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Any Traynor YBA-1 owners?


boytbpc

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I'm thinking about trading my 1974 Fender Twin Reverb and some dude offered me a Traynor YBA-1 with matching 2x15. Anybody use one of these? I hear that they are very similar to the old Bassman/Plexi. This is a very early one with 7027a and a tube rectifier.

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I've owned a YBA-1 for about 10 years, and it is AWESOME! With a few caveats: I use it through 12 in Celestion g12h30 speakers, so I can't really comment on how it sounds through the original 15 in. Also, I ALWAYS use it with an attenuator these days. I have to get the volume up to about halfway on the Traynor to get a really good clean sound, and then i go a little further to get the breaking up, tube-driven sound I want. I was obsessed with getting Van Halen's brown sound when I was in high school, and I read this was Traynor's clone of the Fender Bassman, and like Marshall, Traynor used EL34 tubes, making it more a clone of the original plexi. And yes, it gets the plexi sounds, like AC/DC, or (when both volume knobs are all, it gets Van Halen). Without an attenuator, this is SUPER loud. Without the attenuator, I would have to just use one speaker for it to be practical in a live situation.

Other big caveats: I refurbished and modded it with my dad who's done hobby electronics his whole life. We had to replace the big capacitors. If the model you're looking at has already had this done, you'll be in good shape. But if it still has the 40 year-old caps, you'll have to get them replaced. And if it's still got the two-prong power plug, you must get it grounded.

Also, I searched the internet a lot and found all the little components to change to make it a more exact clone of the Marshall plexi. It's still awesome without the mods, but for amp forum folks, the mods really make the cake.

I got it for $288 in 2002, and it's been the greatest gear investment of my life!

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I've owned many yba1, and yba1a. A few things to remember are that the yba1a, while looking very similar, is a 90 watt version of the amp, yes, thats right 90 watts from 2 el34.. the voltages on these amps are extremely high, and as such they can eat tubes like crazy. they stay clean almost all the way to 10 and are some of the loudest, most powerful amps I've ever played. the yba1 is 45 watts, and has great plexi like breakup. Still a very loud amp, when it does break up, I feel that it has a slightly warmer, smooth breakup than marshalls. Hope this helps! good luck with the new amp.

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I have a YBA-1 that I got from a forumite for around $460 (shipped). It sounds so good! I play it through this 2x12 cab. Bedroom volume is at 1 (not 1 o'clock). Band volume is at 3, and stays clean. Break-up starts at 4. I think the clean sound even at low volumes is great, as there is a lot of body to the notes. I've read that the speakers in the old Traynor cabinets weren't very good. So while it would look nice to have a matching cab, it may not be worth it for the sound.

I wouldn't do a trade for you Twin. You're better off selling it separately (if you decide to get rid of it), then buying the head alone. I was seeing YBA-1 heads on Ebay going for between $500-600 earlier this year.

P1010941.jpg

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I have three of them, two modded, one stock. the circuit is very close to a plexi circuit and can be easily modded to be such. even stock they sound great.
I don't think the 2x15 would be anything desirable for guitar.
I have vintage Fenders, Marshall, Hiwatts and Garnets and the Traynors are second to none.
as far as whether it's a good trade for your Twin, hard to say. it the cab was more guitar appropriate, it would be a no brainer, but I think you'd still be wanting a better cab.

traynors.jpg

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Quote Originally Posted by Prehistoricpain View Post
I've owned many yba1, and yba1a. A few things to remember are that the yba1a, while looking very similar, is a 90 watt version of the amp, yes, thats right 90 watts from 2 el34.. the voltages on these amps are extremely high, and as such they can eat tubes like crazy. they stay clean almost all the way to 10 and are some of the loudest, most powerful amps I've ever played. the yba1 is 45 watts, and has great plexi like breakup. Still a very loud amp, when it does break up, I feel that it has a slightly warmer, smooth breakup than marshalls. Hope this helps! good luck with the new amp.
Seconded.

I went for the YBA-1A and couldnt be happier. My buddy Casey runs a YBA1 which is awesome in its own right but I wanted clean and mean. I run my 1A through a Vintage, Fane loaded Hiwatt 4123. So tight. So clean. So cummy.

cfad1db5.jpg
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Quote Originally Posted by BP90

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Came that way to me... I can't imagine it to be a difficult mod, though.

 

Doesn't look like I have a ground switch on my amp. I have a red circuit breaker button on the back. Could you take a picture of where your master volume is, or describe where it's at?
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In the biggest guitar/drum/keys retail/repair shop in hipster zone Williamsburg, the amps section was packed with old Traynor heads for a couple years, but it seems like they've all dried up by now. And I'm seeing them on stage a lot around here. I predict the prices will continue to rise.

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Quote Originally Posted by LSDis4me View Post
Doesn't look like I have a ground switch on my amp. I have a red circuit breaker button on the back. Could you take a picture of where your master volume is, or describe where it's at?
Nevermind, I found a site that has pictures of the front and backs of these, including this one with the master volume mod:

7185076_orig.jpg

http://deanmarkleyvintageamps.weebly...ba-series.html


Didn't see anything about my version without the ground switch.
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I have a YBA-4 (a YBA-1 with a 15" speaker). Now I'm not sure if this has to do with the speaker, but I have yet to play an amp that has such a thick and punchy sounding clean. Mind you I haven't played a Hiwatt, but it sounds good to me. It has a very nice and responsive overdrive. I'd love to try it through a 2x12 or 4x12.

If you want a cleaner amp, the YBA-1a is your choice (which I'm trying to find as well).

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Quote Originally Posted by BP90

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I always thought it sounded a bit different... Maybe I'm carazy!

 

It WOULD sound different. depending on which input and how the volumes are set.you could have the od running into the bright channel with regular signal hitting the bass channel. just another flavour available to us lucky 4 input amp owners.
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Quote Originally Posted by Prehistoricpain

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It WOULD sound different. depending on which input and how the volumes are set.you could have the od running into the bright channel with regular signal hitting the bass channel. just another flavour available to us lucky 4 input amp owners.

 

Thanks, Mike!
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