• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Traynor YBA200-2 some observations and comparisons.

#41
I will have to Agree with the above post that the pre amp tubes are a majority of the sound change In a tube upgrade. Changing the pre amp tubes greatly changed the sound of my new YBA 200-2 Just changing the tubes to JJ's of the same type sweetened the sound up and made everything smoother And no more harsh highs. so Upgrade the Pre tubes and Hear the difference.
 
#42
msquared said:
IMO the major difference in the YBA200 is not in the power tubes but in the preamp tubes. If I had to break it down into percentages I'd call it 70/30 pre/power in terms of how much a retube did to this amp.

I imagine the YBA200-2 is similar. It's not like you have a bad amp if you only spend $50-$100 buying great preamp tubes and skip the KT88s and rebiasing.
Click to expand...
It's not that I won't have it done, in fact I checking out KT88's right now. I'm wondering howmuch of a change the KT88's will really make. But, I guess you've answered it 30%
 
#43
Nighttrain1127 said:
I just received my replacement YBA 200-2 and it has 6550's in it too. I called traynor and they said they are using up the 6550's . So these will need to be replaced to get the most performance out of this amp.
Click to expand...
I think I overheard Jim on the phone with you today and if so that's not exactly what he said. He said that it might be the case, and I'd agree that it's a reasonable assumption, but not necessarily what's happening. I don't mean to put too fine a point on it, but I don't want his statement to be taken out of context either.

I've got a YBA200-2 home right now that was built in the same run as the one pictured above & it has 6550 in it.

In my tube rolling experience (which does not include the YBA, incidentally) I have also found that the biggest difference can be heard when playing around with preamp tubes, though I can hear the difference between various power tubes in many cases.
 
#44
Man, my hearing must suck. I can't tell any differences in tubes. Just the other night, a guy posted WAV's of his bass in some SVT hybrid amp very well recorded, using Sovtek, GE, and RCA blackplate tubes. I couldn't tell a bit of difference between any of them. I get a little bummed out when people talk about the different sounding tubes because I can't hear a difference in any of them.
:crying:
 
#45
The YBA 200-2 that this amp replaced had KT88's In it that is why I wanted to know why this one has 6550's in it. Three weeks ago I got KT88's and this week I get 6550's So I just wanted to find out what was up. There is a difference in the sound between the KT88's and the 6550's and while somewhat subtle the Kt88's are a bit warmer and more bassy which is what a bass amp should be but just changing out the pre tubes to JJ's made a big difference in the high frequency useability going from harsh to smooth and much more mellow.
I still plan on putting in KT88 sometime but the 6550's break up nicely at a bit lower volume so I may leave it for now sounds like a mini SVT.
 
#49
Thanks Matt! I'm glad we found you someone close to you to take care of that warranty repair. He turned it around super fast for you.

Shane, bear in mind I'm not an expert on circuit design. What I've been told it that the new bias scheme improves the performance of the amp, but only if the amp is properly biased for the tubes. The auto bias was convenient, but I think that the widely varying quality of tubes on the market sometimes resulted in less than optimum operation.

I'll be looking into the KT88/6550 question this week. I'll post back to this thread when I know more.
 
#50
I was fully expecting the KT-88s in my amp since it was ordered new. :eyebrow: Didnt get them.

I had also ordered the YBX 1510 cabinet and was substituted the...

TC 1510 cab. No-one told me the YBX 1510 was discontinued.

:eyebrow: :mad: :hmm::bawl::eyebrow:

I may have made different choices here and since I ordered these items in from my local dealer I cant return them. I am only 4 hours away from Traynor, maybe I should take a drive... :eek:

I have contacted Traynor. They are off 'till Jan 7th.
 
#54
The YBA200-2 is in a manufacturing transition from using the 6550 to using KT-88. The amp will meet or exceed published specs with either installed. Rest assured that the amplifier will operate as intended if you choose to replace the power tubes with KT-88.



Thanks for your support of Yorkville and Traynor instrument amps. Please let me know if you any further questions!

So there it is. If I want KT-88's I buy them and have them installed. Oh well. I had a chance today to spend some good quality time with my old P-bass and the yba-200 with the upgraded pre-amp tubes. I'm playing it through a Hartke 115XL. I also brought Rane para EQ to mess with a bit as well. 1st I plugged the bass directly into the Rane and the Rane into the Power Amp in of the yba. This gave my ears a really good chance to hear what a flat signal sounds like. I then unplugged the Rane and went into the yba. I had to put the (mid) on 8 the (bass) on 2 and the (treble) on 0 to get the same sound. The (range) control is a really neat control. Depending on where it is placed, it will emphasize a different set of midrange overtones. I like it 3 through 7. Oh, the Gain has to be at about 8 or the mids will sound scooped so the gain also interacts with the tone controls. The pre-amp has some great tones but you have to work for them. With the 12AX7's I just couldn't get a sound that I liked. The 12AT7's have made a world of difference. I'll probably leave the 6550's in until they need replacing. :)
 
#56
dennq said:
I had also ordered the YBX 1510 cabinet and was substituted the...

TC 1510 cab. No-one told me the YBX 1510 was discontinued.

:eyebrow: :mad: :hmm::bawl::eyebrow:

I may have made different choices here and since I ordered these items in from my local dealer I cant return them. I am only 4 hours away from Traynor, maybe I should take a drive... :eek:

I have contacted Traynor. They are off 'till Jan 7th.
Click to expand...

Umm...it's basically the exact same cab, just some cosmetic changes and a change in the model name. The specs have not changed at all to my knowledge, I'll post if I find out differently when I get to the office.

Is it not working for you?
 
#57
Just picked up a new YBA200-2 off eBay couple of weeks ago . . . nice head, used on one gig so far and happy with it. The "cheesey" plastic Traynor script had to go. If it had the old style oval I probably would have left it on. After reading through this thread I swaped out the pre-amp tubes with JJ 83's and a Groove Tubes 12AU7. The was a noticable difference, particularly with the EQ controls, range, scoop and resonance actually make a real difference. Mine too came with Sovtek 6550's and I plan to swap out with GT K-88 SV's. Has anyone else changed to K-88's and noticed any improvement ?
 
#58
Frank Louis said:
Just picked up a new YBA200-2 off eBay couple of weeks ago . . . nice head, used on one gig so far and happy with it. The "cheesey" plastic Traynor script had to go. If it had the old style oval I probably would have left it on. After reading through this thread I swaped out the pre-amp tubes with JJ 83's and a Groove Tubes 12AU7. The was a noticable difference, particularly with the EQ controls, range, scoop and resonance actually make a real difference. Mine too came with Sovtek 6550's and I plan to swap out with GT K-88 SV's. Has anyone else changed to K-88's and noticed any improvement ?
Click to expand...

i put in JJ kt-88's and noticed a big difference. volume more so than tone. i get the same volume at 5 as i used to at 7 on the master. it's almost unfair that i haven't gotten to crank it lately to see what it can do
 
#60
Nighttrain1127 said:
You Put KT88's in a YBA 200-2? How did you set the bias?

I have the meter and socket set up to check the bias but I am having a difficult time finding a tweeker(screwdriver that is non conductive) to use to adjust the pots. I don't feel like getting electrocuted this week.
Click to expand...
I contacted Traynor about this very question and they said it would work just fine with either 6550 or KT88. Set bias to 80mv at each test point.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back