WHUFC BASS

Trace Elliot were at one point in the 1980s THE best bass amp around. They were used up and down the country by a ton of bass players (who could afford them) and compared to what was available at the time, were light years ahead the competition. They had a unique, full, quality sound which was perfect for finger and pick styles but excelled in slap & pull style. You could see these amps being used by so many different music styles, from Reggae to metal, funk to pop. They were expensive at the time, but you really did get what you paid for. The one you have pictured in the Mk V series GP11 AH500 which was one of the best around at the time (early 80s). I had one, along with 4x10 and 1x15 fane speaker loaded cabs. The sound was absolutely immense and super loud, to the point where it really could get uncomfortable for drummer and guitarist. I used it with a 62 Fender Precision, 76 Fender Jazz bass and a Yamaha BB1100s fretless. The sound was amazing and as I said, it really was hard to get a bad sound out of the rig. Sound engineers loved them for their hand DI out at the back and the handy feature of a noise gate was the icing on the cake. I've used Trace gear in various guises for most of my bass playing career, in fact I remember the Series 6 being demo'd at the British Music Fair in 1986 I'm that old! The weight of them was what put me off, as there were lighter cabs around. The quality that went into them was revolutionary at the time, with the graphic, pre-shaping and sheer volume - not to mention the green and black colour scheme set off by the UV light just looked great on a dark stage. I used a small 100watt GP7 1x15 combo throughout the 1990s along with a Status 6 string and loved the sound. I finally gave up the ghost on Trace after using one of their Series 6 2x10 combo valve hybrid amps and the weight just being too much for me. Still love the sound of Trace gear and always feel nostalgic when I see the Series 5 and 6 amps. Can't believe the second-hand prices nowadays compared to what they used to be. Oh, by the way, they used to be manufactured in a place called Witham in Essex which I visited on more than one occasion for a service on these amps. They were superb there, with first class customer service too.

I think most "solo" solos are boring. The whole 70s thing of stopping the gig and allowing the drummer / guitarist / bassist to go on a 20 minute wankfest just ruined gigs IMO.

You have to ask yourself how much of an idea of an amp sound are you going to get from a video on a laptop with tiny speakers. Totally agree with showing all the features and what-not but the actual sound? I don't think there's any substitute for trying the amp out yourself. I'd prefer in-depth description of the features and the downsides too. Also, a good comparison to other amps in the same class as most people watching would be in the market for a new amp anyway. I'd also throw impartiality out the window too. If an amp is crap, say it's crap. It's rare you'll see a reviewer say anything really bad about an amp but sometimes things need to be said.

That's a great band name regardless of anything ...

Looks like the fretted MM is available again ... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wine-red-MusicMan-Fretted-79-Bass-Guitar/153293316140?hash=item23b0fe602c:g:yoAAAOSwIkNb9EiX

That high-pass filter is a pretty useful feature. Can't wait to test this amp out.

Thanks for the replies chaps. Am I right in thinking that the amp can be used with headphones and without the use of a cab as it doesn't need a speaker load to run?

I used to use Firewire years ago but USB technology has come so far that the speeds nowadays are a hell of a lot faster than what they were.

Just pulled the trigger on one for £250. Anybody using one at the moment? What's your opinion? I simply bought it as a backup to my SVT3 which, in it's massive flight case weights a ton.

What John Martyn songs? The ones that John Giblin played on?

Noooo ... someone once tried telling me that was the inspiration for the Black Sabbath song "Lady Evil". I'm still laughing about that now.

IMO The Shadows were absolutely amazing and Hank Marvin was truly inspirational to a generation of guitarists, among whom Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi, Andy Summers, Syd Barrett, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Brian May, Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton, Steve Howe, Roy Wood,Pete Townshend, Ritchie Blackmore and Jeff Beck all cite him as an influence. Now I don't know about you, but I reckon if someone can influence a list of influential guitarists like that, they must be doing something right. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of guitarists who try to emulate Hank Marvin's sound too. Oh, and his name is also a phrase used to tell everyone how hungry you are. Now if that isn't a legacy to live up to, then nothing is!

I need bleach for the ears after listening to that .... Una Stubbs in her younger days though ... ❤️❤️❤️

I know. It's depressing. In all seriousness, I'm not knocking anyone's taste and all that, if they get pleasure out of Cliff then more power to them. But ... jesus wept. It's Cliff. I'd rather castrate myself with a plastic fork than listen to anything by him.

Listen to him. You'll go far !

Faith in humanity restored. Well done mate!!

... on Cliff Richard records?

Ah, but do you look like Dot Cotton's god-bothering, tennis playing, younger sister though?

If ever there were proof needed to vindicate the old saying "a fool and their money" it's right there.

I'm not counting that song as it would be the equivalent of bashing up a five-year old. Les Dawson at his worst could have sung that and it would have sounded great.