# A question to Traynor guys!



## corailz (May 1, 2008)

Hi, i recently acquired a really nice 1976 Traynor YRM-1 and i like it alot, but i would like just a little more gain on tap...I've read alot of stuff about some mods guys are doing to their Reverb Master, but most of them are cancelling the reverb and the tremolo to gain more gain as they are supposely not using thoses features! For me, it's a turn off....I really like the tone of my amp, i really use the reverb and a little less the tremolo(it sounds so great) but i use it , so for me this mod is out of my mind..... Anyways, i would like to know if there's any way to raise a bit the gain on tap without cancelling everything?

I don't need alot more of gain, but i would like a bit more agressive drive when i use it with single coils without always use a boost in front of it. For the Humbuckers, the drive i already have is on the edge of being perfect, so i think that just a bit more would be fantastic.


Thanks


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## 5732 (Jul 30, 2009)

Have you tried a clean boost pedal on your single coil guitar s?


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## corailz (May 1, 2008)

Yup, but i would like more drive from the amp without the need of a boost as i'm moslty playing with my guitar's volume to control the amp overdrive!


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

Doesn't it have a volume and a master? Are you saying with volume cranked and master low it still doesn't have enough gain?
(if it doesn't have the master please post schematic)
Something simple to try would be playing with the value of the treble boost pot. Increasing it a bit would bring the boost down to the midrange area.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Seriously, try a Timmy pedal before modding the amp. It will do everything you want without adding anything you don't.


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## corailz (May 1, 2008)

Jb, yes my amp has the master volume and i'm normally play my amp louder than half on the master and fully cranked up a couple and didn't felt a big difference between half or full on mv.
Passing the half on the "gain knob" and the treble boost dosen't change anything on the tone as it is bypassed and i'm always playing with the treble boost on with my setup.

TG, i have a Fairfield barbeshop that i use for this duty and the tone and drive is perfect with it, but i would like to have just a little more gain on the amp before needing a boost. This being said, you are tempting me to try a Timmy as it's the only pedal from Paul C. that i didn't tried and it seems to be a favourite for many guys!!!


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

I would second a boost of some kind before the amp. You can still use your volume control on the guitar to control the overdrive of the amp, it would just increase the signal before the amp so it has more to work with. A good clean boost would not hinder your ability to use the volume control. Something with 2 sections would be good for you. One set for a little boost for the humbuckers and another side set for more boost for the single coils.

This would be a cleaner way of going about it without modifying a vintage amp such as this.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

corailz said:


> TG, i have a Fairfield barbeshop that i use for this duty and the tone and drive is perfect with it, but i would like to have just a little more gain on the amp before needing a boost. This being said, you are tempting me to try a Timmy as it's the only pedal from Paul C. that i didn't tried and it seems to be a favourite for many guys!!!


I just sold my Barbershop (I've owned it 3 times!). It is amazing, but the reason I keep selling it is that the Timmy covers very similar territory. The Timmy, however, has way more gain on tap if you want it and the eq is way more flexible. It is also the best "stacker" I have ever heard.

TG


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## parkhead (Aug 14, 2009)

corailz said:


> Hi, i recently acquired a really nice 1976 Traynor YRM-1 and i like it alot, but i would like just a little more gain on tap...I've read alot of stuff about some mods guys are doing to their Reverb Master, but most of them are cancelling the reverb and the tremolo to gain more gain as they are supposely not using thoses features! For me, it's a turn off....I really like the tone of my amp, i really use the reverb and a little less the tremolo(it sounds so great) but i use it , so for me this mod is out of my mind..... Anyways, i would like to know if there's any way to raise a bit the gain on tap without cancelling everything?
> 
> I don't need alot more of gain, but i would like a bit more agressive drive when i use it with single coils without always use a boost in front of it. For the Humbuckers, the drive i already have is on the edge of being perfect, so i think that just a bit more would be fantastic.
> 
> ...


There are two simple ways to add gain that do not disturb the other features of the amp. 

#1 cathode resistors 
if you look at the schematic of the amp you are looking for v1a and v1b 
the bias for that tube is set using a 1500ohm resistor on each half of the tube PINS 3 and 8 
you could probably drop that resistor value down to about 820 ohm giving a bump in gain 
FWIW I would only do the cathode resistor on v1b (the output of the tone stack ) and I would use 1k as the value 
this will give the amp a little more internal gain range ...without losing what you already like 

#2 plate load resistor 
if you follow v1a you will notice its power supply feed is a 100k resistor ... this is also known as the plate load resistor 
you can change its value to 220k as used in the guitar mate .... 
while this adds apparent gain by sending more signal throught the attached coupling cap to the next stage 
there is way more going on ... A... you are dropping the operating voltage of the tube 
B... you lose some headroom in that tube C... the tube has more apparent growl 
I like a little growl so I would change the plate load on V1a to 220k ...if you like Fender style headroom skip this mod 

both of these tweaks are fairly subtle and would result in what you describe ... the amp sounds the same and has all stock features 
but has a little more gain incorporated into the sweep of the volume control so the amp is a little more fun to play 
in some ways the effect is similar to a slight boost but since it built into the amp the amp will still respond to a booster pedal 
your friends will think your playing has improved, and your guitar is made of magic vintage wood 

do not do this if you don't know what you are doing 

do the tweaks stepwise and listen and evaluate the changes by playing as you go 

the 100k plate load is in line with the power supply so you can get zapped 

#3 if and when you decide to recap the amp with new power filters, probably more important than new tubes in beasts of this age 
consider lowering the filter values in the pre amp ... this will also enhance the growl and touch of the amp 
the 40mfd cans that filter the pre amp sections can be replaced with filters as low as 20mfd 
the first B+ filter should stay 40mfd however in an amp like this I often double it to 80mfd (both sides of a paired can ) if I am lowering the filters in the rest of the amp 
the raised B+ filter improves the initial noise reduction effect and the bass output of the power amp ... lowering the pre amp filters improves the touch of the pre amp 
and tightens the pre amp bottom end (this filter scheme is a bit radical and you won't see it described elsewhere.. but it sounds a lot more Tweed/Plexi ) 

c6 is already 10uf in these make sure you stay at that value and do not add capacitance killing the tone you like 
also r42 is a big sandbox 470ohm choke/ screen resistor can be changed out to 2 or 3k to better protect the output tubes 
and shave a hair off the power output, the power amp becomes warmer and the screens react a little more slowly protecting the tubes and almost imperceptibly cutting output the power 
(in reality you hear this as less loud brash edginess in the power amp) 


p


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## corailz (May 1, 2008)

There's a lot of knowledge Parkhead! Thanks alot for the advises, it's way too technical for me to do this by myself, but i'll show this thread to the amp tech so he'll know exactly where to start and where i want to go!
I really like your explanations about each changes or mods and your advises about what it should be due to be replaced.

- - - Updated - - -

There's a lot of knowledge Parkhead! Thanks alot for the advises, it's way too technical for me to do this by myself, but i'll show this thread to the amp tech so he'll know exactly where to start and where i want to go!
I really like your explanations about each changes or mods and your advises about what it should be due to be replaced.



traynor_garnet said:


> I just sold my Barbershop (I've owned it 3 times!). It is amazing, but the reason I keep selling it is that the Timmy covers very similar territory. The Timmy, however, has way more gain on tap if you want it and the eq is way more flexible. It is also the best "stacker" I have ever heard.
> 
> TG


I did own a Paul C. Tim that i've liked alot, but the thing i prefer from the Barbershop is that it so simple and strait foward as it dosen't change my tone at all but just push my sound in a very nice and smooth overdrive!
It's so much of a pedal!


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