[colchar]

I might be able to snag a '60s Traynor YGM-2 for what I think is a good price. Apparently this one was made by Pete Traynor himself and was one of the first, if not the first, production models made (according to L&M).

I don't intend to buy this to flip it, I would want to keep it and it looks to be in good shape for its age. But I don't know much about this non-reverb version of these amps so wanted to ask if $399 is a decent price for one of these?

 

[traynor_garnet]

I sold a reverb model for $400 and it took time to move. It wasn't 'hard to sell' but didn't go immediately either. A YGM-2 will be harder to move and if you are trying to flip for profit, it will be even harder given what you have into it.

Kijiji is full of dreamers asking $700 etc. Those never sell.

 

[colchar]

As I mentioned, I wouldn't be looking to flip this. I would be looking to keep it but wanted to check that this was a reasonable price before I ordered it.

 

[hedzup]

By the time you pay taxes and shipping from bc, it may be a little high I think.

 

[colchar]

$399 plus tax is $450. I won't pay a shipping charge...I know the guys at my store well, and some of them are friends of mine, and they have a habit of making the allegedly mandatory shipping charge disappear.

I've checked vintage Traynors on Kijiji but they are all overpriced and the sellers I have contacted have been unwilling to drop their prices.

 

[Budda]

Have you asked them if they can budge on price?

Really, if you like the sound a lot and you have the cash, why not.

 

[colchar]

Have you asked them if they can budge on price?

No, I didn't bother.

I posted the thread wanting to make sure I wasn't paying a high price, but would be fine with paying an OK price. If I was paying way too much I would have an issue, but other than that I wouldn't.

Really, if you like the sound a lot and you have the cash, why not.

I love the sound of the YGMs (the 1s and 3s, I am not sure I have ever heard a 2 before but expect that they sound the same), and easily have the cash.

 

[traynor_garnet]

As I mentioned, I wouldn't be looking to flip this. I would be looking to keep it but wanted to check that this was a reasonable price before I ordered it.

Oops, sorry I misread your post. I am battling a head cold and read comprehension is not one of my strengths right now.

It's a nice amp a a 'reasonable' price. I doubt a store would go much lower.

 

[colchar]

Oops, sorry I misread your post. I am battling a head cold and read comprehension is not one of my strengths right now.

That sucks. Hopefully you feel better than I did yesterday when I felt like absolute ass.

It's a nice amp a a 'reasonable' price. I doubt a store would go much lower.

I am fine with paying a reasonable price. Part of the appeal of this amp is its uniqueness, being the first production unit for that model of amp. Another appealing aspect is that Pete Traynor himself allegedly made it. I was talking to a friend earlier who worked at L&M for a few years until fairly recently, and his take on it was that the price is alright but that the uniqueness makes it an interesting piece of gear to own, which I agree with.

This isn't a very good picture, but the amp seems to be in good shape for its age:

 

[DaddyDog]

IMO any Traynor under $600 is a great deal. Where else can you get that much amp for so little? Plus it's hand wired, it's serviceable, and unbelievably durable.

There is a closed Facebook group called TAO of Tone. You can join there, and ask. All very nice people, with LOTS of Traynor knowledge. Most of them Canadian.

 

[hollowbody]

I had a YGM2 with a rare circuit. It was wired so that the 2nd gain stage came before the tone stack instead of after. It was like this from factory (1969, if I recall correctly). Anyway, I sold it for $500 with a new Eminence speaker in it AND the original speaker, as well as a new speaker cable and new tubes. I had it listed for a while.

$399 is definitely a decent deal for it, considering how much amp you're getting for the price, but you won't be able to flip it for much. As much as people list older Traynors for $750, I doubt any actually move for that price.

 

[colchar]

I emailed Mike Holman at Traynor to ask about the originating store's claims that this unit was made by Pete Traynor and that it was the first production model.

Mike replied that, at that time. Pete Traynor was usually just building the prototypes and the units with serial numbers were coming off the production line. But he said that records from that time were scarce so it is entirely possible that Pete could have made it. He said this unit was from very early in the production run in late 1967 and that, when looking at Yorkville's sales records from that time, the earliest serial number they have a record of is 105, whereas mine is numbered 102. He concluded with "Sounds like you've got a collectors item one way or the other". I wouldn't call it a collector's item, but it is neat that it is such an early one.