Trace Elliot AH1000-12, 1048H & 1518

Trace Elliot's 'Pro Rig' is favoured by the majority of the company's new endorsees, and reviewed this month is an AH1000-12 head combined with the 1048H and 1518 speaker cabinets. The recommended setup actually doubles this number of enclosures, which makes for a pretty monster rig in all respects, but half the quantity should be more than enough for my ears!

Signal flow is from left to right, via the various facilities offered on the 2U high front panel. First in line is the single input jack, partnered by an attenuation switch providing high- or low-impedance options, while a rotary control governs input gain, with LEDs offering visual confirmation. Trace Elliot's 'signature sound' is represented via a Pre-Shape switch, which, in essence, automatically cuts mids while boosting bass and treble.

Following in the footsteps of many other manufacturers, this head comes with a complement of valves on board, namely a pair of ECC83/12AX7 bottles. The first one delivers overdrive, which then cascades through to its partner for the output stage and anti-clipping. This is added to the circuit via a Valve switch, accompanied by a Drive control that determines the amount of signal sent to the valves, while a Blend pot mixes the results with the normal (dry) sound.

Occupying centre stage on the front is the characteristic Trace graphic equaliser; in this case, a 12-band type, with 15dB cut or boost available for each of the specially selected frequencies that the makers consider optimum for bass guitar use.

Next in line is a dual-band, soft-knee compressor, which features controls for Low Band and High Band, plus a bypass switch. Following on from there are Loop and Mute buttons, and finally a pot controlling overall output. Accompanying the latter is a multi-function LED that monitors amp clipping — this flashes when mute mode is operational, and also acts as a general warning indicator of overheating, short circuit or over-current protection.

The rear panel is equally well appointed. Left and right speaker outputs are on a choice of two pairs of Speakon sockets or standard jacks. These are followed by the Balanced DI Output section, which consists of a ground lift switch and three XLR sockets labelled Left, Right and Pre-EQ. The first two supply the signal post all front-panel functions, while the third delivers the pure bass sound paralleled from the input, prior to any EQ or effects.

Below come two unbalanced line-out jacks and a tuner feed, followed by no fewer than three effects loop sends and returns: Low and High Pass outputs supply the respective frequency bands from the compressor, and Full forwards an appropriately full-range signal. Under these outs are the relevant ins, with Left, Mono and Right accompanied by a Loop Level control to set overall signal strength when the Loop is engaged.

Completing the rear panel connections are two eight-pin DIN sockets for the supplied BFC-6 foot controller, which allows remote operation of the Pre-Shape, Valve, Graphic, Compressor, Loop and Mute functions. Above the footswitches are six appropriate indicator LEDs, coloured to match those on the front panel.

The usual mains socket and switch are also present on the back of the head, and there's even a pot to control the brightness of the lighting for the front panel.

All cabs are internally braced, 'tuned' for full-range response and come equipped with Celestion-designed speakers employing Kevlar-impregnated cones. Hard-wearing covers are supplied as standard, which is a pleasing and practical bonus.

Still a favourite workhorse, the 1048H cab now sports a new split front panel, with slots on either side of the central horn, augmenting the enclosure's scientific 40Hz tuning and replacing the two round ports employed on its predecessor. The 1048H has a quoted frequency response of 35Hz to 15kHz, and is rated at 800W RMS, so it should handle just about anything. For the past 10 years, I've been using a 2200W QSC 3402 power amp in bridged mono mode to drive an earlier 400W version with very little complaint, so this new spec should ensure ample headroom.

Tone-wise, this is a good all-round cab that delivers a tight, solid sound from a low B upwards. Dialling in the horn predictably adds a clear presence, although, personally, I find that not much of this is needed to achieve a balanced tone.

At 615mm, the 1518 stands 175mm higher than the 1048H, while width (615mm) and depth (435mm) dimensions stay the same. The substantial 500W, 15-inch Celestion speaker is mounted forward facing, while below is a full-width, tuned port spanning the base of the baffle board. Frequency response extends slightly lower to 30Hz, and as there is no horn, this peaks at 5kHz.

Plugging straight in, with no attenuation, produces quite a hard, mid-heavy tone that needs tweaking at around the 340 to 660Hz mark. Engaging the Pre-Shape facility changes this to provide the classic, 'pumping' Trace sound. From here, adding various degrees of drive and compression creates a plethora of superb tones that should match any bass guitar or playing situation. Rather than being spread mathematically over all frequencies, the chosen graphic points pick out the right spots exactly, and when adjusted, the changes are immediately discernible and pleasing to the ear.

As a stand-alone speaker cab, the 1048H is a little boxy sound-wise, while the 1518 lacks top-end clarity when heard in isolation. These are expected aural characteristics and can easily be compensated for via the graphic equaliser. When the cabs are combined, though, the sound becomes very balanced, the two enclosures working well together to supply crystal-clear highs and almost subsonic lows, all of which can then be refined to best suit personal taste.

There are a couple of niggles, however. The graphic sliders are quite flimsy and may not stand up too well to the rigours of the road, while the rubber feet on the cabs simply won't slide anywhere — hardwood 'runners' might have been a better, more manageable option. Lastly, the cabinets come with speaker leads that are only long enough to connect from the amp to the top cab, or for linking two cabs together, not from the amp to the bottom cab. For the two-cab configuration reviewed, Trace Elliot recommend linking both and using only one side of the amp set to 4Ω, but if I'd paid nearly £1300 for the head, I would much prefer to employ both sides, particularly if operating stereo effects.