New Traynor YBA 100!!

[PillO]

Quick follow-up... last night I started getting into the dirty stuff. I'm a fan of the overdriven sound the YBA100 produces from its preamp section. Much more natural and musical than my PF350 + Barbershop OD, which in comparison sounds more like the speakers distorting, kinda flat, muffled and farty... I don't know, hard to explain. Lovely layer of grit on top of a good tone for rock. I really appreciate the mid frequency selector too, may need to get an EQ pedal to give the PF350 that versatility (the mids there are planted at 500hz). Going to be even harder to go back!

I saw your post on the PF350. My PF350 blew up and I am not sure that I want to spend 60-70% of the value fixing it (more if I have someone else do it). I picked up a used SB200 while waiting for a YBA100. I will take the YBA100 tone over the PF350 any day. For the SB200, I'll add some dirt to that in place of the PF350. Don't think I will end up fixing the PF350.

To my ear both Traynors have better bottom end than the Ampeg. YMMV.

 

[SubSonicAK]

I saw your post on the PF350. My PF350 blew up and I am not sure that I want to spend 60-70% of the value fixing it (more if I have someone else do it). I picked up a used SB200 while waiting for a YBA100. I will take the YBA100 tone over the PF350 any day. For the SB200, I'll add some dirt to that in place of the PF350. Don't think I will end up fixing the PF350.

To my ear both Traynors have better bottom end than the Ampeg. YMMV.

Interesting about the SB200. I never honestly expected the PF350 to beat out an actual tube amp and agree the YBA beats it on all fronts. It's just all I have on hand to A/B with right now. If I had the disposable income I'd buy out the YBA100 in a heartbeat, but for now it's just a nice treat for myself to rent it out while I'm vacation from work but can't really do much in lockdown. It's not helping the GAS though!

Sorry hear about your dead 350, but also congrats on the YBA100, it's a beauty.

 

[PillO]

I had an epiphany the other day.

I have been running a compressor between bass and input to my YBA100. I did that because it sounded good with every amp I had previously used. I turned it off (can't recall why, perhaps there was no reason) and the amp sounds gooder (never happened with a previous amp). And I have found that either:

a. I'm a better bass player than I thought with good dynamic control, or
b. the front end of the YBA100 has enough compression through the 12AX7s that I don't need a compressor with that amp.

I lean toward b as I find a unlikely.

 

[kjp360]

Has anyone tried their YBA 100 with a Fearful 15/6/1? Curious about the results if they have, especially as it relates to volume. Anyone?

 

[PillO]

Has anyone tried their YBA 100 with a Fearful 15/6/1? Curious about the results if they have, especially as it relates to volume. Anyone?

I have run it with:

and

Loud enough (at 10:00 on master) to upset neighbours with both.

 

[Lowendtech]

View attachment 4210847

Those cabs always make me think of Ed the Sock.

 

[PillO]

Those cabs always make me think of Ed the Sock.

View attachment 4210994

If you don't have anything nice to say... Say it often!

Actually, I see this:

 

[GreyBeard]

I would love to have one but I've had nothing but bad luck with traynor tube amps. Back in the 70's I went on tour with a yba3 and a single 8x10 cab. It sounded great but it was in the shop more than on the stage. Fast forward to 2005 or so and I bought a yba200 to use in my HS band room with a single 8 ohm 15. It never left the room. Same deal, sounded great but was broken more than it was playing. Maybe the 3rd times a charm.

 

[PillO]

I would love to have one but I've had nothing but bad luck with traynor tube amps. Back in the 70's I went on tour with a yba3 and a single 8x10 cab. It sounded great but it was in the shop more than on the stage. Fast forward to 2005 or so and I bought a yba200 to use in my HS band room with a single 8 ohm 15. It never left the room. Same deal, sounded great but was broken more than it was playing. Maybe the 3rd times a charm.

That experience is quite unusual. It is very rare to hear about a Traynor needing service for anything outside of being thrown off a roof.

I don't understand the desire for a gig bag.

It's a Traynor. You can throw it off the roof and it will keep working.

 

[Leo was right]

That experience is quite unusual. It is very rare to hear about a Traynor needing service for anything outside of being thrown off a roof.

Most of time, service on a Traynor tube amp is related to put good tube in it. that all.

 

[pie_man_25]

That experience is quite unusual. It is very rare to hear about a Traynor needing service for anything outside of being thrown off a roof.

Honestly, I can extend that to tube amps in general. I've got an old PEPCO amp with no-name tubes in it, a 12ax7, I forget what the rectifier tube was, and the power tube was a 50C5 that went into TVs or maybe radios at the time. That thing has seen much better days but as far as I know even the tubes are original and it's still kicking just fine. Really clean and glassy with a guitar, too.

 

[PillO]

Most of time, service on a Traynor tube amp is related to put good tube in it. that all.

Probably want to bias the new tubes...

 

[Leo was right]

That experience is quite unusual. It is very rare to hear about a Traynor needing service for anything outside of being thrown off a roof.

The gig bag is only for protecting the paint from scratches!

 

[Leo was right]

Probably want to bias the new tubes...

Yes on new model, on vintage one I don't remember, but probably.

 

[BobbyQuads]

Traynor YBA 100 or Ampeg V-4B re-issue? I'm agonizing over the choice. My first amp was a Traynor and I've had 3 or 4 Yorkville combos (and some dude is GIVING me a Yorkville 200W combo tomorrow!), so I love Traynors (and I'm a fan of most things Canadian, even went to U of Toronto)! But a clip of my old V4b has got me longing for that tone again. Tone is the issue - can I get similar tone out of the V4B?

 

[PillO]

Traynor YBA 100 or Ampeg V-4B re-issue? I'm agonizing over the choice. My first amp was a Traynor and I've had 3 or 4 Yorkville combos (and some dude is GIVING me a Yorkville 200W combo tomorrow!), so I love Traynors (and I'm a fan of most things Canadian, even went to U of Toronto)! But a clip of my old V4b has got me longing for that tone again. Tone is the issue - can I get similar tone out of the V4B?

I was 8T9

Assuming you are in Canada, you can get two YBA100s for the price of a V4B. I don't think the Traynor is lower quality, I like the tone of the Traynor.

 

[BobbyQuads]

I was 8T9

Assuming you are in Canada, you can get two YBA100s for the price of a V4B. I don't think the Traynor is lower quality, I like the tone of the Traynor.

I'm in St. Louis. I know the quality is great, it's just the tone comparison. Price is a lesser issue - I've always been frugal - up to now! I was in TO from 90-92 and unfortunately left before the Blue Jays won the World series.

 

[joetiii]

Traynor YBA 100 or Ampeg V-4B re-issue? I'm agonizing over the choice. My first amp was a Traynor and I've had 3 or 4 Yorkville combos (and some dude is GIVING me a Yorkville 200W combo tomorrow!), so I love Traynors (and I'm a fan of most things Canadian, even went to U of Toronto)! But a clip of my old V4b has got me longing for that tone again. Tone is the issue - can I get similar tone out of the V4B?

Hmmmm. I havnt ABd a V4 next to my YBA100, but I have run my Sansamp BDriver into the yba on the V4 settings and I think you can come close to copping that tone. As most on this post that have both have said, the Ampeg is a fair bit louder if you are looking for that you'll want the reissue.. I thought my YBA100 sounded a bit dark when I first got it. I'm playing a G&L L2000 into an SVT15E and all the buckers modes were pretty muddy so I rolled in some long plate 12AX7s and it made a world of difference. Its pretty versatile and sensitive preamp that is pretty polite but can get dirty when need be. I havnt really been able to really open up the power section in a band setting yet so I can't comment on that. I would say that if you don't mind a bit less volume, the YBA should be a good choice.

 

[BobbyQuads]

Thanks much. I should have said I love punchy, thick P-bass, just a little gritty tone - Wetton, Dave Hope of Kansas. I also have a 73 Ric and would love to get some old Geddy or Squire tone.

 

[RoadRanger]

Just got one in - I replaced my 30 watt Ashdown CTM30 with this and it is significantly quieter and less gain . With the gain and master on 10 there is just a hint of breakup - sounds clean but just maybe 15 watts out? I saw some folks complaining about it being a quiet amp but this is ridiculous. WTH could be wrong?