Traynor YCV40-WR 112 Combo

Features and ease of use are great. The details are all stated in the other reviews so I won't bother.

I mostly play Les Pauls through it, but a Strat sounds great through it too. The amp itself is not noisy at all. Boosters and drive pedals can give it some hum, but that's normal. I don't care much at all for the gain channel. Not bad, but it just doesn't suit me.
I run my overdrive and boost pedals into the input and all other effects into the fx loop. I changed all of the tubes to JJs and they made a difference but it wasn't huge IMO. I have an Electro Harmonix English Muff'n preamp/overdrive pedal that I use with this amp and it totally changes it's sound. Read below for another review that talks about matching this pedal with this amp. He's absolutely right.
I don't use the gain on this pedal at all. Just a clean boost. Lately I've been using 2 overdrive pedals together before the English Muff'n. The sound is spectacular. I use a modded TS-7 and a Bad Monkey. The combination of these pedals really make this amp scream. It's a fairly loud amp, but it seems like it should be louder for 40 watts. I have an old 15 watt tube amp that comes close to being as loud. IMO the clean channel doesn't have a very good natural overdrive. It gets pretty muddy when I crank it up. Works best for me at 5 or under using overdrive pedals. The speaker starts farting and burping if I give it too much bass too.

No problems yet. Built like a tank. I do have a problem with the footswitch though. The plastic nut that holds the cable to the footswitch broke. Don't use the footswitch, but I still want it fixed.

Don't know. Heard it's all good. I'll find out.

I've had this amp for about a year now. Bought it new. Been playing about 18 yrs. Found out about this amp on guitar-jam forum. I have 4 tube amps so I've got others to compare to the Traynor. I recently bought a used Peavey Bravo and in some ways I like the Traynor better, but it just doesn't have the deep body that the Bravo has. The Bravo has a very meaty growl. The thing that makes the Bravo different mostly though is that it doesn't need pedals.
Overall with the right pedals I can make this amp sound just about any way I want. And I've been liking it a lot lately since I've been running 3 overdrives lined up. Until now I didn't think this amp could do metal. For the money, I'd say it's not a bad amp at all. I like it more than the Hot Rod Deluxe by far.

2005 model, all the same features as previously posted. An XLR out would have been nice (read below).

Sounds really nice, but it's not a loud 40 watts. I play in a band and I have to mic it - even with the nifty extension cab. I'm selling it this week on Ebay, which I'll reget later, I'm sure.

I use Gibsons (LP Jr and SG) through a moderate effects board (English Muff'n, TS808, and an EQ). I can really dial in a plexi tone this way.

I like to record with it but I'm still experimenting with mic placement (the sound I hear in the room is always different than what goes on tape). I wish that's why it had an XLR out (and for live gigs, too)

I had some issues with the clean channel before I realized that the speaker had crapped out. Now I can dial it to 6 or 7 before a nice overdrive kicks in. When dimed I still get some rubbish from the speakers, but that's to be expected driving 40 watts.

The overdrive didn't please me until I added the EQ pedal through the fx loop. Now I use it all the time.

This thing is a tank, but I can't afford to keep it and buy a new one.

Once I figured out that my speaker was blown, the Customer Service guy (Carl M) helped me get a new speaker ASAP (it was still under warranty). Thanks Carl! I always received good service from the Traynor/Yorkville crew.

Playing 15 years. I like the tone but it doesn't cut through a loud band's beatings. I say "You know, we can all turn down a little..." only to have the guys return to the same volume five minutes later." An old complaint, to be sure.

It's a good amp. I play with the mids cut, so I'm sacrificing some oomph there, but I don't want to place volume ahead of tone.

I just feel that it's a shame to have to mic it even with the cool extension cab. We never play in places larger than bars and my little wine-red friend just gets lost in the mix.

In another setting I would love this amp. For who I play with, it's just not cutting it power-wise.

Mine was manufactured in 2005. The amp is exactly what I need in terms of versatility. I play old school to modern rockin blues and classic rock - originals also. It's a dual channel amp, each with it's own eq section, bright switch on the clean channel, boost on the dirty channel. All are footswichable (except the bright switch). Only feature I would like to have seen would have been a master volume for both channels. Big deal.
I have been gigging with it since I got it 8 months ago and have fallen in love with the tones this amp creates. For me, both channels are very usable and there has always been plenty of headroom. Unlike some other reviewers, I really like the reverb. A few months aftre I bought the amp, I bought the matching extension cab, and the amp truly came alive! If you own this amp, bet the extension cabinet. It has taken the amp to another level.

I use a Gibson Blueshawk with Seymour Duncan p-90hot pickups, a PRS Tremonti SE with Seymour Duncan 59s and a stock Telecaster Custom.
Thru this amp, each guitar has it's own voice and they are all distinctly different. It's all good! This is the quietest tube amp I've ever owned. The variety of tones covers everything from nice clean and distinct notes and chords to really creamy distortion (the good kind). The clean channel (when driven past 5) breaks up just right - incredible. I think the addition of the ext cab has helped in this area. Same goes for the dist channel - way more musical after the adddition of the ext cab. I use pedals (old cry baby wha, marshall comp, dod chorus, voodoo labs sparkle drive and dod delay). But the dirty channel allows you to grab a nice ZZTop kinda rhythm tone and still throw a drive pedal on top for soloing.

Have not experienced any probs at all - and the warranty is killer.

They are exceptional - when I ordered the ext cab, it came in the wrong covering (they switched the tolex for the 2006 models). I emailed them wanting to know what was up? They emailed me back the next day saying they were making a limited run of cabs with the old stle covering,, and they would handle everything for me to get me the right one. Awesome customer service. (Thanks again Carl)

My overall rating on this is extremely high as I am extremely happy with this amp and cab combo.

Reverb, FX loop, all tube, Auto-biasing (this feature is fantastic and is a time saver too), 40 watts, 12" Celestion G12 Vintage 30, Accutronics spring reverb. Wish it had a headphone jack and another input for a 2nd guitar. Bought my amp new in 2005.

This is a versatile sounding amp (even more so if you have the right tube's in place) with plenty of power for my inside gigs. Pre-amp tubes are a slight pain to change since you have to remove a handful of screws to access them.

For a tube amp it is very, very quiet. I use a Schecter C-1+ and can't believe how fantastic this amp sounds. I ditched the stock Sovtek tubes and slapped in some Tung-Sol 5881's and Electro Harmonix 12AX7EH's. The stock Sovteks sound okay, but don't have a good bottom end or provide player-induced harmonics very well. Replacing them with the above mentioned tubes gave me more sustain, a much deeper bass and allowed me to attain some "modern" type rock sounds, not quite Death-metal however (a pedal can rectify this though). If I want to play some classic rock or blues I just roll the gain back. Clean channel is very nice at all volume levels with either of my tube set-ups, although not quite as good as a Fender tube amp it's still better than most amps I've played through. The reverb section is very good, but the reverb control doesn't kick in until you reach 8 on the dial. For overall sound I give it an 8 since nothing is perfect, but in its price range I feel this amp is peerless.

So far so good. Build quality is great, much better than my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. The wiring inside and out is neatly arranged and the cabinet construction looks very good too.

Haven't had the need to call customer support.

Overall, this amp is a steal and an unbelievable value. I just noticed Traynor raised the price on them so the street price in the USA is around $700+. If I lost this amp I would unquestionably buy a new one, even at the new price. I stress enough how cool the auto tube biasing is. Swapping power tubes literally takes 1 minute, allowing you to change the tonal variety from the amp. There is nothing I hate about this amp, just a few additions I wish were there (2nd input and headphone jack).

2005 model. Very versatile but not for everything. the ususal FX loop, chnl sel, reverb... etc.
40W is plenty for most situations.

I use a knock off archtop that is an old Vantage with Humbuckers. It is a fat hollow guitar that is surprisingly very versatile with this combo. I play in a Christian praise and worship band at a youth centre so the styles range from clean subtle nuance to blues to country twang to heavier rock. this amp is very versatile no doubt. I can get reasonable facsimiles of all those styles except for a real good JAZZ or HEAVY metal sound. I say facsimiles because all the sounds while very good, are not quite the original (if you are comparing to Marshall / Fender et al). That might be a good thing or it might not. I found that this amp, for example lacks the authoratative OD of a good Marshall- sure it's good, but no way can this amp compare to the balls of real EL34 cranked.. c'mon... In addition, when playing country chicken picken and honky tonk,, it's close, but compare it to a vintage or a new Fender all tube unit like my buddie's Super, or a new DRRI... the reverb is No way near as lush and the clean tones are not as good. I agree with one of the guys who compared it to the VOx.. I use a digital delay and it sounds really good for the mid U2 stuff. Having said all that, its is a very good sounding tube amp with the vibe of a good tube amp and responds like it should... it's jut a bit different which is good right? I am giving it an 8 because I am spoiled and compared it to a beautiful Marshall I used to own and also my buddies Super Reverb SLiverface... so those are the yardsticks.. like it or not.

Built like it's a NHL hockey player in the 7th game of the championship .. Made in Canada..

excellent rep.. haven't needed them yet ...

If you compare it to the obvious choiced it is very good but doesn't measure up to the Hallmarks in my opinion. But for a straight forward combo at 40+ lbs to yank and carry to a gig and cover all the basics it's very close. I did replace the dreadful tubes with replacements though which were much better.. I rented 2 units before I bought and have been playing since 1984 in various forms and on various stages... so this amp wasn't a surprise. It is good, infact very good, but if you do compare and you will... you will know what I mean. in the end if you ask soem one in the audience or your wife, they probably wont be able to intelligently reapond which is better or know.. the response i get on this amp is 'good'.. so when I get my new Deluxe I will respond then also for now it's a good amp.

I bought this thing new a few years ago. Not sure what year exactly. Probably 2004, though. Very much like an old Fender with a gain channel added. The gain channel has a boost, but that does not, I repeat, DOES NOT mean that it will be enough for a solo boost in the middle of song played live. Sorry, but I'm a stickler about being able to hear myself play a solo and have the audience hear it.

I would probably like it better if you could switch the bias for EL34s or EL84s. I love any tube in the EL family. That clean tone warmth is just perfect. I also own a Mesa/Boogie Maverick and it has the second best clean I've ever heard. The best is my new Genz Benz El Diablo 100. You wouldn't think it, but running a pair of single coils into that clean channel and running the speaker output to 1 12" speaker with an open back is just fucking incredible!

The tone quality is good for being made in Canada, and the hum is not much at all for a combo. This is due to autobiasing by Traynor, kudos for that innovation, by the way. The clean channel is good on its own, but it does not respond well with the pedals I've used on it except in one case. I ran a TS9 and a DS1 at the same time on the clean channel, and then to top it off for a solo, I stacked a Digitech Bad Monkey on top of that. Can you say Eric Johnson solo tone? The clean sounds fine. I just have this thing about channels not having a gain control, even if it is "clean." If I want it clean, I'll make it clean myself, and if I want it dirty, then vice versa.

Anyway. The gain channel. Normally what I do is run whatever guitar I'm using (PRS McCarty, Gibson Explorer, Hamer USA Centaura, Hamer USA Diablo) into a Crybaby, Visual Sound Jekyll and Hyde, DS1, TS9, DigiDelay and then the amp. I don't use all of those distortion pedals at the same time. I use one to suit my gain needs for whatever it is I want for that song and put the gain on about 6. That's what I usually like to do. On its own, the amp gain is nice for a 6L6. When the Hyde from the Jekyll and Hyde is added, all hell breaks loose and it is gain central. The distortion cleans up expecially nicely when you roll back on your guitar volume. If you play rock, you will need something to give you more distortion. You pick what it is, but you will need SOMETHING. You like jazz? Not warm enough for my tastes. Probably a 6L6 vs. EL34/84 thing. You like blues? It's perfect if you want a clean channel and a gain channel.

It's never broken down on me. I would NEVER use it on a gig without a backup simply because I NEVER go to gigs without a backup. You never know what kind of shit a tube amp will pull on you, especially if there's bad wiring where you're playing or if you accidentally knocked a tube loose and didn't notice. This amp very conveniently takes care of that problem, though, as there are clamps around both of the power tubes. Kudos to Traynor again. But tube amp guys like me put up with bad occurrences like that because we think the tone is worth it. And it is. If I had no backup and I wasn't so organized and nit-picky, I wouldn't worry at all, unless the tubes were nearing the end of their life span.

Never dealt with them.

It's nice. It's got things I like and things I don't like. Give it a spin, and see if you like it. One last thing. The knobs are very easily knocked out of place, so memorize your favorite settings. If you think this isn't warm enough for you, try the Maverick I mentioned.

All-tube combo utilizing five Russian12AX7s and a pair of Russian-made 6L6s output. That?s right, the best METAL tubes on the market. This combo includes switchable clean and distortion channels, reverb, effects loop and a footswitch channel. The tube biasing is done automatically with a built-in matching circuit. The top-mounted controls include bass, treble, midrange and volume controls for each channel and the overdrive has separate volume and gain knobs and a push button that takes it from blues overdrive to HEAVIER METAL TERRITORTY. Both channels share presence and reverb.

I play my 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom 20th. And find the distortion channel to be very capable. Its sounds ranged from tube distortion blues to a decent metal mid crunch. For those of you that need to peel the paint off the wall buy a peddle.

Built like a tank. Even has a metal cover for the speaker to keep your guitar from going trough it.

Never had to contact them.

I have to push the fact that can easily be used for METAL since a few reviewers seem to think otherwise. But then again some of the reviewers on here review Epiphones as 10?s in quality and Carvin a 10 in customer service, when the facts are obvious. I passed on Marshall, Crate, Carvin, Peavey, and Randal when I bought this amp. I?ve owned them all and I play METAL. A tweed grill does not make and amp sound vintage blues. LOL.

The thing I like most about the amp is you can change the speaker and tubes to get either a more vintage sound or a screaming metal tone.

Great distortion channel from muddy blues to Hendrix fuzz. Good clean channel and the vintage 30 has bite to it.

I run it with an American Tele, phase 90, ehx small clone, and a crybaby. Breaks up nicely on stage. Sounds as good as my rhythm players JCM 2000 Triple Lead Series.

Pick one up and thats it.

Traynor is great and it's Canadian. No Americans or Mexicans

Give it a try and if you like it buy it. You'll never regret it.

2 channels (all tube) and a boost. Both actually USEFUL channels. Great gain, great clean. You can not get an amp that does that at this price. The clean is pretty - nearly Fender pretty, the distortion blows me away, and the boost is all I need for a solo.
I use it live and with a very loud drummer. Everyone keeps telling me to turn it down. I like it on 5.
I wish I could boost the clean channel like I can the dirty one. I keep the brightness switch always on, but it isn't footswitchable.

I play a Fender Fat Strat and it's perfect for my style. It accentuates every sound out of the guitar, maybe a little too much. I had no idea my guitar could sound so good. Picks up the single coil hum noticeably when you're not playing.

It sounds freaking wicked. I got the feeling the minute I turned it on that this was what I was looking for. Blues, rock, clean, dirty, all in one place. It was the 'fat' 'thick' tube tone I could never pin down before.

I've had it six months, lugged it around to many a show and a practice. It survives my driving so I would say I depend on it. The tubes automatically rebias, so apparently it continues to sound good as they deteriorate. It's solid and comes with a 2 year warranty, 10 years for the wooden cabinet. FYI it's HEAVY. 50 lbs and they're not kidding. Might want to put some casters on if you're not up for it.

I had a question or two for Yorkville, who make Traynor, and they only took a day or two to get back to me via e-mail. They're very personable and I don't doubt they would be helpful if anything were to happen.

This is a monster of an amp. I've been playing 6 years and I got rid of everything I had but my guitar when I bought it. I'd prefer it had a clean boost along with the dirty, as I'd rather not have an $80 pedal that just turns up the volume. I spent months going to every shop in town, playing big names with big prices. I had settled on a $600 Blues Deluxe, that I had to get a $200 distortion pedal for, until I came across this beauty. If I had $2000, I'd probably go get the best clean amp and the best crunch amp and stick a pan pedal between them, but thanks to the Traynor I don't have to.

Nice Features. Gigged with the amp several times thus far and was able to achieve great results. It has bass, mid, treble, reverb, presence and sepate controls for the drive channel. Very nice looking amp..Sovtek tubes work really well..I did the Eurotubes blues package and to be honest, it sounds a little better both on clean and drive channels, but not a huge difference..THe Sovteks sound almost as good..Don't rush into getting new tubes. Especially if you don't gig or record. Vintage 30 Celestion sounds good.

Using two Gibson SG's, a 61 reissue and a standard >Keeley mod blues driver > Keeley mod TS9 > clean channel of Traynor..Small set-up but sounds good for my smaller club gigs..I can achieve good tone at low volumes..I might try the Groove Tube Coke bottle power tubes at some point..I'd like to only have to use one pedal..I was thinking about getting an anolog delay such a maxon or ibanez but I'm not sure yet..Sometimes I use a Boss DD5 but only for a couple of Floyd covers..Otherwise, Mainly the keeley mod pedals..TO me, running the pedals into the clean channel sounds much better. The tone is fatter and well-rounded..Good stuff..The sound is very out front..Made my playing much cleaner..It will not mask your ability like a unit such as the POD or Boss multi-effects unit..I once tried a POD unit and did a run..Man, it was really good and I felt like I could do anything..HOWEVER< I was much more sloppy and it totally masked my true ability..I love tubes amps because they help you play more musical and tasteful..

Very reliable..well constructed..A+

Quality support..I had a question about the amp and they answered the same day via e-mail..Extremely nice..

Great alternative to fender or marshall..I've heard the new fender amps are very unreliable..I walked past a dude at Guitar Center and smelled the twin reverb he was playing through..The amp was smokin!! Literally! I guess he turned it off and tried the guitar through another amp..The traynor has a wonderful warranty and great service..IF you're looking for great tone at a small price, this is the amp..