VTypeV4

If 200w ain't enough... I'd be worried! As I've previously said, I have gigged with 60w and whilst it was a bit marginal I would do it again. 100w - 200w is ideal IMO for a valve amp into a decent cab(s) and as stated above, just how loud do you want to be.. As long as the asthetics and practicalities are attended to, I think this line of amps could be a real winner. The only other amps (that are still in production at least) which seem to have the balance struck correctly are Matamp and the big Ashdown CTM models. I'm not normally a fan of Ashdown (ABM etc) but they really do look spot on. My personal faves were always the Trace V-Type series and even tho I haven't owned a V4 for years, when V6s crop up, I do hover over the 'Buy it now' button.

My old Trace was 200w and that was great especially through the less than perfect MAG210 cab i ran it through. I could have it loud enough to compete and have it in that 'cooking' zone.. It was a monster through the Trace 1084 (8x10)! I think these amps look lovely and I expect they do the sound thing very well too.

Wow, thats lovely.. Whats the valve config? 3x ECC83 and 4x KT88? Oh, and can I have a look at the chassis and transformers. Can you tell I like this amp?

You may well find an 810 offers enough efficiency / percieved loudness to make up for the lack of horsepower from the amp but it seems a shame that to use your amp, you [i]have [/i]to maul such a big cab around. It might be that the 100w CTM model suits your needs better.. Personally, I have only modest volume requirements and have gigged with my 60w valve amp with different cabs on a number of occasions but I certainly wouldn't want any much less power especially if a drummer was involved..

Ashdown have made some tiddlers.. CTM15 I think is the model which has two EL84s.

No problem, I've been using Trace stuff for many years and it's always been great. Glad I could help. To clarify the 150 / 300 watt and extention speaker thing.. On the back panel of yours there is only one jack socket for speaker output and this is utilized by the internal speaker. The internal speaker is a 4 ohm speaker and the minimum impedance for the amp is also four ohm so if you were to add any more (which you can't as there's no more sockets) speakers (in parallel) then it would total less than this which would cause the amp to overheat and shut down. On the larger 300w models, their internal speaker is 8 ohms so a second socket is provided to drive a separate 8 ohm cab in addition to the internal speaker bringing the load back down to four ohms. Hope that makes it a bit more sense.

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/176021-ashton-bv300-all-valve-300w-bass-head/"]http://basschat.co.u...300w-bass-head/[/url] Simple, cheap (if you can find one) and phat.. Personally, I like the look of the Laney and getting to grips with the controls may take a little time but I bet it sounds great. I have no isssue with complex amps (like this or the Sunn / Fender 300T) or simple setups as long as they sound right and wouldn't disregard any setup based on either of those points alone. +1 about improving the bass playing tho. You have to be inspired by the gear you're playing and not fighting it for that to happen.

Hi, To answer your questions.. 1: I don't think one does exist, best bet will be the GP7 SM manual which covers all models from the little BLX combo through to the big 1200w head. The pre-amp is the same on all except for some BLX models which do not have a balanced output (DI). Rear panel facilities vary from model to model. 150w versions like yours will not drive an external speaker as the internal speaker is 4 ohms however the 300w models will. 600 and 1200w have two power stages ie 300+300 and 600+600 respectively. 2: Quality did come down a little particularly the middle ranges but some great models including the AH1000-12 and BFC and V8 came from this period. The main problem was that they were under developed not so much bad models if you see what I mean. All were built by the same people in the same factory. 3: Your combo will date earlier than 2001 as it's an SM. The SM was superceded by the SMC (with compressor but no EQ balance) and the SMC then updated with a different facia and glowing panel simply called GP7. I would guess yours comes from around '97 as it has the later green carpet covering but still the earlier pre-amp. You may be able to tell by looking at the serial number but not always. Some are written T****/*** whereas some have an extra division T****/***/*** with the last three numbers showing date for example 397 which would be March 1997. 4: You can use a headphone amp by using the line out on the amp but you will have to disconnect the internal speaker as I think the line level is governed by the 'output level' control. Hope that helps!

[quote name='Scott_LP' timestamp='1394203927' post='2389142'] I know that some amps require the valves biasing once installed, mine included. I don't know if that would be the case here. I only mention it as a friend of mine's amp failed after just 6 months as the new valves weren't biased by the amp tech, who believed it not necessary due to him installing matched pairs. Just a thought. :-) [/quote] Not sure that applies to the little Ashdown as I [i]think[/i] it's cathode biased..

I wonder if the 12AU7 is used in the driver stage? These are lower gain as stated but can deal with a greater current and as such are often used as the driver valve..

I gigged a Laney rig which I borrowed from my good mate Mick (RIP) and it was a great setup. I'm not sure of the model numbers (it's not a Trace you see) but it was the 300w head (RB9?) with the graphic EQ and compressor coupled with the Celestion loaded 4x10 and the compact size 1x15 on the bottom. The rig was loud, clear, punchy and distortion free. It did everything I asked of it and quickly found my sound without fuss or issue. Great! Another guy I knew (played in a band with my step dad years ago) had an old BC120 combo which was knackered and flapped uncontrollably at the sign of any low frequency action. In it's defence, I don't think there was an isssue with the amp itself rather the speaker was fried. He traded this for a Torque 200w 1x15 in the end. I have no problem with Laney bass although I do think it does get overlooked as it's not particularly fashionable which is a shame because IME, it's great stuff. I love the look of the Nexxus stuff, especially the big 400w head but a guy who's done 3 bass gigs in 7 months, I can't justify another expensive box with glowing glass things inside.

Let us know how you get on.. Cheers!

That would work just fine and would probably be the simplest solution. The alternative would be to buy a 'Y split cable' which would take the single output and split it into two (jack or XLR) but there's no real need for that as the power amp provides an easier method of getting a single input to both power stages. Good luck.

Seems fair, I appreciate that it's cosmetic condition goes against it somewhat however, if we consider what we have in parts then it'd represent good value.. A decent 15" Celestion Speaker in a suitably tuned enclosure.. The highly flexible 12 band pre-amp with valve stage and compressor.. Pokey 300 watt power stage.. And a glowing front panel of course..

I wouldn't like to put a value on it but I'd guess it was from '00-'02 as they moved from green furry to leatherette around that time plus it's the generation after the SMX series with a few extra bells and whistles.. It won't be any later as trace was under Gibson at the time and shut production down around '02 until Peavey revived the brand in 2005..

Post some pix!

I'd be interested to do a 'blind' A / B test.. I'm quite convinced I can hear a difference between Soundcraft and Allen & Heath mixing consoles even on a flat setting. It'd be really interesting to see if that 'percieved' difference is real or in my head..

Did anyone buy the new one? I had a quick play with one yesterday and to be fair, it was very good. I'm not so sure about the funny sized keys or the 1/8" patchbay but the sound was excellent, right on the money! Oscillators and filters reacted in a very similar way to my MS-20 although the controls for them seem a little less sensitive than my original item making them sort of better and worse at the same time. It'd very interesting to run them side by side. As for my original, I'm undetaking a new project where it may become my main instrument again which would be pretty cool if it comes off. I've spent many hours on mine this week using the laptop as an FX unit. It's been wicked!

Sorry dude, can't help.. Good luck with it.

I used one many years ago as part of a recording setup..

It was all much simpler when I had mine.. If you wanted a 'cheaper one' you bought a passive Fortress, Corvette or Streamer STD then in the middle were the BO / LX models and finally the super expensive ones with solid necks and/or custom shop variants. And they were ALL made in Germany.. Not that I have an issue about them being made elsewhere as well as Germany, it's just that the series of models seems to have become very complicated and the prices seem to be heading up hill too. I expect Warwick is a much bigger company than it was when I had mine. It's still the best bass I've ever owned, 13 years down the line is testament to that.

[quote name='JFALTERW' timestamp='1391811209' post='2361698'] I live in Ormskirk, but practice in Preston. So NW England really. I'm not going through a great cab either, trying to get a better one. I have a peavey TVX 4 ohm which is showing its age, and a Behringer BA410([u][b]They're both 4 ohms btw[/b][/u]. and i don't run them both at the same time, i've tried one and then the other) Not great cabs but all i've got atm... [/quote] I believe your amp will happily work at two ohms so you could run both cabs together.. Doesn't solve your gain issue but might be of use to know..

Famous last words but both of mine are indeed working just as intended.. Watch all my valves melt now! As for the Ashdown comment, I think Mr A handled it nicely. He offered a little defence but kinda had a laugh about it and took it on the chin at the same time. I'm not a massive fan of their traditional lines but respect Ashowns' innovation and bravery with new ranges and apparently the customer service is second-to-none.

My Ashton has both torroid and traditional transformers.. Heavy iron both ways! The Trace has a pair of square 'drop-thru' types. With regards to the class D bass amps, I think those amps have their place and I do think the companies that make them very much have their eye on the ball. Coupling of valve pre-amps (Orange and Genz) and more advanced modelling digital front ends (TC amongst others) to the lightweight amps is a great idea.. It's a compromise and doesn't work for everyone (myself included) but for the jobbing musician they're great and the people making them know that. IMO at least! For me, it's glass, Iron and weight that do it..

Any cab will do, just be sure to check the impedance requirements of the little Peavey.