Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

[Pierre]

Has anyone tried one? Traynors barely exist in Europe (not in stores) and basically I've no way of playing it at all.

I'm looking for what it is: a lunchbox with lower wattage option that I could use for the occasional gig/talent show and control with the guitar (I tend to set my amps on one sound and use the guitar as a remote control).

Thanks!

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

They look really cool and what I've heard on the net's been quite nice too. I've looked for them hard but chose the night-train instead. No particular reason other than I had a great deal on the NT.

You have quite a few options in that category, have you looked at the other options or are you solely looking for this one?

 

[Pierre]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

I tried a TT and it was great, but no option to play at home (loud amp, not much clean headroom, and I tend to prefer 6V6s).

Mostly, the Traynor has 6V6s. That's the bigger plus it has..!

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

I tried a TT and it was great, but no option to play at home (loud amp, not much clean headroom, and I tend to prefer 6V6s).

Mostly, the Traynor has 6V6s. That's the bigger plus it has..!

Yeah, not many out there with 6v6s. If I were you (and I definitely am not), I'd be looking for a 1-watt for home (I love my killer ant) and a 15 watter for gigs/rehearsal. But again, that's just me.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

Actually, while I said that, the fact that you get basically a 12ax7 power section and a 6v6 in the same amp is quite cool...

If you can find one why not??

 

[Pierre]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

Indeed... I don't normally buy into the whole 'tube for bedroom' thing. My Laney AOR is unused at home and I play through my Vox VT15.

However this one is small, portable, cute, decently priced AND uses 6V6s...
I can't look at one or play one before buying but it just seems closer to what I would want out of a toaster head.

http://www.thomann.de/lu/traynor_darkhorse.htm

 

[Axl H]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

What about the blackheart amps? I recall that they have a low watt amp that sounds great for bedroom use?

 

[Pierre]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

Not ever seen them in Europe apart from Edinburgh... Though Thomann do sell them. Could be worth it trying a Killer Ant or Little Giant. They're just so cheap and well... you usually get what you pay for.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

Not ever seen them in Europe apart from Edinburgh... Though Thomann do sell them. Could be worth it trying a Killer Ant or Little Giant. They're just so cheap and well... you usually get what you pay for.

I owned the BH5 and it's decent, but pretty flat sounding, and loud when it gives up the goods. If you can afford better things I generally don't recommend blackheart, but they at least don't suck noodles.

It sounds like either the Egnater Tweaker or Vox Night Train could serve you quite well.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

Is the Night train really that good..?

 

[speed2dirt]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

Pierre, don't listen to Fuse. Get the Darkhorse and give us a thorough review. I want to know more about this amp!

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

Pierre, don't listen to Fuse. Get the Darkhorse and give us a thorough review. I want to know more about this amp!

+1

I've been curious about this amp for some time, as I've owned three Traynors (still own one) and all were great amps. Ended-up going with a Tweaker (after trying a Pico Valve) for the small tube amp deal. But sold it and am still curious about the Dark Horse.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

DAMN. I've read a lot of very good reviews on all three: Dark Horse, Night Train and Tweaker.

It's getting more and more impossible/less and less possible to chose..!

Tweaker (great reviews, loads of tonal options), Night train (good price and features for it, but EL84s), Dark Horse (price, 6V6s, great reviews too...)

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

Don't get the Night Train. I like having a cooler amp than other people.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

Ah the Dark Horse would probably get the nod over the NightTrain. But the Tweaker is getting incredible reviews everywhere... toughie.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

I've got a good buddy who tested both the Tweaker and Dark Horse extensively for a couple months before finally committing. He ended up with the Tweaker, said that it was the versatility that sold him.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

Ok I tried the Blackstar HT1 and HT5 today.

They're very fun amps. Not very tight, big sound. But well... I don't know. Too loud for bedroom, not loud enough for how I like to play at band practice (no clean headroom).

The Dark Horse is the same price as the Blackstar HT5 and has both 15W and 'bedroom' modes. Probably the better choice...

 

[Suchapinch]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

(I tend to set my amps on one sound and use the guitar as a remote control)

I have a Dark Horse and that's exactly how I use it. I find a sweet spot for the mode that i like and use the guitar volume to change the tone. There's not enough clean headroom to play it clean over a band, but plenty loud enough otherwise.

If you do get one, I'll save you some time and money if you're interested in changing the 2 12ax7s. After hearing just about every 12ax7 new and old in it, I settled on a Telefunken in the preamp tube slot and a JAN Phillips in the inverter slot. Current production tubes would be a Sovtek LPS in the preamp and an Electro Harmonix in the inverter. The Sovetek WA tubes that come stock aren't the best.

Do you have any specific questions about the amp?

 

[Pierre]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

Good to hear feedback on it, thanks suchapinch..! Mostly I'm good. I don't have valves nor am I really interested in NOS (very expensive and not common in Europe) so I'll make do with what I have around. I do find the EHs to be quite quiet in general and I also use them in the PI myself.

Tweaker vs DarkHorse = loads of knobs vs raw, likeable amplifier... not an easy choice without being able to play either

 

[Suchapinch]

Re: Traynor Dark Horse: want. Should I?

It's not like the Darhorse is untweakable, it has 3 very distinct voicings. They do this by placing the tone stack before or after the second preamp stage (there are two stages) and also a tone stack bypass. They label the configurations "USA", "Brit" and "Pure". For the amp in bypass mode, think Fender Blackface.