clack.

I suppose it's worth bearing in mind I was coming from amps including a combo with a 15" in a closed cab (mid heavy, but great for dialing in a Cream tone, but that got reused with a guitar amp sim as a guitar amp for a while) and a very old valve amp and a very old cab Noel Reading probably would have recognised when I got my first TE amp...

I still have a lead sled amp, and it weighs as much as the cab...

P.S. The lighweight range did have a different sound which was probably the neo speakers.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

Partly it depends what you did the with push-in buttons. I saw a lot of metal bands with those engaged which gave an initial scoop, and then the classic smile EQ aggressively dialed in. Not my sound: it was all bass and fizzy clack.

I suppose it's worth bearing in mind I was coming from amps including a combo with a 15" in a closed cab (mid heavy, but great for dialing in a Cream tone, but that got reused with a guitar amp sim as a guitar amp for a while) and a very old valve amp and a very old cab Noel Reading probably would have recognised when I got my first TE amp...

I still have a lead sled amp, and it weighs as much as the cab...

P.S. The lighweight range did have a different sound which was probably the neo speakers.

I have to admit - I wasn't wild about the hole "Dig me" thing with the fluorescent green either. Same applies to MarkBass - but like Trace, I played through a few pieces and decided it just wan't for me, which worked out well.

 

[Obese Chess]

They sound mean as poopie.

 

[higain617]

Love them or hate them, they always cut through in the mix. I've never seen one of the tube heads in person.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I have to admit - I wasn't wild about the hole "Dig me" thing with the fluorescent green either. Same applies to MarkBass - but like Trace, I played through a few pieces and decided it just wan't for me, which worked out well.

The green might have been inspired by British Racing green. Certainly some of the styling on the V-series seemed to hark back to little MGs in that colour. So I suppose it seems more natural if you are British as the references (certainly in the late 80s and early 90s) were more part of the culture.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

The green might have been inspired by British Racing green. Certainly some of the styling on the V-series seemed to hark back to little MGs in that colour. So I suppose it seems more natural if you are British as the references (certainly in the late 80s and early 90s) were more part of the culture.

As a former MGB owner (yes, it was BRG), I don't buy this. The green on those Trace amps was bright, safety green, not BRG. Guys I knew thought it was really cool that there was a black-light in the front of their higher-end heads to light-up the display in the dark... seemed like one more way to make the thing heavy, to me... But I'll tell you, if I liked how they sounded, I would not have cared. But I didn't so... I went with SWR.

 

[MegaSwing]

As a former MGB owner (yes, it was BRG), I don't buy this. The green on those Trace amps was bright, safety green, not BRG. Guys I knew thought it was really cool that there was a black-light in the front of their higher-end heads to light-up the display in the dark... seemed like one more way to make the thing heavy, to me... But I'll tell you, if I liked how they sounded, I would not have cared. But I didn't so... I went with SWR.

It was British Racing Green—on acid!

 

[pglaser01]

Yea....I just can't think of the 90's with out thinking Trace Elliot. That's like thinking about the 80's without GK and Peavey rigs

 

[Bassconbeatz]

At one time Gibson owned or distributed for them. Some of the main guys started Ashdown amps. I owned a 4 by 10 combo which I purchased in the early 90's through Bass Centre Los Angeles. I loved that amp, but man it was heavy as hell. I had a hand truck that I use to lug it around and the wheel broke because it was such a heavy amp. It sounded great though. It also had the tuned ports (Removal port covers).

 

[jwilson67]

Trace Elliot was my dream rig when I was first starting out around '83. I remember a local music store had an AH250 and 410 cab in a glass case to separate it from all the peasant bass gear! LOL Total Wayne's World. I think there was a Strata (pre-Status) headless bass in the case as well.

 

[anavar]

Thanks for the answers guys!

heavy, mean, loud, bitchin amps is what i take away from this thread

Hopefully peavey can re-release the line with a few lightweight options, all while maintaining this apparent anger they have. Thanks a million fellas.

 

[Mikey F]

I had an AH350smx (I think that was what it was called anyways back in the day and it was awesome. I have one of the new ones now, and also really like it. Super punchy and lots of tonal options. Trace amps always color the sound a bit. Some people don't like that, but I think they sound great.....however I am a sucker for the late 80's and 90's music.....and the Trace sound was the one that I really dug on back then.