Trace Elliot AH400-SMX & GP12-SMX

[lukewarm]

2 hours ago, VTypeV4 said:

Brilliant - try it and see! It never did Mark King any harm.. 🤣

Thanks for the kind words and I'm glad you're still getting great service from the rig. I wouldn't worry about selling the 4x10 as that 400w power stage (as I'm sure you're already aware) is more than capable of driving pretty much anything.. I still need to try the SMX through my SWR boxes as they're fantastic with the V4..

Glad you enjoyed the review. 😎

It is a beast - only ever had the volume on 2 maybe 2.5... even when using the rig as a monitor! - I am tempted on getting the ELF for pub gigs... I loaded the head into my car today for a rehearsal to make sure she plays OK (as been hibernation since our last gig before COVID) and i forgot how hear the head really is!!!

[hemdee666]

Plugged in my bass and tried out the amp. My other amp is a Markbass SD1200., which is a T- Rex. But this thing has to be Godzilla..... Phew, what a sound and headroom.....400 transistor and transformer watts easily outnumber 1200 class D watts. Really happy with this. 😻 grtz, Marc. 

[hemdee666]

This is it!!! Looove it. Also gave the beast a new cage to live in. Altough it cannot be caged... Grtz, Marc

[VTypeV4]

Looks great! 😎

[TraceBob]

Great review.
Have two 300 SMXs, both taken from combos, so wider than a factory head and with vents at each side.
One is dodgy, sound breaks up now and then so needs attention. But since the other works fine I haven't bothered.
Also have an AH250 Mk V and AH150 Mk V.
But I'm old so go places with a Fender Rumble 500 combo, at 36lbs a doddle to carry.
I'm thinking to get a modern light cab though, then use my Trace/s again.



 

[PaulWarning]

I've got a GP12 SMX, but it's a AH250, no fan, fairly light at 13Kg

[VTypeV4]

 

The big SMX and it's cabs happily sat in the live room at the studio. I've not used it myself much this year although it's seen some action featuring on a few sessions and sounding great - as ever. 😃 There have been no issues and the rig remains 100% reliable - no doubt, it's just as good as the day it came out of the factory. 💯

 

 

Up in the control room, the 'mini mighty' rig now sit's in the spot previously occupied by the 400. 😃

 

The two setups do sound (a little) different but I'll put 90% of that difference down to the 4x8 vs the 2x10 - both fifteens feature the same driver plus it goes without saying, the pre-amp stage is identical. Yes, the 400 has more I/O options and features but in terms of tonal control, there's no difference One thing that is apparent is that the 300SMX is a little noisier both in terms of fan and background noise.

 

I'll do some 'gut shots' when I get chance as I've not yet been inside this one. I assume it's fitted with the notorious 'bipolar bear' power stage although the previous owner didn't mention any failures and he'd owned it all from new.. 😬  

[VTypeV4]

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to give the little SMX a quick once over yesterday and it seems all is well inside. It's good and reassuring to see the Clive Button power amplifier section in there as I had suspected it might have the somewhat more troublesome bi-polar bear - I assume the CB was factory fitted judging by the date stickers and gobs of hot glue. It didn't really need it once I saw how clean it was but I felt better giving the old girl a quick dust out by the fan / heat sink and a squirt of contact cleaner..  😀

 

[Rich]

I'm loving these photos, really superb closeups. Some of them almost look like futuristic cityscapes straight out of Metropolis. 

 

[dclaassen]

 I also want to thank you for this brilliant review. I bought the same rig about 2 months ago, and am falling in love with it. When in the States, I used to play through a MusicMan head that also had a valve preamp section, and this often reminds me of that rig, although this one seems a lot more versatile. If I want 80's (or a good jazz sound), I'll use my Pedulla 5'er. For more modern stuff, it's a Yamaha active bass. The amp responds to both (although quite differently) beautifully. Well worth hauling the extra heft around, IMO. 

 

Well done on a very useful review!

[VTypeV4]

21 minutes ago, dclaassen said:

 I also want to thank you for this brilliant review. I bought the same rig about 2 months ago, and am falling in love with it. When in the States, I used to play through a MusicMan head that also had a valve preamp section, and this often reminds me of that rig, although this one seems a lot more versatile. If I want 80's (or a good jazz sound), I'll use my Pedulla 5'er. For more modern stuff, it's a Yamaha active bass. The amp responds to both (although quite differently) beautifully. Well worth hauling the extra heft around, IMO. 

 

Well done on a very useful review!

 

Glad it's been of use to you. 😀

 

My 400 is currently aloft the Ampeg PR810H at the studio which is a pretty formidable rig although it's usually used fo it's comprehensive I/O often linking into other setups and / or a clean DI rather than it's brute power. Recently, I've liberated the 2103H and 1153 for use with the V-Type V6 which also work really well together.