So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

[Cory_Dylan]

a friend of mine is looking to buy a new amp. he is interested in these Traynor guitar amps by Yorkville. to my understanding they are canadian? i had never heard of them before, so i'm not too sure about them. seem like pretty good amps, but i just wanted to know what you guys thought about them or if you've heard them or heard of them.

i've been trying to convince him to buy an old marshall or fender valve amp off ebay for about the same price. but idk maybe those traynors are pretty good?

c'mon guys fill me in on these things!!! thanks

 

[TheMist]

Re: So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

They remind me of a Fender ripoff kinda tone.

 

[mrid]

Re: So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

I don't know if they still are, but Traynors USED to be great amps.

 

[brisk]

Re: So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

As you can see from my signature, I have 40W 1X12. After new speaker and new tubes, I am happy with it. I enjoy playing my strat through it. NO FX needed ...

 

[brisk]

Re: So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

They remind me of a Fender ripoff kinda tone.

Exactly.

I think most people would believe it was fender if they were blindfolded.

 

[SoCalSteve]

Re: So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

I have the 80 watt YCV80 2x12. Had it about a week and love it.

 

[brisk]

Re: So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

BTW, If your friend is a metalhead, I'd advise against buying it. It's more of "Fender-clean" type of amp.

 

[Cory_Dylan]

Re: So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

he is considering that and a fender hot rod deville. i told him to get the fender over that but i am still trying to convince him to get a bad ass all valve marshall off of ebay.

brisk how much money did you spend modding your traynor? would you spend more money on doing that rather than buying a stock fender thats just as good if not better?

 

[brisk]

Re: So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

he is considering that and a fender hot rod deville. i told him to get the fender over that but i am still trying to convince him to get a bad ass all valve marshall off of ebay.

brisk how much money did you spend modding your traynor? would you spend more money on doing that rather than buying a stock fender thats just as good if not better?

I think I spent $450 or something including shipping. Fender Blues Jr is $350 if you can get a discount. Compared to BJ (15 Watt), $450 was a good deal for a decent 40W tube amp. I bought it before Musicians Friend started to deal Traynor. MF sell it for $630. For $630, I'd spend little bit more and get Fender Deluxe Reverb.

BTW, Fender Blues Jr is a darn good amp. I saw the Oasis guitarist guy playing it through 4X12 cab and the tone was no less than "WOW".

 

[Sprinter]

Re: So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

I have a Traynor YCV-40, and I love it. It's been a great amp, and it's tones work great for me. Mine is one of the first ones they made, and it's been bullet proof. The quality is superior to the modern Fender amps, in my opinion. My local Traynor dealer has had several Fender Deville amps traded in for Traynor's.

Sprinter

 

[SoCalSteve]

Re: So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

Actually, the ycv80 does do metal. It's got a scoop button and it griiiinds. There are 2 legit guys on ebay selling brand new Traynors for $150-200 less than MF, depending on the model. got my 80 watt 2x12 for $555 brand new.

 

[BluesNRock87]

Re: So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

id advise him on the traynor over the hrd if he is a metal guy, the hrd's distortion is thin, and well, it wont do metal that well, at least the ones ive played.

i didnt love the traynor either, good amp, but again i didnt want a fender.

i got my crate, and for 225 it was a steal.....30w tube power, 1X12, excellent clean, distortion reverb, check out the vintage club

 

[jmcorey]

Re: So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

I have a Traynor YCV-40 WR and I don't really like it at all.

The reverb is very lame. There is a very loud hiss in the clean channel that I have never heard on a Fender. The hiss is always there. I have chnged tubes and given it to a friend who is an amp tech, and he cannot find the source - he's called the company and they say the hiss is endemic to the "open design" of the amp. That, and the reverb sucks.

The drive channel is better than a HRD, but a pedal sounds better through the HRD than through my YCV-40 WR.

If I keep it, I'd like to have a Master Volume to kill the hiss, and it needs an eminence texas heat or cannabis rex to make it sound more American. The V30 in there is shrill, but I don't play at loud volumes.

Having talked to the guys at Traynor, the gain channel is supposed to be voiced like Mesa. Fat chance in an open back cab with a V30.

I have been mostly disappointed in mine.

People who love theirs usually retube with JJ's. Being a bit darker sounding than other tubes, that may help with things. I re-tubed but did not get JJ's, and I like those tubes a lot, so I should have.

I'd just like to Kill the hiss.

BTW, I've heard several models that do NOT have the hiss. But it is mentioned in Harmony Central reviews quite frequently.

 

[sonnyblu]

Re: So what's the deal with these Yorkville Traynor amps?

The clean ch is just maybe ok.... I don't care for the gritty gain ch. at all...
If I had to use one I would treat it the same as having a Blues DeVille or similar Fender.
Clean ch. only with a dirt box....

But Hey! There PA stuff is great... Great pwr amps... There boards sound great set flat.
I can't say that about Peavey or even Mackie for that matter.

There may be some mods out there I don't know...
There is the Special Edition Blue 80 watter with the Blue Celestions simular to what SoCalSteve has, that is the best sounding one that I have heard as of yet.
It sure doesn't sound like Kossoff though! lol