badboy1984 Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 (edited) Took this amp home with me last night for well under £100. Is a old Trace Elliot i believe with XLR input as well. The amp works which is a good thing and sound decent so far, haven't really try it out properly yet so can't say is flawless yet. Consider the amp's age i expect some service in the future as well. First the amp have 2 power switches, one at the back and one at the front, I take it it have seperate power switches for the power amp and pre amp section. The back panel is simple and i take it the 2 jack output is to connect 2x 8ohm cabs. The amp is not uber quiet like modern amps but in band/gig situation it doesn't matter too much. The amp is heavy but i guess all the weight is from the power amp inside the case but it feel very sturdy overall. I'm start thinking shall I ditch the TC cab and grab a trace cab instead. Everytime i play a trace elliot combo (not the new one) it sounded bloody loud. I play the 150watt 15" Trace combo in church and it is very loud when the gain and output is set halfway. If this amp pumps out more power then that, i can't imagine how loud it can get. I only play small/medium size venue and PA support sometimes. I guess this amp will be loud enough for small gig without using PA. Given the age of the amp i guess mid 1980's. I take it the amp was design and build in UK? Edited March 14, 2014 by badboy1984 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theyellowcar Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 That's a beast! Congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy1984 Posted March 15, 2014 Author Share Posted March 15, 2014 Yeah is a beast, I will take the amp to service to make sure everything is all good and gig ready. It sound different then most modern amp. very good in my taste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy1984 Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 Taking my amp to Roland Lumby in Manchester on Friday to get it check up. Hopefully Roland can service it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 From what I've heard, if Roland can't fix a valve amp then nobody can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Wow, others will be able to confirm but that looks like a super early Trace Mark IV head. Yes UK designed and built - tank like in construction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy1984 Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 The thing is, this vintage trace is not valve. I guess it just need a good service to make sure everything is working correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy1984 Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 [quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1395155883' post='2399273'] Wow, others will be able to confirm but that looks like a super early Trace Mark IV head. Yes UK designed and built - tank like in construction. [/quote] Hell yeah it feels like it is very sturdy and had been gigged many times. It is heavy but it is very solid. I won't worry the amp will break during transportation lol. The amp still functional perfectly apart from a few things. Clip LED light is not working, I have try crank it to max gain and the light is still not on. Also I think when connected to one of the speaker jack it produce distortion tone randomly but it goes back to clean when turning the preamp off and on again. I guess the amp just need a simple service. I love the sound of the amp, one of the best amp I play so far. I have try many different brand in the pass i.e markbass, TC, ampeg, ashdown, GK etc. I have paid £60 for this amp, can't complain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I suspect you'll be able to ask for a lot more than 60 quid with the right people. Nice find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy1984 Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 I really glad I actually made the4 decision to buy this Trace. I was so close from pulling a trigger to buy a brand new micro amp. The older Trace definite have a different character in terms of tone, I play so newer Trace before and the older one definite sound much better in my ear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 The back panel is interesting - no obvious screen printed info e.g. wattage, mains voltage, frequency, EC approvals etc. I would have expected that sort of info on a production amp - have never seen one without some info (other than srious vintage lit) since I got into music - 1974. On that basis I would start wondering is it a pre-production prototype (or replacement back panel)? You might have something pretty unique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topheteatwo Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Guy who plays in our practise space nabbed one of these for £50, had no idea it was as rare as it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy1984 Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 (edited) I was wondering about the back panel for some time because I expect it to look like a back panel with all the info etc. The guy i bought it from did say the power rating for this amp is 200watt. 200watt is plenty enough for my use and we all know that trace elliot watt is really under rated. The amp is bloody loud. It could be a prototype from the 80's. I don't have much knowledge on Trace gear. Edited March 19, 2014 by badboy1984 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Strange it only says 'GP11 Pre Amp' on the front. I hope there is a power amp in there as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy1984 Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 Their is a poweramp to this unit. Is at the back. The back power switch turns the power amp on and the front power switch turns the preamp on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnDeereJack Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 (edited) This is definitely pre-MKIV, personally I'm leaning towards MKIII. These are fantastic heads; the early Trace stuff sounds great and is built to last. I'm still using the same MKV AH150 & 1048 cab I bought new in 1985/86. The only thing I've had done in terms of servicing is replacing the plastic input jacks with metal ones - nothing else has needed to be replaced or fixed. Drop Thornybank a line - he's a bit of a Trace Elliot expert and I'm sure he'll fill in the gaps for you. Edited March 19, 2014 by johnDeereJack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 It may just be a pre amp, the power amp with the separate mains switch and blank panel might be a later add on. If you like the sound does that matter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy1984 Posted March 20, 2014 Author Share Posted March 20, 2014 [quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1395242652' post='2400114'] It may just be a pre amp, the power amp with the separate mains switch and blank panel might be a later add on. If you like the sound does that matter? [/quote] Doesn't really matter to be honest. Just wanted to find out more about the amp. If that poweramp is later added, I would prefer to change it in the future for a more quiet one ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy1984 Posted March 20, 2014 Author Share Posted March 20, 2014 This big boy will get service tomorrow. Hopefully not much need to be done after inspection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy1984 Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 The amp is with Roland Lumby at the moment for a full service. Apparently the amp is one of those very very early Trace Elliot where the GP11 is the trace preamp and go with many different poweramp. So no specify model saying 200watt head or 500watt. Look like I got a decent amp without knowing lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 result! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy1984 Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 Will keep you guys up to date when Roland finish working on the amp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badboy1984 Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 Unfortunately the amp still have problem when I got the amp back today. Distortion tone even at low gain and low volume on a passive bass. Volume knob seen to do nothing part from adding more hiss .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.