# Traynor Tone (or lack thereof...) VS VOX



## Eggman65 (Aug 28, 2019)

I'm just going to come out with it...

Traynor combos such as the YCV20, 40, &50, and the YGL1 & 2 have lousy natural tone when cranked. They get a harsh, flubby, & mid-muddy. There's no bite or definition in the low E or A strings, and the drive/boost channels sound almost like they are 1970s solid state circuits. I currently own a YCV 80Q (which seems to have the best one of the lot), and in the past I've owned the YCV20 and the YGL2, and I've listened to the YVC40. Except for the YCV80Q, they were all really tough to "dial in". 

On the other hand my VOX AC4, AC10, and AC15 all sound great at every volume, have a nice, clear string attack, and sound great clean or over-driven. If only they were built like the Traynors.

I had to get this off my chest.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

It’s all in the ear of the listener. I’d argue the exact opposite. I find the Vox tone stack very hard to dial in. I do agree they sound almost the same at any volume. At any volume except way too loud there is not a lot of breakup. With any Traynor I’ve used or owned I can get a wide range of tones and breakup starts at a reasonable volume level. The best Vox I’ve owned was a Fryette Memphis 30. I could get a nice Vox sounding breakup without drowning out the rest of the band.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I own a YGL1 and used it with the band I was in without issue, I had more than one compliment on the tone too.
I did swap out the stock speaker on the combo and the extension cab that I used with it, so that made a difference.

Own what you like and like what you own is the best route to take.


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

I have owned a YCV40 for 18 years and have found it flexible and super easy to dial in great tones with any guitar I play through it.
A couple years back I changed the 70/80 for a Cannabis Rex which was a nice improvement to an already good amp.
I've also owned a number of amps including those from Fender, Marshall, and Vox but the YCV40 suits my needs better.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Before giving up on particular amps I will follow the signal from fingers to speaker to see what might be affecting the tone at various volume levels and tone adjustments. Pickup type and height tend to be greater deciding factors for me than other things between the fingers and the input. Between the input and the speaker(s) I will experiment with tubes and the speakers themselves. (In rooms other than my home space I experiment with positioning.)

Those things considered, I've had no issues with any of the YCV models I've had. I currently have a YCV40 with extension cab but have had the 20 (which I really miss) and the 50(blue). Every one of them ended up with Eminence Cannabis Rex speakers (I have a thing for them) and a tube change (I forget what now). Clear, articulate clean tones, and warm, smooth driven tones. 

However, not every tone is for every ear, if they don't suit you, there's nothing necessarily wrong.


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## Eggman65 (Aug 28, 2019)

FYI, I love the history and heritage of Traynor amps. Watching Pete toss that guitar head off the roof of his old factory and then fire it up always makes me smile. I bought my YCV20 nearly 20 years ago, and eventually I put a new set of JJs in it, and replaced the Rocket 50 with an Eminence C-Rex speaker. I traded my Fender DeVille 212 for the YGL2 without a second thought, but when I would crank either of these amps of there seemed to be this harsh, honking, obtrusive low-mid tone that precluded that creamy growl-crunch one expects from an EL84 equipped valve amp.

Also, the overdrive channel seems superfluous since the clean channel can also be over-driven, and sounds more pleasing in my opinion too.

I'm not 'hating' on Traynor amps. I love the solid construction, quality components and ease of service. (I could literally swap the speaker and all the tubes in under twenty minutes using only a multi-bit screwdriver.) As I said, I currently own the YCV80Q which sounds wonderful and takes pedals effortlessly.

Thanks for the replies.

I appreciate all of your opinions.


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## Distortion (Sep 16, 2015)

its all a trade off and depends, if you play mainly clean or dirty. Not a big fan of Traynor clean but it slaughters a Fender on OD channel.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

'Better tone / best tone' is a fallacy. No such animal, Dave.

There is tone you like and tone you don't like. Neither is objectively better or worse, but some you subjectively like more than others. What's the best color, red or blue?

That said, tone ultimately starts with the hands. If you don't like the tone, that's where it starts. If one brand of amp works better with your technique and your ears and for your type of music, then you should use that brand of amp. Play what you love and love what you play. It's supposed to be fun.


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

my YCV40 has an Patriot Black Powder speaker in it and I replaced the 6L6 tubes last year so it's not stock but it sounds really good quiet or loud. it definitely likes single coil pickups better than P90s. i have a buddy who has one same age with the stock 70/80 speaker and stock tubes it also sounds good but it's completely different other than the way they look there's nothing similar about those two amplifiers. so i don't know if one or the other is the exception or if there's just that much variability between units

j


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## TheYanChamp (Mar 6, 2009)

My first tube amp was a YCV80 2x12. It sucked. Cleans sucked, crunch was okay, boost was unusable but the only way to get a lead or hard rock tone. The speakers are terrible.

Then came the grid resistor fiasco costing me two repairs, one under warentee, one not shortly after it expired so it left me with a bad taste in my mouth and ended up selling it asap.

My vintage traynor is great, but those ycv's are dogs in my opinion. The blue series are supposed to be better, but why would I risk investing in another traynor again?

I also love my new class d Traynor bass amp, but YCV.

In that list, I haven't played many marshalls or vox amps that I didn't like. From the SS vox amps to ac15/30, they're damn good. Even their multieffect modeling pedals are damn good. Clearly marshall isn't that consistent and did make some unrealiable duds over the years.


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

TheYanChamp said:


> My first tube amp was a YCV80 2x12. It sucked. Cleans sucked, crunch was okay, boost was unusable but the only way to get a lead or hard rock tone. The speakers are terrible.
> 
> Then came the grid resistor fiasco costing me two repairs, one under warentee, one not shortly after it expired so it left me with a bad taste in my mouth and ended up selling it asap.
> 
> ...



Your experience with a single YCV amp is not representative of the line as a whole.


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

to be fair, you really should compare the 60's Vox circuits ( AC15, AC10, AC4 ) with comparable Traynor circuits from the same era: YBA1, bass mate, etc

they will stand up much better. especially through the same speakers as the Vox


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## TheYanChamp (Mar 6, 2009)

colchar said:


> Your experience with a single YCV amp is not representative of the line as a whole.


Sorry, forgot to add that its my opinion YMMV IMHO

The bias grid resistor failure was extremely common and traynor had to issue a service bulletin.


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## JRMusic (Dec 6, 2021)

Is this thread too old to comment?
I have a couple of ygl1 amps. I have a Floyd rose classic strat that sounds great through them, but I’ve never been able to dial in a good sound for my Eric Clapton blackie strat with that amp.
The blackie sounds better through my Vox AC10 C1. I’ve tried a couple of times to use my FR classic strat through the Vox and hate it. I have a charvel Spectrum that sounds fantastic through the Vox.
I almost wonder if the ygl1 works better with a weaker signal feeding it. The Vox likes my guitars that have a hotter signal.
But hands down my favorite tone is the ygl1 with my FR classic strat.

I’ve found a great guitar can sound bad through what someone else considers a great amp, I guess the secret is in finding the right combination.


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