Purchased completely gone-through '72 Traynor YBA-1 - DOA

[RWood]

I suspect Bias circuit. The only YBA1 schematic I have shows Bias circuit D1 cathode connected to R29(150K) which is fed from HT/rectifier. Your pic don't show resistor and appears to go to PT (Bias tap maybe?) Via green wire. I'd suspect the resistor should be there irregardless of the year but I'm probably wrong.
My schem also shows 6 diode FW and not bridge.

Edit: I found others with bridge and no resistor so scratch this post. It still looks tackily done anyways.

[CherryFive]

Well if that's the case then fine. Yes, I've taken the amp apart over and over again (lol) hoping and praying and I thought the work looked great, but what the heck do I know. Anyhow, I was looking for cherry-plating or any odd behavior from the tubes but they seemed okay. I swapped out all of the pre-amp tubes with different ones and the exact same problem there. The only thing left to do is try new power tubes.

Part of the attraction for the buy was the fact that it seems having updated parts would help me at gigs when I'm worrying about some 40 year old component frying up. I have a 1974 Traynor YGLMKIII that's in the shop for that very reason. All original parts, sounded good, but let's be realistic. How can this be depended upon, it's frigging old.

But the problem is I live in CT and maybe I'm just missing out big time but I can't find any techs within a two hour driving radius. There's an amp guy here I use, but he'd charge an arm and a leg to have a lot of these components replaced. But if you somehow think a more original amp would be desirable then f-it, I'll return it and keep hunting. Thanks to the last poster for turning my head around on that one.

For the record, when the amp arrived I was mildly surprised because
I was expecting fan inside of it! But I didn't really think about a significant difference between the YBA-1 and YBA-1A. Nevertheless, after reading about them, thew truth is I'm open to both equally. I learn more towards the YBA-1A (with the fan) but I'm afraid of that fan making a ton of noise (lol). I wonder if they can be oiled.

[Leo_Gnardo]

But the problem is I live in CT and maybe I'm just missing out big time but I can't find any techs within a two hour driving radius. There's an amp guy here I use, but he'd charge an arm and a leg to have a lot of these components replaced.

You don't need "a lot of those parts replaced." You need to have the problem found and corrected. Sometimes what seems dire turns out to be trivial.

Where are you in CT? Our correspondent Firestorm's somewhere near Danbury I think.

Lots of 40+ y/o amps working just fine with some old parts, but other old parts are due for replacement. Traynors generally had good resistors, many had mustard caps which are now revered for tone, OTOH 40 year old electrolytic caps are candidates for replacement without a second thought.

Fan? you can always add one. Some YBA's had, others didn't. Since they're Fender-like in construction, tubes hanging from chassis with a fair amount of room in the box, you could probably do without one. There are low noise computer fans you could run from a wall wart. You don't need to stir up a hurricane, just get some air moving below decks. Sometimes I take a mini fan rated for 230VAC and run it off 120V line, does the trick and very quietly. Who needs a big whoosh-wizzzz going on.

[rp]

That one wasn't so much 'serviced' as it was fully harvested for mustards. Ask me how I know. After 25 years I still never never sit with my back to the door just in case the Mounties walk in.

No biggie but no diff than a vintage Fender or Marshall that's had a capectomy (looks like resitorectomy too) - value as you will. $600 isn't unreasonable to me, for a fully working tube head, still.

[roknroll]

Swapping power tubes for a quick test only. Quick like a few seconds. If the amp works after power tube swap, do not continue to use it until it is biased properly.

[randalp3000]

That one wasn't so much 'serviced' as it was fully harvested for mustards. Ask me how I know. After 25 years I still never never sit with my back to the door just in case the Mounties walk in.

No biggie but no diff than a vintage Fender or Marshall that's had a capectomy (looks like resitorectomy too) - value as you will. $600 isn't unreasonable to me, for a fully working tube head, still.

I was having the same thought. You could buy one unmolested for less.

I would check this guys other listings, current and completed to see if he's selling some nice mustard caps.

send it back if you can and get a better one, these are great amps.

[Stevem]

If the amp is pushing good signal to the output tubes and your no sound issue is due to a shorted OT then you will see the power supply voltage getting pulled down from its idle level as the output tubes try to drive the OT in vain, if very little signal voltage is getting to the tubes then the B+ voltage will not be seen to change!
Also if you can get the right viewing angle on the output tubes in a darkened room you will see the inside of them flash up briter if they are getting good drive signal, a simple check to make!

[rp]

Here's why it's likely not the OT, even though you never know how people are made up, but as Ebay will cover the buyer if it's DOA (is it still $300?) and boot the seller off for fraud, then unless he intended to walk, it'll just get shipped back and he'll prolly have to eat the postage both ways on a heavy item to keep his feedback up. He's got to be out at least $50 shipping.

To me it's very unlikely he shipped this with a blown OT unless he's not a musician or tech type and had no way to try it out, and the majority of sellers would have stated that. I could see a seller shipping an amp that's a dink hoping it will go unnoticed but DOA, unlikely. Plus so many peeps always think it's their OT when they have no sound, the OT has got to be the hardest thing to make fail on an amp, you really have to try hard - target it and be insistent

Something got knocked out of place in shipment. If you can get a friendly tech to do you a favor and just give it a quick once over and a thumbs up or down that may be worth it if you really want it. Otherwise, don't put a penny into it, back it goes.

[CherryFive]

Thank you guys very much. I love a community that is so enthusiastic about gear. I just thought the purchase would be a smart one, but I guess I'll return it. I tried two different power tubes and still the SAME PROBLEM!

I'm impatient, and they're coming up less and less! But the YBA-1 / 1A it is. Although I am running out of time. I have to be moving on

[Phil_S]

If you are willing to give the seller the benefit of the doubt, assume it was working when he boxed it for shipping. This means something happened in transit. What goes on? They drop everything a distance of at least 6' straight down. This is routine and you should assume it happens. When things are dropped, what happens? Something breaks or cracks or bends. If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on a broken solder joint. After that, possibly a tube didn't hold up. Then maybe something got bent and compromised circuit continuity.

Setting all that aside and FWIW, I'm with rp on mustard harvest. IMO you paid more than you should have. Your amp arrived not in working condition. I encourage you to take it up with the seller and attempt to return for a refund.

[drew]

Thank you guys very much. I love a community that is so enthusiastic about gear. I just thought the purchase would be a smart one, but I guess I'll return it. I tried two different power tubes and still the SAME PROBLEM!

I'm impatient, and they're coming up less and less! But the YBA-1 / 1A it is. Although I am running out of time. I have to be moving on

The photos you posted are from the eBay listing, right? If you can take and post a half dozen or more really clear, well lit, close up photos of the guts from various angles, someone here might be able to spot a problem.

[CherryFive]

No need drew. I really appreciate it, but I'm with Phil_s. Ebay offers 100 per cent buyer protection so I'll get a refund. I was at first willing to take partial refund something like 50 bucks, but if those orange Mustards are coveted than whatever, I'll just send it back.

My 1974 Traynor YGL MKIII has the mustard caps, they're pretty. But the pics I posted here of the YBA-1 ARE from the auction I won, which is an amp from March 1973. Do really think Mustard caps from 1973 are worth a damn? Aren't caps supposed to be changed every 14 years? Why do I hear one thing on the internet and another the next day?!?! lol

[cbass]

Typically Mustard caps can last years and years. Its the electrolytic caps that need replaced

[Cameron]

Thank you guys very much. I love a community that is so enthusiastic about gear. I just thought the purchase would be a smart one, but I guess I'll return it. I tried two different power tubes and still the SAME PROBLEM!

I'm impatient, and they're coming up less and less! But the YBA-1 / 1A it is. Although I am running out of time. I have to be moving on

Did you check the speaker Jacks wiring? Does it have its ground connected. Did you check your cable's?

[drew]

No need drew. I really appreciate it, but I'm with Phil_s. Ebay offers 100 per cent buyer protection so I'll get a refund. I was at first willing to take partial refund something like 50 bucks, but if those orange Mustards are coveted than whatever, I'll just send it back.

My 1974 Traynor YGL MKIII has the mustard caps, they're pretty. But the pics I posted here of the YBA-1 ARE from the auction I won, which is an amp from March 1973. Do really think Mustard caps from 1973 are worth a damn? Aren't caps supposed to be changed every 14 years? Why do I hear one thing on the internet and another the next day?!?! lol

If you want to send it back, send it back, but this issue about the mustard caps really shouldn't be a consideration. The guy's listing disclosed, both textually and photographically, that all the caps had been changed out. If you didn't understand or investigate what that entailed, or how it may have affected what somebody else might be willing to pay for the amp, that's on you, not the seller. Some people think these old components are sprinkled with magic mojo fairy dust and sound better; others think it's all gullibility and confirmation bias and no one would really be able to tell the difference in a true double-blind comparison test.

The seller has over a thousand ebay transactions and a perfect feedback score, so he probably isn't lying about the amp being functional at the time of sale. Probably something just got jarred during shipment, and it could well be something very easy to fix.