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Old Traynor Heads: Please School Me
- Thread starter donahue
- Start date
Waiting on some Traynor repair technicians to confirm if the bassmaster mark ii yba1a amp was ever bench tested for 90 watts rms.......i know it's a very loud amp
Hmmm , Thehound - 6v6 and el84 tubes were used in older Traynor Bassmate combo amps . The larger el34/6ca7/kt77 is a much stouter tube than the skinny little el84......easy to confuse those two numbers... A pair of el84=about 18 watts..... apparently a pair of el34 =up to 90 watts if really run hot like in Traynor YBA1A.
I have a YBA-1A that was modded by the local amp guru to run 6550s. I don't know what he did to it to make it run those tubes successfully but it is a great sounding amp. Frankly if I didn't know who had done the mods I would not have bought it.
They are built like tanks, very high quality. One of the real bargains in the tube amp world imho.
They are built like tanks, very high quality. One of the real bargains in the tube amp world imho.
I had a YBA-1A for a couple of years. It sounded good (its tube) but didn't have enough head room for gigs. You know, LOUD guitarist, heavy hitting drummer. Wasn't as loud or as good as my V4B. I did like it but I only have so much room and a wife who doesn't like a lot of stuff taking up space. Hate to say but she's right.
Indeed, getting double the RMS wattage out of a power tube just by jacking up the voltage doesn't make sense to me.
The AC rating on the back panel of both the YBA-1 and the YB1-A is 115V, 2A. Seems the A would draw a lot more current if it doubled the output wattage. Oh well...
.....paging bassmanpaul in T.O. .....can a pair of el34 tubes make 90 watts rms in the Traynor Bassmaster Mark 2 YBA1A ? A scanned copy of Traynor's catalogue from 1969-72 found at velvet black web-site states 90 watts rms at 5% distortion , so the maker claimed it was so.........
Some years ago I owned a Traynor YBA1A , a seventies Ampeg V4B , and a 1969 Fender Superbassman concurrently. The Traynor and Fender had the most clean volume about tied. The V4B had the far superior tone and EQ shaping. To the above post: we are discussing the YBA1A not the regular YBA1.
For anyone who hasn't seen one the Traynor YBA1A says Bass Master Mark II on the front. Labelled YBA-1A Bass Master Mark II on the rear. Also has an angled fan mounted on the chassis or in the side for exhaust.
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Here's an older thread, where someone's tech bench tested one at 85 watts: Traynor yba-1a mk II questions
The thread mentions extremely high plate voltage. I don't know much about electronics, honestly, but the Wikipedia article on the EL34 says this:
"According to the data sheets found in old vacuum tube reference manuals, a pair of EL34s with 800 V plate voltage can produce 90 watts output in class AB1 in push–pull configuration. However, this configuration is rarely found."
The thread mentions extremely high plate voltage. I don't know much about electronics, honestly, but the Wikipedia article on the EL34 says this:
"According to the data sheets found in old vacuum tube reference manuals, a pair of EL34s with 800 V plate voltage can produce 90 watts output in class AB1 in push–pull configuration. However, this configuration is rarely found."
The YBA-1 and YBA-1A are incredible, but quite underpowered for bass for a lot of situations. They are very close to a Marshall Plexi.
The YBA-1A tortures its two EL34s to get the higher wattage; that amp chews through tube appreciably faster than the YBA-1.
The YBA-3 is a monster, and definitely where it’s at if you need headroom and volume in SVT territory. Amazing amp.
The YBA-1A tortures its two EL34s to get the higher wattage; that amp chews through tube appreciably faster than the YBA-1.
The YBA-3 is a monster, and definitely where it’s at if you need headroom and volume in SVT territory. Amazing amp.
As with the YBA-1A, it’s underpowered in many contexts. Think of playing bass through a Fender Twin; it will hang in there with most basses at medium volumes, but it’s going to be out of gas beyond that.
- Jan 1, 2014
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Then there's the really rare YBA3A Super Custom Special with 4 obscure power transmitting tubes that have high voltage going through the caps on their tops and making 250 watts. Traynor folklore has it an Ampeg technician was visiting Pete Traynor while he was developing the bad boy amp and said tech had something to do with the SVT. So which came out first : the Traynor Super Custom Special YBA3A or the SVT...... ??!!
I own a YBA1A in need of some attention. It is indeed a fun amp, and through a 15" cab, it was loud as balls and had more grunt and groan than an old man pinching a loaf after thanksgiving. I can't wait to get it back in action. Whether guitar or amp through it, I was making beautiful noise. That said, it wasn't on a wish list or anything. Came across it for cheap enough, and I'd have kicked my own arse if I didn't buy it.
The MK2 of the Bassmaster was indeed made to be 90watts or in that area. A member of another board had his vintage amp bench tested and claims got 85watts or so, which is about on the mark. While most amps don't get this much juice from the EL34, the Traynor was capable of squeezing this out, at the expense of being hard on tubes. Granted, this is all research I've collected over the past bit about the amp regarding my own and its needs.
They're well regarded as guitar amps as well, and can have Plexi mods done to them. I believe Pete Traynor based it off of Fender and Marshall designs, so they lend well to modification.
Even if its to be left stock, there are a few things some prefer to do, and some things that MUST be done. Make sure any you look at or consider have had the 3 prong power cable with ground installed. This mod is a must do, as it's a safety thing. The pots are said to be less than ideal, and there are a few power caps that should be changed due to age. There was a great Traynor Tweaks page that's since disappeared off the internet. It's now left to collecting bits from well versed folk on forums such as these until an alternative link can be found.
Due to all of this, I would like to take my amp to a professional if the opportunity arises, and if I was looking again, I would likely pay a premium for one with a clean bill of health from a recent tech visit. They are 50 year old amps after all.
The MK2 of the Bassmaster was indeed made to be 90watts or in that area. A member of another board had his vintage amp bench tested and claims got 85watts or so, which is about on the mark. While most amps don't get this much juice from the EL34, the Traynor was capable of squeezing this out, at the expense of being hard on tubes. Granted, this is all research I've collected over the past bit about the amp regarding my own and its needs.
They're well regarded as guitar amps as well, and can have Plexi mods done to them. I believe Pete Traynor based it off of Fender and Marshall designs, so they lend well to modification.
Even if its to be left stock, there are a few things some prefer to do, and some things that MUST be done. Make sure any you look at or consider have had the 3 prong power cable with ground installed. This mod is a must do, as it's a safety thing. The pots are said to be less than ideal, and there are a few power caps that should be changed due to age. There was a great Traynor Tweaks page that's since disappeared off the internet. It's now left to collecting bits from well versed folk on forums such as these until an alternative link can be found.
Due to all of this, I would like to take my amp to a professional if the opportunity arises, and if I was looking again, I would likely pay a premium for one with a clean bill of health from a recent tech visit. They are 50 year old amps after all.
