Bob61 Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 Greetings Bass lovers i have just returned to the fold after many years absence in fact it must nigh on 20 years since i last played....now the ripe old age of 60 i have just got myself a Precision copy (Vintage) it's very nice actually and last week swapped a guitar for a Trace Elliot GP7 SM 300 combo just wondered if they are any good, hoping to maybe get playing again one day? And have been lurking on the site since last year just out of curiosity but now i have some gear thought i'd join in the fun. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodwind Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 Trace Elliot stuff gets a lot of Love on Basschat. Your combo will definitely move some air and get a good sound (whether that sound is right for your playing contexts is a different matter). Modern amps can be a lot lighter than your combo and if the weight becomes a concern to you, you'll have the facility to remove the amplifier section and pair it with lightweight speaker cabs (this is what I'd do). Welcome back to bass. Enjoy!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin E Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 Yes they're great. I had one from new and used it for many years. Loud, good EQ, everything you could want from a combo. In the end the weight was just too much, god knows how I got into the boot of the car. You must be a lot fitter than I was at 60. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob61 Posted March 16, 2022 Author Share Posted March 16, 2022 4 minutes ago, Woodwind said: Trace Elliot stuff gets a lot of Love on Basschat. Your combo will definitely move some air and get a good sound (whether that sound is right for your playing contexts is a different matter). Modern amps can be a lot lighter than your combo and if the weight becomes a concern to you, you'll have the facility to remove the amplifier section and pair it with lightweight speaker cabs (this is what I'd do). Welcome back to bass. Enjoy!!! Thanks yes the weight will be an issue lol i struggled getting it into the house it hasn't moved since 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob61 Posted March 16, 2022 Author Share Posted March 16, 2022 4 minutes ago, Martin E said: Yes they're great. I had one from new and used it for many years. Loud, good EQ, everything you could want from a combo. In the end the weight was just too much, god knows how I got into the boot of the car. You must be a lot fitter than I was at 60. Thankyou and your right it weighs a ton if i eventually get out gigging it will be a problem my backs not to great (DIY) injury years ago, but we'll see how it goes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_m Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 Welcome aboard / back! I'm 61, and am happily gigging a Trace GP7 200 head + separate BLX-110 cab - I find it easier to manhandle two smaller heavy boxes than one big heavy one like my Ashdown MAG300-210 combo so @Woodwind's suggestion above makes a lot of sense. Sounds great, though I will confess to using an Ashdown 12-band graphic EQ pedal instead of the Trace EQ (heresy, I know), and also go through the PA so it's really only used for onstage monitoring rather than blowing the back wall out of the venue (plus we're not really That Type Of Band anyway!). Have fun! 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob61 Posted March 16, 2022 Author Share Posted March 16, 2022 57 minutes ago, tony_m said: Welcome aboard / back! I'm 61, and am happily gigging a Trace GP7 200 head + separate BLX-110 cab - I find it easier to manhandle two smaller heavy boxes than one big heavy one like my Ashdown MAG300-210 combo so @Woodwind's suggestion above makes a lot of sense. Sounds great, though I will confess to using an Ashdown 12-band graphic EQ pedal instead of the Trace EQ (heresy, I know), and also go through the PA so it's really only used for onstage monitoring rather than blowing the back wall out of the venue (plus we're not really That Type Of Band anyway!). Have fun! 👍 Thanks Tony 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 17 hours ago, Bob61 said: Thankyou and your right it weighs a ton if i eventually get out gigging it will be a problem my backs not to great (DIY) injury years ago, but we'll see how it goes The thing to do would be take the amp out and make a new box for it. That will make the decombo'd ''cab only'' around 13kg lighter for picking up. Get a trolley for moving it A to B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob61 Posted March 17, 2022 Author Share Posted March 17, 2022 8 hours ago, Downunderwonder said: The thing to do would be take the amp out and make a new box for it. That will make the decombo'd ''cab only'' around 13kg lighter for picking up. Get a trolley for moving it A to B. A trolley is on the list, cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted March 18, 2022 Share Posted March 18, 2022 I had one of those 1x15 combos for years. The fan got a bit noisy and I had to replace the speaker but the amp was still working fine after 15 years of heavy use. I only sold it because I preferred my Mesa Walkabout and I was frankly fed up of the Trace Elliot pre-shape and graphic combination after a decade plus of using it. The combos are fairly heavy for the amount of output they provide compared to more modern designs. However they are 'just about' portable for short distances from the car to the venue of up a flight of stairs. If you have a pet they will love using the rat fur covering as a scratching post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Tut Posted March 18, 2022 Share Posted March 18, 2022 I've got the head version of this and sometimes gig it with Stray. Have a look inside and see if the power section is marked 'The Bi Polar Bear'. If it is then there could be trouble ahead. At the very least ensure that the ground connection is firmly attached to the chassis with a star washer. Ideally look on the internet for bi polar bear and Clive Button mod. Take the info to an amp tech and get him to carry out the mod. If I'm talking about the wrong amp, then ignore the above and fetch me my Horlicks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted March 18, 2022 Share Posted March 18, 2022 What was the issue with the Bi-Polar Bear power sections? I had my first GP7 SM300 amp replaced during its warranty phase. The technical reason given to me by Trace Elliot for the fault was 'DEATH', so I presume that it must have had a Bi-Polar amp. My GP12 SMX amp I bought used also had a new power amp fitted, so I presume it was also a Bi-polar Bear amp originally as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted March 18, 2022 Share Posted March 18, 2022 1 hour ago, thodrik said: Bi-Polar Bear power tend to pop their clogs when the grounding provided by the star washer to the chassis fails. I guess this could happen in new amps if there was too much paint on the chassis and too little spanner applied to the nut or there may have been other infant mortality modes. Later on vintage amps suffered star washer corrosion, enough to do the trick of ungrounding and suffered 'death' also. Should definitely find out if the Clive mod is something else altogether. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whamni Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 On 16/03/2022 at 15:58, Bob61 said: Thankyou and your right it weighs a ton if i eventually get out gigging it will be a problem my backs not to great (DIY) injury years ago, but we'll see how it goes This is what I did to my Trace........ I blanked off where the amp would have been and I now use a TC Electronics BQ250 Mind you I still have the original trace amp if I ever decide to sell. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob61 Posted March 25, 2022 Author Share Posted March 25, 2022 On 22/03/2022 at 09:40, whamni said: This is what I did to my Trace........ I blanked off where the amp would have been and I now use a TC Electronics BQ250 Mind you I still have the original trace amp if I ever decide to sell. Looks a nice job mate, cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Tut Posted March 25, 2022 Share Posted March 25, 2022 On 18/03/2022 at 16:24, thodrik said: What was the issue with the Bi-Polar Bear power sections? I had my first GP7 SM300 amp replaced during its warranty phase. The technical reason given to me by Trace Elliot for the fault was 'DEATH', so I presume that it must have had a Bi-Polar amp. My GP12 SMX amp I bought used also had a new power amp fitted, so I presume it was also a Bi-polar Bear amp originally as well! Theres a thread here . . . . . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogo Posted April 28, 2022 Share Posted April 28, 2022 (edited) I've been using one of these for a few months now. its an absolute monster, easily the best sounding bass amp i've ever heard imo. The weight is less than ideal but luckily its manageable for me. Its a real looker too Edited April 28, 2022 by rogo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob61 Posted July 2, 2022 Author Share Posted July 2, 2022 Was sorry to see it go but had to get rid of it unfortunately i did my back in about 5 years ago (DIY Job) and the combo was just to heavy for my glass back lol, sold to a good friend and fellow muso even he said when he picked it up how heavy it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.