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New Amp....not telling yet but it's NOT a TE Elf


TheGreek
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Snapped up an absolute bargain today - virtually stole it TBH - ridiculously low chancers' bid - didn't expect to win it - laughing my head off....

Not telling yet...photos and review when it arrives on Tuesday (hopefully).

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[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1496261847' post='3310079']
Snapped up an absolute bargain today - virtually stole it TBH - ridiculously low chancers' bid - didn't expect to win it - laughing my head off....

Not telling yet...photos and review when it arrives on Tuesday (hopefully).
[/quote]Mick you are a tease. Any news one the Elf?

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It was indeed the TE Twin Valve... I love TE, spent a small fortune trying to emulate the tone... closest I got was EBS, a very close and highly recommended second.

The ad on eBay was misleading with, as Hamfist notes, 400w stated as the output - I believe its 115W but they're TE watts, not your weedy Class D watts. As everybody who has owned a TE knows these are designed to send the hordes from Hell back screaming, holding their ears.

I paid what I thought was a good price, however the seller decided to use PF48 direct rather than save £20 by going through Interparcel. I felt that the £270 in total I paid represents the true value of the amp - most of the others I've seen have sold for something similar.

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/w8AAAOSwsXFZJdEr/s-l1600.jpg

Anyway it arrived today - complete with Flight Case - a couple of downsides - FC is not TE, it doesn't fit inside the feet which hold TE cabs together.

Amp is crackly, understandable with a 30+ year old amp, so it'll be making a visit to Mal, my local Amp Tech at www.theampworkshop.co.uk for a service - cost for previous services have been in the £30-40 ball park, so I'm expecting something similar.

After trying to set it up with my TE 1153x and 2103x cabs I find the second cab output is a 3 pin DIN plug - haven't got one of those so I choose to use just the 15" - the Amp has the option to run cabs at either 4 or 8 Ohms - very useful, can't understand why it isn't a feature on other amps.

So, plug in my Kawai F1B - has a lovely fat tone naturally - using the Mid Pre setting accentuates the existing tone giving this bass a fatter tone, reminiscent of that 80s Funk tone used by everybody from SAW, Hue & Cry to Stanley Clarke. Tone is consistent from low volume all the way up to blowing the windows out mode. Lovely!!

Flicking the 7 band graphic to my favourite setting - "The Grimace" - upside down smile, mids slightly above the bass and treble settings - gives the same monster tone you've come to expect from anything bearing the fluro green badge whatever your personal preference. Trusty and reliable is a byword with TE - I'm expecting this once it's had a service and clean.

Weight? - well yeah, but it's an 80s TE, right? that's the way it was - not just with TE either. Having a bad back goes with being a musician - it's either complaining about that or the f*cking guitarist playing too loud. If it bothers you that much, spend £20 on a sack barrow or enlist the help of your friends by telling them there'll be loads of babes at the gig... remind them that "I'm with the band" is a great opening line.

So I'm planning on running a 30 year old amp with a 2x12 and a 1x15 - the nay-sayers will be saying so's everybody else - but what I'm getting is as reliable as a wood burning stove, will live as long as the Jurassic era and give tones as classic as a 32 Ford Coupe. There may be players out there who will be saying "TE, it's so dated"...look at how many people comment on the great sound when they rediscover them. Try one yourself and see...

For Chienmortbb - this'll come as a surprise - they've pushed back the delivery date to late July - I'm torn - get a refund or run the risk of shops running out before I can get one - after waiting since March??

As a huge TE fan I'm committed to the old and willing to give the new a fair chance - time will tell. I'll just have to make do with my existing (3x different TE) set ups..

Edited by TheGreek
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Funny thing Col. This is what I scored on Ebay myself last week!

[attachment=247008:hexa_front.jpg]

[attachment=247009:hexa_rear.jpg]

Built in jan 1991. Condition is mint. Had to replace the (original TE branded) 12ax7 valves in there with a pair of new tung sols.
Its grip over the speakers is just ridiculous. Everything sounds tighter and more dynamic then with any of my other amps. WOW!

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