Traynor Custom valve Amps????

Jakedog · March 3rd, 2005, 11:56 AM

Who knows about these? The reviews I've read have all been awesome. Are there any common issues/problems I should know about? I scored the 40 watt 1X12 last night, and it sounds REALLY good. Light years beyond the HRD I had recently, which I guess it's designed to compete with. Construction seems a little cheesy, and I wonder about reliability, which is why I'm posting this, but I couldn't pass it up for the price. A 40 watt all tube rig in mint condition for under $250 US. I took it on the spot. I'm just wondering if there is anything I should watch out for with this thing, if any body here has any info, please feel free to speak up.

Jake

BB · March 3rd, 2005, 01:51 PM

Congrats! These are great amps and you got a very good deal for $250. I've posted before about the one I found for a friend who had his 2X12 Fender Blues DeVille stolen from our church. He asked me to help him find an amp with the insurance money ( a bit over a grand ) he received in the settlement. I found a brand new 40 watt Traynor on line for around $450.00. He ordered it and has never been happier. I prefer ( as does he ) his tone though the Traynor over the Fender. The Fender was so darn loud, he could not turn it past 2...and those things need to open up a bit to sound their best. Anyway, he got a new, great sounding amp and still had money left over.

I have read that a speaker and tube change make this an even better sounding amp. My friend plays clean and never uses the overdrive channel. I've used his amp many times running stereo when he's not there and find the overdrive tone to be lacking. Again, a tube/speaker change would probably help a great deal with that. The clean sound ( and using pedals for OD ) is wonderful as is. As far as reliablity.....so far so good with his. Of course, it's only used about 2 hours twice a week, but so far I have not heard any reliability problems with the Traynor amps.

Jakedog · March 3rd, 2005, 02:15 PM

Interesting that you say you found the overdrive lacking. That's one of the things that seriously sold me on this amp. It is the ony amp I have EVER played through that actually had a dedicated overdrive channel that was useable. Maybe this one has had somthing done to it, but the OD rocks. Extremely smooth and creamy, no harshness at all. I have never played a channel switching amp with a dirty channel that I liked until now. One of the things that made me buy, is that I could actually gig this amp without an OD pedal. Can't say the same for any of the channel switching Marshalls, Fenders, or Boogies I've owned.

It is good to hear that your buddy has had his for awhile with no reliability issues. I like that.

I can't see inside the chassis well enough to see what the pre-amp tubes are, but I'll open it up and check them this weekend, The power tubes are still the factory Sovteks, so I'll be grabbing some JJ's shortly, I expect the amp will sound even better with a pair of those on board.

Jake

BB · March 3rd, 2005, 03:45 PM

Well there ya go! Glad to hear the o/d channel works well for you. The JJ's should improve the tone considerably. You got a great amp at a great price.

mmahoney · March 3rd, 2005, 03:48 PM

here and elsewhere everyone seems more than happy with their CV amps ... I've the CV 40 and the clean channel does the "Fender" thing better than some Fenders (like the HR series).

you mentioned the construction was "cheesey" but that's not my opinion ... they are really built like a tank, and many of the HC reviews mention the superior build quality. And Traynor backs them with a two year "even if you break it" warranty. Good Canadian wood and they don't scrimp on the screws.

I use the clean channel and a Guyatone OD2 when I need a little more boost or overdrive.

the amp is sensitive to tube changes and that's a good thing to know if you want to shape your sound ... I'd like to know if anyone has done any speaker swapping as that is probably an area for improvement as well.

enyoy the amp.

Mike

Jakedog · March 3rd, 2005, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmahoney

you mentioned the construction was "cheesey" but that's not my opinion ... they are really built like a tank, and many of the HC reviews mention the superior build quality. And Traynor backs them with a two year "even if you break it" warranty. Good Canadian wood and they don't scrimp on the screws.

enyoy the amp.

Mike

I should have been more specific, the cab seems solid as a rock, I am really happy with that. However, the chassis seems lighter guage than what I am used to, and the pots, jacks, and switches all seem to be really cheap quality. I haven't checked them yet, but I am betting the pots have plastic shafts. And the switches, well, they are less than inspiring.

However, for the price I paid, I am more than OK with these shortcomings because it sounds fantastic. I figure at under $250.00, if I get two years out of it I'll be a happy camper. If it lasts alot longer, that's just a bonus. I really like the speaker guard they put under the grill cloth, I just wonder how much more it would have cost them to put some kind of tube guard on it too. No biggie though, I'll just be extra careful during transport.

Jake

tdu · March 3rd, 2005, 04:04 PM

I can't say enough good things about Traynor amps. I own a new YVC 50 limited edition, but I also own a couple of older ones. And as mentioned they have about the best warranty you can find. That shows how confident they are it the product.

While the YVC 50 has different tubes and a little more gain then the other YVC models, I am still shocked that anyone finds they lack overdrive. Mine fully driven sounds like the best parts of a Marshall, but mixed with a vox. In fact I can't even put the gain to full for rythms. Kicking in the boost makes it even crazier and great for leads.

I have owned and played a lot of combos and in my opinion the Traynors stand up to anything else out there. But at only $700 canadian for mine, it was half the price.

blackdog · March 3rd, 2005, 04:20 PM

I have the YCV 20WR, and its a great little amp. I would've gone for the 40, but it had too much headroom for my needs. Oddly enough the YCV 20 that i got isn't the one they have on the website or the one in their phanplet that came with my amp. My amp has features that aren't on the ones pictured on the website or manuals. I think i may have a new version....

geddyleedog · March 3rd, 2005, 05:38 PM

I have a YCV40 and I love it. I, like you, think the build quality is a little lacking. As you mentioned, the pots, switches, relays, all leave a little to be desired. I keep telling myself that this thing is going to fail any day. However, I've had it for well over a year now (I bought it used) and there have been no problems.
I replaced the tubes with JJs. Why? Because a lot of people said it would sound even better. I honestly couldn't tell any difference. I noticed a HUGE difference when I replaced the speaker though. I put in an Eminence Red White and Blues. It really tighted up the clean and overdriven sounds. You could leave this bad boy stock, and it would sound great. I made the changes, just because. I've been very happy with this amp. I think you'll be too.
The only thing I'm not crazy about is this: I keep the gain on the overdrive channel only at about 4. There is a significant decrease in volume when I switch to from the clean to the overdrive channel. When I'm playing with the band I keep the clean channel's volume at about 4. I have to put the overdrive's volume at about 6 in order to have them sound the same. It's not a big deal, but it's just one of those things.

Jakedog · March 4th, 2005, 02:49 PM

Thanks for all of your input guys! I am really digging this little amp ALOT. I can't believe an amp that I paid so little for sounds SO GOOD. I will take it out for it's first gig tonite, and report back on monday to tell you how it went.

Thanks,
Jake

Wally · March 4th, 2005, 04:32 PM

What is the tube compliment of this Traynor amp? I had a chance to quickly give it an ear, but haven't formed a firm opinion on it.

mmahoney · March 4th, 2005, 04:39 PM

with one of the three 12AX7's being the phase inverter.

cheers,
Mike

Jakedog · March 4th, 2005, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wally

What is the tube compliment of this Traynor amp? I had a chance to quickly give it an ear, but haven't formed a firm opinion on it.

What Mike said, 2 6L6's, 3 12ax7's. Wally, i know you're old school, and I am too, but I gotta tell ya, for a "modern" pc board, ss rectifier tube amp, this thing is hands down the best I've ever played. Tonewise, it absolutely DESTROYS the HRD I was using for the last three years before I got my half stack.

Most of all, I think it's really nice to have a drive channel that sounds good. I have never liked the drive in channel switching amps, always to gritty, brittle, and fake sounding to me. This thing sounds smooth as a baby's ass when you turn up the gain. It's easy to get a little hair for blues and classic stuff, and jusy as easy to get into Santana and Dickie Betts territory. I am actually toying with the idea of leaving my OD pedals at home tonite, and just working with the channels, it's that good.

Jake

Wally · March 4th, 2005, 05:40 PM

I figured that the most 12AX7's that amp could have would be 3. It would be interesting to see a schematic. I would have to think that the reverb is in the SS domain. There just aren't enough tubes there for it to do everything it does and still do all of the signal processing in the tube domain. It did not sound like an all-tube amp to me. I was not overly impressed during the limited time that I spent with one in my shop. Once you get used to hearing tubes doing ALL of the signal processing, your ear can detect those ss things going on. In order to process that OD plus the reverb, you would be looking to see 5 preamp tubes minimum...a la Rivera, Boogie and others who do the OD and reverb in the tube domain in a channel switching amp.

tdu · March 4th, 2005, 07:26 PM

Y asee the YVC 50 (LE) has 2 EL34's, 3 12AX7A's and a Celestion 30 speaker. It gives it a different tone then the other YVC models. While I think the other ones sound great, if you ever get a chance to try out the model I have do it. I had to go to 3 different stores in 3 different cities to find one though. They were extremely popular and on back order at most stores. You know the LE when you see because it's blue instead of black.

March 3rd, 2005, 11:56 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jakedog Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cleveland,OH But my heart's still in TE Posts: 3,051	Traynor Custom valve Amps???? Who knows about these? The reviews I've read have all been awesome. Are there any common issues/problems I should know about? I scored the 40 watt 1X12 last night, and it sounds REALLY good. Light years beyond the HRD I had recently, which I guess it's designed to compete with. Construction seems a little cheesy, and I wonder about reliability, which is why I'm posting this, but I couldn't pass it up for the price. A 40 watt all tube rig in mint condition for under $250 US. I took it on the spot. I'm just wondering if there is anything I should watch out for with this thing, if any body here has any info, please feel free to speak up. Jake __________________ "Them that don't know him won't like him, and them that do sometimes won't know how to take him..."

March 3rd, 2005, 02:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
Jakedog Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cleveland,OH But my heart's still in TE Posts: 3,051	Interesting that you say you found the overdrive lacking. That's one of the things that seriously sold me on this amp. It is the ony amp I have EVER played through that actually had a dedicated overdrive channel that was useable. Maybe this one has had somthing done to it, but the OD rocks. Extremely smooth and creamy, no harshness at all. I have never played a channel switching amp with a dirty channel that I liked until now. One of the things that made me buy, is that I could actually gig this amp without an OD pedal. Can't say the same for any of the channel switching Marshalls, Fenders, or Boogies I've owned. It is good to hear that your buddy has had his for awhile with no reliability issues. I like that. I can't see inside the chassis well enough to see what the pre-amp tubes are, but I'll open it up and check them this weekend, The power tubes are still the factory Sovteks, so I'll be grabbing some JJ's shortly, I expect the amp will sound even better with a pair of those on board. Jake __________________ "Them that don't know him won't like him, and them that do sometimes won't know how to take him..."

March 3rd, 2005, 03:48 PM	#5 (permalink)
mmahoney Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 146	Great amps ... here and elsewhere everyone seems more than happy with their CV amps ... I've the CV 40 and the clean channel does the "Fender" thing better than some Fenders (like the HR series). you mentioned the construction was "cheesey" but that's not my opinion ... they are really built like a tank, and many of the HC reviews mention the superior build quality. And Traynor backs them with a two year "even if you break it" warranty. Good Canadian wood and they don't scrimp on the screws. I use the clean channel and a Guyatone OD2 when I need a little more boost or overdrive. the amp is sensitive to tube changes and that's a good thing to know if you want to shape your sound ... I'd like to know if anyone has done any speaker swapping as that is probably an area for improvement as well. enyoy the amp. Mike

March 3rd, 2005, 04:04 PM	#7 (permalink)
tdu Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Age: 32 Posts: 2,433 11 Photos	I can't say enough good things about Traynor amps. I own a new YVC 50 limited edition, but I also own a couple of older ones. And as mentioned they have about the best warranty you can find. That shows how confident they are it the product. While the YVC 50 has different tubes and a little more gain then the other YVC models, I am still shocked that anyone finds they lack overdrive. Mine fully driven sounds like the best parts of a Marshall, but mixed with a vox. In fact I can't even put the gain to full for rythms. Kicking in the boost makes it even crazier and great for leads. I have owned and played a lot of combos and in my opinion the Traynors stand up to anything else out there. But at only $700 canadian for mine, it was half the price. __________________ Torn Down Units brand Rock n' Roll My Solo Stuff:

March 3rd, 2005, 05:38 PM	#9 (permalink)
geddyleedog Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Connecticut, USA Posts: 583	I have a YCV40 and I love it. I, like you, think the build quality is a little lacking. As you mentioned, the pots, switches, relays, all leave a little to be desired. I keep telling myself that this thing is going to fail any day. However, I've had it for well over a year now (I bought it used) and there have been no problems. I replaced the tubes with JJs. Why? Because a lot of people said it would sound even better. I honestly couldn't tell any difference. I noticed a HUGE difference when I replaced the speaker though. I put in an Eminence Red White and Blues. It really tighted up the clean and overdriven sounds. You could leave this bad boy stock, and it would sound great. I made the changes, just because. I've been very happy with this amp. I think you'll be too. The only thing I'm not crazy about is this: I keep the gain on the overdrive channel only at about 4. There is a significant decrease in volume when I switch to from the clean to the overdrive channel. When I'm playing with the band I keep the clean channel's volume at about 4. I have to put the overdrive's volume at about 6 in order to have them sound the same. It's not a big deal, but it's just one of those things. __________________ (.o)==:::

March 3rd, 2005, 01:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
BB Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Pacific NW Age: 53 Posts: 3,141	Congrats! These are great amps and you got a very good deal for $250. I've posted before about the one I found for a friend who had his 2X12 Fender Blues DeVille stolen from our church. He asked me to help him find an amp with the insurance money ( a bit over a grand ) he received in the settlement. I found a brand new 40 watt Traynor on line for around $450.00. He ordered it and has never been happier. I prefer ( as does he ) his tone though the Traynor over the Fender. The Fender was so darn loud, he could not turn it past 2...and those things need to open up a bit to sound their best. Anyway, he got a new, great sounding amp and still had money left over. I have read that a speaker and tube change make this an even better sounding amp. My friend plays clean and never uses the overdrive channel. I've used his amp many times running stereo when he's not there and find the overdrive tone to be lacking. Again, a tube/speaker change would probably help a great deal with that. The clean sound ( and using pedals for OD ) is wonderful as is. As far as reliablity.....so far so good with his. Of course, it's only used about 2 hours twice a week, but so far I have not heard any reliability problems with the Traynor amps.

March 3rd, 2005, 03:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
BB Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Pacific NW Age: 53 Posts: 3,141	Well there ya go! Glad to hear the o/d channel works well for you. The JJ's should improve the tone considerably. You got a great amp at a great price.

March 3rd, 2005, 04:20 PM	#8 (permalink)
blackdog Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2004 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 208	I have the YCV 20WR, and its a great little amp. I would've gone for the 40, but it had too much headroom for my needs. Oddly enough the YCV 20 that i got isn't the one they have on the website or the one in their phanplet that came with my amp. My amp has features that aren't on the ones pictured on the website or manuals. I think i may have a new version....

March 4th, 2005, 02:49 PM	#10 (permalink)
Jakedog Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cleveland,OH But my heart's still in TE Posts: 3,051	Thanks for all of your input guys! I am really digging this little amp ALOT. I can't believe an amp that I paid so little for sounds SO GOOD. I will take it out for it's first gig tonite, and report back on monday to tell you how it went. Thanks, Jake __________________ "Them that don't know him won't like him, and them that do sometimes won't know how to take him..."

March 4th, 2005, 04:32 PM	#11 (permalink)
Wally Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 3,988	What is the tube compliment of this Traynor amp? I had a chance to quickly give it an ear, but haven't formed a firm opinion on it.

March 4th, 2005, 04:39 PM	#12 (permalink)
mmahoney Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 146	two 6L6's and three 12AX7's with one of the three 12AX7's being the phase inverter. cheers, Mike

March 4th, 2005, 05:40 PM	#14 (permalink)
Wally Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 3,988	I figured that the most 12AX7's that amp could have would be 3. It would be interesting to see a schematic. I would have to think that the reverb is in the SS domain. There just aren't enough tubes there for it to do everything it does and still do all of the signal processing in the tube domain. It did not sound like an all-tube amp to me. I was not overly impressed during the limited time that I spent with one in my shop. Once you get used to hearing tubes doing ALL of the signal processing, your ear can detect those ss things going on. In order to process that OD plus the reverb, you would be looking to see 5 preamp tubes minimum...a la Rivera, Boogie and others who do the OD and reverb in the tube domain in a channel switching amp.

March 4th, 2005, 07:26 PM	#15 (permalink)
tdu Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Age: 32 Posts: 2,433 11 Photos	Y asee the YVC 50 (LE) has 2 EL34's, 3 12AX7A's and a Celestion 30 speaker. It gives it a different tone then the other YVC models. While I think the other ones sound great, if you ever get a chance to try out the model I have do it. I had to go to 3 different stores in 3 different cities to find one though. They were extremely popular and on back order at most stores. You know the LE when you see because it's blue instead of black. __________________ Torn Down Units brand Rock n' Roll My Solo Stuff: