Trace Elliot GP7SM130

Tube or solid-state, this section goes to eleven!
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himister
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Post by himister »

Helo everyone! :D

Here I would like to contribute the material for amp that I've been using for years.

For 20 years of bass guitar play I've played lot's of different amps but this one served me so well and I was really satisfied.
Just to say I always admired the players who used Trace Elliot gear and I was amazed by it's versatility and sound I was getting from this little "built like tank" amp. I was using this one for blues, funk, hard rock and even rented few times for all night gigs of Heavy, Death, Thrash metal. Never had a problem with it and never let me down.

Sadly I have sold this amp cause I've been offered a good price for it, but I have saved a loads of documented material so I could build one for my self again! :D

I know some would say that GP7 series were crappy and cheap but from my experience this amp had survived all "horrors" of gig using each weekend and more. From spilling bear to heavy overload, electricity cut-offs and more, and honestly never broke down, just cleaned out and ready for next gig! This particular one was built in 95 and I bought it from a guy who was using it for playing keyboards and "loud as hell" folk music...imagine the torture. :lol:
From the moment I saw it on my friends garage I was amazed that amp survived that kind of signal torture from keyboards and hours of clipping. And I said if this has survived that long it may survive anything and it's still working some 60km from my home town with owner who plays metal!

Enough personal history! Sorry. :D

I've had traced the Power amp section pcb and redraw it in vector based program.
Pdf file contains the pcb, component layout, and the measures for the aluminum heatsink.

I have scanned 2 other pcb's for preamp section + EQ but I've been lazy to redraw it.
My main idea was to rebuild this amp as a head version in 2U rack enclosure.
Much space is needed for the 150W power supply toroidal transformer.
I hope that soon I'll have time to redraw whole project with enclosure cad presentation so it could be ready to build project.

Unfortunately, I don't have the original schematic but I have found loads of similar Trace models and it wouldn't be hard to compare some of the 7 series models. Here are the link for some free Trace Elliot schematics -
http://www.britishaudioservice.com/trac ... stru.shtml

Basically many of the Trace Elliot GP7 series are MOSFET in design and the principle is the same just different power amplification ratings.

I hope this thread would stay alive enough to be completed for people here who would be interested in this kind of project!

Guts in next post!

Cheers :thumbsup
Attachments
gp7sm130pwamppcb.pdf
Trace Elliot GP7SM130 Power Amp section
(121.49 KiB) Downloaded 529 times

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himister
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Post by himister »

Ok here are the guts, shit loads of them! :D :D :lol:


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Post by borislavgajic »

au koliko slika!

boris :thumbsup

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himister
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Post by himister »

borislavgajic wrote: au koliko slika!

Translation: "Wow, loads of pictures!"

boris :thumbsup
:horsey: Yipiyey, as I said, well documented :lol: :lol: :lol:

Pozdrav ljudino! :thumbsup

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himister
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Post by himister »

Just a note.

I was just checking britishaudioservice links for schematics and there are just manuals now.
Sorry guys :( but I have downloaded many schematics from there couple of months ago, I'm just looking at them and I gues they had removed it. So if anyone longs for them I would be happy to upload somewhere.

Here is the list of schematics I have downloaded:

ACOUSTIC CUBE
AH300 series 6
AH500X series 6
Bipolar Bear Output Stage
Bipolar Setup
Bonneville
Boxers
Boxers '98
Brat
Commando
Commando Mk2
G-Series
GP 11 MK 2
GP12 1000 watt 12 band series
GP12 200 watt series 6
GP12 250Watt SMX series
GP12 300 watt 12 band series
GP12 300 Watt SMX series
GP12 350.400 Watt SMX series
GP12 5 way Footswitch
GP12 500 watt 12 band series
GP12 600Watt SMX series
GP12 series 6 pre-amp
GP12X
GP7 & GP11 MK2
GP7 100watt Series 6
GP7 150 watt 7 band series
GP7 150 Watt SMC series
GP7 200.250 watt SM series
GP7 200watt Series 6
GP7 300 watt 7 band series
GP7 300 Watt SMC series
GP7 300watt SM series
GP7 350.400 watt SM series
GP7 MK 2
MK V BASS
MP11 pre-amp
MP11 Technical Details
Pedals
POWER CUBE
PPA XOVER 2 3 4 WAY
PPA1200 PPA600
PPA300
Quattra Head
Randall Price list USA 2008_June 15th
Randall2008Catalog
SMX PRE-AMP
Speed Twin
Speed Twin II C100 & H100
Speed Twin II C30
Speed Twin II C50 & H50
Super Tramp & Twin
Super Tramp TSC
Super Tramp Tube TSCQ
TA100.50R
TA200
TA30
TA35 & TA40
TA60
TA70 & TA80
TAB100-15
TAPA 12 2 300
TARP1R
TEK150
TEK300
Tramp
Tramp & SuperTramp Tube
Trident C100 & H100
TVT9 series
Twin
V-Type 300watt
V-Type 600H
V-Type Pre-Amp
V4
V6
V8
VA350 & Hexa Head
Velocette
Velocette 12R
Velocette SE
Velocette Twin

Cheers :thumbsup

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Post by xaxxop »

wow!!! thank you so much!!! :applause:
Leandro

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Post by himister »

xaxxop wrote:wow!!! thank you so much!!! :applause:
No Problem! :thumbsup

Just a note: preamp pcb, almost half is drawn so stay tuned1 :mrgreen:

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Post by andy123 »

Hey there.. great set of pics!!

Just wondering about the schematics you have though.... I'd be keen to see the Velocette SE one if possible. I have some el34s and an OT which may be useful for a project :-)


Cheers

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Post by himister »

andy123 wrote:Hey there.. great set of pics!!
Just wondering about the schematics you have though.... I'd be keen to see the Velocette SE one if possible. I have some el34s and an OT which may be useful for a project :-)
Cheers
Thnx. I'm glad to share these photos.
Hope someone will be encouraged to trace to schematic 'cause there's no "official" for this amp.
At least I didn't find one. :cry:

Send me a PM with e-address and I'll send the link so you could download it. :wink:

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Post by xaxxop »

himister wrote:
xaxxop wrote:wow!!! thank you so much!!! :applause:
No Problem! :thumbsup

Just a note: preamp pcb, almost half is drawn so stay tuned1 :mrgreen:
:shock: I'm waiting!
Leandro

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Post by himister »

xaxxop wrote: :shock: I'm waiting!
:D :D :lol:
Patience, patience! :wink:

No worries, you'll see when it's here.
:mrgreen:

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Post by himister »

Hell yesss!!! :lol:

A new Power Amp section PCB completely redrawn! :wink:

I am very pleased so I hope others will be! :thumbsup

:popcorn:

Still no brave tracers to do schematic from guts??? :cry:
Attachments
TRACE_ELLIOT_POWERAMP_PCB.pdf
New redrawn version Power section!
(577.63 KiB) Downloaded 352 times

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Post by chicago_mike »

Thebi-polar bear output section sucks. I have one of these in our repair shop and Im hoping trace sends us a new output section. They even admit its crap.
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Post by himister »

chicago_mike wrote:Thebi-polar bear output section sucks. I have one of these in our repair shop and Im hoping trace sends us a new output section. They even admit its crap.
Well...good for you! :wink:

I didn't post this here 'cause I think it's sucks or not. :mrgreen:
From my personal experience, this particular amp served me so well in spite it's design flaws, some that I'm aware of.
My main idea was to share the pictures and layout so people interested in this kind of budget amp could try to clone it or redesign it maybe for they taste. For starters, maybe someone could propose another better design of power stage. :D

I will post a preamp section also when I finish the layout, and 7 Band EQ section could be adapted as a standalone stompbox variant for bass players, but that's my humble opinion. :wink:

Anyway, thanx for the insight chicago_mike.

All the best :thumbsup

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Post by bajaman »

Actually, I am very familiar with the Trace Elliot output stage power amplifier - it is the hitachi application note circuit released when they first produced the 2SK56 and 2SJ176 complementary mosfets (I miss them!!)
Using this same circuit (with my own small modifications) I have been able to get 550 watts rms into a 4 ohm load using two pairs of mosfets and a fan tunnel heatsink air cooled. I have produced at least 10 of these amplifiers and never had one fail in service - and they sound good too.
When Hitachi stopped selling these mosfets a lot of us had to find alternatives and like trace Elliot i tried TOP3 plastic package types - they were useless and exploded regularly on test. fortunately Exicon make a very nice equivalent which i have had success using and of course the Philips BUZ metal can series are reasonably reliable too. Fast driver transistors are the answer here - also a good idea to run the drivers from a higher voltage supply to the output devices (about 6 volts extra does the job nicely) - this ensures that the gates of the mosfets are turned hard on and tightens and improves the bass response very nicely indeed.
:wink: :wink:
cheers
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Post by himister »

Thanx Steve for the insight. :thumbsup
I was hoping for that kind of comment. :horsey:

Now I understand the background of this amp much better and I was also hoping to try this Power stage with 4 Mosfets since mine had only 2. With 150W toroidal transformer and 2x40V it could produce 130W at least it was rated for. Friend of mine own a head version from that era, SMX series and it's with four Mosfets rated at 250W, but I don't know the supply voltage. I believe that same pcb is used for both, since mine was marked PB130SM PB250SMX and even signal resistors which fed the signal for each phase were already mounted on pcb. I'll try to check it with him if it's possible and even try to measure voltages and document it with photos.
It would be great to have two power ratings for the same project here. :thumbsup

Cheers

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Post by chicago_mike »

Didnt mean to come off negative. Just my repair shop has seen too many traces with the bi-polar bear in for repair.

Theres pdf's of all the traces lying around the net and I think the smx pedals would be a killer clone project. most notably the dual band compressor.
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Post by himister »

chicago_mike wrote:Didnt mean to come off negative. Just my repair shop has seen too many traces with the bi-polar bear in for repair.
Theres pdf's of all the traces lying around the net and I think the smx pedals would be a killer clone project. most notably the dual band compressor.
No worries chicago_mike. :wink: No one is offended or something. :D

I know that many Trace pdf's are on the net, actually I have some of them, but I don't have for this particular one. :cry:
I would really love to get my hands on one or... we'll have to trace it and it would be nice to have an original and be happy and lazy. :lol:
Better to spend my time on drawing layouts rather then tracing the guts.

So if anyone finds one I will be very grateful if someone post it here! Thnx in advance! :thumbsup

As for the smx pedals, it would be really good to work on something like that. I hope to catch some time in the future for that.

Cheers

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Post by deltafred »

himister wrote:
So if anyone finds one I will be very grateful if someone post it here! Thnx in advance! :thumbsup

Cheers
Are you still looking, I had a bi polar bear that self combusted (due to the bad earth problem caused by a missing star washer). I contacted TE and they sent me a full service manual. Never did get the damn thing going, too many transistors that had to be a particular manufacturer. I needed it back in action so bought the mosfet module.

fred
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GP7 150.300watt SM series Trace Elliot.pdf
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Post by bajaman »

Big thank you Fred :thumbsup
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