They are using a version of the Traynor script logo - the original is a chrome plated zinc casting - the new one looks like plastic. Presumably the amps are typical solid state practice amps - not too inspiring.
Transformers in a Signature are the same as in early Bass Masters YBA-1 (at least the ones I own). All the Signatures I have seen are early with Fender type case, script logo, and 7027 tubes - mine has a power supply choke, but is not early enough to have a tube rectifier. I think they were replaced by the guitar heads with reverb before the arrival of the flip-top models. Like the YBA-1 standard Bass Master, they have smaller transformers than the YBA-1A Bass Master Mark II, and put out less power - about 45 watts.
The tremolo circuit works by varying the bias voltage, so when the tremolo is removed you have to modify the bias circuit.
Does anyone know what the difference is between the Custom Reverb YSR-1 and the Reverb Master YRM-1? I am confused, as they appear to be similar.
Eric
I would just like to note that the earliest YBA-1's seem to have had SS and tube rectifiers produced side by side. Right here I have two '66 models, both use identical trannies, the earlier one (ser # 0278) has SS rectifier and EL34, while the slightly later one (ser # 0910) has a 5AR4 rec. with 7027's.
The earlier one also has the Marshall style turret lug circuit board, while the later one has the Fender style eyelet board.
Has anyone tried this on a StudioMate or GuitarMate (YGM 3 or 4)? If so, would it be possible for that person to correlate the instructions with the schematic part numbers (i.e. R22, C24, etc.) Even after converting the nF cap values to uF, I still find some discrepancies between the instructions and what's in my '75 StudioMate, so I'm not sure what to do. And I hate screwing up. Thanks, Paul
thanx for the idea and pics, I'll put 'em up soon ... I checked out my internet provider a while back about this and they need about one hour of code plugging time to get a chat page up and running at my Traynor webpage, which I can't afford right now ... btw, I like Aaron's archive service myself, the information is quite techy and rellevant as opposed to just chatty ... personally, I applaud Aaron's efforts big time ...
... it's now or never, turn that thing up to ten before the control freaks impose dB restrictions or our life .... waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh cheers y'all, jc
JC, I posted the same question on the Weber Vintage Speaker Technology Bulletin Board and someone posted that they remove these from every amp that has them. The output tubes in my Traynor look like they could be old so bad tubes could be a problem. I'm surprised none of the techs would have caught that while biasing the amp. At this point I'm considering doing the following: 1) getting a new set of output tubes and driver tube; 2) removing the surge protection diodes; AND 3) checking the connections to the speaker load to make sure they're solid and checking the ohm ratings just to be sure. Sound reasonable? Thanks for your help!
Todd
Hey jc you've got a terrific site, thanks for all the info on Traynors - I'm a yank who got a bassmaster at age 13 and still have it 30 years later (plus some others) - the old tube traynors are IMHO unbeatable for tone, durability and their own vibe regardless of their ridiculously undervalued price. I have a Mark II bassmaster which currently behaves nicely with Tesla EL34s.....do you think I could put Sovtek 5881s in with a bias adjustment or is that asking for chaos? Thanks for your opinion!<
>>I want to use the YGA-1 as the middle or crunch amp in a three amp setup.So I guess what I want is a way to get a smooth overdrive without having to run it flat out all the time. Not that that's a bad thing. Just a little impratical at times.
>>I want to stay away from a master vol. Is there some way to cascade the input with the trem section to overdrive it?
>that's the typical way of doing it ... now, the question has always been "what kind of distortion are you gonna get ?" ... for example, Randal Smith "boogied" the Blackface topology to get his MkII distorton circuit - the Blackface topology has lots of series resistance in it to prevent distortion (actually the resistors are there as mixers which results in less grid-current related distortion) ... I like to boogie the Tweed/Marshall signal path myself, because you get a more liberated kind of distortion ...
>you may want to boogie the YGA-1 topology witout reverting to another better-known topology and that will produce a sound in itself ... the question in that case is where do you stick the boogie stage ... to make life easy and to help prevent instabilities it "seems" that it is a good idea in general to follow the front gain stage to get a good quality crunch/distortion, but here there are no rules ...
>as for Master Volume controls, it seems there's no two ways to get around that unless you're wiling to live with the extra volume that accompanies the crunch (the crunch is the result of overload at some point in the circuit which comes as a result of higher gain and therefore overall loudness too) ... this is not an easy topic to dismiss as here are a number of things to consider at the same time ... you almost have to go in there and try things out and gauge with your ears, that's how I landed on my Fender mods and it took a few months of tweaking to get it right on- actually I just finished doing a friend's Super last nite ...
>I don't know if this info helps or not ... hope so ... :)
>jc
speaking of Brian, he's been over at my place a couple of times with his latest acquisition, an early 60's Vox AC30 ... a couple of weeks ago he had the thing ripped apart in my living room and we were checking tranny windings and this week he brings it back with the chassis newly crommed up and all components cleaned up inside (talk about restoration madness!)- I took out my AC30 and we jammed for a while to some floyd and zz tunes ... between the two VOXs, my Les Paul and Brian's Ricky 12string and his great voice we had some nice tone happening ... Brian was gonna get rid of his '66 Bassmaster to finance the VOX but has recently come back to his wits, possibly at a list member's dismay ...
as a side note, I get requests for amp mods all the time and thought I'd let you know about a book I just put together containing the amps mods that I use ... a section devoted to Fender amps deals with medium gain tube amp issues while the section devoted to Marshall amps deals with high-gain and switcheable super-high gain circuits which are also freely applied to many Traynor amps on account of the similarities there ... this book ain't a literary masterpiece but it contains essential ingredients for high tone and transient fidelity; ie it's not really meant just for read ...
>I've been looking around for pair of NOS 6AC7's for my '72 Traynor BassMaster Mark II. The prices are crazy! Are there any current production (less expensive but quality) tubes that can handle the voltage of the Mark II? I've heard people mention Svetlana EL34's -- any opinions on those. Part of my concern is that the fan that is supposed to be in the amp was removed, so I'm worried any old tube would die fast without the fan. Lastly, what is that mod about raising the screen resistors to 2.0K, 10-watters, in the Mark II -- good idea? Thanks!
One of my Mark IIs has had very cheap Eastern European EI EL34s for the last six or seven years. Shortly after I bought them I read stories about many tube failures in Marshalls using these tubes. So far so good, though the amp has probably had not much more than 100 hours use since then. I suspect any good EL34 would be satisfactory - there are better choices now than there were back then.
I don't know about 2K 10 watt screen resistors - Kevin O'Connor has recommended using 1K 5 watt resistors twice in the Traynor list - see below:
Eric
... the stock Voicemaster has grid-biased front end high-gain 12ax7 (ie true common-cathode) gain stages, the signal caps are maybe not the best values for guitar bandwidth range, the phase driver circuit is the single-tube cathodyne circuit which has less gain, uneven drive and clipping characteristics and a lower dynamic range than a typical diff-pair (long tail) circuit - the output circuit is same as in any guitar amp though, and the typical Traynor power supply is as in other Traynor amps of that time ...
the circuit may have a "novelty" sound stock, but if you're thinking of converting the signal path to a more guitar-prone response (tonal and dynamic) then here's an idea ...
the Voicemaster has enough tubes so that you can rearrange them into a Fender Tweed 5F-6/8-A signal path *plus* output modulating (Vibroverb oscillator and buffer) vibrato ... simply incorporate the 5F8-A Twin preamp circuit and phase driver circuit values (a single channel version !) and then wire in the vibrato circuit of the 6G11 Vibroverb amp in there ...
(* ... excuse me, FZ Zappa's on, playing Hungry Freaks, ... ahhh, so nice ...)
... if you like a natural, hot, xtal clear and responsive signal path then you might dig this mod ... even if the OT is cheezy on this amp (not saying it is) you should get a decent tone by using this time-proven signal path ...