Traynor?

tubaman2 · #1 02-21-2011, 07:52 AM

So, I was wondering about Traynors. I've seldom seen them and never heard one. How do they sound? Just curious about them.

N.F.A. · #2 02-21-2011, 07:55 AM

Old ones are very good indeed, imo. I have never heard or played through a new one.

Rezdog · #3 02-21-2011, 08:21 AM

Greetings from the North,

The new gear from Traynor is great too. Very reliable, great warranty, innovative and they sound good too. They've got a long history and just so you know......Ampeg thought enough of them that they were 'Heavily' influenced by Traynor"s YBA-3 & 810 cab. Ampeg then came up with the SVT later on.

Rezdog

AtomicPunk · #4 02-21-2011, 08:26 AM

They also have a line called Yorkville. I've used their stuff for the last 4 years or so until I bought a Genz and it is very good stuff. Very reliable.

RobertSzabo · #5 02-21-2011, 08:47 AM

They used to be made by Yorkville sound and were good amps in the 60s and 70s. Bought a YB-3 in the late 60s with an 8-10 bottom and later switched to dual Traynor 18s in folded horns They were loaded with Cerwin Vegas. Now THAT was a loud bass amp. Used the Traynor head for several years till I switched to a Sunn Coliseum. In the early 70s they added a master volume to the YB-3 and it also made a pretty good guitar amp cause you could over drive it by cranking the pre amp and turning the master down. Not sure about the newer line.

derridiandrift · #6 02-21-2011, 09:04 AM

I've owned and used the old YBA-1 and the YBA-3.

YBA-1 is a 50 watt head with no master volume. It runs a pair of EL34s and can easily be modded by a competent tech to run 6550s for a different flavour (that's what I did with mine). I was able to get 48 watts of spanking clean tone before it started to distort. I used one with an Eden D410XLT and it was loud enough for small rooms (say 100 people) with a guitar player using a 20 watt combo, with a vocal PA. It sounded beautifully vintage. The eq section on these amps is pretty basic. If you want lots of control you need to put a preamp in front of it. It would be fine on bigger stages with an Ampeg 810 and PA support if you're into slightly distorted vintage sound.

The YBA-1A has a different output transformer from the YBA-1. It's a louder amp. Reportedly, it can go to about 90 watts clean. I can't vouch for that because I haven't owned or used one, but I do know for certain that they are louder than the YBA-1. Same preamp as the YBA-1, from what I understand.

The vintage YBA-3 Custom Special was a very nice head. Very robustly built. Four EL34s that can easily be modded to four 6550s or KT88s by a competent tech. They'll run in the range of 130 to 150 watts with lots of girth. These have large output transformers, so they're quite loud. The eq on these is much more usable than on the YBA-1. Very early versions had no master volume. The secret is out on these. They're way cheaper than vintage SVTs and they're killer amps. If you want a real tough, road worthy tube amp that has classic construction, you can get one of these for less than the price of those brand new Peavey tube amps. These amps simply slay modern mass produced PC board amps in tone and durability. They're hard to find though.

bassboysam · #7 02-21-2011, 09:09 AM

I have played a lot of amps over the past 6-7 years.

Fender 300 Pro
Mesa 400+
Traynor YBA200
Sound City Bass 150
Ampeg SVT (70s)
Matamp GT200
Traynor YBA-3

The one I would never sell is the YBA-3. If it was a little narrower and a little louder it would be the perfect amp. Nothing sounds like a YBA-3.

Thornton Davis · #8 02-21-2011, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertSzabo

They used to be made by Yorkville sound and were good amps in the 60s and 70s. Not sure about the newer line.

Yorkville Sound is very much alive and well and still making Traynor equipment to this very day. Nothing in that arena has changed. Yorkville have always been innovators making extremely well built equipment at very reasonable prices. Especially considering that 95% of their products are still made in Toronto.

TD

Din Of Win · #9 02-21-2011, 09:23 AM

Here's my YBA-3 CS on top of my Ampeg B25-b 2x15:

I can't say enough nice things about this amp. Suuuuper clean. VERY loud!! It's my first tube amp, so i baby'd it for a while after i first got it. But man, it's a tank!! I'me use to touring with GK and Peavey solid state heads... and this Traynor is about as tube-tank-like as i can imagine.

FWIW: I've been using it as a guitar amp as well and it's incredible!!

Rezdog · #10 02-21-2011, 09:36 AM

Greetings,

Traynor is also releasing it's New YBA-300 within the next month. 300 watts all tube at around 50 lbs weight.

Rezdog

jastacey · #11 02-21-2011, 09:37 AM

The older Traynor YBA-3 is the king of the 100-140 watt bass amps ... a lot of folks assume the V4-B is the go to amp for that wattage range .... but if you can find one ... get it .... I no longer have the V4-B ...... I have been eying the new YBA-300 !!!!

capnjim · #12 02-21-2011, 10:56 AM

Ditto on the YBA-3. I had one years ago and sold it. never had an amp that sounded as good. I just found one 2 weeks ago and am planning on restoring it as its a bit of a mess. (Still works and sounds pretty darn good)
I find its better sounding than the V4b as the Eq is more sensitive...JMHO

BassmanPaul · #13 02-21-2011, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thornton Davis

Especially considering that 95% of their products are still made in Toronto.

TD

Pickering Ontario actually.

bassboysam · #14 02-21-2011, 11:09 AM

Makes me smile every time I pass through Pickering.

newbold · #15 02-21-2011, 01:03 PM

They're making great gear.

Want a new 8x8? go to Traynor!

**mikeddd** · #16 02-21-2011, 01:04 PM

Are they not sold on the web? I see only brick and mortar dealers listed. Anyone know what the MSRP is on the YBA-300?

BassmanPaul · #17 02-21-2011, 01:17 PM

long-mcquade.com and yorkville.com

recreate.me · #18 02-21-2011, 01:20 PM

Traynor is a great company, i just sold my YBA-3, for cheap. I know, i was moving and it needed a retube, and had some electrical issues, but still i got enough to buy a used Traynor 200-2 from the classifieds.

Traynor amps are solid, and they pretty much all sound amazing. The YBA3 and YBA 200 are loud, reliable, and have a sound that is kind of a less trebley, more round Ampeg with less bite.

bassybeenz · #19 02-21-2011, 01:21 PM

ive got a newer 810 and i gotta say A/B with an ampeg CL 810, blew the 'peg outta the water! seemed clearer in the highs and had a slightly more defined bottom. To me, definition of an ampeg killer.

TRUST EM'