Trace Elliot Velocette 1x12 Combo

one volume, one tone, one reverb control. pentode/triode switch, bright switch, and hi/lo inputs. 15 watts of class A power that will throw plenty of sound, although it just gets more compressed-sounding from 12 o'clock to full bore. celestion vintage 30 12" speaker. great for rattling the living room and frightening small pets. simple enough that even an engineer can operate it.

has a really nice shimmer/sparkle at lower volumes with my Hamer Daytona str*t, and also sounds great with my Hamer Eclipse (stock Duncan firebird pickups). Slightly muddy at full-bore with humbuckers, but it does respond well to picking dynamics and rolling off the volume pot. reverb sounds very nice; I prefer it over my 71 Super Reverb for clean sounds. Full-bore works much better with single coils or the firebird pickups (I've heard P90s sound really nice with a Velo as well).

bought it as a NOS leftover, and it died inside of a month (merry bleep-bleep Xmas to me lol). turns out there were some cold solder joints (not the transformer issue) and the 2 years it sat in the warehouse didn't really do it any good. after the checkup (under warranty), it's bulletproof. keeping extra tubes/fuses is always a good idea on a gig, and I always have another amp for backup in the truck just-in-case.

Gibson has purchased Trace, and service and support is out of Elgin, Illinois now. I was skeptical about the warranty being honored on a NOS leftover from the pre-Gibson days, but the crew at Trace USA really came through on this one. Shipped it directly to Trace USA and it was repaired and returned in just over two weeks including transit times - that is fast turnaround. In addition to cleaning up the solder joints they put new tubes into the amp and went through it top to bottom. The techs there were very professional and I really wish other shops had this level of service - if I could give these guys a 12 for service they would deserve it IMHO. The warranty is good for 2 years from date of purchase, and I have no doubt that IF any future work is needed these folks will do an equally great job of it.

been playing over 20 years now, and it really has a great sound that is much different than any other amp I've owned. The clean sound has a shimmer that is just unreal with a str*t, and if it ever wandered off I would have to buy another immediately. It's a great amp for sitting on the back deck and noodling while watching the sunset, and I just wanted something light and portable that had boutique tone at a more reasonable price. I am amazed how loud 15 watts class A can get, and it will keep up on open mike night pretty well unless the drummer has arms like Popeye (if he does, mike it up and run it though the PA). Gibson version is pretty much just a cosmetic redressing along with a price increase, but I've heard the tone is the same so it would be worth checking out IMHO. If you can find a NOS Velo with the warranty, score it and pocket the savings. The only way it could be cooler is if it were plaid lol.

This is one great amp. Sure you can get a Marshall JMP-1 and a Marshall stack but you'll probably a) spend all your time tweaking to get sounds you'll never use b) have a "set and forget" setup where you'll tweak nothing or c) get the neighbors all pissed off and never write any songs, which is what amps are supposed to be about. The Velocette is just tweakable enough with it's volume, tone, and bright switch for one to get a wide variety of tones and still have time to write songs. If a part doesn't sound bright enough, just roll of the tone and you're ready to go. If you had a Boogie on the other hand, you'd also need to readjust the highs and lows, tweak the presence, fiddle with the gain... The Velocette is a good amp for those who just want to get a good sound instantly.

I've just got a Mexican Strat with Lace Sensors. I've got sounds from jangly R.E.M. to distorted Radiohead to fuzzed out Smashing Pumpkins. So maybe the sounds aren't dead on but I'm not playing in a covers band. The above sounds are just points of reference.

I've heard of people having problems with the transformer but I've been lucky so far. And yes, the thing will rattle a bit if you've got it completely cranked, but that's not really what it was made for. For me, it's primarily a studio tool. Jimmy Page used 15 watt amps all the time in the studio.

Never dealt with

If it were stolen I would get another one without hesitation. Unfortunately they're no longer made so it'll take some digging to find a replacement. The best thing about this amp is that it's the classiest looking thing ever.

NOTE: this is the bigger Velocette w/ reverb, not the 10" model.

Same as the little Velocette-10, but with pentode/triode (15W/6W) selection, 12" Celestion Vintage 30, and 3-spring Accutronics reverb (foot-switchable). Dimensions are significantly larger, nearly twice the size. Knobs for vol, tone, and reverb. Pentode/triode switch, and bright-switch. 16-ohm spealer-out (disengages internal speaker), and 1-High/1-low inputs. Low input is for when running as a slave from another amp, High is for direct instrument connection. Black leatherette covering w/ annodized metal corners and plastic handle. Velocette logo is painted on chromed metal, Trace logo is the newer one with a plastic plate.

Tubes (stock)= 2x sovtek 12AX7WB, 2x Tesla EL84 (sound generic, but OK)
***** (mine)= Ruby "silver special" (best preamp tube ever) and Telefunkin 12AX7's; Sovtek EL84's (sounds amazing and drives at lower vol)

Best sounding newer amp I've ever heard. I own other small class-A combos, but this one is the first that lives up to all the fuss. The tones are magical, and the its very responsive to pick dynamics. Very easy to modulate gain by pick force, and the its growl is beautiful and dark.. Triode sounds a bit "darker" than pentode-mode, but both are very useable and full of rich tones. This thing is VERY loud in both modes, but the tubes saturate at lower volume in triode. Comparing this to my 10" Velocette, the same wattage goes much further in volume due to the 12" 16ohm celestion vintage-30, which is very efficient and produces better precussive sounds. 15-class A watts are really too much for the 10" celestion, and the 12" is a better choice. You truly have play through this amp for an afternoon to have a concept of how versitile, tone-rich, well-designed, and beautifully loud it is. I would, in retrospect, pay retail for the $1000 Gibson version of this if Trace had never made it before the Gibson buy-out. I would compare it in overall sound to a Matchless 30, Vox-AC30, or vintage Gibson (which is what the design was based on) and thats an educated comparison for I've played/or owned both. The reverb is very nice and is moderate in terms of its maximum accent with the knob max'd. The three knobs are capable of all the adjustment one needs. They should be tweaked for each fuitar you use, but it's very easy to find the sound you want with this amp. As with the Velocette 10, the bright switch sees no use from me. It's a more drastic bright-mode than that of the Twin-Reverb, and results in a super-glassy sound that I just dont like, but some folks may love it, especially if theyre into trebble.

Sole Gripe: I don't understand why so many amp makers put shitty tubes in otherwise perfectly concieved instruments. The replacement of the tubes is critical for this amp to sound its best. Mine came with the old-stock silver-special and Telefunkin, and I was skeptical of this being an improvement, but indeed it was when I put the stock tubes in for comparison. Much better gain, and midrang throughout the power sweep. Pretty minor beef, since there are lots of tubes floating around out there that would bring this amp up to its optimal state.

One run of the first year Velocette-10's, from which my other amp was produced, had bad output transformers, but none of the Velocettes with the back-gril (the latter years, and the Gibson Goldtones currently made by Trace) have any reported defects. It's built very solidly, and the workmanship is highly detailed. The older ones did have nicer chrome on the corners, but thats nit-picky. Overall, the quality is as high as it gets in all respects. NO RATTLES when cranked, which is rare these days, and all of the knobs turn without a sound, as does the bright switch.
As w/ all class-A amps, the output tubes will have much shorter lives than in A/B amps, but my other velocette has seen nearly a year of regular use since its last new set, so this amp is more reliable in that respect than most class-A's.

Can't say with this specific amp, but heres my history with Trace's support: When my Velocette-10's transformer blew, 2yrs after its purchace and without a sales slip, Trace fixed it, fully retubed it, and cleaned it to like-new specs.... for free, including shipping. This was done quickly and without a hastle (and by their US shop, so it didn't have go back to the UK). Since then, I've become a loyal Trace customer and have purchaced this Velocette 12R, and a big all-valve Speed-Twin H100 head. Obviously, I trust this company very much and their tube amps. Tehy always reply to questions via e-mail within a day, and with helpful answerw. I assume that this won;t change under Gibson's ownership, for the company has been prettymuch unchanged by the merger up to now (except for the Velocettes being made with the Gibson Goldtone insignia now).

Best little class-A tube amp on the market for under a grand, and now that Matchless is no more, the best class-A amp being produced for any price (some would protest, but I believe it). Functionally, this is ten times more versitile than the Velocette-10, and the Vintage 30 speaker sounds much better than the 10" model. This is the one amp that I'll never part with for any price.

If you cant hunt one down used, the Gibson "goldtone 15R" is the exact same amp, made in the same factory w/ the same componets, as the Velocette 12R. It just got a facelift (brown tolex, gold gril/knobs, and a Gibson logo). Gibson Goldtone 15R's are available from most Gibson dealers from $930 w/ shipping (musician's fiend) to $1149-retail.

This is an update to a previous review.

Good as new!

My Velocette was one of the ones that went out with a bad transformer, so after six months, it failed. As for the rest of the amp, the tube sockets are mounted directly to the pc board. The tubes seem to be lasting quite nicely, especially for a class A amp. I immediately bought a replacement set of tubes when I acquired the amp, but I've yet to need them. The work inside the chassis is very clean and the parts all seem high quality, though for the list price of $699, I would like the tube sockets to be wired point-to-point like in my Sovtek Mig 50.

The good news is that Trace Elliot (Gibson factory in Elgin, IL) has repaired the amp and its good as new -- better, in fact! I emailed them about the problem and was responded to within 24 hrs. with a location that I could bring or ship the amp to. Since the location is about a twenty minute drive from my home, I opted to bring the amp in. It was repaired the same day and I was treated well. My Velocette was still under warrantee, though I hear that Trace/Gibson are replacing the bad transformers for free regardless of warrantee limitations.

If you can still find one of these, you might pick it up, especially since you can get them new (old stock) for less than $300. I use this amp mostly for rehearsals and gigs where a smaller rig is appropriate. Also, I use it for sessions through a Celestion G12-70M 16ohm cabinet.

Made in 1997, I purchased my Velocette new for $249.00 from Music-go-Round in West Dundee IL in January of 1999. This amp lists for $699, but Music-go-Round was blowing out old Trace Elliot stock. If you can grab one of these, do so. Their used market value is over $300, and they won't be around for $249 very long, I'm sure (I bought the last one atthe West Dundee store). This amp, though it has but a single volume, a single tone, a bright switch and a 16 ohm ext. speaker jack, is quite versatile. It is a hand-wired, 15 watt class A amp {louder than the average 100 watt solid-state amp}. What it does not have is why I rate it a ten (see sounds).

This amp is verystraight forward and kicks out some of the most desireable tube tone that I have heard. It sounds very much like a Fender Bassman (the 4 10 variety) with better compression. What this amp does not have is crappy distortion, boinging reverb, and a multitude of knobs that merely act to inhibit one from dialing in a righteous tone. What it does have is ... Balls! The amp works for all styles of music, but if you want high gain, you'd better get a preamp -- preferrable a Hughes & Kettner Tube King, Tube Man , or Cream Machine. I use this amp in three different projects. One is a Queensryche Tribute (I use a Roland GP8 for preamping and signal processing and run the ext out into a 16ohm closed back cabinet with celestian vintage 30). The other two are more in the Dave Matthews/Peter Gabriel style. In these projects I primarily play keyboards, but I run a Boss SD-1 into the Velocette. For these "lighter" sounds, I find the self contained 10" Vintage 60 to be more than adequate.

This is a Class A tube amp. Anyone who uses a class A tube amp better have something at the gig to back them up -- at least an extra set of tubes, since they run much hotter than class AB. These tubes will one day fail -- probably in less than a year. I'll have my GK MLE there to back me up. The two amps combined can practicaly fit into a small suitcase, so the room for an extra amp is not an issue. As far as the Velocettes reliability, I use it at rehearsals for up to six straight hours. It gets hot -- I would not touch those tubes, but it hasn't failed, and, other than the tubes crapping out, I believe that it will not fail.

The warrantee is for one year, and it has been my experience that if an amp is going to fail, it will do so within the first three to six months. I have never had to deal with Trace Elliot, and I'm hoping that the amp is as reliable as I think it is, in which case I will not be in need of customer support.

If it were lost or stolen, I'd be kicking myself for not buying two of them when they were being blown out for $249. Then I'd search for another blow out or a used one.

Just volume, tone, and a bright switch. I'd prefer a presence control, because the switch is not subtle and adds volume when on. I'd also like an ohm selector switch. 16 ohms is a strange choice, since you'll blow the amp up with a mismatch. I appreciate that I can take this amp on a plane as carry-on.

Used with a strat with the bright switch on, the amp goes from crisp and clean to detailed overdrive. In overdrive and/or with a pedal, the amp becomes very midrangey, but in a strong way. There is quite a bit of volume on tap, but balancing pedal levels can be a task (due probably to the small transformer). The tone control is effective but a little narrow in the affected frequencies. Bass level remains pretty constant, as does treble. I'd like to be able to cut treble without touching the bright switch. For its size, the velocette sounds big. The celestion speaker sounds nicely vintage and adds to the distinct sonic character. Overall I like the sound very much.

This is a point of concern. I worry about the little transformer, and class A eats tubes like popcorn. I've been having problems with rattling output tubes (Sovteks). hopefully this will improve with a new pair. Also, I was playing with the volume dimed one day when the volume suddenly dropped a level. Again, probably bad tubes, but this amp had only been out of the store a couple days (it was a demo). The handle feels a little jittery and makes a click. Not amusing.

I sent the amp in because of the rattling tubes and funky handle. A week later I got it back with nothing changed, as apparently everything was A-OK. Bulls--t. The guy running the show at the store reminded me that the amp runs in class A and that the speaker is cool. He also told me that tubes are not covered under the warranty. I guess it's normal for output tubes to last about A DAY. I called Trace Elliot America to ask about good replacement tubes. Shane at customer support reminded me that tubes are not covered under warranty. He also informed me that IT IS NORMAL FOR THE TUBES TO RATTLE IN A VELOCETTE. So I guess it's intentional. Why didn't anyone think of that before?..

I chose the velocette because it was small enough to tote as carry-on, loud enough for jamming with a drummer, and cheap enough to be bought by me. It sounds about as good to me as anything I've tried, but the unreliability and flaky support would keep me from buying it again. I'd probably just get an old champ or princeton or maybe a new pro jr.

Class A Tube Amp. Hand-wired. Made in Britain. Celestion Vintage 12" Bright switch. Volume, Tone, Reverb. Switch for Triode/Pentode function Basic practice amp with amazing sound. Wish it had Tremolo circuit. Loud enough for practice and small stuff. Super clean below 6 or 7. 8,9 and 10....really gritty. emulates old tweed sound Reverb OK but not as good as Fender

Play Blues, rock and Old surf stuff. Works great for me and my daughter usually play on 4 with tone at 12 and reverb at 12 (12=halfway) Only wish some of the gritty distorted sound would come in at lower volumes I use a Fender Strat and my daughter uses an Ibanez RX 40 strat copy. 15 watts blows me out of the house. amazing.....

Brand NEW. Can't tell. Bassist in shop said Trace Eliott is pretty much indestructable. Made me feel like I was buying something worthwhile.

Too New to tell

Love the way it looks. Speaker grill is circular and rest of front is covered with amp box. Has a cool little Velocette emblem that reminds me of old Indian Cycles. Definately a collectors piece. Love it !!