The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Bass Amps & Effects => Topic started by: SKATE RAT on December 30, 2009, 09:59:14 PM
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just picked this up for $250.
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x120/yrofrat/1.jpg)
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x120/yrofrat/2.jpg)
its a YGL-3A all original in perfect condition. even has the original Phillips tubes. the guy said he almost never used it 'cause it was too loud.?! i like loud!! how can an amp be too loud? but i only played it real low because i got home at like 10 o'clock and have neighbors. but tomorrow i'll open 'er up. it's a guitar amp. which i could use since i'm doin' another band now. but i hope its also good for bass.
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It's just a few preamp mods away from being a bass amp, and that's only if you don't like how it sounds now. Those Philips output tubes are either Mullards or Siemens, and you could pull them and sell them for enough to buy a set of 6CA7's (same type as those EL34's more or less, but much better for bass and a lot tougher) and mod the amp to be better for bass. BTW, Traynor's are killer, but all their amps, even their bass amps, are voiced a little bright.
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Great score!
I have a few solid state Traynor TS-200 heads and love'em for bass. Psycho's right, they're voiced bright, but I go for a bright tone anyway, so it works well for me.
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Great score! Those are nice heads. I had one years ago but traded it to a buddy of mine.
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Nice score ! Traynor one of the best kept secrets of bassdom !
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Nice... 8)
Talking of original valves... my spares... ;D
(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/Valves/20090226valves2.jpg)
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Very nice, Ken!
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IT"S MULLARD SEASON!!! blammity, blam, blam pow (reload) blam, blam, pow blammity blam ...oops too much republican showing!! (reload) blam. ;D ;D
good score rat!!
blam
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i played my LPB-1 bass with this thru my 4x10+1x15 SVT cab,and it sounds awesome just the way it is. and dead quiet when i stop. even the reverb sounds cool with the bass.it's a little clean for guitard.?
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It's just a few preamp mods away from being a bass amp, and that's only if you don't like how it sounds now. Those Philips output tubes are either Mullards or Siemens, and you could pull them and sell them for enough to buy a set of 6CA7's (same type as those EL34's more or less, but much better for bass and a lot tougher) and mod the amp to be better for bass. BTW, Traynor's are killer, but all their amps, even their bass amps, are voiced a little bright.
the stock tubes are 6CA7's and thats whats in there. but they don't say anything else.how can i tell? they say Philips on the plastic base.
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Great score!
Congrats!
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the stock tubes are 6CA7's and thats whats in there. but they don't say anything else.how can i tell? they say Philips on the plastic base.
I'm pretty sure those aren't true 6CA7's. 6CA7's are beam tetrodes and have fatter bottles. Those look like pentode EL34's; you can tell by the skinny bottles and that Philips never made true 6CA7's. Sylvania did before Philips bought them, but Philips discontinued the US-made only 6CA7 and marketed their Yugoslavian and German-made EL34's as 6CA7's. They may even be relabelled Mullards.
Since the EL34 and 6CA7 are pin and bias interchangable, you will often find them labelled as either or both from many manufacturers and often mistakenly described as the wrong type, even by tube dealers. If you can get some up close pics of them, I can tell you more, but from the shot you have, I'm 90% sure those are not actually 6CA7's, but EL34's labelled as such. It's not really a huge deal, but 6CA7's have higher peak current capabilities and gentler transfer curves, and as such, have bigger bottom than EL34's.
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sorry my camera broke. those pics are from the CL listing
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hey psycho bass. the Traynor is great just the way it is. but i have a Plush Royal Bass head, that needs an overhaul. it works but makes a lot of noise. it has 4 Sovtek 6L6's that were put in, in 2000. its maybe 100 Watts. i'm not sure how old the pre amp tubes are?what can you recomend that would give me more balls.i want to get it as loud and dirty as i can.i also have an empty Sunn 2X15 cab,any idea what speakers i should get? i think i'll get a 2nd 2X15 later on. i need to convert it to a 3 prong as well since it keeps picking up Mexican radio stations.
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ok i sorta got my camera working. i need a new cf card. it keeps freezing up and wont turn off,so i keep pullin ' the battery out.but i got some pics....first the Traynor.
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x120/yrofrat/love005.jpg)
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x120/yrofrat/love008.jpg)
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and the Plush.....notice the Telefunken's
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x120/yrofrat/love011.jpg)
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x120/yrofrat/love006.jpg)
(http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x120/yrofrat/love009.jpg)
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In regards to the Traynor, that is definitely an EL34. If there's a hole in its guide pin, it's a Mullard. Is there any marking for country of origin? BTW, that 6BQ5 is also known and as the EL84, and is a low-power, power tube. It acts as a driver for the reverb. Its most famous application is as the output tube of the Vox AC30.
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hey psycho bass. the Traynor is great just the way it is. but i have a Plush Royal Bass head, that needs an overhaul. it works but makes a lot of noise. it has 4 Sovtek 6L6's that were put in, in 2000. its maybe 100 Watts.
It's a low-brow copy of the Fender Dual Showman.
i'm not sure how old the pre amp tubes are?
They are most likely fine and will probably outlive you. Most audiophiles would cringe to know that you have Telefunkens in a... gasp... bass amp.
what can you recomend that would give me more balls.i want to get it as loud and dirty as i can.i also have an empty Sunn 2X15 cab,any idea what speakers i should get? i think i'll get a 2nd 2X15 later on. i need to convert it to a 3 prong as well since it keeps picking up Mexican radio stations.
The noise and the radio stations are related, and a three prong power cord will help neither, even though it is a good idea. The amp probably needs a serious going-through and lots of caps and a few resistors, not a set of tubes. If that amp were healthy, if would be a tone monster, and would have a fat sound that would crunch up nicely with overdrive, but don't expect loads of volume out of it; it's just not there.
For the cab, if you like balls, the usuals are the JBL D130, Altec 421 and any of the CTS 15's Ampeg used in the 70's. Modern 15's aren't going to be voiced for overdrive, though you may find some that work. Eminence probably makes a dozen or so models of 15's that will do what you want, but you'll have to know which one. These guys: https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/
...are probably your best bet though.
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"They are most likely fine and will probably outlive you. Most audiophiles would cringe to know that you have Telefunkens in a... gasp... bass amp."
even more cringe worthy is that they're used in a bass amp to play Punk Rock! 8)
but it is a tone master,it does sound good just noisey.
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a guy on the Vintage Amp forum suggested switching to KT88's is this a good idea?
also i'd like to learn more about tube amps, is there a book you can recomend?
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a guy on the Vintage Amp forum suggested switching to KT88's is this a good idea?
Neither amp you have can run KT88's's without some-heavy-duty mods, and even then, the end result wouldn't be worth the effort.
also i'd like to learn more about tube amps, is there a book you can recomend?
Dave Funk's (the Thunderfunk guy) The Tube Amp Cookbook is awesome. There are also lots of free online resources, but you'll need more than just entry-level knowledge to take advantage of them. Avoid books by Gerald Weber (Kendrick Amplifiers); he's full of it about a lot of stuff and Dan Torres' books are little better; he recommends lots of unnecessary mods, most of which, are crap. The best thing to do is find a local tech who is knowlegable and willing to teach you. There are things you get from hands-on experience that no amount of book material can cover.
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I live about 5 miles from where my Hiwatt was born in DR's New Malden garage but there are precious few specialists who work on them here...
The only thing to bear in mind is that messing with the inside of any amp you use is that you use it... I did a lot of electronics work in the 70's but I only repair after seeking advice... Mistakes can be costly, from all perspectives...
That book may be worth checking out though... cheers for that tip PSG
PSG - I know of Mark Huss, re my specialist tips sought, but is there anyone that specialises in Traynor's for Bryan (SK8) ...?
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PSG - I know of Mark Huss, re my specialist tips sought, but is there anyone that specialises in Traynor's for Bryan (SK8) ...?
Traynors are very straightforward, and are basically Marshall copies with better quality parts and build. My first tube amp was a Traynor YBA-1A, and I still have it. I have even played the very rare YBA-3A Super Custom Special, and if I could have afforded it at the time, would own it, too. This is the best resource for Traynor specific info I've found:
http://www.informatik.uni-bremen.de/~dace/vb/models.html
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thanks guys. Psycho, i'll check that book out. and that guy suggested the kt88's for the Plush.
i'll have my amps worked on by a pro for now, but maybe after i learn a bit more i'll pick up an old project or one of those D.I.Y. kits. we'll see.
BTW my Traynor is 100% and doesn't need anything, it's the Plush and my Ampeg B25 that need the work. i did pick up an Ampeg 16 Ohm 4X12 for $125. so i think i'll fix the Ampeg first.it has no tubes, and who knows what else. plus the Plush does work ok.
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and that guy suggested the kt88's for the Plush.
He has no idea what he's talking about. If you tried just dropping KT88's in your Plush, if it didn't run away immediately and blow its mains fuse (and probably do some damage) from the bias being too low, it would burn out the heater winding in the power transformer as KT88's draw double the current that 6L6's do.
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Maybe he's jealous of SK8's find... ;D
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oh, the Plush isn't a new find. i've had it for 10 years.
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Hide it... ;)
I've had my '68 Marshall since '82 and my '70 Hiwatt since (I think) '80...
Done a brief search for Dave Funk's book - look's like it's rockin' horse droppin's - any idea of a source anyone...?
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He has no idea what he's talking about. If you tried just dropping KT88's in your Plush, if it didn't run away immediately and blow its mains fuse (and probably do some damage) from the bias being too low, it would burn out the heater winding in the power transformer as KT88's draw double the current that 6L6's do.
I replaced 6L6s with KT88s years ago in an old Danelctro amp and got away with it, but it ran mighty hot. A couple buddies tried the same mod in other amps and all of them blew their transformers :o. I converted back to 6L6s :-[
Rick
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I did a quick search and came up with a reference for "the Tube Amp Workbook" by Dave Funk. Looks to be pretty pricey at around $60. The exchange rate would do you well in this instance, Ken, and it looks like something you would definitely enjoy.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=KiQ&q=The+Tube+Amp+Cookbook+dave+funk&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
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Cheers for finding that, George... gonna keep a search (Abe) on this one as I'm tempted by a body presently residing in France, and I still have to go for those speakers, not to mention the paint for the T'bird, and a bit of plating to be done on your old MB cover (going for gold...), so...
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I wondered if you'd do the MB cover to match. That should look pretty sharp!
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I did a quick search and came up with a reference for "the Tube Amp Workbook" by Dave Funk. Looks to be pretty pricey at around $60. The exchange rate would do you well in this instance, Ken, and it looks like something you would definitely enjoy.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=KiQ&q=The+Tube+Amp+Cookbook+dave+funk&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
Yep. I got the name screwed up. I just dug mine out to check.
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George... just wouldn't look right any other way... I have not fallen into the Chromosphere, nor the Dark-Side, but with this 'bird I remain riding on the crest of a golden wave... ;)
PBG... no worries, a good tip deserved the necessary research so it is still appreciated... being the owner of an "obscure" amp is fun (?); one of the things I have volunteered to do for Mark Huss is to create an accurate wiring diagram for my Hiwatt, as although she visually looks like a DR103S the plate calls her a "SWITCH", so there may be some difference - only one he knows of... handy having a 50/100 in the same case, I guess... :)
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I wondered if you'd do the MB cover to match. That should look pretty sharp!
what?
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Mud-Bucker... gold plated to match the rest of the original hardware...