New Traynor YBA 100!!

[Brooxington]

Thanks @Lowendtech, @Loring, @LetItGrowTone and @jid for the replies!

I saw conflicting info about how the tubes pair, and wasn't sure whether or not it should be in standby or operate. Much appreciated!

 

[Coot]

I know this is an older thread but I've had my YBA 100 for a year or two now. The 6L6's( or EL34's) are easy to bias when they need changing. After the amp is properly connected to an 8 or 4 ohm cab, toggle on into standby mode for a couple minutes to heat up the 3x 12ax7s. The standby LEDs on the rear should be both on and glowing BLUE and RED . Press button on front to turn off the standby and power up the 6L6's and observe the rear of the head . The tubes are in 2 x push/pull pairs. Each pair has a biasing pair of LEDs on the back. The Blue and RED of the standby mode is now unlit( = balanced and nothing required) or... Blue OR Yellow (if biasing is needed).I use a flashlight to see the recessed bias slots and using a very small flathead screwdriver, turn slowly and in small amounts to left or right until there are no LEDs lit . Blue is under biased, yellow is too hot. No lights on in back are where you want to be... at a balanced bias. This is only one of the fantastic features of this valve amplifier. I love this head. It sounds great through my Mesa Subway 15's or my Ampeg stack of 2x10's. I know the original design was a thing of beauty to look at ( so is this)but if I need to switch out my power tubes , I just take out the screws the top and there they are . Once replaced, I just need to look at the back to bias them quickly. An awesome feature .. hope this helps .
PS if you power up completely and there is still a RED and BLUE LED pair lit up when there should be no lights ( no lights=balanced) there is an issue with one or the other of the 2 tubes . It's a warning to change them or have them both tested. Awesome ...

 

[Brooxington]

I know this is an older thread but I've had my YBA 100 for a year or two now. The 6L6's( or EL34's) are easy to bias when they need changing. After the amp is properly connected to an 8 or 4 ohm cab, toggle on into standby mode for a couple minutes to heat up the 3x 12ax7s. The standby LEDs on the rear should be both on and glowing BLUE and RED . Press button on front to turn off the standby and power up the 6L6's and observe the rear of the head . The tubes are in 2 x push/pull pairs. Each pair has a biasing pair of LEDs on the back. The Blue and RED of the standby mode is now unlit( = balanced and nothing required) or... Blue OR Yellow (if biasing is needed).I use a flashlight to see the recessed bias slots and using a very small flathead screwdriver, turn slowly and in small amounts to left or right until there are no LEDs lit . Blue is under biased, yellow is too hot. No lights on in back are where you want to be... at a balanced bias. This is only one of the fantastic features of this valve amplifier. I love this head. It sounds great through my Mesa Subway 15's or my Ampeg stack of 2x10's. I know the original design was a thing of beauty to look at ( so is this)but if I need to switch out my power tubes , I just take out the screws the top and there they are . Once replaced, I just need to look at the back to bias them quickly. An awesome feature .. hope this helps .
PS if you power up completely and there is still a RED and BLUE LED pair lit up when there should be no lights ( no lights=balanced) there is an issue with one or the other of the 2 tubes . It's a warning to change them or have them both tested. Awesome ...

Amazing! Thank you so much.

 

[CPplaysBASS]

@RoadRanger and @TrevorOfDoom , thanks for sharing your experiences with low volume back in early 2021. It saved me a lot of grief!

I bought my YBA100 brand new in February 2021, used it for one practice, one gig, and then it sat. I liked having it my collection, but find the tiny little SB500H to be a thing of beauty and my "go-to". Someone local posted they were seeking a YBA100 so I offered him mine. Tested it while he was here since I couldn't remember when i last had it on. All good. But then a week later he calls me up suggesting I purposely sold him a defective amp as the volume had dropped to bedroom levels at max volume. I assured him I did not know of an issue beforehand, but kindly gave him his money back and planned to take the amp to the shop.

After reading your post though, I figured I'd first put in new JJ Preamp tubes to replace the Sovteks. Like you also said, I believe the amp is now louder than it ever was before the volume drop (to be confirmed when I take it to band practice in a couple of days). I never would have thought the preamp tubes could have that effect on volume, and could have spent a lot of money getting work done that wasn't required.

I suspect as Traynor production ramped up after the pandemic shutdown, and there were tube shortages, at least a few with bad pre amp tubes made their way into the wild. Definitely the easiest and cheapest "amp repair" in my experience!

And I'm keeping it!!

Cheers,
CP

 

[Koshchei]

@RoadRanger, thanks for sharing your experiences with low volume back in early 2021. It saved me a lot of grief!

I bought my YBA100 brand new in February 2021, used it for one practice, one gig, and then it sat. I liked having it my collection, but find the tiny little SB500H to be a thing of beauty and my "go-to". Someone local posted they were seeking a YBA100 so I offered him mine. Tested it while he was here since I couldn't remember when i last had it on. All good. But then a week later he calls me up suggesting I purposely sold him a defective amp as the volume had dropped to bedroom levels at max volume. I assured him I did not know of an issue beforehand, but kindly gave him his money back and planned to take the amp to the shop.

After reading your post though, I figured I'd first put in new JJ Preamp tubes to replace the Sovteks. Like you also said, I believe the amp is now louder than it ever was before the volume drop (to be confirmed when I take it to band practice in a couple of days). I never would have thought the preamp tubes could have that effect on volume, and could have spent a lot of money getting work done that wasn't required.

I suspect as Traynor production ramped up after the pandemic shutdown, and there were tube shortages, at least a few with bad pre amp tubes made their way into the wild. Definitely the easiest and cheapest "amp repair" in my experience!

And I'm keeping it

Cheers,
CP

I gig and record with mine all the time. It sounds amazing.

 

[jid]

I don't have a 100 anymore but I have a 300 and other than the weight they sound identical. Love the tone!

 

[CPplaysBASS]

I gig and record with mine all the time. It sounds amazing.

I'm definitely looking forward to giving it a fair second chance. It seemed plenty loud into one Traynor DNBX12 with the new preamp tubes. I'll use two 12's with the band. I'm anticipating joy!

 

[CPplaysBASS]

I have the 300 as well, love it, but is overkill for my current gig needs. I love the soft pillowy compressed feel I get it from it, so hopefully I find that with the YBA100 as well.

 

[Koshchei]

I'm definitely looking forward to giving it a fair second chance. It seemed plenty loud into one Traynor DNBX12 with the new preamp tubes. I'll use two 12's with the band. I'm anticipating joy!

Last gig I played was through a Traynor 208 in a six piece ensemble with two percussionists, violin (amplified), guitar, banjo (amplified), and two singers. I sat really well in the mix, trading solos with the violinist with the master volume only around 1 o'clock. With a loud drummer, I'd probably show up with a bigger cab, but the YBA kept up really nicely.

And yeah, the soft velvety tone is there in spades on the YBA-100. Holy hell does it sound nice.

 

[PillO]

I have the 300 as well, love it, but is overkill for my current gig needs. I love the soft pillowy compressed feel I get it from it, so hopefully I find that with the YBA100 as well.
View attachment 5397429 View attachment 5397430

I have found with mine that either my dynamics have improved to the point of perfection, or the preamp offers fantastic tube compression. It is a poor craftsman who blames his tools. So obviously it is my skill, not the amp.

 

[Koshchei]

Just got back after recording an album with my YBA-100. What a gorgeous tone it had on the studio floor. Velvety smooth, dynamic, and clear. It pairs so incredibly well with my Rickenbacker 4003.

 

[Mr123Clark]

Hey Folks!

Small tone question - would you say this amp is closer in tone to a Fender or Ampeg? I have a Fender SB300 and 100t as well as an Ampeg V4B Reissue. I tend to skew more in favor of the Fender, having one channel set up like a flat Ampeg and one with scooped mids and Deep/Bright switch engaged.

Would the YBA100 get me in that ballpark? It seems like a nice lightweight alternative to bringing out the V4b or 100t to small gigs

 

[Lowendtech]

Hey Folks!

Small tone question - would you say this amp is closer in tone to a Fender or Ampeg? I have a Fender SB300 and 100t as well as an Ampeg V4B Reissue. I tend to skew more in favor of the Fender, having one channel set up like a flat Ampeg and one with scooped mids and Deep/Bright switch engaged.

Would the YBA100 get me in that ballpark? It seems like a nice lightweight alternative to bringing out the V4b or 100t to small gigs

The YBA-300 was designed to be a lighter, cheaper SVT. The YBA-100 is it's little brother.
The YBA-200 is a different animal. I don't have much experience with it so I can't say what it is tone stack is modelled after.

 

[Koshchei]

Hey Folks!

Small tone question - would you say this amp is closer in tone to a Fender or Ampeg? I have a Fender SB300 and 100t as well as an Ampeg V4B Reissue. I tend to skew more in favor of the Fender, having one channel set up like a flat Ampeg and one with scooped mids and Deep/Bright switch engaged.

Would the YBA100 get me in that ballpark? It seems like a nice lightweight alternative to bringing out the V4b or 100t to small gigs

Ampeg, though it has its own thing going. I think that its midrange is more powerful and flexible than an Ampeg's.

 

[jid]

The YBA100 (and 300) are awesome amps. They have the same tone stack and my tone settings on both, when set by ear, end up w the nobs in exactly the same place. Weird when that happened actually.

To me the Traynor isnt a fender and isn't an Ampeg. It is somewhere in between. But it isn't trying to be either. The sound is maybe slightly more Ampeg-y because you can get the break up and presence that an ampeg has. But it still isn't an ampeg.

i owned the YBA300 and an Ampeg V4B at the same time. I found the Ampeg to be more of a one trick pony. And I loved the trick. I just found the YBAs to be a little more 'well rounded' if that makes sense? I basically use the YBAs on the same settings for every gig all the time. Tonal changes mostly come from my fingers than from tweaking the amp.

if you get a chance to play a 100, definitely do it. I don't have a 100 anymore but that is because the 300 is identical even though it is bigger. Apropos of nothing, I use a Mesa TT800 as my lightweight rig and while that doesn't sound like the Ampeg or the Traynor, it too has a nice sound that makes me smile when I play.

that's the goal… tone should make you smile while playing. Traynor definitely does that for me!

 

[J-Bass RMR]

To me the Traynor isnt a fender and isn't an Ampeg. It is somewhere in between. But it isn't trying to be either.

I just found the YBAs to be a little more 'well rounded' if that makes sense?

Very good assessment / descriptions.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

After a driver section like the one in the YBA100, the YBA300 has an additional tube stage, 1/2 12AU7 per side, as cathode followers, feeding the power tubes, so it should be cleaner at higher power.

I owned both. The YBA100 was already clean enough for me and has more than enough power for my situation, and is the one I kept. But of course I regret selling the 300.

 

[PillO]

Ampeg, though it has its own thing going. I think that its midrange is more powerful and flexible than an Ampeg's.

My hunt for "that tone" ended when I got a YBA 100. Traynors are the amps I should have just bought from the start.

 

[rodl2005]

@RoadRanger and @TrevorOfDoom , thanks for sharing your experiences with low volume back in early 2021. It saved me a lot of grief!

I bought my YBA100 brand new in February 2021, used it for one practice, one gig, and then it sat. I liked having it my collection, but find the tiny little SB500H to be a thing of beauty and my "go-to". Someone local posted they were seeking a YBA100 so I offered him mine. Tested it while he was here since I couldn't remember when i last had it on. All good. But then a week later he calls me up suggesting I purposely sold him a defective amp as the volume had dropped to bedroom levels at max volume. I assured him I did not know of an issue beforehand, but kindly gave him his money back and planned to take the amp to the shop.

After reading your post though, I figured I'd first put in new JJ Preamp tubes to replace the Sovteks. Like you also said, I believe the amp is now louder than it ever was before the volume drop (to be confirmed when I take it to band practice in a couple of days). I never would have thought the preamp tubes could have that effect on volume, and could have spent a lot of money getting work done that wasn't required.

I suspect as Traynor production ramped up after the pandemic shutdown, and there were tube shortages, at least a few with bad pre amp tubes made their way into the wild. Definitely the easiest and cheapest "amp repair" in my experience!

And I'm keeping it!!

Cheers,
CP

Glad it worked out well.

Pre amp tubes are 1st look into 90% of probs with tube amps.
Sometimes they just need a little wiggle..... don't we all

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

Hey Folks!

Small tone question - would you say this amp is closer in tone to a Fender or Ampeg? I have a Fender SB300 and 100t as well as an Ampeg V4B Reissue. I tend to skew more in favor of the Fender, having one channel set up like a flat Ampeg and one with scooped mids and Deep/Bright switch engaged.

Would the YBA100 get me in that ballpark? It seems like a nice lightweight alternative to bringing out the V4b or 100t to small gigs

The Traynor's a little bit of both while being neither.
The tone stack is unlike either, for 1.
All knobs at noon is frequency flat, which i really like.
It's biased to run cool, so it doesn't get as grindy as an Ampeg will, but you can change the bias.
It's cleaner than comparable Fenders, when run that way. (Again, the bias makes a huge difference.)
But when cranked into the grind zone, it can keep up with an Ampeg.
I enjoy both Fender and Ampeg for what they do, but the option to know exactly how you're adjusting the frequency responce, plus the cleaner tone straight out the gate, with grind being an option instead of the main feature, makes it more versatile.