Yes—and it'll also rattle windows with surprisingly full-sounding low end! The PG Trace Elliot Elf Combo review.
Very lightweight and portable. Simple but effective EQ. Size defying sound.
Light in hand, but not so much in price. No onboard effects.
$599
Trace Elliot Elf Combo
traceelliot.com
Recorded direct into Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 interface into GarageBand.
Clip 1: Schecter Banshee, picked. EQ flat with slight bass boost
Clip 2: Ashdown Saint, fingerstyle. Bass at 2 o'clock, mid at 11 o'clock, treble at 1 o'clock
Like it's standalone-amp cousin, this 200-watt combo houses controls for gain (with signal-level LED), a 3-band EQ, tone, and volume—all located topside along with 1/4" jacks for the input and headphone/line out. Around back lives an XLR out (with ground lift) and an additional speaker output. When I powered up the Elf with the EQ set flat, the mid-leaning amp filled up my high-ceiling room with an articulate and rich modern bass sound that made the old windows shake. After I bumped up both the bass and treble to 1 o'clock-ish and took a pinch from the mids, I got to a warmer, yet still punchy, tone I called home. The Elf has a deceiving amount of headroom for its featherweight build and can get loud. It also pushed an external 2x12 cabinet with ease and makes for a convenient silent practice and recording tool. (I appreciate the speaker on/off switch.) If you're after onboard effects, look elsewhere, but if a straight-ahead amp you can easily carry with one hand from bedroom practice to gigs to studio work and in between appeals, this combo may have some Elfin magic for you.
Test Gear: Schecter Banshee, Ashdown Saint, Orange OBC212, Focusrite Scarlett 2i4
These ultra-compact combos are available in two different sizes and feature a 3-band EQ, XLR output, and much more.
Meridian, MS (January 5, 2021) -- There have been many small bass amplifiers on the market, yet none have sounded like their full-sized counterparts… until now. Trace Elliot introduces Trace ELF Combos, taking the finest speaker components and delivering on big tone, all in an ultralight, ultraportable package that players can carry in one hand.
The ELF 1x8 Combo measures 12.0" x 10.2" x 13.3" and weighs only 17 pounds, while the slightly stockier ELF 1x10 Combo measures 13.3" x 12.0" x 14.0" and weighs just 18 pounds. Both units are purpose-built to amplify the player's skill and the tone of their instrument, while being expandable and flexible to meet the needs of the setting. For instance, when it's time for a big gig, take an ELF Combo and simply use the ultra-quiet Trace DI to easily send the optimized tone to the house. The Trace DI is ideal for recording applications as well.
The magic of the ELF Combo is in the built-in Trace Elliot ELF ultra-compact bass amplifier. Weighing just 1.6 pounds and able to fit inside a back pocket, the ELF is the most portable, gig-worthy amp the industry has ever seen. Upon its release, users were impressed with the ELF's solid, fan-cooled 200 W RMS at 4 ohm impedance. The panel offers plenty of options, including a wide-range input gain control with signal-level indicator and 3-band rotary equalizer that emulates the response of classic Trace Elliot multi-band graphic EQ filters. Ultra-high preamp input impedance, at more than 10 mega ohms, provides maximum sensitivity when using passive pickups, while the post EQ balanced XLR DI output with ground lift sends classic Trace Elliot tone to a mixing console or recording device. A 1/4" headphone output allows for quiet practice.
The ELF amp proved that good things come in small packages, and now it's gotten even better with Trace ELF Combos, enabling bass players to be even more gig-ready. To learn more about the ELF product line, visit www.TraceElliot.com.
Retail:
- 1x10 $599.99
- 1x8 $579.99
For more information:
Trace Elliot
