Traynor YGM? Guitar Mate Reverb

[plexi50]

Pots all dated 1968. I believe this is a YGM 3
Im having another weird and good year. I was thinking about the Traynor guitar mate i sold 6 years ago and how nice it sounded last night. Tonight i picked this up from a trash collector that gets stuff from the curb. Do you believe this? I gave him $50.00. Cleaned the pss out of it and put a 3 prong cord on it. Primary AC is 355VAC with a 455 B+ without any tubes installed

RCA 6BQ5's that are excellent testing. Phillips 7025A preamp tubes that as well are excellent. The face plate is near mint. Has original speaker in cab with reverb tank

Will go back over my work tommorro before i put in all the tubes and check the bias. Im to tired to do any more tonight

It's like i will things and they happen. It's been that way all my life. I dont read palms

[DummyLoad]

very nice score - you should keep this one.

--DL

[plexi50]

DummyLoad if i dont keep this one i would be a Dummy. Problem is i am a dummy sometimes. Cant wait to hear it later this morning

Have it running and it sounds great. Plate is 385vdc with -15.78vdc bias. I think it's running cold on the bias but im leaving it alone

Tremelo and reverb both sound fine. No hum. Dead quiet. Weird

[DummyLoad]

looks like the amp had low on time hours. the can filters OK - did you have to re-form them?

i've been searching for a YVM-1 for a while now. missed one on flea-bay not long ago... :-\

--DL

[phsyconoodler]

Ok I'll offer 60.00 and even pay for shipping.

Nice score! I want to get friendly with trash collectors.

[plexi50]

Ok I'll offer 60.00 and even pay for shipping.

Nice score! I want to get friendly with trash collectors.

I find it hard to believe that some people have no idea what they are selling sometimes. It sounds wonderful. Wana hear another one? 1965 Blackface Twin Reverb. $150.00. Guys transmission went out in his work truck. Just needed an few extra dollars to get it fixed. What did he pay for it? $40.00 2 weeks ago. If i didnt know better id say BS.

[stratele52]

I have  a YGM-3 1966. Nice amp but Traynor speaker , a Marsland is very cheap . Any good speaker will sound much  better.

I modify the reverb circuit because too much echo / delay, like you are in cavern. Yes cold bias  (50 % power ) is better in this amp. I do some test with 60 % and more ; not better sound . I keep it a 50 %.

All original caps are working fine. I leave these there.

[plexi50]

I have  a YGM-3 1966. Nice amp but Traynor speaker , a Marsland is very cheap . Any good speaker will sound much  better.

I modify the reverb circuit because too much echo / delay, like you are in cavern. Yes cold bias  (50 % power ) is better in this amp. I do some test with 60 % and more ; not better sound . I keep it a 50 %.

All original caps are working fine. I leave these there.

The info i see on the Traynor vintage says YGM-3 made between 1969-74. But i have a fuse and no circuit breaker. With reverb that would make my amp a YGM-1. Im a little confused as to the actual model at this point. But my tube chart says YGM-3 so go figure. The pots are dated 1968.  http://www.traynoramps.com/products.asp?type=11&cat=66&id=393#ygm1

[jjasilli]

 

[plexi50]

Me too!

[stratele52]

The year on the Traynor amp are the first digit on serial number on the back . 609...  , use the 6 , this is 1976. Your serial number should begin with 8 if date of the pot is the year the amp is manufatured. Pot could the   year before. Pots made in december 1978 and amp built in january 1979. your serial begin by 9.

[phsyconoodler]

Marseland speakers were kind of funny.The cheaper small magnet ceramics were often crap but the higher end ones and alnico's were awesome.
  I had a guitar mate with 4-8" Marseland speakers that sounded killer good.I tried a set of Jensen Alnico's and they sounded like crap in comparison.

  I also have an RSC Canada alnico 15" that cannot be beat by any Jensen or Weber 15".
Then a few Guitar mates come and go with ceramic Marselands that absolutely sound amazing.
  Hit and miss with some Marseland's.

[LooseChange]

Do you have the cabinet too.
I think that is a great sounding amp. Had a very clean one in my shop last year.
Traynor reissued this amp recently... It's that good.

[jjasilli]

Primary AC is 355VAC with a 455 B+ without any tubes installed  Traynor puts real hi voltages on el-84's.  I worked on one that was previously modded.  Someone had installed a bucking tranny & a Weber copper cap to knock down B+; converted to cathode bias  - so far so good. But disconnected the tremolo and used the tremolo pots for some weird and dysfunctional purposes.  I recapped the amp and restored the tremolo.

There was also a mod to the tonestack, which I left in place.  The mods, etc are posted in the Schematic Section.  That amp sounded great.

[plexi50]

Yes here is the cab and amp complete. I know they sound very nice now. I sold one 6 years ago and didnt know what i had at the time. I got it in trade for repair work and sold it before i got around to using it. Now i know why it sold do fast. This amp sounds like more amps should sound. When you start playing it,you cant stop. I cant find any grill cloth to redo the grill. I need to make a back speaker panel as well

Boy i wonder what this preamp would sound like using a 40 watt power amp!

[jjasilli]

Traynor grill cloth seems to remain unobtainable, even after the re-release of the Guitar Mate.  See:  http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/svt-vs-traynor-grill-cloth-564304/

[plexi50]

Thanks jjasilli. I bookmarked the site. 2007 does look close. I remember the old Fabric shops around town. They had quite a supply of just about anything you wanted. Mae's Fabrics or Jo Ann Fabrics. I think one of them went out of business. I'll let you know what i find

[plexi50]

I called Yorkville in Canada and they sell the grille cloth through the USA Branch. The part # is GC1. It is a 3'x3' piece of material
It costs $43.00. The cloth is called oatmeal. I think i need to save up some Oats to buy it

[phsyconoodler]

I get it through Yorkville Canada.It's 22.00 a yard.My cost.Add shipping and it's better to get it there.

[plexi50]

I get it through Yorkville Canada.It's 22.00 a yard.My cost.Add shipping and it's better to get it there.

Humm! They told me that they could not ship it direct from Canada and thats why they refered me to the US HQ
Doesnt make sense. Hell order a piece for me and i'll save $20 peso's. When was the last time you got it from them?

[plexi50]

Well i got some black grill cloth local. Not exactly what i wanted but good enough. I looks pretty good considering i got all the lines tight and straight.  An electric staple gun made it pretty easy.

[TIMBO]

Well done. 

[Willabe]

Looks very nice!


          Brad