Traynor YCV80 212 Combo

actually i have the YCVQ 80 - 4x10's instead of 2x12's. made in canada - def' a feature these days. expander, brightness and boost are kings. the scoop, although useful, creates a sort of stereotypical 'heavy.' I have found that taking the time to listen to the tones created by playing with the hi/lo/mid pots can truly produces some heavier, more threatening sounds. then again, when i first purchased the amp, i was in it for that button...(whahm-whahm-whahm).

there are a lot of posts that say this amp can't do metal - you can definately do sludge metal with it! use channel volumes to set levels, and keep the master cranked. leave the scoop button off and just crank the bass, about 6 on the mids, and 7 or 8 on the highs. and why turn on the dirty channel of the boost isn't on? -) holy **** it's heavy.

the guitar doesn't really matter that much unless it's a *really* crappy one - but i play a 2006 gibson faded cherry V. however, my ibanez artcore hollowbody also sounds killer through it. awsome surf/ ska/ reggae sounds on the clean with the reverb. again, keep that MV cranked and it breaks up just oh so nicely.

i've even put an old DR Heartfield bass through it to record out the balanced XLR line and discovered some quite favorable results. no digital emulation here -)

haven't tried switching out the tubes or the speakers yet - imho, that just seems like an aftermarket money grab, but that's because i already think it sounds exactly the way i want it to. of course, adding some upgrades won't make it sound any worse, and that's why the aftermarket exists -p.

i bought it used, played a bunch of shows, did a little tour, and it's still kickin' just fine. really, it's not *that* heavy - just put some castors on it and hug-carry it up the stairs to the show - it'll warm you up for your pre-show stretch/ inform the opposite sex of your totally sexy strength-power and they'll forget that you don't have a roadie!

i doubt it will ever '**** the bed' - i also have an early 80's traynor that really should have died years ago, but will not succumb to the grave. therefor, i have never had to use customer support.

great sounds, perfect for (home) recording (speaker defeat switch and direct XLR out) - damn loud (really, 80 tube watts - you'll be mic'd if you're playing a gig that needs more than your amp at 7 with the MV at full), and i hate to include this because it should really be about what sounds good - but it is also inexpensive (just get one used! it'll be all worked in for ya'!). if it doesn't come with the footswitch cable, know that you will need a stero 1/4 jack (two stripes on the plug) in order to access the two switches independently.

Bought this direct from the factory this year so I assume its a 2008. Read other reviews for a full list of features. The ones I enjoy are the XLR direct out, the speaker bypass switch for playing with headphones and recording, the trim pots on the effects loop, and the different tone modulators like the scoop function on the drive channel and the brightness and expander switches on the clean channel.

My biggest complaint would have to be that the reverb isn't independent per channel nor is it footswitchable. Wish the clean channel had a volume boost, but I guess thats why I bought the volume pedal in the first place (sometimes I get distracted by the fancy swells you can do with it, and forget that it has other functions on stage)

I play mostly fusion, funk, jazz, and blues. Basically anything with soul. I'm always searching for a tone thats somewhere between Gilmore, Hendrix, Scofield, and Eric Crasno from Soulive, but with slight variations given the genre I'm playing. This amp covers them all. Blistering gritty high gain leads all the way to soft warm fluttering chordal melody's. Can hit Hendrix and Gilmore tones on the drive, and Joe Pass and Pat Matheny on the clean. For the money, you won't find a better all tube amp. I tried out Fenders, Marshalls, Peaveys, the new Bogner Line 6, and a Messa Boogie Lonestar Special. To tell you the truth, the Lonestar won my vote for overall versatility and tone. However, I didn't have the 2 grand to spend for that amp. The YCV80 was the second best.

I play this through too different guitars. One is an Ibanez AF95 Full Hollowbody for jazz stuff, the other is a Schecter Corsair with a Bigsby (Schecter's version of a ES-335 copy) which is my main workhorse. The Schecter is awesome because of the coil taps, allows me to nail tones from Strats to Teles to Les Pauls and of course the 335 its modeled after. Between the Schecter and the YCV80, I can hone in on almost any tone I'm looking for, giving me a truely versatile set-up.

The clean channel is amazing, can't beat it. Blows Fender out of the water. The drive channel is heavy enough for me, but I could see a real Metal head having a problem with it. If you're into metal, stick to your 300w solid state and a good pedal. Or maybe do what the other guys are saying and switch out the tubes. Im thinking about switching out the speakers because they are a little muddier than I like a 212 to sound. Thought they just needed to be broken in, but they definitely will need a swap out soon. The preamp tubes might go too, but honestly, for now they sound great.

I've gigged this amp at least 20 times since I bought it and have turned a lot of heads. No one believes the tone that comes from the name on the grill cloth. There are a lot of other reviews on here that say its not loud. BS! If you needed to be louder, you'd be mic'd into the PA anyway. I usually dime the master to get the tubes cooking and adjust the channel volumes to the situation. Never have had to take it much higher than 6 to tell the truth. Never had the desire to blow out my ears with it all the way up either. For good cleans, I bring the master down to 6 and raise the channel volume to about 7. Gets the tone real warm and solid.

My biggest complaint in this section is the XLR out. Really really noisy when it comes into my DAW. Its actually quieter when I mic it with a SM57. Hey Traynor, how about a noise gate?

HEAVY!!! I rigged mine out with some heavy duty casters and a pull handle so lugging it around isn't such a workout (don't have roadies...) But then again, the thing is built like a tank. I wouldn't throw it down a set of stairs, but it'll definitely survive a ride in the trunk. Haven't had any problems with it at all. Hoping that streak lasts. Like with all tube amps, make sure you make good use of the standby switch. I usually turn the amp on, then tune-up, plug in, set up anything else, and then turn her on after a minute.

Never had to call them, but I have heard nothing but great stuff about their support and their warranty.

In the market for a tube-amp, but can't afford vintage or Messa? Check this thing out. Rocks my world and Im sure that it'll rock yours. Would definitely buy again if anything happened to it. I've even got a couple guitar buddies thinking about trading in their Fender's for this baby. Maybe when they hear it with the speaker and tube upgrades, that'll push them over the edge. Very satisfied for 700 bucks.

You got clean, and a two button OD footswitch. Independent EQ for the clean and 1 EQ for both distortions. Has a few tone fiddling buttons (Expander, bright, on clean and scoop and boost on distortion).

The features for me make this amp super versatile. I play in a band in which the other guitar player will switch with me doing leads and rhythm licks so we need to be able to shift our sounds a lot.

I use this amp for practices and gigs in small and large theatre halls. 80W of tube power is plenty for most small to medium sized gigs. Has reverb, but its not quite as wet as I like reverb to be, but its good enough.

It has an FX loop I never use, balanced XLR output, and a direct out/headphone 1/4 inch jack on the back.

I play through a 89' (USA) Fender Telecaster, standard lipstick and single coil bridge pickup. I play all over the board from cleans, to light overdrives, to heavy distortion songs... kind of fitting to Matthew Good, Jimmy Eat World, The Weakerthans styles.

The stock Sovtek tubes leave much to be desired with this amp. I followed the suggestion of folks on here and bought a set of JJ tubes for it and it transformed the amp from good to great. I think I'm going to fiddle with different pre-amp tube configurations though when i have more time.

The amp is more quiet when its in larger spaces. I get some harmonic feedback in the 2nd OD channel if I'm too close to it when gigging. At my practice space it picks up a mexican radio station, but i haven't had that problem anywhere but there. With the JJ tubes the clean is easily overdrivable when hammer on the strings. I use a Boss EQ pedal for different tone options in the clean since the Telecaster is a bit limited with tone configurations.

As far as sound variety, I can get pretty much anything except the HEAVY HEAVY metal sounds (I don't have need for shred metal styles since I'm not that kind of player). I enjoy the overdrive tones of which with the gain, I can make it plenty heavy or with a decent bite for any of the music I play.

The JJ tubes make the cleans really really clear... just as good as any fender Deluxe or Twin I've played.

The OD channels leave much to be desired with just the combo amp. I'm convinced that Traynor built this amp intending it to be paired with the 2x12 expansion cab. I bought the cab recently and i finally have all the sound range I've been looking for. I'm still a little dissatisfied with the distortion, but I think I can fix that with a bit of monkeying with tube configurations.
Basically, if you need a versatile sound selection and you don't mind geeking with your amp a bit, this thing is perfect.

The amp is built like a tank. Traynor builds a quality product and they back it up too with great customer service and warranties.

great! Warranty is 2 years even if you break it, plus a 10 year warranty on faulty parts.

I've been playing for about 10 years and have owned a few other guitars and amps. This has been my first tube amp that I've personally owned. I use a few effects pedals (delay, flange, EQ) and the amp interacts with the effects just fine.

If I lost this amp I would definitely buy another one. I'm a fan of the company and their design.

I wish this amp had two seperate EQ's for the overdrive channels, and a switch for the reverb maybe. I'm all about being able to change my tones real time without having to go back to the amp and fiddle with it mid song.

my advice, GET THE EXPANSION CABINET and you will not regret it. I've heard this amp called the poor man's fender... to which I say that this amp has a right to stand on its own as unique.

Rented this amp for some rehearsals while waiting for a new power amp. Rehearsals were in a decent size hall at medium stage volume.

Starting at a basic 8 for features--

-1 for the bizarre trim pots on the fx loop-- interesting idea but really badly implemented. I couldn't figure out a way to add wet signal w/o also adding overall volume that I'd have to compensate for somewhere else on the amp.
+1 for the surprisingly good direct out/headphones
+0.5 for the expander switch
-1 for being pretty quiet for an 80w amp-- at least , w/o sounding like crap.
-0.5 for not having side handles on an amp this heavy

So, a total of 7.

As people have said, it's basically got a Fender channel (ch 2) and a Marshall channel (ch 1), of which the Fender is the best. I'm playing it with a heavy solidbody Yamaha with splittable humbuckers which is basically eqivalent to a nicer early-90s PRS.

The best thing about the amp is that the pick and volume dynamics are amazing-- on both channels, all you need to do to play clean is back off on your picking. Bite down, and you've got gain. Really well done. At middle volumes, channel 2 is really, really nice, big bright cleans with lots of lower mid.

The bad thing about this amp is the horrible speakers and lack of headroom in the power section. Basically as soon as your 'volume' adds up to more than 12 between a volume knob and the master volume, you start driving the crap out of the power section and losing most of the definition in your rhythm work, especially in the bottom end.

You can't play metal on this amp. Full stop. I mean, you could in your bedroom at low volume, but not in any kind of live situation with a drummer. There's plenty of gain to be had, but the bottom end is way too big and loose to get a tight sound at volume. Maybe this could be fixed with new speakers and the closed back extension cab. I bet it would be good for a really raging punk sound, though.

This is an important point to make, I think, because this a good amp for the money and might attract young players who are more likely to try to play metal through it.

I'm rating this quite low because the low to mid-volume sounds are great, but I'm a very experienced player/tone tweaker and had a hard time getting good 'real volume' sounds out of it in three days of trying.

No idea, only used it for three days.

No idea.

I'm giving the amp a 9 here despite having ripped on it a fair bit, because I agree with other posters that a retube and speaker job would turn this from an okay amp into a great amp. And you'd only have spent around $1400 Canadian in total, new!

The basic voicings are terrific for blues, classic, '80s rock, and 90's alt-rock, and reward a player with good dynamic control. Just don't buy it thinking you can play metal on it!

Despite being seriously unimpressed with some of the amp's capabilities with its current power section and speaker load, it's a great value.

Well the options u have with this amp are awesome. You got the brightness control (which isnt overly bright) for fendery stuff, the expander switch is awesome and i have it on all the time, mid scoop for those metalheads who only want to be heard when no one is playing, and boost channel for those without a decent boost pedal. I dont really use any of the stuff on the gain channel but i use the brightness and the expander. Its not as loud as i thought it was going to be. My crate 120 watt solid state is about the same volume as this 80 watt tube cranked on volume and master. Needless to say this thing is very versatile

Well i like the way this thing breaks up with the expander switch. The expander switch must be on for me because it actually seems like the signal is being expanded across the room if that makes any sense. The clean has a very warm sound and it doesnt ice pick at all. If im playing some country i turn on the brightness switch but for everything else i dont really find it useful. Even with the brightnes switch engaged it is still warm though. Thats why i didnt get a fender because of that ice pick sound so many of them have. I dont care for the overdrive channel at all really. Sounds kinda like a toy to my ear but thats probably because i spend hours a day listening to amps online. The bottom end is way mushy and it doesnt sound very balanced. Everything i have right now is stock and i plan on getting the JJ tube replacement kit, some new ted webers for it, and a custom ted weber extension cab (he makes great speakers). It takes pedals very well and i am looking forward to seeing how a delay sounds in the effects loop. The Breakup is great for blues but i do wish it had a little more headroom. I say the drive is a 6 and the clean is an 8. The clean would be a ten if not for the mushy bottom end and earlier breakup than i expected. Remember i am rating this thing stock unlike many reviewers on here and it is pretty much exactly what i expected. I expect it to improve ten fold with some upgrades though. My gear is Custom Japanese Strat or a Ibanez SG copy with Seymours (Soon to be Godin LG Signature)> Vox Clyde McCoy (god that thing needs a new pot)> Boss SD-1 (Its all i got for rhythm)> Ibanez TS-808> Volume Pedal> Some modulation effects i switch out> Traynor.

Seems solid but i havent owned it for very long. It doesnt seem like it will break but i will definitely bring a backup based on some of the reviews ive seen.

Seems alright. 2 year warranty but i have never dealt with them so im not going to rate it yet.

Good bang for the buck but it isnt the best tone right from the store. For $840 new it is excellent but be ready to do some upgrades. It has great features and can be use with many genres. With a decent pedal it can do some metal stuff, but i wouldnt recommend it. I play all styles but i try to mostly play blues, funk, and jazz. If it were lost or stolen i would probably save up and get it again if the upgrades sounded good. If they didnt improve it enough then i would look for another option. Ive been playing for 4 years and there arent really enough music shops around here to try everything i want to try out but i listen a lot online and look over the internet. The tone is just a hair under professional IMHO but that is the case with most stock amps in the price range.

Great! The only thing it lacks is a separate eq for od and dis channels. Other then that it's perfect!

Sound is great too! Clean channel can go from glass clean to a bit dirty depending on the volume control. Dis/Od plenty of mids, scoop comes handy for that extra bass. Very nice!

No issues so far, had it for nearly a year.

Never used but I take people's word on that it's exallent.

Overall it's a great amp, it's not the best (mesa roadster seems to be the ultimate amp at least for a fellow like me, but out of reach money wise) I use it mainly for recording, so far it satisfies all my needs( and I've got a lot of those:)As you have probably guessed I'm into various features, and this amp has a lot to offer. Check it out! Great Amp!

This review is an update to a posting I did about a two years ago.
The amp has been re-tubed, and also a speaker swap. This follow-up review will focus on the sound improvements with these changes.

Quick summary: if you buy this amp, make it a killer amp by spending about $250 on Hellatones and Eurotubes.

I play a 1991 Strat Plus Deluxe with Jason Lollar pickups (Vintage Blondes) and a blocked bridge. I also have a Reverend Charger HB (dual humbuckers). Occasionally I run a TS-9/BD-2 in front of the clean channel, with a Boss chorus in the serial effects loop.

I've had my Traynor YCV 80 for a little over 3 years. It has been extremely reliable, is built well, and I've had absolutely no problems with it.

When I first purchased this amp, I was very pleased with the sound. It is a very versatile amp and can cover a lot of ground, from almost a "Fendery" clean to a Hot Rod Deluxe. However, I did find that the bass response is lacking (see my original comments on this, especially the clean channel) and the high gain settings can be somewhat "harsh" or "brittle".

I first tried to remedy this problem by changing the speakers. I replaced one of the 70/80's with a Hellatone 30 (aged G12H 70th anniversary, about $80). This made the a HUGE difference in the low and mid frequencies. A lot more "chunky" as well as being defined. While this speaker change did smooth out the top end a little, it still was a little harsh.

Recently I re-tubed the amp using the "standard" kit for the YCV80 from Eurotubes (they also have blues and high gain kits, or anything in-between...call them). This cost about $100, and is worth every single penny. The low-end and midrange growl is even more noticable, and the gain channel is phenomenal. The overdrive is almost "singing", and the normal gain channel (boost OFF) is very usable, whereas before it was not worth using. The high-frequencies are very smooth and articulate. It's almost like this amp "breathes"...VERY responsive. With full gain and boost on, this amp is a monster. Incredible overdrive. Beware that you will need to spend alot of time adjusting your EQ after these changes, but it is well worth it. Also, I didn't expect a lot to change on the clean channel...however...it is "sparkly clean" and dynamic. I now use this channel much more than I did in the past.

I plan on ordering a Hellatone 60 (aged Vintage 30) as a replacement for the other stock 70/80. While the speaker changes will drop my expected wattage down to 60, I rarely, if ever, go higher than 4 on my master volume (with gain channel volume dimed). The amp is LOUD. If you need it louder than that, go ahead and mic the cab.

Another thing...regarding the reverb. As others have stated, the reverb is somehow tied into the master volume. Therefore, if you have the MV down around 2-3, you will not get a substantial reverb effect even if the reverb is adjusted quite high. Spend time adjusting the channel and master volumes to dial in the appropriate reverb that you want.

Finally...the scoop switch. As others have posted, I occasionally use the scoop switch with the middle EQ at 3 o'clock. This really "fattens up" the sound. I don't use this all the time, but you might find it gives another option for your tone.

I've had this amp 3 years with absolutely no problems. When swapping out the tubes and speakers, I had a nice look at the circuit board and wire harnessing, etc. VERY well done. The tolex is expertly cut and glued. Overall, this amp is solid and very dependable.

Excellent...I called their office and asked a couple a questions about speaker impedences and removing the grill cloth. Immediate assistance and friendly service.

I've been playing 25+ years. I own a Strat Plus Deluxe and a Reverend Charger HB, various pedals, a Boss GT-8 (for church band) and a Taylor 814 Brazilian.
If this amp got stolen, I would consider replacing it with the same, but honestly I would probably go a different direction with my tone...maybe a THD Bi-Valve with a nice Avatar 1x12 cab with a Celestion Alnico Blue. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the YCV80 and it is a great amp for the $, especially with the tube/speaker upgrade. But I've found the amp a little too much for me to lug around (its heavy, and I'm getting old). Also, I'm getting to the point where I really like to experiment with my sound, and the THD will let me do that easily. I may be getting a THD hot-plate to use with the YCV80 to keep the wife happy.

You can buy this amp used on e-bay for less than $450. For about $250 more, you can have an extremely versatile amp that rivals amps costing 2 - 2.5 times more.

Yorkville...if you are reading these reviews: PLEASE ship these amps with JJ tubes and decent Celestions. Customers will flock to this amp even if the price is a little higher. At least make it an "upgrade" option. The Sovtek tubes are medoocre at best, and the Celestion 70/80's lack bottom-end and mid-range punch.

Love the "expander" button on the clean channel. I play jazz and when I use my solid body PRS and hit that expander button, the tone really fills out for that full jazzy tone. The gain channel can dial in a real nice med/light gain to real heavy - but I don't do a whole lot with that channel - a little growl for some blues. But that expander button is magic.

My hollowbody is great with this in a small combo - it does feedback quite a bit when turned up too much, but the tone is great at lower settings. And, as I said before, the expander button is just outstanding on my solid body. Works great for blues, jazz, country, classic and heavy rock - full range.

This thing is built like a tank - I do depend on it and it hasn't failed me yet. I've had it for a year, and bought it used - it's about 5 years old and runs as great as the new models

Since I bought it used, I didn't get any of the documents that hang on the new amps. Traynor does have the manual on line, but I know there is a sheet showing suggested settings. I was checking out a new model of this amp at a store and fell in love with it, then found a used one at Guitar Center. Since then, the new amp I was checking out has been sold and I haven't seen another one with that document since then. It may be petty, but my 2 emails requesting that "suggested settings" document to Traynor have been ignored. If anybody has a copy of this document, I'd like to get the settings :-)

No other dealings with them - and I don't really plan on needing to contact them regarding any repair service.

I've been playing for about 20 years (dinking around for 16 of them). I would definately buy another if it were lost or stolen - no questions. All the Traynor amps are great. I might get a 20 watt one just to save my back - the 80 watt is heavy - but that adds to the tone! Absolutely great value - especially if you can find one used.

We all know the features.

I posted a review of this amp a year ago. Initially, I was very disappointed in the sound quality. Very thin and harsh. The build quality was first rate though. The amp is extremely quiet. I replaced the speakers with Celestion Greenbacks and this improved the sound tremendously.

I just recently re-tubed it with some vintage Sylvania 6L6 GC's and Sylvania 12AX7's. IMHO, this is the ticket for getting these amps to sound great. Forget about the dirty channel. Just crank the clean channel volume and use the master to get your level. Absolutely heavenly. The stock Sovtek's have no character. The Sylvania's (6L6GC STR415's and 12AX7 with green lettering)I got were from an old amp of mine but you can get some NOS versions of these for 40 bucks a pair (6L6). Not sure about the price of the 12AX7's.

A lot of folks here have changed the tubes in these amps with varying degrees of success. I really recommend using the US made tubes. You can get some great tubes these days but the old "Made In USA" Sylvania's, GE's and RCA's are the shit.

It puts out a glorious sound. No effects needed. The clean channel sounds so good cranked that the dirty channel is really not needed. It cleans up great when you roll back the guitar's volume and play lightly. Very dynamic response. I'm a classic rock, blues player and this amp is just perfect. Cranked it has that sweet compressed grit. Incredible harmonics and single note passages have a bloom when you let them ring out. Put the channel volume at 5 and you have the sweetest clean tones around. Gobs of sustain. I can't recommend these upgrades enough. The speakers were about 70 bucks a piece. I'm guessing the tubes would run about another 200 bucks.

Stock, this amp is a good value. Mainly because it's built like a tank. With a few hundred dollars in upgrades though, it will sound like a boutique amp or vintage Fender. My buddy and I did a side by side comparison with this amp, a vintage Bassman and a 74 Marshall 50 watt (JMP). This amp sounded very, very close to the Bassman. In fact, this amp sounded very Fender-ish. Cranked, they exhibited the same sound qualities (compression, gain characteristics). The Bassman was still the benchmark for obvious reasons but the Traynor sounded very close to it. I'm extremely happy with it.

Sorry for being long-winded but I'm passionate about tone ;)

Solid.

Never needed it.

Stock: Great value with room for improvement.

Modified: Tubes and speakers. Outstanding vintage tone with modern reliability.

The amp has all the pro features you'll ever need. There are two additions they could have done though. First switchable effects loop ( there are some pedals like line selectors you can use to achieve the same effect). Second seperate EQ on OD/DIS channel.

Clean channel is very good can satisfy quite a few different tastes.
OD is great and very clean too. DIS is loud and proud and has this brain killing button they call scoop for extra mids.

I had it for just a month so can't say much.

Over all the amp is great for the price there is nothing that can come close.