discreet

Shh! That's my retirement plan.

It may have been, or you may just not like the Trace sound. But as I tried to say in another thread about Trace 'tone', you really don't have to have 'that' Trace sound. In fact, I don't much care for 'that' Trace sound, which is the big mid-scooped top-and-bottom-heavy tone you get from using the pre-shape preset(s) and/or 'smiley face' EQ curve. I don't like a mid-light tone, in fact I'll boost the low mids and keep all switches OUT (apart from the compressor, judicious use of which gives a nice fat bottom... fnaar). The graphic EQ can give a huge variation of tones. You get a whole 15db of cut or boost, which is a truly massive range. But because the sliders don't actually have that much physical travel, it's easy to miss the fact that a very small movement of an EQ slider can make a huge difference. I'm sure people just don't spend enough time with it. And you can't set your tone solo with these amps. You really have to be playing in a band to do it, because the sound you get solo and in concert is very different. This is of course true of all amps, but particularly Trace, which are made for gigging. In fact, the tone I like best for use with the band (which sounds lush, articulate, punchy and hefty) sounds totally different solo - it's a bit too gritty and boxy for my liking... work that one out...

I may well try that if and when I can afford another lightweight cab...

I saw a similar combo on the bay that I missed - it went for £40. I can think of many urges that are much more expensive to satisfy.

It's a fair point and that's a good, workable solution. But in general I believe we've become weak, flabby and limp-wristed. Back in the 70s and 80s we were REAL men and laughed in the face of 8X10s and 35kg valve amp heads!* Seriously though, I think I started to put portability over tone. There is some good lightweight kit out there for sure, but I found that the very light stuff just wasn't doing it for me. I like to be 100% confident about the box I'm standing in front of and need to know that it's going to supply the tone, slam and power I need. And preferably a bit more, just in case. *Yes I know, we were younger, stronger and more stupid. And had little choice.

Be creative! Put it next to your armchair or sofa, stick a cloth over it, et voilà - a handy occasional table for your tea, TV remote and drug paraphernalia!

NAD - More Trace Elliot Content... I bought a Trace Elliot 7215 Series 6 GP7 300W Combo way back in January, and enjoyed it very much. However... I did some rehearsals and gigs with it - and to be quite honest, it did seem a little heavy to transport efficiently, especially for a man who is used to Barefaced cabs and Rumble Combos. So I moved it on. But over time I had to admit to myself that I was missing something from what I laughingly refer to as 'my tone'. Long story short, there was a hole in my sound that was Trace-shaped. So When I spotted this 1997 Trace 715 GP7 SMC 150W Combo on eBay, I put a bid in for it. There wasn't a lot of competition for it (possibly because it was 'only' 150W RMS?) and I snagged it for £80. Given the quality of build, components and facilities available (not to mention the 'tone') I can tell you that this is a ridiculous bargain - especially given the condition, which is good, as you can see from the pics. This example has stood in a recording studio for twenty years, has had very little use and has been recently serviced. The black cable-tie you can see was a temporary addition to hold some wiring in place while I re-attached a sticky pad - it's now gone. And it's a real lightweight, too - my previous combo weighed in at just over 35kg - this one's only 32kg! OK, so it's still relatively heavy. Relatively. I have one of those £20 Maplins folding sack trucks which makes it easy to get to the car, whereupon I still have enough strength in what remains of my body to lift it into my hatchback. It's honestly not a big deal. OK, if I had to physically carry it for more than a couple of hundred yards I'd be seriously worried about my hernia repair, but that's also true of a 16kg amp, or even a 12kg amp. The bottom line is that it does of course have the Trace slam and yes... 'heft' that I crave. I'm certainly no electronics expert, but I genuinely believe it's something to do with the FET arrangement (which apparantly emulates valves to a certain extent - happy to be further educated about this) and also something to do with the power stage and that big round iron thing. Trace amps just seem to have a bottomless tin of beans available on tap regardless of their output numbers. It's really bloody loud considering it's rated at 150W and when playing with my band (drums, guitar, mandolin-violin-bazouki-banjo, 3X vocals) I have the master somewhere between 8 and 9 o'clock, and even then I'm too loud. Apparently... I'll record an audio clip through the amp with my Zoom H1 later. Thanks for looking.

That's the one I had. If I ever see it again, it will be about a billion years too soon.

And don't forget, Bonfire Night is coming up soon... just sayin'...

Quite, Health and Safety. Or do I mean Health & Efficiency..? Anyway, the safest way to dispose of a Kay bass is to bury it (not in your own garden, obvs) or leave it in the boot of your car until you can drive to the coast and hurl it into the sea. If you're pressed for time and really can't stand the damn thing, wait until it's dark and throw it into next door's garden, preferably at that bloody plastic flamingo you don't like. Done!

My first 'real' bass was a Kay from Woolworths, with a truly dreadful 15W 'Audition' amp and cab, too. The action was OK if you could afford a taxi from the strings to the fretboard... which I couldn't at the time. Still, it's nice to have these instruments, if only to make you realise just how far we've come with budget basses!

Another very smooth transaction with Paul, this time it was some Chrome flats. Fast payment, great comms, all good.

Absolutely. As I said earlier, some modern gear is designed to sound good instantly (i.e. in a shop) when playing solo, but Trace gear is made for gigging. It does indeed take time to learn how to get what you want from it. And Trace amps just don't need to be turned up much, even in big rooms. They will sit very nicely in a mix, and you ARE going to be heard, even if you're 'only' using a 150W RMS amp. But then anything worth doing takes a bit of effort. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it and it wouldn't be cool...

Not at all, that's fascinating and pretty much how I do it... after quite a bit of trial and error! Another point to consider is the fact you probably won't get a sound you much like playing solo. It all comes together in concert, which is why your tone should be got when you're playing with your band...

Another stress-free transaction with Jeff, this time he bought some strings. Fast payment, all good.

Sold a Kluson bridge to Mart in a very smooth transaction. Fast payment, great comms, no problems. Recommended!

I don't impose myself either, my bass is what it is. When I play it, it sounds like me playing a bass. Plus, I don't want to keep multiple basses. It's just not my thing.

Which what? Who? How?

It's what I do best on here. Also, I'm not going to argue with the site owner. And it's lunch time. Mmm, lunch...

The fret what, now?

Well... you could use a pick.

I think you're missing my point somewhat... I don't try to sound like I'm playing a specific type of bass, I sound like me, playing a bass. I'm not after a Ray sound or a Spector sound or a Warwick sound. I think I read in the last thread from the South East Bass Bash there was a blind testing of various different basses and those present were surprised at how few basses they were actually able to identify from their tone... I wasn't there, but I can believe it. What I'm trying to say is that what you actually play - and in what context - is much more important than what kind of bass you're playing, or what strings you use, or what amp you like to gig with. Having said that, I can't deny that I'm perfectly happy to come on here and discuss basses, strings, amps and so on.

I don't do the usual and our audiences do care. And while I agree it's great we can come on here and split hairs, it's very possible to overthink things. I've been on the merry-go-round here and elsewhere regarding gear and what's good for metal and so on but in general, I'm concentrating a lot more on my playing and a lot less on my basses and gear. I've found what works for me and I'm just about keeping GAS at bay... at least for now...