Traynor YCV20

a very nice two channel 15 watt all tube combo with a clean boost and a lead boost. also has independent gain and volume controls for both channels with shared tone controls and a good reverb tank. has an effects loop, plywood cabinet and a 12" celestion speaker. nice retro look and a standby switch.

i like bluesy hard rock mostly but will dabble in other areas also. this combo is a great starting point for nice tones for me. I like the clean channel withthe gain at 10:00 and the reverb at 4-5 using my american strat in the neck pickup setting. It just sound s beautiful right there. The clean channel will get dirty with added gain if you like. The lead channel can go from right where the clean channel leaves off to a nice overdriven tone depending upon the amount of volume used and how I have my delta tone pickup set up. Between the start and the amp I have alot of tonal variety for sure.

It`s built better than anything else in it`s class.I compared it to the Blues Junior and the Peavey Classic 30.I will say The Peavey sounded just as good. The BJ did not. But none of the sub $500.00 come close to the build quality of this amp. I had a hard time deciding between the Classic 30 and the YCV20 because I could not find a dealer that carried the Traynor line so I bought it without playing it first. I relied on the reviews here at HC to guide me. I was able to play the Peavey and the BJ side by side and the Peavey blew it away.I also considered the Carvin vintage 16, the Electar tube 30, the Epiphone Galaxy 25, The Pignose tube combos and the Reverend Goblin. I like my choice.

Very good warranty, but no registration procedure that I can find. The place of purchase is supposed to be the contact. In my case it is EarthshakingMusic.com which I found on line. They have the lowest advertised price for Traynor combos that I could find. $50.00 lower than anyone else. Mine came to me packed decently and within 5 days. They answer the phone and are easy to deal with. They answered my e-mails promptly also. I recommend them highly.

I have gone through three different combos(a Marshall MG50dfx, a Behringer GX212 and a GM110) searching for my tone before finally landing with the Traynor. (My wife is rejoicing)It was a lesson in tone and simplicity but I have learned it well. Expensive brand names and low cost mega features didn`t equal tonal happiness.The GX212 was/is a nice combo but way too much power and too many paramters to mess with and presets to scroll through along with a so-so lead channel. I have found my happiness in the YCV20.Tubes rule for Strats. Again, for my American Strat the Traynor sounds awesome. If anything I may get a Big Muff or something like that to go along with it but the amp can stand on it`s own. It is a small combo that can scream or play at reasonable volume levels. It`s perfect for me.Thanks to all the HC reviewers who made my choice easier. Now I just have to keep on playing.

Bought Used

For those who don't know about it (I like to read the most recent reviews and you don't get the history then).

15 Watts RMS
12" Celestion 'Rocket 50' Speaker
2 x 6BQ5 (or EL84) power tubes
3 x 12AX7 (or 7025A) preamp tubes
2 channels - clean and lead - switchable front panel or pedal
Clean channel has bright switch
Lead channel has over overdrive (boost) switch
One input @ 1 Meg ohm
Treble, Bass and Middle
All 'chicken-beak' style knobs
Accutronics dual spring Reverb
Effects Send/Return, (also Send = lineout)
32 lbs - hard to believe when you hear the sound
What a delight to carry from gig to gig

Has it all except tremelo.
Amazing features for a small wattage combo.
Really.
All this for less than $500 you should give it an 11 so I have to give it a 10.

I use a Fender HWY1 Tele and a Fender American Strat as a backup - all single coils. However, I have tried my Epi Sheraton with HBs through it too. They all sound good with this amp. I play mostly Oldies, R'n'R, Blues and some Country. No metal or heavy grunge. I play mostly straight into the clean channel of all my amps.

I have been using a Fender HotRod Deluxe with great results only I found that for some smaller clubs I had to turn it up too loud to get the right over-driven tone. That's when I got the idea for a EL84 Class A rig as opposed to the 6L6 A/B Class like the Deluxe. I researched the Peavy Classic 30 and the Fender Blues Jr. The reviews on the YCV20 seemed better.

The first night I used the amp, I ran the lineout to the PA but the amp was almost doing the job by itself. It was great. I was running the clean channel with the gain past halfway and the volume at 8. Everyone in the band looked around and suddenly thought 'Clapton' was playing (ha ha don't I wish!). But yeah it was loud, fat and punchy. The EL84s in Class A mode do provide a nice rounded distortion. I also tried the Lead channel on a few tunes and it sounded similar to having my Boss Blues Driver in front of it, only better. It is a softer more natural overdrive. I also tried the boost for the overdrive, but it was a little to distorted for my tastes.

This amp has enought EQ and channel selection to please most players. Unless you are a metal freak, this amp is great for small clubs. It is almost unbelievable that an amp this small can sound so big with BALLs.

One note of caution. I use SC PUs. If you are a heavy shredder with a LP or Jackson, this amp might not have the guts you are looking for. You will probably want to bypass the whole combo thing and go for a separate speaker box with multiple 10/12s.

But for what I do, I have to give it a 10.

I have only used the amp a short while so it is too early to tell. I may offer a follow up review later on.

The amp has some features that I believe will make it reliable. It has a very sturdy wood cabinet with metal corner protectors (one thing my Fender Deluxe does NOT have!). Also there is a metal mesh behind the grill cloth to protect the speaker. All the tubes are behind a metal frame for protection. The amp just feels like a compact, well built unit.

Playing this thing full tilt does not seem to cause any vibrations or microphonics (yet). However, I will have to wait and see, because this thing is going to get some brutal punishment night after night.

I was able to download the User Manual and Schematics off the website. I did not see an adjustment pot on the schematics for a bias adjustment, but I did read one reviewer state that the circuit was self biasing so that any matched pair of output tubes should work when re-tubing. I think this will be important because to get the best out of this amp, you will have to *** overdrive the living daylights out of it *** and thus you may have to change the power tubes annually. Time will tell.

I used to play bass guitar in the 70s and I had a Traynor YBA3 and that thing was a brute. It worked and kept on working night after night from NY,to GA, to TN, to LA, covered with cigarette burns, spilt beer, it was dropped and rained on. And it just would not die. It is amazing that Traynor does not get as much notoriety as Fender or Peavey. I hope the YCV20 is as rugged as that old YBA3.

Don't know.

I have played guitar and bass guitar professionally and semi-professionally since the mid-60s, and guitar only since the early 90s. I have owned a 1962 Silvertone 1482, 1960 Fender Concert, a 1968 Fender Bassman, a 1972 Traynor YBA3. Currently I have a Marshall Valvestate20 and a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Limited Edition.

The YCV20 stolen? Too early to tell if I would replace it, but if all goes well I might buy at least one more for a back up.

So... Yeah Yeah Yeah. Many folks hate these reviews because they believe if you 'spent the dough, you're gonna glow' about it. But I have to tell you, if this thing was crap I would say so. Then again, it is all in the ear of the beholder. It is a small wattage amp and appears to do what it was built to do - offer overdriven tube tone in a small but versatile package. It seems to do everything I wanted it to do.

2003 Clearly the most flexable amp I've ever owned, and at 15 class A watts, all tube, and only 32lbs, it is the perfect size for rehearsals and most clubs, especially if everything goes through PA.Footswitchable clean and lead channels, both with independent gain and volume,plus clean with bright switch, lead with footswitch gain boost.High, mid, low EQ, spring reverb. Only thing missing - classic Fender style tremelo.

I play mostly 60's rock n roll, some Jazz and blues, and have been lead guitar in bands since 1962. Clean channel with much reverb (Fender Princeton Reverb sound) is perfect for surf set,with bright boost, perfect for Beatles (Vox Super Beatle sound). Punch Ch. 2 for solos. Stay on Ch. 2, and punch boost for solos (Marshall sound). I prefer natural cranked tube distortion, but this amp can also get Hendrix, Page, Clapton sound by cranking lead Ch. gain control. Incredibly quiet operation, best I've ever heard.

Two year unconditional warranty from Yorkville. Made in Canada. Purchased from local store, rather than cheaper internet - store will service or replace. So far, no problems.

Answered in reliability question. People at store are very nice.

By far the most feature loaded amp I have ever owned, and I've been playing for 44 years. for the last 30 years, I've used a Princeton Reverb for practice, recording, and most gigs - this amp retires it. I use a Fender Deluxe Reverb for bigger venues. I have many Fender, Gibson, and Godin guitars.I never have used any pedals or effects other than reverb and cranked volume.In the power trio days of the late 60's, I just used bigger, louder Fenders (Super Reverb)totally cranked. For fuzzed out recording, I used to use a small Silvertone all tube amp that I punched two pin holes in the speaker cone.

This is a 2003 model all tube Class A amp that puts out a very loud 15 Watts via three Sovtek 12AX7A''s and two EL84''s. It has two discrete footswitchable channels with true independent gain and volume controls on each. A master three band EQ, effects loop (line output) as well as an internal spring reverb are all standard equipment. Additional controls include bright switch on the clean channel and boost switch on the lead channel. It also has an effect loop on the back. All in all, this amp gives you the most bang for the buck of any amp out there.

I use this amp with a variety of guitars including a Telecaster with Vintage noiseless pickups, a G&L Legacy (Strat Style Guitar) with stock Alnico single coil pickups, a Les Paul Standard, but it sounds best with my PRS McCarty with P-90s. The amp definitely has a Vox AC type of sound, but it is also fairly versatile with a large number of sounds available. I can get most of the sounds that I want without pedals and the remaining sounds with them. The reverb gives a nice liquidy sound at low to moderate settings, but it then gets fairly weird sounding at higher levels. This is not a real problem because you can get Dick Dale type sounds at reverb settings of 3 to 5. The one sound that this amp does not get naturally is metal, but who know with the right pedal. As stock, distortion is brittle and shrill with the Sovteks, but JJs from Eurotubes is a quick and inexpensive fix. Once again, this amp delivers a lot of bang for the buck with a nice clean channel and a decent dirty channel. If this were a $2000 plus boutique amp, I would give it a 9, but it gets a 10 because it is less than $500.

I've had the amp for about nine months and it hasn't let me down so far. It looks like it is pretty solidly built, so it probably will remain fairly reliable.

No problems so far, so I really have no idea.

It's just a great little amp for the price. I wouldn't claim that it is as nice as the upper end boutique amps, but its low price allows you to take it to places that you would never dream of taking your Matchless or Bogner. Once again, if it were a boutique amp, I would give it a 9, but the under $500 cost earns it a 10.

Follow up to previous posting after 30 days of hard use.

Very Bright sound of this amp is a little bothersome at times now.Changed speaker to Celestion Greenback which helped a little and colors overdrive tone a little darker.Still very pretty tones but a little thin and bright for my taste.Glad I did not sell my HTRDX yet as I am playing it more now that newness has wore off of this one.Also has developed quite a hum when switched on from standby to on.Time will tell now if it is a keeper...

Very loud hum in on position,swapped out tubes,still there...Emailed Traynor and we are working on it,they do respond to emails well.

Very quick to respond to my emails

Time will tell if I keep it or it goes.Great tones but all bright and noisy.

Two channels with brite switch for clean and boost on overdrive.Very loud 15 watts Class A tube tone after speaker change.Very Good sound stock,excellent with quick easy speaker swap.Came with Celestions bottom of line 17 ounce magnet Rocket 50 speaker and footswitch.Many variations of great clean,crunch and overdrive tones.

I am using a Gibson SG Classic with P90's and a Standard with hums.Amp is very brite sounding and maybe not so good with thin single coils like a stock strat but great with P90's.This thing has the best range of tones from any small combo I have played in 25 yrs of plank spankin.Fender clean( I have a HTRDX right beside it)to great classic rock overdrives and almost Mesa Boogie with boost button in.I found the bass with the stock speaker a little lacking for my taste and I emailed Traynor who emailed me right back the next day.They told me how to remove front grill(held in with spring clips)and I installed a new Celestion 70/80 in 8 ohm I had and wow this thing is loud now!The stock speaker is good but only 95db sens and the 70/80 is 98db so better response and volume.This is the best little combo I have played tone wise,and I have played and owned them all but the highest end botique models.You can not beat this amp for the money and I am selling my HTRDX LE and buying the YCV40 also for larger gigs.Cool amp with tones of Blues and Rock tones at the level most people play and practice.

So far Quality is as good as any Fender I have owned.

Emailed me back within 24 hours and has great warranty.

For the price of a new Blues JR or Peavey Classic 30 you get a far superior amp in build quality,tone and versatility.Buy one and you will see!

This is one fantastic little amp! I am a proud owner of this 15 watt Class combo, that just oozes great tone! Traynor is a great Canadian amp company that started in the 60's, and I'm proud as a Canadian, to have purchased this truly Canadian product.
The amp, as stated is a 15 watt Class A combo that runs on 3 12AX7's and 2 EL84's. It also has a great tube rectifier emulation feature that offers some fantastic power tube sag. The combo features a 12" Celestion Rocket 50 speaker which sounds very well-rounded. It comes with a footswitch that allows you to choose between 2 channels, one being overdrive, the other being the clean channel. The overdrive has a gain and volume control, as well as a boost switch. the clean channel also has a gain control, and a volume, as well as a bright
switch. Both channels share a 3-band eq, and the reverb is universal.
It has a single input, a send and return/line out jacks in the back.
This is one solid amp. It kind of looks like a Fender, with beautiful black tolex, and a front grille cloth that is defintely the same they use on blackface Fender amps. But make no mistake, this isn't a fender! The only reason I give it an eight, is because I'd rather have tremolo then reverb, and I wish it had a speaker extension jack, but other then that, this is one amp with enough features, and fantastic tone for the price.

Did I mention this thing oozes tone? I play several Fenders, a Les Paul, and an Epiphone Casino, and every guitar shines through with it own tone.
Being class A, this thing is loud for 15 watts.....think Vox AC15, and you'll get an idea. Firstly, the reverb is an acoutronics spring reverb that tends to be way too overbarring past 2. I'm not a big fan of spring reverb, but its defintely useable.
The 3-band tone controls are so versatile, kind of like a Fender twin reverb. You dial in as much Bass, Treble, and middle as you want. When you set it, what you see is what you get! Very accurate, and the chicken beak knobs are very reminiscent of vintage amps. The clean channel is very versatile. You can get real clean tones, to a very sweet overdrive that sounds very natural with the gain up a bit, and the volume turned up. The bright switch does what it says, it adds loads of sparkle...should you need it, but I tend not to use it as I can achieve the tones I want without it.
The drive channel picks up where the clean leaves off....
It get you into a thicker overdrive without sounding too overbarring. With the boost switch engaged, it really get fat...almost too fat!

Now, how does it sound? Well, I would say that it definetly sounds like a Traynor. I've never quite heard a 15 watt class A amp sound or do what this thing does. I usually play with pedals, and while this amp is really super pedal-friendly, its the first amp that I plugged into where it sounded really good just on its own.
Being Class a, I would say that the sound is very, very warm, bell-like, and sparkly. It has a tonal quality that is very similar to a Vox. It kind of sounds like a cross between an AC15 and an AC30, except not as loud as the AC30..... However, it has the tonal versatility of a Fender twin Reverb. You could pretty much shape this amp tonally to do the Vox thing, and even Fender sounds. The eq is just that versatile! I wouldn't say it does Marshall, but thats not what I wnated nor expected.(Not a big fan of Marshall that much anyway). All in all, for small club gigs, or practices, this amp is an absolute gem. It lets you shape the tone you want, and it just jangles with every guitar I played through it.

2 years warranty - even if you break it! You can't beat that kind of deal. Canada rocks!!!
Its built very well. Solid construction, and it weighs under 50 pounds. I would gig with this amp with no hesitation.

If your familiar with Traynor amps, then you know the are a division of Yorkville Sound. If you live in Canada, just go to Long&McQuades, and they'll take care of you. I haven't dealt with Yorkville yet, but I don't imagine it would be difficult to contact them.

You can't beat this amp in terms of price, and the tone you get in return. I own a Vox Valvetronix, and while that is my main amp, this a welcome addition to my equipment that is truly going to be a keeper. Sweet sounding class A combo with all the right touches and tones to die for. Its worth every penny, and then some. Highly recommended. Try one, and you'll see what I mean. Thank you Traynor, well done!

Traynor YCV20 15 watt class A tube amp, 2 channels, go to the website for the most accurate desription of all the features. I gave this a 9 because this is a very versatile amp. 2 channels with independant gain and volume. Master reverb, and EQ section is shared by both channels. Has a boost switch on the lead channel and a bright switch on the rythm channel. Effects loop, 2 button footswich for channel selection and boost. Celestion speaker (with a minuscule magnent that is why I gave it a 8) and sovetek tubes (mine actually sound pretty damn good, I've heard others replaced thiers).

I'm using a EBMM Axis stock and a Fender American Telecaster stock. The amp don't have the nuts for metal. But everything else is covered. I like all kinds of music, so I'm into learning everything I can. This amp seems to respond to adjustments very well. I don't have problems with dialing in the sounds I am looking for. When you turn the knobs, it gives you the changes you are looking for. I like that in an amp. I wanted a low powered tube amp for playing at home that had at least 2 footswitchable channels. There aren't very many of those on the market that are affordable. I gave it an 8 because no high gain metal sounds will be found using the amps gain.

I've only owned this amp 2 months so I couldn't give an honest opinion, other than what I have already read about it.

Again, I have not had to contact customer support because I have had absolutely no problems with this amp. 2 yr warranty even if I break it, is just unbeatable. You can't go wrong with that. I got to give them a 10 for that alone.

I've been playing for 2 yrs so I still suck pretty bad, but hell I enjoy it. If it were stolen, I would pull a 4 day drunk during my grieving and then I would get a YCV40. I compared this amp to Marshall AVT 20 and Fender Blues junior. None of the former had a footswitchable channel. So I bought the Traynor and I'm glad I did.

Traynor did well in the features department on this amp. It has just as many features as my Fender Deville and I personally think it sounds better(dry with no stompboxes). It actually has the most features I've seen in a 15 watt Class A tube amp. I tried a few of the amps in it's class and none had the features. It has two seperate footswitchable Channels each with Volume and Gain. The Clean Channel has a Bright Switch and the Lead Channel has a Boost switch. Theres an effects loop, standard bass-mid-treble eq setup and a standby switch. The power chord is removable. Last but not least it's so easy to carry around. I'm not big on built in digital effects so I don't think this amp is missing anything except being able to switch reverb on and off or the bright on and off with the footswitch. I have a nice pedal board setup but a lot of times I enjoy just using the amps clean and overdrive channels and not bringing my pedal board with me. It's a true test of one's playing ability and I enjoy the simplicity. It's very loud for 15 watts(it's class A). I play around Vegas and I think it'll suite any small gig or open mic. Now a days they have real nice amps at the open mics so it's not really too useful in that area. Great for practice(this one won't get the cops called on me like my deville):)
I'm a professional musician here in vegas. I play about 35 hours a week(practice and gigs). I haven't had the amp long but in the time I've had it I've found that it's versitile and very useful for every application except heavy metal stuff(distortion pedal could fix that). It has to be one of the better deals in it's class.

I use a Jekyll and Hyde Overdrive with my Deville and I love that sound I get. This amp has a very similar sound to me(not exact, similar) without the overdrive pedal. The clean channel's gain sounds smooth like the hyde side(more of a gutsy, bluesy drive)and the lead channel has that bitey, sharp edge to it(thanks to the EL84's) like the Jekyll side. The lead channel is very gritty if you take the gain to 10 and when you turn boost on it sounds more like a fuzz. I like it. It's different than any of my other amps so I enjoy having something spicy and new. I tried running my pedal board through it but I don't do that much with this amp. This is my simple amp. No effects just good sound. I use a Fender American Deluxe Fat Strat and a Fender Tele with a Gibson Humbucker(neck) and a Seymour Duncan 59'(bridge). So the amp is a completely different animal with each guitar. My tele overdrives everything so there isn't much headroom when I play through the clean channel. The strat lets it get quite a bit louder without breaking it up. It's not the slighest bit noisy(self-biasing). I've heard that self-biasing amps have there own issues but what amp doesn't? I play everything: jazz, blues, classic to current rock, funk and sometimes country. This amp can cover any of those with a couple different guitars and a good delay. That's the only thing I run with this amp-delay. I enjoy the drive of the channels and they are very easily controled with your guitar. Each guitar pickup switch position has a very different sound and backing the volume knob off cleans it up nicely. My ampeg superjet lacks the distinction between switching pickups. They sound different of course but not like they do through this amp. Remember that this amp is only 15 watts. Yes it's loud but it's no AC30 or Fender Twin. My Fender Deville is an outstanding amp but I don't like the overdrive channel too much. I use my pedal board through it and it suites me for a lot of bigger gigs and so on. It's 60 watts so it is loud. I needed something that sounded good at low volume and this amp is it with all the extras.

Well, I don't know how well I can depend on any tube amp(or any amp for that matter). I've only had my ampeg go out on me once at a gig but you never know. Once I had a Vox Valvetronix(decent amp)for a month and a half and it died at practice(it's a solid state and tube design). I try not to rely on an amp too much. I don't think you should go to any paying gig without a backup. Plus I haven't had it quite long enough to say how reliable it is so I'm not going to rate it.

I haven't had to deal with them and I hope I never do. But they have a 2 year "whatever happens" warranty so that's cool.

I've been playing piano since age 6 and I picked up the guitar right after high school. I have only been playing guitar for about 5 and a half years. I know it seems like a short time for me to be playing professional but it's in the family and I work hard. If it were lost I probably would get another one because I'm glad to have something with such a good sound, low watts and good features. I love the sound it brings but I'd say they need to do a better job on the cabinet(one of the corner covers was was digging into the vinyl). It's not too noticeable but still, it should be perfect. I compared this to the Crate V-15 series(good amp, zero features), fender pro jr., and Ampeg amps. This one has such a nice bass response and such a wide array of flexiblity that I went with it instead of any of the others. Plus for the price you can't go wrong. I've owned countless effects, amps, rack gear, guitars(I know...all that junk in less than 6 years). Rack gear is overrated, digital effects and processors are good for one thing--backup, and solid state is alright but not for me. I enjoy the sound of tube amps. Sometimes with a few effects in front of them but not always. This amp is probably going to be one of my favorites of all the gear I've owned. I'd say it's got good bite for it's size.

One secret I've learned over the years is that great tone comes from the player and not the equipment. More often then not people search for years to get a great tone only to discover that things start to sound the same. You spend enough money to buy a car getting all this rack gear, amps, etc. and it doesn't lead anywhere. New gear lust wears off and it's just an amp or a guitar after a while. Gear has a small amount to do with how you sound. Obviously you need certain gear for certain gigs. But volume has everything to do with how your gear responds to your tone and if you are playing a small bar with a 60 watt tube amp you ain't gettin everything there is out of that amp. So all this to say that this Traynor amp is great for that purpose. If you do studio work it'll suite you there extremely well. If you need to practice without blowing the neighbors door down this will work for you. Remember that this is all opinion and opinions are like...-everybody's got one. Thanks for you time I hope you learned a little about the Traynor.

I love the seperate Gain and vol for both ch. The clean, is nice warm and bluesy, Channel 2, suits my need, Santana here I come.

Fits my style, Santana and Gilmour, I owned a Marshall, JCM800 for 50 hours, I hated it, the tone sucked, Marshall's are a one show pony. This ones is much warmer, and versitile, for both clean and dirty work. I use Fenders and Gibsons with this unit, both sound great.

It's a tube, it will have problems, eventually, be prepared, boys. It uses a self biasing circuit, they have good points and bad points, know what to expect.

I've heard good things and bad about this. Some people have had to wait along time for their stuff to get back. Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best.

I've been playing for decades-was semi pro, now amatuer. Ya, if it was stolen I'd get another, I might look at the 40 watts Model. I love the tone, I especially love the weight, or lack of. I like the gain/vol adjustement for both channels. I returned a Marshall for this one, I also sampled a Fender and a Mesa boogie. This one has the most bang for the buck. I now own 4 Amps, tube and solid state, this is the most versitile little amp I've seen in awhile, It's an absolute blast to play. It's like Napolean, a little guy, with a big attitude. It is surprisingly loud for a 15 watter, don't be surprised when people yell at ya to turn it down. Tilt the unit back, or elevate it, and you can play with drummers who understand "control". Yes they do exist, but ya gotta train them from birth