Berserker Posted February 5 Posted February 5 So I had my first Trace Elliot experience last night. Arrived at our usual rehearsal studio and the dusty old Peavey combo I usually use was gone, and this green and black beauty was there instead. I plugged in, and the sound was glorious, probably the best rock tone I've ever had. It looks like an 18" driver, so I expected it to be boomy, but it was extremely punchy, and cut through the rest of the band with ease. I use a Barefaced 410 and I swear this beast sounded better, and more punchy, now I'm doubting everything! I looked on the cab and couldn't see a model number... Anyone know what this is? 5 Quote
Pea Turgh Posted February 5 Posted February 5 Try picking it up. Your love might dissolve pretty quickly! 2 5 Quote
Berserker Posted February 5 Author Posted February 5 1 minute ago, Pea Turgh said: Try picking it up. Your love might dissolve pretty quickly! I did think that would be the case! Quote
mikebass456 Posted February 5 Posted February 5 I'm not up on the identification of the cab unfortunately, but I'm definitely with you on the sound! Way back in the 90's I borrowed a Trace Elliott 4x10 combo type thing off a mate while my Peavey TNT160 was being tinkered with. Id always loved the look of them, and everyone on TV etc seemed to be using them. It had a great tight loud sound if I remember rightly, but I couldn't seem to get the low end growl out of it that my Peavey did......... 1 Quote
mikebass456 Posted February 5 Posted February 5 1 minute ago, Pea Turgh said: Try picking it up. Your love might dissolve pretty quickly! Everything was bl**dy heavy in those days! My Peavey TNT160 was a hefty old hector, and only came with a single strap handle on the top. Good job I was nearly 35 years younger then.....😆 2 Quote
Pea Turgh Posted February 5 Posted February 5 (edited) I had an amp that decided to die in soundcheck. Absolutely sh*t myself as it was a big important one (for me - in the grand scheme of things it was just another covers gig). Soundie (bless his cotton socks) wheeled out an old 2x10 Trace combo and saved the night. Yes. Love was felt that night. Probably the best onstage sound I’ve ever had. Edited February 5 by Pea Turgh 3 Quote
Paul S Posted February 5 Posted February 5 It was a Trace Elliot 18" cab that did it for me, too. I had just bought an Ashdown combo but for some reason used the studio kit one night - Trace head and the 1x18 cab. Stag in Witham, if anyone knows it. That was it, I sold the Ashdown. I ended up with a choise of 2x10, 1x15 or 1x18 cabs, depending on my mood and where we were playing. Then my back went and that was that. 1 1 Quote
lemmywinks Posted February 5 Posted February 5 (edited) Trace Elliot 1182 Multi? Like this one? https://reverb.com/uk/item/17960758-trace-elliot-multi-stack-1x18-bass-cab Edited February 5 by lemmywinks 1 Quote
Berserker Posted February 5 Author Posted February 5 Yeah, that's exactly the same! 200w... I guess it's true what people say about Trace Elliot watts! I never went above half volume! Quote
DaleASmith Posted February 5 Posted February 5 The old 80s TE gear was pretty much the best you could buy at the time. No wonder it still sounds great today. I know a couple of people who swear by the old cabs. They deliver a really punchy sound that most modern cabs can’t match. 4 Quote
JottoSW1 Posted February 5 Posted February 5 (edited) 4 hours ago, Berserker said: So I had my first Trace Elliot experience last night. Arrived at our usual rehearsal studio and the dusty old Peavey combo I usually use was gone, and this green and black beauty was there instead. I plugged in, and the sound was glorious, probably the best rock tone I've ever had. It looks like an 18" driver, so I expected it to be boomy, but it was extremely punchy, and cut through the rest of the band with ease. I use a Barefaced 410 and I swear this beast sounded better, and more punchy, now I'm doubting everything! I looked on the cab and couldn't see a model number... Anyone know what this is? I think my 1818t sounds pretty cool, even with just an ashdown ctm30. The latterday cabs aren't as heavy as the classic ones though 1818t is bloody awkward for 1 person..! Edited February 5 by JottoSW1 Misspelled 1 1 Quote
Berserker Posted February 5 Author Posted February 5 Hey John, I thought you may appear in here! Do the more modern cabs have a similar sound to the older ones? Quote
Lozz196 Posted February 5 Posted February 5 I wonder if the reason the older cabs sound better is because they don’t go as low as the more modern ones maybe? I think back to the great basslines from the 70s & 80s and bass seemed to be less low lows. 3 Quote
Downunderwonder Posted February 5 Posted February 5 8 hours ago, Berserker said: Yeah, that's exactly the same! 200w... I guess it's true what people say about Trace Elliot watts! I never went above half volume! Halfway is full volume on slightly later ones. Quote
mikebass456 Posted February 5 Posted February 5 Anyone remember this CD being issued free with one of the bass guitar magazines back in the 90's? I thinks it's a compilation of the then current endorsees/users of Trace Elliot gear.....😉👍 5 Quote
itu Posted February 6 Posted February 6 Was it 1818X that had 10" and 18" elements in a box that was downright impossible to carry? Not only was it heavy, but the handles were in awkward places. A friend of mine had one for a very short time, like few weeks, and few gigs. 1 2 Quote
la bam Posted February 6 Posted February 6 (edited) What you've done is accidentally gone back to a 'proper' rig, and forgot how good they were Happrns to me a fair bit. I just get super happy that a new lightweight cab and amp is my best sound ever, then an old studio rig blows it out of the water... Its a bit like we've convinced ourselves over the last 10 years that the new stuff is better (probably because we want to because it's lighter and easier) when really it isn't. But yeh..... You'll soon get fed up of carrying a proper old skool rig around I tried lifting one of those old trace 410 combos years ago.... and I can still feel it now Edited February 6 by la bam 3 2 Quote
funkydoug Posted February 6 Posted February 6 I had a similar experience. I had got used to lightweight, class D neo- gear and then found myself using a Trace 4x10 combo in rehearsal. It belonged to the studio so never had to be moved, and it sounded out of this world. Night and day difference to what I had become accustomed to. Really was an ‘awesome’ sound. It’s like cinema audio… if you don’t have to worry about moving it, amplifying bass is very different ! 3 Quote
Delberthot Posted February 6 Posted February 6 (edited) At one point i had a 1248H and I think 1524V - a 4x12" and matching square 2x15" with diagonally mounted drivers. they were around 45kgs each. It was fun trying to lift the 1524V on top of the 1248. Actually no it wasn't but the sound was collossal. Not the best sound I've ever had but possibly the mightiest rig I've had This was the small rig with the 1248H & 4052 bright box Edited February 6 by Delberthot 4 Quote
DaleASmith Posted February 7 Posted February 7 7 hours ago, Delberthot said: At one point i had a 1248H and I think 1524V - a 4x12" and matching square 2x15" with diagonally mounted drivers. they were around 45kgs each. It was fun trying to lift the 1524V on top of the 1248. Actually no it wasn't but the sound was collossal. Not the best sound I've ever had but possibly the mightiest rig I've had This was the small rig with the 1248H & 4052 bright box there is currently one of these 2x15 V type cabs for sale near to me. Quite tempted to grab it. Quote
bremen Posted February 9 Posted February 9 On 06/02/2025 at 23:07, Delberthot said: At one point i had a 1248H and I think 1524V - a 4x12" and matching square 2x15" with diagonally mounted drivers. they were around 45kgs each. It was fun trying to lift the 1524V on top of the 1248. Actually no it wasn't but the sound was collossal. Not the best sound I've ever had but possibly the mightiest rig I've had This was the small rig with the 1248H & 4052 bright box That bright box was clearly designed not to offer any brightness to anyone not standing directly in front of it Quote
Downunderwonder Posted February 9 Posted February 9 1 hour ago, bremen said: That bright box was clearly designed not to offer any brightness to anyone not standing directly in front of it The engineers managed to insist on end feet but no promotional photo ever saw a magazine with it deployed in the vertical. Quote
BassmanPaul Posted February 9 Posted February 9 On 05/02/2025 at 06:33, Berserker said: Yeah, that's exactly the same! 200w... I guess it's true what people say about Trace Elliot watts! I never went above half volume! The physical rotation of the volume control has no relevance to the actual output power the amp is producing. "Half volume" does not mean 100W being put out. 1 Quote
bremen Posted February 9 Posted February 9 7 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said: The engineers managed to insist on end feet but no promotional photo ever saw a magazine with it deployed in the vertical. So they did, hadn't noticed that! I guess the badge rotates 🙂 Quote
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