BillyBass

Thanks for replying gentlemen, I’m using AKG K701 headphones. They are hi fi headphones not studio or ‘bass’ headphones. Out of my humble Fender Rumble 15 they sound a bit light but I get enough volume. I assumed the Elf would be a step up sound quality wise but not so with headphones. I wasn’t sure if the amp was faulty, but perhaps, following La bam’s experience, maybe the Elf is just built that way: Good with a cab but poor as a headphone amp. I was umming and arring about whether to buy the Phil Jones big head but I thought the Elf could serve as a headphone amp and also as a practice/gigging amp, so I pulled the trigger. It looks great and is tiny but maybe not appropriate for my needs?

Hi all, I have just acquired a Trace Elliot Elf to use as a headphone amp. My thinking was to use it for silent practise at first and then to buy a cab to go with it later. I’ve only been learning to play the bass since August 2018 and this is my first head purchase. Anyway, I have been a little surprised at how much I have to turn the gain and volume on the Elf to be able to hear anything out of my headphones. I assumed I’d have to be very careful with the volume and gain as the amp is rated much higher than my Rumble 15 practise amp that I have been using, 9 times the wattage into 8 ohms. But no. I have to turn the gain up to about 4 o’clock and then the volume to about 10 o’clock to get the same volume level as my Rumble 15 with the volume level set at 9:00 o’clock. The green light above the gain knob then comes on with each pluck, and after playing a little while the fan kicks in, with every pluck. So, any Elf users out there, is this normal? Or should I get more volume without cranking up the gain so much? I was using a G&L 2000 tribute, in passive and active mode, and the active mode does give a bit more volume, so it isn’t the bass. Any advice would be much appreciated.

I’m dealing with the first symptoms of GAS at the moment. I’ll make do with my Ibanez For now but the London Bass guitar show in September will probably see the addiction take over. I’ll have to start thinking of how to explain my shiny new bass to she who must be obeyed.

Judging by your avatar I guess you are a Crass fan? I saw them play a couple of times, back in the day. Once at the 100 club on Oxford street and once in Walthamstow at a small venue whose name I’ve forgotten. This was probably 1980 or 1981. I loved the first album, Do they owe us a living, securicor cares etc

Hi all, I’m Bill, I live in north London and I have been learning the bass for about 9 months. I’m an electrician and I was replacing the lights in a local music shop and I couldn’t stop staring at a beautiful bass guitar hanging from the wall in front of me; it was a Yamaha with beautiful wood grain. So I decided to buy a bass and learn. I ended up with an Ibanez SG500 and am now addicted. I wish I had started to learn earlier! I’m 56 and still love the stuff I listened to as a teenager-punk rock, and what later became known as ‘post-punk’. But I also like most other rock, some jazz and classical music and opera. Bass heroes are: Jean Jacques Burnel, Peter Hook, Chris Squire, John Paul Jones, Geezer Butler, Geddy Lee, Bruce Foxton and loads of others. I am looking forward to learning from you all.