Members rushtallica Posted February 13, 2008 Members Share Posted February 13, 2008 My Traynor YCS-50 is at the amp tech right now to get biased and check out some noise on the clean channel...we got multi-meter readings of 38-39mV on the power tubes, way below the recommended 75mV +/- 10. So, it could be that my amp is biased way cold...I heard a few of the early Fender Supersonics had the same issue from the factory, resulting in a piercing, cold thin sound.So, he's opening everything up to rebias, so I should know in about a week whether or not this makes any difference in warming things up and taking off some of the high end. Will report back at that time.He also said the Celestion V30 in a single speaker open back combo is NOT the way to go...he says they can get quite a bit harsh in that set-up...so, next step may be to go to a warmer, more low-end focused speaker.Fingers crossed... I hope he's able to get it all worked out for you and that another speaker helps a lot, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GTDeluxe Posted February 18, 2008 Members Share Posted February 18, 2008 Anyone know if the YCS50 has an Auto Tube-matching Circuit like many of the Traynor Combo amps? I ordered one from MusiciansBuy.com and am probably going to upgrade the tubes as soon as I get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members teetop Posted February 20, 2008 Members Share Posted February 20, 2008 No, not auto-biasing...it's manual. Good thing is the bias test points, and the trim pot, are accessible from outside the chassis. Doug at Eurotubes has a cheap multi-meter for about $10 or so that can be used to test bias. I went ahead and sent mine in to my amp tech after retubing with JJs because I had a bit of crackling noise on the clean channel i wanted him to look at, and because i wanted him to see what he could do to warm up the amp a bit. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted February 20, 2008 Author Members Share Posted February 20, 2008 My Traynor YCS-50 is at the amp tech right now to get biased and check out some noise on the clean channel...we got multi-meter readings of 38-39mV on the power tubes, way below the recommended 75mV +/- 10. So, it could be that my amp is biased way cold...I heard a few of the early Fender Supersonics had the same issue from the factory, resulting in a piercing, cold thin sound.So, he's opening everything up to rebias, so I should know in about a week whether or not this makes any difference in warming things up and taking off some of the high end. Will report back at that time.He also said the Celestion V30 in a single speaker open back combo is NOT the way to go...he says they can get quite a bit harsh in that set-up...so, next step may be to go to a warmer, more low-end focused speaker.Fingers crossed... See what the bias does. There's nothing harsh sounding about mine at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members axslinger Posted February 20, 2008 Members Share Posted February 20, 2008 I have mentioned in MANNY othyer threads that the V30 isn't suitable for this amp when you crank it up. V30 fine in a 4x12, but it lack top end power with this amp, like it's squishing the amps character. I can;t tell you what speaker to try, but I put an EV 12L in mine, after removing the reverb tank, 12L being just a TAD larger. There wasbn;t a lot of difference at low volumes, but as I kicked it up, the speaker handled EVERYTHING the Blue could throw. The amp just blossomed wide open. I used to fell that after going past half power, I was spinnign wheels and marring the tone, but no longer. HAd the same good tone, but kept getting louder and louder. It seems we spend a lot of time and money putting the perfect speaker in a 4x12 cab, but just accept whatever speaker is in a combo, and then just write off the amp if it doesn't sound good to us. How does it affect lower volumes? A 300 Watt speaker in a 60 watt amp seems like a bit of a mismatch. How effecient is it? Does the EV make the amp should anemic at lower volumes? Ax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarizt Posted February 22, 2008 Members Share Posted February 22, 2008 Where are you guys finding the ycs 50? I can't find it anywhere. How does it sounds compared to the ycv40 and ycv50? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted February 22, 2008 Author Members Share Posted February 22, 2008 Where are you guys finding the ycs 50? I can't find it anywhere.How does it sounds compared to the ycv40 and ycv50? I got mine from proaudiostar on ebay. It's a completely different amp than the 40. They don't really compare directly at all. I'm not that familiar with the YCV50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stephan1980 Posted February 23, 2008 Members Share Posted February 23, 2008 I tried a ycs50 yesterday and will probably buy it. About the trebly sound...... I had that problem when testing it out.. to fix just turn down the master volume and increase the channel volume.... Great amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members teetop Posted March 1, 2008 Members Share Posted March 1, 2008 Hey everyone...just thought I would update everyone on the YCS-50 saga...if you scroll through the messages in this thread you'll see I was experiencing some ear-piercing highs with this amp, just brutal. Particularly with my Strat. Even after a retube with JJs (12ax7s and 6l6s). I couldn't stand it. Took it into my amp tech...spent the next 10 days reviewing every other amp on the net, thinking ahead to the next purchase. Got a call Friday from the tech Him: "Man, this thing is biased way cold. Lots of cross-talk (or some term to that effect) between the two power tubes. Wadda ya want me to do?" Me: "Fix it." Picked it up today...30 minutes into playing... OMG What a difference!!!! The shrill and harshness is gone...smooth, lots of mids, VERY full and rounded. I actually had to back off the bass and mids a bit, the complete opposite of what I did before. This amp rocks now. I don't even think I'm going to change the V30, at least for now. With my EQ in the EFX loop, and a SD Pickup booster to boost the mids on my strat up front, I am in tonal bliss. So, for those who experience harshness with this amp, check out the bias... Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diddlybo Posted March 1, 2008 Members Share Posted March 1, 2008 Good to hear, Mark. I may do the same thing. My amp was very harsh, then I changed out the preamp tubes and it sounded much better. I left it alone for a few days and fired it up again a couple of days ago and I still find it a bit on the harsh side. Much better than before but still harsh. When I play a tele thru it I pretty much have to dial out the treble and presence and boost the mids and bass to get it somewhat smoother. Maybe a bias adjustment would help my amp, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stephan1980 Posted March 2, 2008 Members Share Posted March 2, 2008 Yeah I like my ycs50 a lot with the stock everything... followed the procedure on the Celestion website for breaking in the v30's quick and it seems to have worked very nicely... was a little harsh at first but now it's evened up and sounds nice and smooth. Procedure to break in speaker: turn gain or channel volume off, crank the power amp section, then adjust gain to a suitable volume. Turn bass and mids all the way up, treble 1/2 way and play for about 15 minutes, both pickups. Says it should get the speaker 95% of the way there to broken in. Do you guys know if you can just switch the 12ax7 in the V1 position? Or do you have to change them all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dudeman1967 Posted March 2, 2008 Members Share Posted March 2, 2008 Great to hear TeeTop. I thought it was odd that a couple of us mentioned the tons of bass we get from this amp. I never adjust my bass on either channel above 12:00. Rock on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diddlybo Posted March 6, 2008 Members Share Posted March 6, 2008 I took my amp to a tech and it was biased cold (around 15 millivolts) and had a badly mismatched set of power tubes. He put in a set of Svetlana 5881s and adjusted the bias hotter, so maybe that will help. I'll try it out tonight and report my results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diddlybo Posted March 7, 2008 Members Share Posted March 7, 2008 Nope, it now sounds worse than ever. I'm convinced of two things: 1. this amp is bad 2. I will never buy another amp thru the mail ever again. The last three amps I have bought thru the mail have been duds. If I can't hear the amp in person I'm not buying it. God, I hate guitar gear! I can't seem to get a decent piece of gear to save my friggin life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tarl-Saxon Posted March 7, 2008 Members Share Posted March 7, 2008 My YCS seemed harsh to me too. After breaking in the speaker for 2 weeks and replacing the pre amp tubes with JJs it is alot better. This amp really shines in two areas. It stands out in a band mix better than any other mass produced amps that I have heard since the 70's Marshalls.......and it excels at the torn speaker / delta blues tones (Brit/ gain at 3/4 and reverb at 3/4...neck humbucker at full volume and 3 tone) If I am just playing alone the harshness is still there but in the mix with my band it sounds awesome.....IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stephan1980 Posted March 7, 2008 Members Share Posted March 7, 2008 Nope, it now sounds worse than ever. I'm convinced of two things: 1. this amp is bad 2. I will never buy another amp thru the mail ever again. The last three amps I have bought thru the mail have been duds. If I can't hear the amp in person I'm not buying it. God, I hate guitar gear! I can't seem to get a decent piece of gear to save my friggin life. did you try adjust the channel volume? I find it if's too low and you use the master volume to turn the volume way up then it does sound harsh... try setting the channel volume at half way and full blast to see if that helps. Also try switching your preamp tubes around. You might have a bad tube in there somewhere.... if that doesn't work.. you got the 2 year warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stephan1980 Posted March 11, 2008 Members Share Posted March 11, 2008 Wow! Okay I've had this for a couple of weeks now and have finally figured out that it has more gain than I will ever need. I was cranking the gain before to get a good OD sound and was thinking I need a boost or something to get a smoother sound but I was way wrong. I turned the gain down to about 10 o'clock and now it's super sweet. Guess my problem was TOO MUCH gain. This is with the level adjustable boost disengaged too. Guess with all the talk about amps not having enough gain and needing boost pedals I never thought to turn the gain below 12:00 but I'm glad I finally did. Superb sound. (Sorry to those who are having trouble with the amp. Any updates?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members teetop Posted March 15, 2008 Members Share Posted March 15, 2008 OK. At the risk of being flamed, I've had another experience with the Traynor YCS-50 that's making me love it more. Earlier today I had just finished burning Kiss: Destroyer to my computer's iTunes...cheezy group (still luv em) but great album...always loved the guitar tone on that album... So I picked up my cheap parts-o-caster with Carvin C22 humbucker pickups (very underrated IMO...lots of warmth), fired up the Traynor, set all Treble to 5, Mid to 5, and bass to 6, reverb to 4, and gain on lead channel to 2:30. I had that tone f@*#ing spot on!!...right level of decay in notes, right amount of mid grind, perfect. Needless to say I started at Detroit Rock City and the guitar didn't get put down until Do You Love Me (skipping Beth of course). Sounded incredible... so flame the group, flame my enthusiasm, etc., but this amp does 70's hotrodded Marshalls very well. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members funkymonks16 Posted March 17, 2008 Members Share Posted March 17, 2008 Just alittle update on my situation: I believe the breaking in of the speaker caused some of the harshness to subside, so luckily, now it sounds much warmer, although it still remains somewhat harsh. I hope by rebiasing the tubes, this will all be remedied.I do, however, like the amp much more than when I first purchased it. Whoever said it sounds better in a band situation is also very correct. This harshness seems to translate into being heard through the mix, so it works well when among others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted March 17, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 17, 2008 Just alittle update on my situation:I believe the breaking in of the speaker caused some of the harshness to subside, so luckily, now it sounds much warmer, although it still remains somewhat harsh. I hope by rebiasing the tubes, this will all be remedied.I do, however, like the amp much more than when I first purchased it. Whoever said it sounds better in a band situation is also very correct. This harshness seems to translate into being heard through the mix, so it works well when among others. Where do you have the treble set? It is kind of a bright amp. Also, I find it sounds much better with the presence control bypassed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted March 17, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 17, 2008 OK. At the risk of being flamed, I've had another experience with the Traynor YCS-50 that's making me love it more.Earlier today I had just finished burning Kiss: Destroyer to my computer's iTunes...cheezy group (still luv em) but great album...always loved the guitar tone on that album...So I picked up my cheap parts-o-caster with Carvin C22 humbucker pickups (very underrated IMO...lots of warmth), fired up the Traynor, set all Treble to 5, Mid to 5, and bass to 6, reverb to 4, and gain on lead channel to 2:30. I had that tone f@*#ing spot on!!...right level of decay in notes, right amount of mid grind, perfect. Needless to say I started at Detroit Rock City and the guitar didn't get put down until Do You Love Me (skipping Beth of course). Sounded incredible...so flame the group, flame my enthusiasm, etc., but this amp does 70's hotrodded Marshalls very well.Mark I was using the YCS-100H in rehearsal the other day. We're working up a Kiss song too ("Lick it up". Don't laugh, we have two female singers and it works with them) and it was really nailing those tones. I was very happy with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 17 Tubes Posted March 17, 2008 Members Share Posted March 17, 2008 The ycv 50 is a GREAT rock amp. It has the ....medium crunch and presence...that makes it stick up in the mix. Remember...it's not a hi-gainer. Not designed, built or billled as such. Yorkville put some vintage mojo innit. Upgrade in tubes might be the way to go. I also think if you use it at higher volumes, a speaker change is in order. If you recall, I mentioned I stuffed a well-broken in EV12L in there...The amp top end just opened right up, I was able to run the volume all the way...volume increased, tone maintained. Like the V30 was quashing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Philo Beddoe Posted March 17, 2008 Members Share Posted March 17, 2008 dO they make a head version? I don't like teh combo amps.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members teetop Posted March 17, 2008 Members Share Posted March 17, 2008 dO they make a head version? I don't like teh combo amps.... Yep...they've had the YCS-100 head for a while, which is three channels if I am not mistaken...and they have just announced the YCS-50 head...though, I think it comes with el34s whereas the combo comes with 5881s/6l6s...am I correct anyone? Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diddlybo Posted March 17, 2008 Members Share Posted March 17, 2008 Yep...they've had the YCS-100 head for a while, which is three channels if I am not mistaken...and they have just announced the YCS-50 head...though, I think it comes with el34s whereas the combo comes with 5881s/6l6s...am I correct anyone?Mark You are correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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