Count Bassie

[quote name='lettsguitars' post='1086344' date='Jan 12 2011, 01:22 AM']green is good. hasn't nasa just found a green blob somewhere out there? bass rig heaven no doubt. i wonder if my old rig is up there. i like to think so.[/quote] Oh yeah- there's a quasar nearby that is no longer- only the light is still running through that cloud. Likely pushing gas around and forming planets, I'm hearing. Planets where life will form, evolve, and eventually build bass amps with UV-lit green-lettered front panels... unless it's Rock n' Roll Heaven... where your rig is keeping company with my old SVT.

Very sorry to hear this... hope all is well asap. Nice bass.

I've been mistakenly calling my AH250 a "MK IV". It doesn't say MK IV on it, and I'd never heard of one before. I made it up! But there doesn't seem to be any other model name beyond AH250, and there are a lot of those. And I think it's an earlier model than the MK V. Anyway, pardon my confusion...

[quote name='Delberthot' post='675626' date='Dec 6 2009, 08:03 AM']I have a second rig that i haven't used yet as I bought it intending to use it with the Rock band but we aren't due to play until boxing night. Its a 1984 1110 combo that was modded by Trace to allow an 8ohm cab to be used with it and you can also connect a speaker lead to another input to use it as a 4x10" cab [/quote] This is the same head I have- coming back from the shop at the end of the week. Do you know the model# of it as a standalone head? Is it just an AH250 GP-11? Mine (been posted before around here to the point of obnoxious redundancy):

[quote name='NoirBass' post='1081483' date='Jan 7 2011, 03:16 PM']Don't know if it helps but I have an early 70's V4-B and I love the valve tone it produces. That said you need a big cab to get the best from it, its very grindy even at half volume. Its huge and it weighs a tonne! Certainly not the most practical amp ever. As for the Trace, Its a very different animal - if you like the sound of it keep it.[/quote] Well it comes back this week, and although I did get to play it some before the shop visit I'll be curious to plug it in again. I've foregone the V4-B, I'm really not having an issue with anything gear-oriented. Just like my old Ampeg sound! But I'm resigned to waiting... I use the SMX head quite a lot, and I'm presuming this will be a fine backup, maybe even a solid head for regular use. I am interested in finding out more about this head though. I don't find much on this generation, in fact it's difficult to find any very complete thread of information on the line anywhere. Sources seem to have become a diaspora of links once-involved with the Trace Elliot family tree, and it's no help that the name has passed through several sets of hands. To anyone who's got first-hand or otherwise reliable info on this particular amp, and its immediate relatives, I'd love to hear from you! Thanks.

Here's a general idea of the color scheme, more of a burst-like idea than this probably... it's the orangey-burnished look on the edge that'll make it. Almost like well-kept old furniture.

Almost done re-shaping. It's going very slow, but hey. We "have a life" here! I'll finish today, and get the primer back on the sanded spots. Ordering a spray can of color this week, and then it's off the the furniture guy. I think I'm going to get a little bolder with the beveled edges. I like where it's going, but it's too subtle. I know this isn't very interesting yet, but I'm just posting to keep myself enthused... and yes, the Westone thing is come forward alright. Don't mind that.

The Hartke combos are very good. Even the small ones can throw right out to the back of a decent-sized room without PA. Don't know how they do it, but it's a solid sound and reliable gear. If I owned a music store I'd buy one and bring it to gigs for demo purposes.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' post='1080619' date='Jan 6 2011, 07:04 PM']It's looking a little like a Westone Thunder now. Trans cherry like a Guild or Gibbo would look smart over that mahogany.[/quote] Wait and see...

Well I used to have a 'Blue-Line' SVT years ago, and I realize, from that blurry guide for comparison, that there will be a difference. I also had a Sunn 300T that was pretty hi-fi compared to the SVT... but yeah I know it's a different animal. Thanks for the reality check though!

I'm getting my Trace AH250GP-11 head, I believe it's a Mark IV, out of the shop next week. I've run into an Ampeg V4-B, a 'Classic' version, for $400 US, and I'd like to score it. I can only do it if I lose the Trace head... I have an SMX which I use regularly for all my gigs, and like it quite a lot. Sound-people who do our FOH tend to be pretty enthusiastic about it, but I realize it's a different animal than the older Trace head. I also realize the older one is kind of a vintage piece, as it were, and it's still a solid, serviceable amp. But, the prospect of nailing an all-tube Ampeg is too much, and I have to at least look into it. Any thoughts on this? Should I really keep the Trace, or maybe hold out and use proceeds from a sale for an SVT? Is the Trace head worth that much? Or am I simply a fool?...

A little update, holidays are over... I've shaved a tad more out of the upper bout scallop, and have decided on a color scheme. There's a local guy I've been referred to who does a lot of nitro work on furniture. We've talked it over and have decided to spray an Ivory-Blonde lacquer on it, then rub a little stain into that after it dries to get some of the wood texture into the picture. If that works out, we'll clear-coat it and then do a subtle 'dusting ' of darker, more reddish color around the edge. I'm not seeing it completely yet, I'll have to walk along with the process and decide when I'm there. The pick guard will be clear acrylic, possibly a different shape- and lifted up above the body of the bass rather than screwed right onto it: This way the new finish will all age/discolor at the same rate. The 'guard will get an etching or something done to the back of it, and that'll be filled with the same color as the outer edge of the body (an idea anyway). I'm thinking a 'Fawn' type creature playing his flute, or maybe an angle, satyr, something mythical, sort of suggesting the influence of 'the subtler world'. Maybe even a little breast-action would be fun- like a mermaid arched on the bowsprit of a ship. The Universal Mother thing, right?... Anyway I'd like it to speak of a medieval reference, more or less. And I need a logo for the headstock. Maybe it should be the Hamer sig, or maybe a custom one I come up with. There's another dude around who does custom decals... Pix when we get started. I'm pretty psyched.

This is the newest addition to the rig... found a 1048 localy for $100. Needs a few screws for attaching the grille properly and I had to reset one of the port tubes with some construction adhesive. Loaded with Celestions, this with the 1153 is a very nice, clear, punchy sound. The soundman at our gig last night was very happy with it- which makes life easier at any large production! Unfortunately the 715-S combo is gone... life forces pragmatism. AH250SMX; 1153-T; 1048... Coming soon, the old MK IV comes out of the shop in a week or so. I found a kid in Providence (neaby) who loves old amps, fixes and mods them. He was pretty psyched to see the beastie, so I'm looking forward to plugging it in. I originally got that for $100 too, last spring. And that one's got a UV light, so it'll be fun for the Portuguese trad gigs... there's an audience that loves a little glitz in their night out...

I haven't looked into my 1153 cab yet to see what speaker is in there, but I brought the 1153 w/ the AH250SMX to rehearsal earlier this evening, and it's a nailer. Sat in the mix like it belonged there, and as if it had been mastered into place by Bob Clearmountain. I tried the 1153 on top of the 1048 the night before that, and it was sonically like being run upon by a very large armor-plated animal wearing a big yellow "Happy Face" mask. Really, it was. I do really dig my Trace stuff. Happy as a pig in a bubble-bath.

[quote name='ziggydolphinboy' post='1070621' date='Dec 27 2010, 05:52 PM']thought id put my trace gear up , i now have two ah400s that hopefully i will run together in the new year , the bass cab being clean and the top cabs being effects channel sound!! hope you all like!![/quote] Ya, like the 1518 with the 210. And 2x AH400s... that's gonna leave a mark somewhere...

Yes that's the original in there... well, I think it is! You know- I've never looked! I'll do that next opportunity I get. After tomorrow though! I'm not going to be changing anything for a while now, I've found it takes me about 3-6 months to really get to know my gear, and moving stuff around before then either ends up in disappointment with what I get afterwards or I find out how good what I had was! So I'm sitting tight and using it until I have enough history to be able to either rave or rant. But I'll be back. Thanks for the words, replies, chiming-ins folks! Have a merry holiday, peace on you wherever you are.

[quote name='chris_b' post='1068805' date='Dec 24 2010, 10:29 AM']You are very near (about 30 miles) to the guy making the best cabs in the US. I'd get your Bergantino cab first then look for an amp that matches it.[/quote] I would too if I could afford him! That is, according to my own proclaimed ethic, the best way to do it...

[quote name='thodrik' post='1005457' date='Oct 29 2010, 10:55 AM']I have both an GP 7 SM 300 in the form of a 1x15 combo and the 300 SMX GP 12 head. Both are really nice and good enough to do a job. I do think however that the SMX offers a lot more, just in terms of features like the dual band compressor, effects send return and the valve drive. The valve drive is hardly that great and isn't really driven hard enough in my opinion, but it does add a little but of life to the sound and makes the tone sound less hi-fi and clean than the SM series, as you can get a little bit of grind when you drive it hard. It can do the clean hifi sound as well The 12 band graphic is also a lot more useful than the 7 band, and allows some decent scope for tailoring your sound. The GP 7 SM series offers the basic Trace sound with few bells and whistles. I think that it is a really good solid state amp that has plenty of power, I've disconnected the internal speaker and driven the amp through different cabs, and it copes well with a 4 ohm load through a 4x10, 8x10 etc. Both amps also have the 'preset 2' option, which I think was the company's attempt to do a 'mid-bump' preset than a mid-cut, and I think they both sound pretty bad. Both also seem to be built fairly well too and haven't caused me much bother.[/quote] Never did respond- thanks for the reply! Lol!... I'm in an empty room by now. But I've kept my SMX, and it's interesting comparing with the Series-6 combo (715-S) and an older MK IV head, coming back from the shop in a week or so. I like the head, been very successful with several cabs, including the little Bag Ends, an 1153 and an older 1048. Dig my Trace amps. Always fun to post this kind of toy-store stuff!... Gratuitous episode is past now. Thank you.

Here she is, maybe this'll be the answer... needs a little cosmetic/facade work, but it functions:

Picked up what appears to be a Gibson-era 1048 yesterday for $100. The red stripe across the front was coming up (little strips of tape) so I pulled it off, I re-set the loose port tubes with "PL" construction adhesive, and it's missing one of the port-plug flanges and the screws for holding on the grille. Also it needs a jack secured to the jack-plate... but she works, and I'm darned glad to have it. It won't sit on top of the 15 because it's got casters instead of 'feet' where they ought to go, so I put the 15 on top. Whatever! Should be fine for bringing in the New Year. We'll be about 20-30 miles from Boston, and I hope I don't rumble loose any of that work they had done a couple years ago down in the basement...

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1068674' date='Dec 24 2010, 07:38 AM']NAh, if I swap out the Carlsbro for it my amp pile just touches the ceiling, rather than having an inch gap.[/quote] Well then you need to do it man!

Wow- that was a great idea, modding the BLX 150 like that! I'm keeping my eyes peeled for one now...

I had one of these, when they were still logo'd "Sunn 300T". Great head, loud and very flexible for tones. I sold it to make Christmas happen one year when work had been very slow... I'm not wrecked over it, but man it was a good amp. Worth having for a decent price. I sold mine for $900 US, about 2 years ago.

[quote name='sambassman' post='1010990' date='Nov 3 2010, 11:25 AM']i think you'd get a very rich, beefy tone out of it. but im not sure if the high end would cut through the mix that well though. thats why i got the 2 x 10 cab[/quote] I'm starting to believe you're right, after a couple gigs with just the 1153. Dark, rich. Mmmmaybe there's not enough mid presence though... anyhow I'm picking up a 1048 this week to go with the 1153. I'll post about it after the New Year's gig.

[quote name='borisbrain' post='1065308' date='Dec 20 2010, 07:05 PM']Groove on, Bassie. Have fun with the new cab. You'll probably shake the foundations in Boston now! BB[/quote] I'll be pipin' in to keep yers all aprised! Thanks matey!