Basically, the Canadien version of what Jim Marshall did. They both started with the schematic of Fender’s tweed Bassman, did a few tweaks due to what components they had available, and, in the case of Traynor, came out with the YBA-1 Bass Master. Which then was adopted by guitar players when they found out how well it worked with guitars. The YSR is their version with reverb officially for guitars.
6CA7’s which are better known as EL34’s. It seems Traynor really liked these power tubes for some reason. I was originally holding out for the Vocal Master 4 channel tube PA head as with all 4 channels jumped it gets super nasty but the fact that most still reside in the great white north means that either it’ll be a waiting game or I’d have to pay the ridiculous shipping costs to get it in the states.
What blows my mind is apparently these had Hammond transformers which are held to a high regard, “mustard” caps what the vintage mojo nerds go nuts for and made with the repairman in mind yet this amp was still fairly inexpensive in comparison to an old Fender of the same time period.
I was originally looking at a Bassmaster like that on GC’s website for cheap but I lollygaged too much and missed out. This GAS was from buying Gar Gilles tube amp book which resulted in me looking at old Garnet amps for inspiration for future builds which Garnet amps very seldom show up in the states but I did remember Traynor’s show up stateside more often though still not something you see every day.Well low and behold The Guitar Amp Handbook that I recently bought has a few pages on Traynors. Will read up tonight. Definitely sounds like a great deal for vintage gear vs the big US names.
The Traynor is supposed to arrive tomorrow so I’m stoked about that. I also have a Guyatone TD-1 I monkeyed around with to better take US mains voltage as this one I purchased was sold in Japan thus expects 100vac. I need to work on it some more as I get an intermittent staticky hiss that could be a whole laundry list of things but seeing the pedal has maybe a handful of components making up a basic dual triode preamp stage I guess I could just shotgun parts and see what happens even that’s really not my style. I purchased some inexpensive 230 to 12v transformers (from the Avnet company no less!) as a potential inexpensive means to make som preamp tube based pedals that aren’t starved plate design. Though I haven’t tried any starved plate stuff like the BK Butler so I cannot give an option of that means of obtaining tube distortion.Traynor Guitar Mate runs EL84's at 390 volts I remember reading in Dave Hunter's amp book. Requires fairly sturdy tubes. Deluxe Reverb 365 plate volts to the 6V6's.
My go to amphead is a Traynor Bass Mate 6V6 version. I actually wanted the EL84 version, but the 6V6 is actually more desirable, but I fell hard for the EL84 tone, although deep down I'm an EL34 lover, but too loud. A Marshall JMP50W is just way too much amp for me now, and the weight...
Traynor heads are also not light, but the tone.
I just got Gar's book myself, great minds think alike ;]
I got a Garnet in the mail a couple months ago, only played it a few times. It's versatile, it's amazing, it's quirky. Single ended 6V6 1 x12 combo with Reverb/Tremolo, neither of which are footswitchable.
I've always been interested in amplifiers, but now more so than ever.
Here's the Bass Mate head, '67 I think, shown with other heads for scale. It's a gem.
That's a 12AX7 SIB Varidrive, early variation with click pots, volume, drive going up on the left, bass, mid, treble going up on the right. You can choose between 12AX, AT, AY, AU tubes, I usually go for 12AT7, lower gain (44% per Dave Hunter?) because it can turn into a dirt monster too early. You can get more headroom out of a lower gain tube, clean headroom.
Sorta like a Marshall Bluesbreaker pedal that hardly anyone coould stand, like OMG, not enough gain ;]
5751s are in between 12AX7 and 12AT7s and also work well for a little earlier breakup.Traynor Guitar Mate runs EL84's at 390 volts I remember reading in Dave Hunter's amp book. Requires fairly sturdy tubes. Deluxe Reverb 365 plate volts to the 6V6's.
My go to amphead is a Traynor Bass Mate 6V6 version. I actually wanted the EL84 version, but the 6V6 is actually more desirable, but I fell hard for the EL84 tone, although deep down I'm an EL34 lover, but too loud. A Marshall JMP50W is just way too much amp for me now, and the weight...
Traynor heads are also not light, but the tone.
I just got Gar's book myself, great minds think alike ;]
I got a Garnet in the mail a couple months ago, only played it a few times. It's versatile, it's amazing, it's quirky. Single ended 6V6 1 x12 combo with Reverb/Tremolo, neither of which are footswitchable.
I've always been interested in amplifiers, but now more so than ever.
Here's the Bass Mate head, '67 I think, shown with other heads for scale. It's a gem.
That's a 12AX7 SIB Varidrive, early variation with click pots, volume, drive going up on the left, bass, mid, treble going up on the right. You can choose between 12AX, AT, AY, AU tubes, I usually go for 12AT7, lower gain (44% per Dave Hunter?) because it can turn into a dirt monster too early. You can get more headroom out of a lower gain tube, clean headroom.
Sorta like a Marshall Bluesbreaker pedal that hardly anyone coould stand, like OMG, not enough gain ;]
I had a Music Man 2x10 combo that ran EL34s. Great amp especially clean but loud as hell.
I think I have some 5751’s kicking around in a Carvin amp. I can so close to selling my stash of preamp tubes as I was for a while running hybrid rigs with SS preamps and tube power amps. Glad I didn’t outside of some weird 6AN8’s I had that originally went to some Univox amps I no longer own.