Ampeg V4-B and the Traynor YBA-3

[jastacey]

I just acquired a Traynor YBA-3 ( non-master ) and have done some comparing between the 2 amps ...been using a Berg NV425 ....and I can tell you that the Traynor has a large edge in to the volume department ...both amps have 2 unique tones and they are very nice to play with ... but I'm kinda surprised at how much clean gain the Traynor has ...I going to gig the Traynor this weekend ... so, I'll have some more experience with the head later on ..... photos later on..........

[recreate.me]

I have a YBA 3 Master volume version, and its great. I have no experience with your version but when you get it to break up its got such a nice sound! Good luck with this rig

[Edword]

There's even more of a difference after you convert the CS to run 6550s. My V4 doesn't see much use nowadays.

[jastacey]

Here's a promised photo of the amp/amps .... I plan on doing some tube rolling in the power tube section .... amp came loaded with EH EL-34's ... plan on getting a set of JJ's El-34's, I like how the JJ's sound in my Peavey VB-2 Amp, so that's going to be my starting point ... the preamp came loaded with some Phillips 12Ax7A's in V1 & V2 and V3 has a Gray label Sylvania 12AX7 ... all in all I think this is going to be the go to amp for smaller gigs ... going to use it tonight at a hole in the wall beer joint !!!!

[BassGreaser]

nice looking amps!

[Herbie 80's]

I have one of the YBA-3's from 1967, when they first started production. I use it for gigs and recording. I don't have the 6550 conversion done, but it still sounds amazing. I love the natural distortion on it when pushed hard.

[jastacey]

What I found between the amps is the Ampeg V4-B starts to clip at around 10-10:30 on the volume ( at that setting it's a really nice sounding amp, and with a good efficiant cabinet, it's the classic Ampeg V4 sound ... IMHO ), after that it goes real fast in heavy distortion, which to me, makes the amp unusable for the music I'm playing ... with the Traynor YBA-3, the amp starts to break-up at around 1-2 on the volume and the break-up doesn't come on as fast and the distortion is some what smoother sounding ... this amp is really new to me ... so I need to spend some time with it ... I used to have one about 31 years ago, but as a teenager I traded it for some thing with more power .... I got it for nostalgia, .... now as an older player I can view it with different eyes/ears ....

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by Edword

There's even more of a difference after you convert the CS to run 6550s. My V4 doesn't see much use nowadays.

Not really. The Custom Special is a 100W amp with EL34s or 6550s.

Paul

[JoshuaTSP]

Can you describe the tone similarities and differences between the two?

[Edword]

Originally Posted by Herbie 80's

I have one of the YBA-3's from 1967, when they first started production. I use it for gigs and recording. I don't have the 6550 conversion done, but it still sounds amazing. I love the natural distortion on it when pushed hard.

If you like the distortion tone, don't switch to 6550s. I have to turn up higher to get distortion with them.

[jastacey]

Originally Posted by JoshuaTSP

Can you describe the tone similarities and differences between the two?

Well here's my attempt on something that everyone will agree/disagree on:
The V4-B has a tone that is somewhat punchy and warm with a good dose of mids, with the treble set at 1 o'clock, mid set at 2 o'oclock, with the selector switch set at 1000Hz, and the bass set at about 1-2 o'clock, when I switch the mid selector switch to 300z it kinda thickens the sound some what, and I have to fiddle with the mid sweep, the over all sound is kinda the same, one way of describing this sound, is it has a warm punch in your chest, somewhat rattling you upper innards, but turn it past the so called, sweet-spot it just disappears into power amp break-up ... Now with the Traynor YBA-3, the sound is a little wider than compared to the Ampeg, yes it has that punchy vibe and it's really warm sounding, and a really good dose of mids, but as best as I can describe, it sounds somewhat sweeter, the settings on the Traynor are: treble expander-8.5, treble-7, bass-8.5, bass expander-6, presence-4.5, no boost to the treble or to the bass, when pushing the amp at 2 0'clock it starts to break-up, but it's a nice slow type and somewhat controllable growl, you lean on it, it barks, lay off it, it's sweet... all in all, it just has a sweeter type of sound ... IMHO .... I use a mid 1970's P-bass with a set of the 1962 Reissue pick-ups, strung with TI Flatwounds, running through the Berg NV 425, when I get the chance I'll try my 8x10 SVT Frankenstein cabinet, and my 2-TL-606 cabinets loaded with the Eminence 3015's, and my Redstar Audio 4x10, some of the stuff is home and some is at the rehearsal studio .. so that's my attempt to describe the differences between the two ... describing tone is really too subjective ....

[JoshuaTSP]

please sell me the V4B.

thanks for the review.......Which did you say you prefer?

[jastacey]

I'm a gear hound/collector and a comfirmed headroom junkie ..... and for now ..... till the newness wears off ...the Traynor for the smaller beer joint gigs

[JoshuaTSP]

Same here. I'm a whore.

Hmmm....why wouldn't you use the Ampeg for smaller gigs?
Couldn't you ride that edge of break up?
Since the Traynor is cleaner?


I've got a SUNN 2000s, YBA-1A and YGL-3A.......all of which sound great......
....but afraid to gig with a tube head? :idk:
plus, when I run tube heads.......my speakers move in a manor that's much different then my SS head.

[jastacey]

I do use the V4-B and the setting is, as you say on the edge of break-up ... but new amp, changes things for awhile ... I always have a back-up head when ever I play, so if something goes wrong, I'm not SOOL ...... I've got some kool sounding hybrid amps, a Crate BT-350 and a Bassman 1200 I like they way those sound too ... I just like have many tone options and the ability to shake the foundation to the core, if need be ... but for the most part, all this amp stuff is just for me ... the crowd could care less.....

[JoshuaTSP]

That's the saddest part of of gear whoring.......no one cares other then other musicians and yourself.

Hell of a lot of fun though.

Have you noticed that tube amps move your speakers more then SS amps?

[jastacey]

+1 ... to collecting gear ... I suspect that the speaker movement is due to the OP transformer, on how it couples to the speaker system, I've often wondered my self, ( for 30 years ) as to why the reason it does it, but it hasn't stopped me from using a tube amp ..... Here's a view from last night's gig

[low-down&dirty]

I love that old canadian stuff....I'm using a Traynor yba-3 with a master volume (not sure the year...). I love the sound of it especially the growl you can if you push it a bit. It also has a lot of tone options to play with (although I haven't spent lots of time doing it)....the one thing I noticed is that when I changed basses from my G&L JB2 to a fender jazz (with flats) I didn't like the tone at first but was able to play around & dial in a monster tone pretty quickly.

[Edword]

Originally Posted by low-down&dirty

... It also has a lot of tone options to play with (although I haven't spent lots of time doing it)....the one thing I noticed is that when I changed basses from my G&L JB2 to a fender jazz (with flats) I didn't like the tone at first but was able to play around & dial in a monster tone pretty quickly.

IMO that's the best thing about the YBA-3. I've used it with many different cabs/basses, and I'm always up and rolling with a good tone after minimal tweaking. I wish the same was true for my YBA-3A.

[Jeff Scott]

My first amp was a YBA-3, wish I still had it now, 36 years later.