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Trace Elliot ELF Ultra Compact Bass Amplifierplay button

Trace Elliot ELF Ultra Compact Bass Amplifier

Trace Elliot

collapse expand iconDescription

Weighing just 1.6 pounds, the revolutionary Trace Elliot ELF is small enough to fit in your back pocket. Its remarkable technology and size make it the most portable, gig-worthy bass amplifier ever made. It’s an ideal solution for any bassist who is concerned with size and weight, but isn't willing to compromise on tone or performance.

Designed in the U.K. and the U.S., the ELF produces a solid, fan-cooled 200 continuous watts RMS at 4 ohms. The switch mode power supply has thermal as well as over-current protection, and the gain knob features a bicolor LED that turns red when the preamp compressor engages. The unique input gain has three regions of operation - uncompressed, variable multiband compression, and overdrive. In terms of sonic quality, the ELF has a clean signal path with simple controls, making it easy to achieve a professional bass tone. The 3-band rotary EQ has three proprietary Trace Elliot filters: low center (80 Hz), mid center (500 Hz) and high center (4.2 KHz). Studio-quality XLR outputs, with a ground lift switch, ensure the tone the player has on stage is the same tone in the PA. There’s also a headphone output to enable quiet practice. The ELF provides all of this versatility in a unit that measures a trailblazing 1.35-in. x 6.75-in. x 4.10-in.—today the smallest bass amp in the industry.

The ELF comes with an embroidered nylon carrying case, an owner’s manual CD-ROM that includes the REAPER DAW and Peavey ReValver amp modeling software, and a Union Jack sticker that reminds of Trace Elliot’s U.K. roots.
Trace Elliot ELF 200W Micro Bass Guitar Amp Head
Trace Elliot ELF 200W Micro Bass Guitar Amp Head
Trace Elliot ELF 200W Micro Bass Guitar Amp Head

collapse expand iconFeatures

  • Power: 200W
  • Single channel
  • Single input
  • Impedance: 4 ohms
  • Controls: 3-band EQ, gain, volume
  • XLR outputs with ground lift
  • Headphone output
  • Dimensions: 6.75 in. x 1.35 in. x 4.1 in.
  • Weight: 1.6 lbs.

collapse expand iconWarranty

No warranty on tubes or speakers. 2 year warranty on all acoustic guitar amps.

Featured Articles

collapse expand iconReviews

4.6

20 Reviews

94%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend

Most Liked Positive Review

4

great head with some quirks

i bought this because im quarantined in my girlfriends apartment and i didn't have an amp head with a headphone jack. i had been curious to hear one for a while so this was my excuse to finally buy one. the build quality is very good and i was actually blown away by the tone, both through the headphones, and through a speaker cabinet. i wasnt sure if the "trace elliot sound" was for me but i actually found it very pleasant. big fat bass and a crunchy upper mid. honestly its not far from the "ampeg sound" so its not too hard to like. obviously the portability is great and hilarious. it really does fit in your jacket pocket. in terms of power, i think that its plenty loud enough to tackle most peoples idea of a low to medium loud gig. obviously its not going to cut it with your thrash metal band, but with an nice efficient cab i would feel confident taking it to a cafe jam or acoustic backup or even pub gig no problem. my complaints are that both the volume and gain have some pretty severe shelving at the bottom of their range, so its not really possible to, for example, dime the gain and feather in the master volume for more crunch. even if you're just trying to play super duper quiet, the level controls are very finicky down there. the amp seems to be happiest with all knobs at noon. the other complaint is that the fan motor is extremely sensitive, to the point that every note you play causes the fan to wind up, and if you rest for a second, it winds down again, the overall effect being that the fan is constantly changing speeds, going up and down. this happens even with just the headphones plugged in, so that the other person in the room just hears this robotic wheezing sound. it wouldn't be a problem live but it might not work for recording quieter things with a microphone. it would be better if the fan stayed at a constant rate. it would also be very handy for this kind of head to have a aux in. all in all im very happy to own this amp despite its quirks

VS

Most Liked Negative Review

3

Its got great power for its size .

I tried the Elf out with a 5 string off the rack at Manchester NH store this weekend. The volume per weight and size was certainly impressive. I found the gain knob directly affected the compressor , which was quite excessive at 1/4 to have volume. I run compression in my current rig and have the option of turning it down/ shutting it down which the Elf does not have . The squash is very audible and not musical for even finger style. Slapping with gain up is almost 1 step forward 2 steps backwards volume wise. On a side note the 2x8 cab and that little sucker is loud and deep!! So as long as you dont use the gain knob with an active bass past 3 your tone shouldnt be squashed.

Filters
Best Uses
  1. Performances17
  2. Home Studio13
  3. Outdoor Events / Games12
  4. Professional Recording6
  5. Amateur Recording5
Cons
  1. Limited Functions2
  2. Not durable1
Describe Yourself
  1. Experienced10
  2. Professional Musician8
Pros
  1. Excellent Sound16
  2. Portable16
  3. Easy To Use15
  4. Good Power Output15
  5. Warm / Comfy15
  • Lots of power in a little package.

    5

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted3 years ago

    byscott

    fromnorth kingstown,ri

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    Our bass player and lead guitar player retired at the same time, so I switched to bass to audition new guitar players and needed a bass amp. Lots of power in an incredibly small package, at a very reasonable price point.

  • Punchy sound loud fan

    4

    Verified BuyerVerified Buyer

    submitted3 years ago

    byG

    fromFremont, CA

    Fan is too loud unless you have it cranked. Good sounds at any volume

  • A great killer amp

    5

    submitted4 years ago

    byFelix

    fromHouston, Tx

    I use this rig with two elf 10" cabinets. It sounds great.

  • great head with some quirks

    4

    submitted5 years ago

    byNeslon

    fromBay Area, Ca

    i bought this because im quarantined in my girlfriends apartment and i didn't have an amp head with a headphone jack. i had been curious to hear one for a while so this was my excuse to finally buy one. the build quality is very good and i was actually blown away by the tone, both through the headphones, and through a speaker cabinet. i wasnt sure if the "trace elliot sound" was for me but i actually found it very pleasant. big fat bass and a crunchy upper mid. honestly its not far from the "ampeg sound" so its not too hard to like. obviously the portability is great and hilarious. it really does fit in your jacket pocket. in terms of power, i think that its plenty loud enough to tackle most peoples idea of a low to medium loud gig. obviously its not going to cut it with your thrash metal band, but with an nice efficient cab i would feel confident taking it to a cafe jam or acoustic backup or even pub gig no problem. my complaints are that both the volume and gain have some pretty severe shelving at the bottom of their range, so its not really possible to, for example, dime the gain and feather in the master volume for more crunch. even if you're just trying to play super duper quiet, the level controls are very finicky down there. the amp seems to be happiest with all knobs at noon. the other complaint is that the fan motor is extremely sensitive, to the point that every note you play causes the fan to wind up, and if you rest for a second, it winds down again, the overall effect being that the fan is constantly changing speeds, going up and down. this happens even with just the headphones plugged in, so that the other person in the room just hears this robotic wheezing sound. it wouldn't be a problem live but it might not work for recording quieter things with a microphone. it would be better if the fan stayed at a constant rate. it would also be very handy for this kind of head to have a aux in. all in all im very happy to own this amp despite its quirks

  • Much More Than a Backup Amp

    5

    submitted6 years ago

    byIamBuzzy

    fromNC

    This amp does everything I want and more. I have paired it with two Trace Elliot 1x10 cabinets. It's astonishing what this amp delivers with 200 watts and I love the classic TE tone it produces. Some consider the Elf a backup amp but truthfully it will handle 98% of my gigs. I could not be happier. Did I mention how light this amp is ha ha? 1.6lbs! Hats off to Peavey and the TE team for bringing us this little marvel of amplification.

  • Yes

    4

    submitted6 years ago

    byMc

    fromoakland

    It is what it says it is, I tried in on BBC 12/12 and it drives this and end of service i put it in bass guitar gig bag . Good option when I leave Mark Bass 800 home and don't need power

collapse expand iconQ&A

Have a question about this product? Our expert Gear Advisers have the answers.

  • asked byJdaub

    fromundisclosed

    Can this run DI only or does it need a cabinet/load?

    Can this run DI only or does it need a cabinet/load?

    Open Reply - Thomas
    It requires a load.
  • asked byTony

    fromHouma, LA

    Can this be used with an Ampeg combo amp?

    Can this be used with an Ampeg combo amp?

    Open Reply - Ronald
    No. You would need a separate cabinet.
  • asked byRick

    fromSeattle, WA

    Do you have to have a speaker cabinet plugged in or can you just plug in headphones or use it as a DI like on the old SWR heads?

    Do you have to have a speaker cabinet plugged in or can you just plug in headphones or use it as a DI like on the old SWR heads?

    Open Reply - Charles
    This has a headphone output on the front and an XLR D.I on the back.
    Open Reply - Charles
    This has a headphone output on the front and an XLR D.I on the back.