Traynor YCV40T 210 Combo

I've had this amp for 2 years. I own a 1969 Fender Princeton Reverb and was worried about taking a vintage amp on the road and I wanted something with abit more power for small to medium sized gigs. Bigger shows you obviously just mike the amp through the PA. I also didn't want to spend a fortune on the amp as I'm not a pro musician. I tried quite a few different combos but I really love the clean Fender tube sound. For some reason the YCV40T had just what I was looking for. Clean sound when needed and nice warm overdrive when pushed a little harder.
The big problem with this amp are the stock Celestion Tube 10" speakers it comes with. Give it nay kind of volume above 5 and they just start to break up. Low notes are just a disaster with heavy bass chords just producing a miserable "farting" sound.
the solution for me was simple - get rid of the amp and buy a Fender Deluxe Reverb or upgrade the speakers. After researching speakers I replaced them with Eminence Red Coat Ramrods. They are rated at 75w each and this amp has been totally transformed into a stunning combo. The weight did increase quite a bit but it's still a very portable combo.
The clean channel is great the overdrive channel is quite nice but you have to set the gain control carefully.
The reverb is a typical Accutronics spring reverb unit but it totally lacks the depth of the unit in my old Princeton amp so I don't use it at all - relying on the revrb from my Boss GT8 multi-effects processor.
This amp can deliver a fantastic sound ( replace the tubes it comes with for some good quality tibes and you will be amazed at the tone!

I use a 1976 hardtail Strat, a 2008 Am Standard Strat, 1977 Yamaha SG1000 and this amp is great for rock, country, pop etc. Just play with the tone controls and it will deliver.
There is a presnce control which works well and there is a "Brightness" switch for the clean channel that really makes the amp sparkle like a Fender. The provided footswitch allows you to select between the clean/overdrive channels and this works very well. There is also a boost feature switch for the overdrive channel. I find this "BoostS" the volume too much for soloing and the boost level is fixed.This can be a nuisance.
The clean channel will overdrive nicely at high volume but will ot break up woth the Eminence speakers. The overdrive channel will give any level of distortion you need, but I also use the distortion on my GT8 to really give the varaition I need

I would and do use this amp as my only gigging amp. I probably should take a back-up with me but I also own the band's PA so I have a huge amount of gear to move. Worst case I'd just go out of my GT8 direct to the PA!
This amp is solid as a rock and Traynor's unlimited 2 year warranty was definitely a very attractive deal at the time I bought it

2 years. Traynor even claimed they would replace the complete amp if you somehow physically destroyed it!
Never needed to call on any aspect of the warranty when it was still under it.

Been playing 35 years. It seems this amp is no longer made but I would certainly replace it with another Traynor.To my mind this is a great little working amp at a fraction of the price of a Fender.

My first review is below and all features have been covered before

Now I put a set of JJ in there and took it to practice and the stock speakers sounded very good with pedals and the second channel, last week my wife bought me 2 eminece rajun cajuns and i put them in there and Ive never heard in my 40+ years of playing so much sweetness, overdrive channel was used very lil by itself, now u don't need pedals. Im so in awe right now, cant wait to plug her in

not sure yet

I did have a rattle issue and I fixed it myself, the plate for the preamp tubes was rattling, i took it out

with speaker and tube change and the price these are going for, its well worth it
Only thing a Fender Deluxe 65 RI does better is the tube reverb

Just bought this from a local store, sat around since 2004. I go in there alot, plugged into it and loved the 2x10 sound.
2 separete channells, with a worthless boost as they all are. 2/10in Celestion 10's @ power tube 3 preamp, wish it had a master on clean or overall master volume

I use Strats, Anderson and Shur guitars. Clean is realll close to Fender with brite switch on or turn treble up a bit.
Nice but hard to describe o/d channel, kinda smooth. waiting for the tube 10 speakers to break in to see if i will replace them, prob will anyway.
Amp seems to have alot of bass responce from the cabinet and speakers

Just got it, seems well built, i'd gig w/o a backup

emailed them once and sent me to a guy who retails out of his house, He loves these amps but knew nothing about the product

Been playing since i was 8, going on 53 now, blues rock based player, lil jazz,country.
I have a Fender Blues Jr, A Fender'65 deluxe reverb ri, heavily modded[awesome amp].

I got this for what a Fender blues jr cost. also have a blues Jr. This is a new amp, just sat in the store several years,I wanted somthing w/ 2/10's and coulndnt see buying a vibrolux.
I put a set of JJ tubes in it and the amp came alive. Stock tubes are usually junk in all amps I have seen. Im prob wouldnt buy it again but then again I dont keep stuff long, taking it to practice tonight.
I use only high end o/d pedals, courious to see what the fulldrive 2 sounds thru it. Really need to change out the speakers..these are rated 94db, i think they sound confused now I have good tubes in it.
Ill bust 'em a new 1 tonight.

Nice tube amp. Two channels with boost - each with pedal activation. Effects loop is quiet. Very versatile amp that cleans up well and makes enough "crunch" to satisfy most players' needs. Used with a Strat - treble boost is rarely used. You have to drop out the chassis to change the pre-amp tubes, but that's not a really big deal - and they are well-protected. Speaker jacks are in an awkward place - but I don't drive extra speakers, so it doesn't bother me.

No noise! This is a quiet amp; you will hear some "hum" with the boost on, but it isn't prominent. Clean is very good - not quite Fender clean, but danged close. The OD is good as well - the boost is too much for my style - Doobies, Babys, etc. - but it sounds good. I must note that I changed out the Celestion Tube 10 speakers and installed Jensen P10Qs - This change really brought this amp alive! Nothing wrong with the Tube 10s; for my taste they just have that "darker" sound to them. The Jensens made a huge difference in my sound.

Well-constructed amp. I haven't had the amp very long, nor have I gigged with it, but this amp is put together well. I would gig this amp without a backup with no worries.

Excellent! I had a question about channel switching and speakers. I sent an e-mail to Traynor and received my answer within an hour. Traynor also sent some follow-up information - great service to a guy who bought their product used.

I have played guitar for 35 years. I have played the same Strat since 1974. I have owned Fenders, Peaveys, Kustoms, Polytone, and Marshall. I heard my guitar through these amps and more. While I am a "Fender man", this amp - with the Jensen upgrade - is the most versatile amp I have owned. It really makes my Strat sing. I can dial in the sounds I need; I can easily change from the Dire Straits sound to Sammy Hagar. I bought this amp on the recommendation of my amp tech - I gave him my budget and asked what gave me the most bang for the buck? He recommended the Traynor and I am glad he did. This is a great amplifier.

2 Channel tube amp - 6L6 power tubes, 3 12AX7 pre amp tubes. Effects loop, extension speaker out. Standby switch. 2 X 10 inch Celestion Tube 10 speakers. Really all the features you need.

First of all, let me say I think an 8 is a very good score. I like the clean channel and the overdrive channel. The clean is not quite a Fender Deluxe Reverb clean, but close. The boost on the overdrive channel is also very nice to have. I had some "white noise" on the clean channel, but replaced the preamp tube for it (V1 if I recall), and that took care of the problem. Very little noise for a tube amp, really none to speak of. Sounds great with all four guitars I have - A G&L Tribute Classic ASAT (recently modded with the Fender Baja switching system), a Classic 60's strat that is modded, a American strat and Sheraton Epi that has Seymor Duncan pickups (JB and 59). Works well with other overdrive pedals, too. Only thing I do not like is it is a little raspy (or something) on the overdrive channel. I've been unable to put my finger on it, but the best way I can describe it is to say it is not as warm as I'd like. Also, reverb is OK, but I wouldn't rave about it.

Very well built and sturdy. Never a problem with it (I've had it over 3 years). Only downside is the controls turn very easy - feel flimsy. I don't think there is any problem with that, but it does surprise me from time to time when making adjustments, just don't expect it to feel the way it does. Difficult to change tubes, but you know they are protected, which is good. Speaker jack in an ackward plave, but not a real big deal once you get used to it.

I've contacted Traynor a number of times with speaker and tube replacement questions. Both by e-mail and telephone. Always very helpful and knowledgeable. I think they are a very good company that stands by their products. I'd buy another Traynor without hesitation, if it had the sound I was looking for at the time.

Very solid amp with good versatility. I read somewhere that these amps were Traynor's answer to the Fender HRD series. I think these YCV40's are a lot better than the Fender HRD's. I haven't owned a HRD, but played a number of them at various music stores. Good company when you have support questions.

I bought it new about two and a half years ago, so I guess it's 2003/2004. I find a decent clean and mid gain sound and eq it to the club's acoustics and leave it there all night. So I guess it's versatile in the fact that I can cue it to alot of different rooms pretty quickly. It's got two seperate channels (clean/dirty) and a gain boost for solos which is preset. There's an effects loop. It's short a master volume and a headphone/line out. Two power tubes, three preamp. So I like how little a re-tubing costs compared to re-tubing you messa or something.

First off, like many other's have already said the tubes that come in this thing aren't the best, I've put in sovteks and groove tubes since and both really made a huge difference, sticking with groove tubes though. I personally think the speaker is junk too. I loaded an old 70's traynor 2x12 with some speakers out of a junked fender twin, wired the cab to input one 8 om load to each speaker, so I just disconnect the speaker in it and run both outs to the cab. It obviously doesn't have alot of sounds to it, compared to modeling amps and all that. It's just a tube amp and you gotta tweak it into whatever the best straight up tone you can get is. I play a Tele and a Les Paul, I like 60's and 70's guitar tones, and I find this amp does deliver a good warm sound with a musical breakup to the tubes. Cranking the preamp gain makes the amp sag a bit I find, but it doesn't get harsh, it gets thick. I personally think the solo gain is set too high and never use it. There is no clean channel once you turn it up, you get more of a rolling stones rythm guitar sound, but I dig that.

It's a pretty tough amp all and all, I gig most weekends and lug it around to lessons and rehersals everyday and the only problem I had was a design flaw with a compacitor I think? Easy fix anyways.

I want to say it's a two year warranty. When I had the above mentioned issue I sent an email even though my warranty was up, and Guy Besford emailed me back that day with a schematic of what to do. I was impressed.

I've been playing 20 years, other amps I've had are a fender75, a crap mid-eighties twin, and an old traynor custom reverb. The traynors are the ones I've kept, I like 'em. Of course I've played way nicer amps but for what I can actually afford to spend on gear, this was the best amp for me.

This is a great with some standard features work well. The channells are seperate and have good eq systems. The reverb is really nice but I wish I could have seperate ones for each channel. The boost adds a lot of bass to my amp which makes it sound pretty bad, I never use the boost just an overdrive. This amp is pretty loud and the volume has never gone past 4, enough to blast people out of the room. I wish it did have a master volume control.

I love the sound of this amp. The clean is very sparkly and nice, it just sings. The distortion is great for music of the 60's and 70's but you probably need to overdrive it if you want the best distortion. The amp alone is not noisy at all ( doesn't feedback when I have the gain on ten) but if you use the boost it gets bad. I have hum canceling active EMG pickups so it plays a part in that. This amp is great for most music styles from Jazz to metal.

this amp has never put any problem, it's reliable.

no basis for judgment.

Overall this is a damn good amp that sounds great, has tons of volume, and is cheap for a tube amp.

The one biggest feature this baby is missing that annoys the crap outta me, in my opinion, is a master volume knob!!! Other than that, separate EQs on drive and clean channels are great, reverb, FX loop, etc... I dont seem to notice the presence knob doing much, but then again i never understood what presence did anyway so... Also, the speaker out jack is annoyingly placed deep under the cabinet, which is also frustrating. Finally, the knobs turn way too easily, making it very easy to accidentally mess them up if someone brushes up against the amp. Note that this version of the amp is a 2x10.

In a nutshell, this amp has got some sweet cleans, close to a Fender Blues Deluxe, but not exactly, and a nice overdrive that's very versatile, but more vintage in sound (which i wanted). I find it very articulate and clear, and it really lets my choice of guitar shine through. That being said...

I use two main guitars, the first being a Fender Lite Ash Telecaster. With this guitar, the amp produces some incredible cleans, wow. Again keep in mind it's not a Fender clean, but very close, especially considering the price tag and versatility this amp gives you. Very low noise on both channels. The drive channel is great with the Telecaster for a light overdrive at about 6, but cranking the gain to 10 leaves something to be desired. Although noone is claiming this amp to be a metal amp, the drive just wasnt saturated enough to sound nice and full with the Telecaster.

Enter the second guitar, an Ibanez S370 with Dimarzio Super Distortion Bridge. One thing i will say is that i tried this guitar with a Fender Blues Deluxe, which broke up terribly at decent volume on the clean channel with my bridge pup, but the Traynor did marvelously well up till at least a 4 or 5, which is mostly loud enough for band playing in any bar or pub. I havent really tried it at higher volumes beyond that. What really makes the amp shine with this guitar though is the drive channel, which distorts beautifully with the Super Distortion bridge pup. I compared it side by side with my JCM800 2210 head, and i found the drive channel sounding quite similar tonewise, with the Traynor having a bit of top-end trebly harshness that the JCM800 didnt. For comparison purposes, the cranked Traynor drive was a bit less heavy than the cranked JCM800 drive.

So yes, not a metal amp, but with the right guitar/pickup, you can get a pretty sweet drive tone out of this amp, which i couldnt with a Fender Blues Deluxe.

Also, the boost button on the drive channel makes for a nice lead tone (though too bassy for rhythm).

No idea, i've only had it for about 3 weeks, used it in a few practices and one gig, no problem with it yet.

No idea.

Ive been playing 13 years now. I own 3 guitars, 2 of which were mentioned above, and a crappy Fender squire strat. I own 3 amps now, this one, a Marshall JCM800 2210 head, and a Fender RocPro. I'd definitely buy it again if it was stolen. It's not my dream amp, but for the price, it's quite versatile, got great cleans, and a pretty good drive channel, so i love it. Great gigging amp for the money. Like i said, biggest complaint is the lack of a master volume knob. When shopping for this i tried out every amp in a close price range i could get my hands on, including a Marshall DSL100, Peavey, Soldano, Line 6, Fender, etc... I also tried out the other variations of this amp, eg the 1x12 with a Vintage 30 speaker in it, and one thing i noticed, in my opinion, was that i liked the 2x10 configuration better because the Vintage30 gave out a much more soft warm clean tone, which in my experience doesnt cut through the mix as well, whereas the 2x10 had a much more solid bold round clean tone (i experienced this same conundrum when comparing a Marshall DSL100's clean tone to my Marshall JCM800's, respectively).

THis amp was made in 2006. Bout brand new for #617.00.
I bought it because it had three different variations that could be set from the footswitch something that my current ams did not have, (Orange, Vox,).
We play everything from Jazz, through Blues and Rock but not metal and this amp supplies me with the sounds I need for everything except for acoustic work.
2 Channels with a booster switch on the first channel. Effects loop which can also be used as a DI out.
It has all the features that I need as I prefer simple amps with not much fiddling about. The old Vox AC30 is just great but quite limited. So this amp fills a needed gap.
I use this amp in our band Moontagu in small to larger gigs and it has enough power for any job given that mostly we go through the PA as well at larger gigs.
This is an all tube amp with the exception of the rectifier stage which is solid state. 2 X 6L6 and 3 X 12AX7.
Comes fitted with Sovtek tubes which MUST be thrown out before you even turn this amp on!!! And also you MUST spend some more money and buy some decent speakers before even listening to it, otherwise, like me you will think that you have bought a melon! Put some Jensen PQ10s into it and it sings. Even better with an extension cab.
Which brings me to the point of the extension cab. The socket for which is right under the amp and is very difficult to get at without actually tipping the whole amp on its front so that you can see where you are putting the plug. A bad design fault in my opinion. And the little push button stand-by switch is really el-cheapo and I do not know how long it will last.
Reverb is nice, but you have to have it up pretty far in order to actually hear it. However, it adds a nice ambience when on a low setting.
I changed the tubes to Electro-Harmonix 6L6GC's and 3 X JJ 12AX7's and you should be prepared to spend some money in this way as this amp is almost unusable as it comes from the box! SO be warned.
However, once the mods have been done and the extension cab is plugged in (Jensen 12" PQ12N), my opinion is that it is as good as most amps for double the price. My Orange Rocker 30 is so sweet but it doesn't have reverb. So this one is a gem once the mods have been done. The FEATURES right out of the box are good but the amp is not useable as it is.

I use all P90s now and these sound just perfect with the amp with mods. The humbuckers tend to be a little too powerful for it as it has a huge lower end which can blow the front off your speakers and will do if you do not change them to something more powerful. The stock Celestion 10's are only a total of 40 W and you need at least double to actual wattage of the amp in any amplifier.
It is one of the cleanest and noise free amps I have owned, even with the single coils, provided that you do not stand right near it, it is nose free almost, compared to my Orange ROckeverb 50, it is really noise free!
THis amp has a multitude of different sounds because of the 3 stage switching, bright switch and brilliance knob, although this knob seems to do nothing!
The clean channel will distort nicely at higher volumes, but you would never use it at full throttle anyway as it is quite loud.
The distortion can be anything from a nice little break up to a full on metal jacket potatoe!

Just bought it three weeks ago so give it some time, although it has a PCB it is one of the better ones provided you do not press the tunes in too hard and treat it harshly as they are right on the PCB! Which is never really good.
Really difficult to get at the 3 12AX7's though. You have to take out a metalplate and then they are placed such that you have to be a yoga teacher to get them back in!
Also, the back of the amp has a non-removeable lower piece which makes it difficult to get the speakers in and out. Really difficult if you do not have the correct small screw driver for the speakers as you have to get under the amp template and need a short fat phillips srew driver of exactly the correct size as the screws are of poor quality and burr really quickly. I though at one stage that I would have to saw the speakers out!
The metal front grill (hidden under swome nice Fenderish sound material) does not seem to bother the sound.
There is some vibration at lower frequencies and higher volumes but I am trying a set of much higher wattage Cenestions to see if this solves the problem.

Have not had any reason to contact them as yet.

Beenplaying for 45 years. Amps I use and have had in the past: Vox, Engl, Orange, Fender, Gretch, Laney, Marshall, Mesa Boogie, Univox, I have had them all basically. GUITARS: Also had em all. Dean, Fender, Gibson, Epiphone (when they were great and made in the USA), Grestch also from when they were great), Ovation, Martin, Burns Bison, Burns Marvin, Burns Tri-sonic, Burns Steer. Etc, plu saround 119 more over my life time.
I have given this amp a 4 because of its sorry state right out of the box! However, after the mods I mentioned above, I woudl give it a 9. So if you aren't prepared to spend the extra money that Traynor should have done in the beginning, then do NOT purchase this amp as you will be disappointed. BUt if you are willing to make the mods, then you will be very happy with the result.

Purchased in fall of '04. See other reviews for specs.

I only use it in the house, it's a little too powerfull for this job. To get good tone I have to turn it up.

This amp has very nice clean tones, the distortion isn't my favorite, but is good for classic rock.

I play a fat strat with a hotrail in the bridge. This amp used to serve my style better when I played more mellow stuff and softer rock. But now i'm playing way more metal and the distortion doesn't do it for me.

It has been reliable, but I've never used it for gigs or pushed it to extremes.

Very good warranty, it's 1 or 2 years I think

Been playing 6 years. if it was lost or stolen I would replace with a different amp. I chose it for it's price, it was very cheap compared to other tube amps. I'm probably going to replace it soon to get a more 'metal' amp.

consider this amp if you play rock or country etc.

This is my 2 year report. Same features as the other guys. The only thin g I'd like is foot switchable reverb, but for the price, good amp.

After 2 years, I still like this amp. I did swap out the tubes for JJs, which was a big plus. Cheap fix. I use a MASS 50 attenutaor to tame the volume but it still gives me lush fenderish cleans on the clean channel,and good blues and rock crunch tone on the lead channel. 2x10 configuration has a great 3D sound that the 1x12 hasn't got. Bass is still great, though. I use a Robert cray strat and the two were made for each other. I have a ES 335 clone with flatwounds and this amp delivers great smoky jazz ala Kenny Burrell. I tseems to take pedals well. It has all the volume you need in an intelligent band. The only negative is I think the boost is about 6db to hot but some like the kick in the pants.

Warranty is up this month and it still is flawless.

I've had support on a Yorkville Bass amp (same company) and it was fast and efficient. Out and back in 2 weeks.

I this was stolen, I doubt if I could find another amp in this price range that does what this does. I think youneed to break the $1600 CDN threshold to find a comparable amp. And I'm not a pro so I'd never spend the bread. It is a great amp for Blues, classic rock, country, jazz, funk, R&B, gospel. I think it might do as a metal amp with a decent pedal (I use a Zoom HL 1) but that tone that metal guys dig requires a lot more brute power than a 2x10 combo can deliver.

the features on this amp are as basic as it gets. 2 channnels: 1 clean and dirty with boost as aformentioned in previous reviews. each has it own volume,bass,treble and mid with a shared presence and a bright switch for the clean. it also has a standby to keep those tubes warm when not in use. pretty "no-duh". no master volume but i didn't think it needed it. also an accutronics spring reverb.
the amp is very versatile as long as you keep you music out of the extreme distortion school. but we'll get to that next.
it's all tube and has pretty much all one can ask for i think. it's a no frills 40 watt tube amp. not a lot of bells and whistles but dosn't leave you begging for more at the same time.
oh! and 2 10 inch celestion tube 10 speakers.

i play a lot of different things but a blues based sound would describe me best and this amp deivers where pretty much all others fall short in the price range and some that cost hundreds more. for metal is just barely makes it there. by that i mean no nu metal as others have said as well. i've played a lot of amps that are comparable like the peavey tweed 112, a blues jr (under powered but a nice 1 trick pony), a carvin bel-air 212, and of course the venerable deville from fender. this amp smokes all of them! the clean is worth the price alone and is crisper than a cracker and as warm as your mom. i loved it. let me also say that i was confident this amp would deliver as i hadn't even played through it and had only heard audio bytes and read reviews on it. so a gamble for sure, but so worth it!
the distortion is pretty tame but kick in the boost and it roars like an old plexi marshall or an orange. i would describe it as ac/dc and guns n roses-y. very bassy too. the mids are tame but with them rolled up to 10 they come out a lot (duh) which i like. the whole eq is pretty responsive. the boost further enhances the bass and treble and seems to cut the mids a bit for a more modern sound. but this is definately old school hard rock sound. i'am fine with the distortion but am going to add a pedal for boosting the leads more with an eq pedal. the reverb is also kinda tame but i don't use a lot as i rarely play the surf sound. the presence adds just the right touch but isn't the most effective presence i've heard. anymore to me, an it'd be too much and distort at high volumes. again, very bassy. haven't tried a tele on it yet, but i will.

this amp also stays pretty clean and clear cranked which i did right out of the box and let me say it's VERY loud. definately a gigable amp. need more volume? your overcompensating-just mic it!

i've read everything on these things and with the exception of 1 review saying it buzzed to hell-they seem bulletproof! i've only had it for a week so i can't offer much more than that. i did look it over from head to toe and it seems very well made. you just can't beat the warranty-even if you break it for 2 years! nice!

haven't dealt with them but again-from what i've read they seem pretty good.

i've been playing for 16 years and only have owned fender amps as i love fender. but a friend of mine said "tube is the only way to go" and so being outpriced but fenders name i looked elsewhere and am not sorry at all. fender can't touch this amp (not for under a grand anyways). the distortion is far better than the deville and the clean is as good as any twin i've heard. i do wish they stick the celes vintage 30's in it but they (the tube 10's) sound good just the same.
i play a fender mexican strat with a hum/sin/sin pickup layout. and the 2 go perfectly together. i also use some effects which i haven't tried on it yet like a dunlop rotovibe,dunlop fuzz and a dunlop wah (i have a yen for dunlop). i keep it old school and simple as it's far cooler to do more with less.
as i said before i tried other amps tube and solid state/hybrid but everyone has a marshall or fender or peavey and i want to sound like me, not everyone else. this amp is a great step toward that. it beat out the carvin i was close to buying because i really wasn't happy with the distortion on that amp even though it was a bit more "extreme" (now there's an overused word nowadays!) and it was noisy. if you want to set yourself apart from the crowd without selling your soul trying to do so, try this amp!

Here's my suggestion to those of you who are considering this amp. It is a great amp for the price. Yes there are better amps out there but not for this price. I have been playing for 25 years and own some incredible amps. I was curious about this amp. I am glad that I decided to make the purchase. I needed something small and affordable and Traynor has fit the bill.

Replace the tubes with (2) NOS JAN Philips 7581A's and (3)GT 12AX7M's and the amp will go to another level. These tubes have brought this amp to life. It is a bit of an investment but well worth it. You can order these tubes at www.kcanostubes.com Mike will take good care of you.

Get this amp! It is worth it.

Best customer service that I have experienced in this business. Carl at the USA headquarters has answered every question that I have thrown his way. He has been patient and helpful.

Incredible clean tones. I am not to crazy about the distortion sounds. They are good but not great. The clean tones are worth the price alone. Run some good overdrive pedals with this amp and you will love the tones that you get.

Made in Canada, Very versitile for many different styles, 2 channels (clean) and (dirty w/ boost) Channel switching, comes with foot pedal, Effect loop built in, no headphone jack though..., I wish it had more than one input so that i could play on it when my friends come over. I rarely use the presence knob or the effects loop. 100% tube power!!

I use my ovation deacon which has mini humbuckers. This makes awsome sounds come from this baby. This amp is perfect for my style of rock. The amp is only noisy when i plug the extension speaker jack into the computer for recording. other than that, no noise. The distortion is perfect in my opinion. I wouldn't want it much heavier than this. Its perfect.

This amp seems very durable. The rough covering seems very reliable. I haven't had any problems with it damage wise. i haven't had to replace the tubes yet and I never neglect my amp...

I have never had to deal with Yorkville. I'd imagine that anyone who makes such fine quality amps would be very nice to work with though.

This amp is incredible. I think this will be my main amp for a long time, if not forever. It gets very loud. I never put the clean channel past 4 and I never put the dirty channel past 2.5. I would definately buy it again if it were stolen. I will never go back to solid state amps. I got a great deal on this amp. A local music store was selling it "used" when it looked and played brand new! Thank you, parkway music!

I bought this amp in July 2004.

I use an Epiphone Les Paul with hot rodded pick ups, nothing spectacular but extremely effective for what I play. Lots of volume and tone and the distortion or second channel is enough for me. I had noticed that the volume knob does rub against the channel select switch but it doesn't surprise me for the overall price of the amp. It is not a Mesa Boogie...

I havent had the amp for long, and have primarily used Fender amps. I had looked at many different manufacturers but Yorkville came up as the winner in sound and price.

I've been playing for 20 years and tried so many amps. Mesa is way overpriced, Fender is way over merchandised and old school, Gibson is too light and way too overpriced, And most others have too much fuckery in the electronics to provide good sound and simplicity in thier engineering. Yorkville is simple, loud and clean with a good price range.

Simplicity !! Finally a quality built tube amp made with quality components that doesn't have digital effects, modeling or MIDI.
It has 2 channels, an effects loop/line out, external speaker jack that DOESN'T turn off your internal speakers-you can unplug them, Boost, Presence and Reverb. If you need more by an RP80 or RP200 pedal
Of the three speaker options I like the punch and coverage of the 2x10s for rock and blues I find this a great combo.
About the REVERB; I find it is noisy 'boing' when the amp is being carried around, that's it. The verb is very subtle at low settings and grows slowly to a mid-Fender type sound. Want more? get one of the RP's
Footswitch is provided.

I use this with a long list of guitars My favs are an ESP MH200 LTD, a Dean Boca and JR Beck WPS2500. The hollow body Dean has an H-H setup and sings in a creamy, slightly mid-heavy way. The ESP HH screams on bridge and shacks on neck, very smooth sustain. The JR BeckS-S-H is a little thinner on bridge but growls nicely onthe single coils.
For blues I set the gain at 2pm and the presence at4 and switch channels between clean and distorted as needed. With the volume at 3 this is quite loud and you can 'feel' what's going to happen as you increase the volume-this get louder, creamier and more compressed. Play with the boost for a heavy bottom end or up the mid and treble for hi-lead and/or feedback.
I wouldn't call the distortiond brutal by itself but a TubeScreamer will overdrive this thing over the top or a Hot Tubes will cause some metal punch that will knock you over.

Had Traynors for years and they've always seemed bulletproof. Giging shouldn't be a problem and thanks to the autobiasing, tube changes can be done only as neded.

2 year no questions asked, transferable warranty. You must take it to a dealer with your reciept-save it!
I've talked to Yorville sound while investigating this amp and they seem friendly enough.

37 years playing. Had a stroke a while back so I've sat out the last few years.
I wanted a new amp that would give me what I wanted in the way of sound without costing too much and was looking at 15-25 watt all tube amps. When I found this one I had to narrow my choices down and they came to: Traynor YCV20-20watt version of this, Epiphone Galaxie 25 or Traynor YCV40t. The Epiphone wins the $ competition but was TOOOO clean sounding. The little Traynor sounded good but didn't have the "presence" of the bigger one so I purchased this one and would again.
Funny thing, mine doesn't rattle.
Love the look, sound and the case quality.
Don't like the location of the ext speaker jack. BOOST can get muddy , especiall with Single coil PUs. Wish it were 10 lbs lighter.
Purchased at Music Castle, Royal Oak MI

1/2/04
Look Below

Sounds great . . . but rattles like a baby toy . . . Reverb needs to be turned to 10 to hear it . . . the "presence" is a joke, I'm not even sure it works . . . oh and did I mention the horrible rattling . . . you windows should rattle not the amp . . . I have owned a 2002 Twin (Super Amp), a hotrod, Cybertwin, and a couple of SS Marshalls . . . and none of them rattled and buzzed like this sucker . . . The metal grill rattles, the reverd rattles, and the electrical housing rattles . . . EVERYTHING ON THIS AMP RATTLES . . . but it sounds sweet (WITH NEW TUBES) ha ha ha . . . go figure.

Here a Rattle there a Rattle . . . Every where a rattle rattle . . .
Tolex was mis-cut in the back of the amp . . .

Yorkville was very fast in responses . . . very kind . . . but this doesn't help the fact that these AMPS RATTLE . . .

VERY GOOD

RATTLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a follow-up to my previous post. Over the time I've had this amp, I've needed to change my setup to find what the amp really "likes". I used to run my axes into a Boss GT-3 floor multi-fx with an Ibanez TS9 in the GT-3's external OD/Dist loop (the GT-3's distortions suck bad), then out to the amp. I've set up this way for years, using different amps and would usually get some great tones. Setting up this way with the Traynor though, I could get some good-sounding tones but not what I really wanted from this amp. After trying all kinds of combinations, I've finally hit on THE ONE...and I guess it makes a lot of sense considering this is a modern version of an old technology. This Traynor amp sounds incredible with the guitar plugged straight into it (thru the TS9 too) and the GT-3 inserted in the amp's fx loop! With this setup, the amp is way more responsive to dynamics and the overdrive has a sweeter tone, crossing more over into old Marshall JCM800 territory while still keeping a firm planting in the Fender zone. I don't know why...maybe the resistance values between the guitars' pickups and amp's input match up better than into the GT-3. All I know is this setup sounds great!!!

A couple further notes:
1) Traynor, don't change a thing on the clean channel...it's beautiful! Very Fendery and dynamic.
2) The overdrive channel without the Boost engaged sounds fine, just as I described in the above paragraph. With many other amps, the overdrive channel has a very different tone than the clean channel. Not here in the Traynor! This amp's overdrive sounds like the clean channel with more gain. I personally like that feature...it allows for a smoother performance over a broad range of musical styles.
3) Traynor, I've decided I don't like the Boost...at least not as-is. Sure, it adds gain and volume, but it also loosens the overdrive by adding too much bass. Low notes get that "farty/flabby" tone I originally noted in my first post. I guess so long as you stay above a low-B or C it's not bad, but I'll bet the amp is just a capacitor change away from having an awesome high-gain tone as well. I highly recommend a circuit change to reduce the lows in the Boost preamp stages. I've downloaded the amp's schematics and may try some modifications...I'll let all of you here at Harmony Central know what I discover.

Fairly basic...2 channels (3 if you count the boost switch) with independent tone & volume controls, series fx loop. Nothing fancy here, but it's all you need. Nice touches are the 6L6 retainer springs instead of the normal flat-metal "beartraps", steel grille behind the cloth and a solid footswitch with an output jack instead of a hard-wired cable.

I play a Carvin Bolt and an American Strat, both fairly stock using the original single-coils. My styles range among funk, r&b, old rock, country and some newer rock, though I don't bother with the hyper-distorted new stuff. I've only had this amp a short while, but already it's won my respect! The clean channel is very "Fendery" and punchy...exactly what I want when playing country and funk. The lead channel takes a lot of fiddling, but that's only because Traynor has given it such a broad range of tones! I'm finding my favorite is a gain level around 4, which gives me a tone very similar to the clean channel, but with a touch-sensitive overdrive. This lets me stay on the lead channel even during soft parts of songs and use the volume knob or dynamics to vary the overdrive! For solos, I either kick on a compressor or the boost switch...the compressor lets me get a wonderful medium-gain lead tone suitable for country, funk and light rock stuff, while the boost switch seems to add some gain and a little volume for an even more driving distortion. Moving the gain knob higher gives more crunch and a heavier tone, though the boost seems to have less effect at higher settings, only boosting the volume and not adding more gain. I guess this makes sense though. Like Nigel Tufnel said, "When everything's on 10 and you want a little more, there's nowhere to go." Overall, I'd say the tone of the amp leans more toward the Fender/old-Boogie side of things with a round, full tone and dynamic feel. Oh, and the reverb is like others have said...nothing much below 5 or 6, but very sweet-sounding when you dial it in. The stock Celestion twin-10's sound very good, though the tone gets a little "farty" at very loud volumes and playing bass notes. Really though, that's only at an unreasonable volume level for this amp. Players who need that much volume and like the general great tone of this amp should move up to the 80-watt versions for a little more money. Me, I like medium-volume with hard-working power tubes...it suits my style better. I haven't had a chance yet, but I'll try this amp out with my Marshall 1960A cab with the stock Celestions. If it has a big effect on the tone (which it probably will), I'll post a follow-up review and let you know how it sounds...

Seems to be built very well...time will tell the story.

Haven't needed it yet, though I hear very good things about Traynor/Yorkville support.

Overall, it seems to be a great little amp for the working musician playing in normal clubs, playing normal music. If you want the Metallica/Limp Bizkit/Evanescence kind of sound, look elsewhere. But if you like smoother music like R&B and older rock, this amp is probably one of the best deals on the planet right now.

This amp is a 2003 model. I have always been very honest in submitting reviews on equipment. Even though I have only made three previous gear reviews I will tell it like it is, and I ain't no beginner. This is a two channel ALL TUBE amp and is built very well. Tolex covering, chrome corner pieces, steel grill with a silver fabric covering the grill. Channel selector switch with a booster switch will give you a good gain when going into a lead part.
It is 40 loud watts to cover just about anywhere I'm playing right now. Effects loop, external speaker jack, and chicken head knobs. It also has a real nice Traynor logo on the front. Two 10 inch Celestion Redbacks give it a nice tight sound.

I have a Carvin TL60 and a Carvin Bolt-t guitar that I play through this amp. They both sound excellent!! The noise level is low considering it is a tube amp. On the lead side you can get anywhere from a nice mild crunch (1-3), a high quality overdrive (4-6)and a real nice solid tube distorsion (7-10)(gain control). I have played several amps over the past 25 years of serious playing. I've used Marshall, Peavey, and Carvin as my main amps. This Traynor has a sound all its own. The clean channel isn't as nice as a Carvin amp but it is a sweet clean. The gain channel has a Marshall type distortion, but it is a very crisp distortion not a fuzzy, muddy type. When you get the clean channel turned up to about 6 you can hear the clean breaking up just a bit, and that gives it a nice growl. If you get the gain turned up past the 7 mark you will hear a small amount of hiss, but nothing like my other tube amps. The two 10 inch Celestion Reds are a perfect match for this amp. After the speakers got a good breakin period, they came alive just like a Celestion should.

I've owned this amp for two months. I take good care of my equipment, especially my amps. If you play a tube amp you should always have a spare set of tubes, just like you should have a spare set of strings for your guitar, or a spare battery for you effects. This amp is rated very high, guitar player magazine gave this one an award. I would use it without a backup.

Never used them. But I talked to some Traynor amp users before trying out mine and not one person had a bad word about the Yorkville company or their Traynor amp. I think they would take care of me since they have their 2 year unconditional warranty that states (Even if you break it we'll replace it) You can't hardly beat that.

I've been playing guitar for over 35 years. Nine years of that was full time for a living. If this amp were stolen I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. The only down side to this amp is the chicken head knobs move easily do to smooth pods, also the presence control doesn't seem to add alot to the sound. The reverb is good but is weak until you get it up around the 6 mark. Other than that no complaints. If you play one you'll hear what I'm talking about. This is one fine guitar amplifier!!

I have owned my YCV40T for over a month now, playing pretty consistently. I play many different styles. Hard rock, metal, blues, contemporary, etc. This amp fits it all. It's a tube amp, cut and clear. No frills. And it sounds awesome. Well, one frill, it does have an effects loop that comes in very handy.

The sound is incredible. As i mentioned, i play all styles. It sounds great throughout the spectrum. I have even finger-picked my ovation through it playing for a wedding. (How's that for versatile). The overdrive is phenomenal. Anything from a light bluesy overdrive to all out shred. The clean channel is bright and shimmery. The eq on both channels is very responsive. Also, the presence control for the main volume is nice feature. Speaking of main volume, this amp cranks! It will easily fill a small auditorium with no additional help. not only that, but the amp sounds superb loud and quiet. (the wife appreciates that!)

It has a standby switch which is a great feature, saves tube life. It's built rock solid. I can't imagine anything going wrong with it. But even if something does... see the support section

Well, traynor has the best warranty available. 2 years unconditional and in their own words, "Even if you break it". I don't think anyone can beat that. The website (www.yorkville.com) pointed me to a nearby retailer who was very helpful. I've also sent several emails to the company with various questions and they've replied quickly and left phone numbers with direct extension if i wanted to call.

This amp is awesome. I've been playing for 20 years and this is the finest amp i've owned. I recommend it to anyone looking for something in this nature. I got the amp from Brian at www.backstagemusic.net. They sell a lot of stuff on Ebay as well as from their website. Their price was easily the best anywhere, and i did a lot of shopping. Even with shipping, it was still less than buying it in any retail store or online like musicians friend.

Amp is brand new, bought this insteav of the YCV40 because of the extra gain/bassy sound. Made in Canada. I got a chance to try the 2 side by side and this one suits my style best. I play mostly Metal and hardcore punk. Its 2 10 inch speakers. 2 big tubes, 3 smaller ones in the preamp. Got spring reverb, 2 channels, overdrive and clean, 2x3 EQ for each channel. 2 button footswitch included! FX loop, extension speaker input. Plywood construction- built like a rock. One complaint is that the chicken beak nobs are cheap looking and plastic. They turn very loosely, i'd prefer chrome nobs that are tightened a bit better.

this thing ROARS with the gain maxed, with the overdrive boost it adds even more low end. I dont really need any distortion pedals with this thing. I used to have a crate 15 watt solid state and the overdrive channel on that was so pathetic couldnt get close to a metal sound. The thing packs a good punch, i set the volume to 6 or 7 for my band rehearsals, and my parents complain when the volume is set to 1 or so! If u wanna play quiet tho, tough luck cuz the sound pretty much cuts off at 0.5 volume. Nice Warm Sounds. AMAZING SOUND OVERALL. The Clean Channel is also very nice, very warm and crisp tones....

It looks pretty solid to me.

never dealth with them

great for rehearsals and probably small gigs. Great bang for the buck,this thing could take on overpriced boutique amps anyday. i hope that yorkville/traynor makes an extension 2x10 speaker cabinet for this one like they did the YCV40 and YCV80.