VTypeV4

Pics and a review please..

Sounds like a bargain to me! A 3-way box for £100 is a no-brainer as long as it's working right of course..

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1414683652' post='2592227'] Subscribed (as they say). [/quote] +1 I'm reasonably happy understanding valve gear and it's details but Switch-mode supplies, multi-vibrator circuits and Class D amplifier operation is somewhere just beyond me at this time. Loooking forward to some pix too..

New desk day.. [URL=http://s778.photobucket.com/user/VTypeV4/media/DSC_0022_zpsehdswgu_edit_1414871638501_zpsaqg6xkzo.jpg.html][IMG]http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy70/VTypeV4/DSC_0022_zpsehdswgu_edit_1414871638501_zpsaqg6xkzo.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

My old Trace V4 and 810 was goodly both asthetically and sonically.. And of course my old 600 SMX, 410 and 115 was pretty devastating too! In reality there's never been a gig that I've done that required more than my old 4808 V-Type combo or current Twin Valve setup..

A horrible ex gf many years ago once owned one of these.. I used it a few times and have to say i thought it was pretty good in terms of tone / flexibility although i never used it in a 'loud' setting..

I'm ashamed to say I've only gigged my full stack a handful of times but on those occasions - as has been said above - just because it [i]will [/i]demolish a wall doesnt mean It [i]has[/i] to. Put simply, I used it as loud as it needed to be albeit nowhere near it's full capability. Never have I needed it flat out.. But it's nice to know it's there a bit like a fast motorbike!

Judging by where you were, you will have been dealt with by one of my colleauges.. Possibly Jack, Daz, Zach, Pete / Lee or Steve? Any of those boys ring a bell? Your band name rings a bell too, I have a feeling you were on Jacks stage.. Hope you had a good week and were well looked after sound-wise.

Still really enjoying the use of my 328XD after all this time, a great console. I have a plan to get myself the recording gear enabling me to do some live recording but before that, I'm pending the arrival of another desk. The original version of my XD, a Spirit 328 which I'm gonna use as a monitor desk for a bit more flex and control. Pix will follow when it lands in the next couple of days.. Next on the list is a MOTU 828 and a half decent computer allowing 16 channels of simultaneous digital recording..

Hi Guy, hope you're well.. Your old Celestion G15C still lives too. My Trace Twin Valve Combo has all of the described above. It sounds stunning and will knock a hole in a wall volume wise but it does weigh 8000 tonnes and as such is a pain to move. I almost took it to rehearsal earlier but used the manky old Peavey thats already there instead. It's my go-to amp for when it counts..

The Allen & Grief is a great product, I've used one a few times and was very impressed although that low mid control is kind of a blessing and a curse.. A & H generally make a great product. I haven't used the Mackie or Alto versions but I have used the Spirit Powerstation models. If memory serves, they did a 350, 600 and 1200w version with each model having more inputs and facilities respectively. I've used both 600 and 1200 models and have to say they're a great product and what they do. Some of the early models are getting a little old now but even so as long as it's in good shape and has been serviced then you should be good to go. Hope that helps..

Some pix would be good.. With regards to the covering, I'd speak to the good people at Ashdown as theirs is virtually identical to the last generation Trace stuff. To be fair, they probably used the same supplier. I spoke to Dr Decibel at Celestion about a replacement speaker / spare for my Twin Valve combo. If I'm not mistaken,the driver in yours has very similar specs to mine, yours being a C15H 200? Mine has a different number but the driver is pretty much the same according to him. Sadly neither is in production anymore but out of the current line, he suggested that the TF1525 was close in terms of T/S and was also tonally similar and as such would perform well..

Top choice.. [URL=http://s778.photobucket.com/user/VTypeV4/media/BeavisChassis.jpg.html][IMG]http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy70/VTypeV4/BeavisChassis.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Mine worked great in the V4 back in '04 and two of the four have worked well in this amp since ~07..

I would like to think it'll be somewhat of an improvement over the Superfly.. Not an awful amplifer to be fair but maybe just a liittle ahead of it's time with regards to its power-stage..? Not sure how they'd get the 12-band pre-amp on something the width of a car radio but I'm sure Paul has something up his sleeve.. Best of luck to them.

I have no experience of the SVT however I have used plenty of 6550 / KT88 types in various other amplifiers.. The big Ashton has 6 x KT88s of the EHX flavour. This amp doesn't really distort in that grindy / gritty kind of way but I can best aliken it to a Fender 'clean' on steriods with plenty of soft compression when pushed. Big clean valve in this application. No failures in 3 years service. I have used the Tung-Sol 6550 (reissue) in both my custom 60 watt and previously in a Trace Elliot V4. This is a great valve -my fave 6550 type- having a pronounced low-mid hump when clean and a smooth transition into really angry territory. Lovely valve. The pair in my 60 watter is two of the original four I bought for my old V4 about ten years ago. No failures. Long Time Fred has a set of these in his V4 currently. Shuguang KT88 - 98: I used these in the V4 and a Hiwatt 200. A very glassy clean type valve with a big bottom and huge warmth. It's overload characteristics are softer than that of the Tung-Sol but it also offers a little more clean headroom and more of that 'clean compressed' thing going on. I'd happily use these again, usually cheap too. I had one vacuum failure in a Ruby Tubes branded example but I think this is an isolated incident. The little Trace TwinValve has a pair of PM 6550s which have worked great since I had the amp. I understand these amps were biased quite cool (fixed bias) out of the factory. These valves seem very clean and allow the amp to play far louder (cleanly too) than it's modest 120w rating suggest. Just a touch of compression when pushed although the power-stage finds the limit of the speaker before so it's harder to identify it's character. These opinions are based on my experiences so be aware your mileage might vary.. Hope that helps.

[URL=http://s778.photobucket.com/user/VTypeV4/media/Celcoil4_zps3c55f509.jpg.html][IMG]http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy70/VTypeV4/Celcoil4_zps3c55f509.jpg[/IMG][/URL] G15C.. Oldskool and warm. [URL=http://s778.photobucket.com/user/VTypeV4/media/Powercell2_zps13d94cf9.jpg.html][IMG]http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy70/VTypeV4/Powercell2_zps13d94cf9.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Powercel.. It weighs eight tonnes but works well..

Some pix might help.. I have a G15C which is the 'Spider' frame but is only 50w and a later Powercel which is the 250w model both I believe used by Marshall in the '70s..

I had a G15 100 a while back but moved it on sadly. I assume we're talking the blue cast frame one from the early '80s? They also did a 'spider' frame version too although I don't know the differences (if any?) between them. Both crop up on ebay from time-to-time.

Excellent, many thanks Paul. Best of luck with the new line when they appear.

I think they won some award in '88 for the MP11. Some Queens innovation prize or something.. As mentioned, the Ashdown Superfly used an almost identical system albeit based on the 7-band EQ. I used one at a gig once but felt it was a bit under-powered and you could fry an egg on it at the end. My valve amps run cooler.

Makes mine look somewhat 'pedestrian'..

It'll be interesting to see what Paul Stevens says.. I met him at the guitar show in Birmingham many years back ('05 I think, just as the new Peavey owned range was emerging) and he seemed a throughly nice chap. We spoke at length about the V-Type range from yesteryear as well as some of the design concepts and features of the new amplifiers. I seem to recall something along the lines of how he wanted the new amps to be Trace Elliot 'brought up to date' not simply an evolution of the '90s product. He also spoke about the quality of them too, wanting to have the over-built and heavy duty products that they were associated with during the heyday of the '80s re-establishing them as a premium must-have brand. His enthusiasm was the thing that stuck with me so hopefully he will contribute to this thread or at least reply to TheGreek.

Two VBAs!?

The problem with EQ and any musical instrument is that there are always two systems in play: 1: Using EQ as a corrective tool. 2: Using EQ as a creative tool. Personally I use it as pretty much a creative tool to achieve the result I want from my bass sound. On the Trace, I'll use the 50Hz slider to correct any percived 'boom' but the rest of the graphic and pre-shape as creative. With the Ashton, I use the EQ on the bass to roll any boom out if (rarely) needs but the NE-1 and the passive EQ on the amp help do 'my' sound. I think alot of issues arise from folks not understanding how different frequency components sonically fit into their sound. General terms like 'there's too much mid' or 'I like plenty of treble' are guilty (as much as ignorance at least) of keeping players away from the numbers which I believe are very important in achieving the required sound from their instrument.

[quote name='budget bassist' timestamp='1409153161' post='2536886'] Bit of a strange question, but you didn't buy these from someone in hucknall (nottingham) did you? [/quote] No, they were given to me to make work then move on by a friend from local 'knees up' group called Bearfoot. I put a nasty Sica driver in one that I'd got knocking around and swapped the Celestion out for an EVM SRO / 15L. I flogged them on eBay to some young lads from up near Geordie land. The Sica sounded a bit off as it wasn't really up to the job but the EV sounded nearly (but not quite) as good as the Powercel. I've still got the Celestion Powercel in a box for a 'rainy day' as it's a lovely old thing. The K15 was probably scrapped but gave it to the lads with the cabs anyway just in case they wanted to recone it.