# A brief WOW report on the YCS 50



## GuyB (May 2, 2008)

Just want to share this with you.
Since I've bought my Traynor YCS 50 last december, I've played with it at some gigs and some jam session. I've experimented with it but mainly in the 50W mode. Last week-end, in a jam, I decided to try seriously the 15W mode and.... WOW !
On the clean channel, there is a push button that gives two voicings : British or U.S.A. In the 50W mode, the difference between the voicing is, let's say, subtle. But in the 15W, it is much more prononced and... fantastic ! With the U.S.A. voicing, you still get that "fenderish" tone with lots of headroom. But, with the Brit voicing it gives kind of a Vox tone which is absolutely sweet to my ears. It breaks much sooner than in the 50W mode and, alone, is worth the amp in itself ! I only used my Godin Freeway Classic last week-end (it's a HSH pick-up configuration with 5 positions) and on all pick-up positions (except maybe the middle one, with the single alone), I could have very distinctive tones with that Brit voicing and each one was... well, I can only say again WOW !
Let's say that I was so pleased to play with these "tones" that I did'nt even think to use the other channel at that jam ! Trying to find some time this week to get back to that 15W very seriously !
That's it ! Just wanted to share that "happiness" with you.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Finding "that" tone with my 335 was one of the reasons I took mine off the market. It's a very versatile amp. The V30 needs some time to break in though, once that starts to happen things really get better. I haven't tried pushing any pedals through it yet, haven't really needed to. :smile:


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## g-tone (Feb 14, 2009)

I picked up a YCS-50H a couple of weeks ago to go with my YCS-412 cab 
(metal grill with V30s). I love it... very versatile IMO. I only switch to the 50 watt mode when I forget that every thing I want is in the 15 watt mode.


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## GuyB (May 2, 2008)

davetcan said:


> Finding "that" tone with my 335 was one of the reasons I took mine off the market. It's a very versatile amp. The V30 really needs some time to break in though, once that starts to happen things really get better. I haven't really tried pushing any pedals through it yet, haven't really needed to. :smile:


Absolutly right about the time for the speaker to break in. And the same too for the pedals : I don't use any, don't need to :smile:

It's nice to know that others have "discovered" that same tone on the 15W.


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

ok - so after reading this thread - I went on down to the local L&M - my daughter was upstairs having a guitar lesson - so I only had a half hr - and hauled one of those YCS50's into the soundproof room....grabbed a Tele off the wall and plugged 'er all in

I just want to say thanks for starting this thread cause now I have serious GAS pains

#[email protected]$#@#[email protected] anybody wanna buy a Crate SS 65 watt amp?......thought not


anyway - the Traynor - the tone was fabulous...cozy warm with just the perfect amount of breakup (I am not a huge fan of super clean tone) - made me sound like I actually play well


off I go to save my pennies

(truth be told - I'm contemplating a Peavy Classic 50 as well.....I'll take my time - maybe rent a few and try 'em out in the band setting)


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## GuyB (May 2, 2008)

Hi lbrown1

Gas ? Hey, hey ! :smile:

Like said before, if you buy the Traynor, be prepare to wait before the speaker gets o.k. It's curious : I thought it sounded good in the store but once at home the amp was much too clear, almost annoying, I was getting nervous ! But after a while, everything was in place.
I guess that the «cozy warm with just the perfect amount of breakup» tone is from the 15W mode, clean channel with the Brit voicing ?


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

GuyB said:


> Hi lbrown1
> 
> 
> I guess that the «cozy warm with just the perfect amount of breakup» tone is from the 15W mode, clean channel with the Brit voicing ?


you got it


thanks very much for the tip re: the speaker break in period.

I work at home and spend most days on conference calls....so I'll put as many hours on it as I can before I use in in band get togethers - hope the mute button on my phone works 

I still wanted to try out the Peavy Classic which I'll do this week - a local store called "MeanAxe" has a classic 50.....but I'm pretty much sold on the Traynor....suits my needs very well

ARRRGH - what am I saying!!! - I gotta find the cash!!!!


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## nitehawk55 (Sep 19, 2007)

The fact the Traynor is made in Canada ( Toronto area ) and Yorkville stands behind them is a big plus too . 
I'm not so sure where the newer Peavey's are being made or how well they stand behind the warranty but I'm betting it's not as good :smilie_flagge17:


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

nitehawk55 said:


> The fact the Traynor is made in Canada ( Toronto area ) and Yorkville stands behind them is a big plus too .
> I'm not so sure where the newer Peavey's are being made or how well they stand behind the warranty but I'm betting it's not as good :smilie_flagge17:



...peavey used to have a service depot somewhere in scarborough. great guys to deal with, and not at all expensive. no idea if its still there.

-dh


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## nitehawk55 (Sep 19, 2007)

david henman said:


> ...peavey used to have a service depot somewhere in scarborough. great guys to deal with, and not at all expensive. no idea if its still there.
> 
> -dh


I've heard Peavey was usually OK on service but I didn't know they had a service depot in TO . 

In any case....BUY CANADIAN !!! :smilie_flagge17:


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

ok - so I went on over to L&M's half price rental day event in Oshawa here....picked up a YCS50 on rental for $20 for a month including insurance...good price.

I brought it home to really try it out....the time in the booth at the store was brief at best....so not enough to tell 

and - all I can say is WOW

I used the POD XTL in the parallel effects loop with the amp modeling off.....I never got the chance to jump out of the 15 watt mode.....cause the knocks on the door from the pissed off neighbor came too soon....#$#@[email protected] neighbor!


but what I did get the chance to do is take it for a nice loud (and 15 watts is LOUD with this amp) test run toa few backing tracks - I never actually got the volume passed half......

I was blown away by the warm rolling breaking up tones on the clean and the slicing crunch on the lead........

the true test wil be at the next band practice - see how it blends in and allows me to cut through.

I've been having a bit of trouble with tone in particular with the POD alone modeling certain amps when plugged right into the board.....alone at home - sounds fabulous - playing along to songs and backing tracks - beautiful tone....but in a real band mix - I'd get lost....sounds muted and "electronic"....amp modeling has it's place I still believe - but live playing seems to be one maybe where it should not be used......live and learn.

I almost went home with the 90 watt version.....they appeared to be the exact same size as the 50 watt - looks identical from a distance save for the 90 watt moniker on the front panel....anyway - I noticed at the last second - and had to tell the L&M store rep - "wrong amp!".....90 watts - I doubt I'll even need that kind of power

closing words.....I am very pleased with the tone, the simplicity, the looks, the everything about this traynor......if I can save up the pennies enough - I'll buy it


now, if I could just fix that neighbor problem


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## GuyB (May 2, 2008)

I don't have a neighbor problem, I live deep in the country and my first neighbor is about one km away !
I bought the YCS50 in december and since january, I don't use my effects pedal anymore. Maybe I'll return to it later but for now... just don't need it.
As for the loudness of the 15W mode, it is very loud. I did'nt have any problems with a bass, a drum and a keyboard with the volume not even at full. This loudness thing is relative but we were playing at a fairly high level of volume.
I'm still experimenting and discovering many things only with the clean channel on the Brit voicing with different settings and guitars, a pure pleasure ! Try the "expander" button, I don't know what it does (sounds a bit acoustic... ?) but playing with the EQ, it can give surprises.


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

ya - I'm not really even sure how to describe the expander button - or what prompted them to put that in there.....I like it......but then when I shut it off - I like it not there too


my neighbor is separated from my place by 8 feet of earth


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## dufe32 (Feb 5, 2007)

GuyB said:


> I don't have a neighbor problem, I live deep in the country and my first neighbor is about one km away !
> I bought the YCS50 in december and since january, I don't use my effects pedal anymore. Maybe I'll return to it later but for now... just don't need it.
> As for the loudness of the 15W mode, it is very loud. I did'nt have any problems with a bass, a drum and a keyboard with the volume not even at full. This loudness thing is relative but we were playing at a fairly high level of volume.
> I'm still experimenting and discovering many things only with the clean channel on the Brit voicing with different settings and guitars, a pure pleasure ! Try the "expander" button, I don't know what it does (sounds a bit acoustic... ?) but playing with the EQ, it can give surprises.



I have serious GAS for that amp... If I may ask, where did you buy it? I contacted L&M (Ottawa) about renting one before buying, I'm waiting on a reply to my email. I would probably end up getting the 90 watts (2x12), I've always preferred the "wideness" of a 2x12 - just a personal pref. I'd like to rent one for a month to see how it's gonna react with my guitars. And, of course, to see if I will dig it.


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## GuyB (May 2, 2008)

Hi dufe32,

I bought it at Archambault in Sherbrooke. Give us some feedbacks if you try the 90W.


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## dufe32 (Feb 5, 2007)

GuyB said:


> Hi dufe32,
> 
> I bought it at Archambault in Sherbrooke. Give us some feedbacks if you try the 90W.


Well, the YCS90 is not available for rental at L&M in Ottawa. What they offer is a 30 day money back guarantee, so if I'm not happy with the amp, complete refund. I think I will take a drive there and get the amp, if I can't bond with it within 30 days, well I'll have my money back in full.

Reports/feedbacks as soon as I spend a couple of hours, maybe a day or two with it.


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

may as well take all 30 days with it.......use all you can........

definitely let us know how the 90 works out....for me, I think it might be a bit much - but still curious


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I think it was the 90 i tried out - and i wasnt getting the amazing vibes you guys are getting from the YCS series.

i loved my YCV80 - i dunno why the new line doesnt strike me as -worthy.

the YCS100H though, that got my attention lol


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## dufe32 (Feb 5, 2007)

Well, I had a chance to play with the YCS90 locally today. I went to Italmelodie in Laval and jammed with the amp about 30-40 minutes. First impressions: WOW! Versatile amp, very light for a 2x12. For all kinds of reasons I couldn't go to Ottawa (L&M) BUT tomorrow morning I'm going and there is a YCS90 that's awaiting me, I'll be having it for a month. I called them and the guy told me it was a good time because they are having a special on rentals, so instead of 50$, it's gonna cost me 25$ for a whole month. Detailed review will follow for sure. At first (like 2 weeks ago) they told me those amps weren't available for rental, but today, when I called them, they were, so they put my name on one.

I won't review now, 30-40 minutes isn't enough to make a clear judgement. While I'll be in Ottawa, I will try the YCS50, just to hear the difference.

So detailed report will come soon!


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## dhutchings (Feb 16, 2007)

The YCS50 is one of the tube amps I was interested in trying out. After reading the comments here, I also decided to go out and rent one for a month. 

So far I'm having lots of fun with it. With the USA and Brit voicings on the clean channel, and the mucking around I've done on the lead channel, I've been able to dial in a variety of tones from clean and Jazzy to dirty and mean.

It's going to be hard to part with it at the end of the month, but my plan is to spend a few months renting tube amps until I find the one I like. I don't want to buy the first one I try. I honestly may end up buying this one but I want to hear how others are before I purchase.


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## GuyB (May 2, 2008)

Hi dufe32,
The reason the YCS90 is light (about the same weight as the YCS50) is due to the different speakers : «Celestion G12 Century Vintage speakers on board. Designed to deliver the classic Celestion G12 12-inch speaker tone in a lightweight neodymium magnet design» (taken from Traynor's site).
At low wattage, it's at 20W, would be nice if you can try besides the 15W of the YCS50. I don't know if there is a significant difference of tone between the two since they don't have the same speakers but I'll wait for your report. As for loudness, I don't think that there will be a big difference between the 50W and 90W, the 50W IS very loud.

Hi dhutchings,
Good thing to try many amps. I don't know if this will be the same for you but in my case, I had to wait for the speaker to "break in" before having a satisfying tone : it was much too "clear" in the beginning. (As I said before, it's curious that I did'nt notice that while trying the amp at the store).


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

I still have yet had the need to flip to the 50 watt mode.......with the 15 watt mode.....I have the channel volumes cranked - but the mater volume at no more than 1 and it's plenty loud.......I'm trying to imagine me ever needing even the 50 watts - let alone jumping up to a 90


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## nitehawk55 (Sep 19, 2007)

dhutchings said:


> The YCS50 is one of the tube amps I was interested in trying out. After reading the comments here, I also decided to go out and rent one for a month.
> 
> So far I'm having lots of fun with it. With the USA and Brit voicings on the clean channel, and the mucking around I've done on the lead channel, I've been able to dial in a variety of tones from clean and Jazzy to dirty and mean.
> 
> It's going to be hard to part with it at the end of the month, but my plan is to spend a few months renting tube amps until I find the one I like. I don't want to buy the first one I try. I honestly may end up buying this one but I want to hear how others are before I purchase.


That's a wise way to do it and money well spent . It takes time to really get to know amps well and all too often you will see a player make a quick desicion about the amp (good or bad) only to realise that maybe they had made a wrong choice . These choices usually end up as buyers or sellers remorse , something I'm sure all too many of us have experienced .kqoct 

And as mentiond , speaker break in can make a difference too .

Have fun trying some out and keep us posted !!


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## dhutchings (Feb 16, 2007)

I flipped it once to 50W, and promptly switched back to 15. I was getting all I needed out of that, without needing to obtain ear-bleeding volumes in my basement!

It looked like all of the rental units of these were marked Used ($875 purchase price) so I'm hoping that some other kind soul went through some of the speaker break-in period for me. To be honest I'm happy with how it sounds right now.


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Thanks a lot guys!!! :2guns:

You made me GAS for the YCS! I rented the YCS 50 combo in January and really liked it. I didn't have the scratch together to buy one at the time so I brought it back. Since then I've acquired an older Peavey 4x12 with well seasoned Sheffield 1290s in it which I intended for other purposes but after reading this thread I got the itch for the YCS again. I just went out and rented the YCS100 head today. I'm gonna live with it for a month and see what I think. In the brief time at lunch that I had to plug it in and play with it I'm getting that same warm fuzzy feeling I had with the 50 combo.


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## dufe32 (Feb 5, 2007)

Great amp! Versatility to the max, superb clean channel and wonderful dirt channel. So many options: I really like the "Modern" switch but I couldn't care less for the "Scoop" switch, engaging the Modern switch gets you wherever you want, metal territory and such. With the boost on, the Modern on and gain around 2 o'clock, Metallica with ease. Well to me it sounded close enough, and besides, in gig situation it'll do the trick. Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to compare it to the YCS50, but the V30 probably makes some difference. Not that those G12 Century sound bad but I think I will appreciate them more when they are fully broken in. I'm a big V30 whore so... Reverb is nice but then again I'm not too big on reverb. Amp sounds better when the Voice switch is engaged. Too bad you can't control the Boost function with the footswitch, you need to buy another footswitch for that, amp footswitch controls channels 1 and 2. Seems sturdy, Traynor logo on front is a bit cheesy - made of plastic - but that's just nit picking really. Still on the cosmetic side, I would have loved to have the on/off switch on the front of the amp. No need to switch up to 90w, 25w is more power than needed, will easily keep up with a loud drummer. And the tone is glorious at 25w. I really like the Brit switch - on the clean channel - in my band we play some Wallflowers, and this setting is just perfect for that. Can't wait to use it in a band situation, right now we're kinda on a break, our drummer's wife just had another kid, so we're kinda off for a month or so - time to give the lady a break, we practice at the drummer's house. Can't say bad things about that amp, truly best bang for the bucks. I will report back in 2 weeks, to see if my opinions have changed, but for now, I wonder how the hell I will be able to return it to L&M. Did I mention it was light?! From blues to hard rock-metal territory, this puppy will do it all with ease. I like it better than the YCV series but this is very subjective, so it's only my opinion. If you need more gain, buy a pedal but I doubt you will need one. In my band we play songs from Beatles to Metallica, STP, Pearl Jam - you get the picture - and this amp will do it all without a pedal. I'm not too big on effects, so I can't comment about the FX loop but I can't see why it would sound bad. I haven't made any preamp tube swapping - don't have any around - so I will not comment on this, it sounds fine to me like that. All in all, a serious amp for the money. And the folks at L&M in Ottawa were great, it was my first experience with L&M, probably not the last.

Anyone using the YCS50 or 90 ever made any preamp tube swap? I'm curious...


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## GuyB (May 2, 2008)

Hi dufe32,

You say : «Too bad you can't control the Boost function with the footswitch, you need to buy another footswitch for that, amp footswitch controls channels 1 and 2»

Curious that the footswitch is different from the YCS50 : on mine the button 1 is for selecting between both channels and when the lead channel is selected, then the button 2 activates the boost.


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## dufe32 (Feb 5, 2007)

GuyB said:


> Hi dufe32,
> 
> You say : «Too bad you can't control the Boost function with the footswitch, you need to buy another footswitch for that, amp footswitch controls channels 1 and 2»
> 
> Curious that the footswitch is different from the YCS50 : on mine the button 1 is for selecting between both channels and when the lead channel is selected, then the button 2 activates the boost.



Ok, maybe my comment is wrong, the cable for the footswitch is missing, I dropped an email to the guys in L&M asking to mail it to me. You are probably right about the footswitch, so please ignore my comment about it. Thanks for giving me that information, I'll get back to ya as soon as I get the cable... So far L&M did not answer me back...


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

ok - just put the YCS 50 through a workout........in the jam session - we had another guitarist with a louder than hell Fender Princeton, a bass player with the biggest ampeg you've ever seen (aptly nick named - "The Widow Maker") a keyboardist, 2 singers and a very loud crash Cymbol happy drummer......the YCS50 was......perfect!....our lead player couldn't' make it today so the job fell on me.....big shoes to fill but man (I was most worried about Healy's See the Light......the crazy wah laden leads on that one are a bit beyond my skils....but somehow I pulled it off) - it worked out fabulously.....the warm rich clean tones with the gain up just a wee bit passed half......the lead channel with the gain backed off a bit but accompanied with a tube screamer for leads......cut through perfectly for leads, but allowed for a really nice soulful bluesy tone for those softer songs....no horrible mushy overdriven high gain tones - just pure great tone all around.......it worked great for the blues numbers like Gently Weeps, You better Leave, Before you Accuse Me, and also excellent for the more rocky numbers like Misissippi Queen.

The master volume never made it passed 1/3rd (no numbers on the dial) (note - the channel volumes were on full).....and it was in 15 watt mode the whole time.


I really think I like this amp......gonna keep the rental going for a few more months to be certain (definitely don't want buyer's remorse like a previous post noted) but I'm pretty much sold....coupled with my Mexi fat strat......it's a great combo.


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## GuyB (May 2, 2008)

Thanks for the report lbrown1. I found that the best settings for me look like yours on both channels : less gain and more channel volume. But sometimes, I really like to push the gain on the clean channel with the Brit voicing.
And as for now, I think that I like more my Godin Freeway Classic than my Godin Flat Five X with it. This is the contrary than with my YCV50.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Great post. I really think the key to getting the warmth out of this amp is to crank both channel volumes and use the master to control overall volume. Also don't be afraid to roll of the treble knob. Another minor thing I've discovered is that the brit/usa switch on the clean channel also has an impact on the gain channel. Check it out by toggling on/off while on the gain channel. Seems to add a bit more "oomph". I also make sure both channel reverbs are less than 12:00 o'clock. Very nice, very versatile amp.:smilie_flagge17:






lbrown1 said:


> ok - just put the YCS 50 through a workout........in the jam session - we had another guitarist with a louder than hell Fender Princeton, a bass player with the biggest ampeg you've ever seen (aptly nick named - "The Widow Maker") a keyboardist, 2 singers and a very loud crash Cymbol happy drummer......the YCS50 was......perfect!....our lead player couldn't' make it today so the job fell on me.....big shoes to fill but man (I was most worried about Healy's See the Light......the crazy wah laden leads on that one are a bit beyond my skils....but somehow I pulled it off) - it worked out fabulously.....the warm rich clean tones with the gain up just a wee bit passed half......the lead channel with the gain backed off a bit but accompanied with a tube screamer for leads......cut through perfectly for leads, but allowed for a really nice soulful bluesy tone for those softer songs....no horrible mushy overdriven high gain tones - just pure great tone all around.......it worked great for the blues numbers like Gently Weeps, You better Leave, Before you Accuse Me, and also excellent for the more rocky numbers like Misissippi Queen.
> 
> The master volume never made it passed 1/3rd (no numbers on the dial) (note - the channel volumes were on full).....and it was in 15 watt mode the whole time.
> 
> ...


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## dufe32 (Feb 5, 2007)

Oh man, the YCS90 rocks big time... I've been playing all weekend with it - not in a band situation unfortunately - and it kicks serious ass.

And the comment about the treble is right, do not be afraid to roll it down. This thing must be THE shit with an extension cab, really. It's already godly sounding without the extension cab so...

Very responsive to guitar volume pot, on both of my guitars (LP and a Paramount PC-1 from ESP, very under estimated guitar, perfect backup to my LP and CHEAP)


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## GuyB (May 2, 2008)

davetcan said:


> Another minor thing I've discovered is that the brit/usa switch on the clean channel also has an impact on the gain channel.


I can't wait to try that !


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

I've frittered around with that switch a bit - I keep coming back to the brit tone......but I haven't tried flipping it while on the lead channel - thanks for the tip......I also have keep the expander off......but I did keep the presence / Resonance in the mix - around 10:00 on the dial......no scooping on the lead channel - however I did discover that when scooped - it doesn't take a whole lot of gain to get a really nice sounding Enter Sandman tone.....but those days are behind me I think


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## Swifty (Mar 23, 2009)

davetcan said:


> Great post. I really think the key to getting the warmth out of this amp is to crank both channel volumes and use the master to control overall volume. Also don't be afraid to roll of the treble knob. Another minor thing I've discovered is that the brit/usa switch on the clean channel also has an impact on the gain channel. Check it out by toggling on/off while on the gain channel. Seems to add a bit more "oomph". I also make sure both channel reverbs are less than 12:00 o'clock. Very nice, very versatile amp.:smilie_flagge17:


I've had a YCS50 for about 4 months now & have found the key to getting "the warmth" is about 50 hours of abuse to break the damn speaker in. I bought mine after playing a store demo unit & was initially disappointed as the spanky new one I brought home sounded thin & shrill compared to the the store's unit. I swapped out the crappy stock tubes for Tung-Sol 6L6's & some good 12AX/AT7's which helped in the definition & punch dept but have been stunned by the increased warmth & fatness over the past month that I've had occasion to get a lot of "band level" hours on it. The variety & versatility of the tone stack(s) is unbeatable in this price range, need a mod to make the Brit / USA setting foot switchable. I'm rarely using the OD channel these days as a few good dirt pedals into the clean side covers most of the bases.


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## GuyB (May 2, 2008)

Hi Swifty,

Your are right about the speakers. My experience was similar as yours.

Do you know how to make the Brit / USA setting foot switchable ?


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## Swifty (Mar 23, 2009)

GuyB said:


> Hi Swifty,
> 
> Your are right about the speakers. My experience was similar as yours.
> 
> Do you know how to make the Brit / USA setting foot switchable ?


Hey Guy, I tried a couple of different Eminence speakers in it with OK results but I think the V30 is voiced about right for the YCS, just have to endure the lengthy break-in period. 

There was some talk on the HC forums a few months ago discussing how to make the Brit/USA function foot switchable, don't know if anyone pulled it off successfully. Traynor tech support would likely know if it's doable.


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## nitehawk55 (Sep 19, 2007)

It was mentioned that someone did get hold of Traynor and they said it was not possable to put in a switch . It is possable a good amp tech may be able to .


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