Traynor YGL2 30-Watt 1x12" Tube Guitar Combo

The Traynor YGL2 features:

• 30 watts Class A
• (3) 12AX7 preamp tubes
• (4) EL-84 power tubes
• Cathode bias - no need to adjust bias when changing tubes
• Clean channel - Volume w/shared Treble, Mid, Bass
• USA/Brit voice switching with additional Bright switch
• Lead Channel - Volume, Gain, w/shared Treble, Mid, Bass
• Vintage/Modern switch for Lead Channel
• Global Volume (Master) Control
• Effects Loop
• 1/4" TRS Footswitch for Channel Select and Vintage/Modern modes
• 12" Celestion Vintage 30 8 ohm speaker
• 4 ohm minimum speaker load
• Accutronics spring reverb
• 45 pounds
• 10D x 22.5W x 20H
• Designed and built in Canada

The Traynor YGL2 is the big brother of the popular 15 watt YGL1, and offers more power, true channel switching, and added tone-shaping features. We tried it with several guitars including a G&L ASAT Classic S, Godin Stadium 59 and a Collings 360LTM.

The control layout of the YGL2 utilizes the same tone stack switching as the smaller YGL1 sibling while offering true "clean" and "lead" channels each with their own volume (and gain control on the lead channel) plus a global volume control for overall amp volume. There is also a mini-toggle switch that gives you the choice between USA and Brit settings. This is a cool feature that allows the player to select where the tone stack is placed in the signal chain, which ultimately alters how you use the tone shaping controls.

As for the USA/Brit switch: The USA setting places the Tone circuit before the volume control (like a Fender), which opens up the cleanest sound with maximum headroom. The overall sound is crisp and clean as you might imagine. With the slightest bit of reverb (somewhere in between 1 and 2), each guitar seemed to be in its own atmosphere, yet there was a nice sonic balance.

With the British setting, the tone stack goes after the gain stage. This means that you can get more intensity than the USA channel, but still shape your sound with the Tone controls. The overall sound of the Brit channel is tight, more mid-focused, and is very responsive to picking style and note attack. With some added gain and rolled off treble it creates a punchy overdrive that is nice for lead work or hard hitting chords.

While the "clean" channel has a good amount of headroom, higher levels of volume with bring on some mild crunch, which can be modulated with the global master level control. The general feel of the YGL2 is bigger and warmer than its peer group, no doubt aided by the more generous cabinet width and depth. You can't fool physics, and the 22.5" wide cabinet keeps the YGL2 from sounding boxy and constrained.

The "lead" channel had a good deal of range, and we appreciate the fact that you can dial in very mild amounts of crunch all the way to highly saturated lead tones. We tend to be pedal junkies, but we found the lead channel of the YGL2 to be very usable, and largely devoid of the fizzy, buzzy overdrive tones that afflict many compact combos. Even if you are using pedals, the lead channel is easily another handy tool in the toolbox.

The YGL2 goes even further with tone shaping with the Vintage/Modern switch that changes the EQ of your overdrive channel. The vintage side is just that: Creamy, balanced and spot-on for classic 60's and 70's rock crunch. The modern setting slightly scoops out the mids for a more aggressive and attention grabbing tone that with a little tweaking can morph from fusion rock to hair metal. It's a very handy feature, and you can think of the Vintage/Modern switch as "British" and "California" in terms of the flavor of distortion.

The venerable Celestion Vintage 30 speaker provides full-bodied low end, and rich midrange that is the epitome of the "British" style speaker. With its slightly larger cabinet that still categorizes as "compact", the YGL2 breathes life into the room with authority, and will carry you through most any gig or recording session.