DetroitBlues Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 A few weeks ago, I purchased an old Traynor YGM-4 amp for my old bassist as a recording amp. However, when I took it to a rehersal, it was making some odd noises, almost like a bad tube. I had purchased a used Marshall Haze, which the bassist took instead, leaving me with this Traynor. I took it to my dear ol' buddy KPB810 to give a once over. I knew it would be a while since he and the Mrs. just became proud new parents. I got it back yesterday after holding the tinest baby I've ever seen (she is beautiful little girl!!! Good Job Brian!) Anyway, I took the amp home and cranked on it for a couple hours last night and this morning. Just incredible. Its a rather clean amp, hard to get breakup at max volume, but add a Bad Monkey or a EH Linear Power Booster and this amp screams like a Marshall! Brian, of course, did a few mod's, such as a bias adjustment, a cap removal, and cap replacement. This is a killer little amp. There is enough room in the cab for 15" speaker, which in his opinion, will really make this amp a killer.... Why did I mention Mustard? Check out all the Mustard Caps in this hand wired vintage amp! This amp has a very powerful tremolo and rich reverb, thanks to its vintage full size Accutronics reverb tank. He also replaced a couple scratchy pots and input jacks. Its power transformer (I suspect it was replaced at one time as was the filter caps) is way oversized for this amp, it could probably handed at least twice the output this 20+ watt amp produces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 The only difference between a YGM-3 (which has recently been reissued using the same OEM Spec parts as the original) and the YGM-4 is the speakers. The YGM-3 has a 1x12, this YGM-4 was originally a 2x10. I'm going to sell off this old Jensen 12" C12 and replace it with a larger 15" speaker either a Jensen or a Eminence. Still this speaker sounds good for its age, but its obvious, its not able to handle the bottom end of this amp, especially being a closed back amp. But I'm rather happy with this amp. It may be a stay at home or gig amp, I haven't decided yet. I am waiting to get my Tech 21 Trademark 60 while I wait (backup amp) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Nice gut shots EL34 power tubes? Is this a 1970's amp - styling looks like it should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t0aj15 Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 EL34 power tubes? Looks like EL84 to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockabilly69 Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Looks like a great amp DB. The bassist made a bad deal in that trade. That amp should last you a lifetime with proper care! A Marshall Haze on the other hand probably wouldn't:) EL-84s are my favorite tubes! And you're right, the transformer looks oversized. I would be careful switching to a 15" spk, as I don't think EL-84's generate the kind of low end that would work with a 15" spk, they are usually too squishy in the bottom, and that's exactly why I love them!!! One of the best speakers I heard in a 2 x EL-84 amp was a custom Weber speaker which was described as.... Spkr 12" ceramic, 8ohm, 40oz ceramic magnet, silver basket, flat spider, 1 3/4vc, Kurt Mueller cone, light dope. Ted Weber made it for my Tophat Club Royale, and that amp slayed with a Tophat Wonderboy overdrive in front of it. That speaker barked (I have the original invoice for it so you could contact Weber and they could probably make you one just like it and it was a reasonably priced at $103.50) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulk1 Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Doesn't the Peavey Delta Blues have EL84s? And that has a 15" speaker. Or 2x10. If moving that Traynor to a 15" speaker, you'll need a new baffle. Just mentioning it. Personally, I like 1x12s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smurph1 Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Nice Job Josh.. So you still gonna give it to your bass player? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockabilly69 Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Doesn't the Peavey Delta Blues have EL84s? And that has a 15" speaker. Or 2x10. If moving that Traynor to a 15" speaker, you'll need a new baffle. Just mentioning it. Personally, I like 1x12s. I think it did come with a 1x15 but I wouldn't say I really like the sound of those:) I just think 12's sound better across the board with EL84s or 6V6s. On the bigger bottle tubes I like 15's. The last reso/blues project I recorded for someone started with this... and ended with this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulk1 Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I think it did come with a 1x15 but I wouldn't say I really like the sound of those:) I just think 12's sound better across the board with EL84s or 6V6s. On the bigger bottle tubes I like 15's. The last reso/blues project I recorded for someone started with this... and ended with this... Honestly, I didn't really care for my Delta Blues 115, either. That Top Hat looks nice!!! Like that electric resonator, too! (Josh, sorry for the hijack. But .. that's the way of the HoC, I guess ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockabilly69 Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Honestly, I didn't really care for my Delta Blues 115, either. That Top Hat looks nice!!! Like that electric resonator, too! (Josh, sorry for the hijack. But .. that's the way of the HoC, I guess ) Neither the Peavey or the Delta Blues was mine, they belonged to my buddy Vince. I bet Vince would love that Traynor of Josh's! He likes clean with just a little bit of edge on the resos, and with the right speaker, I think the Traynor would deliver the goods. The cab on the Traynor looks strong too, and with reso you need to have a tight low end or it gets crazy sounding. tightness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 Nice gut shots EL34 power tubes? Is this a 1970's amp - styling looks like it should be. That is right! Sort of a mix of a Reverb Deluxe and an AC15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 Yep, I had a Peavey Delta Blues 1x15. I sold it to buy a KBP Reverb Deluxe. It was a good amp to my ears. The speaker in this YGM can't handle the amp. The cab is 1/2" thick birch plywood. Any suggestions for the frugal minded like me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Yep, I had a Peavey Delta Blues 1x15. I sold it to buy a KBP Reverb Deluxe. It was a good amp to my ears. The speaker in this YGM can't handle the amp. The cab is 1/2" thick birch plywood. Any suggestions for the frugal minded like me? The Warehouse (WGS) speaker range isn't bad. An Eminence Ragin' Cajun might be in the right territory for you in that amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockabilly69 Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 That is right! Sort of a mix of a Reverb Deluxe and an AC15. Josh, everything I read say EL-84 not EL34. And they made the YGM-4 with 4 x 8 speakers, which personally I would love to hear!!! Check this out... And the matching PA:).... http://www.eclampusvitus.net/amp/ Check out these mods a guy did to a smiliar circuit (YGM3)... Now it sounds like this.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 That's the mods I sent to KBP to make. Maybe I was mistaken and this had a 4x8 configuration... Sounds really good for clean bluesy stuff...needs a boost or OD for some nice grit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockabilly69 Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 That's the mods I sent to KBP to make. Maybe I was mistaken and this had a 4x8 configuration... Sounds really good for clean bluesy stuff...needs a boost or OD for some nice grit. Well if you're going Blues Breaker tone, I'd try a 12" Celestion Greenback, that's what Marshall uses in their Bluesbreaker Handwired and it sounds great. They do need a little break in time though, I can attest to that:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Josh those are good amps...however the stock speakers are usually the weak link I would put a 1x12 in there eminence private jacks are great vintage 30 might work well but if you have the $$ put a vox alnico blue in there you could also experiment with open/closed back...keep the full back panel so you can make it fully closed.....measure the back & divide into 3.....cut two pieces of plywood top & bottom, so the middle 3rd is open Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted October 15, 2013 Author Share Posted October 15, 2013 Josh those are good amps...however the stock speakers are usually the weak link I would put a 1x12 in there eminence private jacks are great vintage 30 might work well but if you have the $$ put a vox alnico blue in there you could also experiment with open/closed back...keep the full back panel so you can make it fully closed.....measure the back & divide into 3.....cut two pieces of plywood top & bottom, so the middle 3rd is open I was thinking about porting that cab sort of like that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PunkKitty Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Sweet amp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted October 15, 2013 Author Share Posted October 15, 2013 .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steiner Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Is that the Lion model? My Wife thinks she is a Lion Traynor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted October 15, 2013 Author Share Posted October 15, 2013 Is that the Lion model? My Wife thinks she is a Lion Traynor. Is that why she calls you Tiger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steiner Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Sometimes... It is why she's usually carrying a whip when you guys come over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted October 15, 2013 Author Share Posted October 15, 2013 Sometimes... It is why she's usually carrying a whip when you guys come over. That's funny! No wonder you wear leather pants around the house... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoslate Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Now it sounds like this.... Well.... That's about it! Very hip that he does the demo with no reverb...just as it should be! Terrific tone! Nice chops, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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