Trace Elliot V8 Opinions?

[Dood]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='38344' date='Jul 29 2007, 05:27 AM']Aye its true enough, Tonyf and I reached a deal over his. Its a gorgeous sounding amp - less grindy than an Ampeg, clearer than the Bass400+ (although that is a nice amp), warmer than an Aguilar. In short full, clear, well balanced and sweet.

I just need to get some cabs for it and hopefully that'll happen in a few weeks.


Phyrexian has his for sale up on Talkbass IIRC. I don't know if he's sold it yet.[/quote]



I can't even put into words what that pic does to my loins. lol. She is gawjuss!

[paul, the]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='38344' date='Jul 29 2007, 05:27 AM']Aye its true enough, Tonyf and I reached a deal over his. Its a gorgeous sounding amp - less grindy than an Ampeg, clearer than the Bass400+ (although that is a nice amp), warmer than an Aguilar. In short full, clear, well balanced and sweet.

I just need to get some cabs for it and hopefully that'll happen in a few weeks.


Phyrexian has his for sale up on Talkbass IIRC. I don't know if he's sold it yet.[/quote]

Oh swish.

[ped]

[quote name='Waldo' post='38414' date='Jul 29 2007, 12:22 PM']Heh, as good as they are (and I know because i was the previous owner of Ped's one), there's no way it's worth that much! Take £1000 off that price and you get the list price when they first came out

I really struggled to sell mine, both on bassworld and on talkbass and people wern't willing to give me even a fifth of the bass cellars asking price. I think the problem is that there's so few of them and they so rarely come up for sale that no-one knows how much they're worth.

Suffice to say, I'd be pretty gutted if someone did buy that one from the bass cellar at the price they're asking! Great amp but you'd have to be seriously mental to buy one for £2.5k.[/quote]

Its funny because you do get the occasional person who knows these amps inside out and looks for them all over the world - a chap in Sweden offered me my (possiblt too low?!) asking price of £600 plus wanted to pay for shipping over to him (another £200 plus handling and packaging - probably a crate!) which illustrates this.

All I know is that they offer the creamiest, most detailed, fattest, smoothest and most silky bass sound ever! I think it sounds more 'musical' than my (and kiwi's) 400+, which as stated was a bloody sweet amplifier too!

I will have to come and see the V8 soon kiwi. it must be sodding loud - I suppose at home/practice you can switch it to V4 configuration.

[Kiwi]

Thanks for your comments guys. The closest thing I can compare the amp to is an old Burman, funnily enough. Im hoping for a pair of Acme B2's but a Trace 4x12 would be equally welcome (assuming I can get it up the stairs!)

[quote name='ped' post='38466' date='Jul 29 2007, 01:34 PM']I will have to come and see the V8 soon kiwi. it must be sodding loud - I suppose at home/practice you can switch it to V4 configuration.[/quote]
If/when I get cabs for it, sure. There's a half power switch on the back of it which would come in handy for rehearsals I guess.

[Waldo]

I cannot even imagine how loud that would be with a 4x12 sitting underneath it! Makes me smile just thinking about that

I do miss my V4 and the only reason I got rid of it was becuase it was way too hard to get it up and down my stairs. If I had a nice big practice room to leave it in i'd have kept it

Edited July 30, 2007 by Waldo

[Kiwi]

Yeah this Trace 1248H cab would be pretty sweet but the only places that have them online these days are rental companies and studios. This cab is also rated at 8ohms where the V8 is rated at 4 or 2 ohms specifically so I'd have to see if I could rewire it to give 2 or 4 ohms instead.

[JPJ]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='38818' date='Jul 30 2007, 10:29 AM']

Yeah this Trace 1248H cab would be pretty sweet but the only places that have them online these days are rental companies and studios. This cab is also rated at 8ohms where the V8 is rated at 4 or 2 ohms specifically. If the cab was wired in series, I'd see if I could rewire it in parallel to give 2 ohms instead.[/quote]

Kiwi,

I think you'd better get the number of Ped's surgeon, that amp and cab look great but getting them UPSTAIRS!

[ped]

Worth it


*hobbles away for more painkillers*

[G-bitch]

Reliability seems to be the only other problem after rarity! I suspect that it's just the case of a few duff units but I do know one person who had to have the same job done to both a V4 and V6 - nothing major but still a good £100 worth of bench time. It's cheaper to get Ampeg valve amps now, and I actually prefer that sound; not better or worse just different. A lot of people rave about their amps and it's only the V series' rarity that has built up the cult following for these amps - they're damn good, but they weren't a gift from god so try before you buy rather than taking the hype as word enough.

[Kiwi]

[quote name='G-bitch' post='38904' date='Jul 30 2007, 12:24 PM']Reliability seems to be the only other problem after rarity! I suspect that it's just the case of a few duff units but I do know one person who had to have the same job done to both a V4 and V6 - nothing major but still a good £100 worth of bench time. It's cheaper to get Ampeg valve amps now, and I actually prefer that sound; not better or worse just different.[/quote]
The only significant criticism of the amp construction that I'm aware of is here (http://storm.ca/~rheslip/ampmods.htm). Some heater circuit wiring that isn't designed to take the voltages that are being put through it. Phyrexian had a biasing issue with his V8 (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=291451&page=11). Tony, who was the previous owner of mine, didn't have any issues as far as I am aware so I have no reason to believe the amp is going to be anything other than reliable.

You're right about them sounding different to Ampegs matey . Its horses for courses innit?

[quote name='G-bitch' post='38904' date='Jul 30 2007, 12:24 PM']A lot of people rave about their amps and it's only the V series' rarity that has built up the cult following for these amps - they're damn good, but they weren't a gift from god so try before you buy rather than taking the hype as word enough.[/quote]
You mean a lot of people rave about them on Talkbass? I don't think people such as your good self are going to start getting as excited about them in the UK somehow.

[Kiwi]

[quote name='JPJ' post='38823' date='Jul 30 2007, 10:39 AM']I think you'd better get the number of Ped's surgeon, that amp and cab look great but getting them UPSTAIRS![/quote]

Yeah Kev, I really need to find somewhere with either a lift or on the ground floor.

[G-bitch]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='39509' date='Jul 31 2007, 01:28 PM']The only significant criticism of the amp construction that I'm aware of is here (http://storm.ca/~rheslip/ampmods.htm). Some heater circuit wiring that isn't designed to take the voltages that are being put through it. Phyrexian had a biasing issue with his V8 (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=291451&page=11). Tony, who was the previous owner of mine, didn't have any issues as far as I am aware so I have no reason to believe the amp is going to be anything other than reliable.

You're right about them sounding different to Ampegs matey . Its horses for courses innit?
You mean a lot of people rave about them on Talkbass? I don't think people such as your good self are going to start getting as excited about them in the UK somehow.[/quote]

Fair point - they are just minor niggles that could happen to any amp. I think I'm being unjustly harsh due to the fact that you can take any 80's TE amp, use it as a wrecking ball, then to mop up the Gloucestershire floods with it, keep it as a foot stool for a few years, plug it in and it still works

I have to agree, it's mostly talkbass - I don't think that valve amps for bass have ever caught on here for a number of reasons, my personal biggest gripe being that the bass amp never gets mic'd up! I swear to god, if a sound engineer looks at my (Ampeg) V4 and hands me a DI box without putting a mic on it will be garrotted with the mains cable whilst having a spare set of 7027A's inserted in their rectum.

[ped]

Lol. Just one reason why I prefer the studio!

[Kiwi]

[quote name='G-bitch' post='39519' date='Jul 31 2007, 02:06 PM']I have to agree, it's mostly talkbass - I don't think that valve amps for bass have ever caught on here for a number of reasons, my personal biggest gripe being that the bass amp never gets mic'd up! I swear to god, if a sound engineer looks at my (Ampeg) V4 and hands me a DI box without putting a mic on it will be garrotted with the mains cable whilst having a spare set of 7027A's inserted in their rectum.[/quote]
There are a few valve users on this forum too, but the amps are a bit of a hassle to lug about. Especially for those of us in London with the lack of parking around some of central London venues, and we can forget about taking an amp on public transport. But I don't think there's anything that can beat the sound of a stingray (or any other warm sounding bass for that matter) through an all valve amp (and I play through a solid state GK combo almost all of the time.)

It's aural chocolate.

[Phyrexian]

Hey guys,

I quit my band in july 2007. I haven't played bass since then. I still have the V8, but I'm thinking about selling it. I'm considering trades for a V4 too (same cosmetics as my the V8, not the carpeted one), feel free to drop your offers at my door...

I need to know if these 'newest' V4's have a half-power mode as well (like the V8)?

Bart

[andy67]

[quote name='Phyrexian' post='127732' date='Jan 25 2008, 01:45 PM']Hey guys,

I quit my band in july 2007. I haven't played bass since then. I still have the V8, but I'm thinking about selling it. I'm considering trades for a V4 too (same cosmetics as my the V8, not the carpeted one), feel free to drop your offers at my door...

I need to know if these 'newest' V4's have a half-power mode as well (like the V8)?

Bart[/quote]


price for the V4 please!

andy

[JayX]

As this thread seems to cover other models in the V series.. I'm trying to get my hands on the V6, but one thing I love about fat valve amps is the grill sections you get on the V8, the Sunn 300T etc. Is it considered sacrilege if I take the V6 front off and somehow replace it with a grill? Is it even possible or is it out of the question, or just too difficult? Also, is anyone likely to beat me to death for doing this

[ped]

Look at what a chap on Talkbass did to his Trace:

[url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5200809&postcount=363"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php...p;postcount=363[/url]

[G-bitch]

Nice amps but just a little too 'polite' for my tastes and also I've found that I prefer lower power valve heads so that you can get a little power section saturation without causing structural damage to the building you're in!

[Kiwi]

[quote name='G-bitch' post='129185' date='Jan 28 2008, 11:59 AM']Nice amps but just a little too 'polite' for my tastes and also I've found that I prefer lower power valve heads so that you can get a little power section saturation without causing structural damage to the building you're in![/quote]
You can get that with the V8 and V4, they have 2 channels so you can run one clean and the other dirty and change between them with a footswitch. Alternatively, pair the Trace valve heads with an inefficient cab and you can push the power section at reasonable volume. The cabs will act like a powersoak.

[quote name='ped' post='127954' date='Jan 25 2008, 06:54 PM']Look at what a chap on Talkbass did to his Trace[/quote]
Looks well camp, mate. I can see why you like it.

[G-bitch]

[quote name='ped' post='127954' date='Jan 25 2008, 06:54 PM']Look at what a chap on Talkbass did to his Trace:

[url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5200809&postcount=363"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php...p;postcount=363[/url][/quote]

That looks shockingly sh*te.

[G-bitch]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='129755' date='Jan 29 2008, 08:16 AM']You can get that with the V8 and V4, they have 2 channels so you can run one clean and the other dirty and change between them with a footswitch. Alternatively, pair the Trace valve heads with an inefficient cab and you can push the power section at reasonable volume. The cabs will act like a powersoak.


Looks well camp, mate. I can see why you like it. [/quote]

I really didn't like the pre-amp valve overdrive at all (on any amp for that matter!), however that's a good reminder - I need to get myself a power soak!