Trace Elliot GP7 SM300 amp head - info/opinions please

[SubsonicSimpleton]

Trace Elliot GP7 SM300 amp head

Seen a few of these come up for sale at very affordable prices both here on basschat and on gumtree/fleabay, but not really been able to find out much info about them with regard to when they were produced, how reliable they are, quality of the DI out, build quality etc.

New vogue is very much for lightweight equipment, which is depressing prices heavily on older kit - my main question is if I disregarded weight and fashion issues how good quality is this particular series of trace amp heads?

Any info opinions from basschatters who have owned/gigged one of these long term much appreciated, especially if you have paired one with more modern design cabs(barefaced/bergantino/schroeder etc)

[badboy1984]

They are good heads. I won't doubt their reliability, my Trace GP11 is even older then that (20+ years) and it still works fine. Also don't get put off by the power rating because Trace Elliot stuff is under rated in my opinion. They are very loud.

[Guest]

I have a Series 6, GP12 AH200, still going strong and still sounding great.
As for perceived loudness, it's not too far behind my SVT7pro which is rated at 1000 watts.....go figure.

[VTypeV4]

I had a 300SM for a while and it was a great amp. Never had any upset with it but the power stage was what Trace called the 'Bi-Polar Bear' was occasionally known to be naughty. To be fair, they haven't been built for 15 years so any that have gone bang will have been fixed by now or replaced with the later 'Clive Button' module.

The pre-amp is flexible but personally I preferred the later SMC variant which came with the compressor and ditched the EQ level and balance controls. Both came with a decent DI (as long as the input level is correctly set) which had a low noise floor and a quality sound.

And don't be too put off by the Gibson thing, if it's a black (not grey) control panel and green furry carpet finish then it's Gibbo one. Anything built after '97 is a Gibson one so if you clock one on eBay and it says pre-gibson, it's probably a fib. The earlier pimple-finish and grey panel ones were rated at 250w although there's probably not a discernable difference between the two despite being pre-gibson. Most of the Trace amps I've owned have been Gibson era models and I've had very little trouble with any of them. The V4 could be a funny bugger sometimes but all the SS / Hybrid ones never caused any upset other than the odd dry joint.

I've never ran one with a 'modern' cab but it always sounded well through the Trace cabs I had at the time. To be fair, it'll probably sound great through something new. Currently thinking about 300 / 400w SMX personally.

[badboy1984]

I always find it Trace amp sounds best with Trace cab. I started off with a GP11 then end up selling my TC cab and gone back to a Trace 15" cab lol.

[JTUK]

If it is cheap, then it will be a good buy.
Having a amp over 20 years is no problem at all IF the amp was well
built and early TE's probably were. I might not say that about the later
ones but as long as a decent Tech can work on it, then you'll have many years
out of it, I'd expect.
Sound-wise..?? things have moved on from the basic and horrible graphic, IMV
but if it works, it works.

Best TE I had was a twin valve and the valves made light work of the GP

[hubrad]

I have the AH250SMX, got it new in about '93. Belting - I keep looking around, as you do, but I can get my sound with the TE so no need to change. I use it through a EA 1x12 with tweeter, sounds superb. Used to have various other cabs, always sounded great.
By reputation, all the English made ones are well worth getting.. well built and repairable. I think the rep slipped after the Gibson takeover, but I have no direct experience of those or later.

[VTypeV4]

[quote name='hubrad' timestamp='1401290997' post='2462114']
I have the AH250SMX, got it new in about '93. Belting - I keep looking around, as you do, but I can get my sound with the TE so no need to change. I use it through a EA 1x12 with tweeter, sounds superb. Used to have various other cabs, always sounded great.
By reputation, [i][b]all the English made ones are well worth getting[/b][/i].. well built and repairable. I think the rep slipped after the Gibson takeover, but I have no direct experience of those or later.
[/quote]

Without being pedantic, they were all built in the UK [i]possibly[/i] with the exception of some of the later Boxer range (TE engineering badges) and [i]maybe[/i] some of the Goldtone guitar amps with Gibson badges.. All GP7, GP12, V-Type and Commando ranges were built in the UK.

[Tdw]

I have one of these (from new), its been reliable and is not too heavy (one handed carry but not exactly a casual weight), enough power for most gigs, fairly decent tone shaping ability. If you want a fairly cheap and powerful decent sounding amp it could be a good choice. I think the DI is all right. Not a spectacular amp though, and there are more modern alternatives.

[Mr.T]

As others have already said....
Old Trace gear was built to last, and be repaired if needed.
If the price is right, buy it and get it serviced, it should give many years of good service.... They are pretty bullet proof!

After taking the 'lightweight' route and selling my SMX250, I tried (too) many amps before settling down again with a set-up I was happy with.

[hubrad]

[quote name='VTypeV4' timestamp='1401294314' post='2462178']


Without being pedantic, they were all built in the UK [i]possibly[/i] with the exception of some of the later Boxer range (TE engineering badges) and [i]maybe[/i] some of the Goldtone guitar amps with Gibson badges.. All GP7, GP12, V-Type and Commando ranges were built in the UK.
[/quote]
Ah, my misunderstanding! So when was the British manufacturing actually stopped? The modern amps are, I believe, PRC built and have less of a reputation. If I had to find a new head I'd probably look at the old ones first. . daft prejudice?

[VTypeV4]

It's all good, man.

Production ceased after Gibson was done with the brand which was around 2001 / 2002 and nothing was built between '02 and '05. i'm not entirely sure when Peavey purchased Trace but the 'new' amps appeared in 2005 and have been with us ever since. The original ones were built in the UK (I think at the Peavey UK / Corby facility) and I thought they still were but there's every chance they now buiilt over seas (like most things!) for a fraction of the cost.

As previously stated I have no problem with the new ones, I just think they're just too expensive to buy new. Second hand ones represent a lot of bang for buck with the 12 band 350 / 400 watt models being cream of the crop IMO.