Trace Elliot Velocette 1x10 Combo

No features, except nice sound. Volume, tone and bright switch.

This thing sounds great. Distorts nicely but sounds great clean. After about half way, it doesn't get much louder but begins to break up very nice.

I bought it used on Ebay, when it got to me it squealed and screeched, not good at all. Instead of sending it back, (Seller was of no help at all), I ha it fixe for $50.00. Repair tech said it looked very cheaply made and he had to resolder many connections. 2 months after that the output transformer went, even though Gibson and Trace Elliot claimed the amp had already had the transformer upgraded. Another $100 later, everything is fine. I will wait and see how long it lasts this time.

When I got the amp, Gibson offered too send me an output transformer for free, But when I told thing the markings on the one already installed they told me it wouldn't be necessary. When it finally did blow up, they offered to send me a new one but not reimburse me for the one I had to pay the tech for. (I needed it quickly, so I told the tech to just replace it.) They were willing to supply me with the part so I give them bonus points for that, considering the fact that it was a used amp and they didn't build it, Trace Elliot did.

Sounds great, it will stay in the studio and be babied so hopefully it won't cause me any more trouble. Not really loud enough for live work anyway.

15 watts,class A, bright switch, tone and volume knobs. Gave it a 6, it's meant to be very simple.

Using with Riviera/gibson '57 pus, Amer. strat, Fulltone soul bender.
Very nice sounding amp, especially for the money, produces dead-on Zeppellin and Beck/Truth tones with soul bender. However, replace the output transformer and tubes. Trace uses faulty/cheap components.

Once the transformer and tubes are upgraded, very reliable.

Love this amp. If stolen or lost, would search for a new one.

The setup is the simplest I've seen in a guitar amp...Volume Knob, Tone Knob, Bright Switch...that's it but its sufficient if u have stompboxes....read rave reviews abt this amp yrs back....first saw it 3-4 yrs ago at a large musical instruments store (Yamaha) priced at abt US$550...eyed it for a pretty long time, but lost contact around 2 yrs back when the store was clearing its old unsold stocks....then by the workings of a miracle...I stumbled upon it just yesterday, the exact same model...at a small store going at US$200! Apparently they bot it over from the big store mentioned above, and still no one bought it. Tried it out and compared it with the amp I own (Marshall VS15R) they had there as well...and boy...was I amazed by the difference in sound quality. (will elaborate on that below)...Was a stellar deal...no doubts abt that.

Alrite.....first things first....its hard to deny that the words ALL TUBE and Class A probably left a kind of bias in my mind...like "Its supposed to be good, it better be"....I plugged in.....and damn...it WAS good...whether clean or distorted, it blew away all other solid state amps I've played....the Clarity was superb....very crisp and trebly...but at the same time bassy....I guess u could say the tone was extremely well balanced. Another thing is this amp is darn loud! There's no way u're gonna practise on this with cranked up overdrive all the time, grab ur stompbox, it still sounds superb with it...the tube tones somehow shine through watever u plug into it.
This amp showed me just wat gave countless guitarists the orgasmic high from killer tones.

No idea yet man....found out that I'd better get it checked with a technician to see if the electrolytic material has dried out in the capacitors cos it seems this amp hasnt been touched for quite sometime...insides of the amp are quite dusty even though its first hand...and it din come with a box, manual or watever.....but for US$200.....can u haggle?

No idea...

I've played it for a day so far...well not really a day...perhaps a couple of hrs....it sounds great and I'd do watever I can to keep it in perfect condition....this'll probably be the last amp I get for many years to come...heard its no longer in production...so if it were stolen....damn.....I'd freak out!
A Class A tube amp fer 200 bucks....dun think I'll ever come by such a deal again!

class-A tube amp single channel, 1 volume, 1 tone, 1 bright switch, 1 external speaker output. i bought it to use as a recording amp. you can vary the sound quite a bit with the tone control.

it sounds quite good with both LP and Strat (both with single coil pups). it's articulate and has certain immediacy (sp?) to the sound. it may be because there is no reverb. it suite me well since i like simple amplifiers. i was looking for something that resembles my Blue Angel in Class-A mode, just quieter and it seems to do the job fairly well. i did change the preamp tubes to a couple of older 12ax7 i had laying around since the mid 80's and it made it sound a lot rawer. i believe it had 2 Sovtechs and i can't say i was impressed with them at all. it'll start to break up at around 12 o'clock. and i've been using it with the bright switch off. it gets pretty bouncy distortion.

i just bought it used and the previous owner had the poer tranny replaced after 6 months or so. other than that it seems to be fine so far.

as i've mentioned, i bought this amp to use as a recording amp along with my SF Champ and Blue Angel. so far my impression is that it will compliment the 2 in that regard but i'm pretty sure it's not loud enough to take it to a gig without being mic'ed. i doesn't sound as cushy as i expected but that may be due to its solidstate rectifier. i almost bought a Crate 508 but when i found out that it has a SS first gain stage, i passed on it. reverb would be nice but... oh, well. when i changed the preamp tubes, it started to sound a lot more livelier. i didn't expect that from the mid 80's MESA tubes (they were Jolidas, weren't they?). i'm going to experiment with some other tubes as well. i hear it screams pretty well with an extension cabinet, too.

No features, really, except the standby switch (nice) and the bright switch (real bright). But, no features is OK, you spend a lot of time trying to dial something in!

Wow- first note I played went BOINNNNGGGG!!!! It is truly a tone-monster, really clear and surprisingly bass-y for a 10". A paradox: lots of definition and warmth at the same time. Exceptionally responsive to subtle changes in picking dynamics, which is the genesis of all tone (to me). Caution: any flaws in your playing style will become clear to you- be warned!

I'd bring a backup- after all, it's a Class A amp, tubes dissipate 1/2 full power just sitting there doing nothing.... but that gives it its smoooooth sound though.

Hoping for the best, usually do my own electronics work. Try to get one with the upgraded output transformer.

My favorite amplifier. I've been chasing guitar tone for 32 years. THIS one is very satisfying. Do yourself a favor- try one out somewhere (or try any Class A amp, for that matter). I can't imagine needing any other amp for small clubs. "Louder than it looks" just about sums it up. I go near that sucker to turn it on, the cats head for the hills!

One volume, one tone.Pretty basic setup.

The tone it puts out is average, although on the noisy side.It's trying for a Vox AC15 tone which it doesn't achieve.A little nasally, but if you don't know better than.....

Here's where it gets ugly.I bought it new, loaded the tubes in.It sounded horrible.Crackling and microphonic noise.It seems all the tubes they shipped with the unit were bad.I e-mailed them and they said to replace all of them, at my charge.So I did.It got rid of the noise but it didn't get rid of the horrible 60 cycle hum.No matter what guitar I used and where I plugged it in it screamed.Completely unusable unless you had extreme amounts of distortion to drown it out.Also there is a rattle that won't go away, at almost all volumes it rattles, sounds like a tube socket.I've heard from others with Velocette's that this problem shows up with all of them.The rattle is way too loud to use as a recording amp....I was annoyed more than pleased.

I asked the guy at Trace if it was normal for all of the tubes to go bad in the first day...He didn't respond to the question...When I did get a response he said they weren't covered under warranty even if they were faulty from the factory.....

Maybe it can sound good, if it worked right, but it didn't.Maybe that's why Trace discontinued it...good luck if you plan on buying one..

I bought this amp new in 1999 from a fellow in Chicago who bought two of them on closeout. I had heard good things about the amps on the Telecaster Discussion page. It is a Class A all tube amp with a 10" Celestion speaker. The controls are very basic, just volume and tone. Plus the controls are all on the back bottom panel, including where you plug in the guitar. The whole amp is very basic. I wish the controls were more accessible.

I bought the amp for two reasons: 1) price for a 15 w Class A tube amp; 2) reviews which said the amp really sings when cranked up. I haven't been able to make it sing at low volumes, and was told that it doesn't get into this mode until the volume is turned at least 1/2 up, which is quite loud. In that case, it is not suitable for prectice or residential use. It could use a gain stage or a master volume.

It runs quite hot. I have heard some people have had problems with the transformer burning out. So far no problems. I don't think you could use this at a gig because the controls are so inconvenient.

I haven't had any dealings with the company

I have been playing for over 20 years. I am looking for a singing, sustained tone without distortion which can be obtained in a home studio situation. I have other Marshall tube amps, a Mesa Boogie and a Peavey 5150. Some of thiose amps can meet my needs. The Trace Elliot is definitely good value below $300, but since you have to crank the volume up to get the sound I want, it is not really suitable for a home situation. I really wish the controls were more accessible and that the amp had a gain or master volume control. Maybe if I gigged more I could get more of the potential out of the amp. On the plus side, the amp is small enough to carry on an airplane. It fit under the solid metal grates they installed on the xray conveyor belts at O'Hare International and no one at security said a thing. It also fit on the overhead compartment of the airplane without any problems.

Class A, 15 watt amp with one 10 inch speaker. Simple and functional controls (off/stby/on single switch, volume, tone, and bright switch).
This amp is LOUD!!!! I guess my 30 watt Fender solid state amp uses a different formula to calculate power, because the 15 watts from this amplifier is truly louder and cleaner than the 30 watts from the solid state gear I own. The controls on this amp all work as described in the operating manual, and surprizing variety of sounds are possible with a tweet here and there.

This amp is awesome with my acoustic (piezo/mic with Fishman onboard blender) plugged in!! It truly replicates the actual sound the acoustic, and it is loud on top of that. When playing a Strat style guitar, it also replicates the not-so-great sustain and depth of the guitar, but I suspect playing the Strat through a reverb/effects foot pedal would really add depth to the sound (i.e., sustain, etc.) I am far from an expert here, have only been playing electric solid bodies for less than a year or so, and am learning as I go.

Haven't had it long enough, but hope to have good reliability with this amp. I don't gig, so I guess not moving this amp around will ensure a good long life....I hope. The construction looks very solid.

No applicable at this time.

What a pleasant surprize I had when I plugged this little amp in, connected the acoustic up and strummed, wow, what a clean clear sound!!! For the money it is great!!!! I'm sorry to hear rumors that Trace Elliot is no longer offering this package.

Meat and potatoes class-A tube combo: liberal on the meat and sparing with the potatoes. Tone and volume adjustments + a bright switch and 16ohm speaker out (which takes the internal out of line). One 10" celestion vintage 10 (or so I hear, actually just says "C-10, custom made for Trace" on the mag), but sounds like a celestion greenback design. Green gnaugahide (yeah!) covered w/ chrome speaker ring and corners. Aesthetically, very pleasing to both the ear and the eye. I'm going to rate the features high just because the form is very much in line with function, and there is a lot to be said for that. It hits its mark and features weren't added just for the sake of pleasing the knob-slider-toggle-& LED crowd. It could use independent bass/trebble adjustments, but once you get the hang of the tone-knob and bright-switch, it is fine.

Perfect studio amp for any continuous sound, and is fine for playing out as long as the PA can support the clean volume levels. When the tubes break (around 10 o'clock for the heavy tones, about noon for lead), this little amp growls and moans perfectly. You'll chuck your Grunge peddle shortly thereafter and never look back. When I hook this amp up to my Ampeg (reissue, eminance vintage) 4X12, it is hard to believe it is rated at 15W continuous. Truly amazing depth, attack, resolution, and VOLUME. Keep in mind that a 15W class A amp is not 1/4 the volume of a 60W AB amp. Probably compares more to the average 40-50W AB heads I've played in terms of output when the tubes are saturated. The efficiency of this amp is astounding due to its simplicity and craftmanship. The stock speaker does buzz very slightly with the volume around noon and beyond, but it is only noticable if you are dumb enough to stick your head in front of it when cranked (not advised). I'm quiet deaf at this point, and this amp gets as loud as I can stand when playing in my mid-sized concrete basement. If you lock your self in the closet and get all rawk, its like a mini Melvins gig (recommended for adults only). Seriously, this amp is as fine as any I've played at any price, for its genere, and it far excedes any pre-cbs Champ that ever lived in every respect. The Gibson version w/ reverb & a 12" would be great, but for the price, you could buy a Fender reverb tank and one of these and be much happier (unless youre the pimp type and dig gold knobs, etc). I record on this as a rule over my Trace Speed Twin (2ch 100W all-tube head), Orange Graphic 80 (heh), and Fender Twin (for when I'm feeling feminine).

Long story, but here's the skinny of it. Owned this amp for 6 mos or so, output transformer fried like cheep bacon and tubes were blown somehow in the process. Took it to the dealer (ESP, Missoula MT) and they sent it in for repair along with the other two that were delivered from the same manufacturer's run. Gibson had recently baught Trace, so the service/warranty dpt was in limbo and nothing was done after a few months and many phone calls from the shop. Finally it arrived sounding better than ever (new ruby EL84's beefier output trans, and spotlessly polished-- better than dusty display condition, by far). Due to the situation with Trace being acqiured and all, I forgave them for the delay. An e-mail (prompt reply to my questions) informed me that SOME of one specific shipment had a bad batch of transformers loaded due to an OEM manufact screw up, and were defective. They assured me that regardless of warranty constraints, they planned to replace all transformere from any Velocette returned at no cost or shipping fee. Bravo. I can't fault them for an event upstream from their end of the deal, so I give them high marks for doing their job of honoring the warranty beyond their obligation. After all the hastle, I spent quiet a wadd on a Trace speed-twin head, if that says anything about my understanding of the situation and faith in the product.

read the above
now that the reorganization has occured (under Gibson), back to great service and support

Simple, high quality, efficient, and effective. The sound simply must be experienced to understand how pleased I am with this amp. Leave the Matchless priced class-A mini's for those middle-aged wankers who sit in their din and play technical classic-rock anthems for kicks (if you are one of those, then buy the Matchless and let the Freedom-rock flow).

This amp is as simple as it gets. Volume, tone, a bright switch and a cool on/standby/off switch. It also has an ext. speaker output and one input. The controls are behind the amp all the way down at the base of the amp and therefore a bit hard to use. It's 15 watts Class A (extremly loud for 15W) and it has a celestion 10 inch speaker. It's definitly powerful enough to use for jams and practice. I wish it had reverb but the amp has a lot of presence especialy with the bright switch on. It's limited in features but that's what I like. The looks of this amp is killer. Very retro with chrome and all.

I use the amp with a strat plus and an Am standard Tele. It's my first class A type amp This one sounds great. A lot of midrange and presence sounds very glassy. When you play with the volume past the halfway mark, that's when it starts getting interesting ofcourse. It overdrives sweetly when pushed all the way and sounds real smooth. I gets a little too bright with the tele or strat neck pickups and the bright switch on and the tone past twelve o'clock but that can be easily fixed with the guitars tone controls.

Looks like it's well built. The chasis seems very solid. I'll see if it holds up well in a few months but so far so good.

I've been playing for 8 years and I own a 70's twin reverb that's real beat up and heavy so I don't want to log it around anymore. I love that amp though. This amp is what I wanted in terms of sound, portability and price. I was in the market for a small tweed like amp and tried the Blues Jr., Crate VC20, Laney 15, Peavy Classic 30, Fender Pro Jr. It was a close call with the Blues Jr. but I just fell in love with the chimmy sound of the Velocette which is like a Vox or a Matchless. I figured it would be more fun to have something that would sound different than what I already had. My beef is that it doesn't have reverb and I'll have to get an echo pedal to wet the sound a bit. If it was stolen, I'd buy it again although they are hard to find in Canada, especially used. Did I say how good this amp looks, it's so cool looking that I took pictures of it. If you're looking for a poor man's Vox AC15, the Velocette is for you.