Traynor heads

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:55 am

Canadian folk,

Do you guys know anything about Traynor heads? There are two at a local guitar shop, and they seem to be quite cheap.
Traynor Mk.III

Or this cheaper one: YBA Bassmaster

They also have this in stock, a combo of head and stack for dirt cheap and it looks so bad! but for that price? FOR TOOBz?! I don't have any toobz in my life I kind of want to pick this up.

Marlin Stack

Opinions?

aen · Post by **aen** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 2:20 am

GET THE BASSMASTER!!! HOLY FUCK!
I think thats what my hombre Jaime has, and it will rip your brain out if you bride the inputs. NOt in a fuzz box way, in a MEAN FUCKIN TUBE way.

That stack might be cool, 15s are the TITS.

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 2:32 am

I don't have a cabinet at all. But I could put the Bassmaster through my SolidState Fender from the 80s correct?

Really so the Bassmaster is good? I'm trying to find demos.

aen · Post by **aen** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 2:49 am

Youd have to conenct the speaker to the head, and match ohms, and the traynor would proably blow the fuck out of that speaker.
But I think that head would be a great investment, even if you couldnt afford a cab for a few months.

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 2:58 am

I've heard great things about the bassmasters too. I've played through a modified one that sounded absolutely amazing, but I have heard great things about the stock ones.

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:38 am

I hope it's still around next time I am in Toronto.

Do any heads have their own speakers? Why are they designed to look like they do?

aen · Post by **aen** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:42 am

Like exploding transformers- the most expensive part of the amp.

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:43 am

So just a bad call?

aen · Post by **aen** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:46 am

Yeah. it will destroy your amp.

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:48 am

Fuck.

Is there some sort of special power matching you need to do for heads and cabs? I don't wanna buy some random old head down the road, and find that I need to get some special rare cab.

plesiosaurus · Post by **plesiosaurus** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 4:08 am

Lucamo wrote:Fuck.

Is there some sort of special power matching you need to do for heads and cabs? I don't wanna buy some random old head down the road, and find that I need to get some special rare cab.

Speakers are rated for a certain wattage and impedance which is measured in Ohms. Most cabs are rated 4ohm, 8ohm or 16ohm. You can change the impedance by changing how the speakers inside a cab are wired, depending on their individual impedance and how many there are. It's not like every head has it's own special proprietary matching cab.

So if you have a 4ohm, 100w head, you want to match it with a cab that has speakers that are wired for 4ohm and rated for at least 100 combined watts.

I just bought a Traynor YGL-3 Mark III, which is the one up there. It's got a cool, soupy verb and a decent tremolo. I also have a Sunn 100s that I compared it too. I like the clean of the Traynor more, but the overdrive is better on the Sunn. Sounds pretty ripping though. It's pretty dang loud. It needs at least a 2x12 to justify it. I kinda want to get a 1x15 or a 4x12 for it.

It's also heavy as fuck. And both the trannies are on one side so it's off-balance, making it awkward to carry.

All the research that I did on it before I bought it made it out to be pretty baller. I like it so far but I got it on Sunday and I haven't had a chance to really put it through the paces.

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 5:21 am

Both of those Traynors are pretty sweet.

I haven't used either with guitar, but I've heard the YBA with guitar and it's smokin. I've used the Mk III for bass with an 810 cab and it sounds fuckin' awesome... think a Twin with some growl.

brandon. · Post by **brandon.** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:09 pm

LUCA!
Find a YBA-1a
90WATTS! double the power of the yba!
looks the same but angrier!

...unless you don't want to blow your face off with RAWK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 4:16 pm

brandon. wrote:LUCA!
Find a YBA-1a
90WATTS! double the power of the yba!
looks the same but angrier!

...unless you don't want to blow your face off with RAWK!!!!!!!!!!!!

And fuckin' awesome with both bass and guitar. I wanted one of these HARD

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 6:29 pm

yes, the traynor stuff can be killer.

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 8:25 pm

brandon. wrote:LUCA!
Find a YBA-1a
90WATTS! double the power of the yba!
looks the same but angrier!

...unless you don't want to blow your face off with RAWK!!!!!!!!!!!!

I DO WANNA BLOW MY FACE OFF WITH RAWK!

This summer I have a good job so I will be making enough money for a new head and cab WOO!

Brandon, keep you eyes open for me for a Old Traynor head around Hamilton, I am always able to drive down and pick some stuff up.
WOO am stoked for a YBA-1a!

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 9:08 pm

Those are both excellent amps. You can think of the the YGL Mk. III like a Twin in head form and of the Bassmaster like a Bassman with a bit more snarl. Those prices aren't deals at all but they're fair considering the apparent good condition of the amps.
That 60's Bassmaster looks to be in especially nice shape.

If I were you, I'd shop them around on CL and Kijiji a little, though. Just last year my Bassist scored a 1971 BM with matching 2x15 that was absolutely *mint* for $500. There' still quite a few awesome deals on Traynor stuff, especially around Toronto.

Old Traynors are pretty rough and tumble. They're almost all rated for 8ohm loads but I've run all of mine at different impedances and other than changing their response quality dramatically (sometimes rather unpleasantly), it never damaged any of them.

brandon. · Post by **brandon.** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 2:14 am

Lucamo wrote: ...I am always able to drive down and pick some stuff up.

Drive down and hang out for a weekend! Seriously!
We move to a new house May 1st! Come over May 2nd!

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 4:07 am

Hmmm. So down actually.

I can't come then due to complications of moving back to Tdot for the summer.
but this summer, totally down. Let me know of any shows you got in Hamilton.

SGJarrod · Post by **SGJarrod** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 5:44 am

brandon. wrote:
Lucamo wrote: ...I am always able to drive down and pick some stuff up.
Drive down and hang out for a weekend! Seriously!
We move to a new house May 1st! Come over May 2nd!

You can tell Brandon is a solid dude, He did not say come help...lol