buying a big tube amp!
 

So im finally building up a new rig after not having a propet gigging/touring setup (have a ebs t90 for home studio/jamming). Ive been researching for almost a year and im on a 3 way fence. Ive already purchased cabs: avatar tb153 and avatar 2x12, replacing my beloved GKs. Now for heads. Ive considered mesa 400+, i LOVE the sound but the DI is a nightmare, but still a contender. SVT-2(non pro) but so hard to find. Its the only svt i like and im kicking myself for missing the one that just got sold to JMJ on TB. Which brings me too....Traynor yba300. Now these things are still considerably new and there is only so much info on this site. Ive heard the benefits, but is there anything that people dont like about it, any reason not to buy it? I havent seen any used, but they pop up fairly often for $1100-1200 brand new. Stupid good bargain new large tube amp. I have quite a bit experience with the mesa(owned one for a while) and the ampeg(buddy had one). The traynor has so man favorable features and seems almost too good to be true.

Throw up some examples of tones you want, and from there, open up to possibilities of other ideas, those are three pretty different amps, as far as large valve bass amps go, so they don't tell us much.

Congrats on the rebuild! Of your choices, and not knowing what style you play, I'd say the Mesa. The DI isn't great, but the sound that comes from the front end is! The Traynor is a solid choice too. I know what you're saying about the SVT 2 though. Is be scared to pick one up because of replacement parts if needed.

After going through tons and tons of gear over the past 40 years of playing bass, I finally landed on the SVT-II non-pro as the amp of tone happiness for me. So, if you are a person who loves the sound (and feel) of that particular amp, then my recommendation is, employ patience as the method of achieving your tone goal. In other words, wait for another SVT-II non-pro to come along. They always do....always. eBay, Craigslist, and of course, TB. It might take you a couple of months, perhaps even a month or two beyond that, but IMO it will be worth it to you if that is the amp you really want.

My recommendation is, of course, based on an assumption that you are not pressed for time. If you are pressed for time, then my recommendation probably won't be a viable option for you.

Fear not!

Any decent tube amp tech can replace anything inside an SVT. Perfectly-matched replacement parts are readily available, and tube techs know where to get them. That is, IMO, one of the nice things about tube amps....the ability to keep them working forever.

I play alot of styles, but mostly rock, r&b, groove, funk, punk. I love all the amp tones and to me they are not too vastly different that they i cant use one for everything. I enjoy the general thump and fullness of tubes. I dguess im looking at more of a reliability issue. That and available info on the traynor is scarce, although i know they have a great company record. The mesa and ampeg are tried and true and i have experience with them. I know the foibles of tube amps, thats why they have techs! Like i said, the traynor sounds too good to be true, im guessing because they are so new. I know when the yba200 came out it had some hiccups, i wonder if its the same with the 300. So many tough choices..

The di problem on the mesa can be circumnavigated with an outboard, but i dont own one and dont want to buy one if i spend close to a $1000 on a head. Does have great tone though. Each one has its own beautiful voice, and im going to run a G&L l-2000 through it. Basically i like a good classic rounded thump to some fairly aggressive modernish slap tone occasionally. Im not looking for a super hifi transparent tone. I usually try for a john deacon tone. I also like that the traynor isnt something everyone has, but it makes getting a solid opinion of them hard, and the one youtube video i found does no justice.

Bah, every once in a while you have to replace a tube or two. Hardly a big deal, although I'll admit to having to swap amps on a gig a couple times in recent memory because of it. I've also had to swap amps on gigs where I brought a solid state amp too, so it's certainly not exclusive to tube amps. All amps can break down.

Get the 400+ and a radial JDI for your DI. Done

The Traynor YBA300 is a beauty! Nothing bad to say about mine.
Sounds great, ain't too heavy, loud & overdrives well too.
I've not tried any different pre or power tubes yet (as it sounds great as is), but I'd like to try some different pre tubes at some time