TP Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 I have the opportunity to do a straight up trade with a guy who has a 2008 built Traynor YCV80 212 combo amp for my 2006 built Blonde Fender Blues Jr. amp. On paper it looks like a great trade because I am looking for a larger "gigable" amp and he is looking to get a smaller one as he has other larger combo amps and heads. I am slightly concerned about going from 15 watts to 80 in one swoop, but I have read that the Traynor amps use tapered pots and the overall volume control works from 1 to 10. I need something that will work for both practice at home without totally getting my wife and kids mad, but will also be able to cut through a band mix with a fairly loud drummer. Have any of you (maybe some from across the border in Canada where these amps are made) played your Casino or other hollow body/P90 guitars through a Traynor YCV80? How is the overall sound? I won't get to check it out until later today, but any advice or things to look for on the Traynor would be helpful. I have been an acoustic player for a very long time, but am much newer when it comes to electric guitars and especially tube amps so I am pretty unschooled when it comes to what to look for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Our guitar player plays a Ibanez Artcore AS73 though a Traynor tube combo. Honestly though, I dont know the model or wattage of the amp, but looking through the Traynor website, it seems to be the YCV80 because its the only tube amp with two twelves. I know that his amp is not a single speaker model. It can be very loud - and play well at moderate volumes and doesnt seem to lose much crunch at all. It cuts through the mix very well - sometimes too well. I think its a great sounding amp, but my only constant comparison is my solid-state Fender Princeton Chorus 210. It kicks the crap out of it - but you cant really compare tube to solid state. Sorry, thats all I know. I'm not well versed in this area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TP Posted April 7, 2010 Author Share Posted April 7, 2010 Thanks RTH.... I used to have an AS73, great guitar but I ended up loving my Casino more due to the P90's and full hollow body design. (Way lighter!) Glad to hear it will cut through the mix. My fear is turning up too loud with the full hollowbody on the Casino will bring undesired feedback. I don't mind controlled feedback, but when it hits and your not ready.... watch out! Any other Traynor experiances out there or advice on what to look for when I go check it out in a couple hours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeper Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 I have dumped all my Traynor amps. While I liked the cost and sound, they were VERY unreliable, and after I shipped my ycv40wr off for the THIRD time for a faulty OT and they still couldn't get it working, ( which I got as a replacement to the 80 when it crapped out after two weeks) I will NEVER buy another one of their products again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TP Posted April 8, 2010 Author Share Posted April 8, 2010 I have dumped all my Traynor amps. While I liked the cost and sound' date=' they were VERY unreliable, and after I shipped my ycv40wr off for the THIRD time for a faulty OT and they still couldn't get it working, ( which I got as a replacement to the 80 when it crapped out after two weeks) I will NEVER buy another one of their products again.[/quote'] Man, that goes against anything I have ever heard about Traynor amps. The things I have heard is how bullet proof and reliable they have been for years. FWIW, I made the trade of my Blues Jr. in a heartbeat after plugging my Casino in the Traynor. The sound is soooooo much more full with the 2 12" speakers and the solid birch plywood cabinet. I liked my Blues Jr. at very low volume, but if you tried to get loud, it just sounded boxy. The Traynor is anything but boxy. I may start a new thread with photos to gloat a bit. In my opinion, that was a good trade as most Blues Jr.'s I see selling on Craigslist or the Bay go for around $300 +- while the Traynor YCV80's tend to get $500-750 or so. This one is 2 years old, has new Mesa STR425 power tubes, not a scratch on it and I think the speakers haven't even been broken in yet. The guy had a Music Man amp, an old Fender twin and this new Traynor. He wanted a "smaller" amp to use around his house and I was looking to go bigger for some upcoming gigging opportunities. I think this trade kicked butt!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted April 8, 2010 Share Posted April 8, 2010 Well, congrats on the trade. I hope the amp serves you well. The only problems our guitarist has had with his is the obvious tube replacement and a bad poteniometer. He bought it used a few years ago. So far so good. And good luck to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougg330 Posted April 8, 2010 Share Posted April 8, 2010 Wow - you kicked *** on that deal! I play my Casino and Riviera thru a Traynor YCV-20 - the 15-watt little brother of your amp - and both sound great. Don't know about the 80 watter, but with mine you could turn the master volume way down and turn up the individual channel volume, and get low volume output that still has a nice crunch. What I really love is the detail and clarity you can get with the neck pickup of the Casino thru the Traynor - something I couldn't get from the Blues Jr. which I sold to make room for the Traynor, BTW. My Traynor had some noise problems at first, but Traynor took care of it for me - and the amp is still going strong 10 years after purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TP Posted April 8, 2010 Author Share Posted April 8, 2010 Wow - you kicked *** on that deal! Thanks.... I thought so too...... I have been playing around with it a bit more this afternoon and agree that turning down the master and the volume up is a great way to play at home. I thought that 80 watts would be serious overkill at first' date=' but I am finding some really nice tones and adding my Fulltone FB3 (Fat Boost) along with my Boss Blues Driver on the clean channel makes for a pretty sweet crunch as well. It still is really loud and I have never had a 2 x 12 amp before but I think it can work very nicely at home especially since if I need to I can turn the speakers off and put my Bose headphones on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarpBoy Posted April 8, 2010 Share Posted April 8, 2010 I have dumped all my Traynor amps. While I liked the cost and sound' date=' they were VERY unreliable, and after I shipped my ycv40wr off for the THIRD time for a faulty OT and they still couldn't get it working, ( which I got as a replacement to the 80 when it crapped out after two weeks) I will NEVER buy another one of their products again.[/quote'] Sorry to hear about your experience with the Traynors. I'm guessing your amps were newer models with PC boards, etc. Not that that makes any amp failure OK. But Traynor's original amps, made from the 60's until early 80's were some of the most reliable, bullet-proof amps ever built. And I don't think your experience aligns with that of most other people who use Traynor gear, original or newer stuff. I suppose there are people who, based on their own subjective experience with Peavey, or Fender, or Mesa, etc, have the same kinds of opinions. I can vouch for my experience with Traynors as being nothing but grin-inducing. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mud guy Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 I play my dot through a Traynor YCV50blue. I bought it used from a store, the amp was a rental and a bit beat up (corner guards cracked, some scuffs, handle shot). I spent 2-3 hours playing it in the store, comparing it with BLues Jr, other new traynors, other fenders (blues deluxe) and it just sounded a lot better. Maybe because the speaker was broke in. I did a retube, not that it was needed, and I replaced all the corner guards and handle (all parts came to $8 from traynor). I like having the master volume for "quieter" practice. Although it sounds best once the master gets up to 4 or higher. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MykWiz Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 Paul, Great deal. I play my Sheraton II and Tele through a YCV-20WR. I love it. It looks good and more importantly it sounds good too! I've never had a problem with mine. I did retube mine with a set of JJs from www.eurotubes.com those guys are a lot of help in making sure you get the sound you want from your amp. Have fun getting to know your new tone toy! ~MW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeper Posted April 9, 2010 Share Posted April 9, 2010 My biggest issue was after paying to ship my REPLACEMENT amp back to them TWICE, it came back with the issue not fixed either time. I finally got them to pay shipping the THIRD time for the replacement amp, and it still came back all boogered up. But it's more than good, I traded it for this. 1972 Ampeg VT-40. Talk about one scary amp to play on, you better have your chops up of it'll show! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TP Posted April 10, 2010 Author Share Posted April 10, 2010 Hey Musikron... That looks like a sweet Ampeg! What is the wattage and tube setup on that? Is it a Marshall like tone or more Fender type? If I had three problems with an amp, I would likely give up too. Did you gig your Traynor much? For the most part, mine will live in my music room with the occasional journey out to play somewhere, but more often than not, when I play out somewhere it is acoustically and I will be bringing my 75 lb Genz Benz Shenandoah acoustic amp instead of the Traynor. Bottom line is, I don't think anyone in their right mind would have turned down a trade where you almost double the value of your trade item. I really like the Traynor but in reality it is probably more amp than I need. I will keep my eyes open for the next "UP" trade to see if something comes along that would appeal to me. That's one of the things I love about Craigslist... I have been able to audition so many decent guitars and amps and traded without losing $$$ and more often gaining $$$ over the course of time. It has allowed me to narrow down what I like and don't like. It is a fun process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diverden Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 I have a Valve 80 4X10 and have found it to be bullet proof. Nary a whimper and it's 3 years old. I play all my guitars through a Digitech GNX 3000 Workstation. This way I can play my Tele, LP, Casino and even my acoustics thought the same amp and tailor the sound just the way I want it. With the workstation user presets. it's just a push of a button. Without the workstation I would follow the setting suggestions that come with the amp. I wouldn't hesitate to buy Traynor again. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeper Posted April 10, 2010 Share Posted April 10, 2010 I never gigged the Traynors, they were never up and running properly well enough. In regards to the Ampeg, its 60 watts, 4x10, loud as all hell. It has a sound unlike anything else. It sounds like the guitar you are playing, not an amp. A Fender always sounds like a Fender, a Marshall always like a Marshall. This sounds like the guitar and the player. And it is a VERY unforgiving amp, there is nowhere to hide, if you play sloppy, it'll sound bad. But when your chops are up it has a sound that is indescribable, just pure raw GUITAR. I am currently in the process of doing a cap job and fixing the reverb. The only downside to this amp is it has 12 tubes if I recall, and a few are rare ones that cost $50 each, so a re-tube it several hundred dollars to do right. But DAYMN I like this thing. If you get a chance play one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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