The Traynor amplifiers were made in Canada between the middle sixties and middle seventies, before being bought out by the Yorkville Corporation. Post-yorkville Traynor products were standard solid-state schwag, but the earlier era amplifiers were hand-built all-tube, and with fully discreet point-to-point wiring...no circuit boards here! The earlier era YBA-1 amps were dead-on blackface Fender Bassman clones, and the later version (like mine) were equally imitative Marshall Plexi clones...the primary difference being a solid-state rectifier following the massive Hammond transformers which give these amps such a wonderful touch-sensitive feel. Traynors are also know for their rather pragmatic electrical scheme which seems to make them far more road-worthy and far less likely to explode than those other vintage heads.

Of course the other difference between the Traynors and their "name-brand" counterparts is the lack of $3,000 price tag on the vintage market...making the YBA-1 a real score for "those who know better". The Tone Lounge has lots more historical info on the brand.

Keep the volume low for sparkling surf tones, or crank it all the way up and feel the Angus of it all.