Trace Elliot is stepping up...By going small.....

[Downunderwonder]

Okay, folks. I was able to play the new Trace Elliot rig (in for review) at band practice tonight, and let me say, I was honestly impressed!

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This rig was able to keep up with two guitarists (not terribly loud, but certainly not quiet), a medium-hitting drummer (only the kick was mic'd) and vocals through a full PA. I wasn't running it wide open, but I was certainly pushing it to probably 2/3 to 3/4 of its max volume. Those cabs really help. Not only do the cabs sound great, but the tall stack had great dispersion and got the drivers closer to my ears.

I have not had a chance to A/B the ELF to any of my older Trace Elliot heads, but I plan on doing so. Initial impressions are that it's not especially "Trace Elliot" sounding, but that it's also not way off base, either. The EQ seems predictable and competent. The overdrive was a bit touchy to use, as it is designed to only kick in when the Gain is pretty much maxed. As it turns out, the compressor also gets much more aggressive when you crank up the Gain, so it was hard to find a spot that had a good amount overdrive, but wasn't getting too squishy from the compressor. It also likes to feedback a bit when cranked all the way up. Just as I was about to shrug my shoulders and move on, though, I found a setting that worked really well. So, while it's not super adjustable (though you can change the nature of the overdrive quite a bit via the EQ), there are some usable overdriven tones lurking in there!

Once again, this overall stack was pretty impressive, but seeing as how I was dealing with 800w of power handling on the cab side of the equation (each 2x8 will handle 400w) and only pushing them with 200w from the head, I thought I'd try it with an 800w head. As it turns out, the Quilter Bass Block 800 fits just perfect, and sounds amazing!

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The ELF head is quite impressive. While crazy small, it feels solid and substantial, and it performed beyond my expectations at practice. More to come, though...

The cabs, however, just may be "instant classics." I am not sure, but I am guessing that they have ceramic drivers, as they are not crazy light. However, given their small size, they are an easy carry. They feel very substantial, and employ 18mm ply, and 200w Faital drivers. At 8 ohms, each, they make a great 4-ohm load. The tone is definitely in the Trace Elliot wheel house. Plenty full, but not boomy, and plenty clear, but not harsh or brittle. This is my first time firing them up, but I am pretty darned excited about these cabs (and I get to play around with a lot of really nice gear).

Full reviews to come!

maybe a mod could edit ELF in the blimmin thread title to the ORIGINAL elf thread.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Trace Elliot is Peavey.
Just look at the contact info for theit warranty on their website.

From what I understand Peavey completely redesigned everything from the ground up with Trace.

Trace Elliot was a British PA company just like Yorkville / Traynor here in Canada which fits very well with Peavey. They have good ideas when it comes to amplification but I've always preferred bass guitar specific amp companies. Just my preference.

Peavey from the beginning has always had an excellent line of great bass amps. In the late 70's they introduced the market to more powerful affordable combos and in the 80's developed high power bass heads and cabs ahead of almost everyone. In the 70's-80's they were the touring amps for many national acts. Not so much anymore but they have kept up with sturdy, commercial quality amps. Their MiniMax, MiniMega, and new bass cabs have been getting super reviews by many forums including TB.

I toured Canada in the 80's and loved it! I remember going to the music stores and always seeing Traynor, Yorkville, and Peaveys. Great memories, I miss visiting Alberta.

 

[phillipkregg]

Based on my experience, the ELF's 200w pushing two of the 2x8's is enough to keep up in a loudish band practice setting, but I would not gig with that setup. However, with 800w behind them, those two 2x8's were more than adequate for full gig duty. In fact, I probably could have easily gone with a 500w head and still had plenty of headroom. I used the output from the Transit-B into the power amp input on a Quilter BB800, and it was a bona fide Trace Elliot tone, with plenty of power and headroom. Presuming that there is a more powerful Trace Elliot head coming down the road, I feel that Peavey is doing some exciting things with the Trace brand. I stand by my initial conclusion that these 2x8's are an "instant classic."

Great to hear Tom!

These days I've been playing through 2 Phil Jones C4 cabinets with a 400 watt Phil Jones head. Together they are a 4Ohm load and the cabs are stated to put out about 500 watts each at that Ohm load.

However I would like something stacked taller vertically but still lightweight and easy to load-in/out, and these Trace Elliots seem like a perfect size.

The only thing I worry about is I can be in some fairly loud settings at times and I play a LOT on the low B string. Did you have any issues with clipping or distortion when running at louder volumes with that Quilter?

I almost went with an Aguilar SL 2x12 but then I found out about these.

 

[tombowlus]

Great to hear Tom!

These days I've been playing through 2 Phil Jones C4 cabinets with a 400 watt Phil Jones head. Together they are a 4Ohm load and the cabs are stated to put out about 500 watts each at that Ohm load.

However I would like something stacked taller vertically but still lightweight and easy to load-in/out, and these Trace Elliots seem like a perfect size.

The only thing I worry about is I can be in some fairly loud settings at times and I play a LOT on the low B string. Did you have any issues with clipping or distortion when running at louder volumes with that Quilter?

I almost went with an Aguilar SL 2x12 but then I found out about these.

No, I have not had any issues (even on a low B) when pushing the rig hard with 800w. Granted, I don't run with the bass boosted, and I am not saying that you couldn't get into some issues with overexcursion if you cranked the bass. But in "normal, but loud" usage, these cabs hold up really well!