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VOX AC15VR or Traynor YCV-20WR
Joined: Feb 21, 2011 Posts: 513 Ontario 
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Posted on Mar 04 2015 07:04 PM
Secretly want a VOX AC30 but its not feasable right now. I looked at the the smaller modern VOX and a guitar buddy recommended the Traynor as a good susbstitute. Would be used for Surf and with a treble booster for Rory gallagher tunes. I am not obsolete, I am RETRO.... |
Joined: Feb 13, 2007 Posts: 134 NW Fla Gulf Coast 
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Posted on Mar 04 2015 10:56 PM
Teiscofan, I have had a YCV20WR for about 12 years. I bought it used in like-new condition. It is an early version and I have not yet changed the six resistors and one capacitor to the 5.10 specification. It was built before the change that includes line-out and headphone jacks. The first thing I did was swap out all of the original Sovtek tubes for JJs. Later the original Celstion Greenback was replaced with a Celestion Alnico Blue. The amp has been trouble free. It still looks new. I haven't moved it around much and take care of it. Are you buying a new amp? The Traynor has a two-year warranty. I'm not sure the VOX has a warranty. As far as tone/sound goes the YCV20 is okay for me (after the changes). I haven't used the lead/overdrive channel much - it gets very hairy! The "clean channel" with Volume on "9" and Gain adjusted for a particular guitar provides a loud-enough-for-me clean sound. A Brightness switch boosts the highs. I use my reissue Fender reverb unit instead of the on-board one knob reverb. I don't know how the Traynor compares to a VOX AC15VR. It would be cool if you can try them both before you decide which one to purchase. I hope this helps. |
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Joined: Feb 21, 2011 Posts: 513 Ontario
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Posted on Mar 05 2015 04:49 AM
Thanks Kuk. I have stumbled across a used Traynor in really good shape at a good price. I have done the youtube and review checks and am now on the fence.....lol The commonality I have found is the speaker and tube swap. It would be great to do a side by side comparison but as the nearest store that carries a VOX os 2 hours away......hence my question.My guitar buddy really reccomends it as he has one. I am tone chasing I guess......lol —I am not obsolete, I am RETRO.... |
Joined: Aug 22, 2010 Posts: 1019 Portland, Oregon with Insanitizers 
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Posted on Mar 07 2015 01:08 PM
I bought a YCV-20WR about ten years ago. This was before the design change Kuk referred that includes a line-out jack. As the amp came I eventually decided that the reverb always made clean tones harsh. With the reverb knob all the way down on clean tones the amp sounded okay but needed an outboard reverb of course. Changing the tubes to JJs improved the tone but the reverb remained hopeless. Hoping to mod the reverb I turned to Traynor's literature for first guidance. I saw that the design change made at the same time as the line-out jack included several changes to the reverb circuitry. So I got out the soldering iron and modified the reverb circuitry to match the new version. These changed the reverb tone to what I had hoped for. Now this amp sounds like a vintage Fender with an outboard Fender reverb tank, and this is with the reverb only halfway up. I kept the Celestion Greenback but installed switches that let me change to an external speaker. I have several external speakers in cabinets, but after comparisons I decided the Greenback sounds good and I left it. So, in my experience there is a huge difference between early and late YCV-20WR versions for surf guitar. —Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com |
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Joined: Feb 21, 2011 Posts: 513 Ontario
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Posted on Mar 07 2015 05:46 PM
Squid - Good to know, I will have to check the year the unit was made. missed the one I was looking at but the search continues. I just found another I am contemplating. I am sure my sury bear reverb will compensae for the onoard reverb if its the older model. Greenback speakers and tube change seems to be the big thing for these units. —I am not obsolete, I am RETRO.... |
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Joined: Aug 22, 2010 Posts: 1019 Portland, Oregon with Insanitizers
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Posted on Mar 07 2015 09:21 PM
If it has a line-out jack it should be the newer model. —Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com |
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