• 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.

YBA-1A as loud as other 100w heads?

D

dalek

Apr 20, 2009
29
2
#1
Hi,

I was wondering if someone experienced could give his opinion...
How loud is the Traynor yba-1a MkII? I'm confused becasue although it has just two EL34 tubes supposedly puts out 90w rms clean (and 150 max!) I've done a lot of searches here and in other sites and don't know what to think.

Is this amp comparable -LOUDwise- to a Sovtek mig100, Ampeg v4 or any other all tube head in the 85-100w range? Funny I'm taking these amps as reference because I've never heard or played any of them :(
 
#2
Those are 50 watt amps ...they were pretty crappy in the day for bass ( basicly a practice amp ) those amps now appeal to guiturd players as it has a circuit similar to a Marshall 50 watter ....... the amp that would compare wattage wise is the YBA-3 ...that is a pretty good bass amp and it will give a V-4 a run for the money ...but it's a toss-up tone wise ...it all depends on what you like
 
#6
BassmanPaul said:
A pair of EL34 tubes will give you around 50W in fixed bias. You can get about 70W with 600V on the plates but the screen will have to be regulated for reliable operation. 90W is bullcrap. 150W is pie in the sky.

Paul
Click to expand...
aparently they you can get 100w's with a pair with 800v on the plates and 400 on the screen, i've got a bit of feeling though that if you put 800v on the plates of a modern el34 it'd explode
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#7
BassmanPaul said:
A pair of EL34 tubes will give you around 50W in fixed bias. You can get about 70W with 600V on the plates but the screen will have to be regulated for reliable operation. 90W is bullcrap. 150W is pie in the sky.

Paul
Click to expand...

This quote demonstrates a lack of first hand knowledge...

I took my Traynor YBA1A MkII in for repairs and had a similar conversation with the "know-it-all" repair tech... a week later he called and apologized for speaking out of school... Bottom line is the pair of EL34s and HUGE transformers, with a few twists, put out what Traynor claims - 90 watts before distortion, and upwards of 120 full output. My particular amp was less the aforementioned 600v "on the plates" (IIRC, its 562 or 532 volts).

I'm not a tech, so can't explain it. But this is by far the LOUDEST amp I have ever heard with only 2 power tubes!!!
 
#8
Hi.

tifftunes said:
This quote demonstrates a lack of first hand knowledge...
Click to expand...

THAT I really, really doubt. Paul is among the few that actually have first hand experience with tube technology in general. and MI and AF amps in particular.

tifftunes said:
I took my Traynor YBA1A MkII in for repairs and had a similar conversation with the "know-it-all" repair tech... a week later he called and apologized for speaking out of school... Bottom line is the pair of EL34s and HUGE transformers, with a few twists, put out what Traynor claims - 90 watts before distortion, and upwards of 120 full output. My particular amp was less the aforementioned 600v "on the plates" (IIRC, its 562 or 532 volts).!!!
Click to expand...

IMLE ~550V B+ on modern EL34's is really pushing it. If You don't have some "built like a tank" NOS EL34's in Your amp, a clean (< 5% THD) 60W from PP pair is rather hard to do, even "with a few twists". What are those "twists" exactly? I'd like to know.

tifftunes said:
I'm not a tech, so can't explain it.
Click to expand...

Your tech probably can though, could he give You (us) an explanation.

Regards
Sam
 
#9
Invalid Link Removed

orig. release date Jun 22 1972 - 2x6CA7 - 8 Ohm output - B+@433v

--------

Invalid Link Removed
released Jan 31 1969 - 2x6CA7 - 8 Ohm output - B+@525v

--------

Taken from the Invalid Link Removed
 
#11
The Traynor YBA 1A Mark II Smokes My Ampeg V4B In The Volume Department (I Also Prefer The Tone)

It Stays Clean Longer And Gets A GREAT Bit Of Overdrive.

When Played Through My Ampeg 215E, The Heads Sound Almost identical. The Traynor Is A Bit Louder And Has Less Boom Than My Ampeg.

I Use The Amp With 2 Guitarist Who Use Peavey 6505+ Heads and Marshall 1960 A/B Full Stacks, And A Loud Metal Drummer.

I Have Never Had An Issue.

Just My Two Cents.
 
#12
So I lack first hand knowledge do I? Fair enough! I currently have a YBA1 in my shop for a power cable change. When I finish I'll check the power output of the unit and we will see what we see. BTW this will be the latest of in excess of a hundred of these amps that I have either repaired, customized or totally rebuilt to my designs.

Paul
 
#13
BTW oversized iron makes no difference to what power a pair of tubes can deliver. It only promotes reliability and yes the oversized Hammond transformers are reliable. I've never seen a Traynor tube amp with a blown transformer.

Trying to get 100W out of a pair of EL34s is foolish. There are so many better tubes and better ways to get 100W.

Paul
 
#15
I can't recall for the life of me what they are called (damn stroke!). their purpose is to breakdown and shunt any high voltage surges away from the OPT. They don't actually protect the tubes that well. I use three series connected 1kV 2.5A rectifiers from each plate with the negative end to ground to do the same thing. Others do the same and you may have seen that.

Paul
 
#17
Hi.

BassmanPaul said:
I can't recall for the life of me what they are called (damn stroke!). their purpose is to breakdown and shunt any high voltage surges away from the OPT. They don't actually protect the tubes that well. I use three series connected 1kV 2.5A rectifiers from each plate with the negative end to ground to do the same thing. Others do the same and you may have seen that.

Paul
Click to expand...

Thanks Paul.

Yes, I've installed some rectifiers in that manner too. Didn't occur to me that these, whatever, would serve similar purpose.

The symbol on that old schematic was too strange to pass without asking about it though :).

Regards
Sam
 
#18
The YBA-1 and YBA-1A aka Mark II look the same but are not the same amp. There is about 10 pounds difference in weight. The YBA-1A uses the same power transformer as the YBA-3. A YBA-1A will put out 90W if you have a good strong fresh pair of EL34s and you match the 8 ohm load. You need to carefully set the bias or you tubes may be fried by the end of the first set. Many older examples do not have a bias adjustment, they will need a small mod to add one. Those funny things across the transformer leads are varistors. They tend to go bad after a time. I don't know of a replacement, I install diodes like Paul suggests. Got my first YBA-1A in 69 or 70. Check the Traynor club thread for a snapshot of my collection.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back