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Help w/clean tone for Traynor YXV40WR


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Anyone have much experience with Traynor tube amps? I bought a used YCV40WR a few years ago and have always had trouble getting a good clean tone. The channel starts to break up after 3 and already sounds pretty distorted by 5. Is that just how these amps are? Do I just have to keep the volume super low to get an actual clean?

 

Bandmates who've listened to the amp agree that it sounds too distorted, so I took the amp to an authorized Traynor repair center thinking maybe the tubes were bad. They did something to the preamp circuit, charged me $100, and the amp came back sounding exactly the same.

 

I'd love any suggestions for amp settings, pedals, or amp modifications that could help me out.

 

http://www.tracermetula.com

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I would recommend you look at lower gain pre-amp tubes. I believe those use AX7's you may want to consider using something like an AT7 or an AU7. Just be very sure that it won't harm the amp BEFORE you install them. According to the traynor web site it's using 6L6's on the poweramp side. You may want to look at different power tubes as well. I think they use Sovteks, which can be pretty harsh and will break up earlier. Also consider a higher SPL speaker, this will give you more volume using less amp

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Even among AX7's, there are hotter and cooler tubes. Depends on the maker. 6L6 circuits tend to be cleaner than some other circuit/tube power stages, but a mismatched pair could make the amp sound ratty.

 

For 100 clams I'd demand a real explanation of what exactly was done, especially since there was no change. If the amp is simply a dirty circuit (designed to be distorted) the tech should know and tell you. $100 is a lot for no change....there should be parts changed for that price, since other than power tube biasing there's not a lot you can adjust, and biasing doesn't take a $100 labor.

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I had one that had a great clean channel. Keep in mind that tube amps do distort, even on their clean channel, and some breakup with the volume half way up isn't unexpected, especially if you have hot pickups.

 

 

Good point...

 

What kind of guitar and pickups are you using (pickups being far more important than the guitar)

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I also had this exact model of amp. It stayed clean until about 4-5 with my single-coiled strat, but I really couldn't get a very clean sound with any humbucker equipped guitar...it wasn't THAT dirty though. It sounds like, as many have pointed out, you could be running some particularly hot tubes.

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