Trace Elliot AH300SM Head

300W Solidstate amp (I've got the SMC with duel band compression), 7-band ep with pre shape which drops out some of the mids and lifts both high and low frequencies to give a fatter more punchy sound. It's got an effects loop but when ever i've run my Boss ODB3 pedal through it it sounds fizzy and thin. It has a good quality DI on the front so no problems being heard through the PA. I just wish it had Speakon connectors for hooking up speaker cabs too.

I use both a Yamaha TRB4 with active soapbars and a Fender P-bass both of which sound fairly good, but I run through a Boss ODB3 so it does tend to mask the sound of the amp itself, but sounds ok to me without any affects, turn up the comprssion about halfway and it rumbles. I play Punk and the amp copes quite well (it's loud, what more do I need). If you take time to fiddle about with the eq you can find most of the tones you want. it wasn't as nice sounding as the Hartke 3500 head I had for a bit but thats personal choice I think.

Here's where it all go's wrong, now maybe I got one that was made on a friday afternoon but there is no excuse for the amount of times this thing has blown up on me (smoke pouring out the back) the fan broke and one of the output stages fried itself bigtime. Then a it blew again two months later, dry joints on some of the caps. All in all this amp has been back to the shop about 4 times in two years, it's not like i run the head at full tilt, normally about halfway most of the time, and i don't treat it badly (it's still in mint condidtion if you ignore that the inside has been rebuilt.

As soon as i heard that they had been taken over (by Gibson I think) I just ignored the customer support and took it straight to the the local repair shop.

I've been playing for about ten years and own a few basses mentiond elsewhere, i play through a Ashdown 410 deep cab, I quite like the sound to be honest it's bassy and loud and sound better then most of the similar amps by Ashdown or Peavey etc. If it were stolen then I'd hope it caused whoever stole it as many problems as I've had with it (serves them right), would I replace it with another NO! Ihope to trade it in soon and move up to some real tubes.

This amp is great. YOu can use it everywhere you want.

Very good sound!!! You can play nearly every musicstyle with it. Very good. (Very, very good for Jazz and Funk).

This amp never broke down. Very good!!!

They were very friendly.

I'm playing the base a long time. I've played many amps yet, and I can say, that this one is a very good one!!!
(Sounds very good with a Fender Jazz base)

My second Trace Elliot Head. The tone is so, fat, warm, full, balsy, sexy, etc. and thats without kicking in the Graphic Eq.
I also have a AH130 head that sounds just as sweet. The AH300 makes my pants legs flap in the wind. I use a Peavey 410TX cab, and they just seem to be voiced to complement each other. I play an Old Yamaha BBN5A active bass primarily and this is as much fun as a guy can have with his clothes on.

I also jave an Am Std Jazz Bass that truthfully sounds too mid-rangey with the AH300, but is near Nirvana with my AH130. I dunno.

I love this gear, My master volume pot broke off on my AH130, and you wouldn't believe it, I was able to find an exact replacement (except without the detents) at Radio Shack. Too cool.

Both my heads were purchased on EBAY. none with warranty, but, when I emailed the service dept about my volume control, they were very friendly.

Been playing bass, 30 years, I also have a Peavey 210TX Combo, lovely, and a '67 Ampeg B15N (the tone is the Holy Grail with my Jazz Bass).
I believe the bass amp world has improved dramaticaly in the past decade. Trace Elliot is at the top of my list of wonderful sounding Bass Gear. I can heartily recomend, rave, be a a pain in the ass about the tone and quality of Trace Elliot Bass Gear.

Made in 2000. This is the AH300SMC (dual compressor) version.
As ever, active & passive channels. DI, line out, switchable EQ's, preshapes, tuner input, compression attenuation, blah blah blah!

Trouser flapping!!!
I play musicman stingrays (IV & V's) through this baby and despite being only 300 watts can cut through any PA I heard. Mind you, that is with two trace cabs, a 1048H and a 1015.

Always played through Trace equipment which has never let me down... not once!

Gavin at GM Audio (England) has always been very helpful when I have contacted him.

Blinding amp! Ampeg can kiss my arse!

The amp was built in 1998,is very versatile ,i play rock '70 (deep purple led zepelin), the sound is great,i use 1048H +1518 extencion speakers.
The only feature that i need is the cross-over

The sound is very warm, the power is brytal,with my Am deluxe fender P-bass V is great.
With Rickembacker 4001 is beautyful too.

It has never broke down,i have it from 1999 and i play it every week-ends for 4-5- hours,
the only broke was at the chromed corners....

i,n mow playing it from 1999 every weekends, i can compare it with ampeg products.
Very good.......the weight is a problem

this amp was bought new in 1994 for about $500.00 US dollars. It's 12 band eq section is great frof finding the tone your looking for.

I'm playing a 1994 Stewart Spector proto type (Rare breed of Spector) active EMG's, and a 1959 Fender Jazz bass Frettless with active EMG's.
I'm playing classic rock and metal with this amp. My speaker configuration is: 1-4/10" w/t tweeter, 1-15"300watt bottom (all Trace Elliot). Again the tones from this amp are awesome for the pop and snap bass player with plenty of bottom end. I have been complimented for my bass tones time after time from sound men to your regular joe.

Not 1 problem with this amp ever. I have been giging with this amp for the past 8 yrs and have had no problems at all.

I don't know

Trace Elliot gear in my opinion, is the best sounding bass gear I have ever used/heard. I have been playing for 22yrs and just bought a Trace Elliot V4. Now I use the AH300SMX12 for a backup head. The V4 is got to be the best sounding amp I have EVER heard. WICKED!!!

March 97 it was made in. The TE Ah 300 SM kicks ass big style, bags of power (300 watt RMS Mosfet power stage) The head is very versatile, the SM preamp despite the lack of compressor which to b honest Im not botherd about can lend its hand to any style, I play jazz, rock, funk, blues etc and the machine with a bit of twiddlin throws a belting sound at me. I havent had it long but Ive always used Trace gear and despite popping a few speakers in my previous amp (712SMC)I will stand by it and say the Trace elliot know what theyre doin with bass gear. I use my amp anywhere I can, evev at my girlfriends house! She duznt mind it tho.

I use a Warwick Streamer LX5 Bass with it (two jazz style single coils with active preamp with bass n treble)The Trace head seems almost perfectly matched with the warwick, they sound amazin together. I use the Trace 2103H 2X10 + horn cab and has that got some serious bottom end for a set of tens, it Booms! I like the snappy ness of tens, find 15s too slow. Classic Trace Style sound as ever with as much clarity as a bug under a microscope! Loads

Ive had no prblems with the AH 300 SM and knowing the quality of trace gear I wont. Im more than happy to use it without back-up. I know my 712 Gave in a few times but that was problems with celestion speakers not Trace elliot amps.

Ive dealt with Trace with my 712 and they were OK with me, not over friendly tho, but I must say when the speaker blew first time (still in warranty) they actually upgraded the driver to a 200 watt driver so I cant complain, they did help me get a better sound, the new speake was much tighter sounding than the old one to which I was grateful.

Ive play key boards too, I use an old Marshall for that, 100 watt all valve 1x12 combo from the late 70s to which I put my beloved Korg Ms 20 thro with a rocktek dealy unit and an electric mistress flanger. I wudnt change my trace for anythin, If it was nicked, it is insured but Id put a big hunt on to find another one!