The Trace V-Type preamp is no longer in production, but apparently there are many of them floating around at closeout prices. I got mine brand new for $300, and similar prices are available from stores that still have them as overstocks. Evidently mine was made in 1995 and was sitting in the box since then.

So I took it out of the box, plugged it in, and turned it on. Nothing. The LED on the front panel did not light up and I thought I had a defective preamp. However, after taking a look around at the amp, I noticed that there was no fuse in the fuseholder! A trip to the electronics store and $1.60 later, the problem was solved. However, this does not say a whole lot about quality control at the Trace factory (it was shipped to me in the factory sealed box). Oh well. In all other respects, the unit looks sturdy and well constructed. The front panel is basic. It has the on switch, five knobs, the DI, and two inputs. It also has deep and bright switches. I've heard that the circuit for this preamp was based on an old Fender design (Showman?), which is the same basis as the Alembic F-1X preamp.

So this isn't your modern-day high tech preamp offering all the bells and whistles, but what it does offer is humungous bass tone. With the EQ set flat, the tone is wonderful--very deep and detailed. Messing with the EQ knobs can yield some interesting possibilities because the EQ is passive. Rather than cutting or boosting fixed frequencies, each EQ knob on the Trace Elliot depends upon the settings of the other two knobs. Kinda confusing eh? It's really very interesting and I haven't gotten completely used to it yet, but no matter, because it sounds great run flat.

Oh yeah, for reference, I tested the preamp with a Stewart World 1.2 power amp through a Carvin cabinet with a 2x8" and 1x15" configuration. The speaker array was from Carvin's Redline series and I had previously used it with that amp (Carvin R600). The Trace sounds much warmer and more detailed than the Carvin ever did.

Overall I am very pleased with my purchase. This preamp is one of the better bass preamps I've heard and at this price, it is an outstanding value. As I said, they've been discontinued but if you shop around, you can probably find one.

Construction	90%
Clarity	100%
Tone	100%
Size/Bulkiness	100%
Value	100%
Overall	100%