Rickenbacker Meets Traynor

360dave · Post by **360dave** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 8:01 pm

Phil....Can't beat my Card-O-Matic....hehe

billikenn · Post by **billikenn** » Tue Jun 17, 2003 12:21 pm

Interesting artical I found about the tung sol s

http://home.arcor.de/syde/roehren/e5881.html

philco · Post by **philco** » Tue Jun 17, 2003 2:54 pm

Josh, that's the same article I was talking about, and it even has a photo of a REAL Tung-Sol 5881 added, not that Russian 5881WXT wannabe.

I would try a JJ 6L6GC if I were going with a modern tube. Only $30 per pair.

David, does that Card-O-Matic test for microphonics and mutual conductance? Tube type setup does not bother me as I generally buy in bunches and test several at a single setup, so the 667 is an economical solution for me.

billikenn · Post by **billikenn** » Tue Jun 17, 2003 3:56 pm

http://www.torresengineering.com/newnewchinma.html

also found these, although I still have not bought a tube amp.

Im back to debating on a 90s twin reverb RI and then have it hand wired (PTP) which caosts about 300. So basically the cost of a new RI.

Or a YCV40 with tung sols and a Celestion G12 century

I know for sure my back would like the traynor a lot more - wish I could hear it with the mods first. I figure the fender would sound about the same after the PTP wiring...
I wonder if the traynor retains teh warranty is I change the speaker - well I guess I could change it back if something goes wrong....

JP

right now I have to worry about tuition next fall - so I think its gunna be a while yet.

360dave · Post by **360dave** » Tue Jun 17, 2003 5:16 pm

Phil...my Card O is a Navy USM-118 which is a ruggedized version of the civvy model. it has pin jacks for a set of headphones like the roll chart testers and yes, it tests for mutual conductance.
No more wasting all day changing the setup with this thing!
I got lucky and found it in unused condition at a surplus place with a full set of cards for $125. The tester alone is sold in beat up condition for $750 and a full set of cards like this one is about $500 alone.
I actually tripped over this thing at that surplus store during the time the Navy was moving out of the Long Beach, Ca. Naval station that was turned over to the Chinese.
I bet them Chinese were mad when they found out I snagged their best tube tester!!
I also have a Hickok KS 15xxxx (dont remember) unit that has a bunch of meters and dials on it. I look just like the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain when I use that dang thing.
I snagged that one too from the TV Network Pool when I worked at Pacific Bell...now SBC.
They didn't use tubes anymore and were gonna toss it off the 30th floor of the downtown Los Angeles SBC building into a dumpster....just think....I saved 3 bums and a homeless person and 1 druggie from being killed because that thing would have smashed them flat.
On second thought....it woulda tought them creeps a lesson not to sleep in dumpsters.
Oh well....I was a hero....once!

dannyboy · Post by **dannyboy** » Wed Jun 18, 2003 1:20 am

Philco; You have definitely convinced me. I'm sure that I'm going to finish the summer with a new amp! On the 28th, I'm having a chance to try my 650 on a YCV80. But I'm really interested in the YCV40! Just can't wait to hear the sound!

philco · Post by **philco** » Wed Jun 18, 2003 1:45 pm

Dan, I think a YCV80 would make my ears bleed!!! The YCV40 is already too loud for my apartment as it is. My brother once owned Dimebag Darrel's secondhand 100W Randall halfstack, and he couldn't believe my Traynor packed a single 12" Celestion and only 40W of AMPutation. He had to lean it over and take a look inside to believe it.

The Sovtek 7025 preamp tubes that are standard issue are quiet tubes and supposedly very reliable, no doubt chosen because of the high gain capability of the Traynors, but they lack the polished character of the Ei ECC83 and JJ ECC83S tubes (latest production types). My personal choice was the JJ ECC83S, but that's because of my preference for the gain channel and their slightly less microphonic nature. Those who mainly want jingle jangle on the clean channel and don't own a 650 (the Traynor's soul mate), but use something like a 330 or 620 with vintage single coils, will like the Ei ECC83 better because of the richer upper harmonics. They are Don Butler's faves as well, in the gold plated elite versions. Philco don't pay for gold pins, he just wipes some Caig DeOxit on the plain Jane pins. Those of you who just like the nastiest gain sounds possible would like the E-H 12AX7 the best, as they had the most gain and midrange punch.

David, sounds like you got a deal. My tube tester was thrown in for free along with 4 NOS Tung-Sol 5881 tubes in order to get me to pay $400 for a couple of old Heathkit W-5M monoblock amps. I usually go outside the settings in the book when I test tubes, so I don't miss auto setup. A repair shop would really love it, though.

Josh, download the YCV40 schematic from the Yorkville website and study it a bit. You will realize it is NOT a classic tube amp. Regulated preamp tube heaters, regulated preamp tube B+, auto bias adjustment, tube-rectifier emulator that is solid state, lots of transistors and diodes, etc. I figured the G12 Century would be the best upgrade speaker, as it is efficient and light. It's modern nature should fit the YCV40 perfectly, but at $200 a pop, I'm going to let somebody else try it first and report back to me.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Jun 18, 2003 2:33 pm

Philip: Just to clarify, are you saying that if I have toasters that I might appreciate the sound produced by replacing all three 12AX7s with Ei ECC83s?

philco · Post by **philco** » Thu Jun 19, 2003 12:56 pm

The Ei ECC83 has more upper frequency response than the JJ and E-H. If you want to emphasize the highs, then that would be my pick. I'm assuming you use the clean channel more than the gain channel, or at least don't engage the boost on the gain channel. The JJ seems more even all across the frequency spectrum, and is my pick for best all around, but I have humbuckers. The JJ or the Ei should sound better than the Sovtek 7025's my amp came with as standard issue. It's not a night and day difference, just noticeable. The 5881 tubes made more difference, but my Russian 6L6GB's had some hours on them as my amp was a demo unit. The speaker seemed well broken in.

dannyboy · Post by **dannyboy** » Sun Jun 22, 2003 1:34 am

Question for you Philco; What would be the difference between the YCV40 with one 12" speaker and the one with two? Would it make a big change in the sound beside being louder??? The price difference is only 50.00$ but I'm not looking for a loud amp, I'm looking for a real nice sound for my 650!!

philco · Post by **philco** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 3:38 pm

Mainly, you would have more weight to carry. There would be no difference in loudness, if the same type speakers were used. In a 2x12, each speaker would receive half the power, a 1x12 gets all the power. Tube amps are not like transistor amps. In a transistor amp, it is common to get almost double the power by halving your output impedance when you add another speaker in parallel.

The YCV40 comes with an external loudspeaker jack accessed under the chassis. You can just buy an extra speaker cab if you need more speakers hooked up. Or buy an extra speaker cab with a blown speaker and pretend to hook it up.

The YCV40 would be loud enough to fool most people.

The YCV40 sounds killer with a single 12", and it is cheaper to experiment with other speakers that way. I don't want twin speakers in mine unless I planned on using the Celestion G12H 30 or similar low power handling speaker. I think it's perfect for a single Vintage 30 as it now stands. Peter probably got the perfect speaker for the amp in his amp. The Vintage 30 will probably end up in my amp as well.

philco · Post by **philco** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:35 am

YCV40 owners will need to retube someday, and I just got a sales flyer from Parts Express. They have the Sovtek 12AX7WA/7025 that come as standard issue in YCV40 amps on sale at only $4.25 each when you order 6 or more. I prefer the JJ or Ei ECC83 types, but the Sovtek 7025 is a very quiet tube with decent sound for half their cost. The 7025 should preserve your OEM sound if that is what your YCV40 came with and you like the stock sound.

www.partsexpress.com

eatswodo · Post by **eatswodo** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:00 pm

Sounds like a good deal - what have you tried and liked recently in your Kustom Tube 12? I'm still amazed at how good this $80 amp sounds, but find myself wishing for something a little less aggressive on the 'gain channel'.

dannyboy · Post by **dannyboy** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 2:05 pm

Hey Philco, ...'Told you I wouldn't finish the summer without a YCV40! I have just ordered mine last weekend... If I could have gone to the store an hour earlier, I would be playing on it right now!!! They still had the YCV80 but it's definitely too loud for my young ears!! Dan

fury · Post by **fury** » Tue Aug 12, 2003 7:30 am

The YCV80 is a master volume amp, is it not? I hear that it sounds better overall than the YCV40.

I'm getting a Fender Bass Breaker. Tweed tone!