NAD -- see anything green?

[Rich]

After far too long (getting on for 20 years, in fact), I'm a Trace Elliot owner again. I've been really happy with my Genz-Benz Shuttle 9.2, and the 6.0 before it, but when I was looking back through my feedback thread I realised I'd been using the Shuttles since October 2009. Time for a change.

I'd been intrigued by the new Trace TE-1200 since its release. Everything I'd read led me to believe that it had Trace DNA flowing through it, and with the old GP12SMX still being my favourite preamp ever I hoped perhaps this would get me somewhere close. My redundancy payout meant that suddenly I could afford it, so I said 'sod it' and pulled the trigger. Thomann's price was by far the cheapest anywhere online, so I gave them my money. And yesterday, the nice DHL man left it on my doorstep without ringing the doorbell 🙄 it's a bloody good job I was in.

Anyway -- I was unnerved when I picked the box up, as it weighed a ton. On opening it all up, I soon found out that this was down to the supplied 4-way footswitch, which actually weighs more than the amp  it's still in the box now, as I'll probably never use it. 

I've finally today got round to plumbing it into my rack case and damn it looks good in there.

 

 

If there's one thing I really dislike aesthetically, it's those huge green words on the rack ears. They just look tacky and will have to go. I will just cover them up with insul tape until I've decided it's a keeper, at which point I'll either t-cut them off or spray them black.

Tomorrow, it's time to fire it up and see how much of my garage I can destroy. 😈

 

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 19:44 by Rich

[BassmanPaul]

Nice Peavey amp you have there!

 

Edited Tuesday at 21:45 by BassmanPaul

[Rich]

[Rich]

Well, I fired it up earlier. You probably heard it from where you are. JEEEEZUS H TAPDANCING CHRIST, THIS THING IS A MONSTER. The power is just immense. I haven't tweaked the EQ or compressor at all yet, I just wanted to make sure that a} it worked and b} the core tone was good. 

It's definitely a keeper. 

I'll do a proper Basschatter's review of it once I've used it in a band setting. 

[neepheid]

It would appear that part of Great Britain has broken off from the rest and is floating away...

[stevie]

Welcome to the select band of TE-1200 users. Just wait 'til you try the compressor- it's ace.

 

I can't help thinking they should have made the footswitch and rack ears optional in order to reduce the price. I won't be using either of those.

 

You now need to make sure you have a cab capable of reproducing the amp's gorgeous tones. 😀

 

 

[Russ]

On 21/01/2025 at 16:44, BassmanPaul said:

Nice Peavey amp you have there!

 

Peavey might make them, but the Trace team at Peavey are all hardcore Trace fanboys/fangirls. They know and love that sound and have done a great job at reproducing it in the TE-1200. Just much, much louder.  It’s the first amp I’ve had that’s really stretched the limits of my Barefaced Big Twin II. 

 

I just wish they’d make some more practical cabs to go with it - they’re either too small (the 1x10” or 2x8”, the ones meant for the ELF) or enormous and heavy. We need new versions of the old 1153 and 2103H - ie, something that’ll actually fit into a normal-size car and not break your back when moving them! 

Edited 4 hours ago by Russ

[Downunderwonder]

On a dark stage the glare of the knob lights will make the away facing white dot indicators invisible. Dopey design. If the knobs had pointers they would be silhouetted.