Traynor YCV40-WR 112 Combo

2004 Features as per Traynor's Website. Has the basic features everyone needs. Could use a headphone jack.

75 Les Paul Custom, New Mexican Strat. This thing is unbelievably versatile. I go from "Hank to Hendrix" and this thing can do it all. Cleans are as close to perfect as you can get. Distortion goes from sweet to punchy to nasty. A definite "10".

Don't know. Only had it a couple of months. Seems built like a tank.

Heard it's great. Hopefully no nead.

Been playing 30 years. Amps include Crate and Fender Twin. Guitars, Les Paul Custom, Mexican Strat, Strat HM + acoustics. I actually got this to use for practice so I wouldn't have to lug the twin and so i would have more range on the lower volume end, but I can't go back to the twin. This thing is awesome and I can't see using a different amp.... ever. Also, FYI I changed the tubes to JJs. I also have a 1x12 cab that has a Celestion GH12-80. When I add that cab, this thing is LOUD.... but nice! Of course, it's hard to beat with the Celestion Vin 30 included. I love it.

follow up to the 12/29/2004 review...

This is the reason for the update: I got a "Legend Modeling 12" speaker from Eminence (Webervst.com has them) figuring it might reproduce the amp and guitar faithfully, based on the description. And it does; it actually beats the Celestion Vintage 30 that is stock in this amp.
It's not dramatic, but it's very noticeable: more of everything, a little smoother and less trebly and more harmonics. It's definitely worth the swap and fairly cheap. Requires removing the grille/cloth carefully with a sturdy metal putty knife or similar to gently release the pressure brackets. But not difficult; just work carefully. Rating a 10 becasue the improvement along with JJ tubes is impressive! But I've found a top notch speaker for 50-70 bucks is worth every penny. I've had 3 Eminence upgrades now, and I am convinced they beat Weber abd cannot be sure about Celestion (big order!). But this speaker definitely delivers the true tone.

continues to work flawlessly...

not likely to need it.

rated an easy 10 now; priced well and another 100 will get a set of JJs and Eminence to improve the Traynor easily 15-20% over stock.

2004, clean, gain, overdrive, reverb, presence, line out
40 watts of all tube!!!!!!!!!!!!! sounds killer....
i use this amp mainly for gigging. sounds great with the matching cab. way cool.

i use an epi dot (converted to lefty) with a bigsby, and a reissue airline (jack white styles..super cool) i use a vox wah, big muff, and boss compression. this amp does pretty much whatever i need it to do. from crystal clear to really fuckin dirty. very versitile.
distortion is very warm, not very metal...

i gig always without a real backup (i have a vox pathfinder) cause i'm broke as a joke. never had a problem. it even fell out of my truck once and no problems.

2 years no nonsense traynor warranty....you can throw it down stairs and they'll replace it

i've been playin for 5 years but i'm mostly a singer. i would certainly replace it if it were stolen. if i had the money.....
i love the looks. red wine leatherette...very retro...with the ext. cab its crazy looking.

Bought the amp brand new off ebay. 2 channels, clean and overdrive with a boost for the overdrive channel. Comes with stock sovtek tubes. 2 button footswitch for channel switching and boost function. Very cool looking design with the whole red wine color. Comes with effects loop and line for extension speaker. Loaded with one 12" Celestion Vintage 30 which is VERY COOL. A definate upgrade form the 70/80 in the previous model. I read a few people complaines about the footswitch cord being only 10 feet....this IMO is nit-picking and silly since you can use any length 1/4 cable with the switch. I also like the way the preamp tubes are protected above a metal plate. 40 tube watts....pretty loud but not as loud as my 40 watt vibrolux reverb. More than enough volume though for most live settings...I just love these guys who show up with their 100 watt stacks to play the average bar. 40 tube watts is more than enough...traynor sells an extention cab and for bigger shows I just mic the amp.

I play rock and blues and I dabble with guitar hero stuff like Satriani and Vai ect......my band basically plays blues and classic and hard rock with some original material. This amp had a nice clean channel...I would not compare it to my Vibrolux reverb clean sound but that would be asking too much of most amps. The clean channel stays clean until about 5 then starts to produce a nice bluesy grit. The amp is not as loud as some I've played at the 40 watt rating....I used to own a hot rod deluxe and I seem to remember that amp being louder. My Vibrolux is 40 watts and also seems louder but don't forget that it may seem louder because of the better coverage the 2 10" speakers provide. Needless to say...the amp is plenty loud to gig with unless your drummer is deaf or just a flat out idiot. The amp is very quiet. As for the overdrive channel....all I can say is you can't turn this thing on...put the gain on 10 and the volume on 1.5 and complain about the tone. If that's what you do then get a solid state amp and jam at high gan and low volumes till your heart is content. The overdrive channel on this amp starts to sound good at around 2.5 on the volume knob and sounds better with more volume. Also the gain increases with more volume(I know....duh...no suprise to tube enthusiasts). I found myself dialing in anything from a mild bluesy growl to a creamy hard rock distortion. This amp does not do heavy mid scooped death metal......thank God anyway. Whatever happened to mids anyway?

IMO, this amp needs just a little more gain to make it super sweet...to get into Satriani/vai territory. Don't get me wrong...with a decennt amount of volume you can get pretty close to Van Halenesque gain but not quite. That's why I ordered the high gain set of jj tubes from eurotubes. I am hoping this will add the little extra push the amp needs. I suppose you could get similar results with a pedal but I hat the sound of distortion pushing distortion...plus the whole Idea was for me to get rid of all my freaking pedals......I want nothing between me an pure tubes baby!!!

After I put them in and do a gig with them I will write a follow up review.

Well...only one gig so far and no problems. It will get it's share of work...so time will tell. Good warranty from Yorkville.

Good Warranty. Havent needed support yet.

I have been playing for 15 years, 8 professionally. I am looking for my own sound...not everyone elses. When I look around...I see one Fender or Marshall after the next. Fender is a decent value but Marshall and Mesa is out of control. My choices wer Peavey, Carvin or Traynor. I thought about getting a used Carvin legacy but I have an issue with owning signature amps...I mean...first off who is as good as Vai..certainly not me and why look like you want to be Vai. Peavey is cool but I chose Traynor.

Traynor seemed like a good value and I have a family so I can't be dropping $1500 on a overpriced combo amp. I love my vibrolux...but it is a one trick pony...great straight up for blues but I needed to run distortion pedals through it to try and get my sound. I once owned a hot rod deluxe...ended up running pedals through that...the OD channel on the Hot rod deluxe was horrible. This Traynor blows the Hot Rod away. Next I will be looking into the 4 10" 80 watt Traynor for my outdoor festival shows. Overall..I'd say this amp is a winner. I will post a follow up after I do the tube upgrade.

I finally picked up my traynor ycv40wr today, ordered it 2 weeks ago. "Was it worth the wait?", you may ask. Let me just say, first off, I ordered this amp, to have a dirty channel, and for the bass boost option.
Not really even caring about the clean at all. I am the proud owner of a pro junior, and have played through many other fender amps. I like playing jazz occasionally, and alot of my songs are really all open chord jazz standerd rip offs.
But man this amp shimmers, its the most vibrant brightest clean i have ever heard...the clean channel almost makes me forget i have a 2nd channel.

Enough about the clean though, the dirty is quite amazing on its own.. to get my dirty sound with the pro junior i had to resort to using a boss bd-2 blues driver, and it gave me such a nice sound, right down my alley. How does the traynor compare to the fender with bd-2 , it sounds better, tighter bass, crisper mids, and will go from the lightest overdrive to the meanest of plexi crunches. Can you throw metal at this thing, sure if you consider creed or nickelback metal...i personally dont play anything heavier than, old weezer blue album tunes, and it cuts through that classic 90's alt crunch just fine, with plenty of crunch to spare....with the boost engaged you can even get in light fuzz area.... This Amp is in one word, Amazing, highly versatile, and the reverb is great, the reverb can go from, nice little echo, to full blown, playing in a grain silo echo. Have i heard better reverb,sure, have i heard better dirty, sure , have i heard better clean, not with these ears, can you buy any of those amps that sound better for 630 dollars, not even close....if you want a class A boutique amp, and dont want to pay 3000 dollars, traynor is your amp.

Ive been playing for 12 years, this is the second amp i have owned. And if this one were stolen tommorow, i would replace it ASAP

2004 model as described below (12/20/2004) and I also swapped all the tubes for "JJ"s from EuroTubes (Bob Pletka is a really cool guy and delivers FAST and the tubes are priced right!). I got the standard full set and described my guitar style and guitar choices (custom Strats, Teles, P-90 PRS Santana SE) and Bob selected the set to fit that preference.

I agree this is a versatile amp; it is plenty loud for most rooms or clubs, looks great, and is well made and set up (the atterntion to detail is good). It's a very good buy at under $600 and much better if you get a tube upgrade.

I play clean mostly, with a tweaked Boss DD-5 delay (I am not a purist) and a Boss Blues Driver, also modded with the DIY kits from IndyGuitarist. This amp has a nice clean channel and the overdrive sounds smoother after the tube upgrade (very reasonable $). I will have to play this amp a while to get the feel of it because it is a different sort of sound than a Fender Princeton Reverb (you have to get an Eminence "Ragin' Cajun" 10-inch speaker for it if yu play Tele or Strat!). Some guys will say I'm cray to sell a Maz38 from Dr Z, but the Traynor is 1/3 the price and more versatile and I have other things to do with the $1,000 difference.
I rate this amp a '10' because it is versatile, loud, clean, and pretty quiet. I rate a '9' because I have a great sounding Princeton silverface and had a Maz38, so I have a tough comparison.

Everyone I have met who has owned them or knows the reputation says the Traynors are well built and reliable. I'll see!

N/A, but he warranty is very ambitious, so they must figure it's sturdy and reliable.

It is a fantastic value at under $600 with a really nice red cordura cover, and footswitch and you can kick it up a notch or 2 with a complete (5)tube upgrade. Apparently the "JJ" tubes available through EuroTubes.com are some of the very finest available and there are actually only a very few manufacturers of tubes out there today. And the "JJ" line are primo tubes. Bob Pletka is a cool guy and ships really FAST and has an impressive website. And he's helpful.
I had NEVER retubed an amp and there is no re-bias needed on this one. I literally did not know which tube was which, but read up at www.legendarytones.com to learn about the tube types and their numbering codes (6L6, ECC83, etc.), and that made it clearer. You can do this retube project easily if you work carefully and take your time. It's just removing a little metal hatch cover and replacing 3 tubes inside, making sure to align the pins correctly and then replacing the 2 large tubes (easily visible) with large 6L6 types. That's all! Make a good amp much better for about $55 and keep the originals as spares or sell them on eBay like me!

Brand new 2004 model. I've never used a channel-switchable amp before, and I find I really like that feature. It makes it a snap to go from clean, sparkly rhythm tone to louder, beefier solo tone. The reverb is pretty good, but not quite as substantial as Fender reverb - but I'm spolied since I already own a 1964 Fender outboard reverb! The amp would be improved by A.) a master volume (but I use the output knob on my compressor for that) and B.) tremelo. The amp is plenty good looking, although I think the winged Traynor logo is a bit cheezy. Retro winged logos are way overused these days, ever since Chrysler started using them on the PT Cruiser!

I bought this amp after being repeatedly blown away by the YCV40WR that a friend owns. Many reviewers compare it to Fenders and Marshalls; I dunno, it sounds more Vox-like to me, especially the clean channel. The amp is voiced with a sweet chimey midrange and treble, with not a lot of bottom - much like a Vox. It REALLY sounds amazing with vintage Rickenbackers and Gretsches. To get the most out of it, I took my friend's advice and swapped out the OEM Sovtek tubes for one of Eurotubes' custom sets of JJ tubes picked specially for this amp. Then, I run my guitar through a Jacques Fat Burner compressor set at about 3PM. The combination of Rick/Gretsch + Fat Burner + JJ tubes + YCV40WR makes for the creamiest, chimiest jangle this side of Dartford, UK! The gain channel is voiced with a bit more midrange punch, and sounds great for lead work (although I prefer the clean channel for rhythm work by far).

Seems very well-built, and Traynor's warranty is very good.

For the past few years I've been using a '63 Fender Bandmaster, which is a great amp to be sure. I like the Traynor better, which really surprises me. The Fender just doesn't have the chime and "air" that the Traynor has. With my '64 Rickenbacker 615 (strung with flatwounds) plugged into the compressor and Traynor, I can totally nail Pete Townshend's ringing, chiming one on the first Who album. The YCV40WR is simply one of the best amps around for Rickenbackers. I can also get very close to George Harrison's bell-like tone from "Beatles For Sale" with my '62 Gretsch Tennessean. These amps are an incredible bargain.

Brand new in 2004. Great looking wine red tolex and oatmeal grill cloth. Metal grill under the cloth - very nice. Two channels w/ separate tone controls. Single 12" Celestion speaker. Channel switching. Effects loop. I play mainly edgy Christian praise and worship and so need a good clean sound and a solid distorted lead tone. I mostly play in large churches and occasional outdoor events. As others have written, the knobs turn too easily thereby losing settings and the power cord is a detachable computer type that is too easily lost.

I use a modified Kramer strat w/ HSH pickups and a '79 Les Paul Custom. The amp provides a nice clean sound and 80's distortion. Based upon recommendations on Harmony-Central, I changed the stock tubes with JJ 6L6s and Electro Harmonix 12AX7s. HUGE IMPROVEMENT!! The amp will not produce Rectifier-type distortion, however the amp can really sing when cranked.

So far, no problems.

Not needed yet.

I've been playing 30 years. I own several other guitars, a 1981 Mesa Boogie Mark IIB, an old Marshall 4X12, and a Fender Princeton Chorus. I really like this amp so far. My Boogie is great, but way too heavy and too loud for my present needs. The amp should have a hard attached power cord and a cover. The foot switch is goofy but works.

Two footswitchable channel all tube amplifier - two power tubes, three preamps. Effects loop, but no mix control... no headphone out jack, and unlike the YCV20 and 80, there is no balanced XLR out - definitely a missed opportunity. The clean channel should have a gain pot. This model has a Celestion Vintage 30 instead of a Seventy 80. The 40 watts are enough power to keep up with a drummer, but don't expect the clean to stay "clean". The sounds with this amp are very versatile, and I purchased it to play heavy rock as well as jazz. It performs both well.

I have been playing through this amp with my 99' American Strat with hot rails on the bridge, as well as my early 03' Schecter C1 Classic.

This amp sounds absolutely great. It was bought as a replacement for my used Marshall TSL602 - I dug the sound (not the speakers though...) but couldn't handle the sketchy reliablity and bulk of the Marshall. The Traynor, however, sounds great.

First thing I did upon purchasing the amp was to invest in three Groove Tubes ECC83s, which improved the overdrive channel a lot (more British character). The break-up on the clean (and OD to some extent) was still very harsh, so I bought some Groove Tubes 5881s, and the amp now sounds absolutely fantastic.

Channel one is the overdrive channel, and has a very nice sound, very much between a Mesa and a Marshall. It lacks a lot of low end "chunk" due to the open back cabinet, but is still very articulated, and great for palm mutes. The "boost" on channel one is great for adding a little volume and "liquidy" gain to your solos, but don't think about using it for any rhythm work - it simply blends together in a pile of mush. As I said, it's great for smoothing out your solos, but is far from the "wiry" sound some people like.

Channel two is the clean channel. It has a separate eq, but is lacking a gain control... tough luck for those who like a pushed clean sound, but that can be taken care of in channel one with the gain set low. The beauty of this amp is that it retains its own character in both channels. Channel one is like channel two, but with more gain - a good thing in my opinion. I don't like the brightness option much, as to my ears, it sounds too much like a false treble boost, though it does help to bring out that blackface character.

The parametric equalizers do their jobs, and with the newer tubes in, the presence control works much better. Reverb is solid state, and a little harsh. For those who complain about not being able to turn it off entirely: simple unplug the RCAs from the reverb tank.

Please note that the "tone" of the amp is very transparent, especially for a tube amp. Guitars retain their characteristics very well, which can be good or bad, depending on what you are playing. I complared it side by side to a vintage Fender blackface Princeton (fitter with the same speaker) and it actually blew me away.

Overall, great sounding amp - crank the clean to 10 for some great classic rock if you want, this thing will really do whatever you need it to.

So far, very reliable. Did a jazz gig with it with no problems, but I do carry backup tubes and a backup solid state amp. I never want a repeat of an incident I had with my Marhsall...

Yorkville really does have great service. I sent them an email regarding modding the amp to el34s, and received prompt responses. 2 year unlimited warranty? Can't complain.

Fantastic amp. I can't complain about much. I'll be investing in the matching 1x12 extension cab soon. I 100% recommend.

40 watt all tube 2 channel with very effective treble, mid & bass eq for each, wonderful Accutronics reverb, presence control, brightness switch and foot switchable overdrive on the gain channel, almost like a 3rd channel. Celestion Vintage 30 12" speaker. Wine red with a cream colored speaker cloth that is installed over a metal grid. Best amp I have ever had and I have had some good ones.

I use this with my 73 Strat, newer Tele and Oscar Schmidt E30 ( great buy currently at Musicians Friend for $149 )This amp has a beautiful clean sound that really sparkles with the bright switch on, the reverb is so smooth it is unbelievable, reverb is usable all the way to around 9 on the dial befor the sound gets lost. All controls really do something, I can get a multitude of sounds out of this thing, makes all my guitars sound like they got a pick-up upgrade and it sounds great at low or high volumes. The gain channel has the creamyest tube distortion that sounds very nice at any volume, this amp rocks. My favorite amp up to this point was my 60's Fender Super Reverb but I truly like this much more, I can not believe how much tone this thing has. It has inspired me! Very open sounding & transparent, every note & nuance counts, I have said it is like a audio hologram.

Seems extremely well built, like a tank. Heavey solid cabinet, metal grill under grill cloth, chrome corner protectors all controls look & feel very high quality, has to be one of the best kept secrets and buys out there, like a souped up Deluxe Reverb for $300 less. I got mine for $499 at Acoustic Axis Instruments, I think it would be a true value at twice that price.

Never dealt with and probably won't have to but have heard the are top notch.

Been playing about 40 years now, have a Princton 65 DSP to fart around with but don't play it much unless I am in the mood for the efects. I would absolutely buy another of these if something happened to it, I imagine this thing will out last me. I had $1,000 to spend from the sale of another of my amps & I compared it to just about every 1-12 Tube amp out there and this amp blows them all away in sound, quality & tone.