thodrik

Then I would suggest just getting the first one you see available for the right price, check that it works and then buy it.

I sometimes have my doubts as to whether there are as many 'good eras' and 'bad eras' of Trace Elliot as folk say. A lot of folk have a lot of love for the Series 6 or SMX ranges, the Kamen era GP7 series gets a bit less love and the Gibson era stuff less love than that. Some folk have a 'if it is covered in carpet, it is rubbish' attitude. My own opinion is that given that most of the models have been around for quite a while, what constitutes a 'good' Trace Elliot will often depend on the condition of the actual amp in question.

If you bought it as new then the stock strings should be Vigier strings 40-120. I have a four string Excess. You can pretty much string it with any gauge of strings you want. The neck is designed to be entirely rigid in terms of string gauge changes and tension changes. No need for a truss rod adjustment either because there isn't one. I have had my Excess for over ten years and used it for all manner of tunings (high F standard to drop B )and string gauges (40-95 to 120-50), the neck has never had any issues. Changing gauges and tunings will require you to give your bass a set up, in terms of re-setting the intonation and action. Beyond that though you should be fine.

Westside Distribution (Mesa UK Distributor) are based in Glasgow. It might come to nothing, but you could always try them on the off chance. Beyond that I can't think of anybody I know that has been gigging an M9.

If you already had a HD350, why bother 'upgrading' to what is essentially being marketed as 'the same amp, but ten watts louder'?. Ten watts is almost a negligible increase, so negligible that I am surprised that EBS even bothered doing it. I have tried the HD350, 650 and Fafner. The 350 was my least favourite of the three, although still a very nice amp. Getting a poor sound at the venue could be down to a number of factors. Unless you could simply switch the HD350 back in and see if that made a difference, it could be down to monitoring or changes in levels from any one of the band.

Thanks for the reply Paul. Long time Trace Elliot user here. I look forward to hearing news about new products in due course.

In terms of the SVT line vs ABM line cabs, I would take the SVT cabs every time. I haven't tried the newer Ashdown Neo cabs so can't comment on them. Ashdown ABM head on top of Ampeg 8x10 is a popular combination in rehearsal studios around Glasgow anyway.

I would be interested to hear the input of Paul Stevens to this. I would like to know why there has been no real development in terms of the bass amp .product lines over the years.

I played a gig in Aberdeen last week and one of the bassists in one of the bands was using one. Sounded great. I also saw Corrosion of Conformity a few years back and Mike Dean was using one. Generally, if you can find one and afford one and want one, get one.

I like the complete absence of any 'secrets' in that. A really good watch.

In terms of basses, the serial number is there for a reason. Make a note of it. Other than that, natural wear should be recognisable after several years of gigging.

I don't generally use mine much these days, but it stays in my gig bag for the following reasons. 1. Works as a back up if your main amp goes. 2. Quick and easy set up for recording. 3. It doesn't take up much space.

They are okay, but underpowered for the size and weight. Really they were just amps designed to look like SVT Classics. They will live on for years in rehearsal rooms though.

I prefer the Walkabout to the M-series Mesa heads in terms of old school thump. From the looks of the Mesa website though, it appears that the M3 has been discontinued. The Mesa combos cost a hell of a lot of money. I've had a Walkabout combo for the last five years though and I would consider that they are just about worth it.

I played Stag and Hounds a while ago. Seemed nice. Actually I quite liked Bristol as a place in general. Thoroughly enjoyed my visit.

I think that the rackmount version looks cooler with all the chrome, so consequently I also think it sounds better.

I've never needed more than a 300 watt solid state head, but having a ridiculously loud 400 valve amp is nice too.

My brother has an SG that is lovely. Present guitarist in my band has a Les Paul. General finish on both of them is top notch. I'm certainly aware of the issues though and some of the finishing and fret work on high price Gibsons can leave a lot to be desired.

I've used the DR DDTs 115-55, which I thought were pretty good but really expensive. I found the 55 gauge 'F' string and 75 gauge high 'C' on the DRs to be pretty tight, while the 115 low C was pretty damn loose, although perfectly usable. I have been using the D'addario balanced tension 120-50 set. They are pretty much half the price of the DRs and are way more balanced from string to string.

I would have a 24 fret Precision bass, built with the same neck profile, pick ups, finish and natural wear and tear as my non-24 four fret 1970s Precision bass. That or a 24 fret Rickenbacker, the walnut, maple neck one. Why 24 frets? Just in case.

There have not been any new products since the Acoustic line came out a few years ago. In terms of bass gear, there have not been any new products since the original Peavey relaunch. It is a bit disappointing. You'd think that a class D version of the classic Trace preamp would sell okay. Trace Elliot seem to gone the same way as SWR and Eden, former giants who now seem a bit old fashioned and outdated, even though their gear is still generally good gear. I have only tried the new amps a couple of times and they seemed nice but seemed to lack the authority of the older SMX and Series 6 lines. I like the new cabs though, which are so much lighter than the old ones.

They really missed a trick by not having a watch pocket in the front to store spare picks.

In terms of obscenely high output pickups, I haven't tried anything that rivals the Benedetti pickups on the Vigier Excess. In fact I say that they are probably just a bit extreme. I do also like the MM pick ups on the Sandberg models but haven't tried the double MM models.

I do like Cave In, but in terms of my personal view of NIB, if you aren't going to do the bass solo preceding the song, then don't bother. Otherwise enjoyed it though.

I only use a bigger gauge when tuning down, even then it is just to attempt to obtain the same level of tension as I have when using a 45-105 set in standard tuning. I used to use 40-95 but once I got used to a bigger set I've never regretted it.