Trace Elliot - what happened to you?

[JTUK]

[quote name='Merton' timestamp='1409296904' post='2538322']
Sounds like it's one of the new TE combos so they'll be 200W Celestion drivers I think, and in my (albeit limited) experience their new cabs are better than the mid 90s stuff.
[/quote]

It was actually an Ashdown 210 which did ok... but that makes a nonsense of the tech rider in that you couldn't trust them to get the model spec of anything right. And just to emphasise that point, the monitors weren't going to be much help either as they mostly were basic vox wedges which was not what we were told.

[TheGreek]

Reading this thread is giving me TE GAS but I remember how bloody heavy my combo was and why I now own a Genz Benz.

I fired the link to this thread off to Paul Stevens (CEO at TE) in the hope that he would comment and update us on any developments - hopefully he'll be along shortly.

Personally I'd give my money to anybody who could give me that classic TE sound without killing my back.

[pmjos]

Its odd, I have a TE rig 1215 combo and 15 ext in great nick and I think I would be pressed to give them away.IMHO they are in a fashion dip, like 60's p basses in the disco era. I have a feeling that those with a clean headless graphite status and a matching status rig in years to come will be in the money. You know when you paid an arm and a leg for something and can't give it away - well that isn't because they were crap - its because the young boys who used to own them are like me old boys with iffy backs. I have a feeling that as we fade into history someone is going to be looking for 'That' sound and like buying a museum piece Ampeg, nobody will care about it being ply, mdf, sliders or heavy as a house. They will remember what we forgot - just how good they were.
.

[VTypeV4]

It'll be interesting to see what Paul Stevens says..

I met him at the guitar show in Birmingham many years back ('05 I think, just as the new Peavey owned range was emerging) and he seemed a throughly nice chap. We spoke at length about the V-Type range from yesteryear as well as some of the design concepts and features of the new amplifiers. I seem to recall something along the lines of how he wanted the new amps to be Trace Elliot 'brought up to date' not simply an evolution of the '90s product. He also spoke about the quality of them too, wanting to have the over-built and heavy duty products that they were associated with during the heyday of the '80s re-establishing them as a premium must-have brand.

His enthusiasm was the thing that stuck with me so hopefully he will contribute to this thread or at least reply to TheGreek.

[inthedoghouse]

For what it's worth I'm still very happy with my TE head and cabs (carpet covered) and often get compliments on my sound. I use the preset tone shape, a tiny bit of onboard compression and a touch of EQ (on the amp and bass tone controls). Weight isn't really a factor to me because of the sound I get.

[thodrik]

I would be interested to hear the input of Paul Stevens to this. I would like to know why there has been no real development in terms of the bass amp .product lines over the years.

[Matt P]

while i don't actually own a TE head i do get to use one occasionally, my church has a gp11 ah250 as the house bass amp, i have always liked the tone and luckily it doesn't need moving very often as it lives on stage, i had one of the superfly amps and the tone from the preamp was very close, i really liked it but it got struck by the dreaded power stage whine/whistle so it had to go.) if they were to make an amp that combined the gp11 pre with a class d power section then i'd be first in the queue for one! (it would have to glow green though!)

Matt

[pmjos]

A friend of mine's dad (a Marconi Electronic Engineer) designed the microprocessor MP11 graphic with MIDI for Trace eons ago when they were in Witham, Essex. We must be going back well over 25 years. I remember thinking how damned smart it was with endless presets and shaping options. When they did this it was pretty revolutionary but even then they weren't exactly pushing the boat out when it came to design investment. The product is still out there but not many sold I don't think. Trace seem to have been a bit of a one trick pony when it came to design. You can have any amp so long as it has a graphic! eq.

[TheGreek]

I've just fired off another email to Paul asking for his input...

[VTypeV4]

I think they won some award in '88 for the MP11. Some Queens innovation prize or something..

As mentioned, the Ashdown Superfly used an almost identical system albeit based on the 7-band EQ. I used one at a gig once but felt it was a bit under-powered and you could fry an egg on it at the end. My valve amps run cooler.

[Kiwi]

[quote name='pmjos' timestamp='1410963929' post='2555106']
A friend of mine's dad (a Marconi Electronic Engineer) designed the microprocessor MP11 graphic with MIDI for Trace eons ago when they were in Witham, Essex. We must be going back well over 25 years. I remember thinking how damned smart it was with endless presets and shaping options.
[/quote]
I owned one. It was OK but not a particularly versatile piece of kit. It was definitely an eq and not a preamp - no effects loop or capacity to run bi amp or stereo.

[Paul_Stevens]

Hello Everyone,

Thank you to those that are still supporting Trace Elliot. I'm sorry there's not been much to see that's new for a while.

I presume I don't need to write out the history of the brand since 1998. I would if specifically requested but I’ll try to keep this reasonably short.

Obviously the brand has been owned by Peavey since 2005 when I was taken on (having been at the original company for 10 years).
We brought out a new range that year, added more cabinets in 2006 and then re-launched Trace Acoustic in 2009.

Unfortunately the UK manufacturing was shut down by Peavey and moved to Mississippi in ~2008. Due to that we had a much longer than expected period waiting for production to start as it got pushed down the queue several times.

In the meantime I was fully integrated into Peavey’s design and engineering team (all great guys to work with) and have been designing such things as the Budda MN-100 (Bully/Preceptor), Peavey Classic range and Peavey ValveKing range. These have been greats project to do and I’m very pleased with them.

However, obviously this has taken my attention away from Trace Elliot. I have made numerous proposals for new products but (without going into company politics) until recently these either did not get approved for me to commence work in earnest, or were put on hold.

The good news is, having finished specific other important design projects that are in the pipeline, I am now currently back full time on new Trace Elliot designs.
I have read this thread with interest and can confirm that many things that people are mentioning are the direction we’re heading in.

Obviously I can’t go into details but we plan to launch a new range next year that will bring the brand up to date and hopefully create a bit of a stir again, like we did in the old days.

Again I apologise it’s been so long, but believe me, it’s been 100 times more frustrating for me and it was getting to the point I was dreading going to trade shows and facing people who were often asking for the same things I wanted to do.

Best regards

Paul

[TheGreek]

Thanks Paul

Looks like TE GAS for many of us while we wait for next years releases - will we see them at next years London Bass Guitar Show?

[Tuco]

I've never owned any other bass amplification (apart from a Crate(!!!) combo when I first started playing) other than TE

I had a 1215 smx combo I brought new in 93 I think it was. I loved that thing! Had some really cool features on it. I later added a 2x10" cab (2103h I think) and used that set up for years. Always had enough power for any of the places we used to play and was often complimented on my sound (rarely on my playing tho!! )

I reluctantly had to sell it though and didnt play for a few years. When I got back in the saddle again I sought out s/h TE gear and got an AH250 head with 1153 and 1048h cabs, THAT was the setup I REALLY dug but alas, I had to sell that around 3 years ago...

Now I'm back to square one; EXACTLY where I started all those years ago. I have a bass, a (borrowed) combo, upcoming gigs in the not so distant future and a burning desire to get a half decent rig together.

One that glows green

[Merton]

Fantastic to see another manufacturer/designer pop up on here. Very much looking forward to seeing the new stuff Paul - maybe some new valve stuff like your V4/V8...?

[VTypeV4]

Excellent, many thanks Paul. Best of luck with the new line when they appear.

[40hz]

So freaking excited!!

[Marvin]

I look forward to see what TE have got coming out new. I'd like to see anything new so that TE are recommended on these pages, like with other brands.

[thodrik]

Thanks for the reply Paul. Long time Trace Elliot user here. I look forward to hearing news about new products in due course.

[tom1946]

I use a TE AH300-7, 1x15 in our church, it never goes anywhere else (weight) and is for my use the best thing since candy floss. Very powerful thing rated at 300w but feels more.
Anybody know how old this might be? It has the black/green cloth.

[Merton]

Sounds like it's around 15 years old - the AH300-7 moniker came about in around 1998 and lasted til about 2002 IIRC

Edited September 23, 2014 by Merton

[witterth]

I used to have a GP11 500w (stereo) head, well I still do. but that was bought (2nd hand for me, by sony uk ) as That band I was in, at the time, had a record deal and toured quite a lot. It powered a 2x10 (hi pass) cab and a monster 2x18 monster. it was the biggest ,best and most powerful sound I have ever heard!! it was all flight cased too so was only ever moved around by road crew at the time, so I loved it!! when the band came to a close I ended up stuck with it, when ever I did other gigs I had to borrow a van to shift it all about, so it became impractical to keep. I sold the cases for a tidy profit kept the 2x10 hi pass cab and gave away the 2x18 cab to a young enthusiastic basschatter who came up to the north west from bath to collect it, he was very excited and couldn't believe his luck. but it was a karma thing and was happy he was so pleased ( bet he doesn't have it any more!!) it was the most monster Bass sound ever and everyone should have the opportunity to have something like that, fantastic but impractical. I love trace gear and still trawl around here for old school cabs (4x10s 1x15 ect) love that sound it dates me but what odds who doesn't still love to see that Green uv glow on a dark stage? well, I do.

Edited September 23, 2014 by witterth

[2elliot]

Thanks, Paul. I'll take a modern 1225V [i]light[/i].

I've had my Trace from new for 20 odd years, it's proved to be very robust, unlike my spine... that's totally bust.

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='2elliot' timestamp='1411509208' post='2560316']

I've had my Trace from new for 20 odd years, it's proved to be very robust, unlike my spine... that's totally bust.
[/quote]

I suspect a correlation ;-)

Edited September 23, 2014 by Roland Rock

[pmjos]

Cmon Paul kick some butt, show us some non US sanitised nice aggressive edgy phat Trace -. shake the room geez.