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.

I think sometimes attachment to certain basses is all about first impressions. Picking up a bass for the first time can be an inspirational experience. For me that has always been with either a p-bass or a jazz bass and more often than not a Fender derivative like a MIM or a USA Standard. Not everything is going to endear you to a particular brand but sometimes the feel, the playability, and the tone of a certain instrument is going to make you think wow! this is a keeper. Once that has happened, it's going to be difficult to pass an instrument on to someone else even if it becomes a case queen you still love but rarely play or use.

The photo is the correct way around and yes, I'd agree totally with what you say.

That emotional attachement to things is sometimes difficult to break, and I understand completely what can be a bit of a dilemma when it might be time to move something on. I sympathise with the OP. I have an Overwater bass that was in real terms the first proper bass I owned as a young lad and that's my attachment. For over forty years I've cherished it but in reality used it sparingly mainly because the thought of some bufoon at a pub gig falling on top of it, or knocking it over fills me with dread. I usually use it for short spells just to give it an airing then its back to being a case queen for years at a time. It is well looked after, is well maintained, and still feels fantastic and plays as beautifully as it did when new. There I go extolling why I like it so much, but it rarely gets used at gigs anymore and only occasionally now for studio work. It's part of my personal history as a bass player. Deliberating for the last forty years about what to do with it does make it easier for me now to put it up for sale, and see if anyone might be willing to look after it for the next forty years. It would also help knowing it went to someone who was going to use it, cherish it, and not just flip it on eBay or Reverb or the like at an inflated price. Another musician I know is the exact opposite, he has never formed an attachement with any instrument or musical equipment in his long playing career and even instruments he's played and enjoyed for years at a time could be up for sale tomorrow if something else takes his fancy, or he needs the money otr doesn't have the space. There are times when I'm quite envious of that mindset. My advice would be to think carefully why you are so attached to your instrument and if you can pinpoint that, and rationalise it, it should be easier to decide the next step. Don't though wait another forty years to make up your mind! 🙃

The easiest way to prove if you have a noisy tube is to make sure the valve drive plus button is switched off, ie all the way out. Plug your bass in and you will be bypassing the tube function with the valve drive button out. If you still hear a buzz/hum then its not the tube that's causing it. FYI, ABM's like the EVO IV will be quiet with no instrument plugged. The input jack has a switched signal contact to ground with nothing plugged in. In general most ABM's should be quiet at idle with an instrument connected, and not buzz or hum if they are in good condition. If you have only just bought the amp, and the noise persists and it doesnt appear to be the tube, might be worth returning it or taking a chance and asking a Tech to look at it for you. It could be something simple, like a loose ground screw or ribbon cable plug if its been jiggled about in a courier truck at some point in time. But then again it might be something else that is causing the noises. My own EVO IV is dead silent at idle with a bass plugged in and any ABM I've owned in the past has always been quiet at idle with a bass connected.

A Basschat Mini-Meet. What a great idea! Love the Mesa road ready rig, thats proper room filling bass amplification imho 🙂

Something like this if you can find one would probably be usuable. This one has a 230V ac primary, and a 32.5Vac - 0v - 32.5Vac secondary. It was salvaged from an early 80s Carlsboro 100 watt pa amp and is likely rated around 100 - 120VA. The 250 ML is a 50 watt per channel unit so you will likely need a transformer rated around 100 - 120VA. The GK diagram also notes the mains fuse should be T 1 Amp for UK operation so you would need to change that from the current 3 Amp fuse for 110-120v working. The fuses for the transformer rails ( the 32-0-32 outputs) remain the same. You could also go all fancy and fit a modern toroidal transformer. Ideally one with a 240V primary, and around 30-33v ac dual secondary. That should give you around the 45-0-45v rectified supply you need to power the amp. It's not rocket science, but it is messing with mains voltage so a great deal of care is needed to avoid any unpleasant outcomes. Just saying. Maybe a different tech might help you out and it may even be worth emailing Gallien Krueger to see if they can suggest a modern part to replace the 110V-120V transformer. They may also be able to offer any insight into anything else you might need to factor in to a voltage conversion.

1. Anything Trace Elliot that doesn't run on Hitachi or Semelab TO3 Mosfets 🙄 2. Precisions with rounds 3. Stingrays with flats 4. Lefty players with upside down righty basses🙄 5. Righty players with upside down lefty basses😬 6. Amps with missing knobs! Phew. I feel better already getting all that irrationality out in the open. Dear Basschat, thank you for being my catharsis!

Rig of choice for a live studio recording session last night.

Thanks to Duncan for purchasing my Ashdown amp. A real gent to deal with, friendly, straight forward, and knows his bass stuff. A true no fuss, straighforward, and super smooth transaction. Cheers! DG

Some video that surfaced after our gig last week, courtesy of Eilihd our talented videograher on the night. The emphasis as always was on keeping it laid back. Our version of the Sonny Boy Williamson classic "Help Me". It's a bit grainy, and sounds better with decent monitors. HelpMe.mov

That is one of the coolest lefties I've seen in a very long time. Congrats!

Almost an all new gig setup for me at the moment with the exception of the Sadowsky M/J which I've ben using a lot in recent times and done a few gigs with now. First outing this week with a new LFSYS Silverstone II, and my fully restored 1994 Trace Elliot AH250 GP12 SMX. Lots of clarity, exceptional low end performance, and excellent sound quality so far from this combination. I've also stopped using my trusty LMB3 for now, and I'm relying completely on the dual band compressor on the amp.

Gig last night was a little two hour, two set, Thursday night soiree. Everything went ok and it was free from any technical or equipment issues. The pair of G4M 1x12 powered pa speakers bought used for less than a ton nearly a year ago as a stop gap when our previous singer left with his EV’s continue to provide sterling service, and have more than paid for themselves. They aren’t hugely powerful but 1x12 + horn seems an ideal configuration for pub gigs. It’s only vocal, saxophone, and kick going through them. First time out for my new LFSYS Silverstone II cab, and also first gig with my newly restored Trace Elliot SMX head. Both worked perfectly and the clarity and sound quality were quite astonishing. I used my Sadowsky M/J for this gig. If there was anything to be noted for after gig discussions, it was that the second set started to get a bit jazzy rather than blues and perhaps a bit louder than was necessary. Both the guitarist and drummer were suffering from “The Guiness Effect” by then.🤔 Venue was Baker Street in Stirling, not the most spacious of venues. The band name seems to be sticking now as Blues Delux( for the last three gigs). Must admit I prefer the Sunday afternoon shows at this venue rather than late week nights. It also rained tonight, and the venue was late advertising the show. So it wasn’t a big crowd we played to, but they seemed to enjoy it. Everyone was happy, the band all enjoyed themselves, and we got paid to boot. I’ll take that any day. I believe there was video footage but it's not available yet. That maybe a good thing😊

more pics

I'd like to say thanks to @stevie for allowing me to try a Goodwood cab earlier this year. I'm a bit of a brother of boom and have always been a bit heavy on the bass so The Goodwood was a real eye and ear opener for me when I got a chance to try it out. The first thing I will say is that it is insanely light. The cab I tried tipped the scales at just under 8.9kg. The footprint is also small and compact, but big enough to handle a 19" rack sized amp in portrait mode. The Goodwood also benefits from a larger 5 inch port. The earlier cabs had I believe 4 inch ports, so there is some newish magic tuning sauce going on behind the scenes with this speaker box. The build quality is also as good as it gets these days and I must admit I liked the aesthetics of the cab very much. Sound wise, what really grabbed me was the clarity of sound from the cab. There is no need for exagerrated amounts of lows, low mids or highs on amp settings anymore to try and get the right tone for the situation the cab is being used in. Set flat and then minor tweaks seemd to work best for me. It also let me hear my bass in a way I hadn't previously heard( I used a bog standard Fender Player with stainless Fender flats). I believe the cab is supposed to be quite neutral sounding, but I did feel there is a degree of natural warmth from the Celestion Neo driver being used and that was consistent with various different amp heads I tested during home use, studio use, rehearshal, and a live gig. I'm not big on class-d amplification and the only unit I had of that kind available to try with the Goodwood was an Ashdown OriginAL EVO 300 watt head I keep as a standby amp. That's about 150 watts 8 ohms with a Goodwood. Sounded great, but the Ashdown seemed to be running out of steam a little when pushed hard and the Goodwood I think would have sounded even better with a bit more class-d headroom. Oddly enough, where the sound and performance of the Goodwood excelled for me was using my older lower wattage vintage amps. A Trace Elliot GP7SM 130, a Trace Elliot GP11 MK4 AH150 and a Trace Elliot GP11 MK5 AH250. All three of these amps sounded phenomenal and much clearer, punchier, and louder than the Ashdown could manage despite much lower power outputs running at 8 ohms. Anyway, its the clarity of tone at a gig level that really surprised me. It sounds like the volume is much higher than it actually is so I found myself turning the master down thinking I was too loud. The cab also throws out a quite amazing amount of low end, and it keeps things well under control. I did a three hour gig with the cab using a TE AH250 and was worried I might blow the Goodwood up, but it worked flawlessly and coped with everything I threw at it. That also included and Ashdown ABM 600 RC. The ABM probably is just a bit too much for a Goodwood, but it sounded brilliant with careful use of the master volume and also let me hear my ABM in a new light. If i was asked to say who this cab might be an ideal purchase for, it would be a player who demands super portability, high quality sound reproduction, and a very clear almost neutral tone. Ideally, it would be used with a typical modern 500 watt light weight head that will give around 250 watts of headroom at 8 ohms. I believe that would be the sweet spot for amp power with a Goodwood. A setup like that would I think handle most pub/cafe bar/small club gigs and be super portable. Thanks again to @stevie for the opportunity to trial his new cab design. It's top drawer, the best 1x10 cab i've ever used, and quite possibly the clearest tone I've heard from my bass in a live situation. Ever.

There has been some comparisons between modern high quality 10s and 12s and "traditional" 15s and how these modern drivers can out perform the trad 15s which is probably a valid point that also encompasses modern cabinet designs. Saying that, will a modern high quality 10 or 12 with an 8mm excursion be able to move as much air as a modern high quality 15 with an 8mm excursion? And will a modern 10 or 12 ever actually sound like a modern 15? 15 inch speakers in my experience also have a tone all of their own which I personally like, and I think this still makes them a valid choice for me. Perhaps BF are thinking along the same lines and feel the need to fill a gap in their product line with a new up to date take on a 15 cab ( which they originally did ). These days its an easier sell doing a lightweight 2x15 cab, or a 15 + 12 cab or maybe even a 15 +10 cab( all cab designs TE did back in the day) which will be bigger from the outset, rather than trying to market a 1x15 cab as a compact option. 15 inch speakers sound different from 10s or 12s which still makes them valid tonally imho, and modern neo 15s( like the Faital pro 15-PR400) in particular are a world apart from "traditional" 15s of old. 15s also 'feel' different and I think that's something that's sadly lacking where the bass maybe heard a lot easier these days with modern 10 and 12 cabs, but is no longer felt the same way as 15s can deliver. 🫤

I'm still unsure what the point of the comparison is other than 15" speakers are perhaps still a viable option, and depending on any feedback or demand for them BF recieve they may build 15" cabs again. But as Mr. BF mentioned it would likely be a 2x15 only they would be interested in building. That's still going to be a physically large cab even if they apply the same sonics and design philosophy as they do to their smaller driver cabs. It would also likely have a pro crossover and tweeter adding to size and complexity, and i'll guess a potential £2k plus price tag. Personally I like 15'' speakers, always have done, still use them, and for a particular sound they make and how they feel in use. The 1518 cab in the video sounded the best overall imho and reminded me of the 1518 I owned which was an early 90s grey tolex with the Celestion C15J-300. It really could handle a lot of bottom end but also had that extra mid/brightness the older cab with the Fane has. The cab in the video is an 80s version and ten years is a sizeable gap in speaker design that imho made the 90s grey tolex TE cabs much more useable. Still, it's nice to see and hear a near 40 year old cab still has something to give tonally, as long as you are using an amp from the same era ,eg. something like an AH150/200/250. And of course if you are happy to lug it about. Well designed high output 15" cabs that can deliver prodigous low end , have meaty mids, and sparkling highs are never going to be compact, cheap, or ultra lightweight. Thats one reason it would be difficult to persuade players to exchange their lightweight ten and twelve cabs for a 'decent' modern well designed 15" cab. I'll be the first to applaud if BF could work their magic on such a cab that doesn't end up costing a king's ransom. So, thumbs up from me for any development into modern 15" cabs, especially single 15 inch cabs.

Something like this rubber nonslip mat, with a soft carpet top. Rolls up and fits in the gig bag easily too.

Screwing rubber feet onto shiny new Markbass cabs might affect your warranty, and with a lot of lightweight thinner walled cabs, there often isn't a great deal of wood to hold a screw for a decent sized rubber foot. I recently road tested an LFSYS Goodwood cab and it had no feet, but did have hard plastic stackable corners. At under 9kg, there wasn't a lot of weight to 'plant' it on a hard wood floor. The simple solution was to use a 'mighty mat' non slip carpet mat, the type that can be bought cheap at most DIY or convenience stores. Protects the cab, stops it slipping around, also protects the flooring, and no need for rubber feet. Saying that, I will always fit decently large rubber feet on bigger and used cabs and amp heads, even if they have stackable plastic corners like Markbass kit has. For brand new stuff with a warranty, I'd prefer using a mighty mat.

Thats a proper old school unit, thanks for posting a pic. I must admit never having had any issues with overheating or fans on these types of Trace Elliot amps. My last 4x10 combo was a ( MK4) GP11 with the PM2-S setup and Papst fan which ran silently. It was probably one of the most original old TE's I'd come accross when I bought it. Same with the (MK4) AH150 head I still gig occasionally, its a PM4-S with the same Papst fan that runs silently. I did previously use an older GP7 head and the fan on that was noisy but I think that was just wear and tear / worn bearings from decades of use.

I've never come accross an early 4x10 combo that had switched speaker sockets, or any speaker sockets for that matter, especially on the PM2-S output boards. They were usually wired direct from the output board via male and female spade terminals to the green/orange wires from the cabinet. The back panel usually had blanking plugs, probably to discourage owners from using extension cabs. The 4x10 cabs were also 8 ohm so these type combos were probably not pushing out much more than 100 watts and were never intended to power an extension cab. But they were loud. The PM2-S versions run a lot hotter than the PM4-S versions, and there was normally a large cast frame Papst cooling fan that ran permanently on. I guess that's just how it is when dealing with amps that are 40+ years old. You can never be totally sure what is original and what is not. Even the most reliable kit will need servicing at some point, which might include modifications that could cause unexpected reliablity problems in the future. 🙂