Just what is the Trace Elliot Sound?

[Beedster]

[quote name='thodrik' post='709015' date='Jan 11 2010, 04:24 PM']I've got one of the old GP7 SM300 combos, with a 15 inch speaker. I used it for 8 years without any amp problems at all. Though when other bassists used it they would often say the following things.

1.'Your amp is broke' = The mute switch is engaged
2. 'There isn't much headroom, its clipping all over the place'= I've got both the gain and master volume set at nine, set the amp for passive and play a Stingray
3. 'The graphic EQ doesn't change anything'= It rarely does when ALL of the EQ switches are set for a 12db boost.
4. 'Its sounds sterile and quiet'=I crank the treble and the cut all frequencies below 500Hz, but still expect the sound of an Ampeg 8x10 paired with a vintage SVT amp to be achievable through a ten year old solid state combo with one speaker.

Some people just think that the only sound you can get out of a trace amp is the mid scoop pre-set, which once engaged really does colour your sound. I quite like it but I do think it can destroy the personality of certain basses, as it just never agreed with my Vigier Excess, though it sounded great with my Precision.

However I still think you can get a good tone out of most basses using the Graphic EQ without the pre-sets. I've tried lots of other Trace amps and feel they are unfairly cast as only being able to 'do' one sound. Clueless bassists that don't how to work a graphic eq can get some horrible sounds though.


However, I do think that in the last 15 years hybrid tube-solid state amps have kind of taken up the market where the solid state Trace Elliot stuff used to be.[/quote]

Good post, agree about the preset and Precisions (oh, and idiots who shove all the 12 bands up full and shake their heads)

C

[Low End Bee]

I bought one of the new combos (715X) in July after really liking it on a test play in the shop.

After plenty of fiddling in a band scenario the best sound I got out of it was with the graphic off and the pre-shape on. Works well with a precision. Nice punchy sound and the compressor at 8-9 o'clock works great. It's got the nice growly thing going. I found it a bit clean for the band so I stick a bit of dirty Sansamp in front of it and I'm very happy with it now.
I should have just bought a Tech 21 head and a cab or two in hindsight. But that's a wonderful thing that you never get to have when you need it.

[4000]

My old Trace rig (very, very early) was the best sounding rig I've ever had with my old Ricks. What's more it sounded great with most (but not all) other stuff too. If it weighed 80lb less I'd have it back in an instant. The "Trace sound" (engage that mid-cut preshape!) was always the basis of "my" sound and to be honest I've struggled with most other rigs I've had (although the Ashdown works pretty well). I also never had problems hearing myself, certainly no more than with anything else. I'll also add that whenever I see a band and the bass player is backlining using Trace I can hear the bass clean as a bell and with real guts and power. This has been true from metal bands to indie bands to funk and jazz.

Edited January 11, 2010 by 4000