Trace Elliot Review: Boxer 65 12"Combo

History:

Purchase: Daddy's Junky Music about $240 used but not looking used at all. I was just wanting something I could more easily carry down the block and or up and down flights of stairs, but I really liked the sound of my old Ampeg B100R 15" combo. The Trace weighs only 35lb and is 2/3 the bulk but 1/2 the weight of my Ampeg, and sounds at least as good. For a a small venue volume is adequate even with a rather low-output bass. With a hotter bass it's plenty.

What I Like About This Trace Elliot Boxer 65 12"Combo: To me the best thing about it is "70lb tone" in a 35lb package, with only minor loss of volume. Controls are silly stupid simple like a practice amp: guitar-in, 4 knobs, and headphones out. I actually like its tone better than the sound of my 15" Ampeg, but it's no huge difference and is subjective. My taste runs to mellow but not mud or thud, and I want to hear the woody-ness of a hollow bass and/or the full effect of a fretless. These amps are also relatively inexpensive, sold well under $400 brand new.

What I Do NOT Like About The Trace Elliot Boxer 65 12"Combo: Negatives are that it's lacks a line-out and that even if it had one, it can barely serve as your monitor when the band gets loud IF your bass has a low output [but would that ever really happen?]. Except for low output basses such as passive humbuckers with flatwounds, I can't complain about volume. It also has no effects loop, and only a single combined gain and volume knob [trace claims it really is a combined knob, not one or the other].

Trace Elliot Boxer 65 12"Combo Quality Rating: It's a typical vinyl covered box, although the perforated metal speaker grill is a real plus. Looking through the grille there appears to be front porting, but it's not very much. The knobs face forward, recessed enough to safely lay the box down on its front side for transit. It came with small rubber feet that I replaced with larger ones. The AC cord is removeable, typical computer type, socket on rear, not recessed. Typical topside handle seems well anchored. It was not new when I got it, and so far it has no problems. I've played it twice a week for several weeks.

Review Summary: It seems to be a small-ensemble amp, maybe for upright bass, "dinner jazz" electic bass, or most uses short of rock stardom or large pfunk operations. It's *accurate* or honest in tone, by which I mean that varied different types of bass each clearly come through with their own characteristics very much intact. But by accurate, I don't mean "sharply focused". It's a touch blurry, no excess finger or fret noise, but rich and full sounding. As a general use combo, I'm rating it at "4" but if you play in a small ensemble, you might rate it at "6".

Rating of this Trace Elliot product: 4

This Trace Elliot Boxer 65 12"Combo Bass Guitar Amplifiers Review Submitted By: Golem

Review Date: 2003-02-12