ridger Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 Has anyone played a Traynor tube amp? Specifically, the YCV-20 or YCV-40. If so, what is your opinion? My local music stores do not carry them, but I've read good reviews on them. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratasaurus Posted July 8, 2003 Share Posted July 8, 2003 I assume you have looked at www.harmonycentral.com and the user reviews. You could also search this forum for Traynor or YCV40 etc. You should find some commentary. Having given that preamble I own a YCV-40. I've only had it about 3 weeks now so I can't provide any long term feedback. Obviously I like it. Check the website for specifics on the features etc. www.yorkville.com. (Yorkville is the parent company of Traynor) I've only used it with my band a couple of times now, but I seem to have no trouble getting over the drummer and the keyboard. I'm not worried about getting loud enough with it. I like to get the volume above 5 to really get the power section working, but generally speaking that's to loud for most situations I play in. I normally run it about 3 or 4 on both the clean and drive channels. I hate describing amp sounds. It always sounds so cheesy, but I'll try anyway. (at least to my ears. YMMV) The clean has a nice sparkle to it. The overdrive seems to work nice for classic rock sounds. I don't use the boost function as at lower volumes its kind of harsh when you hit it. It seems to smooth out a higher volumes. The biggest complaints I read in the reviews, beyond those that just didn't care for "its" sound or who got obviously bum units is that they tend to rattle at higher volumes. The general advice is to go through everything at home and tighten down all the fasteners. When I get mine dimed I'd say it rattles some. Of course everything around me was rattling by then so its a wash. I think its a great little amp for the money. Have a nice day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mats Nermark Posted July 10, 2003 Share Posted July 10, 2003 Hi, I have the YCV-40 and I'm very happy with it. I really went out of my way and researched the market when I got mine as I wanted a good small amp that would work both live and in the studio and also sound good with both Strats, Teles and dual humbucker guitars like PRS and and Les Paul. The clean channel is very good for both humbuckers and especially single coils. The dirty channel works great with humbuckers but not so good in my opinion with single coils. With a Strat I prefer the clean channel and a good distorsion pedal. I play in an 11 piece soul band with 4 horns and a really loud drummer but have no problem hearing myself. I usually run it at half volume and that's enough for stage monitor and if it's a small venue I don't need to mike it as the sound projects really well. I works very well in the studio and I can get really good dynamically controlled distorsion with a PRS McCarty similar to Robben Ford's sound. No it does not sound exactly like Mr Ford as it is not a Dumble nor do I have his immense talent. It is however the closest to that sound I have come within my budget. I was prepared to pay the double for an amp but found this one to be my choise due to its sound qualities. Good luck in your search for the ultimate sound! Mats N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted July 10, 2003 Share Posted July 10, 2003 I've gotta get my hands on one of those. As a child of the 70s...I remember a day when every guitar and bass player seemed to have one of those ol' Canadian workhorses. Actually, I'd quite like to have an old one...but I want to try a new one too. "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted July 10, 2003 Share Posted July 10, 2003 Hey, Tedster, still looking for that three handled family credunza, or did Thing one and Thing Two get you and that fish all wound up over old Canadian amps? Wait 'till their mother gets home and sees all the empty beer bottles and pizza boxes!!! I've got an old Traynor Bass-Master head, with this weird "Range Expander" section, two knobs that change the high and low emphasis, very interactively. When used for guitar and plugged into my GT Electronics Speaker Emulator, it can get some weird distortion tones when really cranked! Kinda like this funky giant overdrive pedal! Someday, I'm gonna refurbish it and re-tube it, and set it up to be as good of a bass amp as it can be, maybe even get one of those 8x8" bass cabs to go with it; I imagine that it will sound like a baby Ampeg SVT! -k Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratasaurus Posted July 11, 2003 Share Posted July 11, 2003 I've also spent a lot of time playing bass on the old Traynor Bass Master with the "range expander" thingamabob. Its sort of the house rig at my church. I actually dig the sound of it. Its driving a closed back Traynor cab as well from about the same vintage. Not the most powerfull rig on the planet, but its got some tones hiding in it if you talk to it nice. I can't speak to the Tedster's yearning for a nostalgic revist to a vintage Traynor, but check out the new ones if you get a chance. I think there a nice affordable all-tube combo. A nice fit for a blues or vintage rock type. If you really have a hankering for an old Canuck favorite I've been playing on an old Garnett that's in the place we rehearse. Now that brings back memories. Have a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beermouse Posted July 12, 2003 Share Posted July 12, 2003 Sorry to say that I don't have a YCV20 or YCV40 (though I have played the YCV40 quite extensively). What I have got is a YCV80 - picked it up used about a month ago. It was only 100$ more than a new YCV40, and definitely worth the money - I love it to bits. More power and volume than I really need right now, and I still haven't really had a chance to crank it, but it sounds great anyhow. Much friendlier to single coils than humbuckers. That's not to say that humbuckers don't sound good through it - they do - but single coils just sound that much better. The "Scoop" and "Expander" switches are nice extras unique to the YCV80 and YCVQ80Q (Scoop is for the distortion channel, Expander is for the clean. The Scoop provides a "deeper sound" and the Expander turns any electric guitar into an acoustic), though I find the Expander has a tendancy to muddy everything up at higher volumes. You can EQ most of that away, though. I don't have any stompboxes, so I can't tell you how the YCV80 is with those. Overall it's a really solid amp that I'm very pleased with. Personally I like it loads more than I ever did the YCV40's I tried out in the store, but that's probably because I spent 900$ on the YCV80 and not the YCV40 ( ). Either way, the new Traynors are really, really good amps, especially for what they cost. You owe it to yourself to try one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratasaurus Posted July 13, 2003 Share Posted July 13, 2003 Glad you dig your YCV-80. Just some further thoughts. I use mine exculsively with single coil guitars, so I can't comment on the humbuckers from personal experience. I'd agree though that its probably voiced a bit better for singles. The YCV-80 was in my price range. I didn't play one, so I can't comment to much on it. In my case it was more a case of getting an amp that best fit my situation. I thought I had some hope of getting the YCV-40 up into the sweet spot, and no hope at all of really digging into the YCV-80. I agree it had some nice additional features. (In my case that's not necessarily a selling point) I had been using a 100 Watt amp and it was so overkill for my situation I couldn't get it out of idle without it stunning small children and making old folks fall off their walkers. Glad your pleased with your YCV-80. I somehow take a modest amount of patriotic pride in using a "made in Canada" product. Keep on rockin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted July 13, 2003 Share Posted July 13, 2003 Anybody here seen the South Park movie? -k Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratasaurus Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 South Park got it wrong. We're coming to take over the USA, and we're bringing our amplifiers. Remember to NOT lock up your wives and daughters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 Forget any military action, just bring beer and we'll fall all over ourselves to be your buds! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Strat Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 quote:Originally posted by CaevanO'Shite: Forget any military action, just bring beer and we'll fall all over ourselves to be your buds! BlueStrat a.k.a. "El Guapo" ...Better fuzz through science... http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratasaurus Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 When we liberate you. <-- meant as humor folks. We'll bring all the high test Canadian Beer you can stand. I make that 2. AND of course all those cold Canadian women in need of re-warming. Look forward to peace in our time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 Originally posted by Stratasaurus: "When we liberate you. <-- meant as humor folks." "We'll bring all the high test Canadian Beer you can stand. I make that 2." Naaa, don't sweat the jokes, sacred cows are a detriment to a healthy society (my apologies to our Indian constituents ) and tolerence shouldn't be a mistrusted, P.C. dirty-word, within reason and moderation. But- I do take exception to the two-beer maximum requirement impinged upon said imports and imbibements, here-here, there-there, now-now, "hey-hey, my-my" (how's that for a Canuck reference-joke?) and HARUMPH!!! I'll drink any Canuck under the table, tailgate, or hay-bail, excluding clinical chronic alcoholics! (N.A.F.T.A. requires that we do shots of Tequilla between lagers and ales, toasting our friends South of our borders!) -k P.S.- Years ago in the Army Reserve, my Company met some Canadian military personel up at Fort Drum, NY, and every one of'em was known to be great folks in short time, all around! Everybody in the unit would smile at the recollection of those times! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratasaurus Posted July 16, 2003 Share Posted July 16, 2003 Anybody who has served king and/or country is exempted from the 2 beer comment. I should warn you however that if they make alcohol consumption and Olympic event Canada just may take the gold. May we meet under a bar stool sometime and discuss the challenge further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted July 16, 2003 Share Posted July 16, 2003 Sounds great, but we'll have to jam first. I usually hate playing under the influence of anything. Then I've gotta warn ya, when pressed for time I've been known to slam a pint of Guinness or a Bigfoot Barley-Wine; at a dive I used to haunt years ago in another town, they served me pitchers- not glasses- of Labatt's, without my ordering! I hardly drink at all, most of the time now, but I've gotten fat, too. (Helps keep my guitar in a more comfy playing position! And all of you thought this was getting way off topic!) So, somehow, my "tolerance" has staid kinda high, while I would think that it would plummet... -k Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratasaurus Posted July 16, 2003 Share Posted July 16, 2003 What!!!!! They've started serving beer in glasses. Surely civilization is crumbling as we talk. I actually have given up drinking alcohol as a competitive sport and only imbibe modestly and infrequently now. I just hate to leave a challenge unanswered. My guitars all hug me very nicely. It's those round back acoustics I avoid they have a nasy habit of rolling face up on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted July 16, 2003 Share Posted July 16, 2003 Originally posted by Stratasaurus: "What!!!!! They've started serving beer in glasses. Surely civilization is crumbling as we talk." "It's those round back acoustics I avoid they have a nasy habit of rolling face up on me." Nope, no-more sucking right from the barrel-bung for the imbibing sophisticate! (Does away with all those fights over the tap.) Yeah, give me a rounding here and there, and keep my guitars flat and square. Hey, I'm Dr, Seusse! -k Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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