Yamaha THR-clean tones, twang, full sounding open E string?

[60s Pop Man]

I've been resistant to the amp but I think I'm now ready to get one.

My main interest is in the clean tones and low end open notes that the THR can produce. There are some nice sounding Fender-esque clean tone demos drenched in reverb. Really very seductive. I'm sold as far as that goes.

But how well do the small speakers produce full-sounding low notes for Duane Eddy, a James Bond theme song, or low E string country twang??? Also jazz guitar walking bass?

I'm not expecting the THR to produce sound comparable to an amp with a 12 inch speaker. But having a satisfying full sound when practicing at low volume at home would be the selling point.

Thanks!

 

[hemingway]

It does clean pretty well, on the two cleanest amp settings. But on a tele it means taking the gain down to about 10 o'clock, which means you won't get huge volume out of it. Still way loud enough for home use, but not the ear-splitting home volume you can get on the crunchy sounds.

Having said that, I don't generally use the cleanest amp setting on it because I usually use it at very low volume, which means no no real bottom end.

I'm using the THR5 btw. For general home use it's an absolute game changer. But if you prefer clean sounds and bottom end, I'm not sure . . .

 

[60s Pop Man]

For general home use it's an absolute game changer. But if you prefer clean sounds and bottom end, I'm not sure . . .

That's helpful!
This issue these days is local availability to audition sounds in person.

 

[TokyoPortrait]

Hi.

When they were developed, the musical instrument division of Yamaha that was doing said development worked up the amp simulations, effects, etc. but handed off the power / output and speaker part to Yamaha’s home entertainment division, for their expertise in sound production / reproduction.

Thus the THRs have very well thought out and designed speakers, porting, etc. along with psychoacoustic EQing (or whatever it is exactly, and which can be turned off) in the output amp stage. Perfect for home use.

The result is a pretty great sounding, room fulling richness. It really is quite impressive, especially considering the size. I think it is a good and fair description when people say it sounds like a really well recorded guitar amp.

Some people don’t like the sound, but I feel that it seems like most love it. But this does tell me, you won’t really know until you try one.

I have the V2 version of the original THR10. I was playing it about half an hour ago in fact, quietly and on the clean setting, and it was great I thought. And I use it most days (esp. since the neighbours started calling the fuzz over my 4 watt valve amp ). I think mine sounds rather wonderful in fact.

They don’t record too well with a mic though. I should add that. No brain to succumb to that psychoacoustic trickery. But, you can use them as an interface and record that way.

Good luck.

Pax/
Dean

 

[4wotitswurth]

Play mine everyday for hours…. I have a thr5 for odd times I spend somewhere I want to drag my guitar to… but mostly I use a thr10c. Everyone to their own, but for me I prefer the sound (clean) over my BJ, Blackstar, Katana, Mustang… the only other amp that competes (for me) is an older fender Princeton Chorus… I also have the thr10x but thats more a love hate thing… days I love it, days I hate it… I use it with Strats, Tele, Hamer, Godin nylon, they all sound great to my (deteriorating) ears I hope the thr10c lasts since they stopped making them, and I was thinking that added Bluetooth thing might just be an additional point of failure with the newer version…. Probably completely wrong of course!

 

[60s Pop Man]

Hi.
The result is a pretty great sounding, room fulling richness. It really is quite impressive, especially considering the size. I think it is a good and fair description when people say it sounds like a really well recorded guitar amp.
Pax/
Dean

That's what I need to hear. Thanks!

I'm not concerned with recording with a mic. The THR would be my hang-around amp buddy.

 

[hemingway]

Hi.

When they were developed, the musical instrument division of Yamaha that was doing said development worked up the amp simulations, effects, etc. but handed off the power / output and speaker part to Yamaha’s home entertainment division, for their expertise in sound production / reproduction.

Thus the THRs have very well thought out and designed speakers, porting, etc. along with psychoacoustic EQing (or whatever it is exactly, and which can be turned off) in the output amp stage. Perfect for home use.

The result is a pretty great sounding, room fulling richness. It really is quite impressive, especially considering the size. I think it is a good and fair description when people say it sounds like a really well recorded guitar amp.

Some people don’t like the sound, but I feel that it seems like most love it. But this does tell me, you won’t really know until you try one.

I have the V2 version of the original THR10. I was playing it about half an hour ago in fact, quietly and on the clean setting, and it was great I thought. And I use it most days (esp. since the neighbours started calling the fuzz over my 4 watt valve amp ). I think mine sounds rather wonderful in fact.

They don’t record too well with a mic though. I should add that. No brain to succumb to that psychoacoustic trickery. But, you can use them as an interface and record that way.

Good luck.

Pax/
Dean

 

[Oxidao]

I use the THR10C at home, mostly on the Deluxe setting with a Tele.
Good advises up there, and you get a full warmth sound.

H.Buckers are cool either on that spot to me.

 

[60s Pop Man]

...but for me I prefer the sound (clean) over my BJ, Blackstar, Katana, Mustang… … I use it with Strats, Tele, Hamer, Godin nylon, they all sound great to my (deteriorating) ears I hope the thr10c lasts since they stopped making them, and I was thinking that added Bluetooth thing might just be an additional point of failure with the newer version…. Probably completely wrong of course!

I had a Mustang GTX and have listened to and liked the Blackstar clean tones (Studio 10 and HT-5R MKll). So this is very encouraging. On this end, teles, a strat, a PRS S2 594, and a Godin Multiac Grand are in use.

The point of failure is an interesting point. No doubt, I'll get one of the newer models, just not the one with Wi-fi.

 

[hemingway]

I think it records really well with a mic - but that might depend on the mic. I recorded most of my last 3 albums on it.

I've never really tried recording the clean sounds, though. Maybe I'll play around and give that a go.

 

[60s Pop Man]

H.Buckers are cool either on that spot to me.

Good to know. Thanks!

 

[TokyoPortrait]

Hi.

I think it records really well with a mic - but that might depend on the mic.

Perhaps what I should have said was, recorded, it always disappoints me when compared to the way it sounds in the room.

I (kinda) remember a demo on-line with the U.K. Yamaha rep, and the Andertons guy (Lee?) said something about it probably being great for recording at home, and the rep kinda paused and pulled a wee face and said, without much conviction, something like ‘um, maybe, but with the stereo field effect turned off.’ And that seems true to me, I find it does better recorded with that off.

I’ve used SM58s (dust cap on and off) and a reasonably good capacitor (condenser) mic. I find there are two approaches that yield more satisfactory (but not great) results. Either having the mic close and surrounding the whole deal with cushions, etc. to really isolate it and deaden things, or having it in a larger space and distance mic with a LDC mic.

Perhaps I should try again and get more creative with mic placement, cos I do really like the big clean sound it can produce in the room, and would like to capture that.

Incidentally and as an aside, I’m currently very interested in the idea of the Boss IR-200 as a possible home recording solution.

Pax/
Dean

 

[60s Pop Man]

It sounds like the cabinet selection in the app will alter the sound with more bass bass, enough to be happy with.

So another question, for the purpose of practice at home, is the 10w sufficient is the 20 or 30w model better? I have a nice ss amp with a 12 speaker if I need to hear that type of fullness. But the many moments when I'm practicing, is the 10w going to provide enough volume. I don't need to fill a room as I will sitting next to the THR.

Thanks.

 

[60s Pop Man]

Incidentally and as an aside, I’m currently very interested in the idea of the Boss IR-200 as a possible home recording solution.

Pax/
Dean

The are so many recording options these days. Beyond DAW amps sims, I did use a Boss GP-10 for recording which sounded pretty good. Getting a GT-100 was a consideration at one point.

Then there are amps in a pedal. So my guess is that the Boss IR-200 will work very well for recording.

 

[60s Pop Man]

It looks like you can record via the USB connection. Not sure how it will sound, but less work than use of a mic. Also, the headphone output is very usable as a DI feed per SOS.

 

[tfarny]

I find it's hard to get much volume out of it on clean settings but it does sound good. It sounds a lot better than you would expect such a "toy" looking thing to sound. For low volumes it works better than my AC30 which it sits on top of.

Do you get full rich bass out of a 3" speaker? Well, it's not a Twin, but it works extremely well for what it was designed to do.

 

[TokyoPortrait]

Hi.

for the purpose of practice at home, is the 10w sufficient is the 20 or 30w model better?

I've mentioned a few times here that the neighbours have called the police on me when I've been using my 4 watt Vox AC4HW1. It is, as they say, 4 'tube watts' mind, so it is freaking loud (it really is).

But once one evening, I was using the THR10 and they called the police. I only know that because the guy from the local 'police box' left a note in my letterbox that I found the next day. Apparently he didn't hear anything actually worth complaining about or bothering me with (which is good, as now they probably realise the neighbours are just looking for reasons to cause trouble).

Thing is, it must have been audible outside to some degree at least, and I wasn't anywhere near even half volume at all.* So yeah, I think the 10 watt version fills a standard kind of house sized room with quite a lot of volume. More than I need in fact. I seldom use it past half way on the 'Guitar' volume knob, which is kind of the overall unit level control (it depends though, as different 'amp types' have quite different apparent volume levels).

I've heard of some solo acts using them for coffee house, cafe, winery, etc. sized gigs (some members here maybe?). I suspect this fact is why Yamaha went bigger with the new models. Maybe? Their original philosophy was it is a third amp - hence THR. I can't quite remember, but I think their reasoning was it is that 'third' amp you need, when you don't need your practice studio amp or your gigging amp. But, turns out for certain types of gigs, the 10 watter is very popular.

I'd be confident recommending the 10 for regular home use.

Pax/
Dean
* both me and my wife think that that time, the neighbour in question must have been really trying hard, being really 'fence leaning over' or 'window hovering' nosy to find that volume a problem. My wife was in the house upstairs and didn't even know I was using it.

 

[TokyoPortrait]

It looks like you can record via the USB connection. Not sure how it will sound, but less work than use of a mic. Also, the headphone output is very usable as a DI feed per SOS.

Hi.

I don't actually remember why now, just that I never really liked the USB result.

I never tried the headphone out, I don't think. I should.

Pax/
Dean

 

[arlum]

I keep a THR10 in my locker at work. It's the only non-tube amp I own. It's good enough to give me something to do during a break.

 

[tfarny]

It sounds like the cabinet selection in the app will alter the sound with more bass bass, enough to be happy with.

So another question, for the purpose of practice at home, is the 10w sufficient is the 20 or 30w model better? I have a nice ss amp with a 12 speaker if I need to hear that type of fullness. But the many moments when I'm practicing, is the 10w going to provide enough volume. I don't need to fill a room as I will sitting next to the THR.

Thanks.

one more data point for you - I used it recently at an open mic outdoor event, on battery power. I was playing a Casino type guitar plugged straight in. In addition to me, we had a bass player and amplified acoustic guitar. Not loud, but....a band and a gig! I used it because the venue only provided a single acoustic amp for a backline and with the battery power I could just walk onstage with it and play.
There were around 20 people there, it was in a fenced outdoor space. I didn't love how it performed (it didn't seem to cut through very well), but I had it on one of the quieter settings I believe. The JTM45 setting (Brit Blues) cuts through much better with all of its brightness, and I probably would have been fine if I had just put that on and cranked it up.

Hopefully that provides some context for the limitations of this thing. I have the THR10C.