# Traynor YCV15Blue



## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i brought a traynor ycv15blue to an outdoor show on saturday. 

within the first few chords of the first song, i knew i had found my way back "home". the experience was exciting, inspiring and liberating. i'm sure many of you can relate.

i've listened to you guys talking about "playing the amp", recalling that i used to do the same before 50-100 watts became too loud.

my previous amp was a traynor ycv40wr, a great clean amp. i was following that tried and true formula of creating your tone using a clean amp as the foundation and building on that with o/d pedals. i had come to realize that trying to get my tone from my pedals was, ultimately, unsatisfying. 

i am, finally, free from being a slave to o/d pedals. from now on, i will look forward to the opportunity to try those o/d pedals that push power tubes into new sonic territory.

having this kind of immaculate control, using only the guitar's volume knob, is absolutely simply amazing. i could easily do a series of gigs using only my guitar and this amp's clean channel.

incidentally, this amp has el84 power tubes. unfortunately, it is now out of production.

i consider this amp to be the first piece - in a collection of low-watt tube amps that respond to pick attack and guitar volume changes - that i hope to indulge.

thus, any suggestions of different low powered combos, perhaps with different power tubes, would be much appreciated.

-dh


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## scottomy (Sep 20, 2006)

Well -dh,

You just got my wheels turning and that can only mean the onset of GAS! Those were interesting observations regarding that Traynor amp. While I've seen tons of them around, I have never actually plugged into one - only the older models.

I have a Mesa Boogie DC-2. A 20 watt, 2 - channel, EL84 powered combo that has a good clean channel and a great dirty channel (imo). The clean channel has an extra preamp tube and a gain control to allow for a lightly distorted, blusey type sound. This unfortunately leaves me without a mildly distorted sound or a clean sound, depending on how I set it up.

I wonder if using one of your suggested Traynor amps in tandem with mine (or something similar) would cover all the sonic bases. Maybe with some kind of ABY switcher? Sounds like a fun experiment! Thanks for the inspiration. :food-smiley-004:

Scott


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

wonder why they stoped making them..i keep hearing about how greath those little amps are!...


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

probably didnt sell too many, soomehow.

dave, doesnt your amp have 2 channels?!

epi valve standard, orange tiny terror, Dr Z? Matamp? i think a lot of those $$$ boutique builders do the low wattage thing.

EL34=  lol


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Budda said:


> probably didnt sell too many, soomehow.


It was a limited edition run, ... unfortunately. I wish I knew why they made that decision.


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## noobcake (Mar 8, 2006)

I just don't understand why Traynor bothered designing such a sweet amp, only to produce very little of them...


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

Try a Tophat Club Royale 1-12, see what you think of that amp.

After your comments, I'm curious to try a Traynor myself. 

BTW, try a Hotcake overdrive pedal with the Traynor. That pedal is sweet with EL84 amps. I prefer the 2 knob version of the hotcake to the 3 knob.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

NB_Terry said:


> Try a Tophat Club Royale 1-12, see what you think of that amp.
> After your comments, I'm curious to try a Traynor myself.
> BTW, try a Hotcake overdrive pedal with the Traynor. That pedal is sweet with EL84 amps. I prefer the 2 knob version of the hotcake to the 3 knob.




...a lot of players say that about the hotcake.....i am intrigued!

how much is a tophat club royale 1-12 in canada?

and do you sell the hotcake, terry?

-dh


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

You can find used Tophat Club Royales for $900 or so pretty easily. 

New they're $1600 or more. Yikes!

No I don't sell the Hotcake. For some that don't know, this pedal is made by a guy that used to be in the band Split Enz. I believe Music Toyz and a few online places sell them. Try and get a 2 knob version (with 1 switch). 

There's also a new lower gain version called the Bluesberry version, and I've heard he has a double Hotcake pedal out.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

....the honeymoon is still in progress. this amp sounds amazing even at bedroom levels!

thereby making virtually every other amp i own redundant, with the possible exception of the tech 21 trademark 60, which is still a great recording amp, and a perfect, lightweight backup.

-dh


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## faracaster (Mar 9, 2006)

david henman said:


> ...i brought a traynor ycv15blue to an outdoor show on saturday.
> i consider this amp to be the first piece - in a collection of low-watt tube amps that respond to pick attack and guitar volume changes - that i hope to indulge.
> thus, any suggestions of different low powered combos, perhaps with different power tubes, would be much appreciated.
> -dh


Hey David
I have not played one of the legendary Blue Traynors myself, but have played alongside one on two occasions. Both times with Eric P from The Arts. He regularly gigs with one. I was mightily impressed both times. You have a great amp there.
As for other suggestions in the 15-20 watt range. The Suhr Badger is IMO the greatest little amp I've heard in some time. It also has 2 el84's. Has a master volume and powerscaling. So you can really dial in the sweet spot at any volume, bedroom to stage. I use it with the MV and the PS all the way to the right (up full) and that takes them out of the circuit. So I just use the regular volume to control the amp. I generally play the amp so it is just breaking up when the guitar is up full for soloing and then back off for all my rhythm playing. For more over the top distortion I then will step on an OD pedal. Although the amp is capable of a lot more distortion than I ever use it for. 
Only comes in a head version right now. But I see that as a plus. You can mix and match your speaker compliment. Last gig I did with it I used a small Boogie 1x12 cab with a EV in it. Then I lent it to the aforementioned Uncle Eric the following night and he used it with a THD 2x12 cab. Sounded great with both. 

Cheers
Pete


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## Eric Pykala (Jul 1, 2006)

+100 on the Badger! By the way Doctor, the aforementioned Blue was mine. I am currently ampless. Yesterday I bought a brand-new 5-watter the Ampeg/Crate guys are starting to bring in; should be here in a few weeks. Very much in the Tiny Terror vein (and designed by the same guy that did the much-modded Epiphone Valve Juniors), but my wholesale on it is about half what you'd pay for a decent Boss pedal. Not kidding. I'm so glad manufacturers are getting the idea that with modern PA, small is good. I'm personally waiting for the new Rivera Venus 3, basically the clean side of the Venus 6 in an 18-watt single 10" package that triodes down to 9 watts. Should be shipping in December. If I was playing strictly in my rock band, the Badger would be the choice, but with my country band I need ultimate cleans also, and own some great boost and drive boxes. I wish that up here in Canada we had better access to things like Tophat, Goodsell, Reeves, etc. as there's more and more high-quality low-watters out there. Really hard to beat the 15 Blue in the bang-for-buck sweepstakes though. I've heard rumours Yorkville may re-introduce the circuit in a different format, but talk is just that. Great time to be a musician...-Eric


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

I just try the Traynor Custom Valve 20WR this afternoon and this little thing blow me away! I really love my champ for the clean tone but that one doin' the dirt very well! Maybe I'll became a new Traynor owner after christmas! By the way what is the difference between the blue on and the brown one? I see the speaker is not the same but for the reast of it??


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## Seakayak (Nov 24, 2007)

I also have a YCV20WR, I just missed out on getting a YCV15Blue. I would also like to know the differences (besides the cabinet size and speaker) between the 20WR and the 15Blue. Are the circuit designs not the same?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

i believe H&K may also be getting into the low-wattage amp game, check them out as well?


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

The new YCS-50 Custom special by traynor looks pretty intersting. it has two modes and one is a 15Watt Class A type the other a 50 Watt . The 15 watt side of it gives it a nice appeal for clubs etc.. and the 50 watt when needed.
After playing through a buddies Orange Rocker 30 I also have been enlightened to Class A style tones. For home I have a 5 Watt Epiphone Pacemaker from the early 60's, 2 EL84's and lots of attitude... .


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## gpower (May 12, 2006)

The YCV-20 is a gorgeous little amp. I've had mine for a couple of years (I've retubed it with jj's and replaced the stock Rocket 50 with a Weber ceramic Blue Dog) I haven't found an amp in any price range that sounds better and is as versatile.


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## Eric Pykala (Jul 1, 2006)

All the modern Traynor models are different circuits, and I've owned them all except the 80. The 15 Blue came out as a special run for Long and McQuades anniversary, and they had no idea it would be such a hit. I spoke to one of their product specialists last week and he said they've still got that circuit on the backburner, but no immediate plans since the YCS50 is just out and the YCS90 is due really soon. As an aside, the YCS50 combo is really worth a look, and the 90 combo with two Celestion Neodynium speakers is pretty cool. 90 tube watts, drops to 25 Class A, in a 45 lb. package (two pounds lighter than the single 12 combo due to the Neos). Back to our regularily-scheduled program...Eric


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...heads up!

http://toronto.craigslist.ca/yrk/msg/532665288.html

-dh


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Busted...thats me...

Bevo


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Bevo,

You getting much interest in the amp?


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

3 guys so far but nobody wants to pay full price..I am in no hurry although you guys can have it for $450..

Bev


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

Bevo said:


> 3 guys so far but nobody wants to pay full price..I am in no hurry although you guys can have it for $450..
> 
> Bev


...i paid $500 for mine, and consider that a steal!

where were you when i needed you? in fact, if i had an extra $450 i'd snag yours as a backup.

this is a killer deal, in my opinion.

-dh


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Sorry but my move is prompting my sale, I don't really want to sell it but where I am going I can't turn it up to much. Right now I have it at my office building ( I manage ) jam room and I can play as loud as I want..

At home I have a nice Randall SS amp that plays so quiet that I cant hear it over the strings some times..although its a 1-12 at 75 watts.

The deal is because its going to a good home...

Bev


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