Trace Elliot AH500-7 Head & 1048H Cabinet
A fixture on stages throughout the ’80s, Britain’s Trace Elliot built a reputation for producing powerful bass amps with highly tweakable graphic EQs. Though the company had all but disappeared by the late ’90s, it’s now back full-force operating out of the English Midlands with North American distribution by Peavey. Trace Elliot offers two types of heads (with 7-band or 12-band graphic EQs), plus an array of combos and cabinets. The AH500-7, a 500-watt head with a 7-band EQ, sits at the center of the new product line. For review, Trace Elliot sent one along with its 4x10 cabinet, the 1048H.
Both head and cabinet showed up clothed in a nubby, wetsuit-like vinyl covering that felt durable and looked way cool. (They also both came with sharp-looking nylon covers.) The AH500-7’s controls felt equally tough, with high-quality rotary knobs and hardy EQ sliders. Its front panel’s dead-simple layout mirrors the amp’s signal path.
Trace Elliot loaded most of the jacks you’d need on a gig on the front panel: DI, tuner, send, return, and line out. The head’s back panel holds one 1/4" and one Neutrik combo speaker jack, plus a knob for adjusting the intensity of the head’s lime-green accent lighting. Though it may be a little bold for some, I loved the look of the bright green head on a dark stage, so I left it cranked.
With its high power handling, steel grill, and Kevlar-impregnated speaker cones, the 1048H cabinet arrived ready for serious duty. However, the heavily armed cab’s lack of casters (or even caster inserts) tested the limits of both my muscular fortitude and my willingness to tote the sucker around town. (Trace Elliot chooses not to use casters for this model since they reduce ground coupling and compromise low-end response.) Still, the 1048H had all the characteristics of a great 4x10: prodigious bottom, an articulate midrange, and the ability to cope with extreme volume.
Out in the wilds of the local club circuit, the AH500-7 excelled, giving me ample headroom in a variety of spaces. The head’s tri-tone LEDs (yellow, green, and red) made setting the proper input levels a cinch, and the output level’s LED, which flashes red when the amp is muted, made on-the-fly troubleshooting that much easier.
Trace Elliot’s signature pre-shape circuit gives the AH500-7 two very different sounds. Without it (and with the EQ flat), the head was prompt and accurate—if just a little anemic—and quick to come back with whatever I gave it. Engaged, pre-shape made me feel as if I was playing through a mighty tube amp, its blooming low end like the rumbling of distant thunder. I came to love its smooth-sounding midrange scoop, which swathed the room in fleecy warmth. The well-voiced EQ let me dial in all the treble I could want, and the head’s crispy highs were neither harsh nor shrill. It sounded simply righteous. When I played more gingerly, the amp richly rewarded me, as the Trace Elliot can also put out a pudgy synth-like sound that’s round in all the right places. If compression is your bag, you’ll be glad to know the AH500-7’s got one—a variable soft-knee compressor that changes attack and release values depending on the input level. I felt it sounded overly squishy—even at its mildest settings—so I opted to leave it off.
Like a well-packed knapsack, the AH500-7 possesses the proper tools for just about any terrain. Its thoughtful design, excellent construction, and reliable performance make it a great choice among powerful solid-state heads. While I’d love to see the 1048H cabinet shed a few pounds—especially in a world where lightweight neodymium drivers continue to rise in popularity—I can’t knock the cab for its onstage performance or visual presence. Overall, this Trace Elliot rig is a killer setup with a look all its own.
TRACE ELLIOT AH500-7
List $1,499
Street $1,200
Pros Plenty loud; versatile; rugged, simple design
Cons None
Bottom Line This well-rounded head pretty much nails it.
Power Rating 500 watts into 4Ω
Input impedance hi: 1MΩ; lo: 100kΩ
Graphic EQ ±15dB @ 50Hz, 100Hz, 250Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz, 5kHz
Pre-Shape Setting +6dB @ 50Hz, –12dB @ 400Hz, +6dB @ 5kHz
Dimensions 6 1/4" x 19 1/4" x 13 1/4"
Weight 33 lbs
Other Cover and 4-button footswitch included
TRACE ELLIOT 1048H
List $1,299
Street $900
Pros Tight response, cool look
Cons Heavy, no casters
Bottom Line The cab sounds great, but carrying the sucker around town is a drag.
Type 4x10 + horn
Frequency response 35Hz–15kHz
Power handling 800 watts rms
Impedance 8Ω
Speakers 10" custom Celestion drivers
Dimensions 24 1/4" x 27" x 17"
Weight 79 lbs
Made in England and the U.S.A.
Warranty Three years limited, one year for speaker components
CONTACT
(601) 486-2255
www.traceelliot.com
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