Trace Elliot - Rescue & Restore (and bargain finds)

[SimonK]

48 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

One of the reflex port liners on my cab is visibly damaged with a piece missing from its flange.  I suppose TE could find me a new one.  The cost and the newness against a rich patina on the rest of the cab plus the fact that I am a notorious skinflint prevents me.

 

If you are breaking a similar cab for parts, I would be interested in getting hold of a replacement, used, port liner or two for mine.  Let's talk should this be on the cards at any point.

 

 

RE port liners, yes thet do break frequently so I don't have any not in use, but there is a guy on ebay who 3D prints them: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/167033823085

[SpondonBassed]

13 minutes ago, SimonK said:

there is a guy on ebay who 3D prints them

 

...and there's a guy works down the chip shop, swears he's Elvis...

 

I don't do online purchases and I seldom look at eBay or Gumtree other than to add to my knowledge of what's out there.  There are people on BC who could do (and have done) 3D prints for me if I supply the detailed spec or an original part for scanning.

 

The 1818x that you referred to has a ten inch driver.  Mine has just the 18inch cone with two front facing reflex ports.  I was told it was an 1818.  I must check the data plate at some point but it's too heavy for me to be arsed moving it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SimonK]

6 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

 

...and there's a guy works down the chip shop, swears he's Elvis...

 

I don't do online purchases and I seldom look at eBay or Gumtree other than to add to my knowledge of what's out there.  There are people on BC who could do (and have done) 3D prints for me if I supply the detailed spec or an original part for scanning.

 

The 1818x that you referred to has a ten inch driver.  Mine has just the 18inch cone with two front facing reflex ports.  I was told it was an 1818.  I must check the data plate at some point but it's too heavy for me to be arsed moving it.

 

 

Wow that's restrictive - I get most things online and rarely have a problem - indeed that's where all my Trace Elliot finds come from! The chap who 3D prints the ports is active on the facebook trace elliot group which was where the idea for someone with the ability to print them came from. He also does the red and green caps for the gain and volume pots which I have got from him before.

 

The 1818 is the normal single 18" speaker (plus two tuning ports), whereas the 1818x denotes "special application" and was a Mark V and before thing - there was a discussion about them a few months back on the following (the thread itself is 15 years old but someone nercro-bumped!): 

 

[SpondonBassed]

On 07/09/2025 at 22:03, SimonK said:

Wow that's restrictive...

 

...my well considered choice.  I tried online banking once and it didn't suit me.  I don't agree to the Ts&Cs.  I helped to develop home shopping with one of Tesco's risk sharing partners.  This was pre-iPad using wireless Fujitsu Team Pads.  We employed ethical hackers so I'm not ignorant by any means.

 

I got through lockdown with no online transactions whatsoever.  I don't feel restricted in the slightest.  Internet dependency is something I just will not buy into.  I had 'nuff trouble giving up smoking.

 

And another thing! (heeheehee) - It worries me somewhat that all landlines are being dropped in favour of VoIP.  Eggs, one basket, whoops... oh dear.

 

Basschat is my window into social media and that's as far as that goes.  I prefer wetware to hardware and software most days anyway.

 

I love a good old rant, me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by SpondonBassed

[DGBass]

Perhaps more of a cautionary tale in buying old school Trace Elliot equipment is that what you may find is that thirty plus year old gear will actually need some TLC and repairs to get them back to a solid gigging standard. My last find was a thirty four year old TE AH250 GP12 SMX head that was sold for parts or not working on a well known auction site. It arrived in very good cosmetic condition but needed a whole lot of work to bring it back to a usable gigging standard. The cooling fan circuit was shot, the mosfet output transistors were distorting badly,  and the pre-amp needed a new tube. The power supply caps on the output board and the pre-amp were shot as well. Not all vintage Trace Elliot stuff is going to be a bargain once repair costs are factored in, but some of it is well worth spending some time and money on because at the end of the day you might well have an amp or cab that out performs anything that's currently available in the here and now for a fraction of the cost. Well thats IMHO.

 

 

[Uncle Rodney]

I like to buy this kind faulty kit and repair it. It's part of the fun. I've had Ashdown amps, did a bit of fixing and they sound great. It's also good because it can put back into circulation otherwise decent kit. 

 

[Stub Mandrel]

The Trace kit is very repairable -- no sanded off IC numbers and parts you can see without having to buy a Mantis!