Soliloquy Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) I've owned a few Trace Elliot items in the past. I think I had an SMX head, and maybe a Series VI. It was a long time ago though . Out of all the various models, which is best and why ? I did do a search on this last night, and after ploughing through 25 pages, I couldn't actually find anything like this question. Edited June 8, 2011 by Soliloquy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I've had the good fortune to be able to try almost all of Chris' (Thorneybank) Trace gear and there was a definite pattern. The oldest stuff to me sounded the best and by the time I got to the SMX stuff it was very noticably poorer. The SMX is still an outstanding amp but between all of them it was the most disappointing. The best head I've ever used (which now belongs to Chris) was a Series V AH150 GP11. I used that with a Trace 1248 4x12" cab and the sound was phenomenal. Unfortunately I have a fear of older stuff going wrong so traded it for something else. Thing is the amp could probably do another 20 years and parts are readily available. I love the Trace cabs. My favourites amongst the normal range are the 1153 1x15" and 4052H bright box. The 1248H and 1528 V-series cabs are phenomenal - Conan has one of the 1528 2x15" cabs for sale. It used to be mine and before that it belonged to Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnDeereJack Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I'm still using the old TE MKV stuff. I have a MKV AH150 which I've owned since 1986 (bought together with a 1048) and as Delberthot says it's an absolute cracking head. I totally refuse to part with it even though I recently purchased a MKV AH250 from a fellow BC'er. I just love the old Trace stuff; built like tanks and the sound is second to none. I currently own the two MKV heads along with two MKV 1518's and a MKV 1048 and I can only see me adding to the gear I have. And yes, Chris Thorneybank is your man for all things Trace! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I forgot about the Mk V 1518 cab. I used one of those with the V-type combo I had and it was pants wettingly good. Unfortunately I was offered an obscene amount of money for it and away it went Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I don't think there is a "best" anything, as it's so subjective, but a lot of people, me included, have a soft spot for anything in the late 80s Series 6 range. The valve stuff (Quatra/Hexa/GP12XV etc.) from just after that era (around the time the SMX stuff came out IIRC) is also really nice, yet clearly different. The later, Gibson era stuff, is less special IMHO. I wonder if a better question might be "which items might give me the sound I hear in my head?" Cheers Gareth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnDeereJack Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 [quote name='Delberthot' post='1261855' date='Jun 8 2011, 09:09 PM']I forgot about the Mk V 1518 cab... ...I was offered an obscene amount of money for it and away it went[/quote] I tried to get rid of one of my 1518's on here as spares/repair (voice coil had finally given up the ghost after 20odd years) and couldn't shift it for love nor money! I decided to keep it and now have a Fane Axiom 15-300B on order from Blue Aran. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnDeereJack Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 The Series 6 had the GP12 with the one red EQ slider specifically for 5 string basses, didn't it? Never had a chance to try one of those models although I seem to recall they got rave reviews at the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I've never used it much in the last 15 years...but I did do several years with a Series VI. I picked up a Mark IV GP11 preamp ages ago (the version with the XLR input) and it is a lot less "voiced" than the later incarnations. The slap switch pre-shape is there if you want it, but the graphic is very simple and overall its a warmer tone. The only issue is the noise filter..or rather the need for one, but that's only an issue if you use extreme eq boost at the high end. A few weeks ago I compared it to the Alembic F2B, and there wasn't that much difference...surprising since one is a 60's valve design with passive eq and the other is a late 70's tranny with a powerful graphic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markorbit Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) The general concensus seems to be pre-Peavey, pre-Gibson with perhaps a peak around MKV / Series 6. Ultimately I would take an SMX myself - the one with the fancier graphics but 12 band EQ, dual compressor, valve input and overall tone balance. At least that is my experience with the preamps alone. Sounded superb to me and it was the last Trace I sold from my collection including early Ah250 GP11, MKV, S6 Silver. I tried a new model Trace a month or so ago and I really wanted it to be a Trace for the new era - but it didn't do it for me and there was some distortion related to the second gain arrow as a note decayed and this light faded. Edited June 8, 2011 by markorbit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Shameless plug - selling my MkV AH-250 together with an 18" cab for next to nothing. If vintage Trace gear is your thing this is worth considering. Link [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=140129"]here[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I had an old TE all valve amp..can't remember the model but it had that horrid graphic in it, which I never liked..but the all valve output stage made up for it. At one time, TE was the stuff to have..and raised the bar, IMO..but then that spawned SWR and Eden ( not literally ) and the like which were on another level again.... so although I played through a lot of TE..I never owned one apart from the valve job..which I have to say was quite decent at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I love their valve series from the mid 90's. The one to which JTUK refers was actually a solid state preamp with valve power amp apparently (recent thread from OBBM mentions this) but that's not to take away from whether it sounds good or not! Got to say I used to love "their" sound but very soon realised, like JTUK, that the graphic EQ just doesn't work for me so I have moved on. If I could get another, I'd get a V-Type of some form, or a Hexavalve coz it only has a 7 band EQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witterth Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Best? tried 'em all settled on AH 500 Mk IV no frills, no compromise, the dogs, and built like a Tank. "the best at being the best" Ok has needed the odd repair over the years though nothing you would'nt expect from a 25/30 year old amp that has worked hard all over the place. there aint nowt better. If you can find one get it, or let me know and Ill have it. W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I have a Kamen-era GP7 SM300 1x15 combo and an SMX300 that I am pretty sure is also from the Kamen era (it has the fluffy carpet thing going on). I have played some Mark IV and a series 6 stuff. I would not necessarilly say that I have found that one is 'better' than the other. I prefer my SMX head to my GP7, but never really found that the Mark IV series 6 stuff was so much 'better' than what the SMX can do. All the TE stuff tends to have a certain 'sound' to it, so with the preshape engaged there is quite a lot of similarity across the board. I have not played the new amps but use the cabs. I. I would love to try the V series stuff or the older valve stuff though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Apar frOm lifting it. My old ah400smx wAs ace. Scuse the typing. I'm tiddly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witterth Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 [quote name='gafbass02' post='1263499' date='Jun 10 2011, 01:15 AM']Apar frOm lifting it. My old ah400smx wAs ace. Scuse the typing. I'm tiddly[/quote] !! good man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Hah hah. Cheers. Rock n roll eh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhay77 Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 (edited) Always loved trace gear,I have had loads of heads Ah500smx12,ah300ah300,ah350 gp11 and a ah130 .Must have had 6 or 7 different trace cabs too .Currently I have a ah250mk4,ah250mk5,blx150,1048h,1518 and a 1028h. The valve stuff I have is a V6 and a V type pre amp and my pride and joy which I have just managed to get hold of is a V4 head. The tranny stuff is great and the smx with the valve blend was really usable.The V6 is big and full sounding and can get dirty if pushed but the V4! Well it really is a beast,2 channels so foot switchable and can get Filthy dirty,valve compressor and on board biasing led's.It really is the dogs danglies. With the tranny stuff I always tweaked the graphic etc but with the V4 you just plug in with everything set flat and bang! It just sounds fantastic. So personally the valve stuff just sounds better but I keep one of the ah's just to chuck in the van as a not too shabby back up. Edited June 12, 2011 by mikhay77 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W1_Pro Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 The first proper amp I ever bought- in 1985- was an AH150 with a GP11 preamp (I assume a markV, but I'm not sure) which I used with a Trace elliott eight by ten box. It was utterly phenomenal. I foolishly sold it in about 1992 (broke, seemed like a good idea at the time etc etc) and I have spent the entire time since trying to come anywhere close to the sound of it. I would second what others have said about these amps. They are/were amazing. Only sorry I flogged mine.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtimefred Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 V4 all the way! its my baby and will never be sold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhay77 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 [quote name='longtimefred' post='1270304' date='Jun 15 2011, 04:27 PM']V4 all the way! its my baby and will never be sold.[/quote] +1. Maybe start a new thread on gear porn,V owners club. lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassie Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 (edited) I still have my AH250SMX after 2 years- pretty good term for me to still have an amp! I got it as sort of an accident victim and "nursed" it "back to health". It seems to set just right in the mix, and give me what I would generally like to hear. If I want it to 'break up a bit' I just push a little harder. The 2-band compressor is a winner, plumps and tightens up the bass just enough. The graphic is super-sensitive, and although I'd like a little more headroom it seems to be enough, even with a single 8 ohm cab... It's pretty light for cartage, and even without the renown blacklight it looks sharp! Good gigging head. Edited July 8, 2011 by Count Bassie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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