Traynor YBA-2B Bassmate

Volume, bass and treble. Perfect, nothing to mess up the tone.

For guitar this is classic AC/DC type tone. Nice and brown at a volume level that doesn't peel your face off. Loud enough for practice and small clubs. Larger rooms, miked. You wont get this tone from any solid state modeling amp.
For bass, great for home practice. Not quite loud enough for drums but would make perfect\ recording amp. Good bottom with clear highs.

Its a Traynor. Thats "Canadian" for tank. I've also got a 68' yga-1a, never had a problem.

Call the guys at yorkville, any tech would love to talk to you about your amp. But your not going to need any support.

If your a studio guy, this is the only amp you'll ever need for bass or guitar. If your a tour guitarist, pack an extra set of tubes and a soldering iron and you'll have NO worries.

As with most other reviewers, I use mine for guitar. Mine is a little different. It's been converted to a head, which solves one of my only critisisms of old Traynor combos is that they weigh a ton and are awkward to carry. I use a 1x12 cabinet with a Jensen Neo 12" skeaper.

As the other reviewers have mentioned, it's about as bare bones as you can get. 2 inputs, bass, treble, 8 ohm speaker out. It's listed as 15 watts, but as with other vintage Traynors I have owned I swear it's louder. It's like they used their own rating system or something.

I have had a few problems figuring out the year on mine. The serial would suggest 1975, but it has the metal rocker switch on it and not the plastic ones like most of the newer ones seem to have.

I am going to give it high marks though because it is what it is, and it does it well. You buy an amp like this for what it has, not what it doesn't have.

I really have no idea how this amp would work out for bass. Being low wattage and running EL84 tubes I can't imagine it would work out as much more then a practice amp. And with the combo being the size it is, it would be one beefy practice amp.

For guitar though, it's fantastic. It;s hard to describe the tone of vintage Traynors because while they sound 'like' other amps they have their own thing going on. This and the YGM-3 have a Fender like tone, but also a bit of British flavour.

Being so basic, you control control your tone with the guitars knobs and dynamics. If you want control of the overdrive beyond just cranking the amp to get it, you would need a pedal. But these are the types of amps I like.

Run into a 12" speaker, the amp still has a ton of bass. It's a great match for a guitar like a Telecaster, which is what I play into it.

I have owned a few vintage Traynor amps and they are all built like tanks. You aren't going to find better made amps.

Yorkville will still answer questions about vintage Traynor amps and you can even send them in for service from what I have heard.

The only thing I can knock points off for is the size/weight of these amps in their stock form. Like the YMG-3, they are seriously bulky for a 15-20 watt amp. The oversizd cabs contribute to the tone, but not enough to make it worthwhile lugging them around. However, converted into a head this is a dream amp.

The amps just plain sound amazing for guitar though. They really should be listed in the guitar amps section of the reviews because I don't know anyone who uses them for bass. Even the YBA-1 is more commonly used as a guitar amp then a bass amp nowadays.

You can still pick up these Traynor amps for a lot less money then a lot of the mass produced crap that is our there nowadays. So while they aren't as cheap as they were a few years ago, they are still one of the best values out there.

Made in 1975, single channel combo with high/low inputs, two 12ax7 preamp tubes, 2 el84 output tubes, solid state rectifier, 15'' speaker. Volume, Bass, Treble, output jack for external cab. You don't need anything more than this to achieve the greatest tones I swear. Simplicity is always better, why do you think people still rave about vintage Fender Champs and newer Epiphone Valve Jr? Do you know why your tone sucks? Because there's to much junk between your guitar and your amp, that's why! Stick to the basics. The features are limited, but I don't believe in true versatility in a single package. Name one device that nails every single tone it's supposed to emulate, I dare ya. This Traynor is not about emulation, it's the real deal. So I give it a 10 cos IMHO, less is always more.

The funniest thing is when I got I was just learning how to play guitar and I was very displeased by the way my DOD Grunge sounded through it at high volumes. I didn't know about tube overdrive and I found that irritating lol. But one day I came across a guitar magazine explaining about tube amps and how the whole cult around distortion started and I was like man I own a tube amp, and it's true bands sounded great back then, so from the ignorant i had been, I became a vintage guy.

This amp has the quality to really bring tones to life when you push the tubes a little, and it's the main part of my tone. I play an AV 1962 Fender Jaguar with Graph Tech bridge saddles and a US Big Muff. My tone rips, power chords are bass heavy and grinding, open chords are blooming, solos are crystal clear.. all beacause of that amp. I know because I own a Fender Princeton 65 DSP and you can really tell the diff between tube and solid state. The Princeton is cold and artificial, the Traynor is organic and living!

When I brought it home none of the tubes were of the same brand (Fender, Panasonic, White-Westinghouse and RCA), changed them all for Sovtek. The only bad thing that happened to it was when I had accidentally put the tubes in the wrong position, causing the 12ax7 to be in the el84 sockets and vice-versa. It buzzed for a while and smoke was coming out of it. No need to tell you I had fried something. In fact it was a big ceramic resistor, I installed a new, but I thought that the resistor was getting pretty much as hot as the tubes when in function, so I placed it right where the tubes are. I'm sure this makes a difference in the temperature inside the chassis.

I've been using it for 6 years, that was the only time it failed me and it was entirely my fault. Since then it's been working very well, and it sure doesn't look 30 years old.

Never dealt with them. I heard they were nice people though.

I've been playing for 10 years. I never considered buying another amp. I own another tube amp (Elk 202), but it was given to me. If you come across one, buy it. I paid 195$ for it, but I'd be willing to pay 500$ for an amp that sounds like that. In fact, if you're looking for low-watt tube tone, and even if you can afford boutique stuff, you'd be stupid to waste your money on a new and overpriced tube amp when you can get one like mine for a steal.

70's model with "rubber bumper" and el84's. I guess the really desirable version has 6v6's, but mine has some ancient British power tubes in it so I'm happy . . . Volume, Bass, Treble, extra speaker out jack (8 ohms) 15" speaker (pronably Marsland) connected via weird RCA plug. Perfect for a bare bones 1 trick pony bass amp that doubles as a guitar amp. Spartan by today's standards.

I use a Jay Turser Jazz bass copy. It's damn good despite being a cheapo chinese. Really puts Fender to shame. Anyway, as a Bass amp, it it just OK. Nothing special, you can probably do better (or at least louder) if you only need a bass amp. I don't think it's loud enough as a bass amp to even keep up in rehearsal let alone a gig. The tone is really good though, so I will record with it as a bass amp, and maybe try micing it for live use.

As the other reviews mention, as a guitar amp this sucker shines. I play a made in the USA Lindert Conductor guitar with custom wound pickups in it. As a guitar amp It's got volume to spare if you are going for an overdrive/hard rock,/Neil Young & Crazy Horse/blues kind of thing. Loves boost and overdrive pedals. You can coax clean or jazzy out of it too. Unfortunately when played clean it is again too quiet for unmiced live use . In short, a wonderful 1 trick pony.

I had a YCV40 that I upgraded with better tubes and a Reverend speaker. It had great sounds too,and a far greater variety, but nothing like the shimmery highs and chest pounding lows that this one has.

No doubt, but it is an old tube amp, so it needs to be maintained.

Today's Traynor is very good about support for these old Pete Traynor designs. Canadians are cool eh!

I've been playing bass for 19 years and guitar for about 11. These last couple of years I've been getting serious about electric blues guitar and have been on a tone quest. Ebay is addictive for those of use who live in areas without decent music stores. :)I'd like to keep this one for a while, but i figure i can turn around and make a 100 dollar profit, so it might get flipped...

Very, Very simple in this department. Its an old tube amp (I am not sure when its from) and its only got 3 controls on the front of it. Volume, Bass, Treble. There are two inputs - High and Low. The only thing in the back are the 4 tubes and an 8 ohm speaker jack. For me, its all I need.

I actually use this amp with my eletric guitars - A humbucking equipped Les Paul stlye Aria Pro II and a Hohner Telecaster copy set up for slide. The Low channel seems to give a cleaner sound generally, distorting significantly above 4 until it comes to a fairly thick, full blues tone at 10. The High input does the same, only quicker, and adds additional gain from about 7 on up. The lead tone is stunning, absolutely remarkable vintage blues/rock tone at its best. Its reminiscent of Clapton and Page and all of the great old Marshall type sounds, just as intense and powerful in this combo. I typically play with the amp on 9 on the Low Input, getting a fairly distorted regular signal to play with, and then, for lead and extra heavy parts, kick on a DOD vintage overdrive pedal, which makes this amp sound even more intense than normal. It takes pedals extremely well and is just all around fantastic sounding as well with my telecaster, giving bright, warm slide tones as well as the normal crunchy electric tones.

It is in rugged but very sound condition, and since it has held up for 30 years and performs this well, I have little to worry about, I think.

Never had to deal with it

Its fantastic. Its only 15 watts, which is still very loud. But for professional gigs, I think I would invest in another one or buy extension speakers and cabinets for it. It is beyond gig-worthy and is just beautifully bluesy and deep. When I first played it in our dorm room, my roommate and bass player said "Oh man, I thought my amp was supposed to be the one to hit you in the chest like that. . ." Its simply just an incredible little vintage secret, and I am very excited that I have found it.

Features? Three knobs (Volume, Bass, Treble). One channel. Four tubes with solid state rectifier. Who needs features?

I'm using this with an Ibanez jazz guitar and an Epiphone semi-hollow.

Damn, this amp sounds good!

First thing to do, of course, is add a grounded power cord so you don't get killed.

Next, pull the back off. It really opens it up, especially for guitar.

I've replaced all resistors in the signal path, changed the power tubes (Sovtek EL84M), and changed the filter caps and interstage coupling caps. Now it's not noisy at all, and there's barely any perceptible hum. I reduced the value of the input resistor on channel 1 for a little more initial gain to suit my playing style.

After all these changes, this amp, surprisingly enough, kicks ass for jazz guitar. The only way to describe it is that notes seem to "bloom." You play a chord and as it decays, you can hear the higher harmonics start to come out. With the volume at 4, it sounds like Wes Montgomery. Put the volume on 5 and you get a compressed-but-not-broken-up sound like George Benson. Everything after there is pure blues tone. Swap out the first preamp tube with a 12AT7, crank it to 10, and you have instant Stevie Ray Vaughan, and it's not so loud that it hurts.

I've gigged this several times since I've got it, and it's built like a tank. Be forewarned that this thing runs the tubes hot (400V on the plate), so you should probably use Sovtek EL84M tubes or 7189s, and you should probably install screen resistors on the output tubes. I installed tube retainers for the EL84s also. Should last another 30 years, easily.

I don't think they deal with these old amps any more, but they're really nice about giving the manual and the schematic on their webpage. Hell, the schematic was stuck inside the amp's chassis when I got it!

I've been playing for six years now, semi-professional, and this is my new gigging amp. If this isn't loud enough, it does a fine job through the PA. The tone is just killer, and the price isn't bad either!

Dont know when it was made, I bought it 8 years ago. It is a tube amp 15in cab combo. It has two input plugs on it. For a while when I first got it my friends and I would plug into both at the same time an play, them on guitar or even keyboard, me on Bass. I would not recomend doing this, but it did work well considering. It has 4 tubes in it that glow like crazy when you play hard, you can see them dim and brighten from behind the amp, that is pretty cool. Now it sits in my living room and mostly gets played when I am watching tv or friends come over with an accoustic guitar.

I use a "Kelly" Bass with this. I dont know how old this is either. I have other basses, but this is around the same age or older than the amp, and they just go good together. It takes a while to get warmed up, and sounds Realy vintage. (probably because it is vintage) It has alot of tube overdrive. I like it, but I wouldnt use it as my only amp, or for a show unless it was very private.

I had a tube burn out, and had to replace it with an industrial tube. There are no music tubes made for this amp that I know of. I was woried that it would sound like crap, but it sounded fine so I replaced the other three tubes, two small and two big. It cost me less than ten bucks at the local CB Radio shop. This has a replacement speaker in it too, I never saw or heard the original but the replacement sounds fine. The back used to hiss, because whoever change the speaker did not put all the screws back in. I put a hand full of wood screws in and it dosnt hiss anymore. The screen falls off the front once in a while, but a couple of nails hold it on better. One time I cracked one of the sockets that the tubes plug into. I have no idea how this happend, but it might be related to over use, maybe it just got too hot. I used to cary it around in my trunk in the winter and get it out and just start palying. (I dont recomend this either.) Anyway a friend of mine was able to solder a new socket onto the board, it looks different than the others, but it is inside the amp and it works fine. Someone had torn the Ground prong off the plug when I bought this, and it buzzed and hummed alot. I replaced the plug with a 50 cent three prong plug from the hardware store. It still buzzes a little, but I think this is the nature of this erra of equipment. Considering the age and abuse I would consider this a very reliable amp.

My friend was able to get electrical schematics mailed to him when we had to replace the socket for the vacume tube. I think we may have replaced another part too, but I cant remember, either way they were very helpful. If they charged anything It wasnt much, because at the time I had no money, I was just a broke teenager back then.

I have been Playing for about 8 Years this was my first real amp. I had one I built out of portable pa, a repair speaker and particle board, but it sucked. Since then I have had a Crate combo with a 15in, and I now use a Peavey T-Max with both tube and solid state channels (combinable) and a peavey 8/10 cabinet. I own other guitars and basses as well. I actualy sold this to my little brother, but he dosnt play much and his apartment is too small so it is still in my living room (good for me). I dont love or hate it, but I have had alot of good times with it. If you are buying one, dont spend too much on it, and you will get your money's worth out of it.

Not many features, two inputs, a volume control and a tone control. Its totally tube with 2 6V6GT output tubes and 2 12ax7 preamp tubes (well I use 2 12ax7s just for the gain factor). The saving grace is the tubes themselves, change them and you change the tone. However I have found that RCA black plates are by far the ulimate in tone so far. The orginal speaker is still in great shape but its an RSC so Im temped to get a 15" Jensen and see the difference.

I play a Mexican strat with Texas pickups. It has a beautiful and loud clean sound up to about 8 on the volume, then the tubes start to really work into overdrive, it gets a real great crunch after that. Oh and this amp is loud, really loud for being only 20 watts. I play pretty much everything but this amp sounds the best with Jimi, SRV and old blues songs.

Well it sat for what looks like 10 yrs in a barn so I had to get a recap job done ($200) and since I've gotten it back I cant hear it enough, great sustain and beatiful highs. All this from a base amp, its build rugged and wieghs about 45lbs, no problems thus far.

Excellent customer support, I brought it into the local Long & McQuade dealer (original manufacturer, where Pete Traynor started) and the salesmen flocked around with helpful suggestions. I emailed the main office and they sent me all the info they had on PDF format.

I would cry if it were stolen, it was a diamond in the rough, and to think I almost passed it up. I want more traynor products.

2 years ago I picked up this 1971 Traynor Bass Mate Combo tube amp with 15 inch close cabinet, Volume, Bass, Treble, Lo-Hi input, Extension speaker 2 EL84 and 2 12AX7 tubes and 2 transformers. Basically a very simple feature with 22-watts of tube power amp in all original condition, Made in Canada. I actually bought this for a guitar practice amp. I previously owned a Traynor Reverb Master which was very good to me until I lost it somewhere along the way. The first time I got it, There was a distinctive sound that I kinda like about the amp but its lacking a little tweak "lets say when youre talking its like youre cover youre nose when you speak." All of my favorite pedals actually sounds pretty good in this amp (typical pure analog tone) The thing that got me curious is the simplicity of the circuit and having a little knowledge on working with electronics I know that I can modify this amp to sound the way I want it to without putting that much time cost. Well the journey begins!
The first thing that I did was change the power cord to a typical computer like 3-prong cord, I change all of the electrolytic caps which maybe like 7 or 8 of them, I switch the tone ceramic capacitor to half of its original value and change all 3 pots a high grade with the volume pot down to 500K.
(Advise.. If you want to modify your amp I suggest that you take caution and have the knowledge and rules especially safety. Even unplugged, there are still some electricity lurking in the several areas. Or try to have someone who has the knowledge and can help you.)

The result was dramtically so much difference that the amp was able to "breath right". I began experimenting different kinds of speakers which led to bulding a new separated cabinet for the head and a single 12" speaker cainet. I also went to piles of guitar pedals and went to a 2 full trash bags.

After the modification, I discovered my tone in with celestion G12T-75, the sound of the amp is now more edgy (with my treble only down to 9 o clock) and I got a lot of bottom end too with the midrange just about right. Using my 83 Fender Stratocaster rosewood neck with little 59 on the bridges, stock on the middle and Duncan antiquity on the neck, Britsh tone bone radial for lead, Tech 21 Sansamp triac with 3 tone combination, EH holy grail reverb.. I give this amp a 10. Don't be fooled by a the 22 watts, I actually blew a vintage 30 speaker on live. Just like that. This setup can handle a 100 watt speaker just right on. I can turn the volume knob all the way to 10 with no tone dropping or any unwanted hiss or distortion. Its all pure tone with no clipping. I can do a big fat viola singing sound with a pure real sustain that I never got from ny other small tube amps. One of my favorite sound is the the Randy Rhoads distinctive Altec sound by plugging and extension cabinet with a Celestion G12-65 (old version with the white label) conmbined speaker.
I also get the hendrix sound switching to my neck postion and using the the triac pedal on california mode. Only this time is a warm woody sound with no unwanted distortions. I can play clean country music using my stockie middle pickup very nice :-)
I also have a gibson 25/50 Les Paul that sings to this amp very nice too. I old use it on stage on certain songs but I love it.

Right now this my #1 get around, recording, and small gig amp. The only time that I have to roll my Rivera Amp if the place is packed. With all the new caps, pots change and serviced, new speaker and its original giant transformers, I am not worried at all. But I wish I could find another one that I can do the same plus add a little more modification feature like effects send/return and CD or tape input. But all in all what do you expect for features from a 1971 amp except for it tone.

Yorkville took over Traynor and they actually helped me with my other traynor reverb master amp. I give em a 10 for they were really nice and helped me out right.

I began playing back in '74 you know a little bit of the past. I mainly play 80's, 70's a little 60's some 90's too. I feel this amp is the actual extension of my fingers. Until this day I have this amp and I'm on the run for another one before it goes away. It really treated me nice and I nothing but a plus for this puppy. Of course everyone has their own. Any opinion, questions, updates or please lemmie know. I'd be happy to.

I suppose that whe I got it, it was fine . I had been playing my Fender P through a small Peavy amp with all the effects off until I got the Bassmate. I mainly use it for writing music. Singer by trade, I never took the time to learn how to sing and play Bass at the same time. It suits it's purpose well for what I use it for.

The only guitar ever plugged into it is an 85'Fender Precision (American, not Mexican made) with stock pick ups. Rock and blues is mainly played through it. About a week after I bought it, I noticed a small tear in the speaker. I replaced it with an aluminum cone speaker (85w RMS 140 peak) which is why at high volumes, it distorts, which I dont care for. Unfortunatly, I can only play loud. I also play a synth/keyboard through it. The low to mid tones sound really clean through it, probably because of the aluminum cone, which I beleive ( could be wrong) allows some of the lower midrange sounds to come through better than a standard paper cone. Sounds great when using one of the synth's organ effects ( going for that B3 w/ a Leslie sound) The higher sounds can be played through is, but only at low volume, or else it distorts. If anyone has an idea of the optimum speaker to put in it other than the aluminum cone I have it it now, I'd like some info.

Other than the speaker tear, never had a problem with it.

Like I said, normally a singer/blues harp player. The only reason I got the Fender P was I told my wife that if I ever got a guitar, I'd get a bass for the simple fact that all my freinds we guitar players and we could never find a bass player to jam around with. I was 20 at the time. The only reason I got the Traynor was because my band broke up and I had no need for a power amp and had never had a REAL bass amp before. It was the only bass amp in the music shop at the time , so I traded in the power on several different things, including the Traynor. I'd probably upgrade to something more versatile if I were to ever replace it. But I don't ever plan on getting rid of it as long as it's working ok. For what I need it for it gets an 8.