cameltoe Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 (edited) A spur-of-the-moment type purchase in PMT music Bristol yesterday. Shiny 30 watt all-valve amp head, plus the LB212 cab. Lovely. With a certificate claiming it to be number 38 of 100, signed and everything. Sounded huge in the shop and easily loud enough for most of the gigs I do. I use a Trace Elliot GP7 SM150 combo for most of my gigs, bar the really big ones or outdoor jobbies, so to make sure it could cut it I tried it back to back with an Ashdown Electric Blue 180 combo, and it was noticably louder, even with the input and output cranked on the EB180. Got it home and plugged it in today- not quite so sure now. The Trace does seem louder by a bit. Hoping it's just the small room reacting better to the trace, Hopefully it can cut it, otherwise it could be a colossal waste of money! Most of our gigs are just pubs with a small PA, so here's hoping. Going to try it tomorrow, and take the trace as back-up. Does anyone else have any gigging experience of these? Do they have the balls for a smallish gig? I'd like to know how you got on with it. Photo's up tomorrow, I'm too tired now. Edited July 11, 2010 by cameltoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 Bah, been intending to go and have a go with that in there. Bring it round the House of Bass so I can have a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8 Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 Depends if you like a clean sound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 [quote name='cameltoe' post='890969' date='Jul 9 2010, 11:53 PM']A spur-of-the-moment type purchase in PMT music Bristol yesterday. Shiny 30 watt all-valve amp head, plus the LB212 cab. Lovely. With a certificate claiming it to be number 38 of 100, signed and everything. Sounded huge in the shop and easily loud enough for most of the gigs I do. I use a Trace Elliot GP7 SM150 combo for most of my gigs, bar the really big ones or outdoor jobbies, so to make sure it could cut it I tried it back to back with an Ashdown Electric Blue 180 combo, and it was noticably louder, even with the input and output cranked on the EB180. Got it home and plugged it in today- not quite so sure now. The Trace does seem louder by a bit. Hoping it's just the small room reacting better to the trace, Hopefully it can cut it, otherwise it could be a colossal waste of money! Most of our gigs are just pubs with a small PA, so here's hoping. Going to try it tomorrow, and take the trace as back-up. Does anyone else have any gigging experience of these? Do they have the balls for a smallish gig? I'd like to know how you got on with it. Photo's up tomorrow, I'm too tired now.[/quote] Remember the Trace volume control is very deceiving, it'll be running pretty much at full whack at around 3 or 4 on the dial! PLus the voicing of the Trace will help. Really really got to get my mitts on one of these little, er, bastards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 (edited) Mentioned in the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=90616"]other thread[/url] on these, I tried one out last w/e & it sounded good. I have a bit of a hankering for one myself. It did seem to me though that only the treble control had any great effect on the tone. The bass & mid seemed to do very little, and to my ears the bass switch up was a harsher, middly tone, where the manual says it gives a deeper tone. Think I need to step back & give this some thought. It would also be interesting to know how the first 100 hand wired in the UK compare to the normal ones built elsewhere? Not sure which the one I tried was Edited July 10, 2010 by WalMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 [quote name='WalMan' post='891120' date='Jul 10 2010, 10:02 AM']Mentioned in the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=90616"]other thread[/url] on these, I tried one out last w/e & it sounded good. I have a bit of a hankering for one myself. It did seem to me though that only the treble control had any great effect on the tone. The bass & mid seemed to do very little, and to my ears the bass switch up was a harsher, middly tone, where the manual says it gives a deeper tone. Think I need to step back & give this some thought. It would also be interesting to know how the first 100 hand wired in the UK compare to the normal ones built elsewhere? Not sure which the one I tried was[/quote] I haven't heard of any Chinese built in the UK yet so most likely was a handmade you tried. There are some mistakes in the online manual regarding the switches, I pointed these out to Ashdown a while ago but nothing seems to have been updated/corrected yet. As you said the Bass Shift works opposite to the instructions, like the Mute too! The Bright has no effect according to my hearing, which unfortunately is like the rest of me - nearly 60 Still a great sounding amp though, just don't expect tone shaping anything like a 12 band EQ Simples old's kool Cheers, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted July 10, 2010 Author Share Posted July 10, 2010 (edited) [quote name='Merton' post='891032' date='Jul 10 2010, 07:27 AM']Remember the Trace volume control is very deceiving, it'll be running pretty much at full whack at around 3 or 4 on the dial! PLus the voicing of the Trace will help. Really really got to get my mitts on one of these little, er, bastards [/quote] Well that's the weird thing, usually the Trace behaves just as you described, but yesterday it was getting alot louder between 8 and 10 on the output? Never usually notice much increase between 7 and 10 [quote name='WalMan' post='891120' date='Jul 10 2010, 10:02 AM']Mentioned in the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=90616"]other thread[/url] on these, I tried one out last w/e & it sounded good. I have a bit of a hankering for one myself. It did seem to me though that only the treble control had any great effect on the tone. The bass & mid seemed to do very little, and to my ears the bass switch up was a harsher, middly tone, where the manual says it gives a deeper tone. Think I need to step back & give this some thought. It would also be interesting to know how the first 100 hand wired in the UK compare to the normal ones built elsewhere? Not sure which the one I tried was[/quote] Yes, I've noticed that already. I guess you could call me a 'tweaker'- so I realised quickly that the mid and bass dials didn't do much, although I hope you'd be able to tell the difference from a bit of a distance. As above with the switching, too. Definitely a more growly tone when the bass switch is flicked up. [quote name='KiOgon' post='891159' date='Jul 10 2010, 10:40 AM']I haven't heard of any Chinese built in the UK yet so most likely was a handmade you tried. There are some mistakes in the online manual regarding the switches, I pointed these out to Ashdown a while ago but nothing seems to have been updated/corrected yet. As you said the Bass Shift works opposite to the instructions, like the Mute too! The Bright has no effect according to my hearing, which unfortunately is like the rest of me - nearly 60 Still a great sounding amp though, just don't expect tone shaping anything like a 12 band EQ Simples old's kool Cheers, John[/quote] I don't mind the simplicity of it at all- all the tone sounded usable to me so I was happy with that. Glad it's a handmade british one too, makes me feel special . I sincerly hope they haven't cocked up the speaker outputs on the back panel? They could have got 4ohms and 8ohms the wrong way round.........Just hoping it's going to be loud enough for me- the Trace would usually run at 6/7 ish on the output and with that I'd be fairly big in the mix driving the band- here's hoping I can get the volume I need from it, or I really can't see what I'd do with it. Could be a very stupid purchase! Edited July 10, 2010 by cameltoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 [quote name='KiOgon' post='891159' date='Jul 10 2010, 10:40 AM']I haven't heard of any Chinese built in the UK yet so most likely was a handmade you tried. There are some mistakes in the online manual regarding the switches, I pointed these out to Ashdown a while ago but nothing seems to have been updated/corrected yet. As you said the Bass Shift works opposite to the instructions, like the Mute too! The Bright has no effect according to my hearing, which unfortunately is like the rest of me - nearly 60 Still a great sounding amp though, just don't expect tone shaping anything like a 12 band EQ Simples old's kool Cheers, John[/quote] Ah haaa! Yes the Mute switch was odd. Duff lead first time round when I tried it so there was little or no level and I did wonder whether the mute was on at one time. I have the tone controls flat on my MB combo so lots of shaping is not required, and I could probably handle that with the EBS Microbass II. If I got one it would be running through the 1x12 Epifani so I probably ought to try taking that & one of my basses down for another go if I continue to have hankerings for one. Level is not an issue as it would be DI'd to the PA anyway. Decisions!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted July 10, 2010 Author Share Posted July 10, 2010 If I can't get the volume I need it may be going straight up for sale if anyone is interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 [quote name='cameltoe' post='891511' date='Jul 10 2010, 06:52 PM']If I can't get the volume I need it may be going straight up for sale if anyone is interested.[/quote] Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted July 11, 2010 Author Share Posted July 11, 2010 Either that or may consider a bit of a trade for an Orange Terror Bass 500w head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted July 11, 2010 Author Share Posted July 11, 2010 OK as promised got some pics together today On top of the lovely LB212 cab, both handmade over here. Tried it at a gig last night, was loud, but I was playing fairly clean stuff so I had to drive it a bit to get the volume I needed which I'd prefered not to have done. Probably went up to about 6 or 7 (if it had numbers on the output) and it created a warm blanket of bass rather than the directional snappy thud I'm used to. I'm going to take it to a rehersal tomorrow night in our three-piece trashy stoner-rock type outfit and see how I get on, we rehearse at full on gig volume so I'll get an idea of what it can do then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markorbit Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 My experience with these is that at any volume it had an attitude! It wasn't clean. I thought it was [i]too[/i] distorted. I tried a couple of Ps. I discovered that you can tame this by flipping up 1 (or 2 can't remember) of the toggles which suddenly gives a bigger, rounder and bassier sound which wasn't as snarly. I much preferred this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 I'm loving the LB212 cabs.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 I desperately need to find some protective covers for both these, before they get scratched to buggery in my van. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatbass787 Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 [quote name='cameltoe' post='892993' date='Jul 12 2010, 05:35 PM']I desperately need to find some protective covers for both these, before they get scratched to buggery in my van.[/quote] Ive had some covers from these guys in the past, very good and theyll make up anything you want... [url="http://www.ampcovers.co.uk"]http://www.ampcovers.co.uk[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 Sweet cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 [quote name='phatbass787' post='893009' date='Jul 12 2010, 05:55 PM']Ive had some covers from these guys in the past, very good and theyll make up anything you want... [url="http://www.ampcovers.co.uk"]http://www.ampcovers.co.uk[/url][/quote] That or [url="http://www.roqsolid.co.uk/wordpress/amplifier-covers/"]Roqsolid[/url] Used them for both the MB combo & Epifani extension and they are - roqsolid 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.