Seannn

sqip, I obviously missed your post from last year, but if you ever visit our forum again, I still use this amp. I'd get another cab for truer stereo if I had the space for it. I blew one of its transformers last summer, and got it repaired this spring, along with the reverb, which wasn't working. (The reverb doesn't have a lot of presence.) The amp isn't spectacular but serves my monitoring purpose, and works quite nicely with certain keyboards. It's powerful and built like a tank, but heavy like one too. At the right price, it's a cool piece to own. Just PM me if you need the manual (special thanks to Jake for sending that to me!). Joe, zombie thread is right! Believe it or not, I get messages on occasion asking for the manual, but that post about organs is completely irrelevant to this thread, unless you want to use the RVS's rotary emulator, which you shouldn't. Ever.

I'm really excited about this! If the price is right, I'm going to buy one for sure. I'd be fine if Korg releases the Odyssey with the same mini-keys as the MS-20 Mini. The MS-20 Mini keys aren't like those on the microKORG or Microbrute; they're very playable, imo. For synths with limited polyphony, I think smaller keys actually increases versatility (you could play greater intervals). For everything else, there's the convenience of using MIDI controllers.

+1 for the Gibraltar suggestion. I use what I believe is the 9608HM and while it doesn't have a backrest, it's very comfortable.

I always talk about recording this and that, but I don't think I've ever shared my demos with you guys! Well, I may as well. Here's something, rough as it may be, for an upcoming project that might see the light someday: http://soundcloud.com/weareblackmagic/where-things-stay-the-same. It would eventually feature a full band. I write in a lot of different styles and am working on some solo stuff (somewhat unlike that demo), which I will release in due time, but I've decided to share this anyways. I won't get into the specifics unless asked, but I used a pad on the Juno-G, the Juno-60 for most of the synth parts (recorded through a reverb and analog delay pedal), and a slightly overdriven Korg R3 for some of the lead synth stuff. Onboard effects from Logic; Korg Monotribe for drums. Enjoy I love listening to your stuff!

Absolutely! I just sent out the email; it's a pretty big attachment, so you should receive it in a few minutes. Another huge thanks to Jake for sending me the scans! I'm thinking of bringing the head into a tech next week to work on the reverb.

I wanted to offer Jake (lightbg) another HUGE thank-you for sending me the manual for this amplifier! It's going to be a huge help to me. I turned the scans into a .PDF file which also includes an old RVS advertisement that Jake was able to find. If there is anyone out there who is also looking for the manual, please let me know, and I will kindly pass it on. I'm thinking of taking it to a tech for some maintenance Thursday or Friday.

Thanks guys! And our bassist is the loud one. The reverb switches are loose, so a connection issue may be why the reverb's not working. I haven't been able to take the switches off yet, but sounds like it could be a pretty easy fix. Mercury is quite the nickname, Jake! I definitely need to put wheels on her.

Alright, the inage quality is a bit crummy, but here it is! It's very warm-sounding. Though I'm not running it in true stereo, the piano sounds a lot better through this amp (left channel 1, right channel 2) than it did through my KM60 or KC-60 (it's not hard to beat the sound from the latter), and the synths sound great! They're very lush. I'm going to have to get used to the colour, but I definitely like how all my keyboards sound together. I could tell it's really powerful. I think the spring reverb needs repair or is otherwise insignificant, but I'm not in a rush to repair that. I'd probably put wheels on the thing at the same time, especially if I plan to bring it out, which, between you and me, may happen one of these days. Also, my cables aren't always that messy; I have to wrap them up again. http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd455/seanseannseannn/Yorkville.jpg

Alright--big surprise here, I bought it. And man is it heavy! But, nothing I can't manage with a friend, or deal with--in dire straits--on my own. The seller was a bit tough in regards to negotiation; he already dropped the price from $400. I still got it for $180, and probably could have pushed for a bit less, but it's a small difference for me. The amp is huge, and in pretty good shape. It's missing one knob and a little EQ switch; I don't really care about the missing knob, and the switch is replaceable. It's LOUD, and that's what counts! The RVS simulation is pretty cool, and I know it'll sound good with organ. I think something's up with the spring reverb, but I'll have to play aroud with it some more before I conclude on that. The cab is in excellent shape. My only concern with the head is some pot noise, which was to e expected. The seller took off all the knobs and cleaned it for me, but I really think my best bet is bringing it to the tech who repairs my synths (and works on all sorts of analog gear), and asking him to open it up, clean it, and take a look at the reverb. That--if everything is in working shape--will cost me no more than $80-100. The thing is definitely not in mint shape, but it's not in bad shape either. For something from the 70's, it could be a lot worse. I'll take photos tonight when I bring it home. It will make a more solid practice amp than my KM60 (which I'll keep) or KC-60 (which I'm selling--there's roughly my money back), and may sound cool on recordings. Heck, I could even (and may) gig with it in its current condition, but fitting all of that gear in the accent will be another story to tell. Jake, if you do find a copy of that manual and can scan it or send a copy my way (I'll pay for postage), please let me know!!

If I do end up buying it, that could be a huge help, so I'll let you know! I'm checking it out tomorrow afternoon. The seller said he bought it a few years ago and mainly used it for recording "effects" on guitar/vocals, but not with keyboards. It's been sitting in his basement for a while, but it was fully functioning the last time he tried it. He said it's a bit dirty (dusty) and I may need to clean up the contacts a bit, but that it sounds good. I'm not too sure what this means. If it's buzzing/crackling, it may not be worth the risk.

Jake, thanks a million! All of that info is a huge help, help that I know I couldn't find anywhere else. The entire setup looks really cool in those photos too. I'm hoping I could pick it up on Tuesday--if it's in good condition, of course. If I do, I'll definitely post some photos/a video. Fingers crossed! I'm still not entirely clear on the mono/stereo, reverb, and noise gate sends. Can you share some insight?

Awesome! I'm definitely going to make an offer--I'll have more news this week.

This in itself could make for an interesting topic; I think we've brought it up in discussions here before. How to define "vintage" is another good question to ask. I've always associated a degree of (high) quality with vintage gear, but that's very subjective. --- Back to the RVS, I did a bit more research, and the amp actually falls under Yorkville branding, not Traynor branding. Check this out from the Yorkville history I found on their website: It definitely looks interesting. I heard back from the seller, and he told me to call him on Monday. I hope to try it out early this week. I'll keep all of you posted! Update: Seeing as Yorkville/Traynor are Canadian companies, I think it's a good time to wish my fellow Canadians and beer enthusiasts a happy Canada Day!

Perhaps, but it's sure as hell the year most of his gear was current. Hahahaha, Sven is right about that! I'm a decade younger.

Bottom line, Sean - have at it if you like. It could be a lot of fun. Obviously it depends on what you want out of it. But based on my experience with that old TOA I'd certainly never take it on a gig without a back-up solution in the car. This is excellent advice. I sent the seller an email and will call him on Monday (it's a holiday up here) to see if I can test it out. I'm really curious about this piece.