Yamaha THR100

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richard parker

New member
I've had this amp since the beginning of the year and I have to say it's absolutely amazing. Feels and sounds like a quality tube amp. Nothing 'digital' about it at all. I've been hanging on to my Cornford but I think I can now let it go.
 
Re: Yamaha THR100

I've heard that this Yamaha was really nice. Glad to hear a review. Have you recorded any clips?
 
Re: Yamaha THR100

I waited for months for my local shop to get one in, with great anticipation. I was impressed with the clean channel. But didn't care for the overdrive channel at all. Of course, it was going up against my Friedman and Splawn amps. At any rate, now that I've got the new Friedman BE-OD pedal (that kicks ass), I might have to revisit the THR100 amp again and just run the amp itself clean. Though I'm really digging that pedal into the clean channel of my Roland Cube 80XL right now.
 
Re: Yamaha THR100

Red_Label said:
I waited for months for my local shop to get one in, with great anticipation. I was impressed with the clean channel. But didn't care for the overdrive channel at all. Of course, it was going up against my Friedman and Splawn amps. At any rate, now that I've got the new Friedman BE-OD pedal (that kicks ass), I might have to revisit the THR100 amp again and just run the amp itself clean. Though I'm really digging that pedal into the clean channel of my Roland Cube 80XL right now.
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Hi Red Label, I appreciate that Splawn and Friedman amps must be very difficult to beat but you might also consider that the experience of dialling in the Yamaha is very different to most Marshall type amps. For example, when I use Marshalls I will start with the treble and presence set to zero and usually don't push them past 2 or 3 because the top end becomes unbearable. To produce Marshall type sounds with the Yamaha I've got the treble about two thirds to three quarters of the way up and the presence about half way up. If you try the Yamaha again I would suggest you set one of the channels in the following way - gain maxed, channel volume (master) about three quarters, bass and mids at noon, treble about three quarters, presence two thirds to half. Engage the boost (white boost) at a low setting and gradully turn it up. Select the Lead pre-amp into EL34s, class AB. I have both channels set up like this but with more boost and volume on channel two. If you are able to try the amp with the output volume about half way up do it because this amp likes to be turned up. Try the same settings but with the Crunch pre-amp engaged.

Maybe you just don't like the amp but I think some folks are dismissing it because it involves quite a learning curve to get the best out of it. I've been gigging a Cornford Roadhouse for about seven years and it is a great amp but the Yamaha is giving me the best tones I've ever had.
 
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Re: Yamaha THR100

richard parker said:
Hi Red Label, I appreciate that Splawn and Friedman amps must be very difficult to beat but you might also consider that the experience of dialling in the Yamaha is very different to most Marshall type amps. For example, when I use Marshalls I will start with the treble and presence set to zero and usually don't push them past 2 or 3 because the top end becomes unbearable. To produce Marshall type sounds with the Yamaha I've got the treble about two thirds to three quarters of the way up and the presence about half way up. If you try the Yamaha again I would suggest you set one of the channels in the following way - gain maxed, channel volume (master) about three quarters, bass and mids at noon, treble about three quarters, presence two thirds to half. Engage the boost (white boost) at a low setting and gradully turn it up. Select the Lead pre-amp into EL34s, class AB. I have both channels set up like this but with more boost and volume on channel two. If you are able to try the amp with the output volume about half way up do it because this amp likes to be turned up. Try the same settings but with the Crunch pre-amp engaged.

Maybe you just don't like the amp but I think some folks are dismissing it because it involves quite a learning curve to get the best out of it. I've been gigging a Cornford Roadhouse for about seven years and it is a great amp but the Yamaha is giving me the best tones I've ever had.
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Thanks for the response and tips. I'm pretty good at exploring an amp's capabilities and tonal options, but I certainly may have missed something. My buddy (who runs the shop that sells the Yamahas, Friedmans, etc) wasn't enthused with the THR100 either, and he's always been the best "tweaker" that I know in terms of getting tone. We both expected the THR100 to be a 100 watt version of the THR5 and THR10 (both of which he really likes), and it just wasn't. He hasn't re-ordered any more THR100s to my knowledge. As far as non-tube amps go, we both prefer the Roland Cube 40 and 80 amps to everything else thus far.
 
Re: Yamaha THR100

I almost got one some time ago. Finally I bought back my old Marshall for the fracture of the price and I was seeking a 50W tube amp for some stage work anyway but I must admit that the TH100R was really really impressive, easily my fav modeller so far.
 
Re: Yamaha THR100

That little rascal is the amp I always plug into at Guitar Center. I like it.
 
Re: Yamaha THR100

richard parker said:
I've had this amp since the beginning of the year and I have to say it's absolutely amazing. Feels and sounds like a quality tube amp. Nothing 'digital' about it at all. I've been hanging on to my Cornford but I think I can now let it go.
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So these are not really a blatant rip-off of the Blackstar ID amps?:omg:
 
Re: Yamaha THR100

I have a Blackstar ID TVP 15 as well as the Yamaha. They are similar in that they have selections for different pre-amps to match with different power stages. I use the Blackstar for home practice and it's pretty good but tone-wise the Yamaha is in a different league. The Blackstar can be quite harsh and is hard to dial in. The Yamaha takes a bit of getting used to but is way closer to a tube amp than the Blackstar. I gigged with the Yamaha last night and I love it - there are an amazing amount of great tones to be found.
 
Re: Yamaha THR100

I wouldn't make too many comparisons between the ID 15 and the Yamaha. I haven't played the Yamaha, but I've been very happy with my ID 60 head. I don't think it could be better for what it is. I haven't been impressed by the small ID amps.
 
Re: Yamaha THR100

I've had one for a while now, and like Mr.Parker, I dig it. Pretty easy to use, more like a normal amp. I don't pretend to be a tone guru, but to my ears there are good sounds in there. When i've played earlier versions of amp modelers, there was always something lacking, I don't have that feeling with the yamaha. Up till now I've been a bit of a tube snob with a Mesa, Marshall and two Phaez's in the music room. I am not ready to sell all my tube amps yet, but I might sell a few of them soon.
 
Re: Yamaha THR100

Dial in a good clean sound and I'll wager that you will be more than happy with using your Freidman box for dirt. I bet that Freidman sounds massive through your Cube 80.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
 
Re: Yamaha THR100

A friend of mine bought the original Line 6 combo when they first appeared and was raving about it. I tried it and thought it was HORRIBLE. I was using a solid state Laney at the time (because I was broke) and it sounded way better than the Line 6. My friend agreed, sold the Line 6 and bought a Laney. Since then and thanks to a financial recovery I have used tube amps and have gigged a Cornford Roadhouse for the last 7 years. The Yamaha can do what the Cornford does and a whole lot more. You can dial in just about any sound you want without having to faff around with menus and millions of pre-sets. Great amp for not a whole lot of cash.
 
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