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Traynor SB500H

Whaleform

Whaleform

Dec 21, 2023
82
74
Canada
#1
Hey friends,


I've recently started playing bass in a metal band and they had this loaner amp for me to use in the jam space. I was a bit underwhelmed at first when I saw what it was but I must say it really did the job very well.. Pretty decent for what it costs brand new, around 600$ Canadian .. I couple it with an empress compressor and a darkhorse b7k and get a pretty decent metal tone out of it, kinda like the Alex Webster tone.

Anyone else try this Amp head? im curious how your experience was .. ! Traynor seems to be an awesome Canadian brand
 
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#4
michael_t said:
I haven't had a chance to try the SB500H, but it's on my shopping list for when I'm ready for a full rig. I own two combos by Traynor (SB106 & SB112) and am very happy with them.
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i have the small block 110 - indeed i am also very happy with it . very good budget brand


Jim C said:
I've had one for about a year and love it. Thick, clear, and a solid low end.
With a little outboard EQ and sometimes a compressor it kills. I kept it and sold a Mesa TT800 (which is also a great amp).
Click to expand...

its so nice isnt it! very much up there with more $$ brands
 
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#5
I have the SB200 as a backup amp and very impressed with it.
Seems to be very high quality, powerful and the sound is very good for the price, seems to be an in between a typical Ampeg head and my Mesa Subway D350.
I play various styles of music and my Mesa suits me perfectly well but if I was playing hard rock only, they small block Traynor heads would be my one and only brand.
Those little boxes deliver a ton of punch !
 
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#6
I've played this head and it sounds really nice! tried it through a few cabs including a Traynor one, a GK Neo 12" and a DNA 10".

despite being in NY, there's a shop near me that stocks Traynor and was blown away by the whole line with the exception of the 15" combo, but I often that 15" combo's sound boomy and not very good.
 
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#8
Whaleform said:
Hey friends,


I've recently started playing bass in a metal band and they had this loaner amp for me to use in the jam space. I was a bit underwhelmed at first when I saw what it was but I must say it really did the job very well.. Pretty decent for what it costs brand new, around 600$ Canadian .. I couple it with an empress compressor and a darkhorse b7k and get a pretty decent metal tone out of it, kinda like the Alex Webster tone.

Anyone else try this Amp head? im curious how your experience was .. ! Traynor seems to be an awesome Canadian brand
Click to expand...


I did play through a Traynor once, but that was like 50 years ago and I would doubt what you are using is what I used. My recollection is it sounded pretty good, although the owner said he was having problems with it.

That said, a lot of Traynor fans on this board. IMO, if you can get a good head for $600 with a warranty, you got a deal.
 
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#9
I am a fan of Traynor equipment. I have the SB500 paired with the 2x10 cab. I also have the 200 watt combo with the 15" speaker and the SB106 (my practice amp).
ACAD1932-B212-4666-A7ED-E20953912A3B.jpeg
 
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#12
Out of my many Traynor options, the SB500H is used for 9 gigs out of 10 (usually with one or two DNBX12'S). I originally bought it as an easy to carry back up. Love the tone of the tube amps, but the SB500H just makes my gigging life so easy and sounds good in it's own right. It wasn't too long before I started leaving the tube heads at home. I wouldn't call it a "budget" brand. Traynor is owned by Canada's largest music retail music chain. They don't have all the related marketing and distribution costs that other brands have to cover in the final price. The "even if you break it" warranty is all you really need to know.
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#14
Whaleform said:
Hey friends,


I've recently started playing bass in a metal band and they had this loaner amp for me to use in the jam space. I was a bit underwhelmed at first when I saw what it was but I must say it really did the job very well.. Pretty decent for what it costs brand new, around 600$ Canadian .. I couple it with an empress compressor and a darkhorse b7k and get a pretty decent metal tone out of it, kinda like the Alex Webster tone.

Anyone else try this Amp head? im curious how your experience was .. ! Traynor seems to be an awesome Canadian brand
Click to expand...
Have it, love it, was impressed by it when I walked by the Traynor booth at NAMM years ago, not paying much attention, and someone was doing a demo. It has all the essential bells and whistles, functionable EQ, and I appreciate the dual Speakons out.
Other than that, I have a couple of classic Traynor tube heads(Bass Master II and YSR)for my guitar riggs.
 
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#16
I bought one because I wanted to hear what it could do.
After a week of trying it out, I traded it for a GK MB-500.

For me, it didn’t have any tonal color or character that appealed to my tonal preferences.
It’s not a bad amp.
 

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