Trace Elliot 7210H 210 Combo

This is the very old Series 6 version, before they started putting in compression. Don't know when it was made. IT has active and passive inputs, DI out, 7-band eq, gain and volume controls, headphone socket (you'd blow your ears off I think), effects loop. I'm playing classic rock and blues and it is great for both. 2x10 speakers and a tweeter, plus two tuning tubes.

With the 7-band eq there's plenty of flexibility, given that its solid state. I play through a Sans Amp Bass Driver, which adds a warmer tube tone. The headroom is amazing, I've never had the volume knob further up than 4, though admitedly we don't play large venues.

It's fine so long as you leave the gain knob alone. It's cut out on me a couple of times, always when I adjusted the gain so someone else could play through it. I think the pot needs a clean, but I can't see how to get in to do it. Anyway, it's never let me down during a set, only before during sound checks. Given the age I can't complain and it could probably be solved by a good repair man.

They were bought out by Gibson and allowed to die. Thank you Gibson.

Bought it on eBay. If I'd known more about amps at the time, there were more recent versions for a similar price, but I bought this one because it was relatively close to collect. Went for Trace because whenever I'd seen bass players using their amps I noticed how good the sound was. Only thing I don't like is the 70lbs+ weight. I put wheels on it, but you still need two people to take it more than a few feet. I've been looking at Ashdown MAG combos, which are mega light, but the reviews on reliability are awful and that really puts me off. Before this I had a Hartke B60, which was ok for a small amp, but didn't look or sound like it meant business. The Trace means business all the way.

This Trace is an older model - 7210 SMC. Even though I bought it new this year in the local music-shop, they sold me an old amp - bastards! Nevertheless, this amp is ok. Has 7-band EQ, compressor, that I don't use very often, but if I do, I turn it to 1 or 1 mark. Preshape button is very nice, I really never turn it off. It boosts low and high freqencies. It has 2x10" Celestion speakers and a tweeter that work great. I think that the box does much for the overall sound as it has two huge bass-reflex holes. I play mostly pop-rock and some JAZZ on it, but I guess it's great for all styles of music. I never tried it with distortion though.
It has all sorts of imputs and outputs and I never had problems connecting to any PA, DI-box, effects or anything else for that matter.
It's power of 300W is mora than I ever expected, and it deserves a 10 for power, but I gave it a 9 because it could use a few more EQ-touches in the high freq. area.

I use it mostly with my active neck-thru 4-string bass but I tried it with passive basses aswell and it performs excellent. I've put it up against an Ampeg combo with same features, and it kicks Ampeg's ass. The same is with Fender Bassman and a 300W Yamaha. Trace gives you ultimate BASS and still has enough power and punch. It sounds great on any volume even though 2 is volume for smaller gigs, and 4 is for bigger gigs. So you can't really play quiet with this rig.

I sometimes played it in a club so small that my 5-member band barely stands on stage. In these conditions I can't hear my trebble well because I'm standing right in front of the amp. So I don't really hear anything, just feel something shaking the stage behind me. And with trebble fully boosted, this amp sounds excellent.

I had it for 6 months now and I already feel it's going to be the most reliable piece of equipment I own. On gigs I never thought about bringing a backup amp. It survived almost 100 rehersals and 10 gigs so far, and I think it's going to survive another 100 gigs without ever failing.

This amp is a very heavy bastard - maybe 40Kg. Once it screwed my ankle. Since then I never carry it around without a strong guy at the other handle. So it has been bounced, kicked and had some rough landings - nothing seems to bother it's stability.

Never had to contact them.

I've played guitar for 15 years, and bass for 3 years now. This is my first (and I hope last I'll ever need) bass amp. I bought this amp because I knew I'd need power to fight against guitar-players (I used to be one). As it turns out, I never even need half of the power I got in that small box. Also bought it because most of the bass players I played with before drooled about Trace.

If it were stolen, I'd probably hire someone to kill the thief. Would also buy a new one. Maybe a Trace 112H combo because it has the same features like this one, only with 12bandEQ.

I play mostly classic rock/blues and a little funk/motown type stuff. Man I love this amp! Loud as hell more than you'll ever need for anything but the largest rooms. You can add a 1x15 or run it through the PA anyway. I really like the Green display too :) The more I play this amp the more I like it.

I play an ESP 4 string (not LTD) P-Bass with the 7-band EQ I can get any sound I want. Can really handle the low E. I use to avoid an open E with my old amp but this amp handles the low E with no problem. The low E used to distort with my Hartke Kickback 12 even at low volume. Now it's a pleasure to hear that note loud and clear.

So far so good. never had a problem

never had to use 'em

I've been playing for about 15 years. Best bass amp I ever had. I think this will easily compare to the SWR Super Redhead, Eden Metro, Genz-Benz, GK, EBS Gorm or Taurus, Ampeg, or anything else you want to throw at it. When you factor in price there is no comparison. If I had unlimited funds I probably take another look at the Eden or EBS. This amp sounds great and I think it looks pretty cool too!

What I have is the older version of the 7210H I think, simply "7210SMC" as I recall (it's not in front of me right now), a 1999 model? I bought it from an online retailer that was blowing them out at a great price, and I just happened to be in the market for a powerful combo.

It has all the usual Trace crap: 7 band graphic eq, solid state design, pre-shape switch, single-knob compressor, active & passive inputs, input gain, output level, fx loop, ext speaker out.

It would be nice to have fatter sounding speakers, a little more headroom, and maybe a tube channel to blend in (like the new Mesas). The compressor could be a little more flexible, all it has is a level knob (no specific threshhold or ratio).

I play in a number of bands and settings, live and studio, using my main Zon Sonus fretlesses as well as a Fender American Jazz and an old Zon Scepter. I play primarily thrash metal, progressive metal, funky rock, folksy rock, even county rock for a bit, and some blues and jazz jams on occasion.
As it's a 210 combo, I knew I couldn't expect earth-shattering low end; what I needed was an amp that's portable yet loud and very clear sounding (since most of your live sound comes thru the PA anyway) - it's quite loud for a 210, and very punchy, perfectly meeting my expectations believe it or not.
I use it in conjunction with a Carvin 210 cab for extra girth, and I've come to really prefer that overall sound over the Trace alone: it's really barky in the mids by itself (maybe some new monster speakers would fix that?).

Ideally, tonewise, I'd have a bunch of Mesa and Bergantino cabs and a few SVTs and Kern preamps, but there's alot of money and roadies I don't have. Screw carrying all that crap around!

A couple of weeks after I first got it, the bastard totally blew on me. I was worried that I got a lemon and subsequently destroyed it (Trace has a bad rep for warranty service). I took it in to our local amp master, and he said it was a transistor that fried; he replaced it and said he reinforced the entire assembly (with hot glue and solder I think?).
Now after buying a Carvin tarp cover for it which doesn't really fit too well, I've had no problems or worries at all. Like my old AH500X head from years ago, this thing is damn near bulletproof. It's kinda heavy for one person to lug, so it can get banged around in transit, but it fits in the trunk of a taxicab and always performs.

Rated 7 considering the initial setback.

As I was warned by the guy at the amp shop, Trace is very unresponsive to their warranty requests; normally I'd view this with a great deal of distaste, but since I paid so little and I'm getting so much out of it as is, I'm not too irked. If I had a real gear budget I'd certainly look at other brands, for support reasons but also for other tone colors.

Not perfect by any means, but considering what I paid and what I put it through I'm still stoked on it. I've surprised a great many people with it (.."...where's your huge rig? It's THAT thing? Whoa!! That's loud!"...). If it were stolen or destroyed somehow I'd look into other items - for a little variety, and also because the new price is much higher than it was.

(Note: my ratings are not based on amp ideals, but on what the amp offers vs. its direct class competition.)

The amp was made in 2001, as with the rest of the combo, and it is also very versatile with the 7 band preshaping. It has an effects loop, no headphone out(not a practice amp by any means), and it just strait looks cool as hell(Electroluminescent Displays kick ass). I like the balanced DI out, it helps when running to a PA. I use this amp on stage, and also in my room, which makes the neighbors unhappy. I believe its a solid state amp.

I have used it with a wide array of basses, Ernie Ball fretless Music Man, Ibanez SDGR with EMG's and preamp(18v), Curbow by Cort, Jackson JS-1 Dinky Reverse(sounds great with a bass amp), Gibson LP(also great with bass amp), and a few other basses, these are my main ones. The tones that come out of this amp are nothing short of amazing, and theres absolutly no noise(except for the fan, but nothing noticable). Pop and slap like the gods, all the way, I mean, its the only way to play a bass. Played in a small room it will make you go deaf, suitable for the medium sized venues. A lot of variety is achievable with the 7 band EQ, the compressor is nice, and the preshape is also a good feature to have. It does not distort at high volumes at all, at least, not yet.

Have only ahd it for about a month or two, never broken, never kicked off in the middle of a song, would use it without a backup, but not with out a PA, always have that as a backup.

Never dealt with them, judging from their amps and cabs, I probly wont have to.

Very good amp, not very good for a practice amp, but what can ya do?? I compared it with just about everything else except for a carvin, I would have liked to compare it with the carvin, but everthing I have ordered from them in the past has take forever and a day to get here(even with 2 day shipping, I was PISSED, but they refunded it). I chose the Trace, mainly because it was the best sounding amp, full and crunchy, crisp highs, and great lows, but also because of the Electroluminescent display, its just friggin cool to see a neon like glow come from the amp, not to mention, helps on dark stages.