Trace Elliot Commando 12 - a short story..

[VTypeV4]

I appreciate discussions regarding these were a less than a 'hot topic' 20 years ago let alone today.. 😬

 

This little combo cropped up on eBay last week for a ridiculous price so I pulled the trigger. Costing less than £40 including the tin of contact cleaner and the fuel to fetch it, it seemed a true bargain although it was certainly looking a bit sorry for itself. The sellers' description was fair and honest suggesting it worked and passed audio but the pots were a little crackly. I decided it was best to pull it apart and sort the late model 12" Trace combo from the ground up. ❤️

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope the pics show it's short story from grubby to gleaming plus a little look under the bonnet of how they built them all those years ago - a date sticker says 03/2001 although the transformer sticker suggests it may be a little later than that.

 

After a few hours of scrubbing, cleaning and a quiick polish plus half a tin of contact cleaner, the Commando 12 once again lives to fight another day. I played it for about half an hour after I'd put it all back together and it worked faultlessly - the budget Trace sounds surprisingly sweet despite the modest 100w rating and that somewhat marginal 12" Truvox Celestion. I still need to find a missing jack nut but that's about the worst of it.

 

It will go to the college when we start up again in September (I'll not keep it - I have enough Trace gear!) so it will go on to help the next generation of musicians hone their skills and find their own sound. 🥰

[Count Bassy]

2 hours ago, VTypeV4 said:

 - the budget Trace sounds surprisingly sweet despite the modest 100w rating 

 

Ah, but those are Trace Watts!

[TheGreek]

I never really considered these as "real" Trace Elliots even though they did have one thing in common with your full cream milk TEs - weight!! For a small practice amp they don't half weigh something.

[ahpook]

That's smashing.

 

Nice work.

[MichaelDean]

A Commando 12 was my second amp about 23 years ago! I had to replace my first amp as soon as possible as it was terrible. I think I bought it from Coda Music from their ad in the back of Guitarist. Loved the sound out of the Commando 12, but it didn't have a balanced DI out, the line out wasn't great (I seem to remember) and it couldn't keep up with the guitarists valve combo, so I had to move it along to get something louder. 

[Merton]

My first amp was a Mk1 Commando 15 combo. Loved its tone but it never quite managed to cope at a gig. Always fancied either getting one of the (ultra rare) heads or finding a combo and taking out the amp section.

 

Cracking job cleaning up this one! I may have a spare jack nut - will have a look when I get home tomorrow

 

[Ed_S]

I'm at about the 23 year mark as well, and my first real amp was a Commando 15 mk2. Thought I'd got the world, and in fairness it felt about that heavy with its single strap handle on the top. I was always convinced that handle was going to break, but somehow it never did. Great to see a 12 still in reasonable shape and getting a spruce-up to keep it out and about.

[VTypeV4]

Thanks for the kind words, folks. 🥰 It's lovely to hear stories of yester-year - it seems more than a few of this humble range got some of us up and running.

 

I agree with the general consensus that these were a little light on features regarding connectivity and marginal gigging capability although I expect the 15" model did a bit better than these smaller examples. The claimed 100w output is probably fair but I can't imagine any of us fancy trying to gig one of these today!? My ex from many moons ago (about 2002) had the later MK2 (150w) Commando 15 which always sounded good to me although I don't think she ever gigged it. 100% agreed regarding the weight - there's certainly no lack of that! 🤣

 

My first full-fat Trace wasn't a million miles from the Commando, it was a 712 SMC which was effectively same size box but with the 7-band SMC preamp and slightly pokier 130w power stage. From memory, it too was a little marginal at gigs but was much improved when it went back to the factory for a speaker upgrade. The original BG12S wasn't a great driver and it wore out quite quickly giving a nasty paper 'flap' when driven so Trace put a 200w Q (2035?) series in as a replacement. 

 

I have a writing session with the band this eveing so I'll press the little Commando into service for that. I'm really pleased that it will make some music both with me and later at the college after being out of service for a while as it really is a lovely sounding thing, ❤️

 

@Merton PM me if you find one and we'll make a plan. 🥰 

 

 

 

 

[BassmanPaul]

Enjoy your new toy! It's great when a project comes together properly/

[Rodders]

I've got an earlier Commando 12 with the Rat Fur as opposed to Tolex.

The speaker needs a recone or replacing. Its at a rehearsal space at the moment but once I can get hold of it I'll ask Celestion what they would suggest replacing it with.

[VTypeV4]

7 hours ago, Rodders said:

I've got an earlier Commando 12 with the Rat Fur as opposed to Tolex.

The speaker needs a recone or replacing. Its at a rehearsal space at the moment but once I can get hold of it I'll ask Celestion what they would suggest replacing it with.

 

Celestion no longer make the Truvox series although they do make pretty much the same driver range now badged as the 'TF' range. Their TF1220 is equivalent to the driver in mine. I'm sure the helpful service at Celestion will point you in the right direction. I wonder if yours has the questionable BG12-S that some of these shipped with - they're easily spotted by coming with a dark green frame. The Commando enclosure is about 60 litres in volume and judging by the porting is tuned to 55hz - I don't have mine to hand to measure exactly so these figures aren't exact although the folk at Celestion may find it useful.

 

Good luck.   

[lemmywinks]

8 hours ago, Rodders said:

I've got an earlier Commando 12 with the Rat Fur as opposed to Tolex.

The speaker needs a recone or replacing. Its at a rehearsal space at the moment but once I can get hold of it I'll ask Celestion what they would suggest replacing it with.

 

 

I'd chop the cab part off and use it as a head tbh, probably not worth throwing money at unless you really like the amp.

 

I had the rat fur 15" version, never liked it but our family cat at the time (RIP Timmy) loved it - a giant scratching post and a comfy bed rolled into one! Never sounded as loud as it looked/weighed and was always struggling for clean volume at rehearsals/gigs.

 

[la bam]

I gigged with one of these in my first band as my first main amp 22 years ago. Decent sized pubs too. I had no idea how to use it, but managed to do alright. Good to see they're still going! 

[Dood]

Who wants to hear an interesting fact that will have the eBay watch lists going crazy?

[Merton]

5 minutes ago, Dood said:

Who wants to hear an interesting fact that will have the eBay watch lists going crazy?

Ooooh, me!!!

[Dood]

9 minutes ago, Merton said:

Ooooh, me!!!

 

Well, since it's you.... The Commando preamplifier section is essentially a FET version of the V-Type valve preamplifier. The schematics (obviously taking in to consideration the differences between valve and transistor needs) are remarkably similar! For recording or feeding in to another amplifier, you've a v-type on the cheap, kinda! 

[Merton]

Yep - they designed it as a cost effective alternative didn’t they! It does sound rather good 🤓

[VTypeV4]

3 hours ago, Dood said:

 

Well, since it's you.... The Commando preamplifier section is essentially a FET version of the V-Type valve preamplifier. The schematics (obviously taking in to consideration the differences between valve and transistor needs) are remarkably similar! For recording or feeding in to another amplifier, you've a v-type on the cheap, kinda! 

 

I'll have to do some further 'sonic' investigation.. ❤️ As mentioned above, I was very impressed with it's core tone - I'll put my usual NE-1 / LMB-3 in the loop (as per my V-Type setup) and see how it sounds through both it's own speaker and into the desk.. 

Edited August 7, 2023 by VTypeV4

[Merton]

No luck finding those jack socket nuts, sorry @VTypeV4 

 

[Downunderwonder]

There was a Commando on the stage for me at one gig. I think it may have been a 15 but not sure, it didn't say. Defo an older version of the OP's. Iirc there was a line out going to FOH DI box or it might have been the amp DI. We did a few numbers for a sound check shake down and then left for dinner.

 

Kid band had the slot before us at the gig. I was afraid he had blown it up as bass was coming over distorted to hell. Kids. Their band wasn't as loud as ours by a long shot. Thankfully there was no distortion coming out of it when I plugged in.

[VTypeV4]

1 hour ago, Merton said:

No luck finding those jack socket nuts, sorry @VTypeV4 

 

 

Not a problem, many thanks for looking. ❤️😀

 

7 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

There was a Commando on the stage for me at one gig. I think it may have been a 15 but not sure, it didn't say. Defo an older version of the OP's. Iirc there was a line out going to FOH DI box or it might have been the amp DI. We did a few numbers for a sound check shake down and then left for dinner.

 

Kid band had the slot before us at the gig. I was afraid he had blown it up as bass was coming over distorted to hell. Kids. Their band wasn't as loud as ours by a long shot. Thankfully there was no distortion coming out of it when I plugged in.

 

Fingers crossed this one remains (reasonably at least!) distortion free..

[Gasman]

So everyone’s going Commando now?

[Ed_S]

30 minutes ago, Gasman said:

So everyone’s going Commando now?

Anything else would be pants.

[Chienmortbb]

Were these made from MDF? I remember talking to an ex Trace chap that was going to make me an extension cab for my BLX130. He was insistent that MDF was the only material for a speaker cabinet. 

[la bam]

11 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

Were these made from MDF? I remember talking to an ex Trace chap that was going to make me an extension cab for my BLX130. He was insistent that MDF was the only material for a speaker cabinet. 

 

Whatever it was it was flipping heavy! Probably up there with the old heavy 4x10s in terms of weight. I used to lug one upstairs to practice every week.