I'm new to tube amps. Will you please help me?

O

Omni9X

New member
Hi, everyone. I just went to look at a YCV50Blue, and I had some questions regarding it.

It is a new amp, and after playing it for a few minutes, I smelled an electronic burning smell. Is this normal? Just the power tubes burning in? I don't know.

Another thing is that the amp isn't blisteringly lound right after you turn the volume up a little bit, as is customary for a lot of amps, like the classic thirty that I tried it next to. It was either almost inaudible, or blazing loud. Is it normal for the YCV50s to have an actual middleground that you can use to practice, or is something wrong?

There was very little hiss until I turned the master volume up. Is it normal for the amp to hiss when the master volume is on 10, and the preamp volume is at around a quarter way?

The store said they'd only give me a 24 hour evaluation period on the amp, and it's a very good deal, and the only one within an hour of me, so I'd like to have your opinions that I respect rather than theirs when they are just trying to move merchandise.

Thank you very much for your help.

Rich.
 
Re: I'm new to tube amps. Will you please help me?

I'm not familiar with the YCV50 but I assume from the name that it's a 50-watt amp. One thing to know about tube amps is that watt for watt, they are much, MUCH louder than solid state amps. A 50-watt tube amp will blow any 100-watt solid state amp out the window. You'd think it would be the other way around, solid state being an advance in electronics technology and all. But then again, you'd think that if solid state was such an advance, it would sound BETTER than a tube amp but the vets around here know better.

If you want a tube amp to practice with, 50 watts is just too much. Something less than 30 watts would be better, so if you can take it in and they make a YCV30 or 25 or 15 or whatever, it will do the trick. You can even go out and gig in a club with a 25 or 30 watt tube amp.

I'm not familiar with the features on this amp but I would expect some hiss with the master dimed and the preamp gain set fairly low.
 
Re: I'm new to tube amps. Will you please help me?

I know a tube amp is much louder, and I already have a practice amp, but it just surprised me that it had a zone that was a reasonable volume, as opposed to others where it's all or nothing.

I'm wondering if the burning smelling is normal?

By the way, the amp sounded heavenly.

Oh, and the ycv50blue is like a ycv40wr, but with two EL34s, and a master volume in place of the presence control.
 
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Re: I'm new to tube amps. Will you please help me?

Omni9X said:
I'm wondering if the burning smelling is normal?
Click to expand...

You hit the nail on the head: That's the smell of the tubes getting all cozy warm.

Now if you're seeing blue smoke or if sparks and flames start shooting out of your amp that's a different story that'll take more than just giving the amp a good smack on the side.
 
Re: I'm new to tube amps. Will you please help me?

The difference in one amp having no useable volume control is the idiot designers at some company that use Linear tapered volume pots, rather than Audio tapered volume pots.

My Fender Hot Rod Deville (no longer in the stable) had this "fault". Seems like laziness or they probably saved 3 cents on the linear pots over the audio pots. :)
 
Re: I'm new to tube amps. Will you please help me?

that's exactly what I thought, too. I asked him if it was maybe the type of pot they were using, because I had played a Hot Rod Deluxe before, and the Peavey Classic 30 I was A/Bing it with did the same thing. Thaks, Scott.

So I'm thinking the amp is normal, and that there is no problem, and the roasting smell is normal for tubes? It concerns me, and I'd like to hear your opinions on it.

Thank you in advance.
 
Re: I'm new to tube amps. Will you please help me?

yeah, that is actually a marketing strategy, a pretty clever one at that... With the linear taper pot, you turn it up to 3 in the store and instantly reach down to turn it back to 1 1/2 -2 thinking WOW!!! If the amp is that loud on 3, I bet 10 ROCKS!!! Then you get home and realize that the amp was near full potential when at 3! If you didnt experience that with the YCV50, then they must have place audio taper pots onboard! That is one less mod you dont have to do yourself!

BTW, I am glad to hear that you are spending time A/B ing other amps to get one you are going to like!! Too often we read about someone who rushes into a purchase, or simply orders an amp based on rep, rather than actually playing through it! Kudos!!!!

Good Luck on the quest,
Allen
 
Re: I'm new to tube amps. Will you please help me?

Erm... am I the only one concerned about the burning smell? It is true to a certain extent that valves smell (lovely in my opinion) but Omni9X seems to be describing quite an over-powering smell. On my amp you practically have to stick your head behind the amp so you're close enough to feel the heat before you can smell it.

I'm not familiar with the amp you mentioned so forgive me if this is inappropriate. Quite often on cheaper valve amps (mine included) the valves are mounted to the PCB board. The heat from the valves can cause the board to flex and is usually close enough to burn-out some of the more fragile components. Perhaps I'm over re-acting and the smell is quite subtle though. How close do you have to be to the amp to smell the valves?

Everything else seems perfectly normal though.
 
Re: I'm new to tube amps. Will you please help me?

I was sitting up on a stool just far enough to change the controls on the amp. The smell wasn't overpowering, and the amp sounded very nice. I was just surprised that I was smelling anything at all, because the other tube amps I have played were used, and didn't have the smell? Thank you everyone for your responses.
 
Re: I'm new to tube amps. Will you please help me?

I've had this amp for a few months now. I can't really say about the burning smell. As for the volume controls-yes they actually work in increments-not all at once. You can play it at lower volumes. I do every day. The amp is quiet comparable to other tube amps but yes I find hiss above about 3/4 on the master volume. Just run it at 3/4 and adjust the channel volume for loudness to get power tube overdrive.

This is my second Traynor and they are built solid and are very reliable. They're warranty should give you confidence. The first 2 years are an "even if you break it" guarantee and then another 8 years on the amp.

Good luck.
Steve
 
Re: I'm new to tube amps. Will you please help me?

*raises hand*

I fell for the Fender linear pot trick today. I was astounded by the power coming our of the HR Deville I used at rehearsal until you guys reminded me that Fender does their volume controls that way.

From what I gather, the Traynor YCV20s aren't nearly as good as the 40s and 50s. Anyway, all the things I've read and heard make it sound like the YCV50 is one of the better low volume tube amps out there. Would you say that's true, socalsteve?
 
Re: I'm new to tube amps. Will you please help me?

I tried one the other day and thought it was an excellent sounding amp! If I didn't already own a Mesa F-50 I would have walked out of the store with the Traynor. One thing I dislike about my Mesa is it sounds decent at low volumes, but needs to be cranked to really open up. I thought the Traynor actually sounded better at lower practice volumes then my Mesa, but I didn't get a chance to really crank it in the store. I will probably buy one off E-Bay in about a year or so when they'll be going for under $500. I think it is a GREAT choice for a first amp!
 
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