Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

[Fender_Punk]

I wanted to post about this but couldn't cause I was banned. In October I saved up $400 and smacked it all down (in cash, all $20s, felt really nice) and walked out with a Traynor Custom Valve 40 2x10 combo (or YCV40-T, listed on MF at $719). 40W all-tube (except for an SS rectifier). I had researched it before hand and read reviews about it, most of which had links on the Traynor site. it came with the original Celestion Tube 10 Speakers, 3 Sovtek 12AX7s and 2 Sovtek 5881WXTs.

I brought it to practise the following Thursday, and it sounded great, except at 5, which is loud enough for band practise (and gigs) the clean channel had already gone a little gritty. I .: replaced the V1 with an EH 12AT7 which has worked beautifully since and give me till about 6 before noticeable break up. Near the end of Nov. the tubes died at the end of practise (I had expected they would go at any moment as I bought the amp used). I wanted to order some JJs, but didn't have time to wait, so I went out and bought 2 Sovtek 6L6GB tubes ($17 each, beat a pair of GTs at the other music store for $57) and I've played 2 gigs and a practise with the new tubes in and they're even better than the 5881s. Much more rich in harmonics and smoother (yet still bright) high end.

I bought it because it was a loud enough tube amp, in my price range, and would get me by. Now, I'm planning on keeping it for some time. It sounds so much better than I expected. I keep the amp boost on on the distortion channel, as it otherwise isn't enough gain (though with the boost on the gain sits at 7). Sometimes I'll kick in my boost pedal in addition, and that gets the amp into metal territory. The clean channel really, really fits Fender guitars well, and it sounds kind of like a Deluxe Reverb. I always have the bright switch off, and when I kick in my boost pedal it gives a very nice light crunch. It has separate EQ for each channel, which I love, and the presence sits around 6 and the reverb around 4 (both universal controls) at all times. It really brings out the tone of my Tele and Strat quite nicely.

Oh yeah, it also kicks a lot of ass when you plug it into a Marshall 4x12 and have 6 speakers pushing out the sound!!

I don't have any up-close pics, but here's 2 of it on stage with me!

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

These Traynors sure are nice amps! I almost bought one a few months ago but decided against it in order to finance something else.

For us canadians, they are amazing value used (especially in the classifieds where folks dump 'em off to finance fancier brands, the prices on the Bay are most often higher than what I can find locally), sound really good clean, nice distortion (although, IMHO, they don't come close to metal territory, which is a deal breaker for a lot of folks), and take pedals well...

Glad you enjoy your amp! It sure is a keeper...

 

[YJM_Rocks]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

I played one of the reddish ones. I sounded nice but I wasn't impressed with the build quality.

 

[thucydides]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

Nothing like a 4x12 to kick things in gear! How is it w/just the 2x10s?

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

Nothing like a 4x12 to kick things in gear! How is it w/just the 2x10s?

The 2x10s alone sound huge and can handle gigs. They keep the sound focused but don't fail to provide girth. At 5, it loud enough to be heard at practises with a 65W SS bass amp (1x15), a Pearl Export Series drum set and a PA for the vocals. I've never turned the cleans past 5 at a gig.

And Surgeon, thanks for the comment. Definitely true. I found this baby for $400, which is a $319 slice off buying it new, and at least $50 less than what I would've payed on flea bay.

 

[LoFiBrian]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

I sounded nice but I wasn't impressed with the build quality.

But yet in another thread you say that the peavey windsor is well built.

I'd say my YCV80 is one of the best built amps I've seen for under a grand...

And as for your headroom issue kid with the shiney new traynor...

I say upgrade your 94db Celestion Tube 10's to 2 100db Eminence Ragin Cajuns! this will make your amp so much louder!!! and your clean channel will just cut better! also your drive channel will have more balls.

and toss in 2 EHX 12ax7s and a balanced in V3 and JJ 6L6s in the power section(get the highest recommended headroom matched pair from eurotubes.com)

The current 12AT7 just drops your preamp input down a peg....really what you are after is Power headroom. eurotubes will hook you up just perfect for these amps if you email them and ask them what rating you need for max headroom while retaining a decent bias range.

If this doesnt work Id ditch the 12at7 for a 12dw7 instead of a 60/60 triode gain its a 00/100 triode gain and it shold do more of what you want in V1a for your clean channel.

 

[YJM_Rocks]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

The particular Traynor did not feel nearly as solidly built as the Windsor. Two different price categories though. The Traynor had loose knobs, a cheap standby button, bad covering job, and the grillecloth was peeling at one of the corners. This was most likely a lemon, but I just wasn't impressed.

 

[LoFiBrian]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

sounds like it just suffered from floor model syndrome....

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

But yet in another thread you say that the peavey windsor is well built.

I'd say my YCV80 is one of the best built amps I've seen for under a grand...

And as for your headroom issue kid with the shiney new traynor...

I say upgrade your 94db Celestion Tube 10's to 2 100db Eminence Ragin Cajuns! this will make your amp so much louder!!! and your clean channel will just cut better! also your drive channel will have more balls.

and toss in 2 EHX 12ax7s and a balanced in V3 and JJ 6L6s in the power section(get the highest recommended headroom matched pair from eurotubes.com)

The current 12AT7 just drops your preamp input down a peg....really what you are after is Power headroom. eurotubes will hook you up just perfect for these amps if you email them and ask them what rating you need for max headroom while retaining a decent bias range.

If this doesnt work Id ditch the 12at7 for a 12dw7 instead of a 60/60 triode gain its a 00/100 triode gain and it shold do more of what you want in V1a for your clean channel.

Hahahaha, I'd love to do that, but I'm a 17 year old who's part-time job only pays $125/2 weeks, and everywhere I've applied to recently hasn't bothered to call, which is fine, I don't need more work. I'm opening a studio soon with the drummer in my band, if that translates into money, then I'll be able to put your suggestions into my amp. I bought the 12AT7 cause it was a quick fix (that costs $13).

Thanks for the suggestions, and I have looked at/thought about replacing speakers, but I'm not sure if those Eminences are what I'd want tonally (I play ska/punk).

As for tube replacements, I've just replaced my tubes, and I like what's in there. However I've heard nothing but good things about JJ and I can easily see my next set of tubes being JJs. I might even throw some KT66s in once the current tubes need replacing.

As for Traynor's build quality, the standby switch does feel cheap, I agree, but other than that, I'd say mine is superbly built. I'm especially a fan of the metal grill underneath the cloth.

 

[LoFiBrian]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

those speakers would be perfect...a ramrod if you want warmer with more mids...

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

Thanks for the suggestions LoFi, if I have the extra cash to toss around on my amp after x-mas, I'll definitely consider those speakers. But for now, my amp still sounds amazing and is plenty loud for my current gigging situation.

Would you say it'd be ok to replace the speakers one at a time. In other words, if I have 1 tube 10 and one Ragin' Cajun, think it'd sound good till I were to get another?

 

[LoFiBrian]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

that would be fine...although your eminence would be noticbly more powerful than the tube 10

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

that would be fine...although your eminence would be noticbly more powerful than the tube 10

but only to me! Like I said though, not very high priority on my list.

BTW, there's a guy on the U-G forums that swears by putting high grade KT77s in YCV40s. Just a bit of info I thought I'd share. He was one of the people over there that convinced me the YCV40 would eb a good choice (along with the magazine reviews of it)

 

[LoFiBrian]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

wouldnt you need a change of a resisitor to use a KT66, KT77 or EL34 type in the 5881/6L6's place?

I know thats true for EL34's in my case for the TCV80...

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

wouldnt you need a change of a resisitor to use a KT66, KT77 or EL34 type in the 5881/6L6's place?

I know thats true for EL34's in my case for the TCV80...

KT66 tubes are direct replacements for 6L6s with a bias adjust, and the amp is self-adjusting. I've been told KT77s will work in a YCV40 as long as they are high grade, and no, an EL34 won't work.

 

[Hoss]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

i'm liking my ycv40wr more and more all the time...it was a switch from my Blues Jr and it took some getting used to and although i'm currently working with only 1 power tube (the other one is dead) i'm liking what i'm hearing!

after Christmas i'm getting it retubed with a set of TAD 6L6GC-STR's an then replace 2 of my EH 12ax7's with a Tung sol in V1 and a Penta Labs in V2!

i gotta admit though...i've been eyeballing the KT77 kits from Eurotubes as well...but i'm still debating that...don't know if they'd sound as good as the cleans i get from the 6L6's?!

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

KT66 tubes are direct replacements for 6L6s with a bias adjust, and the amp is self-adjusting. I've been told KT77s will work in a YCV40 as long as they are high grade, and no, an EL34 won't work.

You can put EL-34s into those Traynor amps, there's just a resistor that you have to change. PM me if you're ever interested in it, I have a saved email from one of the techs at Traynor who told me which resistor you have to swap.

 

[ksmith63]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

go buy a pair of sovtek 6550wd tubes. they are 6550s with a 6l6 plate. will give your amp more power and the cleans will stay clean longer (not to mention the 'glassy' or hifi sound you will get). i use them in my budda and they are monsters!

i can also recommend the sovtek lps 12ax7 tubes. very nice preamp tubes that are real smooth.

and dont forget to replace the speakers with the eminence.

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

You can put EL-34s into those Traynor amps, there's just a resistor that you have to change. PM me if you're ever interested in it, I have a saved email from one of the techs at Traynor who told me which resistor you have to swap.

No thanks. As nice as EL34s are for distortion, I prefer the 6L6 clean sound and like it's overdrive characteristics just as much!

go buy a pair of sovtek 6550wd tubes. they are 6550s with a 6l6 plate. will give your amp more power and the cleans will stay clean longer (not to mention the 'glassy' or hifi sound you will get). i use them in my budda and they are monsters!

i can also recommend the sovtek lps 12ax7 tubes. very nice preamp tubes that are real smooth.

and dont forget to replace the speakers with the eminence.

Once again, speakers aren't my first priority on my list to buy, but I'll keep them in mind. For now I'm happy with 6L6s but I'll keep the 6550s in consideration for the next swap. I like this amp's self-biasing feature, cause it mans I can put in 6L6, 5881, KT66, high grade KT77 and 6550 tubes. Quite the selection!!

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Traynor YCV40-T FTW!!

Practise tonight was so insane!! It doesn't need new speakers or tubes!! Those new Sovtek 6L6s are much better than the old and near-dead 5881s that came with it. 5 is plenty loud with a good amount of clean headroom and a tight sound, and it works beautifully with the switching on my strat. The overdrive is insane and with the amp boost on and gain around 7 you get a huge, crunchy yet defined sound. I love it just how it is!! And it'll be alright for any sized gig, by the time it needs a mic, it'd be a default part of the sound.