Traynor YCV40-WR 112 Combo

*Eurotubes upgrade from stock Sovteks. you know already, minus 1 for not having another input or line out

used with G&L USA Legacy and Epiphone Elitist LP, clean channel sounds flat compared to my fender deluxe reverb reissue no matter what the EQ and presence settings. The reverb is also lacking the warmth of the deluxe. BUT the distortion with Eurotubes is OUTSTANDING - extremely smooth and musical, very very satisfying.

seems rock solid and comes with a great warranty

I've been playing for several years now and have finally earned enough money to build a respectable amount of gear. This amp loses points for it's flat clean channel. It breaks up at low frequencies way before higher ones (in other words, unevenly). This isn't the case with the deluxe reverb. Some have said that the clean is "fenderesque", but I'd have to strongly disagree. The distortion channel is great with Eurotubes, very smooth and musical.

Tubes, Footwitch between Clear and Overdrive channel. Control for gain on overdrive channel. Input for one guitar only. Also own extention cabinet.

I play a Mexican Stran with Kinman blues pickups. clean channel is fantastic. Very Fenderesque. I think the overdrive channel sounds better with the original Sovtek tubes, but the clean channel is better with Eurotubes replacements. Sound is very nice -clearly different from non-tube amps.

Unfortunately, something on the amp board (don't know the technical name) got fried within three weeks of my receipt of the amp. The tubes were fine, but the board had a smell of burnt something. I have never heard of this from anyone reviewing this product on the Internet, so hopefull it is an anomoly. However, my rating reflects this. Fit, finish and contractions otherwise perfect.

Sent it back to Musician's Friend. The company recommends using music stores, but they are too far to be convienient. There is a no-fault 2 year warrranty on everything and 10 years on some things.

Assuming my replacement works fine, I would defintely get another Traynor. The value can't be beat. I don't think it is the same as a full Marshall stack, as some have said, but individual guitars and effercts make such a huge difference.

I bought instead of Marshall or Mesa Boogies based on sound quality, price and reliability. I hope the last category improves for me.

Bought new in early '04. Details on all tech info can be found at http://www.yorkville.com/products.asp?type=32&cat=18&id=252.

Overall, this is a great amp. The Wine Red version lets you look different and sound different from everyone else out there.

The controls are very active, and allow a wide variety of sounds to be created. This amp has lots of treble, if you need it. Otherwise, the EQ gives the ability to shape the tone.

40w of tube power is plenty for clubs and medium size churches for both clean and overdrive. Beyond that, you'd use a mic anyway. Lower power means it's easier to get great sound at low volumes.

I play jazz, some blues and "latin" jazz/rock. I really don't push the overdrive real high, just enough to give a nice edge. It can turn out good loud distortion if you want it.

The stock Sovtek tubes are fine, but I replaced them with the Eurotubes' High-Gain package. Let me tell you, this is well worth the money. You get a much fuller clean sound and a smoother, more predictable overdrive.

The one thing I wish this amp had would be a master volume. It's a pain to set the individual channel volumes if you need your overall sound louder or softer.

I mostly play a Gibson ES-135, as well as an Austin AU786WR. I'm mostly playing jazz, some blues and "latin" jazz/rock/fusion. Most people compare the YCV40 to a Fender amp. Although it has some similarities, it is so much more. I'd say you get some Vox sounds out of it as well. Overall, just a nice rich saturation in the overdrive if you don't push it too far. Most people just want to blast, but this amp gives you so many tone options, so explore them all!
Great for jazz sounds with your own flair.

The best thing about tubes is that you can cut through all the other sounds around you and be heard, without resorting to shear volume. At my church, I play in a 6 piece rock band with horns and a 5-person choir. When I need to be heard, I am heard. It isn't because of volume, but the tubes in this great 40w amp.

As Traynor advertises, this amp is really quiet. Great for recording because all you hear is the music.

A note on the clean channel. Some people have complained that the clean channel breaks up when turned up loud. This is to be expected, and even desired. The bottom line is that you get plenty of clean volume before it breaks up, somewhere around halfway up the volume knob. But if you really needed clean volume beyond that, you should be using a mic anyway, or go to the 80w version. The breakup is predictable and sounds great. You can get a great Mark Ribot sound doing this. Remember, the original overdrive sound was from driving a clean channel, as overdrive channels hadn't been added yet.

I've only gigged this on a limited basis, but so far have had no problems. The construction is solid and the 2-year warranty about says it all. Every time I turn it on , I get great sound. I have a Line 6 POD as a backup, but haven't had to use it for backup.

This is one of the reasons I bought this amp. When I called Traynor, people I spoke with were willing to take the time to answer my many questions and explain their product. I haven't had to deal with any repair or warranty issues, but I would bet that they would take care of any problems.
Again, look at the 2 year unlimited warranty. Traynor is serious about building a quality product that is a good value. So much music equipment is overpriced, it's really refreshing to find a product like this.

I've been playing guitar for 25 years, and this is the first amp I've bought new. Everyone who checks it out thinks it's great. I'd definitely buy another one.
When buying an amp, or any other piece of musical equipment, trust your ears and buy on tone, forget about the label. This amp is as good or better than brands costing quite a bit more.

Yet another follow up from Tommy Larson...

YCV 40 owners: Go out and buy the English Muff'n pedal from Electro Harmonix. They're expensive ($190 from Musician's Friend), but the two were made for each other.

My Traynor is now a Marshal plexi. Yes, I'm the same guy who said that people who exaggerate shouldn't post their uninformed ramblings on this site, but I'm not bullshitting here; this is the tone that shaped Led Zeppelin and AC-DC, among others.

I've removed most of my pedals and now run a Gibson through a TS808 and the English Muff'n into my Traynor. I don't try to approxiamte Jimmy Page's and Angus Young's tone - no need to - I've got it! Feel free to contact me at the address below to discuss the amp and/or how I use the Muff'n (gain set on "0", scooped mids).

You've heard about the sweet tone produced by early Marshall Plexis? This is it. I was floored. My bandmates are reevaluating their equipment.

I'd take these two indestructable components (the Traynor and the Muff'n) anywhere.

Traynor always answers emails quickly and their warranty says it all.

Alone, the YCV 40WR and the English Muff'n will end up as coveted components. Together, they'll put Marshall out of business (not really, because there will always be people who want one. But for those of us who don't have $3000 to drop on a head and cab, the difference is imperceptible.

As I said earlier, I loved my aTraynor before, but it was missing something. The English Muff'n was (is) it. I'm not on their payroll, but I'm more than happy to shout out "this combination is the shit!" Use the money you were going to spend on the WR extension cab and buy this pedal!

Follow up to previous review. Thank you fellow Traynor owners (and Yorkville) for your input!

Set up:
Gibson Les Paul Jr. into...
Korg tuner
Guaytone sustain
Wah pedal
TS-808.

Guyatone chorus and Guyatone Delay go through the FX loop.

My posting below dealt with how crappy the 40WR behaved when we did an outside gig. Well, after alot of reader feedback and some investigation, I've learned - get ready for this - that outdoor gigs are hard on amps! I was panicing because the amp that sounded so great during practice sounded like crap once turned past six outside.

Well, here's what I've learned since:

It's only 40 watts. Playing it outside with a lound band was simply pushing it too hard (even with the extension cabinet).

A good mic (and proper placement) goes a LONG way. Most everyone that doesn't own a stack needs to mic in certain situations. The YCV40 sounded BIG once I learned a few tricks.

Memorize you knob settings because they turn easily during transportation. Always check them after set up to make sure they're wher they should be. Like someone said earlier, a gentle breeze is capable of moving them. Ha!

Use the FX loop. The delay and chorus shine now that I run them through the loop.

Get it off the ground.

Make sure that you are using speaker cable when connecting to a cabinet. I was using instrument cable and loosing an important touch of tone. This may sound rudimentary, but it's important.

The type of guitar you use and the tubes you replace the originals with GREATLY affect channel 2's headroom. Read the other postings carefully to see how the owners retubed and what they play. I am using the blues package from Bob at Eurotubes and the break-up begins at 11 O'clock (mostly because of my LP Jr.'s P-90's, I suspect). I've gotten more headroom playing a Strat, but I so much enjoy being a Gibson bad boy...

This thing in bomb-proof.

Yorkville was one of the first to respond to my cries for help after the outdoor gig. I also received some very helpful tips from fellow Traynor owners (Thanks again, guys).

After a bit of hesitation, I'm back to loving by wine-red tone box. I wish a cover came with the amp and cabinet, though.

2005. Made in Canada. 40 watt, all tube, 2 channel 1x12 combo. 3 12AX7's up front (two preamp and the phase inverter) and 2 5881's. Reverb is solid-state driven. The 12" speaker is a Celestion Vintage 30, and the amp is covered in a very nice, wine red/ox-blood. Channel 1 is distortion and Channel 2 is clean. Channel switching via top panel on amp itself or through supplied footswitch. Footswitch controls channel switching and switching "Boost" on/off in distortion channel. Series effects loop .

The amp has plenty of features for anyone who is looking a pretty nice tube amp. In a perfect world, it would have a headphone jack, a DI out for recording, and the footswitch would also control reverb on/off, but we don't live in a perfect world, and those features don't really matter much to me.

I don't gig or play in a band, just play the guitar for my own enjoyment and musical endeavors, and I can't see where you would need more than 40 watts. On full-tilt, I have shaken pictures off the walls in my house...so you can imagine the decibel level.

I play a bunch of different styles, from really clean, melodic, acoustic type stuff to hard, driving distortion alla Incubus, Alice in Chains, STP, etc. At the moment, I am playing either my homemade Strat with the Fender 57/62 pickup set and a LTD EC-1000 with Duncans (59/JB). My rig is set-up as follows...

Guitar > EH Black Finer Tube Compressor > Amp

Pretty simple set-up at the moment, but it suits me just fine. A quick note before I get into the awesome sounds this thing is capable of...I have replaced all of the tubes in the amp, going for a NOS Mullard 12AX7 in V1, and NOS GE 12AX7 in V2, a balanced JJ ECC82S in V3, and two JJ 6L6GC's in V4 and V5. I also have a Weber MiniMass attenuator between the output tranny and the speaker.

Anyways, let me just say that this amp is outstanding. The clean channel is very clean, all the up to around 7, where is starts to break up. Not alot of breakup though, even at max volume on the clean channel, so I am looking at a Tube Screamer from Analog Mike to get it over the top into SRV territory. The amp does a great job of cleaning up without loosing alot of volume when you back off on the guitar. Don't really know what else to say about the clean channel. It's not an EL84 or 6V6 clean, but I like it just fine.

Now this is where it gets really good. Channel 1 is better than I could have imagined. With the boost OFF, gain maxed and volume around 6, I get a great classic rock type distortion with both my axes. Very rich harmonically, great sustain, no complaints. With the boost ON, and the same settings on the amp, I get what I would describe as the best sounding modern distortion I have ever heard. I know some of you will call me crazy, and go ahead, but I wouldn't pay the money for a Dual Rec after playing through my Traynor. Might not win on volume, but the distortion is just a badass. Einziger's Dual Recto's and Cantrell's Bogners don't sound any better than this amp in my opinion. Playing lead with the boost on is fantastic...nice harmonic content and decay. Singing, voilin-like tone...it's absolutely amazing.

Can't say a whole lot about the amp's reliability, because it doesn't go out of my house at the moment. I haven't had any problems what-so-ever with it. It's built very well, weighs a good deal, and I would definitely trust it in a gig-type situation.

I emailed Traynor once about the way the bias works on the amp. The told me that it's cathode-biased, so the circuit biases itself based on the tubes you put in it. Got a response very quickly. Can't beat the two year, "even if you break it" warranty.

I have been playing for a little over 5 years now. This is my third amp, up from a Fender Frontman 15R and a Marshall AVT20. I have found myself a sleeper here folks, and if it were ever lost or stolen, I would probably buy it again. I say probably because I am getting into tube amp kits, so I might be out of the mass production market pretty soon. I love everything about this amp, the way it looks, the way it feels, and the way it plays and sounds.

Like I said earlier, I would put this amp up there with the best of them, well, maybe not some of the hand-wired boutique amps. I see absolutely no reason to pay $1500-$2000 for a PCB amp like a Mesa when the tone is all right here for $659 retail...you might be lucky and find one on eBay for $499 like I did.

Open back 40 watt combo, designed and manufactured in Canada. Two channels (Clean + Brightness / Drive + Lead Boost), footswitch provides switching between all of these functions except Brightness (won't need it). Includes f/x loop and speaker out. Separate low-mid-high for each channel while Presence and Reverb (Accutronics) are global. Vintage 30 driver, red tolex exterior, oatmeal cloth cover backed up by a protective metal grille. Tubes = 3) 12AX7 pre + (2) 6L6 power. Class A/B amp with autobias feature. I believe this was included to tame any crossover distortion related to grossly mismatched or aging power tubes, less efficient, but nice. Comprehensive 2-year warranty.

Guitars are MIJ RG570, MIK ASAT Classic, and MIK AES620. I play mainly rock, hard rock, and classic rock as well. Not much of a jazz player, but I try here and there. =) This amp covers rock, blues, and jazz quite well. It takes pedals pretty well, so the clean channel can be utilized to taste for that purpose. The Vintage 30 is very well matched to this amp, nice job Traynor.

First off, I give the clean channel a solid "10", especially given the price range. You could do much much worse, and not much better for a clean channel this nice at this price. As mentioned by others previously, the clean channel may break up when driven above "5" or so depending on picking/strumming dynamics and relative output of your pickups. I find that if I keep my touch in check however, it will pretty much stay clean til I dig in. This amp responds to your pick dynamics as a tube amp should, so be prepared for that if you're accustomed to solid state.

The drive channel is pretty darn decent, once again, considering the potential here for a 2 channel amp under 6 bills. It's also very quiet compared to most any drive channel I've heard on other combos. It can go from mild dirt and breakup to all out gain laden crunch. Metalheads, you'll do better with a pedal through the clean channel. There's a sweet spot for hard overdrive distortion on this channel, somewhere between 1 and 3 o'clock imo. The lead boost is useful as well, gets you out front. You can gig with this combo too, it's got plenty of volume for a 40 watt. Obviously in larger venues, a mic'd cab will be necessary. Bedrooom volume on the o/d channel is totally possible, say with the gain between 6-8 and volume around 2.

One thing I noticed is some slight low level hiss on the clean channel that totally disappears when I switch to the dirt. This was a little odd as I'm accustomed to hiss or noise on the o/d channel on most amps, not the clean. At any rate, it's not so significant that it would interfere on stage imo, but if you mic the clean channel for recording purposes, you'd want to gate using the DAW.

I'll award a "9" because I think this amp earns it overall for sound. The overdrive is actually useable, if somewhat generic. Players will tend to use the pedals/fx they want anyway, so I look at the overdrive channel as secondary for sound. I really love the clean channel, and that's where this amp scores very high with me. The EQ is also flexible enough for tweaking your sounds to suit various styles. Point deducted for the slight hiss on the clean channel. My thought is if they could make the o/d channel 'that' quiet, why not the clean? Also, the reverb control is a tad spotty as to when it makes itself heard, but this is a very nitpicky point on my part. As with many amps, there's a sweet spot for this control, and once you find it, you'll just leave it that way. Be warned that the control knobs can be moved by slight breeze however, so keep your settings in mind once you settle in with this amp. Overall, this amp is a killer value, and there aren't many current production combos out there that can touch the clean channel on this thing without spending LOTS more. It's a plug and play unit, no muss no fuss. If you love the sound of your guitar, you will love the sound of the clean channel on this amp.

Cannot rate yet, have not had the amp long enough. What's worth considering though is how this warranty stacks up when compared to some of the competition, and I think Traynor scores points here. It also seems pretty well put together from a design and construction standpoint, particularly in this price range. From what little poking around I've done already, I'd bet it would be relatively straightforward to service this amp. Traynor posts service diagrams and manuals on their site, nothing to hide. The preamp tubes look like a pain to swap, but the power tubes are easily accessible.

Dealt with them one time before making a purchase. They were responsive and seemed nice enough. I'll rate a 9 based on that as many reviewers before me seem to have a favorable impression.

I would get this amp again if stolen, I dig it. I think it's an ideal choice for a first tube amp as well. I'm jonesin' for a Trademark 60 on the ss side of things for recording and better low volume disto, but this Traynor really hit the spot for a sweet sounding tube combo. I like that I can play this at night with others in the house at low volumes while still sounding decent too, though the amp does get sweeter at higher volumes. What tube amp doesn't? The key thing is, you don't need to crank it for a good sound, though it loves the 4-6 range. For dorm rooms or close quarters though, I'd probably steer buyers to Roland, Vox, or Tech 21 for decent sound at low volume. Overall, I'll give a 10 because it's really tough to beat in this price range.

We played and outdoor gig last night and I had to crank the clean channell. It sounded terrible. I was really blown away because it sounded so warm around the "4" volume. At 4.5 it started to break up (like a tube amp should), but at 5 it just sounded like garbage. Anybody have ideas?

I bought the extension cab to open the sound a little, but with such a small amount of headroom, I'm thinking that I might have to mic the amp at a lower level. :(

amp was made 2004. 2 channels. clean channel with brightness bwitch. overdrive channel with boost switch. everything switchable with footswitch. you can use the boost function as a 3rd channel. serial effects loop. clean channel: treble, mids and bass. overdrive channel: treble, mids, bass. presence for both channels. accutronics spring reverb.

I play mostly blues, funk, soul, rock and alternative. used to have a mesa boogie dc-3 amp for 7 years. always thought it sounded good but a little bit boxy and not too open and lively. changed the tubes, still the same. went to the guitar shop and accidently tried the 20 watts version of this traynor combo and was totally blown away by its sound. sold the mesa, bought the traynor and changed the tubes to: 2x SED 6L6, 2x JJ12ax7 and 1x tt12ax7. the sound is absolutely awesome. never heard something like this before. the amp brings out the essential sound of your guitar whether it sounds shitty or brilliant! my fender stratocaster plus deluxe sounds like it should now! the only thing i do like less about this amp is the pretty strong bass of the clean channel. does not seem to be pretty well balanced. always play with bass on 0. another thing is the hissing sound of the clean channel. depending on the preamp tubes you use theres a quite strong hiss there. i don care about this as long as the amp keeps on singing like that!

the future will show...but i think its built like a rock. lets see.

did not have any experience with the traynor guys so far.

LOVE IT and will not give it away! try this thing if you want to improve your sound and bring live to your tone! fender (deluxe reverb reissue) does not come close to this thing and it is cheaper! a must buy!

2 Channels, 40 watts, cool red cover

I have a Les Paul Standard, PRS Santana SE, Fender Tele with P-90s, and a custom Strat. I play mostly Classic Rock. This amp is plenty loud for any club and has unbelievable tone. It has the best clean sound I ever heard. I also have a regular YCV40 with the black cover and it sounds nearly identical to the YCV40WR.

I've own 2 Traynors for over a year and have never had so much as a hint of static.

Let me say one thing. I left feed back on the Yorkville website and received an email a few days later thanking me for my Opinion. When have you heard anything like that from Fender, Marshall, or Peavey.

I just wish it had a parallel effect loop. Other than that, I wouldn't want any other amp.