# Traynor YCV15 Blue



## Blues Jr (Aug 14, 2007)

I picked up a YCV 15 Blue last week at a great price, and so far really like it. 
I know this amp was discontinued by Traynor awhile back, although I did find a new one in the Brampton L&M that i tried before I bought this used one.

Wondering if any you guys are playing this little amp, and what settings you like. Also, any tube swaps or speaker changes have you done, and any pedals you've found work well with it. Just curious.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

I have heard good things about them. Many say that JJ's (Eurotubes) are great for the tube swap. I have the 40 wine red one and the 50 blue one and have the stock tubes in both. I will change them to JJ's when the stock ones start giving me issues but until then I will let them roll. 

If the 15 has an out I fully recommend trying it through an extension cab...and keep your eyes peeled for a blue extension cab because that would be great!


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## overdriver (Jul 24, 2008)

I was going to get one when they came out , nice little amp and its cab is bigger than the Blues Jr. (good thing), its almost the same size as the 40 watters. The speaker in it I would leave as is they are good. And it would sit well on a blue ex cab. I had one . They pop up used from time to time also L & M's got a 12month no interest thing on tilll the end of the month if ya want to run out and get one. Rent one for a weekend.? or not. An added cab. makes all those combos sound much nicer.

JJ tubes all around when ya need new ones IMO. Hard to change the preamp tubes in all those combos. IMO don't worry or bother with a balanced phase inverter, waste of money IMO.


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## Blues Jr (Aug 14, 2007)

Hey thanks, I've read JJ's are a good swap. The tubestore actually recommends Tungsol's for the preamp tubes. It's a fun little amp, and hoping to crank it on the weekend. Wonder what pedals are working for you with this amp.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

May I ask how much you paid for the used amp? Also how much L&M is asking?

Matt


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## Blues Jr (Aug 14, 2007)

I luckily picked it up for around $400. L&M has a new one in Brampton for $700+.


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## overdriver (Jul 24, 2008)

Blues Jr said:


> Hey thanks, I've read JJ's are a good swap. The tubestore actually recommends Tungsol's for the preamp tubes. It's a fun little amp, and hoping to crank it on the weekend. Wonder what pedals are working for you with this amp.


Well IMO , ya get a few of each . The tung I like but I do like the JJ better depends on the ear doing the listening. . I would buy 4 pre amp , 2 tung, 2 JJ . And leave the Phase inverter as is. untill it goes bad , keep other for future 2 PI (phase inverter)use.

Also the 5751 is a nice tube for your V1 scoket. All statements are IMO.

Oh and on those Traynors the phase inverter is called the phase splitter. And unlike Fender amps it is not the one closest to the power tubes. Its is marked on the back of the amp. The splitter location that is.


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## Andy (Sep 23, 2007)

Don't touch the speaker. It really suits the amp well. It has a definite V30 flavour, but with peaks in all the right places -- no harshness, but tons of presence.

I put some EH preamp tubes in mine, really helped it out, but it's no slouch with the stock tubes. As far as tips for tone, the shared EQ works best if you keep the bright switch engaged on the clean channel. A good place to start with humbuckers would be B:7, M:5, and T:3 for the bridge pickup, B:5, M:5 and T:7 for the neck. I can't remember how I set it for single coils.


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## Blues Jr (Aug 14, 2007)

overdriver said:


> Well IMO , ya get a few of each . The tung I like but I do like the JJ better depends on the ear doing the listening. . I would buy 4 pre amp , 2 tung, 2 JJ . And leave the Phase inverter as is. untill it goes bad , keep other for future 2 PI (phase inverter)use.
> 
> Also the 5751 is a nice tube for your V1 scoket. All statements are IMO.
> 
> Oh and on those Traynors the phase inverter is called the phase splitter. And unlike Fender amps it is not the one closest to the power tubes. Its is marked on the back of the amp. The splitter location that is.


Hey thanks for the tips. Will the 5751 smooth out the gain channel abit, especially the boost? That boost is some boost. I remember playing a YCV50, and i don't remember the boost being that, boosty!:rockon2:


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## Blues Jr (Aug 14, 2007)

Andy said:


> Don't touch the speaker. It really suits the amp well. It has a definite V30 flavour, but with peaks in all the right places -- no harshness, but tons of presence.
> 
> I put some EH preamp tubes in mine, really helped it out, but it's no slouch with the stock tubes. As far as tips for tone, the shared EQ works best if you keep the bright switch engaged on the clean channel. A good place to start with humbuckers would be B:7, M:5, and T:3 for the bridge pickup, B:5, M:5 and T:7 for the neck. I can't remember how I set it for single coils.


Thanks as well. The speaker sounds good, but I am sorta thinking what would a Greenback sound like in there? The Private Jack is Greenback sorta sounding isn't it? Maybe the Cannabis Rex? Hmmmm....kkjuw


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## Andy (Sep 23, 2007)

Blues Jr said:


> Thanks as well. The speaker sounds good, but I am sorta thinking what would a Greenback sound like in there? The Private Jack is Greenback sorta sounding isn't it? Maybe the Cannabis Rex? Hmmmm....kkjuw


The Cannabis Rex would work well, I bet. Never played one, but the sound samples I hear sound excellent. I wouldn't go with a Greenback, personally, they're prone to farting out. The low end gets spongy enough with the Governor if you really push it.


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## Blues Jr (Aug 14, 2007)

Hey Andy, you using any pedals?


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## Andy (Sep 23, 2007)

Usually, I just plug straight into it, but I've used an EQ pedal as a clean boost before, and loved it.

Also, don't be afraid to experiment with cranking up the gain on the clean channel. At max gain, it's smoother and darker than a low gain setting on the overdrive channel -- very AC30 like.


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## Blues Jr (Aug 14, 2007)

I was thinking a boost pedal would be all you need with this amp, it overdrives really nice on the both channels. Or maybe an overdrive thats fairly transparent, since theres lots of mids available.

I noticed the boost really boosts on the drive channel. Anyway to tame that abit?


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## Andy (Sep 23, 2007)

Run the gain at 5 and put the volume on your guitar at around 8. You should be able to do switch easily between rhythm and leads using the boost. If you're running the gain higher, the boost will be quite over the top. When I'm recording, I tend to run the gain at 3 or 4, with the boost engaged, and a 12db boost in front of the amp. Really smooth, saturated tone without being too compressed or lifeless.

Keep in mind that I play hard rock. For low/medium gain playing, the clean channel with a clean boost is where you want to live. IMO, it's not really a clean channel as much as a lower gain one.


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## Blues Jr (Aug 14, 2007)

Awesome, thanks for the tips!


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## mimig (Aug 10, 2009)

I bought mine in Newmarket and love it. I have used every pedal I own with it and it reacts great to all of them. I run the amp in a stereo setup with a marshall and sometimes with a blues junior, either way its a great little combo with balls.


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## Blues Jr (Aug 14, 2007)

Balls indeed. This thing is fat sounding. I tried my Catalinbread DLS through it and it sounded real good. I wonder what an OCD would be like...hmmmm...


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i picked up a used ycv15blue a couple of years ago. the thing is virtually flawless. i can't understand why they would halt production of such an amazing amp. aside from replacing the tubes when the time comes, i won't mess with mine. i can see one day having an amp genius "boutique" it for me but, for now, i couldn't be happier. i only use the clean channel.

-dh


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## Blues Jr (Aug 14, 2007)

Field Report: Awesome!

Jammed with the guys Friday night, brought the YCV15 Blue, a Strat & a cable. Both channels were fantastic. This little amp is fat! The clean channel has that greasy grit that cleans up nicely. The gain channel was fantastic, lots of bottom end, but cut through perfectly. With the boost engaged there was sweet saturation for leads, or with the volume backed off perfect rhythm rock tone. My buddy has a YCV50, so it was nice to compare the 2 at loud volumes. The 50Blue has a little more headroom in the clean channel, but overall the 15Blue keeps up in the volume wars, and just slays the 50Blue in the tone dept.
All i can see using with this thing is a clean boost pedal to juice it up a bit more, add a delay and your set!


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## overdriver (Jul 24, 2008)

david henman said:


> ...i picked up a used ycv15blue a couple of years ago. the thing is virtually flawless. i can't understand why they would halt production of such an amazing amp. aside from replacing the tubes when the time comes, i won't mess with mine. i can see one day having an amp genius "boutique" it for me but, for now, i couldn't be happier. i only use the clean channel.
> 
> -dh


For some reason they only produced them as a limited run from the get go. 
Maybe to test the market. I thought they where good. Was hoping they would have made the wine red the same ,in that bigger cab . I guess since some L & M still have new ones sitting around , the marketing experiment failed. Wonder why L & M doesn't blow the remaining stock out. Been years now since they made any.


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## Spikezone (Feb 2, 2006)

overdriver said:


> I was going to get one when they came out , nice little amp and its cab is bigger than the Blues Jr. (good thing), its almost the same size as the 40 watters. The speaker in it I would leave as is they are good. And it would sit well on a blue ex cab. I had one . They pop up used from time to time also L & M's got a 12month no interest thing on tilll the end of the month if ya want to run out and get one. Rent one for a weekend.? or not. An added cab. makes all those combos sound much nicer.
> 
> JJ tubes all around when ya need new ones IMO. Hard to change the preamp tubes in all those combos. IMO don't worry or bother with a balanced phase inverter, waste of money IMO.


I bought a BLUE cab to go with my 50BLUE, but I don't always use it. I haven't had a chance to use it out anywhere (I haven't been in a band for a number of years), but playing it at home, I have noticed the cab, being closed, adds a bit more punch than I am used to with just the open back in the amp used by itself (I kind of like a bit softer of an attack in my sound), so I'll have to work with it a bit more to get used to it. It may or may not be the same with the 15BLUE, I don't know...and like I have mentioned before, I feel absolutely no need to replace the tubes at this point-the stock ones sound just fine to me. The weirdest thing about the amp is that the rubber grip on the carrying handle is wearing out quite quickly.
-Mikey


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## 5732 (Jul 30, 2009)

Spikezone said:


> The weirdest thing about the amp is that the rubber grip on the carrying handle is wearing out quite quickly.


Same handle issue on my YCV50 and my Traynor DG30 which I just unloaded. I bought my YCV50 blue used from L&M for a steal (it was a rental) and bought 8 corner guards and a new handle from yorkville for $13 (through the local L&M).

-Cal


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

You know, I absolutely love my YCV50blue, but the plastic corners and single handle don't make the grade. There are lots of places to get additional handles and corners but one shouldn't have to. (Page 57/59 of the Q Components catalogue at www.loudspeakers.ca) My YCV20 has steel corners, go figure.

Peace, Mooh.


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