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Trace sound from a lightweight amp?


uk_lefty
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I sold my trace rig some months back because I live in a second floor flat and it was just so unbelievably heavy, too heavy to cart around and I have had back trouble before. Ok, my Ashdown combo does its job well but last night I played through a trace GP7 head and trace 4x10 cab. Wow. My drummer and I LOVED it. Playing a jazz with bartolinis through this combo, hartke vxl for a touch of eq, stainless roundwound strings, it was tone heaven.

Is there anything that comes remotely close to trace Elliot sound but in a lightweight unit? Has anyone paired a trace head with a lightweight cab successfully?

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I`ve always found the Trace cabs to have a certain sound, especially those with 10s in as these seem to be voiced to be both cutting but with bucketfuls of depth as well. I think it`s the combination of the two.

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I've got a [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]AH350SMX - great head - probably the best I've ever had..[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]So easy to get in a great sound. But, yep, is a heavy old beast.[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I pair it with 2 x EBS Neo 110's which are small and lightweight and it sounds great![/font][/color]
[font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]I'm interested to hear what other BC'ers say as lightweight options for a similar sound.[/color][/font]

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I think you need to use Trace if you want 'that' Trace sound. Just as you need to use an Ampeg SVT for 'that' SVT sound. You can generally get close-ish by other means, but it's never quite the same and always a compromise in some way compared with 'the real thing'. All in my opinion, of course.

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^^This^^

I found the same. When I first hurt my back badly I wandered in the class D head wilderness for a few years, tried all sorts of manufacturers and ratings, never quite got there. To my knackered old ears a TC RH750 got close but not close enough.

I bought on here an AH300-12 SMX that had been rack-mounted into an ABS case, making it 12kg. A nice balanced one hand carry when I have my Barefaced Supercompact in the other hand. Couldn't be happier.

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[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1468924722' post='3094300']
To my knackered old ears a TC RH750 got close but not close enough.
[/quote]

I use a TC RH750 for the same reason - gets reasonably close to the sound I had from my own AH300-SMX. That said, I agree, it's missing a certain 'something' but it's simply a case of weighing up the pros and cons. I'm happy with my RH750 on that basis. Mind, I can't say I wouldn't be tempted by a keenly priced 12-band SMX head again if one popped up. ;)

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Yep, been using the Retroglide 800 for a few weeks now, it's essence of a TE GP11 in a smaller format. Like the GP 11, to me it has no sound, as such..you get your sound with the graphic. It hasn't got the preshape/slap switch (don't miss it) and it doesn't have a transformer DI.

I've still got a MIV GP11, and they are very much the same thing. The R800 also has less circuit hiss.

Thomann were selling the R800 very cheap a week or two ago - worth a check?

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[quote name='BassBod' timestamp='1468935821' post='3094465']
Yep, been using the Retroglide 800 for a few weeks now, it's essence of a TE GP11 in a smaller format. Like the GP 11, to me it has no sound, as such... you get your sound with the graphic.
[/quote]

Really? That's very interesting. I see Thomann are doing them for £417... hmm...

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[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1468924722' post='3094300']
^^This^^

I found the same. When I first hurt my back badly I wandered in the class D head wilderness for a few years, tried all sorts of manufacturers and ratings, never quite got there. To my knackered old ears a TC RH750 got close but not close enough.

I bought on here an AH300-12 SMX that had been rack-mounted into an ABS case, making it 12kg. A nice balanced one hand carry when I have my Barefaced Supercompact in the other hand. Couldn't be happier.
[/quote]

Sounds like an option I could explore of trace head plus lightweight cab. Just interested in how much of the tone comes from the cab itself...

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1468937815' post='3094481']
Presumably you could connect the tone-shaper or Pre-amp of your choice into the Return socket, thus using it as a pre-power set up. If you wanted. :)
[/quote]

Yes, effects return or line in (jack). I also use a Sansamp VT in front, if I'm doing a blues or jazz gig. I think of the R800 as a power amp with eq on the front. Works well with the old rack preamps, and it can just sit on top of a rack bag. I'm sure it could also be mounted on tray if you wanted to get it into a rack case, but I would'nt bother.

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I'd recommend getting your hands on one of the 'smaller' Trace heads such as a 250 SMX. All the bells and whistles of the 350 etc (other than the UV light) but in a smaller, lighter package. I've paired mine with various Barefaced cabs and it always sounded great. Finally settled on a Super 12 - it sounds immense.

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