dan670844

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='854155' date='Jun 1 2010, 09:25 PM']You'll have to bare with me as I may sound like I'm talking rubbish but it's hard to explain what's happening with my bass. lol Basically when I'm playing my electric just as it is without running it through an amp and I'm playing the B, E or A string open (more so the B and E) the strings sound... well.. the only way I can describe it is hollow! Like they're empty on the inside and like there's a light echo? I really must sound crazy at this point. Also when I'm playing the B or E fretted it sounds as though other strings are being played, even when they're muted and definite not being hit even accidentally. Does that make any sense at all?? lol They're relatively newish strings, maybe a couple months old but they've had very light wear. Maybe 3-4 hours a week home practice plus 1 hr lesson a week as I'm not in a band anymore. And I've only noticed this happening in the past month or so. I bought them online through stringbusters I think it was. I should just go out and buy new strings but it's having the time with work and things! Any idea or am I just making it sound like i've mentally 'gone out'? [/quote] First things to check Check strings aren't catching on the frets (move around the fingerboard for this) if they are still making a noise, check that there is nothing loose at the bridge i.e. any saddles. if its none of these things then it could be............. I have a Yamaha TRB it came with strings that have a kind of black or red thread in the core of the string (i.e. not metal), it goes fluffy at the string end you know the stuff. I changed the strings to the Ernies that I have on my jazz bass, these have a metal core, and I think I was getting the same sound, its not nice!. So try changing the strings for ones with fluff (black or red thread in the core), it works on my TRB, maybe the thread dampens the string internally a bit to take away 'that' sound. If you take off the old string carefully you can always use em again. Hope it helps

[quote name='baz' post='853563' date='Jun 1 2010, 01:51 PM']Ok, here’s the situation. I was asked to play bass in a heavy metal band a few months ago by a friend who knew I had started learning guitar and knew I loved the music, I went along to practice, brought a bass guitar, signed up to bass chat and practice when I can and I love it. We have been doing some covers but the other guys are more experienced than me and want to do our own stuff, they have the guitar parts down and want me to add bass to it, as you can imagine it seems a very daunting thing for me to do as I’m extremely new to this but up for the challenge. Now you know the background is there any place to start, tips, books or just any advice would be hugely grateful.[/quote] He goes, this is how I learned the bass First I learned the root notes i.e. A the root note is A Then I learned the 5th note higher and lower (the 5th note is always one string higher and two frets closer to the bridge) the low fifth is on the same fret but one string lower. Then I learnt the 3rd note and the flat third. This is how chords are built up from three notes Root note, 3rd, 5th = Major chord, Root note, flat 3rd (move down one fret) 5th = minor chord At this point you should learn the major scale on the bass, then you will know what I am talking about! Then you can add the octave which is two frets closer to the bridge and two strings higher (this is the same as the root, but two frets higher) Your job as bassist is to mark out the chords that the guitars are playing, but of course if its fast metal then you will be limited what you can do. You will be limited to making a rhythm pretty much. I know what its like 20 years ago when I was in my fast band. What you need to do is blag it, learn where the root and 5th, octave 3rd, flat third is. Learn if you can the pattern of the pentatonic minor and pentatonic major scale (you can find this on the internet for bass) and you won't go far wrong, just learn these patterns and you will be able to keep the gig. experiment try to hear which notes fit the music, but concentrate on the rhythm of the song, eg drums etc you can do this with one note! just ask mick khan (the bassist) hehe If your lines fit the rhythm of the song, you will be ok. A lot of metal is just root high / low fifth thirds and octaves, but with connecting notes , (passing tones) between the chords. The more complex stuff revolves around the modes, which sound daunting but it isnt once you know the patterns. I would try and get yourself a bass scale book, just for reference, (i still use mine!) Playing bass is all about learning patterns, once you know the patterns and how they connect across the fretboard you will be able to make blistering bass lines...... as a warm up excecise I always practice scales modes for a minute or two etc. That way you will get your ear and you will start to hear it all in the music you listen too. For metal I would try to keep you amp setting flat and boost the high mids a little (a tiny amount) and try using a compressor such a the EBS one. Your notes will stand out more and wont just be a wall of noise! but sometimes this is good! Any questions just ask Dan

[quote name='colleya' post='854426' date='Jun 2 2010, 07:47 AM']Hi My beloved 1993/4 US Jazz is currently sounding really really honky/barky to the point where I'm having trouble getting any oomph without it becoming uncomfortable to listen to. I play in a rock covers band, so being able to get an almost P bass sound is pretty important. At the moment, my tone is more suitable to a jazz/funk trio. I'm definitely not a 'take it apart just to see how it works' sort of bassist (but I'm having to learn quickly), so please excuse any silly questions. I've tried rolling off the bridge pup and scooping the mids to limited effect, but it doesn't seem like the neck pup is pulling its weight. For the first time since I've owned her, I've had a look under the bonnet, and there seems to be a double tone pot, which I didn't think was normal for a Jazz. The wiring doesn't look standard either compared to the diagrams. I'm getting the pups and caps checked to see if they're doing what they should too. Right, time to ask some questions..... Has anyone else come across this problem, if so, how did you cure it? Is the double pot normal for an early 90s jazz? (i bought it second hand, so I suppose it could've been modded) Would a rewire help cure the problem, or am I in new pup territory? Cheers.[/quote] Sounds like the tone pot or caps are on the blink to me. You should get them replaced, a double tone pot is not std, i guess someone wired it in as a replacement. Incidently have you tried moving both the pot controls, does it make any difference? how many wires go to the tone pot? 4 or 2?. Maybe someone has made an interesting mod, check it out. It could be that you have a tone pot to each pickup. Thats cool. You can always wind up the bridge pickup to see if the sound becomes beefer. if not i would think you have lost you bridge pickup.

[quote name='cameltoe' post='854209' date='Jun 1 2010, 09:53 PM']This is where I'm getting confused. It says "150 watts RMS" "300 watts peak" Speaker output 4 Ohms. What does this all mean? Yes, it's loud enough, it will cover nearly all the gigs we do in local pubs, but it wouldn't be loud enough for some of the beer festivals we're doing this year, most of which are in huge marquees with no wall or corner to place my amp in. I can line out, of course, but our PA has no bass bins so it would probably sound better if I didn't. It's an SM combo, yes. The front says GP7 SM 150. At the moment I'm avoiding using the EQ too much, it has the Trace 'shape' button on the front, shape 1 and 2. Apparently shape 1 is the classic trace sound, but it's been a bit muddy so I've been using shape 2 with just a touch of low mid boost. Dude don't worry I think the consensus is that if you get a red stripe 1518 i.e a 15" to go on the bottom it will be loud enough! The more surface area of speakers you have the louder you will be and the 1518 is not too heavy. The 410 instead of, would also be good but it is heavy, up to you. People in the 60's and 70's made do with 30 50 or max 100 watts to do gigs, they just had a lot of high sensitivity speakers But make sure they are the red stripe speakers i.e. series 6 they will have the right SPL and sensitivity to get the most out of the watts you put in. If you are stuck give John Henrys a call they have loads of ex hire gear in good condition. You have[/quote]

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' post='853909' date='Jun 1 2010, 06:12 PM']Remember the fender is 100W but it's cab is 4ohm. The TE has an internal cab at 8ohm and alows a extension... is just putting out near 80W! The full 150W (i thought the combos were 130W and the AH were 150W but i could be wrong...) moves so much air that it could knock the fender to it's back! [/quote] He He He there is a big difference between 100 watts at 100hz and 100watts at 1Khz!!

[quote name='holio.cornolio' post='853860' date='Jun 1 2010, 05:42 PM']but why not a combo. do they shake themselves apart or is it just a weight thing. I reckon a 2 10 or 1 15 would be manageable for the few gigs I do......[/quote] Shake em selves apart hehehe nope built like a nuclear bunker.Go for it, go see Jamie Henry down at John Henrys they have got loads of old combos to shift for 100-150 smackers they weigh 70-85kg and are very top heavy. But if you get casters maybe it won't be so bad. Seriously you can always change the cabs and keep the head! there was a really nice AH300 and a 1518 15" that went on ebay for £250 a couple of weeks back you just have to be lucky!

[quote name='cameltoe' post='853916' date='Jun 1 2010, 06:19 PM']Yeah! that sounds awesome. I've seen a 1048H cab for sale here. Tight and punchy is exactly what I'm after. Not sure what year mine is, it's got 2 front tuning ports and has the red stripes behind the grille.[/quote]

[quote name='cameltoe' post='853916' date='Jun 1 2010, 06:19 PM']Yeah! that sounds awesome. I've seen a 1048H cab for sale here. Tight and punchy is exactly what I'm after. Not sure what year mine is, it's got 2 front tuning ports and has the red stripes behind the grille.[/quote] I am not sure either but the right cab will have a red stripe to, however it sounds like an SM to me. To be honest I would go for a 15 they are easier to move, 2 15's will give you some series volume , the 1048's are stupidly heavy, you will soon get peed off moving that around. But but make sure your amp can take a 4ohm load. The commando for example doesn't need / take a extension cab. Are you sure this dude isnt loud enough? are you eq ing it right? i.e if you want loud try leaving everything on the eq below 100hz flat, i.e. don't boost or cut. If you want a fat meaty tone try boosting 100-160hz and 1khz just a little (max a couple of db) leave everything else flat. Now get your guitarist, (if he can lower himself) to play and you stand 10-20 ft away. loud enough? also the input gain is really important not too much not to little. I am not trying to teach suck eggs and all. Our rehearsal studio has a lot of old trace stuff. It always amazes when i see some of the crazy eq settings you see on the amps. The extreme smily face setting, or extreme settings on the eq in general is a no no. People wonder why there amp isnt loud when they cut all their mids out, mids are very important for bass! I post below the a classic mid cut shape that I use with a jazz bass its smooth and centred around 0db cut boost. The 100hz boost gives it a meaty tone, the 500hz gets rid of the boxyness (on the cabs i use) the 1Khz gives bite on a passive bass. Avoid boosting above 3-5Khz esp with an active bass, try it you will see why hisssss!!!!. Hope this helps and I am sorry if I am teaching you to suck eggs, Trace stuff is a little unique! Cheers Dan

[quote name='Merton' post='854066' date='Jun 1 2010, 08:25 PM']Er, if it's a 150W combo it'll kick out 150W with a cab connected, and about 90W without. If it's a 300W comobo it'll kick out around 180-200W without a cab, and 300W with. Nice simple combos these were, always sounded great to my ears [/quote] I am not sure about this Trace stuff was a bit odd I think it depends on what model you had. The series 6 410 combo i used to use. Was 150 watt with the internal speaker I.e. the 410 and when you added the 15" lightweight cab hehe it went up to 300watt. It wasnt simply a 4ohm 8 ohm thing there was some attenuation circuit in it. It was done to match the 1048 and 1518 at the time which where 150watts a piece. In any case 150 watts was flippin loud enough. They still have a load of these at the rehearsal studios we go to. They still sound great. But if you even think of moving em you get a hernia!

[quote name='OldGit' post='853949' date='Jun 1 2010, 06:46 PM'] Oh yesss I know all about those .. What year is yours?[/quote] Mines an 86. I bought it on ebay for £200 a couple of years ago. I quizzed the guy who sold it and he said he was selling it as it just bought an American Std he he he....... sometimes you are lucky. There are still some around for silly money if you look. I also have a '62 reissue (same colour) from 95 with alder body the fit and finish are just the same wonderful neck and again a huge slab of curved rosewood for the fingerboard. The only problem with the later ones is they have the cheapest bridge I have ever seen and the pickups are a bit ropey ( why they did that I don't know). But this one has a badass bridge and some pickups that Andy made me at Wizard pickups which he hand wound for £70 the nutter (must be a labour of love). This is bass number 2 its just as good as the first one. I think the Fujigen-Gakki / Atlansia Fender Japans where made up until 95 the reissue ones are the ones to go for i.e 62 reissue 70 reissue as they have amazing finish alder bodies, superfast necks like the originals. Just cast your eye over fleabay they come up more often than you think. I just have to resist when they do.

[quote name='holio.cornolio' post='853700' date='Jun 1 2010, 03:50 PM']I think mid nineties old. I was into the idea of a 4x10 combo, but if I can't move it by myself it's a non starter. I'm currently using a fender 100watt 1 x15 combo, and I keep seeing 150 was te stuff; which doesn't sound like it will be loud enough, but from what I can tell, trace watts are at least 50% louder than normal watts! ls that right? so after 14 years no power amp niggles?[/quote] Dude forget the 4x10 combo, like I said in my earlier post Mark V series 6 410 combi sound amazing and very loud. Even 150 watters, but you will only gig it once, a block of solid concrete the same size will be easier to move and will do less damage to your motor when you try and get it in / out. This is why they are so cheap! Think of trying to move around an angry washing machine that someone has filled with lead and you will get the picture! Trace stuff was /still is pro gear, the difference between a 100 watt fender combo and a 150watt TE amp is night and day. If you really want old trace gear like i said go for a Mark V / Series 6 head with GP11 (mark v) or GP12. forget the latter SMX its too complicated although it sounds nice. These two models really are the best of the best. Don't worry about how old they are, there is not much to go wrong inside and EVERYTHING can be either repaired or replaced if necess in the power amp / preamp. Forgot the old trace cabs they sound sweet but a so heavy. In conclusion!!! find a nice head AH250 - AH300 not a combo Series 6 or Mark V 11 or 12 band and get a high SPL nemesis cab either 2x10 first, then a 115rs or just go for the nemesis 410xst if you want a one cab solution but I would go for the two cab setup the 210 will be loud puchy /low enough for most gigs. I use a high spl 210 for rehearsal and a series 6 130SM (225watts) its f**** loud, compared to a lot of modern amps. AH300 with high spl 210 + 115 / nemesis, eden, berg will be all you ever need. Put it this way if you ever have it above 2, you will go deaf pretty quickly!.

[quote name='Sibob' post='852473' date='May 31 2010, 11:39 AM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1966-Fender-Jazz-Bass-/120573905396?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1c12c3c9f4"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1966-Fender-Jazz-Bas...=item1c12c3c9f4[/url] Yes please! Si[/quote] I would love it, but its a little out of my price range / too valuable to play out I have to make do with this.... my 80's jap 62 reissue. These had necks made by a japanese violin maker Atlansia. They a just like Fullerton originals, with a curved thick rosewood finger board.This is my main bass, so much better than an American std!!!! Find one and you will be in heaven! D

[quote name='cameltoe' post='853570' date='Jun 1 2010, 02:01 PM']I have just managed to pick up a Trace Elliott GP7 SM combo locally. It's a 150w with a 15" driver. Sounds great! I had been toying with the idea of changing the speaker on my old combo, but I ended up getting this combo for a great price and it seems like new.... Anyway, I really don't know much about amps, cabs, how they work or anything really. I usually just hit random buttons til I get the sound I want. This combo will be my main workhorse, but for the bigger gigs I have a Hartke vx3500 combo. As I was reading through the Trace manual online, it mentions something about being able to connect a cab, and doing such increases the power output to 300 watts. I don't really understand the whole Ohms thing, so I don't know if this means the amp will get significantly louder when I connect a cab, or if it will just spread the volume a bit. The aim of all this, is to find out if I still need the Hartke combo. If, with a cab connected, the Trace will kick out 300 watts (Hartke is 350w) then it'll be fine for the bigger gigs. There are a lot of good cabs on the second hand thread that I could buy, sell my Hartke, and end up with more room in my house and maybe a bit of money in my pocket too. Apologies for my ignorance [/quote] I don't know much about the middle period trace stuff. But I would imagine the internal speaker is an 8ohm load, you can check this by looking at the speaker jack it should say something like min load 4 ohm. If it does you can add an additional 8 ohm speaker cab. . Now if you can then you can get rid of the Hartke. Cos a 4 ohm load on a Trace combo (if it can do it) will really wake it up. It will be how can I say............. LOUD!! as normally the ouput is quite attenuated with the internal speaker. The loudness of your setup is really entirely dependant on the surface area of your speakers if you can add another 150watt 15 cab it will be seriously loud or if you are mad a 150watt 1048H (gives a tight punchy sound). The trouble is the old Trace stuff is it flipping heavy, so its hard to move around. 300 watts of old Trace will be way louder than your Hartke!! But you need to get Trace cabs (did i mention they where heavy) from the same period as your combo so it stacks etc and the fact that the drivers are impreganated with Kelvar (not for fun)

[quote name='bigevilman' post='852918' date='May 31 2010, 08:26 PM']Hey guys Going back to my roots, I went to the Slam Dunk fest @ Leeds uni to listen to a good bit of pop punk and ska. As expected, there was a lot of skinny jeans and tattoos, but there was also a lot of top acts! All the bands I saw used various 810 cabs. Whether they be Ampeg, Mesa or Orange, they all had a great sound to them, especially the combination of a Orange AD200b with the Mesa Powerhouse 810. Joe Weiss from Four Year Strong used this combination with a 75' American RI jazz....amazing tone! I've now decided I want to go back to a big rig, get that massive sound without having to constantly DI. So heres my question....810 or 2 410 cabinets? What are peoples preferences [/quote] He he......... I never need to be that loud........ with monitors house sound etc. A good full range high SPL 410 such as a Berg or Eden is more than enough for me. I used an Eden 410XST a while back flipping eck they are loud esp if you pump a few watts in. I value my hearing these days, esp as a few mates, esp drummers (my age, i aint that old!) on the circuit are starting to get the ole tinnitus. Even a High SPL 210 can be enough if you get it off the deck. True it doesn't look cool though and you can't get the sealed cab sound. But I never liked it anyway. Whatever floats your boat. I have my own stuff, but i tend to hire if I need more fire power, that way you haven't got to move it and its not so expensive if you go to the right place.

[quote name='holio.cornolio' post='853207' date='Jun 1 2010, 06:39 AM']Hi All, I need a bigger / better / more versatile amp. Looking at the classifieds section, there's a fair few old Trace Elliot growlers knocking around for very sensible money, but I'm an amp noob, and have never really bought second hand, and don't want my fingers burnt. I'm not that fussed about how tidy the amp looks, but I don't want to drop £250+ on a second hand head, for it to go tits up mid gig. I'm thinking that whatever I do get, I'll have serviced immediately, but couldn't really afford to sort any nasty surprises out if any turned up (you, know the sort of thing - broken head gasket, worn clutch or whatever). There's a couple of stinkers hanging around just now that I'm thinking make sense, some 4X10 combos and a GP12SMX head. What are the pitfalls, are they reliable and are they going to go pop as soon as I get the in front of an audience? From what I recall of my time gigging in the 90s, Trace used to make some powerful and toneful gear, but you don't see those old amps knocking around so much on stages these days, so did they all break down? Thanks in advance[/quote] Reliable hell yes, I think most of 'em are still around. A lot of hire company's still have them on their books. Tone by the ton, esp. Mark V, Series 6 (11 and 12band). Why don't people gig 'em simple answer weight, all the old stuff, is stupidly heavy and you simply don't need that kind of power, with house sound etc. I used to borrow a Series 6 4x10 combo from a studio (Only 200watt, but felt like 600!!), lovely amp, never went wrong, but at 70 or so Kg and being top heavy, moving it was a nightmare esp getting in a out of cars etc you will do damage (and not to the amp!). Best Thing you can do is get a Trace Head and combine it with some modern cabs. AH300 series 6 with some Nemesis cabs is a good combination (NS115RS and 210RS) or even new Trace Cabs!. Then you can have a modular rig, as the Nemesis 210, with its high SPL will be good enough for most gigs, if stacked on its side) I can assure you it will be very loud!! (300 watts is the bare minimum it will put in, morelike 450watts across a wide freq range, expect stunning solid lows) I actually use a 130SM Series 6 (225 watt) for rehearsals through a high SPL 2x10 cab. Its loud!! only 225watts but It feels like 500! You will love the low end of these amps, its so solid and tight and goes right through you. The problem you may have is blowing drivers, the old Trace Speakers were make from Kevlar, to cope with the amount of energy going into them. There is a big difference between 300watt at 100hz and 300watt at 1khz (modern amps) and the nutters made a series 6 1200watt!! I cannot imagine why you would ever need that amount of power D

[quote name='derrenleepoole' post='624046' date='Oct 12 2009, 03:09 PM']Anyone here using a Superfly 484 Cab with a different head other than the Little Giants or Superfly? Just got a cab a great price and need a head but don't like the LG's or Superfly, very underpowered.[/quote] Aright Dude, I use a Superfly 484 awesome cab, loud a F*** don't be fooled by it size, it has the power and clear sound of an old Trace Elliot 1048H in my opinion. it can really move air I use a Crown Power amp (stereo) and I pump 500watts into each side. I have two preamps (Trace SMX, Hexa valve) that I hook up to this dude. What you need to do to be clever with you Eq. The bottom end of the speakers frequency response (celestians) is 70HZ like a trace 1048H in fact. What you don't wanna do is boost anything below this freq. I boost 100-160HZ. This gives a really fat meaty tone at very high vols and will get your trousers flapping. You don't need to boost anything below this as the cleverly designed cab does the work. . Most people don't get this cab and wack the lows up to meat it out. The best thing you can do is get a mate to play your bass and stand 20ft or more away from it. can you hear those lows, of course you can!! did you boose 50hz noooo you don't need to!!! D

[quote name='davidmpires' post='849297' date='May 27 2010, 11:59 AM']Hi all I'm thinking about setting up a permanent space for me to practice and improve on my skills and initially was thinking about using my Warwick Blue Cab Combo but then I thought i could use my Mark Bass F1, what I want to do is to use the amp to send the signal via DI to my H4 that's being used as an audio interface, would this be ok, use an amp without having any speakers plugged in? Thanks in advance[/quote] Solid state amps i.e. amps with a solid state power amp and or a solid state / valve preamp will be fine. Only amps that have a valve power amp i.e. Trace Elliot V8, Ashdown 427 big block, need a speaker load when they are on. So you will be ok D

[quote name='StevieD_FenderP2009' post='801617' date='Apr 10 2010, 10:45 AM']Cheers for the replies guys I'm going to keep checking back to the trace elliot website every now and then and even give them a ring to see what the latest progress is Thanks! =D[/quote] Hehe.......................Why don't you just buy an Ashdown MK500 it is after all 'only' a GP12SM (just don't turn on the silly harm emphasis, it doesn't need it, twelve bands is enough!) in Red clothes you can pick em up for £700 if you are lucky, they have massive capacitors and a huge Torroidal transformer like the original Traces. 575watt RMS but can dump 2000watt peak (amazing headroom like Mark 5, Series 6) and they are made in England, they can really drive tight lows like the original green monsters. Make digital amps sound very weak! Downside feel the weight!! UK made Ashdown stuff is good i.e. 550 spyder, MK500, 427 big block (TE V8 hehe!!), Klystron, its expensive but it lasts forever and cheap to fix if it does go wrong, (No stupid printed circuits on the power section) and why change a design if its perfection!!!. Just ask the hire companies like JH! anything tough gets on their roster. That means Peavey, UK Ashdown, EBS, New /Old trace gear. The new trace stuff is really good, but it doesn't have quite 'that' sound, but its easy enough to dial in, (i guess they have tried to make em more neutral sounding flat, to give em more appeal) .What they don't have is the power at the low end you will notice it if you are using a Mrk V Series 6, but then again most modern amps don't either. But all the same a very nice amp, one of the best sounding In my opinion.

[quote name='ziggydolphinboy' post='825000' date='May 1 2010, 05:45 PM']hi Everyone, Following the recent departuee of leaving my full time band i had this great idea of just getting better. I have good basses, i feel the groove and whenever im in a band i get good feedback. i have a few deps for a soul band , disco band and rock covers band. i have played rock to country to funk,(no jazz though). i go on you tube and jam to tunes , i have tascam cdbt1 and also a looper as well as a boss jm5(jamstation). i had lessons ages ago and still have alll my notes from them. im a good player and like fingerstyle and am slowly working on my slap as well as tapping and trying chords. heres my trouble. . . . . when i practice i seem to play the same rifs Mianly and its frustrating as hell!!! and cant seem to get "out of the box" that im musically in. i get frustrated with my speed of both my hands and seem to be a 'safe player' i know major and miner etc but i listen to other bass players and think WOW thats great . so is it best for me to get a clearer book / dvds on modes/slap etc as my old lessons notes are a bit faded , or just have a couple of lessons a months for a few months? any ideas kindest regards ziggy.[/quote] Alright Dude, The best way to learn fast is get into a band that is trying to make original music............. or some guys that just like to improvise totally, the so called 'Jam session', its not so difficult as bass players are hard to find! Then you will learn new stuff / techniques fast. Learning is a process that best happens when you have a sense of purpose, you will have to find out about stuff and you will use it so it will stick! You might loose a few gigs while you learn more of the craft, but remember you a doing it for yourself to learn. The other thing regarding Riffs etc is running though the scales, modes, helps a lot. But don't spend hours on them Freedom is all about developing your Ear, when you start to hear movements in music i.e. I to IV or I-IV-V, I-VI whatever, when you are listening to your tunes, you can then apply em to your playing. The other things about ruts is that you have to break them, I for example really did not like using the VI note in runs etc, to me it did not sound right (obviously over the right chords) but that was a limitation of my 'Ear' eventually I broke it! Dan D Dan

[quote name='xytras 1978' post='802546' date='Apr 11 2010, 01:04 PM']Hey there, I'm considering buying this rig to, and you mentioned you have a Warwick $$ (i own one to, a Custom Shop). The problems you had with the amp, where they easely solved? I'm thinking combining the 1*15 with the 4*10. Some thoughts, By the way, great review!!!![/quote] I play a Series 6 Rig which is about due to be retired. Series 5 and 6 are my fav Trace era, I should go and try one, but I am scared, in case I don't like it......... Nothing gives a tight low like a Trace!

I love valve amps, I love the warmness, however I used to have a Trace Elliot v6 as you have heard everyone get almost Seminal about these dudes. It did sound nice, however its was pretty unreliable. It was never the valves that went. I think it was because it had printed circuit boards in it and they don't go well with the valves and their heat. But hey someone bought it from me than I paid for it! If you really want a valve sound then the valve pre /SS route is a good option for gigging, I would suggest looking at some of the older Marshall DBS stuff the 7xxx series, great warm tones, very underated and so cheap built like a tank and very relaible. It you really must have a valve amp then an Ashdown little Bstard could be a good option. Lower power jobs are much more reliable, then get a massive PA and a mic for those gigs!! If you win the lottery and want a valve amp for giging then get a trace elliot v8................ err sorry Ashdown 427 big block...... they have learnt about those circuits over heating!

***** not cost much to fix!!!!!

[quote name='TheRinser' post='835696' date='May 12 2010, 09:24 PM']Hello chaps, Hoping you can offer me some advice on this... I've had an AH600SMX for a good few years now, recently noticed that one of the power amps is distorting. I've changed leads and speakers and it's still there on the right output. Left is clean as a whistle but the right is distorting the signal. It's quiet when I'm not playing anything, i.e it's not making noises when it shouldn't, just the wrong noise when I play. Any idea what it could be? If so, roughly how much do you think it'd cost to get fixed and where could I get it done? Cheers! Tom[/quote] I have an old series 6 AH150 which my Dad bought me way back when....... which is why I kept it. It was in my home studio for years, then about 5 years ago it started doing exactly the same thing so I put it in the loft. Well 3 months ago and Mrs S and I decided to move... clearing out the loft I thought... sadly I gotta get rid of this. Plugged it in for one last time... hey presto it works great............. since found out there is distortion on only one of the speaker outs and not the other, and since it is only used in 'the lab' (studio) with an old 2x10 cab Its a keeper as it sounds nice. I can only assume its something pretty minor between the power amp and the jack on the output. So even if you can't solve it. It should cost much to fix. Try cleaning the plugs out to see if it helps. For info I have been gigging two old AH300 Series 6's for years. They have been very reliable. Even when something major goes wrong it only costs a few pounds to sort out. This is because all the high voltage stuff is point to point wired in these dudes, no printed circuits and all the components are off the shelf (caps, resistors) i.e. no proprietry components. This is true of all the older trace units and the new ones made by Peavey, Which is why they give 5 years warranty! It was just that bit in the middle when they decended to mortal amps! Give these people a call they will be able to fix it for not much coin. Might mean driving down the South End... Its depends on how much you love your amp! Electronic Music Services Rear of Prittlewell House 30 East Street Southend-on-Sea Essex SS2 6LH Phone: 01702 613172 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.electronicmusicservices.co.uk/traceelliot/

[quote name='TheRinser' post='835696' date='May 12 2010, 09:24 PM']Hello chaps, Hoping you can offer me some advice on this... I've had an AH600SMX for a good few years now, recently noticed that one of the power amps is distorting. I've changed leads and speakers and it's still there on the right output. Left is clean as a whistle but the right is distorting the signal. It's quiet when I'm not playing anything, i.e it's not making noises when it shouldn't, just the wrong noise when I play. Any idea what it could be? If so, roughly how much do you think it'd cost to get fixed and where could I get it done? Cheers! Tom[/quote] I have an old series 6 AH150 which my Dad bought me way back when....... which is why I kept it. It was in my home studio for years, then about 5 years ago it started doing exactly the same thing so I put it in the loft. Well 3 months ago and Mrs S and I decided to move... clearing out the loft I thought... sadly I gotta get rid of this. Plugged it in for one last time... hey presto it works great............. since found out there is distortion on only one of the speaker outs and not the other, and since it is only used in 'the lab' (studio) with an old 2x10 cab Its a keeper as it sounds nice. I can only assume its something pretty minor between the power amp and the jack on the output. So even if you can't solve it. It should cost much to fix. Try cleaning the plugs out to see if it helps. For info I have been gigging two old AH300 Series 6's for years. They have been very reliable. Even when something major goes wrong it only costs a few pounds to sort out. This is because all the high voltage stuff is point to point wired in these dudes, no printed circuits and all the components are off the shelf (caps, resistors) i.e. no proprietry components. This is true of all the older trace units and the new ones made by Peavey, Which is why they give 5 years warranty! It was just that bit in the middle when they decended to mortal amps! Give these people a call they will be able to fix it for not much coin. Might mean driving down the South End... Its depends on how much you love your amp! Electronic Music Services Rear of Prittlewell House 30 East Street Southend-on-Sea Essex SS2 6LH Phone: 01702 613172 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.electronicmusicservices.co.uk/traceelliot/

They have a DBS 7xxx something at Eastwood studios in Milton Keynes. Its a 400watt 2x15 head and cab s version. very versatile with valve and solid pre. You won't use the SS as the valve is really very nice and warm but not at all muddy. I was quite amazed when I first heard it. If I remember when these where produced, Marshall and the Trace had a bit of a war, so they where trying to outdo each other. Its kind of the opposite of the Trace Elliot SMX which had a great SS pre and a not so hot valve pre (compared to this dude). They are coming from opposite sides of the spectrum. The one I have used at this studio is 400 watt at 4ohm but it can dump 2000watts peak ........... its loud. All in all very nice, underated amps. You won't gig with it though. they are made from heavy duty dense plywood stuff, for tone. I think they would be lighter if they where made from lead. The one there though has a white tolex case, looks like Barry Whites pants! H