chrisd24 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I was recently given a small trace elliot combo,it didn't look like much and sat at my house for a couple of weeks before i even turned it on,and then the other night i went round to a friends for a bit of a jam and WOW it sounded amazing.....i am literally astounded how good it sounded,so much so that i now feel i want one of their bigger combo's but i know nothing about them! The one i have is a commando,100 watts (seems a hell of a lot louder) and says made in uk on the back,very simple controls (a real positive in my eyes) I was looking on ebay at v types and a few others but have literally no idea what i am looking at,any trace elliot aficionados out there happy to share some info would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 [quote name='chrisd24' post='1302103' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:16 AM']I was looking on ebay at v types and a few others but have literally no idea what i am looking at,any trace elliot aficionados out there happy to share some info would be greatly appreciated.[/quote] The V-type amps contain varying numbers of valves, rather than the non V-type ranges which are all solid state. The amps are pretty sought after and often go for high prices when they come up. The V-type cabs (one of which I am selling) were designed to bring out the best in the V-type amps. Again, they are not common and look rather different to the "standard" Trace cabs - green carpet covering, sparkly grillcloth instead of (or as well as) the standard punched steel black powder coated grill plates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd24 Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 [quote name='Conan' post='1302111' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:20 AM']The V-type amps contain varying numbers of valves, rather than the non V-type ranges which are all solid state. The amps are pretty sought after and often go for high prices when they come up. The V-type cabs (one of which I am selling) were designed to bring out the best in the V-type amps. Again, they are not common and look rather different to the "standard" Trace cabs - green carpet covering, sparkly grillcloth instead of (or as well as) the standard punched steel black powder coated grill plates.[/quote] Are they purely valve or valve pre's? The one i was looking at on ebay is a 4x8 which seems quite interesting,dont think i have ever seen a 4x8 combo! also just looked up the weight....... .....which doesnt concern me but there must be a shed load of "stufff" inside these combos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 [quote name='chrisd24' post='1302132' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:32 AM']Are they purely valve or valve pre's? The one i was looking at on ebay is a 4x8 which seems quite interesting,dont think i have ever seen a 4x8 combo! also just looked up the weight....... .....which doesnt concern me but there must be a shed load of "stufff" inside these combos![/quote] Some are all valve. The number of valves ranges from 2 to 8 in different models as I understand it. And TE never really went down the "lightweight" route! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd24 Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 [quote name='Conan' post='1302133' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:34 AM']Some are all valve. The number of valves ranges from 2 to 8 in different models as I understand it. And TE never really went down the "lightweight" route! [/quote] Ha! clearly,but im still young(ish) and my back is still ok(ish) so i think i can handle it!.....and there's always castors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 [quote name='chrisd24' post='1302138' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:40 AM']Ha! clearly,but im still young(ish) and my back is still ok(ish) so i think i can handle it!.....and there's always castors.[/quote] Indeed! [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=125690"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=125690[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd24 Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 [quote name='Conan' post='1302150' date='Jul 13 2011, 11:49 AM']Indeed! [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=125690"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=125690[/url][/quote] Nice cab,and nice castors unfortunately a little excessive for my needs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 The 4x8 combo is a beast. I used to own one. About 42kg IIRC, I put castors on it... 2 vales in the pre, solid state power amp. Will sound similar to the Commando coz of the preamp in the Commando basically being a solid state (FET) version of the valve pre in the 4x8. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd24 Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 [quote name='Merton' post='1302262' date='Jul 13 2011, 01:04 PM']The 4x8 combo is a beast. I used to own one. About 42kg IIRC, I put castors on it... 2 vales in the pre, solid state power amp. Will sound similar to the Commando coz of the preamp in the Commando basically being a solid state (FET) version of the valve pre in the 4x8. HTH [/quote] Hi Merton, Saw your for sale thread on that amp,think I'm about 2 years late to see if its still for sale! Did you ever play on the 15 version for comparison? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 If you like the commando sound, stick with the solid state stuff for now (i.e. not V-type). It'll save you a bi of money and will be easier to find/pair up with other non v-type gear. Old traces are the business in my book, which is why I'm hoping to hang onto my head (despite my Hartke combo having just been delivered at home - damn I wanna leave work early), though I've sold my cab already. They are notoriously under-rated power wise, I read a review of mine (I was concerned about it only being 200W) on harmony central (i.e. independent) before buying, and the guy said it blew the socks off any other brand of solid state amp that had a 400W power rating. The thing never went above 1 in my bedroom, 1.5 if I wanted to pee off the neighbours. Fantastic sound quality too. It's all about the trace heads, so look for one of those first, their cabs are good too (celestion drivers usually if IIRC), you can get some real ebay bargains on cabs because of 'pickup only' many of these you can message the guy and say you've found a courier for about £20 (not at all unlikely) and they'll be happy to ship, or you can of course pick up if you're close. The heads tend to have a standard going rate on ebay, but of course from time to time you get some go for more than the odds and some for less, depending on the usual factors. Alternatively I'd recommend one of their combos with the built in 4x10, can't go wrong there, and will be a nice upgrade on the commando. Finally, don't even bother looking at the new traces. IMO they're nothing particularly like the old ones asides in looks, they are distinctly overpriced for what they are and you wont likely get a significant reduction second hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stag Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 You cant go wrong with the Series 6 stuff. I had an AH300 powering a 1510x which was an amazing sound... although as people said, not exactly lightweight! There is a 2x10 series 6 for sale somewhere on here that you might want to take a gander at.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd24 Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 Do you recomend anymodels in particular? I only ask as there seems to be loads and I'm a clueless noob when it comes to this gear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 [quote name='chrisd24' post='1302649' date='Jul 13 2011, 06:02 PM']Do you recomend anymodels in particular? I only ask as there seems to be loads and I'm a clueless noob when it comes to this gear![/quote] As the man said, series 6 are golden, mine has all sliders and knobs working and all caps and knobs present which isn't always the case, I also have the footswitch which isn't often present This adds to the value and usability, but is probably worth the extra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 [quote name='chrisd24' post='1302277' date='Jul 13 2011, 01:12 PM']Hi Merton, Saw your for sale thread on that amp,think I'm about 2 years late to see if its still for sale! Did you ever play on the 15 version for comparison?[/quote] I owned both 1x15 and 4x8 combos 15 was louder and puncture, 4x8 smoother and a lot heavier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamPodmore Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Trace Elliot are basically the be all and end all of cheap, old, ROCK SOLID amps in my opinion. Extremely rugged, definately underrated in terms of power, louder than loud, and to top it all off have great tone too. Liam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd24 Posted July 13, 2011 Author Share Posted July 13, 2011 [quote name='dc2009' post='1302670' date='Jul 13 2011, 06:16 PM']As the man said, series 6 are golden, mine has all sliders and knobs working and all caps and knobs present which isn't always the case, I also have the footswitch which isn't often present This adds to the value and usability, but is probably worth the extra[/quote] Sorry my bad,did a search on eBay and got nothing back for "series 6 trace elliot" so thought maybe the product codes didn't include it,think there's just no series 6 stuff on there at the minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 [quote name='chrisd24' post='1302705' date='Jul 13 2011, 06:41 PM']Sorry my bad,did a search on eBay and got nothing back for "series 6 trace elliot" so thought maybe the product codes didn't include it,think there's just no series 6 stuff on there at the minute.[/quote] Make sure you search item and description, and remember some people don't know what they're selling. A quick look yielded these: Never remember what series these are but they're fairly common on the bay and do the job well: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-GP7SM-300-Bass-Pre-Amp-Head-Unit-/170666491305?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item27bc83fda9"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-GP7SM-3...=item27bc83fda9[/url] a beaten up cab currently at £2 (pickup only) and this gem: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-Valve-Bass-Combo-/320727862074?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item4aacdecb3a#ht_500wt_1156"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-Valve-B...a#ht_500wt_1156[/url] - series 6, valve, she be tasty and mighty rare - if you're thinking of a new amp though, a regular series 6 like mine or more powerful (not that you need it) is worth waiting for, when i was looking for mine i'd say you got a new one on ebay every 1-2 weeks. I also got mine as a bargain because the guy put preamp in the listing title, because it has the GP12 preamp as part of the head unit - i think this dissuaded some buyers. You see this done relatively often, worth looking out for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd24 Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 [quote name='dc2009' post='1303123' date='Jul 14 2011, 01:27 AM']Make sure you search item and description, and remember some people don't know what they're selling. A quick look yielded these: Never remember what series these are but they're fairly common on the bay and do the job well: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-GP7SM-300-Bass-Pre-Amp-Head-Unit-/170666491305?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item27bc83fda9"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-GP7SM-3...=item27bc83fda9[/url] a beaten up cab currently at £2 (pickup only) and this gem: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-Valve-Bass-Combo-/320727862074?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item4aacdecb3a#ht_500wt_1156"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-Valve-B...a#ht_500wt_1156[/url] - series 6, valve, she be tasty and mighty rare - if you're thinking of a new amp though, a regular series 6 like mine or more powerful (not that you need it) is worth waiting for, when i was looking for mine i'd say you got a new one on ebay every 1-2 weeks. I also got mine as a bargain because the guy put preamp in the listing title, because it has the GP12 preamp as part of the head unit - i think this dissuaded some buyers. You see this done relatively often, worth looking out for![/quote] Strange considering what time it is that I was literally just this second looking at that combo....really like the look of that and I'm betting it sounds sweet as a nut! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 [quote name='chrisd24' post='1303124' date='Jul 14 2011, 01:34 AM']Strange considering what time it is that I was literally just this second looking at that combo....really like the look of that and I'm betting it sounds sweet as a nut![/quote] I can't vouch for it, as they are rare, but I'm willing to bet your assessment is spot on. My Hartke arrived today, really don't wanna say goodbye to my head, think it'll be for keeps if I can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd24 Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 [quote name='dc2009' post='1303132' date='Jul 14 2011, 01:50 AM']I can't vouch for it, as they are rare, but I'm willing to bet your assessment is spot on. My Hartke arrived today, really don't wanna say goodbye to my head, think it'll be for keeps if I can[/quote] just give it to me no need to be sentimental! Any idea if the head comes out of these combo's btw? really struggling to find info on that one on the bay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 [quote name='chrisd24' post='1303363' date='Jul 14 2011, 11:49 AM']just give it to me no need to be sentimental! Any idea if the head comes out of these combo's btw? really struggling to find info on that one on the bay.[/quote] Hehehe, my combo is too heavy to gig with, i can just take my trace to most gigs therefore, is my plan anyway. I would say the head doesn't look like it comes out. I'm sure you can get it out but it's rarely ever meant to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd24 Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 [quote name='dc2009' post='1303432' date='Jul 14 2011, 12:34 PM']Hehehe, my combo is too heavy to gig with, i can just take my trace to most gigs therefore, is my plan anyway. I would say the head doesn't look like it comes out. I'm sure you can get it out but it's rarely ever meant to![/quote] Ah I see,I saw one of the heads on itself on talkbass which made me curious was all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 [quote name='dc2009' post='1303123' date='Jul 14 2011, 01:27 AM']Never remember what series these are but they're fairly common on the bay and do the job well: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-GP7SM-300-Bass-Pre-Amp-Head-Unit-/170666491305?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item27bc83fda9"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-GP7SM-3...=item27bc83fda9[/url] a beaten up cab currently at £2 (pickup only)[/quote] The clue is in the title- it's an SM series, the one which came out after Series 6 Some say the SM / SMX range were the peak, others say it tailed off after Series 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnDeereJack Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Hi Chris, As has been mentioned previously you cant go wrong with the older Trace gear. I've been playing through Trace stuff since buying my first rig in '86 (MKV AH150 with GP11 pre & MKV 1048 cab) and have never looked back. I recently bought a really nice MKV AH250 from a fellow basschatter and have aquired a couple of 1518 cabs so I basically have 2 Trace rigs now: AH150 with 1518 cab and AH250 with a 1518 & 1048 on top! As my missus continually points out, there's absolutely no need for both rigs so, very reluctantly, the AH150 and one of the 15" cabs have to go. (I'll [i]eventually[/i] get round to placing an ad in the For Sale section at some point I'm sure!) It's a shameless plug I know but here's your chance to own a classic TE rig at a very reasonable price PM me if interested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 IMHO, if you like the Commando sound, you should buy this: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=131252"]Trace V-Type 1x15 combo[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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