Traynor YCV20-WR 112 Combo

I purchased this amp in 2005 (has the Greenback speaker stock). This amp comes with many features, including a "lead" channel. Because the lead channel is pretty useless, I give it a "6". Please note: the reason for my post is to warn people that SPEAKERS OTHER THAN CELESTION MAY NOT FIT!! Very tight fit for the speaker, and the preamp tubes and U-bracket hit the frame on my Eminence replacement speaker. I note other people saying how changing out the speaker improves the tone, but be forewarned that this is problematic. With the "no return policy" on speakers, I'm now stuck with an Eminence Legend speaker that I can't use and can't return!

Clean channel is pretty good; lead channel is useless to my ears. No amount of tweaking has produced musical sounds. After reading many reviews, I changed out the speaker to a top-of-the-line Celestion Blue and JJ tubes. This improved the clean channel, but lead channel still useless. I'm going to sell this amp. I've take the blue out and sold it on ebay. I ordered a replacement Eminence, which is when I discovered different that there are different measurements for 12" speaker frames (depending on the mfg). I've tried an Eminence Legend and a "Specially Designed for Fender", and neither will fit this amp.

No problems in this category

Pretty disappointing. I play through a fiends 15W Fender Princeton Reverb, and there is no comparison... the Fender kicks butt!

Really versatile for an 18 watter. Channel switching; standby switch; comes with footswitch; Separate volume and gains for each channel, master treble, mid and bass. A decent reverb rounds out the features. Compared to its competition I considered (Fender Blues Junior, Crate v series, Peavey Valve series, some lesser powered boutiques like Bad Cat, etc.), it's got it all. Plus, North American made and a handsome looker in wine red tolex.

I use a Fender American Delux Tele with two buckers. I play Christian rock and we mic the amps when we play in church. The Traynor gets a great clean sound, put the gain on about 4 and the volume to taste. Add in a bit of reverb and away you go. Sounds very Fendery and lots of top end gliss, not at all harsh. The dirty channel is ok, particularly for power chords, but I'll continue to use distortion pedals (Boss DS1 and Tube Screamer) to give me lots of options for more bite. Overall, the little amp gets it done, both clean and dirty. It's probably got enough pop to use without going through the PA, but that's not a factor for me.

It's still relatively new, but seems to be made like a tank. Plus, it's made in Canada, not another piece of junk coming out of China. It's got a two year, anything goes, warranty should any problems arise.

They originally sent me the wrong amp (the 40 watter). Once I alerted the dealer, the factory had the right amp delivered in a few days. So far, no need to use any repair or warranty issues.

I've been playing for about 20 years. My first serious amp was a Peavey Classic 50 4x10, but it was way too much for use in church. For the last two years, I've used a U.S. made Roland JC55, surprisingly good for a solid state 2x8 box. But I yearned for the warmth of tubes and selected the Traynor after a lot of research. The clean sounds are exactly what I wanted and while I'll never give up my pedals, the Traynor can get down and dirty. I'd definitely replace it if stolen. For the price, this is a all-tube bargain.

Just to avoid confusion, this is the YCV-20WR, dark red color covering with the Celestion greenback speaker. I paid 550 USD for it new from a local shop, plus tax, it was brand new. For a mid priced amp they sure put a lot of bells and whistles on it. 2 channels, bright switch, boost switch, comes with a nice foot switch, LED lights, stand by mode, speaker defeat button, headphone jack, FX in/out, nice reverb, 3 band EQ, Direct out connection, plywood cab, dressed up cosmetics, etc. For a Tube amp in this price range it???s a 10.

Well I have to say this amp looks great on paper, looks sweet in person but the tone just didn???t leave me satisfied. I think this should be a 1 channel amp since I found the dirty channel practically useless and the boost even more useless, if you turned the gain up pass 10 o???clock the sound became very uninspiring and the boost only made things worst. I???m not comparing it to a Mesa or anything like that either, it just didn???t break up well at all, maybe it???s the Celestion greenback speaker. I???ve heard other Traynors sound much nicer than this one. On the cleaner channel the sound was descent and fairly good, again you had to keep the gain down pass half or forget it, with a TS-9 pedal and some reverb it made some nice bluesy tones. With my hollow body jazz guitar I think it sounded best but I was running the thing almost clean with the gain around 8 o???clock and a touch of reverb. The amp is not loud, I know it???s only 15 watts, but I???ve played 5 watt and other 15 watt amps that feel like they have more head room then this, maybe it???s the small cabinet size or something, but you???ll need to turn the gain up to get any volume out of it. My best results with my Tele was to run the volume almost wide open around 3 o???clock and using the guitar volume to act as a master volume. The clean sounds are nice but lack any serious shimmer or chime. I too tried the tube upgrade route as well, and it made a small improvement but I don???t think any tubes are going to get this amp where I wanted it to go. I???m not trying to trash this amp, I really thought hard about keeping it, if the cleans had a little more depth that I was looking for I would have kept it but after trying some Fender & Vox amps I couldn???t justify keeping it. Sorry Traynor, fewer gadgets more focus on tone next time and you have a winner.

well constructed, good warranty, never let me down

Never used it, don???t know, website has good info on it

I ended up selling this amp so overall I can???t rate it too high, I bought it because I didn???t know much about tube amps or the tone I was seeking and it fit my budget. I ended up buying a Vox AC15 tube amp and I???m very satisfied with it, basically for the same price as the Traynor, the Vox has a larger cab, it???s made in China, 1 channel and it has fewer bells and whistles, trade offs from the Traynor, but it has better tone IMO. It???s all personal tastes, someone else might love this Traynor. I would try this amp out or it???s sister model if your looking for a mid priced tube amp but I would certainly play a few other brands side by side to make sure that it???s what you want, I would not buy this amp off the net unless there is a good return policy, don???t make the same mistake I made! Speakers and tubes are going to modify and enhance your tone but they will not make your amp sound like a different amp, if you are unsure about what you are looking for in a tube amp, take your time play through everything you can find!

Purchased new in 2005, just after they switched to the line out and headphone plug (neither of which are used often). 2.5 channels w/a bright switch on the clean channel. 15 tube watts is plenty for my non-gigging hobby and maybe even a bit much. The only things I think Traynor could do to improve this line is offer a YCV w/a tube rectifier and tube reverb &/or tremolo. Overall this amp has way more features for the price range at the time I purchased it (which is a big reason it came home w/me).

With a couple of pedals the amp is very versatile. I think it's strong suit is definately the clean channel though. Very musical and responds well to most drive/fuzz pedals that I've played with. Tend to play it with the bright switch on and I can get great sounds w/lipsticks, single coils, and humbuckers. As it's an open back, low watt combo it's best suited to roots, classic rock, country and blues; not that I try to play much heavy metal or anything needing a lot of gain. Just a little crunch from the amp or a lot of fuzz from a pedal and this amp will do you just fine for most music that won't alienate your dad. The reverb isn't anything to write home about but I've heard way worse. It is a spring reverb and you can get some great sproing out of it, but most folks will just want to leave it at 2 or 3.

I've had no major problem with this amp in the 2 years I've had it. It's well taken care of, mostly hangs around the house but has been out and about a few times. The real reason I'm writing this review is to address previously posted rants about the difficulty in changing the tubes. I switched out the Sovteks (one of which was going bad after about 4 hours of play) for the JJs; custom ordered to boost the Fendery clean sound of the amp. While the tubes are cased away and not intuitively placed, if you read the manual it's really no big deal to change them. Essentially if you can thread a bolt without looking directly at it you should be fine. Additionally, the JJ tube swap is completely worth it and they are a great company to work with.

E-mailed Traynor/Yorkville with questions before and after I purchased, all were quickly answered and the folks I dealt with were knowledgable about their product. The warranty appears to be great and it's a North American product. I strongly support them as they've surely supported me.

Overall this amp has been great. There are a lot of classic sounds that you can pull out of this thing. The clean sounds great and it's got way more functionality than almost any other amp in it's price range. It looks great, it sounds great, it's really well built. If you're looking for a first tube amp that will last you well into your playing career this should be at the top of your audition list. It's very well priced and very versatile. Don't let the fear of it's difficult engineering deter you, it's not that bad at all.

I purchased the amp in 2005 from L&M. As previously mentioned it has 2 channels, loaded with Sovtek 12AX7's and EL84's, effects loop, 12" Celestion Greenback speaker etc... I use this amp at home for practice and it has tons of power for my needs.
NOTE: Tubes are a pain in the #$& to change. You almost have to take the whole amp apart.

Stock, this amp sounded pretty nice. Very quiet. It had all the acoutrements I was looking for and it was Canadian made. After a while I realized it didn't have the tone I was looking for and it didn't respond well to all pedals - things sounded kind of muddy. Plus the dirty channel sounded like crap. I read the HC postings and swapped the Sovteks for JJ's and threw in an Eminence Red White and Blues for a speaker change. The sound improved quite a bit but I found with the RWB speaker it sounded kind of shrill. I threw in an Eminence Governor and OMG! NOW it's perfect. Sounds amazing with all of my guitars (Strat, ES335 and Yamaha AES620) and my OD's sound magical. The dirty channel has improved but I still prefer my pedals for a great OD. I heard a lot of good things about the Greenback but it just didn't work for me. The Governor rocks!

Solid. No problems yet. Enough said.

I've emailed them a few times and my emails were responded to very promptly and the tech were really helpful. Kudos.

I've been playing for about five years now. I mainly stick to blues and classic rock but I've been known to play around with heavier riffs like Metallica etc... If there is one thing I don't like about this amp it's that the dirty channel is relatively unuseable as is. You can make it work with some pedals etc.. but it's kind of a pain. That being said, it's an awesome value. It's a great little amp for the money. If you want a relatively inexpensive 15 Watt little power house you just can't go wrong with this amp. With a few easy mods you can tailor it to your needs. If it were stolen I would consider getting it again - but since I have a few more bucks now I would investigate other (more expensive)low wattage amps before making my final decision.

The features are well covered. I got this used on Ebay. I guess it's a year or two old. It was listed as the model with line out, speaker out etc. but the amp I received doesn't have those features. This amp sounds best at about half volume, which works well for me since I just play around my apartment and don't need a lot of volume; basically an expensive practice amp. I'm a rythym and blues, swamprock-boogie kind of white guy and the YVC20 gives me the tone I crave.

This is a neat little amp. Like others, I don't much care for the gain channel; it's too muddy. I love the clean channel with the gain on 6 and volume at 5 or 6. With my self-customized Strat and recently acquired Squire tele I can get the clean sounds I want with slight changes of the guitars' volume knobs and I can get the crunch and sustain with my Sparkle Drive. Blending the clean with the Sparkle Drive's dirty side works nicely since the clean channel has pretty good sustain and punch the way I set it. I almost always use the bright switch to get a more Fendery sound. The amp has a lot of bass and can be somewhat muddy unless you keep the bass knob down. Sometimes I kick in the gain channel with gain and volume at 5, running the Sparkle Drive into it for more grind and sustain. You can only do this with the bridge pickup. It can scream pretty good without sounding the least bit like heavy metal or 80s hair bands, which is cool. The stock Celestion Greenback gave the amp a Brit flavor. It sounded best for Led Zep type stuff and could nail "You Really Got Me" quite well. I like that kind of music but being an avowed swamprocker and white bluesman, I Americanized the amp by buying a used Weber 12F150-O 50 watt speaker. Now, the amp gives me the sounds I really want; miss the Brit thing sometimes but the crunchy tweed sound is me. The reverb sounds luscious if you set it between 1 1/2 to 2. Essentially, the sound is Fendery but spongier. It'll really sing and scream with a good stomp box. I'm amazed at the diffence of the sounds from the strat and the tele. A crappy amp makes them both sound the same. The YCV20 sounds much better than the Fender Blues Junior I once had ( with a Weber speaker too). It's snappier and brighter with more sustain. I'm finally happy with an amp.

I really dig this little amp and it looks cool too. My GF thinks it looks like a suitcase. One thing that bothers me is the way the chicken head knobs spin so freely. My cats change all the setting as they walk across the amp at night. I always mess up the reverb setting when switching the standby on and off. The standby switch is a tiny little black button on a black surface; didn't know I had on for a while. Swapping speakers is a snap since the speaker is front loaded. Just lay the amp on it's back and pop 'em out and in. Done in 10 minutes. I haven't done the JJ tube swap yet since one has to remove the chassis to accomplish the task. I've retubed two amps with JJs from Eurotubes and I've found that the JJs will improve the tone of an amp about 20%.I'll welcome the improvement when I get ambitious enough. The YCV20WR is a great little amp but not perfect. It's rather pricey too. If you can pick one up for $400 or so it's definitely a better deal than the Blues Junior at the same price point.

The amp does all the good stuff; it's a non-issue. Mine was manufactured in 2005. The features are to me just fine.

This is where we get queezy. As new, the YCV20WR uses Sovtek tubes which are, even in this day and age, typical Russian garbage. A thread here suggested JJ tubes for the finals. Worse still. The Sovteks are worthless, and the JJ's are worse.

What I have done is spend a couple hundred bucks on good tubes. I put a NOS set of RCA 6BQ5's in the final sockets, a Mullard ECC83 in the first pre-amp place, and NOS RCA 12AX7's elsewhere. It makes all the difference. Pre-tube change (6); post tube change(9).

Have had this amp on the frying pan in a hot room in summer on a still night in August in Yokosuka. Derta.

Haven't used it yet for this box, but Yorkville WILL give you the shirt off the back service.

Ten with tube exchange. Seven stock.

I bought in '03. One input, one output (I believe the newer ones have a headphone jack which I wouldn't use anyway) It has 2 channels and each channel has a switch for 1.) adding more drive on the first channel and 2.) high end or 'brightness' (presence on fender amps) on the second channel. I rarely use either. It has a ???Middle??? tone control which I find useful when balancing increased Gain on the pre-amp. It has Reverb, an FX loop and a foot switch and it's self biasing. I use it primarily as a practice amp and I've used it at jams and recording.

It's a fairly versatile amp however it breaks up too early for my liking on the clean channel when there is some good volume behind it (no headroom) which is sometimes nice, other times not so much. This amp works well with both single coil pups and humbucker guitars and can come reasonably close (but no cigar) to emulating a Vox, Marshall or Tweed and I've put it next to all three. It's good for someone who is looking for versatility at this price point and Traynor is setting the bar pretty high in its class. I heard it at a show and I played it a few times in the store before swapping it for my Hot Rod Deluxe which I wasn???t that happy with. It comes with a quality speaker and the EQ is responsive.

The Reverb is atrocious above 1.

I have had no problems with it although re-tubing is a pain. For that reason I would definitely have a backup if you plan to gig with this amp.

Good warranty and Traynor responded quickly to an email inquiry I had.

To sum it up this amp is a Jack of all trades; master of none. That said, it favours a slightly overdriven classic rock sound. It's not an ideal jazz amp nor is distortion its forte but each can perform to some satisfaction with the proper tweaking. I would recommend it to the basement player who wants a range of tones until he finds what he is actually looking for. If it were stolen I'd shop around for a good deal before buying this amp again. That said I'm in no rush to get rid of it either.

Basic features, two channel combo. Separate volume and gain knobs for each channel but amp shares the EQ knobs.

Sounds pretty good right out of the box but I retubed it with JJ's and also put in a Red Tone Tubby 12" hemp Speaker plus a beam blocker from Weber. Now it really sounds good. I mainly use the clean channel and pedals. The OD channel is okay but pedals will get you the sound you want better than the OD channel will.

So far no probs. Well built

I have called and emailed Yorkville with questions and they are responsive and prompt; very professional and courteous.

Been playing over forty years now and play everything, all styles. I play my archtops through this at jazz gigs and solid body axes at rock gigs. I love the line out and headphone features. The speaker mute button is also great for late night playing with headphones.

Features have all been stayed in previous posts. I have changed to jj tubes (blues version) and I have also had an extension cab made by weber speakers with a 12" 15 watt alnico blue dog. I was looking to replace the greenback but figured the extension cab would allow me to hear the blue dog before changing the speaker in the original amp (which I've never worked with and have no confidence or inclination to do so. I bring my guitars in to get strings changed etc so I get it right) this allows me to listen to just the blue dog or just the greenback or both together)

I am using this with an ibanez AR2000VV (think les Paul supreme with double cutaway) and an ibanez SA160. I also use a behringer xv-amp effects pedal with it. Clear channel is crystal clear. Before speaker change I felt that with enough volume and gain it had a "honky" sound that I didn't care for. I'm realizing that part of that is my fault due to my inexperience in adjusting settings. The new tubes and blue dog speaker help a lot and by playing through the clean channel with little gain and flat eq settings on the amp and little reverb, with the xvamp the presets make it sound amazing either with the blue dog alone or both speakers together.

I've had it for almost 2 years and have not had any problems. I am just a home amateur and the amp doesn't move anywhere.

I had questions and emails are returned promptly and courteously.

I will have been playing for 5 years this February. Starting at 42 and having no natural talent, I suck but despite that have fallen in love with making music albeit badly and can't forgive myself for not starting in my teens. I also own a Washburn 8 watt practice amp, a Yorkville AM100 acoustic amp, a behringer blue devil ss amp (which using an aby switch I sometimes play with the traynor to drive my wife crazy from the basement) and I have a zoom A6 acoustic effects pedal. I play classic rock, blues, country, Christmas and a bit of classical. If I lost the amp, I might buy another but would investigate some of the "blue" Traynor's or even, if I could afford it, some of the boutique amps. I don't think anything in this price range that I'm aware of, with the mods I've made would compare to this. Any advice from anyone on settings for the effects or amp would be appreciated.

Two channels--but for the chicken-pickin' stuff I play--the clean channel is the only one that I need. It sounds similar to a Dr. Z Prescription if you dial it up right (I did an A/B test). The direct XLR mic-sim out is nice, but you need a pad switch at the sound board if you get the volume above 5. This is my only complaint.

The distortion channel is horrible sounding, but the clean channel with a decent pedal (I recommend Indyguitarist stuff) gives you some nice dirt!

I have gigged with it once, but it handled a five piece band (including a steel guitarist running two Nashville 400s) with ease. If you need more volume, run it through your monitor. Anyway, it survived a roadhouse just fine....Should be more than reliable.

I use a custom tele loaded with Joe Barden pickups. The tone was great running a guitar straight into the amp with no effects. It almost gave me chills. As with previous reviews, I sold my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe because I could never get the volume above 2.5 without killing someone. It had better low end, but it wasn't real tight. Very booming. The Traynor has very tight low end. I have owned Bandmasters, Twins, Deluxes, HR Deluxes...this Traynor is my favorite amp EVER!

Same features as previously posted. Both channels are very useable and react well to eq and gain/volume. Tried DIing out at a gig yesterday vice micing and the tone was warm, but a little too bright for my taste. Wine red color is retro and cool. Nice metal frame underneath grill clothe provides excellent protection for the greenback 12" speaker. A very affordable and quality made product.

Sold my overpriced and very heavy Orange AD30TC combo amp for this little guy. 15W is more than enough. I play at the largest clubs in San Diego with my indie-rock band, and I barely have the gain cranked to 4 and it is plenty loud. While I liked the Orange, it lacked reverb and the tone was fairly one dimensional (and it was around 80lbs!) At 35lbs, the Traynor's tone is very similiar but more diverse and responsive than the Orange. It responds to pick attack and breaks up very much like a Vox. It is a very bright/trebly amp, so if you play a Tele like me, you'll find yourself EQuing differently than you ever have before. Reverb is good up to 4 (beyond this it is too mushy). This is a good match for pop, indie-rock, classic rock, and modern country, but probably not for head-bangers.

Got this used and haven't owned it for very long, but Traynor products have a good reputation. Appreciate the transferrable warranty (and without paperwork or website applications!). The cabinet and overall design looks and feels very solid. I use it w/o a back-up.

Haven't dealt with them, but others I know have had very positive experiences.

Been playing professionally for 10 years. I gig at least twice a week and my gear gets plenty of play and travel so I tend to go w/ reliability and quality over the-next-new-thang. This amp is awesome and probably the best $300 I've spent on guitar equipment (and I'v spent a lot). I've owned Vox, Fenders, Marshall, and Orange amps. I've liked and disliked each of these amps for various reasons, but the Traynor is my favorite of the bunch. I sold a $1900 amp for this $300 one. If you like the British crunch of a Vox and the bright clean sparkle of a Fender Twin, you'll dig this little guy.

I think everything has been covered sufficiently, but I'll give a quick run-down. 2 Channels, shared eq, spring reverb, effects loop, DI out, headphone out, external speaker out, Celestion Greenback 12", 15 watts.

Let's be clear on the sound. Sovtek tubes are junk, they are the cheapest thing out there for a reason. Why Traynor thought they are a good match is beyond me. I upgraded to the JJ tubes, and it has made a huge difference. Before the retube, the gain channel was junk. The low end just sputtered. The tubes have cleaned that up considerably. That said, the gain channel is not for metal. This is a 1x12" 15 watt amp, not a half stack. I engage the bright switch on the clean channel and then set the gain channel at the same volume with just a little dirt. Then I hit both of them with my OD pedals. It gives me two different voices on the amp. With the Greenbacks, you've got a British feel, but the bright function can really take you into Fendery territory.

Got this one used, and have had no problems. Traynor/Yorkville has a 2-year transferrable warranty. You can't beat that.

The only concern under reliability is the changing of tubes. They are NOT easy to get to. In fact, I couldn't get my screw driver in a good enough position to get the V3 cover off, so I had to pry it. No biggie, I'll just have easier access next time.

Traynor has answered my questions very quickly. Can't complain.

When judging this amp, you're really talking Blues Junior, ValveState, etc. as comparisons. For list price, I probably would have at least given a run at a Fender Deluxe Reverb. Since I got this used, features and sound are certainly way beyond anything else out there in the $300 range. This amp is very versatile, with a great tone (with the retube of course). I'm definitely considering other Traynor amps in my future.

Bought this amp in October of 2005, it was made was made in Canada or in NY, but I'm really not sure.

Features 2 channels with a master volume on each channel, the 1st channel (the cleaner one (has a bright switch, the 2nd Channel has a bit more gain and also features a boost switch. The boost switch does not work on the clean channel. The Amp has effects loop/ send and return jack. It also has an ext. speaker out, a headphone out and a direct line out so you can run it to a mixer.

The tubes are 2 EL84's in the power amp section a 12ax7 in the preamp section. It is classified as a Class A, amp, but has a phase inverter, so it's really a class AB amp.
The 2 EL84's put out 15 watts

It has reverb, which is available on both channels, yet is not foot switch able.
The foot switch that comes with the amp controls the channels 1 and 2 and the second button the footswitch controls a boost on the second channel only

The Cabinet is plywood and with what Traynor calls Wine Red Nubtex finish with oatmeal grille looks very nice.

The speaker in it is a Celestion "Greenback" G12M 12 speaker

For more details you can read about it at http://www.yorkville.com

I have many guitars to test this amp out with, and have used Fender Telecasters, Fender Stratocasters, a Gibson Les Paul and SG, and an ES335. I have even played my Rickenbacker 330 through. All seem very good and have their own vibe.This amp is more Vox-ish in tone as opposed to Fender-ish. My Musical style is Rootsy, blues, Americana. I did not buy this amp for high gain tones, yet it delivers a nice glassy crunch, but is not a shredders amp, by any means.

I tested this amp against, and few others, including the Fender Blues Jr, and an Ampeg jet. All amps were new with no modifications and were ordered through Musician's Friend.

Here, were my results. The Blues Jr. has the cleanest of all three of these amps and stays cleanest the longest. I did not like the crunch or distorted tones of this amp at all. There were many that love this amp and others that had done many changes to get the Blues Jr to there liking, you can read the review here on Harmony Central

The Ampeg, I did love, but lacked features I wanted a smaller practice amp. The Ampeg Jet is as simple as it gets, but here's it's down fall. The sweet spot on the Ampeg is about 10 to 3 o'clock on the volume dial, which is pretty loud and not really bedroom/ living room practice level at all.There is also no foot switch on the Ampeg to turn off/on the tremelo, making that feature it pretty much worthless in a live setting.

Now he's the deal about reliability. I have had this amp for 6 months and never had a problem. But if you?re doing a gig with any tube amp, I will suggest you bring a back up.

You are not easily going to take out tubes in this amp and do a repair on the spot, and here's why. The power tubes have a bracket and are mounted very close to the speaker; you need an off-set screw driver to get at em. The pre amp tubes are mounted inside the amp, and you can not get at em at all with out removing the chassis from the cabinet. When I replaced the power tubes it was just as easy to unscrew the 4 screws from the back cabinet support bracket and then remove the 4 screws that mount the chassis to the cabinet. After this there are 2 screws to remove the bracket that mounts the power tubes. I thought this was rather a strange design, and spoke to the guy at Traynor that designed the amp. With all the things that this amp does, there were some design compromises that had to be made.

I take care of my gear real well, In my 30 years of playing I never had to use a warranty, and probably have been a bit on the lucky side there.

The guy that I spoke to a Traynor was very nice and informative. The amp has a very nice 2 year warranty, "even if you break it", you are covered.

I have been playing for 30 years and own many electric guitars by Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, and amps by Mesa, Marshall, Fender, SWR, and Ashdown. I decided to keep this one over the Ampeg Jet II, because of the master volume, that would make it much nice to play at practice level volumes and still achieve a decent tone. As I have mentioned I did like the vibe and tone of the Ampeg, this was similar in tone. The Fender Blues Jr. had a nice Fender clean tone, but I did not care for the distorted tones. There?s a whole lot of folks out there that have some suggestions for making the Blues Jr. sound better, so check em out.

For the price, it does a lot and does it very well. I have not played with this in a live setting, nor a jam session, so I am not sure how it would hold up with a drummer and if there would be enough power, but I think it would hold its own. 15 watts is louder than most people think.

If you doubled or trippled the price you were willing to spend, you could get youself a nice Dr Z, Budda, Carr, Matchless, Top Hat, Victoria and the list goes on. For the pirce I paided, it does everything I wanted a small amp to do, and sounds very good too.

I may change out the preamp tubes and see what happens from there. I will try to get the cleans to stay clean a bit longer.

See reviews below... 15 W tube amp with reverb, footswitchable channels, etc. The 2006 YCV20-WR comes stock with a Celestion Greenback 12". [NOTE: Different Traynors come with different speakers (Wine Red vs. Black, etc) and speakers change from year to year. This could explain the variation if reviewers comments.] I've been playing through a Fender Blues Deluxe (40 W) and Fender Vibrolux Reverb "Custom" (also 40 watts), so I use these amps as my baseline for comparison. I bought this Traynor through Musician's Friend about 4 months ago.

My 40 watt Fenders are too loud to really crank to obtain natural overdrive through the power tubes. My bandmates frequently complain the two guitarists are playing too loud (which is true), so that's how I ended up with a 15 W Traynor. It's not quite loud enough for my taste (I think 20 W might be perfect), but I have the option of micing into the PA, which overcomes this problem.

My main guitar is a Tele Am Standard with Duncan single coils. Nothing fancy, but a great guitar. Some observations about this amp:
-Pedals that sounded really good through my Fender amps don't sound as good as through the Traynor, and pedals that don't sound as good through the Fenders sound better through the Traynor. Bottom line: I've re-adjusted my pedal board with pedals that sound best through the Traynor (for example, the Full-Drive II sounds killer through the Traynor).
-This amp doesn't seem to like to have the gain setting adjusted high on either channel 1 or 2. Others have noted this and it is a major concern. I figured I could crank up the gain and get some great natural power tube overdrive... NOT the case. Sounds farty, fizzy, decidedly not musical. However, if I set the gain lower (say 3-5 range) and use the Full-Drive to overdrive the amp (pull up on the vol. knob), the amp really starts to come alive. I can get some most excellent sounds.
-I took the advice of others and replaced the stock tubes, but found only modest improvements. Don't be in a big hurry to run out and buy new tubes.
-The reverb setting isn't voiced correctly... you want to set it somewhere between 0 - 3. Anything above 4 is over the top.

Overall analysis: this amp takes some getting used to, reacts to pedals differently, and the use of the gain setting is limited to low settings. However, with all this being said, you can dial is some of the best sounds and tones I've ever heard come out of an amp. I have completely stopped using my Fender amps. The Traynor has spoiled me completely. The Fenders now sound like they are missing a key ingredient when I play through them. I am trying to sell my Vibrolux Reverb, and once this is sold, I am seriously considering purchasing the YCV40. If it sounds as good as the YCV20 (only louder) I'll be in guitar amp nirvana!

No comment; no problems or breakdowns, haven't had to service, etc. Appears to be really solid, and the two year unlimited warranty is excellent.

Have not dealt with the company.

I love the small size and weight, and (after some experimenting) the excellent tones. The fact that I'm in the market for a second Traynor speaks volumes. Price is a bargain compared to boutique amp prices. This amp is solidly in the 8-9 range. Because this amp was not a "plug-and-play" and I've had to work to find it's sweet spots, I rate it an 8 overall.

You all know the features. This is about tubes....I bought a new set of Sovteks. Installed them. Then I put in the JJ Tubes. Put in JJ Tubes. That's it. Amp is now incredible.

Get the JJ Tubes....What are you waiting for? JJ Tubes all the way. The others have said it and I wouldn't have thought it would work but the stock Sovteks are so generic it's incredible.

Very reliable.

i emailed them the other day as I had found a mistake in their on-line manual for this WCV 20WR. They had the wrong ohms for the external out. They had in the manual 4-ohms but it is really 8 -ohms. I received an email the next day. he did check into it and I was right. They should have it changed on thier website soon. he was embarrased but thanked me for the info.

This is a very nice amp which I "stumbled" upon by accident. I wouldn't have bought it because of a wee bit of brand snobbery but close your eyes and find out for yourself ! It looks great though!

i chose this over a Fender Blues Jr. same power but many more options.
A lot of options for sound, outputs, controlling things in general. This amp has plenty of power for most gigs. If you need more volume, just have them throw it in the monitors (I've never had to). I've never used the speaker cancellation and DI, but had a hum the only time I tried hooking up the DI. Not too worried about that as I probably won't use it.

I play with a couple guitars and have found that my active electric pickups don't sound near as good as the passive ones. I love the clean tone of this amp, a lot of tone control in your picking. You can have sparkling clean and some dirty grit just by adjusting your picking. The variety of sounds is great.
The amp has been very quiet with my humbuckers, never had a problem. The gain channel is a little too harsh, but I just got some JJs which I hear are much better. I get a lot of variation in sounds with amp placement (floor, stand, etc.) but that happens with any amp. The reverb is pretty ridiculous over 2 or 3, that's the only thing I really haven't cared for.

My amp was pinned under the back gate of my wagon after a truck crushed my car. Worked perfectly (but I did charge the insurance company for a new set of tubes- just in case).
And if that wasn't enough, it fell out of my van couple weeks ago, straight to the ground. Again, no problems.

never ahd to use.

I've played for 13 years, doing lots of gear upgrades lately and knew this was the amp to use for years until I get something that will probably cost 3 times as much (when I'm in my fifties and my kids are out of college).
I know it's not a boutique or the worlds greatest amp; but for the price, features and everything else, it's an awesome amp. I was interested in Fender style amps and this one jsut gave me a lot more for my money.
I'd replace buy another in a heartbeat if anything happened to it.

2004, Not versatile at all, 2 channels, w/ Footswitch......I never feel I have time to write a review, but I made time here to save others time and money.

Gave this Amp a 4, because it had a reverb, and two channels, even though the two channels hardly showed any differences. One Channel was clean and crappy, and the other was Supposedly a bit overdriven, and was, a very little bit overdriven and crappy.

Oh, by the way Traynor, its cool to support the tubes, but putting them in the amp so that it takes a day and a half to change them is deffinately the wrong idea.....If these manufacturers would just quit building the amps with the tubes upside down, we might not have to worry about this anyway.......we can send a space shuttle to the moon, but we cant get a combo amp with the damn tubes and electronics placed right side up.......sheeeeeeesh

This was the worst sounding guitar amp I have ever used, I decent electronics only amp has more tone, more sweetness, and more versatility than this thing. I wish I new what Traynor was thinking when they put this thing on the market. Of course my opinion is purely subjective, but my ears don't lie, this thing was crap.

I gave this amp a 2, because it made some sound

Dont know, Sadly, it appears to be made well all around, but I must say, the pots were the crapyest pots I have ever layed fingers on, the spin if the wind blows too hard. Even if I could find a good sound, I'd never be able to stay on it, as the pots spin with almost no resistance.......

Who cares, I wouldnt even try another one......

I own lots of other to name gear, and usually as the rule goes, you get what you pay for, sure, not all of my 1000+ guitars feel right for me, but they are still made well, and sound good, I use mostly Marshall amps, but was looking for a small tube practice amp, I'll stick with the hybrid Marshall ATV20, I learned my lesson.
Overall, the Traynor worked, and looked nice, so I gave it a 4 since it would also make a great shelf to put drinks and crap on.

Model yr. 2005. It was back ordered and I had to wait 3 mo. for it. I bought this amp for a home practice amp because I needed an amp that would fit under my office desktop. My Fender Deville 2x12 went to the garage along side the Marshall half stack. So the feature I wanted was small size and tone big enough for a 12x14 room. I got a lot more. It is available in Black or Wine Red tolex. I held out for the red.

This amp has a clear warm sound on the clean channel. With a little stomp drive here and there I can get just what I want out it. The tone controls work as intended but the reverb is not Fender quality. The o.d. channel is not for me. After tinkering around for a while I found myself in the clean channel, volumn up, maybe a little t.screamer to taste. The volume is the issue. Cranked (and I mean max vol, max gain) the amp is just about right for a full level rehersal. It sounds sweet and the guitars are real but dont expect to win the battle with your second guitarist playing though a Twin or a Lonestar. I found myself hauling out the other amp. Love that tolex, though.

There may be an issue here. I've had no problems but it is widely reported that Yorkville has been less than steller in response to consumer complaints. I have a slight buzz at high gain in the reverb cover box and I intend to find my own fix but if I need to deal with the company I will report back.

The first song I learned on guitar was You Really Got Me (when it was a hit...by the Kinks). I still play out on occasion, mostly popular rock with a twist of R&B. I play an American Strat, a Mex. Tele and a Les Paul through a rotation of effects. When I retired the Marshall I replaced it with a Deville 2x12 which I have been more than happy with. I never intended to use the YVC20 as my main amp on stage but I'm thinking I could. For all the talk about changing out the tubes I dont have a problem with tone. I don't care for the overdrive channel but then again I don't particularly like the o.d. in the Deville. I pre amp with a stomp box so I can clean up as neccessary. I have been using the YVC20 on stage for the wet end of my delay unit. I makes for a great stereo effect in our size of venues. Having said that I do think the YVC20 has enough gain to fill a small hall with say up to 75 seats. I have ran it full out a few times and the tone controls still influence at high levels. However, I don't like playing without some headroom, so I cant see this amp as a main rig. Possibly the YVC 40. I priced a lot of other small amps and read a lot of reviews (still do) and I believe that I would have had to pay a lot more to move up the next level, maybe as much as One Thousand or more. These tubes are fine, my guitars sound like they are supposed to. The Greenback is great (they are in the Deville too). Those that are having trouble may have got bad units though I cant believe there are that many our there. My suspicion is that many guitarists are going for a more scooped out metalic mode that is difficult with this amp. If this amp were stolen I would probably go for the 40 watt just for the headroom. This is a great small amp for low to medium volumns. Did I mention the tolex?

This is my second review. Specs of this amp are listed on my other post below. There is good information about this amp in the YCV20 section of Harmony Central as well. I'm guessing the only difference between the WR is the color of the tolex and the speaker. It was brought up that this amp has solid state circuitry in it. I will add that all tubes amps I've ever owned (Dean Markley, Peavey Classic 100, Crate VC 50) have been in this price range. They all claim "All Tube" and yet they use all solid state electronics in the rectifier, reverb, and channel switching sections of the amp. My crate VC 50 had printed right under the logo "All Tube" as well. IMO if you want a real "all tube amp" be prepared to shell out $1000 +. It was also brought up in the YCV20 section that this in not a class A amp. Of course all pre-amps are running class A. But when an amp is classified A, AB, or B I always assume they are talking about the power amp section. I just pulled out my schematic and would have to agree that it looks like the power amp is a push pull class AB. It does bother me in this day and age that manufactures are less than truthful about there product. I bought this amp knowing it was not "All Tube" however the class AB is news to me.

Again this is my second review and I need to make a correction to my earlier post when I was complaining about the power amplifier tubes (6BQ5's EL84's). I had thought part of sound problem with my amp was related to the power amplifier tubes. For a second time I spent the good part of a day experimenting with different brands of tubes in the pre-amp and power amp sections of this amp. My findings are that I could not tell the difference between the JJ tubes or the original Sovtek tubes in the power amp section. However JJ tubes in the pre-amp did make a difference in my amp. I mail ordered this amp new. I don't know if shipping a tube amp UPS is a good idea, and that might have also been part of my original problem as well. Again the JJ tubes sound great in this amp and I will continue to use them in the future when I re-tube this amp.

The gain and reverb have more turn adjustment than needed. I don't ever turn any of them past 3. Tube access is poor, the other side is you don't have to worry about bumping or breaking tubes when moving the amp around. It's nice that Traynor has channel switching and boost control on the foot switch. With all the good and the bad I've said about this amp I would still buy it again. It's not a bad amp for its price range and I still think it sounds great!

I've had this amp one year now, you all know the features as in other reviews. Retubed with JJ's as often recommended in this column.
"8" for features because it doesn't have built in everything. So what.

The tone was pretty interesting before the retube, lots of promise, if somewhat edgy or harsh distortion and floppy bottom end from the Sovteks. The full set of JJ's was 50 bucks. DAMN GO SPEND THAT 50 BUCKS! Don't wait, pass go or wind, change those tubes! Go easy on the gain and hard on the volume. Man this is the sweetest amp I've ever played in the past 40 years.

Strat into cry baby - tube screamer - delay - amp. Canare L4E6S cables with open ended shield for highs complexities. We play Hendrix, SRV, Santana, ZZ Top, Doors, Bad Company, Van Morrisson, Micheal Buble (big band jazz from us?... go figure, our singer nails it), Stones, Beatles, Cranberries, CCR, Neil Young etc. The amp handles it all. (Never tried country) Our bass players eyes popped, he keeps looking for the stack and the fender combo. I've played this little fk'r OUTSIDE, unmiked. It just gets better the more you crank it, and people don't run away from the volume. They come to you. Just keep fiddling with the buttons, your touch, use your ears, not the previous experience in your head with other amps. Treat this as something new.

This amp does seem more sensitive to pedal quirks than my '68 Fender Pro Reverb. Haven't been able to dial in the cry baby yet to my satisfaction. For that matter, all the pedals react differently with the Traynor to some extent, so expect a learning curve.

no failures

Never needed them. Great warranty!

I love this thing so much that I've stopped using anything else. Part of the reason for that is the same as for the pedal sensitivity thing. Switching over to my PRS or old Dean requires resetting everything and I just want to play. So they'll have to wait 'till I get my fill.

When the night is over, it's amp in one hand, guitar and case in the other and home I go! Easy. Get the cover too, the wee amp is soooo pretty. Would definitely replace if lost.

The features are listed below. Under 30 pounds of kick ass. yeah it's only 15 watts, but it has a line out, so run a cord to the board!
Greenback speaker, a great application for this amp.
2 channels but I only use the clean and overdrive it if necessary . Yeah 15 watts makes that simple. It is tube too so dig in a bit when you want to accentuate something.
It looks boo teek!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I use it with a G&L as well as a rickenbacker 360. The rick is exceptional through it, spanky and on the edge of breakup. I disagree with others, this amp likes effects, at least it likes the delay I use with it. One tip, keep it super clean for delay. i appreciate the o/d channel but don't use it depensing instead on the tube breakup at manageable volumes. That is what started me on the 15 watt journey. If you see an amp as an extension of your tone, and not something to break your back on and have to play too loud to get a sweet sound, go listen to this beautiful little gem.

Its a traynor. Best warranty and customer service I have ever experienced. I love the el84 tube sound with a ricky as well as with other single coil pickups. A nice combination indeed.
I am no gear head but have had no problems in a year of working it every day.Hooked it up to a 2 twelve cabinet with a celestion 70/80 and a GH 100 for added pleasure.

They set the standard I wish others would aspire to. Made in canada and canada rocks hard. eh?

Buncha shit otherwise.

Chose it over the competition, since once you listen to it, there isn't any. A bit more expensive than a fender pro junior or whatever, but hey made in the great white north and the controls can be read from the front. Better speaker, 2 channels, better tube compliment, better construction, better sound, line out, seaker shut off, headphone jack ( why bother with that?). Enough already!!!!!

This amp has one input for two switchable channels. You can use the footswitch (or panel controls) for channel selection and "Boost" on channel1 (the "lead" channel). There is also a panel-only control that kicks "brightness" into channel two (the "rhythm" channel).

There is a DI output, plus a TRS post eq line out that is half of the included effects loop. In my opinion, this amp is made to conform to about any situation. You won't need to make queer cables.

The speaker is a Celestion G12M "greenback". This amp is the ideal application for this speaker. Perfect.

15 watts class A. It gets hot; component life may or may not be an issue. I have read some other reviews, and a new pair of 6BQ5's may be a semi-annual event. We'll see. This amp is used hard.

This YVC20WR is princpally used with a USA Strat, playing R&B, funk, country, and rock. The greenback is just superb, and the amp does everything really well. Dead quiet. The reverb works nominaly. The overall sound is a little bright (makes the bassist happy). With a competent player using some pedals correctly, the amp is just amazing. You probably don't want to try this box for "AC-DC" sounds alone, but you sure could in the studio. If your drummer is a real musician, you can use this amp for small- to moderate-size rooms full tilt. My experience with this box is that it works fine up to about 3200 sq ft. Best to elevate and reinforce with the PA. Stage volume is fine on a 16'-wide stage complete with drums. Never heard it, but I suspect this amp would be killer on CH2 with a RIC360-12 and the bright switch engaged. Both channels have gain controls, and thusly one can adjust the sound individually; the tone controls do both channels. There are users who replace the stock Sovtek tubes with JJ's; this review is of a totally stock amp.

This amp is getting used hard, but there is not enough experience with it to form an oppinion.

2 year unlimited warranty on everything except the cabinet, which is ten years. My experience has been that when gear gets really old (10-15 years) and has been used hard over that time, you have probably gotten you money's worth out of it. I have no oppinion or experience yet on the YVC20. In fact, I can't remember a Traynor amp failure.

35 pounds and kicks Marshall's butt. I like it good. I also have a Supro 16T and a Sound City 120 Mk IV. The Supro's a keeper, but this Traynor puts the Sound City on the block. I've been playing since '66.

This little Traynor amazes me. I have found nothing yet to hate it for, except that it was made in Canada. If lost or stolen, I would instantly replace it with another one.

My only 'druther is I would like to see the amp shipped with a cover, and a separate bag for the footswitch/cable/AC cable.

This is a follow-up to a much earlier review by me. I gave this amp a strong rating for sounds, and I still do. The trick is to understand that this amp is designed for certain things, and it does them very well. New tubes (EH 12ax7, JJ Tesla EL84) help a bunch, but also, this amp behaves like old amps. It likes guitars and cables, maybe a little OD pedal. Don't run your 6-piece FX board through this amp and then wonder why it sounds no good. This amp does not seem to like FX very much. For nice rock sounds try gain channel as so: Gain 2-3, Vol 7-8, Verb 0-1, Mid 5, Treb 3-4, Bass 3-4. Then plug an OD pedal in front with just a little bit of clean level boosting. Superb. For good overdrive sounds, remember to turn up volume, not gain. It's likes power amp crunch like VOXs, not preamp gain like a Mesa. This amp requires you to work it for sounds, but if you do, there are lots of great tones inside.

Still a tank. Like all class "A" amps though, it uses power tubes kinda fast, but can just pop them in/out once you remove the silly little tube cover. If you're driving this amp hard, change your EL-84's twice a year!

2005 model bought new a few months ago from MF. Features are plenty and well documented by other folks. The features and form factor are what attracted me to this amp. I was hoping that it would be a convenient rehearsal amp and fill in when my Twin Reverb was overkill.
Sorry to say it's not to be...

1997 American Standard Strat (stock), 1977 Gibson Les Paul Standard with Burstbucker pups and 1984 Alvarez/Yairi acoustic with Fishman Rare Earth pup. Pedal Train pedal board with Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah, Fulltone Full-Drive 2, Line6 DL4, George L cables.
Initially, I thought the sound with the stock Sovteks was decent but the bass was flabby and overdrive unusable.
Installed some Eurotubes and immediately noticed a tighter bottom and clearer overall sound. Unfortunately, even with the Eurotubes the bottom was still flabby. The sound while tighter just wasn't smooth and musical. There's also a pronounced midrange that can't be dialed out. The amp also has a sensitivity that?s hard to describe but I hear a lot of pick and string noise, not good.

Does seem well built. No complaints on build quaility, no rattles, looks good, good warranty.

Yorkville did respond promptly to email.

Really disappointed with the YCV20-WR. I had high hopes for this amp but have run out of patience. Perhaps a speaker change would help but a Celestion Alnico Blue is more $ then I want to invest right now.
For now I'll stick with the Twin Reverb, try to sell the YCV20 and keep looking for the amp I hoped the Traynor would be.

I own a year 2005 model. I play bluesrock and classic rock like Allman Brothers and ZZ Top stuff in a cover band, just for fun, so we don't do many gigs. Features are allright for this.

I use a Heritage H-157 and a Heritage H-140, both Les Paul "copies" which I consider superior to the Originals (at least the ones that can be paid).

The YCV 20 WR is not noisy. No problem. Clean channel starts do distort at higher volumes, which is no problem for me because this is the sound im going for. Play hardly clean sounds. Those from the amp sound good to me. But I am no clean-sound-pro at all.

Well. I took my H-157 with SD Seth Lovers, turned up the distortion channel. It sounded disharmonic. No "singing" sound possible. I took the h-140 with Schaller pickups. Same problem. Ever since then, three months ago, I tried to get an usable sound and failed.

I owned a Gallien Kruger ML 250 before and consider very strange that the solid state GK sounds very much better on distored, singing sounds than the Class A Traynor Tube Amp.

I will try a retube now and see what happens und if I can come from muddy, disharmionic and non-inspiring sound to something decent.

"3" is for the good clean channel.

Amp seems dependable and solid, as far as it is possible to decide after 3, 4 months.

Don't know.

I have been playing for 25 years now, all kinds of Les Pauls. Used Gallien Krueger amps, Ibanez amps, Marshall Amps and Peaveys. Never - not evven as a beginner - sounded worse than with this one. Disappointing.

Features package is one reason i purchased this amp; unlike some other 15-watters in its class, the traynor has effects loop, standby switch, line out, phone plugs, and internal speaker override. 15 watts is a very nice level for home use, as you can start to get the amp cooking without blowing down the doors. seems loud enough for jamming with a drummer, so long as in a smaller room or mic'd. Features was not a problem.

Here is where my problems with this amp started: the sound is not very impressive at all. As some other reviewers have noted, the stock tone is rather flat and lifeless on the clean channel; no real sparkle on the high-end, low end okay but a bit loose, and overall a lack of dynamic content or coloring. And the high-gain channel does not sound very good at all. With on-board gain set high or boost engaged, the distorion is decidedly unharmonic and fuzzy. Really not useable at all. There seems to be consensus that a re-tube (and perhaps speaker change) makes a big difference. Well, I think an amp of this price should sound good with stock tubes. If I have to buy new tubes (which might make the amp unreturnable, by the way) and go through the hassle of prying off those steel covers to get to the tube sockets, why bother? I considered getting JJ tubes, but I thought, "what if I still don't like the sound?" then I'm stuck with the amp, can't return it, and $600 down the tubes. So I decided to pull the plug and send it back. oh well...

Didn't have it long enough to know.
One note to Traynor/Yorkville: a re-design to make the tubes more accessible would be a good idea.

N/A

I will say one thing about this amp: it is beautiful. One of the best-looking "suitcase" amps I've ever seen. The wine red tolex is great, the oatmeal grill is slick, and I love the retro Traynor logo. However, at the end of the day, I could not justify keeping this amp with its flat and lifeless tone. If different tubes indeed make a big difference, I strongly suggest Yorkville start improving the stock tubes. Guess I'll never know, and that's too bad.

I am posting this follow-up to my original review. I said in my first review that I had had just purchased it and that I was dissapointed in the tone, but that I would retube it and reconsider.
Since that time, I have gotten at least 4 requests asking me if the retube made any difference, so I figured it's time to post this.

Well, as I had expected, a retube did make a big difference in the tone. Where it lacked any balls before, it gave it plenty of punch. The reverb sounded much deeper and fuller, clean channel was bright and I could do the AC-DC thing dead on with the dirty channel.

You can not buy this amp without counting on replacing the tubes.

I don't know why the stick ones stink, but they do. I replaced mine with a set of Eurotubes.

You can't beat this amp for the versitility it has, considering the size and price.

15 watt class "A" .2004 model with the D.I. XLR out and headphone jack and Internal speaker defeat switch. 2 Spring accutronics reverb, Two foot switchable channels, independant gain and volume on both channels. "more gain" switch for gain channel (footswitchable also), Shared treble, bass, mid controls. Effects loop, 12" Celestion Greenback speaker. LED lights on chassis AND on footswitch to let you know what's going on. Wine red "leatherette" covering with "oatmeal" grill cloth (has a sturdy steel grid behing cloth to protect speaker) Small, lightwieght and loud enough for small club gigs. Very quiet amp in regard to hum and white noise, the DC filaments on the pre-amp tubes must be more than a salespitch because this amp is VERY quiet with respect to unwanted noise. I tested the XLR out into my Yahmaha aw16g and what you hear at the XLR is very accurate to what you hear at the speaker, also if you record at 3:00 AM in the morning when inspiration hits you you can turn off the internal speaker ( must get switched to a dummy load of some sort...I'll check the schematic. Perfect recording amp.

I was a skeptic until I tried this amp. Plugging in My Les Paul or Tele or Strat, for anything from country to Jazz, blues, and classic rock all you will need is the clean channel. With the gain control and volume knob alone I can dial in more tones than I could with my Peavey classic 50 (that has a nice set of JJ's tubes in it) and this is with the stock Sovtek tubes in the Traynor. When the gain is rolled back and the volume is not cranked you get a very Fender-like chimey tone, rolling up the volume produces a nice creamy syrupy? valve overdrive.With the gain channel I can easily get the heavier tones, pretty much anything short of Nu-metal/death metal. First band practice with this amp I used the clean channel 90% of the time, (we play classic rock/blues)plenty of tubey grit and a good dose of sustain and this is the clean channel I'm talking about.. Outstanding, I really can't say enough, I hate to give glowing reviews but honestly right now I'm tickled pink.

Don't know it's brand new. But I am a real stickler when it comes to build quality. I found the cabinet very well made,sturdy, solid real 3/4 birch plywood. I removed the chassis and saw all solder joints were neat and wiring was neatly dressed and arranged, nothing sloppy inside. My only concern is the heat, 2 of the 12ax7's are inside the chassis and there is no fan like the Peavey had. But after 3 1/2 hours of hard play the chassis was only "warm to the touch" I still think a small DC fan would work well at the outlet vent on the rear of the chassis to draw air out.

I have not had to deal with Traynor yet and feel I may not need to. The warranty is 2 years on everything 10 years on the cabinet. "even if you break it" and it's transferable. I had to read that 3 times when I bought the amp to be sure I wasn't halllucinating.

Im 35 have been playing since 1976, I have owned many many tube amps and even a few solid state amps (ok not proud of that but I was young) This is the best amp I have ever owned. Compared to any other amp in the tube/compact catagory this amp is hands down a better performer and has more features than you can ask for. I would have paid much more for this amp, if I didn't know the retail price and was testing this amp out in a store I would expect it to cost over $700 easily. Now I'm just waiting for my set of new JJ's to arrive so I can compare to the stock tubes. If you are looking for a loud small lightweight all tube class "A" amp I owuld strongly suggest checking out the Traynor YCV20 or YVC20-WR. If it were lost or stolen I would replace it with another one of the same model. The logo plate is my only real gripe its a bit flimsy and cheasy.

brand new and beautiful. It is versatile with chanel switching , reverb and seperate gain switches for each channel.
I agree and don't use the headphone jack. Nice tube amp. Not cheap but great tone.

use a les paul and a tele with it. it is very quiet unless full out. I love the sound using 11 strings, a heavy pick and the clean on half gain half volume. Can use the guitar volume pot to clean the tone up, or put it on full to get a nice edgy and full slight break up distorted sound.

The OD channel is pretty modern sounding but i don't use it much live .

Built like a brick, well a pretty little brick. Build quality is excellent with traynor amps. No particle board of MDF or whatever the hell that is here. Blows away my old Marshall combo for reliability build quality and sound. Looks better too!

they're legendary. the best in the business that I have dealt with.

Been playing for years. recently returned to rock after a long period of folk that forced me to listen to guitar tone. This is better than anything i have used, great for country, and old time rock. Very full clean sound and sounds killer with a delay pedal. It is a beauty and light with all the tone i could ask for. It has a line out for those who want to use it live. A little pricey but in this case you get what you pay for. makes my other gear surplus, so as I place some ads, I'll actually end up paying for this by selling the other stuff I've collected. No need for pedals through this if you like or need just rhythme and lead sounds. Play through a large cabinet for some real fun!A classic in the making!

This is the deluxe version, with the three pin d.i. out and headphone jack. I can't imagine using the headphone jack though, but people seem to like them.
This is the nicest looking amp i have ever had the pleasure to own and the wine red is really deep. The finish is excellent and the tolex is beautifully applied. Steel corners!(listen Jim....)

The 15 watts is plenty loud for small clubs. It has a direct line out so find a nice tone and plug it into the p.a. if you need to. It has channel switching too.

I use two teles with it. I like the bright switch on the clean channel even with the telecaster. It makes the tone a little more "airy" if that is a word. I like the reverb but use it sparingly and leave it set at about 1.5

The clean channel is the nicest I've ever heard and very responsive to attack. For example I knew I had to adjust the pickup height on the american standard tele but forgot about it till I played this. (it was too high)It stuck out like a sore thumb. Once I took it down the tone was beautiful!

The distortion is pretty powerful and can make the guitar sound like a cello on steroids. It reminds me of a marshall JCM 800 I used to own.However i can get the sound without going deaf now. Maybe a little muddy full out, but with an amp this responsive I can't imagine not getting the sound I need by backing it off and digging in harder.

The greenback sounded great out of the box but got richer after about two weeks. hey, perhaps the most famous speaker in guitar history....it is a keeper for a reason.
Excels at blues in the neck position with the treble on the guitar rolled off a bit.
I am a guitar player not an amp tech. I have never changed a tube in my life. I read where one of the Fender guys said that tube access would be difficult to get at on future models due to electrical regulations. I dont really think that someone bright enough to design an amp that sounds like this would make tube access difficult to get some jollies. However I might be wrong, and at any rate, i let the techs handle that stuff.
I do wish it had vibrato though and the pedal cord is too short.

I tried the blues junior and it had a nice sound slightly overdriven. Only one though and the knobs were marked to be read from behind the amp. Why would that be? Also thge reviews were not great on it so I spent a little more to get this baby and I'm glad i did. I bought it to play in clubs and it is very good for that.

Sounds nice through my marshall 4-12 cab too. There is a slight delay when changing from the od channel to the clean, but not vica versa. I don't use the od much so who cares.

Really well built as all their products. I got a cover to protect resale value. Now instead of worrying about tubes /speakers, I'll just continue to look for the sounds i want. By the way I cannot find a bad sound on any setting leading me to conclude that it is nicely voiced.

It is a modern great sounding amp that puts out a beautiful sound at a manageable sound level. The tubes type has a reputation for being touch responsive and it is better than its big brother in this regard.
I don't worry about cranking it as I just find a nice tone and rely on the PA for volume. Sound guys love me and always ask what the hell I'm using.

It is lovely and light, like my girlfriend used to be.

I talked to these guys before I bought it and they were very helpful. They are the best I've dealt with in 25 years. I also own the 40 watt version ands it is a beauty. However this is lighter and I'd say more touch responsive. I like the reverb sound better too. 5 years ago i bought a product of theirs used in a pawnshop. i had a question about it and they responded by email the next day. Years later I bought two of their products because those little things indicate a lot about how a company really operates.

I own the 40 watt version. I also own a couple of nice acoustic guitars. But hey, who really cares?
30 years playing. As i get older I turn it down more to find the sound I'm looking for. Used to be you had to crank everything. I've got the hearing loss to prove that is not an effective strategy.

This version of the amp doesn't have the extra speaker out, xlr out and headphone jack. Pity, otherwise it's well featured. The fx loop is very good. The reverb is good quality, but not to my taste past 1. Good for Belle and Sebastian or Dick Dale though!

This amp is very well built. I took it apart to change the tubes and the speaker, and it was well made. Sure, it's not 'easy' to do, but why would it be? At least i have confidence gigging it. You have to unscrew the amp from the chassis to change the tubes, it's not too hard. To change the speaker you need to lever the grill out the front of the amp, it's held in by clips - but it will slide out.
Hope this helps someone.

The Celestion Greenback speaker is not to my taste, but again, good quality. The tubes suck. The channel switch is quality, but c'mon, 10 feet of lead? That's not enough for anyone. Sort it out Traynor, it's not hard! There's an easy 10 available here - just stick a bit extra on the price, people are going to spend it anyway!

I use a strat, and I like classic chimey cleans and middley overdrive. Think REM, Radiohead, The Smiths etc. I was after this amp because I wanted to capture the classic Vox sound.

When I first played this amp I could hear the potential, but really, it's only worth a 6 with the crap tubes and Greenback speaker. The bass and mids were farty and uncontrolled, and the highs indistinct.

Changing the tubes sorted most of the mushy mids and some of the flappy bass. However, the highs remain muddy. I did like this sound, it's very warm. I suspect that a lot of people looking for an overdriven Marshall Bluesbreaker sound will be very happy with this amp as is. However, I think the bass is too woolly, and there is not enough clean headroom, at all. It is hard to keep this amp clean at the lowest volumes.

However, I just bought a Celestion Alnico blue speaker, and it is the business! :D Go out and buy one, stick it in this amp, and wow, it shines! There is now acres of bass, but it's tight and controllable. The mids are smoother, but the high end makes the difference, it really chimes. The headroom increases a lot. Initially, this thing had less headroom than my old Laney LC15Rs, but now it is a lot louder. This amp scores a 10 for sound set up like this, it's amazing. This kind of amp was designed for this kind of speaker. God knows why they put a Green in, it's just not the right speaker for the amp IMO.

Built like a tank, but arrived with one preamp tube not working. It had come across the Atlantic Ocean though. Very reliable so far.

No warranty outside US and Canada. Why not? Emails have been replied to, but not very helpfully.

I imported this amp from the US - such is the exchange rate that it came to #360 incl postage. I have spent #70 on tubes, and #90 on a new speaker.

DO NOT buy this amp if you are not prepared to spend a bit of money sorting it out. If you are, it's well worth it. I could have bought a Vox AC15 with the money I spent on this, but I'm glad I didn't. It has features the AC15 doesn't and although I haven't tried one, I can't imagine the Vox sounding better.

Brand new model with the redish tolex and greenback speaker.This amp has plenty of features as already listed by others.

This is the problem area with this amp.I sounded OK in the store with a guitar with Humbucker pups.I was very disapointed with the sound when I got the amp home.P-90s and other single coils sound bad with this amp.The reverb is over powering past 1 and the distortion sounds very cheap.I think this could be due to the greenback speaker.I have retubed with JJs and it still sounds like a fried diode type buzz and not a tube preamp distortion.The store I got this junk from has a no return policy so I am stuck with the amp.It looks good but below par in the sound category.I have tried to keep an open mind but several other players have listened to the amp and they agree that this amp is junk.

Does not matter because the sound is bad.

NA

I guess I must have gotten a bad product or other people on this forum are tone deaf.This amp is just plain awful sounding.

One of the big sells for this amp is that it offers full size amp features in a small amp package. So suffice to say it rates a 10 here. The only dissapointment I had here what that the handle is not leather, but black plastic. If you are going to try for an imitation boutique look, well, then go for the imitation leather handle as well. Planning to replace it. I mean even my Pro Jr had a leather handle. It's a classy looking amp, and the lack of of a leather handle detracts from it's overall look which is why I give it a 9.

I got this amp yesterday and this review is based on first impressions. I have to say that I was somewhat dissapointed. I played a stat+ through it. The clean channel seemed to break up too early and starts to distort when a moderate amount of gain/volume is used. The dirty channel lacks definition and seems muddy. the reverb does not have the lush sound that others have reported and has a tinny hollow sound. I have been playing for 35+ years. This is not the Princeton Reverb I bought in 66', I can tell you that. I have ordered a set of replacement Eurotubes in the hopes that will make a big difference. Based on what others have said about the YCV20, a retube seems to be mandatory. I'm hoping that I will find a big difference and update this review.

Well, it was not doa, but I suspect it is a pretty reliable product.

Any company that gives you a 2 year "even if you break it" has to be commended. Sounds too good to be true, but it is.

I am rating this amp as it comes from the factory, before I retube it so I have to give it just a fair grade. It doesn't matter what it looks like, but it's the tone tone tone that counts.

Traynor YCV20WR. After returning a defective model (reverb problem), I was sent the latest model by the factory outside Toronto with some really great new features. It now has 1/4" heaphone out, D.I. out (3 pin), ext. speaker out and a speaker defeat button. This in addition, to the fx loop and footswtich channel, which were standard before.

The amp has been very reliable so far. (1 month)

I was having a problem with the reverb on the YCV20WR I had before, so I phoned their customer support. I ended up talking with the guy who designed the amp. They were extremely appologetic and sent me a new one straight away. Fantastic customer service.

This amp has two channels, reverb , a bright switch, and a overdrive boost. I bought my new in 2004. The wine red cover and oatmeal grille really give it a boutque look.

I use seth lover semore duncan pick-ups on a cheapo Ibanez af-75. People tell me the sound is killer when I play live. The clean sound is something like a clean Jimmy page sound and the dirty sound is like Neil Young with his Black Les Paul. If you want to hear this guitar go to www.robertgriswold.com. The coolest thing is when you dig in and play harder it breaks up very nicely. When you lay off it purrs with clean tones.

So far pretty reliable.

Pretty good web site.

I played with amp on a live DVD with three guitars, a bass player and a drummer. It cut through with a obe exception. The other players had to back off for my solos BUT THAT WHAT THEY SHOULD DO ANY WAY. You will not win a loud ness contest with this amp. You will win a clean and dirty tube sound contest. I use this in my studio and I can get goods sounds at so low volumes my vocal condenser mic barley pics up a silght ambiant sound.

Two channel amp with gain boost and bright switch for lead channel. 3 X 12ax7 preamp tubes and 2 X el84 power amp tubes, Celestion greenback speaker. Effects loop. Manufactured September 2003.

Great sounds from this amp once you find replacement tubes. I play this mostly at home with an ecclectic variety of guitars including a Gibson CS-336, Epiphone WildKat, Dearmond M-68 and M-70. But the amp has been gigged with Fender Strats and Teles. The YCV-20WR is a surprisingly versatile amp. I play jazzy blues and popular stuff, and my son's bands have used this to play more aggressive rock, punk, and ska. Great clean channel and really sweet drive on the lead channel. While not an exact description, I think this amp does a great job of covering the ground between Fender and Marshall amps. The drive on the lead channel is nice and smooth but can get crazy above 7. Clean channel is very mellow and will start to break up nicely at volume settings above 6. I did have a bit of trouble with noise, but that has been squared away (more on this below).

Well, here's where I had some problems. I did buy this amp used and, considering the price, I got a good deal. First and foremost the stock Sovtek tubes are absolute crap. I had read about the great sound that the Traynor's had and the warnings about the lousy tubes. With the original tubes the clear channel was good, but a bit bright, the gain channel was terrible and noisy. Also, the reverb boinged like a first generation video game. I didn't panic and I experimented I a bit to come up with a very workable setting. I use two NOS RCA 12ax7 in the preamps, a GE jan 5751 for the phase inverter and a couple of Curis Mathes (hey, they were cheap!!) el84s for the amplifiers. The difference is amazing. The gain is much more useable and RF interference has gone away. The sound has warmed up tremendously and the reverb is much sweeter. One of these days, I will spring for a set of JJ's from Eurotubes. If you buy one of these, you must budget for a retube. As the reviewer below states, the 5751 sounded very good in the preamp positions, but I wanted a bit more oomph for my son's harder rock applications. I have only had the amp for a few months and it has hardly gotten a thorough workout, but Traynors have a solid reputation and they do stand behind their products. It seems like it will be reliable.

I actually contacted Traynor twice - once by phone and once by e-mail, and they replied almost immediately. They seem incredibly helpful, friendly and committed to service. I am delighted to deal with such a responsive manufacturer. That two year trrnasferrable "Even if you break it" warranty is for real. These guys are fantastic.

Been playing off and on since the Beatles released "A Hard Day's Night." In addition to the electric guitars listed above, I own a Martin 12-string and an old Epiphone Granada. I have a small Marshall solid state amd an a wonderful Fender Vibro Champ with a Weber Alnico speaker. I love the great clean channel and the ability to switch to a very fine drive channel. This one attractive amp with its oxblood-colored tolex and wheat straw grill cloth. (It is probably the only 112 amp my wife would let me keep in the living room). This Traynor packs a lot of tone (and volume, if you need it) into a compact package. The channel switching is a cool feature and one of the reasons I chose this over the Fender Blues Junior.
I really hate those horrible stock tubes and the placement of the tubes is, as others have mentioned, absolutely idiotic. The good news is they are securely mounted. The bad news is that you need Werner von Braun and a crack team of NASA engineers to swap tubes. A real p-i.t.a when you have to experiment to find a useable tube combination. I really wanted a Fender Deluxe Reverb, but I thouht it was too big and too expensive for my amateur use.
If it this was lost or stolen I would miss it, but I might just take the insurance money and get a Princeton Reverb or Deluxe Reverb instead. But maybe not. That said, it is important to realize that I am actually comparing this Traynor to two of the finest combo amps ever made.

Made in Canada, Class A tube 15 watts, 12 Celestion G12M Greenback speaker. The amp is very quiet for a tube amp, no hisses, pops or buzzes. 3-band EQ, Effects loop, Accutronics spring reverb. Bright switch, Boost on the overdrive channel. Nice red covering and tweed grill, very retro. Footswitch. A lot of features for the money.

I needed a portable killer sound and tried many others. This amp I bought to run my archtops through. I use these guitars to play 30's and 40's chord melody jazz ballads. The clean sound must be glassy, warm and round ... and it is. With the stock SOVTEK tubes the clean channel sounded very good, but with the pre-amp tubes replaced with GE JAN 5751 12ax7's ... unreal. Seriously. Re-tubed this easily compares to Fender Deluxe reverb but the EQ is better. The gain channel is a bit raw for my tastes but i don't care because that's not why i bought it. Others mentioned that they replaced the speaker. I don't know why, the Celestion greenback is wonderful. I have not replaced the power tubes but I may do so.

Well ... I've only had it a little while but a lot is in your favor. (1) It is Canadian made, not from Indonesia, china or someplace offshore. (2) It is built like a tank, tough as nails. (3) it has a superb warranty and the company (Yorkville/Traynor) is legendary for tough gear.

I've owned other Traynor products and never had any trouble with them

If you want a portable, gig-worthy tube amp for very few $$ with professional crystal tone ... this is it.I tried all the smaller fender line (I own a re-issue pro-reverb which I love), VOX AC30, Line 6, etc. etc. Nope, this is the one. 25 years of axe slinging. Love the finger style jazz ballads but can't resist cranking up the Strat to wail on the blues too. This amp is a keeper. I would replace and re-tube if lost or stolen.

eVERONE HAS PRETTY MUCH DESCRIBED THIS TO A T...

i USE p90 les paul and a 72 tele thinline - so single coils and humbuckers. -Both sound great but really only like the clean channel as the "dirty" one is a bit much, i used to own marshalls back in the mid 80's and it has the rasp of the mashalls but not really the presence- but i like CLEAN CLEAN tone anyways so maybe just me - i play strictly blues, being a texas boy and all, but CLEAN. I replaced the celestion w/ a tone tubby alnico and and it made a HUGE difference - much fuller, i tryed a weber before the tubby and it was still better than the celestion but thought i'd try the tubby(12-150-T also great speaker). I also replaced the CRAP tubes with NOS RCA 12ax7 and EL84 's a must and it really pumped up this little amp - i can get the glassy tone of a fender twin but at a useably volume and a almost VOX like tone it i want. It is loud enough for a small club ( actually easily), other wise mike it- distortion on clean channel can start to rise towards the top of the scale. Reverb is good, not crap like the little fender blues pile-o-crap.
over all i really like it - easy to carry and with a few easy mods a giant killer

Seems rock solid guys -but only 8 month old- who need a back up?

also respond to my emails very quickley and friendly(asked about speaker loads etc...)

been playing 25 yrs, had everthing from marshall JCM800's to twins, blues jr etc.. this sounds as good as any amp i've owed, may noty be as loud but easy to carry!

2004 model YCV20 WR. 15 cathode-biased class A watts from 2 EL84s, 3 12AX7s. 2 channel 1x12 with a Celestion Greenback speaker, wine red tolex and wheat colored grill. 3-band shared EQ, independent gain and volume for both channels, boost on drive channel, presence button on clean. Efx loop. For a tiny 15-watt tube combo.

Nice sound, not as clean as a fender tweed but still a nice clean sound.The overdrive kicks ass!Reminds me of my marshall jcm800.Certanally one of the best sounding amps for the buck.

This is were the problem comes in. After 2 day's of playing this baby the cab started rattling.Then i started getting a terrible hum when i overdrove her.put new tubes in.This did not correct the problem.Returned it and purchased a gibson ga15r goldtone which blows this amp away as far as sound and quality,yes i did have to pay an extra $300 for the goldtone but was well worth the extra cash.

Traynor has a great warenty,but if i spend my money on something and it's a lemon i get my money refunded and look elsewere.

Clean sound was o.k nothing to get excited about.but the overdrive was awsome on this amp. If you love natural distortion this is a great sounding amp.Returned it and purchased a gibson ga15r goldtone which blows this amp away as far as sound and quality.Doubt that all traynors are this bad just got a bad taist in my mouth,it worked out for the best i am much happier with my goldtone.

Two-channel, all-tube, 15-watt combo. Single twelve-inch speaker. Master reverb and three-band EQ. Boost switch on overdrive channel and bright switch on clean channel. Clean channel has both gain and volume knobs. Effects send/return. Latching footswitch included. Sturdy plywood construction with burgundy pleather covering and tweed speaker grille cloth.

Rig: dual-humbucker guitar>patch cable>Traynor YCV20-WR 112. Clean channel is very warm, quiet and clean. Sounds great with just a little dirt dialed in with the Gain control. Overdrive channel is ballsy and hot on low to moderate gain settings; however, at higher gain, it tends to be a little bit too muddy for my taste. There are a lot of great sounds in this amp. If you like Wes Montgomery, B.B. King, Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers, or Stevie Ray Vaughan, you can do it with this amp. If you're into Metallica and Korn, forget it.

This amp is perfect for the kind of music I enjoy. I am really into vintage sounds, and I have found that it helps a LOT if you use celluloid picks and genuine nickel-wound strings on your guitar. (Examples would be Fender 150's and GHS Nickel Rockers.) A lot of the popular strings these days, like Ernie Ball Slinkys, GHS Boomers and D'Addario XL's, are nickel-plated steel instead of pure nickel wound.

I recently purchased a Carvin Vintage Belair 212 which did not live up to my expectations. The Carvin had no top end whatsoever, so I sent it back. The Traynor, on the other hand, has a very even, balanced sound throughout the entire range of the guitar, and the top end is outstanding--fat and brassy, like a saxophone.

I've only had this amp a couple of weeks, so I'm in no position to say.

I've only had this amp for two weeks, so please don't talk about it getting stolen or lost. Up to now, I have only used guitars with humbucking pickups because I hate that tinny, screeching top end you get with single-coils. However, this amp sounds so good I'd like to hear it with a single-coil equipped guitar. Maybe something like an SG with P-90's. Also, I am currently using it with the much-maligned factory-supplied Sovtek tubes. I like this amp a lot, and I think I will like it even more when I get some better tubes in there. I know they are selling this amp online at Musician's friend for over $550, and I think I got a fantastic deal from my neighborhood music store.

15 Class "A" tube watts, 12" Celestion G12M "Greenback" speaker. 1 input, 2 channels (overdrive and clean). Independent gain/volume controls. Master 3-band EQ, Effects loop, Long Accutronics internal spring reverb. Bright switch on clean channel, Boost on the overdrive channel. Wine red leatherette covering (beautiful), "oatmeal" colored grill looks more tweedish yellow to me, beautiful as well. Footswitch included.

Using Am Deluxe Strat with S1 switching. This amp suits my music style just fine, classic rock and Blues. The amp has some hum, but not objectional at all. Clean channel sounds nice and "brown" and will start to break up with gain setting of 8 or more. Stock Sovtek tubes were replaced with JJ ECC83S's and EL84's. This made a HUGE difference in the tone of this amp. Before i swapped tubes with the controls setting at 12 o'clock the amp sounded muddy, now with the tubes changed out it is much brighter and livlier. The clean channel now has real Warmth, texture, and harmonics that were previously missing. The overdrive channel can go from mild overdriven crunch to real Marshall like distortion, and the transition is smooth. The sound in general is much Fatter, and more defined.

This is a new amp, my first tube amp in fact. I do not expect any difficulty, but with a 2 and 10 year unlimited warranty that is transferrable and does not require registering.

I had a question concerning changing out the pre-amp and power tubes and Traynor was quick to respond, telling me that no post change out biasing was necessary.

Have only been playing a couple of years, and have much, much more to learn. I consider myself maybe an advanced beginner??
If this amp were to come up missing i would pout for days, then come up with the money to replace it because this thing is a real keeper!
I was looking for something to use strictly for home practice, and had considered buying a Fender Pro-Jr, but this amp is much more versatile, even if it costs more it is well worth it.

See previous posts. Nice features for a small combo.

I play a Hamer USA Artist with P-90s through this amp. With the neck pickup vol on 7, tone on 8, played through the amp's clean channel gain at 5.5, volume at 6, bass at 3, treble at 5, mids at 5, brightness on, reverb at 3.5 = ultimate tone. I haven't gigged with it yet, I will likely keep the same settings and mic the amp, we all like to keep a reasonable volume on stage and this amp delivers at a reasonable volume. This amp is very sensitive to your guitar's controls, allowing variance from glassy clean to dirt under the fingernails grind on the clean channel. The lead channel does a convincing imitation of a Bluesbreaker Marshall. With this amp, I can find the Steely Dan tones I've been seeking all my life. Words cannot do this amp justice - play a seventh position E7#9 adding the open E string and you'll be awash in a layer of sound colors and textures that will literally take your breath away as you realize the potential in this little box.

Regular maintenance on a tube amp is to be expected. No reliability issues so far - have heard good things about Traynors solid build.

Two year even if you break it warranty - deserves a 10 just for that.

I've been playing for close to 20 years. I've bought / sold / and traded more gear than I care to remember (with quite a few items I will forever regret letting go). After all that time, I've never found the right combination of guitar and amp to really satisfy me until now. If lost or stolen, I'd get another in a heartbeat.

Standard 2 channel set up w/clean and overdrive with boost. See other reviews for details. I thought that I liked this amp until I changed out the tubes. Now I absolutely LOVE IT!! There is about a 1 second delay when switching from the overdrive channel to the clean channel which is annoying.

When I first started playing this amp, the first thing that I noticed was the lush reverb. You just can't beat a great reverb tank. The clean channel was nice and crisp but got dirty and started losing definition at higher volumes. The dirty channel started out dirty and just got ridiculously dirty as the gain was turned up. The extra gain boost was almost unusable except for the most totally overly distorted styles. I have been playing since 1966 and have played every kind of music except rap (is rap really music anyway?). My main rig is stereo Kendrick 2410's. Also '66 Fender Reverb, Mesa Boogie Mk 4, Fender Dual Showman. Pedals include 2 Klons, Keeley compressor, Real McCoy Teest Wah,TC Choruc, Boss DD3 delay amd Voodo Lab power supply. Guitars - G&L ASAT Classic, 1960 LP Classic, Parker Artist, SRV Strat, Custom Shop Clapton Strat, 1959 LP Jr., and a few others. So I am used to a LOT of gain and TONE, TONE, TONE!!!
After reading other reviews on THIS fine website I changed out the tubes to Groove Tubes 12AX7C and EL84s with a "5" rating. I was totally blown away!! I couldn't believe the difference in headroom, clearity and "Spankiness". Man did that wake this little amp up! Surprisingly louder. The Sovtecs that came in it are crap! Made me wonder why they would even ship such a great amp with such lousy tubes. Even the overdrive channel was radically changed. It is now very usable. The boost now goes from clean to expressive crunch with just a flick of the guitar volume knob. I can even clean up the overdrive boost channel with guitar volume adjustment.
I didn't have that much trouble changing out the tubes. Granted that they are not in the most accessable area, with a phillips socket on a 90 degree swivel wrench I got them right out. Again, I cannot emphasize enough the change in all parameters of this amp with a tube change. I am giving it a "10" WITH the tube modification.

I mainly play this when I'm just messin' around and don't want to kick on the big boys. I also drag it to church every Sun where we rock out pretty well at decent volume. We use the loop out/send into the PA and it is very quiet. It is the perfect size to lug around to jams, sessions etc. I got a slip cover which is really nice thick rip-stop nylon and protects it very well. I've had it for about 6 months and have not had a bit of problems.

With a 2 yr "even if you break it" transferrable warranty - it doesn't get much better that that. Great website with plenty if good info.

Again, having played for 35+ years and having gone through uncountable rigs, I consider this amp essential equipment. No matter whatever else that I change out the Traynor stays. Prefect size, all the tone you could ever want, really plenty of volume for all but larger venues and at a very reasonable price.

See everyone else's reviews for features. I will say that in it's class it has more than anything the competition has. Also, the features all work well. Very good.

This amp is a very, very nice sounding piece of equipment. Won't do heavy metal/ thrash tones, but if that's what you want you won't look twice at this amp anyway. Sits well in the classic rock/ alternative vein. The reverb is nice, with both chanels sounds natural.

I use it as a home/practice amp. For this purpose it ought to last forever with regular attention to tubes. Since I don't gig and never have I can't give a rating for that type of use but for me it gets a 7.

Never dealt with them.

Been playing for 14 years as a hobby. I love this amp and can't see myself getting rid of it anytime soon. I use it with a Gibson SG junior and a Fender start (Jap). Love this amp. It makes me smile and want to keep on playing.

2004 model
2 channels - channel 1 has gain and volume with boost, channel 2 has gain and volume with bright switch. Both channels share treble, mid, bass and reverb controls. Effects loop and foot switch for changing channels and selecting boost. 15 watts all tube power. Great for practice and small gigs

Use a modified MIM Fender Strat with Duncan pickups and 70?s gibson SG Deluxe. Play mostly classic rock and blues and this little guy fits the bill perfectly. Channel 1 serves up distortion from mild to something just short of triple rectifier. Clean channel nice and sparkling and with gain turned up will give nice bluesy grind.

Amp is very quiet with stock Sovtek tubes and I would rate the tone as a 7-8 in stock condition. I?ve since changed the 3 - 12AX7 tubes for old US made tubes of unknown pedigree. The improvement in tone was very pronounced. I would recommend that you get rid of the Russian tubes ASAP if you buy this amp. I would say the tone now is a solid 9 and I plan on changing the power tubes to JJ?s first chance I get. This amp sounds so good that I don?t like using any pedals with it and I am playing with a much cleaner tone than before.

I read the posts that warned about the difficulty in changing the tubes in this amp but found it not to be hard at all. Unplug the amp and put it upside down on a work table and the metal plate covering the 2 preamp tubes can easily be removed with a Phillips head screw driver. With the main plate off, the metal straps holding the other 3 tubes in place can be removed. Access is not as easy as on say a Fender amp but not that difficult and how often are you going to change them anyway.

Have only had it for a month so too early to tell. Have noticed split second loss of sound when switching from channel 1 to channel 2.

2 years unlimited warranty. Bought amp from Long and McQuade in Calgary. Only one they had was slightly damaged. They found another one at their Victoria store and shipped it to me at home (100 km away) no extra charge. Have not yet followed up on channel switching problem.

Have been playing on and off for 30 years. Have had Fender Deluxe Reverb and Marshall MG-CDR 15 amps. This Traynor is by far my favourite. Flexibility of 2 channels with boost, great Celestion speaker and tone to die for after a tube change.

Nothing to add to previous posts. It has everything I want.

My main guitar is an american std. strat (stock) that I use to play mostly blues and rock. I rarely use pedals with this amp. This amp is relatively quiet. I've found many "sweet spots" with this amp on both channels, from clean to distorted. It's plenty loud enough for a practice amp. Great tone. I like the reverb (in moderation). For the price, I have to give it a 10.

I have had it for 5 months and have had time to bang it. No problems yet. Actually, the sound has improved (that greenback now has some mileage...)

Don't know. Will give them a 9 for the warranty.

Before buying it, I compared this amp to a fender pro junior (good tone, low on features), the fender blues junior, the YCV20 (not the WR), and the YCV40, + a few solid state models). Buying the WR was a very easy decision. I really, really love this amp. Great tone, quite versatile but in particular, I think it nails that clean slightly overdriven tube sound. If stolen, I'd buy another asap.

2003 Traynor YCV-20WR. 15 tube-watt "class A" (so they tell me) amplifier. Good 'ole Greenback in the uh, back. EL-84s. Two footswitchable channels with footswitchable lead boost on one. Master 3-band EQ. Seperate gain and volume controls for each channel. Nice spring reverb, and brightness switch on clean channel. FX loop that I never use. No headphone jack. The headphone jack thing may bother some, as it really is practice-amp volumes (though a loud practice amp), but I bought this amp to put that Greenback to good use! I give it a nine because it's got what counts: tubes, gain, volume, EQ, reverb, and a nice speaker.

I own a Jackson 7-string, Epiphone 7-string Vee, Tokai Love Rock (Les Paul Copy sumwhere between Epiphone and Gibson), and a Fender Tele with P90 neck. The first three guitars are humbucker instruments, and this amp overdrives beautifully with them. I don't like the overdrive sounds as much with the tele single-coils. I use a BOSS EQ to well, EQ, and also as a clean boost into the front end to force out more singing tube overdrive. That tube crunch is worth every cent I spent on this amp. The cleans sing with hums or singles, but hums just push the overdrive better. On the "clean" channel I push it a bit to give a wonderful blues tone. Greenbacks were born to blue-rock. While some say you can't play metal on this, they are wrong. You can play all the good metal: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Slayer, old Metallica. Just not nu-metal high gain blitz. I love to boost the mids and crank up the gain. The BOSS EQ sends it over the edge and I sound like Kerry King from Slayer. It's like I've got my own little Marshall/Vox hybrid that can get all the best tones of either amp . . . and at a sensible volume level! I give it a 9 because the overdrive is too British for single coils, and because it can't go mega-high gain like a Mesa or something. Everything else is unforgettable.

I've gigged with it before without a backup. I couldn't use it at a metal gig, it isn't loud enough, but for blues-rock with a light-handed drummer it can cook. Ain't shown signs of failure yet, but it's only a few months old. I have other Traynor gear though, and like the rest of my stuff, this is tough-as-nails. (Metal grille over speaker - brilliant!) The warranty rocks too.

Dealt with them a while back, they responded promptly. Not had to get any actual servicing though so I'm leaving no opinion here.

Playing four years a believe? I get in 3+ hours a day, which is key to sounding good. I can't afford a collection of old-school British amps like I dream of, but this amp seems to be parts of everything from a Marshall JTM-45, Vox AC-15, right up to (almost) a JCM800. I have a bigger rig for live stuff, but for those long hours I log in my basement I want real, true tube tone at a volume that won't deafen me and a price I can afford. This amp delivers. I wanted to buy a lower-priced solid-state amp. Maybe Crate, Behringer, Pignose, Fender, Vox, Marshall . . . but none of them are even close to that tube drive. I'd get it again in a second, I want to be buried with this amp. If I can save up the cash I still want a Plexi or JCM800, but this amp still cooks!

2004 Model, other features as noted elsewhere.
A truly awesome amp .. the tube access is stupid.. but doesn't really take away from the value of a very versatile (and LOUD for 15-watts) amp. Two completely independent gains are a great feature, and I find that the reverb is surprisingly pleasant and useful when compared to other tube amps I've worked with.

I use a mid-80's Epiphone Korean PRS clone with EMG select humbuckers as well as a recent Mexican Roland-ready Stat for playing out. I also have a 1975 fully stock Mahogany Gibson Flying-V with absolutely KILLER humbuckers. I play mostly all styles in the studio or as a hired gun, I play 'da blooz with my band.

This amp has an almost telepathic response to the Strat and the "V". Whatever sound I want I can get - clean (bell-like - think Country or Popp-y stuff), slightly overdriven (that jazz-blues area), or "close your eyes, look to the sky, and wiggle that note for a week" over the top. I'm working on the Epiphone with the Passive EMG's it seems a little muddier and less defined than the Strat (of course) but so far he tone seems like it's going to need a little more work and nurturing to get it just right.

It IS a low wattage amp, when playing in a larger club against a drummer with some "oomph" - mic the sucker. Without the extra help it can be real difficult to get a well defined sound because you'll drive either channel past their cleaner, or more usable, sounds before you'll hear it.. We ARE talking about 15-Watts. This is a TONE machine. TONE, TONE and more TONE.

With set of JJ's for a retube, this thing is an ultimate example of an uncompressed, fully retro, tube experience. The "gain" knob in no way will give you the response you get from the control with the same name on a Hot Rod Deluxe, for example. The dirt creeps in organically as it ups the level in a real intuitive way, and it has a different effect on the sound depending on where the Volume control is set. This hold true for both channels.

Seems to be built like a tank. The chassis and reminds me of my father's old Victrola record player (smell and all). The metal chassis, the heavy cabinet, and the PROTECTION of the tubes is first rate.

THE TUBE ACCESS IS STUPID. Protected and easy to get at should not be exclusive qualities. So far this is the ONLY negative thing I can say about this amp. Think of it as akin to the stupid screws on the back of some effect boxes instead of battery access doors - unless you REALLY hate delving into the guts of the amp with a screwdriver or nut driver. Spending between $20-$35 (depending on where you live) to have a tech install a $25-$50 set of tubes would bother me. The ONLY reason this rating is not an 8, 9, or 10 is that one should not have to muck around the guts of the amp AND this close to the speaker for regular maintenace or emergency repairs at all.

So far my e-mails and telephone calls aheve been pleasantly handles. Otherwise I have no experience with them yet.

I have a feeling that the response would be good if I were in deep trouble. You cannot beat the warranty, and it's transferable as well.

The sound is to die for. The overdriven sounds are almost impossible to beat, even with just about any pedal I've tried. The Frantone Brooklyn is the closest I've come to a good boost overdrive so far after having used a vintage TS , a Boss OD , a classic original SansAmp and other stuff my friends have.

Think Long and Hard about how you feel about doing the tube swap out thang. If you don't care - great. If it intimidates you to do it yourself - I don't care what the guy at the guitar shop says (or anybody on this board for that matter) you are not a lesser being if it does bother you - decide if it's worth it to pay someone to go at the tubes when needed.

Having given that caveat - this an incredible, awesome value. Truly a boutique / antique - like purchase without the bloated sticker price - and you get a great, transferable warranty.

2004 Traynor YCV20 WR. 15 cathode-biased (psuedo-Class A) watts from 2 EL84s, 3 12AX7s. 2 channel 1x12 with a Celestion Greenback speaker, wine red tolex and wheat colored grill. 3-band shared EQ, independent gain and volume for both channels, boost on drive channel, presence button on clean. Efx loop. For a tiny 15-watt tube combo, this thing is fairly loaded.

I use Hamer humbucker and P-90 guitars, and a Reverend Avenger TL. I play rock of all sorts, a bit of jazz, and some chicken-pickin' rootsy stuff.

The clean channel is spectacular. Just bright, round, deep, and pleasing. As you turn up the gain and/or volume, wonderful shades of the gritty-greasy, creamy-crispy EL84 breakup occur. The presence switch adds nice sparkle and jangle. Humbuckers benefit a lot from this. Without it, the tones are darker and smokier. Very nice.

The dirty channel is classic EL84 dirt. This channel is very old-school classic overdrive. There is no compressed, silky saturated burn here. What you get is a slightly edgy, raw-yet-smooth overdrive that is very open, dynamic and responsive to playing nuances. It really does a great impression of power amp overdrive that would make any vintage nut proud. As such, it maintains this character until the gain is about half way up. Beyond that, and especially at maxed settings, it takes on a bit of a splatty character, sounding like a small amp run wide open with a very hot signal. The boost adds some gain and a touch of volume, but I find that the amp sounds more natural without it. Also very nice.

On both channels, the EQ is very well voiced and effective, and it is easy to get a good balance between the channels. It is important for potential buyers to note that this is not a modern sounding amp by any stretch, but is a killer amp in the classic mold. It's not a very loud 15 watts, but the tone is killer.

I can't yet rate it, but it is built extremely well and has the best warranty in the business. The chassis is thick steel, the PCB is thick and well supported, and all the switch gear is of high quality. I don't forsee any reliability issues.

One niggle I have - the tubes are a bitch to access. There is a plate on the bottom supported by six screws to access the preamp tubes (not to mention the screws are installed with Herculean force at the factory), plus one more screw to access the phase inverter, plus two more to extract the power tubes, one if which is impossible to access without chassis removal due to the speaker frame being in the way. Yes, the tubes are protected, but what a pain in the ass to change them! Forget on-the-fly changes at rehearsal or small gigs, ain't gonna happen. Use the backup.

Can't really rate them. I emailed them some questions before purchase. The replies were quick and friendly, but the excitable gentleman who replied to my inquiries never really answered my questions, even on subsequent attempts. I dunno. I think they would be there with great support if I ever had a problem.

I've been playing for over ten years now, and own a couple of Boogies and a slew of guitars. GREAT amp in the classic mold, great price, great construction, great warranty, plenty of features and versatility. Can't ask for more than that!

Two real channels and an additional boost. Reverb, Celestion Speaker, 2 year FULL warranty. Tube Amp. Very versatile and comes with a foot switch.

I dont find this amp noisy at all. I think its amazing. I went to the store to try pedals and I used this amp that was sitting in the show room as a demo amp and 30 mins later I decided to buy it and too it home with me. Thats same day I sold my Fender Pro 185 amp back to the store! Its my first tube amp and I wont go back to solid state. It was my first Traynor experience and Im looking at a possible 40W model.

The only thing I dont like it the clean channel, if I want to get it loulder I have to turn up the gain and then it gets a little crunchy but for a 15W its kicks!!

No problems yet! But I know if I ever do that Yorkville/Traynor has amazing costomer service and they go out of their way to make sure they keep that title.

If I ever I have a problem or questions I know that Yorkville/Traynor has amazing costomer service and they go out of their way to make sure they keep that title.

Like I said, I went to buy pedals and I ended up taking home a traynor! I had no intentions of buying an amp. Its great!

New 2003. Lots of features mentioned by everyone else. One thing I don't like is the 1 second delay between channel changes using the footswitch. I also own a YCV40 & a YCV40WR & there is no delay when changing channels on these two amps. I would like to see a presence switch like on the big brothers.

I currently play an American Deluxe Telecastor & an American Deluxe Stratocaster (both with single pick-ups). I play blues/classic rock from Deep Purple (Machine Head), Billy Idol, lots of ZZTOP, Pink Floyd, Tragically Hip, tons of AC/DC. This amp sounds GREAT! I can get pick harmonics on every note. Really cool! Not noisy at all! I use a Korg AX1500G, with a Boss EQ & a Boss Compressor. When the sounds coming out of your amp make you smile to yourself you know it's good. This amp makes me smile. It sounds better than my Traynor 40 watt YCV40WR which is the big brother to this amp.

I've used Traynors since 1970 and I trust them completely. The warranty says it all! At a gig I would still use two amps. I play in stereo.

2 year even if you break it warranty. 10 year construction warranty. Best in the business!

I've been playing for 40 years. I've owned a Gibson Les Paul Gothic, several Godins, Aria pros, Manns, and various others. I bought a Marshall DSL40 in 2002 & after comparing it to my Traynors for a while, sold it. I've had Fender amps & they don't compare either. My peavey sucks compared to Traynor. Crate sounds like a toy. Traynor rocks! Best value for the money! Best warranty! Best sound!

Follow up to previous reviewers remarks about tube change issues.I used a 1/4 drive socket set with a phillips head insert and easily changed all tubes to JJ's.It took about 20 min in all you just need the proper tools.

Way better with JJ's,tighter bass and smoother highs.Anyone want the Sovteks?

Same features as other reviews.15 watts Class A into a Greenback with two channels,Clean with bright button and master,Overdrive with boost.Very nice cab and clean constuction,dark red vinyl with wheat grill cloth is way cool.Small and toneful package easy to throw in your car and go jam which is what this amp is best at.

I have owned a lot of amps in 25 years playing and this one has some of the best plug and play tones out there.I use my SG Classic with P90's and it is Blues from Robben Ford to ZZ Top early stuff.This amp sounds best in low gain modes,with clean cranked or od channel with gain on 4 and high master.Amp just oozes tone there but gets muddy quick on high gain so no JCM 800 here folks.OD boost gets too fat for me with gain above 4 but might do some Santana stuff.The Greenback will only get better with time and with clean way up and my Barber Direct Drive it gets close to Marshall if I need that and plenty loud too.If you need classic Blues tones at bedroom levels you will love this thing!

No issues yet but great warranty.

Traynor has been great to answer my emails and they want people to know they have a quality product and super warranty.

Think of this amp as a far better sounding more versatile Blues Jr which I owned and sold.I was looking at the new Laq tweed BJ for $459 at GC when I decided to give this a whirl and so glad I did.With the brite button and master on clean plus the boost on the OD side you can get two clean tones and three overdrives so I am sure you will find something you like here!

2 discrete footswitchable channels
Independent gain and volume controls
12" Classic Celestion speaker GreenBack (NICE)
Spring reverb
Master 3-band EQ
Independent gain and volume on both channels
Brightness on channel 2
Effects volume
Included footswitch switches channels and activates boost
Effects loop
Channel, boost, power, and standby LEDs
Long Accutronic spring reverb
15W Class A power
3 Sovtek 12AX7s
2 EL84s
DC filaments on preamp tubes eliminate hum Regulated power supply with rectifier emulation
All plywood cabinet
Heavy-gauge perforated grille with cloth cover
Custom-design 'chicken beak" knobs

Basic Tube Amp Stuff . . . the effects loop works well with delay.

I don't like the metal grill covered in cloth . . . I wish it was just cloth . . . but giggers would like this . . .

It has everything a good tube amp should have!

I use a Tele American Deluxe (vintage noiseless single coils) and a Carvin sc90 (humbuckers).
The Tele sounds wonderful, the Carvin is okay . . . the clean channel as people will say, sounds close to a Fender . . . the "dirty" channel is very close to Marshall blues breaker sound. I have owned a 2002 Fender Twin (Super Amp), Cyber Twin (Crap!), HotRod Deluxe (okay) and various Solid State amps (which are sounded like crap compared to tubes) . . . and this Traynor is the cream of the crop (other than the Twin which was to robust for my situation (basement jams).
The GreenBack in combo with the EL84's gives you that vintage warm tone, slightly muddy (with a Tele or Strat even better) . . . great for classic Clapton, mild Hendrix . . . and any blues you can think of . . . the Spring Reverb is usuable, not as nice as the tube reverb I had on my Twin . . . but much better than what I had on the HotRod Deluxe.

Hardly any HUM . . . better than my Twin.

Negatives . . . The gain channel gets really crappy when the volume is turned past 7, just dosn't break, it blows up . . . sounds like crap at high volumes . . . which makes this amp a practice amp only . . . perhaps you could use it in a quite jazz type band . . . but you'll never be heard behind a heavy handed drummer. The clean channel can be maxed out and sounds great.

Nu-metal and Speed Metal freaks stick to your Mesa's and SS . . .

Tubes are tubes . . . but Traynor has a great warranty.

!!!!!! HOWEVER !!!!!!
I did return this amp . . . and this is why . . . to replace the power tubes you need to practically take the speaker out. There is no room to pull the tubes in the back of the amp. The pre-amp tubes are built into the inside of the electronics compartment and are also very hard to get at. BAD for those who like to change tubes . . . which is easy to do on this self biasing amp. DUMB DUMB DUMB.

NA

The whole fact that they made the Tubes so hard to replace is the down fall of this amp . . . why in the hell would they do that?? On my Twin and Deluxe they were very east to get at . . .

But the Amp does sound super . . . and I have not giving up on Traynor. I just ordered the YCV40T 40 2x10 hoping that there is more room in the back to changed tubes . . . and for the ability to play at louder "dirty" volumes with out it breaking up beyond reason.

This is an update to my previuos posting. This price is available on eBay - brand new - $429 - $439. Check there. Be prepared for $40 shipping

Having done A/B comparisons with the amp disortion and my distortion pedals (Boss OS-2 and Tonebone Hot British), it is impossible to get a better distortion sound with these than the amp's natural distortion.

It would be great for more players out there to get this amp and validate my impressions or tell me I'm smoking crack.

2 Channels - Clean with bightness, lead with boost, footswitchable
Both channels share bass, treble, mid, spring reverb
Celestion G12M "Greenback" speaker
Effects loop
Wine red leatherette covering
Oatmeal grill
chrome plated corners
Plywood cabinet
15amps pure class "A" - way louder than you can believe
two EL84's
three Sovtek 12AX7A's
other than a slight hum on the lead channel when the boost is engaged, this amp is totally quiet!
Tone to die for!!! Incredible range of tone - clean to crunch!!

I play a Les Paul Studio with Seymour Duncan SH1's and an American Fat Strat. I needed a small amp with huge tone that would not wake up the wife and kids when I play 11pm - 1am. It is really tough to find an amp that performs equally well with single coils and humbuckers. This amp blows my mind, even at low volumes. I've played a number of fender amps(couldn't get nasty unless totally cranked), and will now part with my Marshall AVT20. The Traynor's tone totally kicks ass! The clean stays clean and clear unless you really crank the gain and the lead channel gets to a decent crunch without getting muddy. It's twice as loud as the AVT 20 when I crank it, and the channels are footswitchable, which means you can gig with it as well. The Celestion Greenback speaker gives it a tonal quality that you will not find in amps at this price range, period. Why upgrade a Marshall or Fender when you can get a pure class "A" amp with an awesome speaker for less money? It looks really cool too!

I have only had it a short time so I can't comment here. Traynor does offer an outstanding warranty if I do need to use it.

Again, no need for support at this stage.

I've been playing for about 30 years, saw Hendrix in concert and could never forget it. I dig hard rock and blues. The older you get, the more tone matters. This amp nails tones that I was trying to get with multiple stomp box combos. Needless to say I will be putting a few of them up for sale. The YCV20-WR has an awesome spring reverb that does not make weird noises or hiss the way the digital ones do - totally predicatable, dial-in exactly what you want. I can't imagine a better amp at this price point. Truly a boutique amp without the boutique price.

If it were stolen, I would track down the sorry MF that took it and hang up him up by his balls until he cried for mercy. It's that good!

Same as other reviews...
2 channels w/ eq. for each one
footpedal channel switching and boost toggle for lead distortion
reverb
effects loop
wine red colour
new speaker

I can't say much because I havne't been playing for very long (this was kinda a splurge), but I tried out a few amps before getting this one. I don't need a loud amp, so I can crank up the clean channel on this to get a really nice sound. I A/B'd the YCV20 and the YCV20WR, and to me, the new speaker added much more dynamic range and focus to the sound.

Looks solid =P plus great warranty.

never dealt with them.

It's a really nice class A amp. It's great for practicing or for small gigs, and you could mic it if you need more volume. Plus it's cheaper than many other tubes amps out there.

The Traynor YCV20-WR (for ?Wine Red?) is a new 2003 model amp from Traynor (Yorkville). It has an upgraded speaker as compared to the regular YCV-20, and it?s gorgeous (maroon cover with oatmeal grille). It?s got a 12-inch Celestion G-12M Greenback, all-tube construction, with 15 Class A watts (EL-84 power tubes), reverb, effects loop, footswitch, and separate gain controls for channels 1 and 2.

I've owned a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for about a year now, and have used it on several gigs. It has a great clean channel and does well with pedals in front. Its biggest shortcoming (as with all amps like this one) is having to crank the volume up high to get satisfying tube tone. Plus, it's heavy, the volume controls are overly sensitive, the gain channel isn?t great, the reverb is useless beyond ?2?, the tubes and speaker are low-end, and it lacks basic things like corner protectors. Over the past year I've tried THD Yellowjackets and a complete set of NOS tubes in my HRDX to improve the sound. Next on my list was a speaker change, corner protectors, and other stuff. This was getting to be one expensive little unit!
Last night I A-B?d the Traynor YCV20-WR and my Hot Rod Deluxe in my home. The Hot Rod had its original tubes installed.

It was very easy to get a full, saturated tone from the YCV20-WR without blowing out the walls. The tone from the YCV20-WR was much cleaner than my HRDX, very crisp and sharp with excellent definition (and this with a speaker that isn?t broken-in yet). The Traynor?s pots are actually useable, and the reverb doesn?t go off into space after ?2? like on the Fender. At high gain, hiss and hum on the YCV20-WR was better than the Hot Rod.

The Hot Rod?s bass response was better than the YCV20-WR, and its headroom was better than the Traynor?s. But I don?t need a loud amp for the gigs that I do...I never had the Hot Rod volume during gigs above ?2.5? even when playing with a loud drummer. I want tone without my bandmates complaining about my volume.

In addition to this, the Traynor has corner protectors, it?s 15 lbs lighter, it?s cheaper than the Fender, it?s self-biasing, and it has an incredible warranty.

Had a Traynor YCV80 prior to this, and it was built like a tank. I expect this little guy will hold up well too.

Never dealt with them. Their website has lots of great info, though.

My mind?s made up ? the Traynor?s a keeper, and the Hot Rod is gone.