# early Traynor Guitar Mate YGM-3 mod/repair questions



## chromewaves (Nov 16, 2012)

I've got late '60s/early '70s Traynor Guitar Mate YGM-3 - three inputs, chicken head knobs, top left-located badge - that I've decided to put back into active service rather than just using it as furniture, but think it needs some work. 

The bass control is busted, in that the pot seems to be half-physically decoupled internally. The wiper doesn't consistently contact the track, and it rattles. The schematic I found at http://www.lynx.bc.ca/~jc/traynorSchmArchive.html is for a 1973 model; is this still applicable to mine, or are the guts different? If so, it looks like I need a 500k liner taper pot. Any suggestions where I can get one of these in the correct dimensions, solid shaft, etc? And if it's not the correct spec, what should the pot be? I will be opening it up to take a look when I get a chance over the next few days, but thought I'd ask. And would still need a parts source.

I think mine has the wimpy Marsland speaker. Does changing this up for a Jensen-type make a pronounced difference in the character of the amp? What are the local/Canadian sources for Jensens or Webers? I only seem to be able to find Celestions from online dealers.

Is it possible to get a replacement Traynor logo badge? Mine is missing, and I'd like to get it properly dressed up again if it's not terribly spendy.

Is there any difference in the three inputs? I don't think I hear a difference.

And given the specifics above, can anyone tell me what year it's actually from? Or at least narrow it down?

thanks.


----------



## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

I am running a Tungsten T12Q (vintage Jensen style speaker made by Weber) in my YGM-1 and it is a huge improvement over the original Marsland. I also have the back panel removed as I like the open-backed sound better with this speaker.

Does your amp have the transformer driven reverb (little transformer mounted on the chassis)? If so, that would make it a really early one, and my favorite of the YGM-3's. The circuit changed quite a bit over the years, so you need to find the right schematic. In many cases, it is attached to the metal plate that covers the bottom of the chassis. If so, you'll see it when you dis-assemble the amp.

If you can post some pictures, would be pretty easy to identify the era.


----------



## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

chromewaves said:


> I've got late '60s/early '70s Traynor Guitar Mate YGM-3 - three inputs, chicken head knobs, top left-located badge - that I've decided to put back into active service rather than just using it as furniture, but think it needs some work.
> 
> The bass control is busted, in that the pot seems to be half-physically decoupled internally. The wiper doesn't consistently contact the track, and it rattles. The schematic I found at http://www.lynx.bc.ca/~jc/traynorSchmArchive.html is for a 1973 model; is this still applicable to mine, or are the guts different? If so, it looks like I need a 500k liner taper pot. Any suggestions where I can get one of these in the correct dimensions, solid shaft, etc? And if it's not the correct spec, what should the pot be? I will be opening it up to take a look when I get a chance over the next few days, but thought I'd ask. And would still need a parts source.
> 
> ...


Canadian sources for things like pots are very poor. Some carry replacement pots for guitar in plastic packages marked Fender or whatever to repair guitars. Parts for tube amps are very scarce. I spent my career in electronic distribution, selling parts to manufacturers and for tube amp stuff I mostly gave up!

I order things like pots from Antique Radio Supply in Phoenix, Arizona. They do a great job and have a nice online catalog/shopping cart system. Make sure you choose mail as your shipping method or it will cost you a fortune. It will take one day to hit our border and then 2-3 weeks before our posties deliver it but it will be reasonable for shipping costs. 

You want an Alpha or a CTS pot, 500K linear, with solid shaft and 3/8" bushing. The standard shaft length is perfect - a long one is much rarer to find anyway.

A logo is not available, to my knowledge, unless someone has sprung up recently offering reproductions. The potential sales volume is so low that it's hard for anyone to pay their setup costs. It's like silk screening tshirts. You have to first make a screen and then you have to make a 100 or so to pay off that setup costs. Otherwise you have to sell one tshirt for $100.

I have seen used ones show up on EBay from time to time, from guys who have parted out an old amp that maybe got run over by a truck or something.

To get a more accurate dating, you might look at the back or the rim of that broken pot and look for a date code. Most larger parts will have one, usually a 4 digit code like "6836", which would mean the part was made in the 36th week of 1968. Since a manufacturer like Traynor would have had to pay for the part within 30 days the part would almost certainly have been on the assembly line and installed within a week or two after being received, in order for the finished amp to be shipped out and billed. So a date code is a pretty accurate method of dating an amp.

Wild Bill/Busen Amps


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

http://www.tubesandmore.com/ This place, Bill? It's the first result in google, and is in Tempe AZ.


----------



## chromewaves (Nov 16, 2012)

thanks for the info! I may check with the local amp repair shops to see if they've got parts in stock they'll sell me one of. Worst case, I can bite the bullet and order the one pot from the US at whatever it ends up costing.

I emailed Yorkville about the badge and they'll actually sell one of the ones from the reissues as a part, I just need to go to L&M and place a special order. Don't know about the cost yet, hopefully not too ridiculous.

And I've settled on an Eminence Cannibas Rex replacement speaker - seems like it'll help tame the high end of the amp and doesn't cost too much.


----------



## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

Traynor serial numbers contain the date code. You only need to know the decade the model comes from. The first digit of the serial number is the last digit of the year, the next 2 digits are the month. So, for example, an early 70's YGM with a serial starting with 205 would have been built 5th month of '72.


----------



## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

jb welder said:


> Traynor serial numbers contain the date code. You only need to know the decade the model comes from. The first digit of the serial number is the last digit of the year, the next 2 digits are the month. So, for example, an early 70's YGM with a serial starting with 205 would have been built 5th month of '72.


Thanks, JB! I didn't know that! Appreciate it!

Wild Bill


----------



## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

*Good Canadian Pot here!*

Good Canadian Pot sold here!Precision Electronics Corporation: Potentiometers
Cheers, Doug:food-smiley-015:


----------



## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

loudtubeamps said:


> Good Canadian Pot sold here!Precision Electronics Corporation: Potentiometers
> Cheers, Doug:food-smiley-015:


Doug, I used to sell their pots from a store where I worked. At the time, they only handled volume orders of hundreds of any one particular model and value. They did NOT carry inventory or sell "onesy-twosy".

Are you saying this has changed and someone can order just one of anything they want? If true it would indeed be wonderful but somehow I don't think so.

Wild Bill/Busen Amps


----------



## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

Wild Bill said:


> Doug, I used to sell their pots from a store where I worked. At the time, they only handled volume orders of hundreds of any one particular model and value. They did NOT carry inventory or sell "onesy-twosy".
> 
> Are you saying this has changed and someone can order just one of anything they want? If true it would indeed be wonderful but somehow I don't think so.
> 
> ...


Bill.
Yes you would be correct, U cannot buy from Precision, (for wholesalers only.) Here a a couple of Canadian retailers.
RV4NAYSD152A Precision Electronic Components Potentiometer. Single-turn. 1.5 K

Potentiometers - P2W Series- 2 Watt Linear Taper - ABRA Electronics Inc.

Good pot, eh?
Cheers, doug


----------



## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

Yes, I always knew them for a quality supplier. However, as I had suspected, there is still no source for the single pot user there. I checked your two links and there was no listing for a log or audio taper version or the usual values needed in guitar amps.

This is not surprising. Very few industrial suppliers carry audio tapers, since they get so few requests that it is not worth it. A linear taper is usually a BAD choice in an amp circuit!

I might not know all the suppliers Doug but I do have considerable experience. That was my career field from 1977 to 2001 and I worked with hundreds of manufacturing and industrial customers and sold a similar number of product brands, from the first Intel microprocessor chip to the latest surface mount chip resistors, capacitors and ICs.

The problem is volume. Most electronic parts are cheap so you need customers who will buy them by the bucketful. You don't want to sell penny nails onesy-twosy if you expect to make any money. Parts for tube amps are a VERY small market here in Canada! Vendors like thetubestore.com make their money by selling into the States and elsewhere. They would die quickly if they had only the Canadian market.

That's just the way it is.

I have been tempted from time to time to make a quantity order up with Precision of just the 3 or 4 values used in most Fender/Marshall type circuits. The problem is that I would have to shell out several thousand dollars and then sell onesy-twosy for maybe $12-15 each. Precision pots are far better quality but I would be competing against places in the States that sell Alpha pots for less than $2. How many Precision pots am I likely to sell? How long would it take to cover my cost, let alone make any profit?

Wild Bill/Busen Amps


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

ABRA do appear to sell some analog/audio taper pots, but some fairly common/critical values are missing (250K, 500K), and they appear to almost certainly be cheap import stuff. http://www.abra-electronics.com/categories/Potentiometers/?sort=featured&page=4


----------



## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

Right u are Bill/Keto. They are not showing Logs here but I have some of their Log pots that I have had for quite some time(NOS).
I see on the Precision site where they are showing both tapers with values from 100 ohm to 5 meg.
Precision Electronics Corporation: Potentiometers: MIL Style RV2 Features
I wonder if these would be available through the retailers?
Sorry about any confusion.
The easy route as mentioned is with Antique Electronic Supply out of Arizona and very reasonable shipping.
Not the quality of the Precision or Clarostat's but some good, non Chinese stuff.
Cheers, d


----------



## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

FWIW. Newark Newark/element14 Canada | Canada - Electronic Components Distributor
has Canadian distribution and an $8.00 flat rate shipping fee. 
I use them for IC's ,and electrolytic needs. 
Lots of stuff but their search engine can be a bit tedious.
So I use this search engine, Octopart - Electronic Parts, Electronic Components, Datasheets 
an example http://octopart.com/partsearch#search/requestData&q=250k+log+potentiometer
or if U have a part number Datasheet search site for Electronic Components, DataSheet Seekic.com
very handy. Cheers, Doug

Going through my stuff along with the Precision pots,(the Canadian connection) I found some NOS Piher logs.
They are not sealed but look like a good quality component.
Ring any bells Wild Bill?
Cheers, d


----------



## chromewaves (Nov 16, 2012)

so just to update - finally got all the parts I'd ordered over the holidays delivered and spent last night in the guts of the amp... nothing major, but swapping the Marsland for an Eminence Cannibas Rex, clipping the bright cap on the volume pot, and replacing the busted bass pot (hmm, just realized that there's a lot of marijuana references in there) have made this thing an amazing-sounding amp. The EQ is much more useful, though balancing the gain between the volume and active tone controls is taking some learning, but it's really bright (but balanced) and clear and just sounds great. thanks for everyone's help here. I'm going to go play through my new old amp for a while, now.


----------

